The Outcome of a Social Cognitive Training for Mainstream Adolescents with Social Communication Deficits in a Chinese Community

The use of cognitive-based strategies for improving social communication behaviours for individuals who have solid language and cognition is an important question. This study investigated the outcome of teaching Social Thinking^®, a framework based in social-cognition, to Chinese adolescents with social communication deficits. Thirty-nine students (33 with Autism Spectrum Disorders and six without), ranging in age from 12 to 15 years with social communication deficits, participated in a 12-week intervention. Students’ pre- and post-intervention social behaviours were measured by six aspects of the Social Thinking-ILAUGH Scale involving 115 familiar raters. Students showed significant improvement in all the six subscales of the Social Thinking-ILAUGH except humour after training. Agreements on ratings among parents and school personnel were satisfactory. A framework based in social cognitive strategies, with appropriate linguistic and cultural adaptations, appears to be a promising tool for Chinese adolescents with social learning issues. Social behaviours improved across school and home settings as noted by groups of raters familiar with the students.     

The use of wikis in a science inquiry-based project in a primary school

This study explored the use of wikis in a science inquiry-based project conducted with Primary 6 students (aged 11–12). It used an online wiki-based platform called PBworks and addressed the following research questions: (1) What are students’ attitudes toward learning with wikis? (2) What are students’ interactions in online group collaboration with wikis? (3) What have students learned with wikis in a science inquiry-based project in a primary school context? Analyses of the quantitative and qualitative data showed that with respect to the first research question, the students held positive attitudes toward the platform at the end of the study. With respect to the second research question, the students actively engaged in various forms of learning-related interactions using the platform that extended to more meaningful offline interactions. With respect to the third research question, the students developed Internet search skills, collaborative problem solving competencies, and critical inquiry abilities. It is concluded that a well-planned wiki-based learning experience, framed within an inquiry project-based approach facilitated by students’ online collaborative knowledge construction, is conducive to the learning and teaching of science inquiry-based projects in primary school.     

The Development of a New Measure of Pupils' Self-Esteem in Singapore Secondary Schools

This article is a brief account of the development of a new measure of pupils' self-esteem for use in Singapore's secondary schools. The new measure named “Self-Esteem Checklist” (SEC), is a self-reporting instrument comprising 25 items grouped under 4 subscales. It has been pilot tested twice (in September 1986 and March 1987), before the main study was conducted in May, 1987. The findings of the second pilot study and main study yield support to the validity and reliability of the SEC, and its correlation with pupils' academic achievement. This instrument, when used with proper guidance, may facilitate teacher-counsellors' understanding of pupils' self-esteem, and help pupils know more about themselves, in the pastoral care as well as career guidance programmes.     

K2 Children's Learning of National Identity in Singapore

In May 1991, a quasi-experimental research study was launched to investigate Singapore K2 children's learning of national identity and the effect of parental involvement in the learning process. A specially designed and pilot-tested 43-item questionnaire was used to interview a sample of 329 K2 children randomly selected from the participating education centres and kindergartens. A 4-week intervention (five 20-min lessons plus one home-based exercise each week) was implemented after the pre-test had taken place in early July 91. The same sample of children was interviewed again in mid August, after the celebration of National Day on 9 Aug 91. The post-test scores showed there was an increase of the awareness as well as fondness of Singapore as their nation among the children in the study. The research design and findings of data analyses are presented and discussed in this paper.     

试论大学体育在构建和谐校园中的作用

在构建和谐校园的进程中,大学体育具有提高校园人才体质健康及运动技术水平、凝聚校园精神、充实校园文化、美化校园环境、增强校园与社会和谐的重大作用.