Mathematical problem posing as a measure of curricular effect on students' learning

In this study, we used problem posing as a measure of the effect of middle-school curriculum on students' learning in high school. Students who had used a standards-based curriculum in middle school performed equally well or better in high school than students who had used more traditional curricula. The findings from this study not only show evidence of strengths one might expect of students who used the standards-based reform curriculum but also bolster the feasibility and validity of problem posing as a measure of curriculum effect on student learning. In addition, the findings of this study demonstrate the usefulness of employing a qualitative rubric to assess different characteristics of students' responses to the posing tasks. Instructional and methodological implications of this study, as well as future directions for research, are discussed.     

A Toy Clinic Shop: Innovation Management in a Shin-Tai Elementary School

In Taiwan there is a declining birth rate and a dramatic increase in the elderly population. There is also the trend of using school space that would otherwise be left unused. The experimental project “Toy Clinic Shop in Elementary School” offers an innovative management model for elementary schools to address these developments. The following are included in the project goals: lifelong learning, service learning, and intergenerational interaction. The Toy Clinic Shop is not only a place offering the opportunity for intergenerational contact, but also for sharing and learning from each other. When the elderly contribute to the shop, they enjoy being with children, and they can experience the so called Ta Tung world of utopia where they enjoy being with young people. Furthermore, schools can benefit from the project because it promotes a school's many functions, collects more resources, creates social value among retired people, and develops the human resource of the elderly.     

Matching cause-related marketing campaign to culture

The goal of this study was to identify links between cultures (high- vs. low-context culture) and the effectiveness of a cause-related marketing (CRM) claim. First, the effect of culture on types of appeals’ (informational vs. emotional vs. combination of informational and emotional) effectiveness was investigated by conducting a multivariate analysis of variance. Employing a path model, the study examined the mediating effect of perceived credibility on the influence of the cultural congruence within attitude toward CRM. The results indicated that culture influenced the effectiveness (CRM attitude, credibility perception, and purchase intention) of type of CRM appeal. The main contribution of this study lies in its analysis of the validity of the interactive affect–cognition relationship effects on CRM message effectiveness across cultures. This study hopes to provide insight into whether differences in cultural values result in perceptual differences, thus necessitating the use of different CRM strategies in different cultures.     

Positivist and constructivist persuasions in instructional development

Constructivism has been an influential theoretical persuasion in recent years in the field of instructional design and development. Yet the theoretical tenets and applications of constructivism in instructional development (ID) have been often discussed outside the context of the long-standing paradigmatic pursuits from which constructivism stems. Efforts to continue an intellectual journey, exploring how different theoretical bases lead to different implications for ID, must be based on a clear understanding of different paradigms. Hence, constructivism is discussed here in the context of the underlying paradigm debate involving the old positivist paradigm and the new constructivist paradigm. This article explores how these different paradigms have shaped different theories and practices in ID. Specifically, three versions of constructivism and how they have influenced ID are critically examined. Finally, it is recommended that the two paradigms, positivism and constructivism, can be applied in a complementary way in ID.     

Enhancing Mathematical Problem Solving for Secondary Students with or at Risk of Learning Disabilities: A Literature Review

Requirements for reasoning, explaining, and generalizing mathematical concepts increase as students advance through the educational system; hence, improving overall mathematical proficiency is critical. Mathematical proficiency requires students to interpret quantities and their corresponding relationships during problem‐solving tasks as well as generalizing to different contexts; both requirements are particularly challenging for many students with learning disabilities. An in‐depth review of research was completed to (1) demonstrate how interventions targeting mathematical problem solving are categorized into heuristic, semantic, or authentic approaches; (2) explore the degree to which generalization is presented in each approach; and (3) determine the efficacy of each intervention approach. Experimental studies (n = 17) demonstrating the effects of interventions designed to enhance mathematical problem solving for secondary students with or at risk of learning disabilities were analyzed. Findings indicate that the efficacy of the three intervention approaches varies, and that the real‐world connections differ. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Effectiveness of Supervised Intergenerational Service Learning in Long-term Care Facilities on the Attitudes,Self-transcendence,and Caring Behaviors Among Nursing Students: A Quasiexperimental Study

The beneficial effects of service learning on students' attitudes have been well documented; however, few studies have focused on the long-term effect as well as on the caring behaviors and self-transcendence of students. Additionally, few studies have compared the effects of the service learning in different types of facilities. To compare the effectiveness of intergenerational service learning in different types of facilities for nursing college students, this quasiexperimental study performed a questionnaire survey before the intervention and two surveys after the intervention to comprehensively evaluate outcomes. A convenient sample of three groups with 126 students completed the questionnaire (assisted living facilities = 43, nursing homes = 43, veterans' homes = 40). The intervention was administered in one 60-minute session per week for six weeks. The outcome variables were measured before the intervention and after two weeks and 16 months of the intervention. All three groups showed significantly higher caring scores after the intervention. After 16 months of the intervention, scores of nursing students' caring behavior and attitudes toward elders were significantly higher in assisted living facilities than in the veterans' homes. Different facilities do have different effects on nursing students. Students assigned to assisted living facilities were more likely to change their attitudes and behaviors positively. The findings of this study provide a foundation for service learning projects as an educational activity in long-term care courses for enhancing nursing students' caring practices, attitudes towards elders, and self-transcendence.