The effects of a competency‐oriented learning environment and tutor feedback on students’ reflection skills

This study investigates the effects of a competency‐oriented course and the effects of feedback training on students’ reflection skills. Thirty‐one nursing students enrolled in a conventional course with lectures and assignments following a traditional test. Subsequently, they enrolled in a competency‐oriented course, which included more performance‐oriented tasks based on competencies and a performance‐based assessment. In both courses, half of the students received feedback on their assignments from tutors who were trained in feedback skills (experimental group), while the other half of the students received feedback from non‐trained tutors (control group). After each course, all students wrote a reflection report. Results show that students’ reflection reports after the competency‐oriented course were of a higher quality than the reports after the conventional course. Contrary to our expectations, the quality of the reflection reports of the control group (students supervised by non‐trained tutors) was significantly higher than the quality of reflection reports of the experimental group (students supervised by trained tutors). This study shows that a competency‐oriented design of courses enhances students’ reflection skills, but that the training in feedback skills needs to be reconsidered.     

Will the real discrepant learning disability please stand up?

Willson and Reynolds (in this issue) challenged my thesis that the regression-based discrepancy method (RDM) is not a valid tool to detect aptitude-achievement discrepancies. In this response, I show that the statistical and theoretical counterarguments of Willson and Reynolds are based on a misreading of the statistical models presented. Furthermore, I demonstrate that the regression adjustment, which is largest for lower correlations, is the direct source of the lack of validity of the RDM procedure. Nevertheless, RDM can be considered a valid method to measure an achievement component that is unrelated to intelligence.     

Educational Histories and Academic Potential: can tests deliver?

Matriculation results for applicants from the turbulent and under‐resourced South African Department of Education and Training system have consistently proved to be an unreliable indicator of future academic performance, particularly in the lower pass ranges. While urgent attention is being paid to the improvement of education in the country, the legacy of apartheid divisions and inequities will remain for some time. The Alternative Admissions Research Project at the University of Cape Town has developed, and performs research on, tests that indicate ability to cope with English‐medium academic education. These tests are used to provide additional access opportunities for students from disadvantaged educational backgrounds. In order to avoid developing tests that in effect only predict the past, the project has embarked upon an innovative approach designed to take seriously the effects of educational disadvantage, and to minimise reliance on content‐based secondary school experiences. This approach incorporates central principles from constructivist learning theories, most centrally that learning is an active, constructive process. In the tests being used and developed by the project, these principles take shape in an increased focus on the role played by questions and tasks within tests in terms of the provision of opportunities for learning to take place. The paper reports preliminary results from this testing approach.     

Pre-service Teachers' Preferred Strategies for Solving Arithmetic and Algebra Word Problems

In this study we investigate the arithmetic andalgebra word problem-solving skills andstrategies of future primary and secondaryschool teachers in Flanders (Belgium).Moreover, we describe the evolution of theseskills and strategies from the beginning to theend of their teacher education. The resultsshow that future secondary school mathematicsteachers preferred the use of algebra, evenwhen an arithmetic solution was morestraightforward. The solutions of futureprimary school teachers were more diverse: onesubgroup tended to apply exclusively arithmeticmethods (which led to failures on the mostdifficult word problems), whereas anothersubgroup was more adaptive in its strategychoices. Finally, student teachers evolved intheir problem-solving skills during theirteacher education, but not in their strategypreferences. The research findings indicatethat, in the education of pre-service primaryand secondary school teachers, there is a needfor an explicit treatment of pupils' transitionfrom arithmetical to algebraic thinking.     

Nonformal Education, Distance Education and the Restructuring of Schooling: Challenges for a New Basic Education Policy

This article argues that the present crisis of basic education for young people in Africa reveals problems that are more fundamental than enrollments, inputs and costs. They are related to the very structure and substance of educational provision. Of particular concern is the fact that schools find it difficult to respond to the different needs and circumstances of their pupils and to organize learning experiences that are sensitive to the social, cultural and economic environment. The author maintains that non-conventional approaches to learning, associated with nonformal education and distance education, have important but distinct contributions to make to the reform of mainstream schooling and could help to open up the formal system from within.     

Community Schools As An Educational Alternative In Africa: A Critique

With a view to basic formal education, this study explores actual experiences and potential values of current community-school initiatives in Africa. Using data from different programmes around the continent, it examines their dynamics in terms of various conceptions about alternative provisions for basic education. The wider policy question posed is whether community schools can respond in a meaningful and viable manner to the interests of learners and their communities, meet social-policy goals of equity and social justice, and foster reform. While its conclusions remain tentative, the study explores effective but problematic approaches supported by communities, non-governmental organizations and governments. It gives particular attention to those elements promoting empowerment and transforming educational provision and local socio-economic conditions. It also raises fundamental questions about sustainability and equity as well as the responsiveness of schools to community needs and their ability to assist learners in overcoming disadvantage and marginality.     

Stimulating pre-service teachers’ content and pedagogical content knowledge on rational numbers

This study explored the perspectives of mathematics teacher educator-researchers (MTE-Rs) on the use of theory in facilitating teacher growth. We adopted the framework of the theory-centered scholarship triangle (Silver & Herbst, 2007) to probe the underlying meanings of perspectives on theory use expressed by MTE-Rs. Qualitative analysis revealed three distinct types of perspectives: a perspective focusing on research, a perspective focusing on practice, and a perspective on the connection between research and practice. For the perspective on the connection between research and practice, two sub-categories were identified: connection with consideration of context and that without consideration of context. Different perspectives that MTE-Rs possess may influence their actions taken in professional development and consequently influence teachers’ learning of theory. Specifically, the cyclic process of decontextualizing and recontextualizing theory between research and practice domains is the key to the development of MTE-Rs’ educative power so that they can better facilitate teachers in learning theory.     

Refutational text and multiple external representations as a method to remediate the misinterpretation of box plots

The ability to interpret graphs is highly important in modern society, but has proven to be a challenge for many people. In this paper, two teaching methods were used to remediate one specific misinterpretation: the area misinterpretation of box plots. First, we used refutational text to explicitly state and invalidate the area misinterpretation of box plots. Second, we used multiple external representations (MERs): Histograms were used as an overlay on box plots in order to give students a better insight in the way box plots represent data distributions. Third, we combined refutational text and MERs. We found that refutational text was successful in improving students’ interpretation of box plots, but that the use of MERs did not improve students’ interpretation of box plots. The addition of MERs also did not increase the effect of refutational text.     

Firm-related training tracks: a random effects ordered probit model

A random effects ordered response model of training is estimated to analyze the existence of training tracks and time varying coefficients in training frequency. Two waves of a Dutch panel survey of workers are used covering the period 1992–1996. The amount of training received by workers increased during the period 1994–1996 compared to 1992–1994. Evidence is found for the existence of training tracks in the amount of training courses taken. It is further found that the effects of individual characteristics such as education, age and gender on training should be treated as individual varying coefficients.     

Mode of acquisition as a factor in deaf children's reading comprehension

This article examines the role of mode of acquisition (MoA) of word meanings in reading comprehension: children acquire word meanings using perceptual information (e.g., hearing, seeing, or smelling the referent) and/or linguistic information (e.g., verbal explanations). A total of 72 deaf and 99 hearing children between 7 and 15 years of age performed a self-paced reading task. Comprehension scores increased with age in both groups, but reading speed increased over age only for the hearing participants. For both groups, reading times on linguistically acquired words were longer than on perceptually acquired words. Although deaf children scored lower than hearing children in both conditions, comprehension scores for both groups were lower on linguistic items than on perceptual items. Thus, MoA influences reading comprehension, but the deaf show difficulty on both the perceptual and the linguistic items.