Taiwanese Junior High School Students’ Understanding about the Validity of Conditional Statements

This research was designed to study Taiwanese junior high school students understanding about the validity of conditional statements. Distinguishing between validity and truth is a crucial topic in mathematical reasoning and argumentation but has been always neglected in the mathematics curriculum at junior high school level of schooling. The aims of the survey were (1) to find out the methods Taiwanese junior high school students used when conducting mathematical justification on conditional statements; (2) to examine whether the students could distinguish between a statement and its converse statement; (3) to analyse whether the correctness of a conditional statement influenced the students to conduct mathematical reasoning and argumentation. Approaching the three aims of the survey is expected to give some insights into the issue of whether the students could distinguish between the validity of conditional statements and the truth of assertions. Several thousand students from different schools which were randomly sampled from within six geographically diverse (regions of Taiwan) were administered a test on either algebra/number-pattern or geometry corresponding to their respective grades. The main results were (1) the methods the students used when conducting mathematical justifications on conditional statements were called producing (supporting- or counter-) example(s), analytical narrative, and analytical formal; (2) over a third of those students, who considered the given conditional statement to be valid or invalid, proposed supporting- or counter-example(s), respectively; (3) over half the students considered the statement and its converse to be the same; (4) students reasoning performance was influenced by their opinions of the correctness of the conditional statements. These results seem to lead to the conclusion that most of these students could not distinguish between the validity of conditional statements and the truth of assertions.     

The phonological awareness relation to early reading in English for three groups of simultaneous bilingual children

Reading and Writing - Phonological awareness is critical for early reading acquisition across alphabetic as well as non-alphabetic languages. The grain size of phonological awareness varies with...     

Health benefits of Kung Fu: a systematic review

The Chinese martial arts (Kung Fu) have existed for centuries and are generally accepted as being beneficial for health without much empirical data. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the health effects of "hard" Kung Fu styles by performing electronic and manual searches of the literature. The aspects of health and the Kung Fu style examined varied between most studies; in some cases, the martial art group consisted of practitioners of other martial art styles also. Of 2103 references identified, only nine papers were eligible and reviewed. All were observational studies, observing a range of health aspects possibly related to Kung Fu training or performance. Our findings suggest that there is no evidence that Kung Fu practice is associated with the prevention or treatment of any health condition. However, as a moderate- to high-intensity form of aerobic exercise, it may confer benefits similar to those attributed to other aerobic training modalities. However, this hypothesis remains to be tested in clinical trials. Physiological benefits (e.g., aerobic capacity and bone density) may be associated with long-term Kung Fu practice. Future research in this area should adopt experimental designs, clearly identifying eligibility criteria, testing and training protocols, and include health-related outcomes and documentation of adverse events, to advance knowledge in this field.     

梁启超思想中知识结构的转移与深层变化

<正>一前言梁启超(任公,1873-1929)思想在表象上极其复杂,甚至自相矛盾,①这是他思想的内核价值一直难被确实认知,也是让相关论题一直注满活力的原因。从李文荪(Joseph R.Levenson)、张朋园等学者的开创性研究开始,梁启超研究的重点就被放在群     

Determinants of recovery from a 161-km ultramarathon

The primary study objective was to identify determinants of short-term recovery from a 161-km ultramarathon. Participants completed 400 m runs at maximum speed before the race and on days 3 and 5 post-race, provided a post-race blood sample for plasma creatine kinase (CK) concentration, and provided lower body muscle pain and soreness ratings (soreness, 10-point scale) and overall muscular fatigue scores (fatigue, 100-point scale) pre-race and for 7 days post-race. Among 72 race finishers, soreness and fatigue had statistically returned to pre-race levels by 5 days post-race; and 400 m times at days 3 and 5 remained 26% (P = 0.001) and 12% (P = 0.01) slower compared with pre-race, respectively. CK best modelled soreness, fatigue and per cent change in post-race 400 m time. Runners with the highest CKs had 1.5 points higher (P < 0.001) soreness and 11.2 points higher (P = 0.006) fatigue than runners with the lowest CKs. For the model of 400 m time, a significant interaction of time with CK (P < 0.001) indicates that higher CKs were linked with a slower rate of return to pre-race 400 m time. Since post-race CK was the main modifiable determinant of recovery following the ultramarathon, appropriate training appears to be the optimal approach to enhance ultramarathon recovery.     

Homelessness in the elementary school classroom: social and emotional consequences

This study examined elementary school teachers’ experiences working with homeless students. Specifically, we focused on the psychosocial impacts of homelessness on students and their teachers. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 teachers who worked at designated public schools for family homeless shelters. A prominent theme that emerged from teachers’ accounts was how the instability tied to homelessness affected students’ behavioral, social, and emotional adjustment in the classroom (e.g. externalizing problems, difficulty developing peer relationships, and withdrawn behavior). Teachers’ own social and emotional competencies (e.g. fostering positive teacher–student relationships, and perspective taking) influenced the manner in which they responded to their students’ needs. Findings suggest that critical components may be lacking articulation in the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program such as guidelines for teacher responsibilities, supports for teachers, and an emphasis not only on children’s academic but also social and emotional needs.     

Investigating the Influence of Motivational Factors on Conceptual Change in a Digital Learning Context Using the Dual‐Situated Learning Model

This study examines the relationship between the learning motivation and conceptual change of 127 eighth graders, after they have learned the acid, base, and salt concept in a digital learning context, designed according to the dual‐situated learning model (DSLM). Two instruments—the students’ motivation towards science learning (SMTSL) questionnaire and the acid‐base‐salt concept diagnostic test (CDT)—were used in the study. The questionnaire and the test were given to students in pre‐test, post‐test, and delayed post‐test. Based on their motivation questionnaire scores, 18 students were selected from various scoring ranges for semi‐structural interviews. Results showed that, after experiencing DSLM digital learning, students’ post‐CDT and delay‐CDT scores were significantly higher than pre‐CDT scores (p < 0.001, p < 0.01). Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis indicated that students’ conceptual change (ΔCDT) was significantly correlated with motivational factors such as self‐efficacy (SE), active learning strategy (ALS), science learning value (SLV), achievement goal (AG), and learning environment stimulation (LES) (p < 0.05). Interviews also supported students’ motivational correlation to ΔCDT, particularly for SE, ALS, and AG.     

Meta-analysis of transformational school leadership effects on school outcomes in Taiwan and the USA

Researchers have suggested that transformational leadership is an important aspect of effective schools; however, whether the effects vary across related studies and the robustness of the overall effect size remain unclear. A meta-analysis technique was used to synthesize the results of 28 independent studies and to investigate the overall relationship between transformational school leadership and three measures of school outcomes. The study found that, in terms of the mean effect sizes, transformational school leadership does have positive effects on teacher job satisfaction, school effectiveness perceived by teachers, and student achievement. Support for this paper was funded in part by the Taiwan’s National Science Council. The author is especially grateful to the two reviewers for their valuable comments and Dr. Jin-Fu Wu for his helps of statistical analysis.