一类2×2拟线性双曲守恒律组的奇性形成

本文在文[3]的基础上,进一步给出了包含均熵气体动力学方程组在内的一类2×2拟线性双曲守恒律组的奇性形成结果,证明了在“真正大初值”条件下,Lax定理仍然成立。     

An Examination and Validation of an Adapted Youth Experience Scale for University Sport

Limited tools assess positive development through university sport. Such a tool was validated in this investigation using two independent samples of Canadian university athletes. In Study 1, 605 athletes completed 99 survey items drawn from the Youth Experience Scale (YES 2.0), and separate a priori measurement models were evaluated (i.e., 99 items, YES 2.0, YES for Sport [YES-S]). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) results indicated issues with model fit. Post-hoc modifications improved fit, resulting in a 46-item, 9-factor model with five positive and four negative dimensions. In Study 2, 511 athletes completed the same items. The resultant model was confirmed using both CFA (comparative fit index [CFI] = .911, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = .056, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .040) and ESEM (CFI = .956, SRMR = .023, RMSEA = .034). The resultant University Sport Experience Survey provides a reliable and factorially valid instrument for measuring development in university sport.     

Internship: integrating theory and practice

This article describes a number of special features of the internship programme which has been developed at the Southern Cross University (SCU) in collaboration with the North Coast Region of the Department of School Education, the Catholic Education Office with selected primary schools. Arrangements are described for interns’ time spent in classrooms, collaborative teaching strategies which underpin these placements, the security which supports interns’ practice and approaches to integrate their practice with university studies. Processes of appraisal of interns’ development are explained, and the potential of mentoring for their teachers’ professional development is examined. Throughout the article, the congruence of these arrangements with Schools Council recommendations is considered.     

The Effectiveness of Cooperative and Individualistic Approaches in Teaching Mathematics and English

This paper reports an experimental study into the effects of cooperative and individualistic approaches in teaching Mathematics and English. The study was conducted at a Vacation Learning Camp (VLC) which was held for two weeks in one of the secondary schools in Singapore. This VLC was targeted at Secondary One pupils who were classified as below average based on general ability streaming.

The individualistic teaching approach was assumed to contribute to individual efforts while the cooperative teaching approach was expected to produce cooperativeness among the subjects. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in performances in the main effects classified as the treatment groups and the sex groups in both Mathematics and English; in Mathematics, the individualistic teaching approach was more effective for the male pupils whereas the cooperative teaching approach was more effective with females. However, in English, the results were reversed.

The female pupils in the cooperative group seemed to have improved in their attitude towards learning Mathematics whereas the male pupils in the individualistic group seemed to have a more positive attitude towards learning English.     

Ecological Mural as Community Reconnection

Murals are particularly visually captivating forms of public art due to their size and accessibility. Mural images also capture public attention and provoke viewers to explore layers of meaning and find hidden stories. They are often in places that people come to visit, study, play, congregate and discuss matters that may relate to the content of the mural. To this end, murals can be effective tools for helping communities think about their environmental issues. This article discusses the Mystic River mural project in Somerville, Massachusetts, USA. It addresses how the local art councils, mural artists, local students, community members and non‐profit organisations collaborated to carry out this ongoing mural project. The purpose of this research is to examine how Mystic River eco‐murals were created, what challenges and benefits the eco‐murals provided, how local social concerns were represented through the eco‐murals, how eco‐murals can continue to promote environmental awareness and inspire youth about their community and the local environment, and how the mural can continue to reflect or affect the meaning of the place. This process can serve as an example for other communities that seek to address their environmental concerns through public art.     

Revamping the funding formula for special education programs in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to determine the services required by students in special education programs and to estimate the cost of adequately funding special education in Taiwan. Questionnaires were administered to 300 special education teachers at the elementary school level to identify the services required. Thereafter, two focus group interviews were organized to determine the service categories and their cost. The results show that the costs for special education programs vary significantly according to severity of disability, and the weighting for mildly, moderately, and severely disabled students was found to be 3.7, 4.5, and 5.2, respectively. The costs also vary significantly according to the category of disability, and the weighting was found to range from 3.6 for emotionally disabled students and to 5.9 for hearing impaired students. These findings suggest that the current special education funding formula in Taiwan, which ignores these cost differences, should be revamped.     

A Study of Infant Developmental Outcome with a Sample of Korean Working Mothers of Infants in Poverty: Implications for Early Intervention Program

Using a sample of 42 Korean mothers whose infants are cared for by someone at non-maternal child care facilities, this study first examined both main effects and interaction effects between maternal knowledge of infant development and maternal self-efficacy on parenting behavior. Second, the combined effects of variables of interest in this study including maternal knowledge of infant development, maternal self-efficacy, and parenting behavior on the child developmental outcome were investigated. Significant relationships between maternal knowledge of infant development and parenting behavior and child development outcome were detected. Only main effects of maternal knowledge of infant development were detected. Furthermore, maternal knowledge of infant development was the only significant predictor of infant developmental outcome. Research implications were discussed both on the continuum of findings from previous studies with Western samples and in terms of provision of effective early intervention programs for this targeted population.     

The Effects of a Kit-Based Science Curriculum and Intensive Science Professional Development on Elementary Student Science Achievement

The science achievement of 226 5th graders from districts that have a kit-based inquiry science curriculum supported by intensive professional development (PD) is compared with data from a group of 173 5th graders from other districts that use nonkit science materials and do not have systematic science PD for teachers. Within the kit-based project, the sample of project teachers is stratified to select teachers with a high number of science PD hours versus those with few hours. While there were no significant differences in the mean total scores for kit-based students with low PD versus high PD teachers, the kit-based classrooms scored significantly higher than students in nonkit classrooms on both the pretest and posttest, though there were significantly more minutes of science instruction in the nonkit classrooms. Finally, nonkit teachers taught more units of shorter length and reported lower levels of preparedness to use reform pedagogical approaches.     

The Impact of an SES-Based Model on a College's Undergraduate Admissions Outcomes

In Grutter vs. Bollinger, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the use of race as one factor, among many in admissions decisions is constitutional. It is not known, however, whether future legal opinions will continue to uphold the use of affirmative action policies. Some have argued that class-based preferences can achieve many of the same goals as in affirmative action while being more likely to withstand legal challenges. To date, no empirical studies have been conducted on the potential impact of a class-based admissions policy if implemented at an undergraduate institution. This paper reports on a study at a selective public college and compares a number of outcomes under three admissions models: the original admissions decisions, a purely academic model, and an socio-economic status (SES)-based model. The findings showed that use of the SES-based model would have led to a more academically qualified class than in the original admitted class while maintaining substantially greater student diversity that was found under the academic model. An admissions policy based on preferences for socio-economically disadvantaged applicants appears to hold promise for other colleges and universities with similar institutional and applicant characteristics. The ideas and research design reported in this paper are based on the doctoral dissertation study of the second author, Undergraduate Admissions Models Incorporating Socioeconomic Factors (Johnson, 2000).