Zwischen Berufstreue und Berufswechsel

In einer retrospektiven Befragung von vier Kohorten (Patentierung 1963–65, 1973–75, 1983–85 und 1993–95) ehemaliger Absolventinnen und Absolventen der seminaristischen Primarlehrerausbildung im Kanton Bern (Schweiz) wurden Daten zur beruflichen Mobilit?t und aktuellen Berufst?tigkeit erhoben. Auf der Basis von Besch?ftigungsgrad und T?tigkeitschronologie konnten fünf Karrieretypen gebildet werden — Nicht-Einstieg, Verbleib, Reduktion, Ausstieg und Wiedereinstieg —, die bezüglich beruflicher Beanspruchung, motivationaler Haltung und Berufszufriedenheit beschrieben wurden. Mehr als die H?lfte der Befragten arbeitet aktuell nicht mehr als Primarlehrer, jedoch haben nur wenige das Berufsfeld Bildung und Schule verlassen. Die Ergebnisse zeichnen ein weit günstigeres Bild der beruflichen Karriere von Lehrkr?ften als die bisherige Forschung, die zumeist auf „überlebende“ im Lehrerberuf beschr?nkt ist. Auff?llig ist die starke Determination der Karriere von weiblichen Lehrkr?ften durch die traditionelle Geschlechtsrollenteilung, und zwar in allen untersuchten Kohorten.     

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.     

Fostering Upper Secondary Students’ Ability to Engage in Practices of Scientific Investigation: a Comparative Analysis of an Explicit and an Implicit Instructional Approach

Research in Science Education - Inquiry-based teaching is considered as contributing to content-related, procedural, and epistemic learning goals of science education. In this study, a...     

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.     

Marketisation of adult education: principals as business leaders,standardised teachers and responsibilised students

The marketisation of education is a global phenomenon and has attracted increased interest during the last three decades, not least in terms of research on school choice and its consequences. However, while much research has been conducted on the marketisation of schooling, less attention has been directed at adult education. In this paper, focus is directed at institutional logics and institutional responses to the process of marketisation of adult education. More specifically, we focus on how a procurement system, implemented in order to create competition and to increase quality in adult education, influences how students construe themselves, as well as the way principals and teachers work. Our results indicate that teachers emerge as the main source of resistance towards an institutional logic emerging in the wake of marketisation, while principals and students to a large extent conform to the emerging institutional demands.     

Unpacking challenges of data commentary writing in master’s thesis projects: an insider perspective from chemical engineering

Background Data commentary, in-text comments on the visual presentation of data, is acknowledged as a central aspect of academic writing in many engineering disciplines. At the same time, it is a feature that has been shown to be challenging for students. One of the genres in which data commentary plays a significant role in many engineering disciplines is the master’s thesis. Comparatively little research has been done on the process of master thesis supervision, and combining the study of data commentary and master’s thesis supervision is therefore particularly interesting.

Purpose This study explores the challenges of data commentary writing through interviews with master’s students and thesis supervisors of chemical engineering.

Sample and method Master’s students at a Swedish university were invited to participate in a workshop about the writing of data commentary. Nine master’s students and five supervisors were interviewed about what is difficult and important about writing data commentaries in their discipline as well as about decisions made in data commentaries written by the students. The interviews were divided into a semi-structured and a discourse-based part.

Results Our results indicate that data commentary comes with a variety of challenges. Among the most difficult and important aspects are selection of content and clarity. The study also indicates a close connection between data commentary and disciplinary learning in chemical engineering, suggesting that highlighting data commentary in the teaching of master’s thesis writing will be time well spent.

Conclusions In order to make the teaching and learning of data commentary effective in the context investigated, we propose that important measures are: the development of a shared metalanguage among students and supervisors, a genre approach, and collaboration between engineering and communication faculty.     

Re-inventing the Historical in Comparative Education: Reflections on a protean episteme by a contemporary player

It has been said, not in jest, that while the future may be predictable, the past is unpredictable. This essay first constructs yet another, but hopefully different, historical overview of the episteme of comparative education in the USA, the American comparative proteus (after the Greek mythical sea-god who, according to the Oxford English Dictionary , would assume different shapes and appearances 'to avoid answering questions'). The focus of the second section is a comparative view of the British comparative proteus. In both cases, the analysis is focused on the epistemological-cum-methodological orientations of the two 'comparative educations'. It is argued that in the period after the 1960s the two proteuses were metamorphosed from essentially being historical to social scientific. In the third section it is argued that this metamorphosis has impoverished the field, and a call is made for the re-invention of the historical dimension in comparative education. It is further argued that the reclamation of the historical legacy, among other things, would help to humanise comparative education in a cosmos of economic globalisation and instrumental rationality.     

Wann sollten computerbasierte Verfahren zur Messung von Kompetenzen anstelle von papier- und bleistift-basierten Verfahren eingesetzt werden?

Currently, competencies are mostly assessed with paper and pencil tests. Nevertheless, for some competencies, using paper and pencil tests is problematic for three reasons. For (a) competencies requiring complex interactions under time constraints, (b) complex competence constructs, and (c) competencies requiring using a computer, a computer-based assessment provides several advantages compared to a paper and pencil-based assessment. Nevertheless, none of the two testing media is superior to the other in a general way. Thus, the testing medium which provides the best opportunities for a proper operationalization of the competence construct at stake should be selected. If both paper and pencil and computer seem applicable for measuring a competence construct, precisely costing out and comparing the two alternatives is recommended. Within this comparison, not only the additional costs caused by using computers but also the specific costs of paper and pencil-based assessment should be considered.