Developing conceptual understanding in ray optics via learning with multiple representations

A particular difficulty in physics learning is the fact that pupils’ “intuitive” concepts are often resistant to instruction. This article reports empirical results from two related studies within an interdisciplinary project of physics education and educational psychology in ray optics. Two different kinds of treatment groups (TG A and TG B), both targeted at widespread pupils’ intuitive concepts (N?=?511), were compared with the results of a control group (CG C) learning with conventional tasks (N?=?218) provided by a related study II. Pupils in TG A) of study I worked on cognitively activating tasks related to widespread intuitive concepts in ray optics explicitly requiring them to deal with multiple representations. Pupils in the TG B) of study I worked on the same intuitive concepts, but without the cognitively activating representational component. TG A) and B) were compared with each other and with CG C) learning with conventional tasks. The results indicated that tasks addressing widespread intuitive pupils’ concepts improved conceptual understanding significantly more than conventional tasks. There was evidence of a significant intermediate effect showing medium-term stability.     

University as vocational education: working‐class students’ expectations for university

Labor market conditions, a pervasive public discourse about the benefits of higher education, and parental hopes push many young working‐class people into university. The institutional culture and demands of university, however, often remain elusive and fraught with uncertainty. In this paper, I draw on qualitative interviews with first‐generation, working‐class students at a Canadian university to analyze the ways in which these students discuss their reasons to attend and their expectations for university, and the implications of their attitudes for their future success at university. Analysis of the interview data shows how the relatively high and risky investment of working‐class youth in education leads to strong utilitarian and vocational orientations toward university. Although a narrow focus on the career potential of university is generally perceived as problematic, I argue that it may also help working‐class students in their transition to university. Nonetheless, a critical educational process is necessary that not only helps working‐class students achieve their educational and occupational goals, but also understand their unique status in a social institution that they entered as outsiders.     

External and internal representations in the acquisition and use of knowledge: visualization effects on mental model construction

This article investigates whether different formats of visualizing information result in different mental models constructed in learning from pictures, whether the different mental models lead to different patterns of performance in subsequently presented tasks, and how these visualization effects can be modified by further external representations during task performance. A total of 80 university students learned from an illustrated text different day times and different dates exist simultaneously on the earth. One half of the participants received the text combined with pictures visualizing the earth as a kind of carpet (carpet pictures), whereas the other half received the text combined with pictures visualizing the earth surface as a circle (circle pictures). After learning, the participants received a test including different kinds of tasks. In both visualization groups, one half of the participants solved the tasks with an additional external representation, whereas the other half solved the tasks without an external representation. The findings indicate that the form of visualization affects the structure of mental models. Different structures of mental models result in different patterns of performance, when individuals solve tasks based only on their mental representations acquired during their previous learning. However, these effects decrease, when further external representations are made available to the learners. The findings are discussed within a broader framework of learning with multiple external representations.     

The role of classroom differences in achievement changes

A combined criterion involving the regression slopes of pretest-posttest achievement scores and achievement gain scores was used to classify similar types of classrooms. Mathematics achievement differences among 632 fifth graders were analysed in a longitudinal design and explained in a structural equation framework provided by LISREL, separately for four types of classrooms. The results replicated the findings of an earlier study (Schneider & Treiber, 1984) in that the local nature of achievement models could be demonstrated. That is, the structural components of the causal models could not be generalized across the four groups of classrooms. The inclusion of a second grouping criterion (i. e., achievement gain) proved useful in that a better model fit was always obtained for classrooms with high achievement agains. As a global model test ignoring group and classroom membership did mask the differential validity of the achievement model in the various subgroups, the need for multilevel approaches was emphasized.     

Weltoffenes Pädagogisches Denken

Ohne ZusammenfassungZum 80. Geburtstag Friedrich Schneiders     

Expectations of schools and teachers in the context of social and economic changes

The article starts with some basic considerations of crucial trends such as the expansion of new technologies and media, demographic changes, economic crises, changes in the relation between the sexes and the emergence of multicultural societies.The following two sections deal with the global dimensions in socio-economic change and the tension between universality and diversity in education. They also consider the relation between schools and their competitors in the area of nonformal education, such as youth movements, sports clubs, etc.Following this, some essential expectations in relation to the changing role of schools from governmental institutions to service agencies are analyzed; other aspects treated include the demands on participation at the grassroots level, knowledge transmission with regard to practical utilization, the growing interest in vocational education and the wide-spread divergencies in moral standards within societies.The conclusion to the article concentrates on the postulate that schools must define their existence and legitimacy by finding an equilibrium between adjustment (in terms of modernization) and conservation (in terms of maintaining continuity).

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Zusammenfassung Im ersten Teil des Artikels stellt der Verfasser grundlegende Betrachtungen an über wichtige Entwicklungsströmungen wie z.B. über die Ausweitung neuer Technologien und Medien, demographische Veränderungen, Wirtschaftskrisen, Wandlungen in den Beziehungen zwischen den Geschlechtern und die Entstehung multikultureller Gesellschaften.Die beiden nächsten Abschnitte handeln von den globalen Dimensionen des sozioökonomischen Wandels sowie von der Spannung zwischen der Universalisierung und der Diversifizierung des Erziehungswesens. Ferner werden die Beziehungen zwischen den Schulen und den mit ihnen konkurrierenden Einrichtungen im Bereich der nicht-formalen Erziehung wie z.B. Jugendbewegungen, Sportvereinen usw. erörtert.Darüber hinaus werden wesentliche Erwartungen analysiert in Hinblick auf die sich ändernde Rolle der Schulen von Regierungseinrichtungen zu Dienstleistungsagenturen. Die Forderung nach Beteiligung auf der Basisebene sowie die Vermittlung von praxis-orientierten Kenntnissen, das wachsende Interesse an beruflicher Bildung und die weitverbreiteten Divergenzen moralischer Richtlinien innerhalb verschiedener Gesellschaften, werden im Hauptteil des Aufsatzes besprochen.Der Artikel schließt mit dem Postulat, daß Schulen zu einer Definition ihrer Existenz und ihrer Legitimität gelangen müssen, indem sie das Gleichgewicht herstellen zwischen Anpassung (im Sinne von Modernisation) einerseits und Erhaltung (im Sinne von Kontinuität) andererseits.

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Résumé Cet article présente tout d'abord quelques considérations fondamentales sur les tendances cruciales telles l'expansion des nouvelles technologies et des media, l'évolution démographique, les crises économiques, les changements qui apparaissent dans les rapports entre les deux sexes, l'émergence de sociétés multiculturelles.Les deux parties qui suivent traitent les dimensions globales du changement socioéconomique et examinent les tensions entre l'universalité et la diversité de l'éducation. Elles examinent également la relation entre les écoles et leurs concurrents dans le domaine de l'éducation non-formelle, tels les mouvements de jeunes, les associations sportives, etc.Ensuite l'auteur analyse quelques-unes des exigences essentielles relatives au rôle variable des écoles comme institutions gouvernementales se mouvant en organismes de service; les autres aspects traités incluent les demandes de participation au niveau de la base, le transfert des connaissances en ce qui concerne l'utilisation pratique, l'intérêt sans cesse croissant pour l'enseignement professionnel et les normes de plus en plus divergentes concernant les valeurs morales au sein des sociétés.La conclusion de cet article met un accent sur le postulat selon lequel les écoles doivent définir leur existence et leur légitimité en trouvant un équilibre entre adaptation (en termes de modernisation) et conservation (en termes de maintien de la continuité).

     

On reliability and robustness of scientometrics indicators based on stochastic models. An evidence-based opinion paper

In the present paper we give an overview over the opportunities of probabilistic models in scientometrics. Four examples from different topics are used to shed light on some important aspects of reliability and robustness of indicators based on stochastic models. Limitations and future tasks are discussed as well.