Quantitative evaluation of alternative field normalization procedures

Wide differences in publication and citation practices make impossible the direct comparison of raw citation counts across scientific disciplines. Recent research has studied new and traditional normalization procedures aimed at suppressing as much as possible these disproportions in citation numbers among scientific domains. Using the recently introduced IDCP (Inequality due to Differences in Citation Practices) method, this paper rigorously tests the performance of six cited-side normalization procedures based on the Thomson Reuters classification system consisting of 172 sub-fields. We use six yearly datasets from 1980 to 2004, with widely varying citation windows from the publication year to May 2011. The main findings are the following three. Firstly, as observed in previous research, within each year the shapes of sub-field citation distributions are strikingly similar. This paves the way for several normalization procedures to perform reasonably well in reducing the effect on citation inequality of differences in citation practices. Secondly, independently of the year of publication and the length of the citation window, the effect of such differences represents about 13% of total citation inequality. Thirdly, a recently introduced two-parameter normalization scheme outperforms the other normalization procedures over the entire period, reducing citation disproportions to a level very close to the minimum achievable given the data and the classification system. However, the traditional procedure of using sub-field mean citations as normalization factors yields also good results.     

The Effects of Vertical Integration on the Release of New Films

This article both theoretically and empirically addresses how a vertical structure in the motion pictures industry determines the number of prints a distributor releases of a new film. A simple theoretical model shows that the optimal number of copies is increasing on the expected demand for the film and the revenue share of the distributor and decreasing on the cost of each copy. The model also predicts that the optimal number of copies will decrease with the number of theaters that are vertically integrated with the distributor, as long as running a cinema requires financing a non-negligible cost of capital. The theoretical results are empirically tested using a very rich dataset of films' exhibition patterns in the major Chilean markets. The empirical results show that, on average, a non-integrated distributor releases 8 more copies than an integrated distributor.     

Little Evidence That Time in Child Care Causes Externalizing Problems During Early Childhood in Norway

Associations between maternal reports of hours in child care and children's externalizing problems at 18 and 36 months of age were examined in a population‐based Norwegian sample (n = 75,271). Within a sociopolitical context of homogenously high‐quality child care, there was little evidence that high quantity of care causes externalizing problems. Using conventional approaches to handling selection bias and listwise deletion for substantial attrition in this sample, more hours in care predicted higher problem levels, yet with small effect sizes. The finding, however, was not robust to using multiple imputation for missing values. Moreover, when sibling and individual fixed‐effects models for handling selection bias were used, no relation between hours and problems was evident.     

Training policies in the World Bank

Taught at the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, the Vargas Foundation, the University of Chicago, the University of Brasilia, the University of Geneva and the University of Burgundy (Dijon). Was the Technical Co-ordinator of the research project on education in the framework of the Programme of Joint Studies on Latin American Economic Integration (ECIEL), was the director of CAPES (Brazilian Agency for Postgraduate Education) and was the Executive Secretary of CNRH (the Brazilian social policy institute of the Planning Secretariat). At present is the Chief of the Training Policies Branch of the International Labour Office (Geneva). Has published over twenty books and over 150 scholarly articles.     

Apprenticeship — The perilous journey from Germany to Togo

This paper explores the economic and cultural reasons why apprenticeship programmes imported by developing countries typically fail. The authors pursue this inquiry in a comparative manner by addressing experiences in Western Africa and by drawing on the outcomes of apprentice programmes in some industrialised countries. The authors identify major issues that explain why programmes borrowed from the West are so ineffective in Africa. Essentially, the imported apprenticeship programmes are decidedly Western and white concepts that link education to employment through certification and individual ownership of knowledge, and that clash with African cultural traditions. Individual success is central to Western-based programmes, which is opposed to more community-based conceptions of traditional African culture. Because of this inherent mismatch, the authors conclude with several options for developing apprenticeship training in Africa that are more relevant and adaptable to the prevailing cultural, educational and economic climate. They encourage programmes that improve the educational system incrementally and caution against programmes that run counter to the predominant culture.

---

Zusammenfassung In diesem Artikel werden die wirtschaftlichen und kulturellen Gründe untersucht, warum die von Entwicklungsländern importierten Ausbildungs-programme typischerweise erfolglos bleiben. Die Autoren gehen dieser Frage nach durch Vergleiche von Erfahrungen in Westafrika mit Ergebnissen von Ausbildungsprogrammen in einigen Industrieländern. Die Autoren zeigen die wesentlichen Merkmale auf, aus denen ersichtlich wird, warum vom Westen entliehene Ausbildungsprogramme in Afrika so wenig Wirkung zeigen. Hauptsächlich handelt es sich bei den importierten Ausbildungsprogrammen um auf den Westen und auf Weiße zugeschnittene Konzepte, die Bildung und Arbeitsplatz mittels Zeugnissen und individuellem Wissen miteinander verbinden und mit afrikanischen Kulturtraditionen nicht in Einklang zu bringen sind. Individueller Erfolg ist Kernpunkt westlicher Programme, die den eher gemeinschaftsbezogenen Konzeptionen traditioneller afrikanischer Kultur entgegenstehen. Wegen dieses naturgegebenen Mißverhältnisses zeigen die Autoren abschließend mehrere Möglichkeiten zur Entwicklung von Ausbildungsprogrammen für Afrika auf, die den kulturellen, erzieherischen und wirtschaftlichen Gegebenheiten in Afrika besser angepaßt sind. Sie befürworten Programme zu einer stetigen Verbesserung des Bildungssystems und warnen vor Programmen, die der prädominanten Kultur entgegenwirken.

---

Résumé Le présent article cherche les raisons économiques et culturelles pour lesquelles les programmes d'apprentissage importés par les pays en développement échouent généralement. Les auteurs poursuivent leur recherche d'une manière comparée en examinant les expériences faites en Afrique occidentale et en exploitant les résultats des programmes de ce genre appliqués dans certains pays industrialisés. Les auteurs définissent les problèmes majeurs qui expliquent pourquoi les programmes empruntés au monde occidental sont si peu efficaces en Afrique. Avant tout, les programmes d'apprentissage sont typiquement occidentaux, les concepts blancs lient l'éducation à l'emploi grâce à un système de certificats, et la propriété individuelle du savoir est en désaccord avec les traditions culturelles africaines. Le succès individuel qui est central dans les programmes appliqués en Occident est opposé aux conceptions davantage fondées sur la collectivité de la culture africaine traditionnelle. En raison de ce défaut d'adaptation inhérent, les auteurs concluent en proposant plusieurs options de développement de l'apprentissage professionnel en Afrique qui sont plus pertinentes et adaptables au climat culturel, éducatif et économique qui prévaut dans cette région. Ils prônent des programmes visant à améliorer progressivement le système éducatif et mettent en garde contre ceux qui vont à l'encontre de la culture prédominante.

---

---

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Boston Massachusetts, April 1990. Opinions expressed in this paper do not represent official views of The World Bank or International Labour Office.     

Factors influencing teachers’ adoption of AR inquiry games to foster skills for Responsible Research and Innovation

Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is a contemporary approach to promote science with and for society for aligning scientific innovations with societal needs. Literature about education for RRI is limited because it is not a widespread practice at the moment. To explore this gap, this study examines teachers’ views about a novel inquiry game with Augmented Reality to foster inquiry skills for RRI. This game about Genetic-Modified food was used by 18 educators from Secondary and Higher Education who engaged 390 students to form opinions about risks and benefits of GM cereal. The thematic analysis of qualitative data: semi-structured questionnaires, teaching reports and focus groups, revealed motivations and practices that influence teachers’ adoption of OER created with new technologies. Findings revealed that the 3-phase-model approach used in the game engaged students to “CARE” about global issues, “KNOW” science concepts and “DO” actions through an active open schooling network. The key drivers for educators’ adoption of AR inquiry games are to make learning more meaningful and engaging through students-centred approaches and topical resources for them to develop scientific knowledge and skills. However, the key requirements for that are easy-to-use technologies and pedagogical strategies for identifying learner’s achievements and difficulties.     

Classroom environments: an experiential analysis of the pupil–teacher visual interaction in Uruguay

We argue that the traditional physical environment is commonly taken for granted and that little consideration has been given to how this affects pupil–teacher interactions. This article presents evidence that certain physical environments do not allow equal visual interaction and, as a result, we derive a set of basic guiding principles that could contribute to the improvement of classroom design. Discussions about research on the design of classroom spaces and the methods to evaluate them articulate the rationale for this study. We seek to accomplish this by focusing on two fundamental variables of the face-to-face communication process: visual and distance. They are discussed in the context of four classroom case studies. The method is based on a hybrid approach composed of first-hand video-photographic records, isovist analysis and proxemic information regarding distances. The conclusions suggest that the proportion and spatial configuration of a classroom have a substantial impact on the number of pupils receiving high-quality visual interaction with the teacher. Finally, the importance of integrating experiential analysis in the architectural design process to ensure the quality and equality of the interaction among the protagonists of the teaching and learning process is highlighted.     

The World Bank Policies: Damned if you do,damned if you don't

To some, the World Bank is the all-powerful arm of imperialism. Others regret that it is powerless, incapable of influencing policies in the countries in which it operates. This paper discusses these issues, as seen by the author, a former employee both of the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, as well as a civil servant and consultant at the receiving end of the loans. This experience provides an inside view but the reader has to be warned of the biases that might have resulted from it.     

Role of affective self-regulatory efficacy in diverse spheres of psychosocial functioning

This prospective study with 464 older adolescents (14 to 19 years at Time 1; 16 to 21 years at Time 2) tested the structural paths of influence through which perceived self-efficacy for affect regulation operates in concert with perceived behavioral efficacy in governing diverse spheres of psychosocial functioning. Self-efficacy to regulate positive and negative affect is accompanied by high efficacy to manage one's academic development, to resist social pressures for antisocial activities, and to engage oneself with empathy in others' emotional experiences. Perceived self-efficacy for affect regulation essentially operated mediationally through the latter behavioral forms of self-efficacy rather than directly on prosocial behavior, delinquent conduct, and depression. Perceived empathic self-efficacy functioned as a generalized contributor to psychosocial functioning. It was accompanied by prosocial behavior and low involvement in delinquency but increased vulnerability to depression in adolescent females.