No student left behind: a collaborative and competitive game-based learning environment to reduce the achievement gap of EFL students in Taiwan

How to close the achievement gap in the classroom so that no student is left behind becomes one of the most important issues nowadays. This study aims to construct a collaborative and competitive game-based learning environment to improve English proficiencies and reduce the achievement gap for disadvantaged students. The Wireless Crossword Fan-Tan Game (WiCFG) system was implemented to provide teachers with an innovative approach to guide students’ learning through a positive involvement with the uses of tablet PCs. The experiment was conducted in an elementary school in Taiwan to investigate whether this approach would facilitate students’ learning effectiveness and interactions. Thirty sixth-grade students were randomly assigned into a control group and an experimental group. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from surveys, interviews, observations and video-recordings. The results indicate that integration of the WiCFG system in the collaborative and competitive game-based learning environment leads students to a better interaction between different levels of students. This innovative approach might have the potential to close the achievement gap for disadvantaged students. Moreover, some principles of the classroom strategy are suggested as guidelines.     

Investigating the Psychometric Properties of the ACEI Global Guidelines Assessment (GGA) in Four Countries

The ACEI Global Guidelines Assessment (GGA) was developed to provide an international assessment tool that can be used by early childhood educators to develop, assess, and improve program quality worldwide. This pilot study was conducted in four countries to investigate the psychometric properties of the GGA within and across different countries. A total of 168 programs and 336 early care and education professionals participated in this study from communities in the People’s Republic of China, Guatemala, Taiwan, and the United States. The results show strong internal consistency for each subscale and the total GGA as well as moderate interrater consistency for the five subscales. A comparison of item ratings and the qualitative evidence suggests moderately acceptable congruence between the ratings and evidence to support the ratings. Patterns of program practices were identified within and across the participating sties and countries that reflected both unique and common practices. These results suggest that the GGA has potential as a useful and effective tool both for understanding early childhood program quality within and across countries and as a means of helping practitioners to establish and/or improve the quality of their services.     

高校学生婚育权与受教育权之发展演变——以1978年恢复高考以来教育部颁布的规范性文件为分析文本

婚育权是我国公民依法享有的一项民事权利,在校大学生应该享有与其他公民平等的婚育权。受教育权作为学生权利中最根本的权利,是宪法赋予公民的一项基本权利,公民结婚与否不应成为其接受教育的限制条件。我国1978年恢复高考以来高校学生婚育权的发展,经历了由最初的“限制结婚”到“禁婚”,再到“禁婚、禁育”的解除三个阶段,学生婚育权和受教育权二者之间也从冲突走向融合,这既彰显了受教育权利的人权特性,也为高校管理理念的重塑提供了新的视角。     

Moving from a Personal to a Social Constructivist View of Learning: Implications for Support in the Student Teaching Experience 1

Recently, the school and co‐operating teachers have an increasingly important role, by offering stronger support during the teaching practice. Being congruent with similar developments in teacher education programmes in other countries, this development in Hong Kong is strengthened by research studies examining the process of learning to teach. By arguing that the process of learning to teach can be examined from a personal constructivist view of learning, this paper examines the experience from the student‐teachers’ perspective. The finding reports on the problems perceived by the student‐teachers during the student teaching practice and the support provided by the co‐operating teachers. The problems encountered and the support obtained were compared and contrasted to reveal the possible roles of the co‐operating teachers. The process of learning to teach is extended from a personal view to include support from the social milieu. This paper proposes to consider the process from a social constructivist view of learning. Drawing on the findings, it concludes with implications on how the school and the teacher education institute can collaborate and support the student‐teachers from a social constructivist view of learning.

     

Parenting and childhood aggression in the Chinese context: an examination of parental responses,physical coercion and warmth

Parental response, physical coercion and warmth and their relationships with childhood aggression were assessed with 277 children (142 boys; M age = 56.5 months, SD = 10.93 months) in Hong Kong. Results indicated that both fathers and mothers reported significantly more intervention strategies in response to hypothetical vignettes of physical aggression than relational aggression. Both fathers’ and mothers’ self-reported physical coercion was positively correlated with boys’ and girls’ composite scores of physical and relational aggression as reported by teachers, fathers and mothers, whereas fathers’ self-reported warmth was associated with a lower level of physical and relational aggression in boys. Furthermore, maternal warmth moderated the association between physical coercion and girls’ relational aggression. Findings suggest that parents’ normative beliefs regarding relational aggression should be challenged and the general acceptability of parental control in the Chinese context does not necessarily imply the absence of a link with childhood aggression.     

Models of innovation scaling in Singapore schools: process objects as multi-level role clusters and outcomes—a multiple case study approach

Asia Pacific Education Review - Studying the processes involved in scaling technologically-mediated pedagogical innovations has moved into understanding how wider contexts relate to qualitative...     

西部大开发与干部交流工作

本文认为,建设一支与地区经济社会发展和国家西部大开发战略相适应的干部队伍,迫切需要从遏制权力腐败,提高能力,建设高素质干部队伍和改善工作环境的角度出发,搞好领导干部的岗位交流工作;领导干部交流对于遏制权力腐败,增强干部工作活力、强化干部管理,激发领导班子的活力,调整领导干部的工作思路,合理配置领导干部资源,都具有十分重要的积极作用.做好干部交流工作,实现干部交流目的,必须始终坚持原则、逐步完善相关制度,使干部交流工作进一步规范化、正常化和合理化,从而更好地适应西部大开发战略的实施.     

Building preschool teachers’ capacity for teaching Chinese to ethnic minority children in Hong Kong: A qualitative study

ABSTRACT

Teaching Chinese to second language learners is a challenge for preschool teachers in Hong Kong so effective teacher professional development programmes are urgently needed to enhance their knowledge and skills. An Integrative Model Teacher Professional Development Programme which incorporates three theoretical underpinnings (i.e., culturally responsive teaching, meaningful and pleasurable learning, and effective teaching of Chinese as a second language) is designed to equip preschool teachers with knowledge, skills, and awareness in teaching Chinese to ethnic minority students. Through qualitative interviews with 15 in-service preschool teachers who joined the Programme, teachers’ perceptions and changes in three theoretical areas of teaching Chinese to ethnic minority students were explored. Particularly, teachers increased their awareness of ethnic minority cultures, developed empathy with ethnic minority children and their families, gained knowledge of implementing culturally responsive teaching and meaningful and pleasurable learning of Chinese. The role of teacher sharing in effective professional development was highlighted.     

对虾的致病性蜡状芽孢杆菌的分离及其特性

从感染“黑鳃病”的对虾中,分离出一珠对虾的致病菌,经鉴定为蜡伏芽孢杆菌。通过鳃部吸附及肌注感染,受感染的对虾迅速死亡,注射该菌株的培养上清液,对虾也迅速死亡,显示蜡状芽孢杆菌的胞外代谢物,在对虾致病过程中起着重要作用。