The effect of financial education on pupils’ financial knowledge and skills: Evidence from a Solomon four-group design

Abstract

The present study used a Solomon four-group quasi-experimental design to examine the short-term effect of a large-scale national financial education program on children’s knowledge and skills in responsible spending and performing transactions effectively. Our study included a representative sample of Dutch pupils in the fifth grade of primary school (N?=?2,650). Controlling for different children-specific characteristics, results showed that the program increased pupils’ knowledge and skills scores in performing transactions effectively, but not in responsible spending. The insights gained from the present study show how financial education programs that enable children to immediately apply what they learn in practice can improve children’s knowledge and skills regarding certain financial competencies.     

Toward a Developmental Counseling Curriculum

Extensive attention has been given by ACES and AACD to the unique role of the counseling profession. It is suggested that the definition of the profession lies in the association name: American Association for Counseling and Development. Counselors must integrate developmental theory systematically into the practice of counseling. Several alternative developmental models are summarized in this article, along with their implications for the future. Special attention is given to the soul of counseling, which is defined as a professional commitment to development. Counseling is not psychology, it is a specialized profession with a unique role in society.     

A reading level match study of nonword reading skills in poor readers with varying IQ.

This study evaluated the hypothesis that poor readers are characterized by poor nonword reading skills, but that a specific deficit, as opposed to a developmental lag, in nonword reading will be found only in subjects whose reading is discrepant from intellectual ability. To test this hypothesis, we measured nonword reading skills in 93 (64 male, 29 female) third-grade poor readers and 54 (37 male, 17 female) fifth-grade poor readers (with and without reading/IQ discrepancies) who were matched to 147 (81 male, 66 female) nondisabled first graders on word identification skills. Results showed third- and fifth-grade poor readers to be significantly more impaired than word-identification level match first graders on all measures on nonword reading. These findings were not related to the verbal IQ level within the poor reader groups and, thus, provide strong evidence for a deficit in nonword reading skills that is not explained by verbal intelligence.     

战后美国公民教育的嬗变及启示

二战后，美国公民教育经历了高度的意识形态化后，逐步走向了科学化、专业化的发展方向。研究其发展的原因，给我们的启示是：公民教育必须与国家政治发展相一致，要加强理论研究和科学有效方法的使用。     

Academic success through quality-managed course design

Principles of quality management (which focus on defect prevention rather than defect correction) are applied to course design. These principles mandate that 1) the mission of the course be clearly stated and reviewed in context of the total program of study, 2) the objectives for the course or program of study be clearly defined and known to the students, 3) there be numerous intermediate steps leading to the objectives, 4) students be given immediate feedback about their performance on each step, and 5) corrective action be initiated immediately when a student fails to achieve an intermediate step. These principles apply to both individual courses and to an entire course of study. The authors found that a course incorporating these principles led to an increase in student performance and long-term retention of information.Andy C. Reese, is an associate professor of immunology in the department of Cell Biology and Anatomy at the Medical College of Georgia, and he is the current president of the Georgia Academy of Science. He has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and an M.B.A. from Augusta College. His work focuses upon the development of computer assisted instructional modules and control of immune responses in neonates. Mary F. Mobley is a professor of marketing in the department of Management, Marketing, and Management Information Systems at Augusta College. She has a Ph.D. in marketing from the University of South Carolina-Columbia and a M.Ed. from Augusta College. Her research interests include quality management in education, strategic planning, and market research.     

Including spirituality in counsellor education: Issues for consideration,with illustrative reference to a New Zealand example

The appropriate inclusion of spirituality in professional counsellor education programmes requires a careful definition of spirituality, and clarification of how it affects the programme's content. It also involves determination of how a programme may be structured to address various aspects of spirituality. This article highlights some of the issues involved in these tasks.     

Predictive text entry with PAL and children with learning difficulties

Nine case studies were conducted to evaluate the usefulness of a predictive text entry program within a classroom environment. The program, PAL, was found to be very successful in eight of the cases. For children with poor motor control, the key-saving aspects speeded up text creation. Of even greater significance was the extent to which children with severe spelling problems were helped. They were able to produce much higher quality written work with a substantial reduction in the number of spelling errors. This provided great motivation for the children, and teaching staff commented on their improved confidence and attention span, as well as stimulation of language and vocabulary development. One of the children was on the verge of being classified as a non-reader and, although progress was slow, a significant improvement in the child's work was observed.     

Developments in style and purpose of research on the learning of science

Recent years have seen a substantial growth in research that probes children's ideas about natural phenomena. This article places the research in a context that enables comprehension of how it informs and influences the practice of science education. To this end, past, present, and developing styles of research are discussed. The predominant style of past research was based on elaborate experimental designs and complex statistical analyses of data. Studies employing that style helped focus concern on questions about individual learning which the studies did not actually seek to answer, e.g., why does the learning resulting from a particular treatment vary between individuals? What is understanding and how can it be assessed? Such questions lie at the heart of current probing of children's ideas. Some issues of importance in the probing of children's ideas are considered, as are ways in which these issues have influenced the development of a current style of research. From this present context, developing styles in the research field are described. These focus particularly on research on the strategies used by learners, and on the continued growth of interaction between research and practice.