Beyond the Literal: Microtransformations in a Secondary ESL Classroom

There has been little exploration regarding how Anglo teacher's interactions with Latina/o language learners influence student subjectivities. In this article the author attempts to use a theoretical tool from Critical Race Theory called ?microaggressions” and her theoretical construct ?microtransformations” to explore how a teacher's linguistic engagements with Latina/o language learning students can create and disrupt particular racialized student subjectivities.     

大学语文——提升人文素质的重要课程

高校作为人才培养的基地,应利用多种方法、多种渠道对学生进行全面的人文素质教育。但在实际的校园教育中,往往很多教师都认为提升人文素质概念较空,不善把握。其实,《大学语文》不仅仅是全体学生语言文字方面的必修课,如果善于运用各种技巧,把握授课环节,它对全面提升学生人文素质将起到非常重要的作用。     

THE ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF ACADEMIC EXCUSE-MAKING: Examining Individual Differences in Procrastination

Students from two colleges (n = 546) differing in admission selectivity completed measures of academic procrastination and excuses. Procrastination was higher among students at the selective college than students at the nonselective college. Academic procrastination was motivated by task aversiveness for students at the selective college and by fear of task failure and fear of social disapproval for students at the nonselective college. At the nonselective college only, procrastinators compared to nonprocrastinators reported more often using both legitimate and fraudulent excuses in college and during the current semester. Participants reported that excuses were self-generated for the purpose of gaining more assignment time and that most instructors did not require proof for excuses. The characteristics of courses and instructors likely to promote excuse-making by both procrastinators and nonprocrastinators also were examined. These results reflect the need by administrators and personnel to consider individual and situational differences when implementing student-centered intervention programs.     

Uncomfortable curricula? A survey of academic practices and attitudes to delivering Indigenous content in health professional degrees

Unacceptable inequity in health status between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians remains despite much work in the area. The imperative for graduating health professionals capable and ready to work with urban and rural Indigenous communities has led to a focus on curriculum development, but less focus has thus far been applied to academic staff capability to deliver the content. We surveyed academic staff at a large multi-campus Australian university on their practices and attitudes towards teaching Indigenous content in health professional programs. Indigenous and non-Indigenous academic staff were surveyed online about whether Indigenous content was included in the curricula they taught; whether they felt confident and capable of delivering curricula related to Indigenous issues; what challenges they found in including Indigenous content; and what, if any, supports and resources they felt were needed. Sixty-three per cent of respondents said that they included Indigenous content in their curricula, but 43% said that they did not access Indigenous resources; 60% reported feeling awkward, unsure or avoided teaching Indigenous content; most (74%) were comfortable teaching discipline-specific content to Indigenous students but only 26% felt comfortable teaching Indigenous content to Indigenous students. The findings reflect a level of discomfort experienced by some academic staff when teaching Indigenous content in health professional degrees. Reasons for this include being worried they would make mistakes, not knowing what to teach and finding it ‘too hard’. We suggest that three levels of action are required within universities to address this discomfort in academic staff: (i) provide a rationale (‘why’ teach Indigenous content); (ii) develop a plan (‘where’ and ‘what’ Indigenous content to teach) and (iii) develop capability in academic staff regarding ‘how’ to teach Indigenous content.     

墨子智慧与当代人心灵成长

对墨子思想进行现代转换,以发现并发挥其当代价值,不能只是从概念名词、思想结论上去探究,那样难免死板和单调,还必须注重从墨子独特而鲜活的个性、传奇的经历等方面来进行把握。墨子具有中国人罕见的性格特点和人格特征,他的身上充满了相反相成的因素,大雅大俗,大开大合,大爱大恨,大贵大贱,是矛盾的对立统一体,对当代人的心灵成长具有重要意义。     

Major survey design issues for the IEA Third International Mathematics and Science Study

He has been involved in international comparative studies of education since 1971. His current research is focused on integrating frameworks for the assessment of learning, ability and performance. He recently completed (with T. N. Postlethwaite) a volume reporting findings of the second science study of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA).