Student teachers’ perceptions of feedback as an aid to reflection for developing effective practice in the classroom

Since Schön’s influential work on reflective practice, reflection has been prioritised in teacher education programmes internationally. The research described in this paper examined the development of postgraduate student teachers’ reflective processes in their first school placement. Twenty-five students were asked to write an account of their evolution in an area of their teaching, and how they were supported to evaluate lessons and reflect on their practice. Subsequently, a sample was interviewed to explore themes arising from the essays. In describing their development of a reflective perspective, the students identified useful feedback from three main sources: mentors, peers and pupils. Although the research took place within a Scottish context, the different roles that feedback played in the development of reflection should be of interest to teacher educators and student teachers internationally, as it could be argued that beginning teachers in every country face similar issues relating to reflection.     

Academic work, the Internet and U.S. college students

The aim of this study is to explore, based on a nationally representative sample, U.S. college students' uses of the Internet in their studies and their perceptions of academic life online, and changes in both perception and use since a 2002 report on the topic. Findings show that overall Internet use for academic purposes has increased. Students report generally positive opinions about the Internet's utility for academic work, but satisfaction with it for academic interactions may be on the decline.     

Factors affecting students’ satisfaction in engineering disciplines: traditional vs. blended approaches

In this paper a two-year field study was carried out to analyse how satisfaction differs across the traditional and blended learning methods. Altogether, 21 courses for graduate and postgraduate engineering students were evaluated. Several variables and their relationship with student satisfaction in the first year, with all courses delivered in traditional mode, were compared with student satisfaction in the second year, which had the same courses delivered in blended mode. Results suggest that student satisfaction is greater in blended courses than in face-to-face courses. This can be explained because the levels of class attendance, motivation and collaboration with classmates were higher in blended learning than in classroom instruction. In addition, class attendance, access to teachers, collaboration with classmates and motivation were found to be leading predictors of student satisfaction in blended environments.     

多准则渔业管理政策优选研究——以东海为例

本研究在已建立的东海EwE模型基础上,采用EwE中的"渔业政策优选"模块,根据东海渔业资源开发利用现状,模拟系统在经济、社会和生态三重准则下对多种渔业管理政策的响应,并结合层次分析法(AHP)从政策方案中选出"最理想的"东海渔业政策架构.模拟的时间尺度为41年,备选方案包括3个单准则方案、1个多准则方案和31个"复合准则方案".结果表明:单准则方案和多准则方案将导致各种渔具捕捞努力量发生较大变化.35个方案间的比较分析结果为基于生态系统的东海渔业管理(EBFM)和海洋捕捞作业结构调整提供了一些有益的思路:①单一准则的渔业管理策略和具有相同优先级的多准则渔业管理策略不能实现EBFM总体目标;②就东海目前的渔业经济和社会状况而言,不宜过分地抬高生态系统准则在渔业管理中的地位,经济和社会准则仍然重要:③东海海洋捕捞作业结构调整的总体思路应该是减少拖网和虾拖网作业、控制围网和流刺网作业、大力发展外海渔业.     

Student–teacher closeness and conflict in students with and without special educational needs

Teachers play a key role in creating effective conditions for students to succeed in school. The quality of student–teacher relationships is consistently associated with social, emotional, behavioural and academic adjustment, and this is even more relevant for students with special educational needs (SEN), considering these students’ emotional, social and learning vulnerabilities. This study aimed to examine the associations between students’ externalising and internalising behaviour, social skills and academic performance, and teachers’ perceptions of conflict and closeness in their relationships with students with and without SEN. Data regarding 360 students in Year 3, Year 5 and Year 7 (169 students with SEN) were collected. Teachers (n = 74) reported on the student–teacher relationship and students’ social skills, behaviour problems and academic performance. Special education teachers (n = 38) provided information regarding the diagnosis and profile of functioning of students with SEN. Results showed that teachers’ reports of students’ social skills and externalising problems were the strongest predictors of closeness and conflict. Internalising problems and SEN status also predicted decreased closeness, despite smaller effects. Taken together, findings support the importance of professional development opportunities focusing on facilitating teachers’ relationships with students with perceived challenging behaviour.     

Eccentric flywheel post-activation potentiation influences swimming start performance kinetics

This study aimed to assess the effects of post-activation potentiation in the strength related variables of a kick start. Thirteen competitive swimmers performed three kick starts after a standardized warm up (denoted USUAL) and another after inducing post-activation through five isotonic repetitions on an eccentric flywheel (denoted PAP). A T-test was used to quantify differences between USUAL and PAP warm up. The best trial of each subject achieved by natural conditions (denoted PEAK) was compared with data obtained after PAP. An instrumented starting block with independent triaxial force plates, collected the strength variables related with the impulse at take off. Improvements in the vertical components of force were observed after PAP compared with USUAL, meanwhile no differences were detected on the horizontal components of it. The velocity at take off was higher after PAP compared with USUAL (4.32 ± 0.88 vs 3.93 ± 0.60 m*s-1; p = 0.02). No differences in force or velocity were detected comparing PAP with PEAK (4.13 ± 0.62 m*s-1, p = 0.11). The PAP warm-up increased vertical force and it was transferred to a higher resultant velocity at take-off. This improvement would equal the best result possible obtained in natural conditions after some trials.     

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