Negative school factors and their influence on math and science achievement in TIMSS 2003

The aim of the present study was to conduct an analysis of TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) 2003 database and to determine how negative school factors, such as aggression, are associated to the mathematical and science achievement of students. The analyses were conducted separately for national and international data. National analyses for Slovenia show significant associations between math and science achievement and the experience of aggressive behaviour. Students who experienced aggressive behaviour scored lower in math and science, both in the fourth and in the eighth grade. The results of the regression analysis show that negative factors, such as aggressive behaviour, are good predictors of educational achievement in Slovenia. International analyses for the selected countries (high‐ and low‐achieving countries from the whole TIMSS population) confirm that this type of finding is culturally impartial as well as valid for the level of achievement both in math and in science.     

Simplifying Causal Complexity: How Interactions Between Modes of Causal Induction and Information Availability Lead to Heuristic‐Driven Reasoning

This article considers a set of well‐researched default assumptions that people make in reasoning about complex causality and argues that, in part, they result from the forms of causal induction that we engage in and the type of information available in complex environments. It considers how information often falls outside our attentional frame such that covariation falls short, mechanisms can be nonobvious, and the testimony that others offer is typically subject to the same constraints as our own perceptions. It underscores the importance of multiple modes of causal induction used in support of one another when discerning and teaching about causal complexity. It considers the importance of higher order reflection on the nature of causality that recognizes the challenging features of complex causality and how it interacts with human causal cognition.     

Collaborative Development and Evaluation of an Online Nursing Course

Institutions of higher education acknowledge that online learning represents a growing segment of the modern learning environment, and most students have mastered basic computer skills. However, reluctance to engage in online learning remains among both faculty and students. This article presents a case study of three schools of nursing that collaboratively developed and implemented an online undergraduate-nursing course. The article discusses the challenges that were encountered by faculty and students. The faculty used the distance education literature to address these challenges related to technological, institutional, and pedagogical aspects of online learning, as well as the recruitment and retention of online learners. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the course. The paper concludes with suggestions to overcome the challenges of online learning, such that faculty and students receive the inherent rewards.     

Subject competency of teachers and level of dependence on resource packs to teach levers,gears and pulleys

This pilot study set out to ascertain whether the level of dependence on resource material is related to teaching experience, existing understanding in mechanics, and perceived self confidence in science and technology. Details of teaching experience and qualifications were obtained from 11 experienced teachers and 10 initial teacher trainees, and understanding of mechanics was assessed by a written test. Each teacher worked through one commercially produced inservice pack about levers, pulleys or gears, and then prepared a 30 minute session for 4 ten year old children. Videos of the sessions were analysed with respect to the extent to which the pack was the sole focus; the amount of integration with other teaching aids and approaches; and the extent individual children's needs were satisfied. Although science qualifications influenced teacher confidence, they were not accurate predictors of relevant knowledge and teaching competence. As the majority of teachers followed pack instructions closely, the children's needs were not always well matched. Specializations: primary science and technology, teacher education. Specialisations: science education.     

Cheating Behaviors among Undergraduate College Students: Results from a Factorial Survey

Using a factorial survey administered to college students at two Universities, this study examines students’ tendencies to engage in academic misconduct. The relation of strain, self-control, and deterrence theories to likelihood of cheating are further explored. The results suggest that increasing the severity of the punishment for cheating does not deter academic misconduct; however, several variables indicating an increased certainty of being caught did decrease the likelihood of cheating behaviors. Only the strain variables that indicated a student had an ill family member or that the student found the course difficult significantly increased academic misconduct. Although self-control did not have a direct effect on cheating it indirectly affected cheating behaviors through students’ perceptions of getting caught and their perception of wrongfulness of the cheating behavior. Policy and future research implications of the findings are further discussed.     

2007年度金牌培训师30强揭晓——第二届国际职业培训师节日庆典圆满落幕

锣鼓声声迎节日,人才济济风云会。讲坛新锐今揭晓,江湖代有人才出。 2007年12月1日-12月2日,由国际职业培训师行业协会、劳动保障部《职业》杂志主办,国师管理咨询（上海）有限公司承办的第二届国际职业培训师节日庆典在上海科学会堂隆重举行,三百多人参加了盛会。     

Analyzing student thinking reflected in self-constructed cognitive maps and its influence on inquiry task performance

Instructional Science - Higher-order thinking is crucial to inquiry learning. It is important to investigate how students think in inquiry contexts. Given the tacit nature of higher-order thinking,...