Validation and profile of Chinese pre-service teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge scale

Researchers state that teachers in different contexts reported different technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). This phenomenon may partially be explained by cultural differences. Based on this consideration, the development and validation of the Chinese pre-service teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge (CTPCK) scale is described in this article. The sample was split into two subsamples on random basis (n1 = 229, n2 = 207) for the purpose of conducting (1) exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and (2) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), respectively. After the EFA, the CTPCK scale excluded six items and included eight factors with 42 items. Reliability and correlations were discussed. The findings revealed that the CTPCK scale was a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the TPACK of Chinese pre-service teachers’ knowledge with or without linking educational technology.     

Essential Conditions for Technology-Supported,Student-Centered Learning: An Analysis of Student Experiences With Math Out Loud Using the ISTE Standards for Students

This article explores links between student experiences with technology-rich mathematics instruction and the ISTE Standards for Students. Research methods applied constructivist grounded theory to analyze data from student interviews against the ISTE Standards for Students to identify which elements of the design of this learning environment seemed to support the attainment of both mathematics content objectives and the ISTE Standards for Students. Researchers then identify guiding principles for the effective design of technology-supported, student-centered learning environments based on analysis of the results. (Keywords: ISTE standards, mathematics education, student- created work, technology-rich learning)     

Volume contents

Volume Contents

Volume contents     

Attitude items and low ability students: the need for a cautious approach to interpretation

The results of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS 2001) were published in 2003. In addition to data about the reading achievements of 10‐year‐olds in 35 countries, PIRLS 2001 also collected questionnaire information from children, their teachers, headteachers and parents. The results showed not just how well students can perform in various reading tasks, but also the relationship between reading abilities and other characteristics, including the characteristics of their homes and schools, the students' attitudes to reading, reading enjoyment, self‐confidence, engagement and perceptions of their reading abilities. Surprisingly enough, children in England were reported as having poor attitudes to reading, compared to children in many other countries, despite high achievement on the reading tests. This paper raises some concerns about the interpretation of results from the study, suggesting a more complex picture than that presented in the summary index published in 2003. Our secondary analysis of the attitude and achievement data from PIRLS shows that pupils with low ability levels have misunderstood the questions which tested their attitudes towards reading. The authors point out that caution is needed when making cross‐country comparisons to avoid naïve approaches to interpretation.     

Effects of independent word practice with segmented and whole-word sound feedback in disabled readers

Reading-disabled children seem to have considerable difficulties in acquiring phonological recoding skills, which are considered to be very important in becoming a proficient reader. It is hypothesized that speech feedback may support the development of phonological recoding skills. The aim of the present study is to investigate the use of speech feedback during independent word reading and its effects on the remediation of reading skill. Three different conditions for independent practice were employed. For 17 subjects high-quality digitized speech was available on call. When speech feedback was requested either whole-word sound was provided (n = 8) or segmented-word sound was presented (n = 9). A control group (n=14) did not receive speech feedback at all. In a posttest both practised and nonpractised words were presented. Both help call behaviour during practice and changes in reading rate and accuracy from pretest to posttest were analyzed. It was found that speech feedback requests were not dependent on word difficulty. More calls for whole-word sound were made than for segmented-word sound, while latency times for whole-word sound requests were shorter than for segmented-word sound requests. Both forms of speech feedback were equally effective in reading practice words which were initially read incorrectly. However, there was a tendency for the learning effect on nonpractised initially hard-to-read words to be largest when segmented-word sound had been available. It is concluded that, whenever the goal of reading instruction is to memorize particular words, whole-word sound as well as segmented-word sound can be used. However, when more productive skills are aimed at, the most promising way of giving support is to present segmented-word sound, although only a nonsignificant tendency for transfer was found in the present study.     

Delivering NEET policy packages? A decade of NEET policy in England

This article explores the way in which government policy shapes the lives of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). In particular it examines how the concept of NEETs is set within a specific infrastructure and discourse for managing and supporting young people. The article provides a brief history of the NEET concept and NEET initiatives, before moving on to scrutinise the policies of the Coalition Government. A key distinction is made between those policies and practices that seek to prevent young people becoming NEET from those that seek to re-engage those who are NEET. It is argued that the Coalition has drawn on a similar active labour market toolkit to the previous Labour administration, but that this has been implemented with fewer resources and less co-ordination. It concludes that there is little reason to believe that Coalition policy will be any more successful than that of the previous government, and some reason to be concerned that it will lead to young people becoming more entrenched within NEET.     

Prediction of attributional consequences in an actual achievement setting

One hundred ninety-six undergraduates who received feedback on a midterm examination participated in this study. A random subgroup formed a cross-validation sample. Through the use of regression analysis, it was found that both objective and subjective performance ratings did not predict subjects' expectancy ratings but did substantially predict their ratings of pride/shame. Inclusion of attributions enhanced prediction of expectancy but not pride/shame ratings of subjects. On the basis of the findings from this study, a partial reformulation of Weiner's attributional model was proposed. In addition, numerous methodological concerns associated with attributional research were examined.     

Effects of learning analytics dashboard: analyzing the relations among dashboard utilization,satisfaction, and learning achievement

The learning analytics dashboard (LAD) is a newly developed learning support tool for virtual classrooms that is believed to allow students to review their online learning behavior patterns intuitively through the provision of visual information. The purpose of this study was to empirically validate the effects of LAD. An experimental study was conducted with a dashboard treatment group and a control group. The researchers developed a LAD and evaluated its effectiveness on the sample of 151 college students at a private university located in Korea, who were taking the online course titled “Management Statistics” in the first semester of 2014. The following results were obtained. First, the students who received dashboard treatment presented higher final score than those who did not. Second, the dashboard usage frequency, as measured by the number of times the dashboard was opened, did not have a significant impact on learning achievement. However, a slightly positive correlation between satisfaction with LAD and learning achievement was observed. Further analysis indicated that learners who used the dashboard only a few times showed relatively high satisfaction with LAD. On the other hand, high academic achievers who opened LAD relatively frequently showed lower satisfaction with dashboard. The results guide that LAD should be revised in a way to motivate learners consistently and support learners who have different academic achievement levels. The study discusses the further research tasks in terms of LAD development as an effective and personalized feedback tool to improve learners’ academic achievement.     

STUDENT ASSESSMENT IN MEDICAL EDUCATION: A CANADIAN CASE STUDY

The assessment system of a Canadian medical education program is described. The M.D. Program at McMaster University features the central use of clinical cases as the basis for learning, and the fostering of independence in learning by students. The assessment system, designed to match the objectives and methods of learning, is guided by several principles. These include a balanced emphasis on a range of objectives, the use of on‐going informal feedback, defined and shared responsibilities in assessment, and the design and use of measures which most appropriately match the objectives. More than ten years of experience has pointed out several lessons: if self‐directed learning is held as important, there is a trade‐off between excessively specific objectives, on the one hand, and too little guidance on the other. This attempt to create a balance between these extremes produces a degree of unevenness in the assessment system. External influences such as the national licensing examinations have some effect on the learning climate. It is predicted that the basic elements of the assessment system will remain in place, but some specific changes will occur. These include a clearer statement of objectives on which assessment can be based, the improvement of measurement tools, and an increased emphasis on the training of those who participate in the assessment system.