The use of cognitive mapping in teaching and learning strategies

Summary In this exercise the first five criteria of Table 3 were probably met. Our subsequent checks may enable us to claim that criterion 6 is also met, and there is little doubt that without it most chemistry teachers would remain sceptical about the worth of such an “extra” set of activities. The exercise also indicates that it is possible with modifications to move research techniques like 5 and 8 in Table 3 into at least the realm of possibility of teacher-centred or didactic classrooms.     

Economic development, human capital, and gender earnings differentials in China

Gender earnings differentials in China during the course of development in the post-reform period were examined. The analysis showed that the female–male earnings ratio increased over time in all regions. The region with relatively rapid economic reforms had the highest female–male earnings ratio. Decomposition of the gender earnings differential revealed that in the more developed region a lower percentage of the differential could be explained by gender differences in productive characteristics. Changes in the discriminatory component of the differential by region over time suggested that both the “competition” effect proposed by Becker [The Economics of Discrimination, 1971] and the effects of wage decentralization during economic reforms played a different role in the eastern and central regions versus their role in the western region. Further examination of the sub-components of the explained component of the differential highlighted the minor role of education in explaining the gender earnings differentials.     

Orientations to Enrolment of Part-time Students: A classification system based upon students' perceived lifelong learning needs

This article develops a classification system for the orientations to enrolment of part-time students based upon their practical lifelong learning needs. Orientation to enrolment is seen as a complex construct embodying all the reasons, purposes, expectations and motivations that cause students to pick a particular course and elect to study by the part-time mode. Virtually all of the interviewed students had a vocational orientation so some previously used categorisation schemes were not suitable. Instead seven categories relating to lifelong learning needs provided a scheme which covered the cases and related well to explanations given by interviewees for enrolling in the courses. These were re-training or further development for those who need to make a career shift; education for professionals who need to undertake continuing professional development through their careers; an opportunity for a tertiary education for those who did not previously have the chance; an education at the tertiary level for those who did not do sufficiently well at school to qualify for direct entry to university; an alternative to mainstream education; education for adults; and learning for pleasure throughout the lifetime.     

Congruency as a nonspecific perceptual property contributing to newborns' face preference

Past research has shown that top-heaviness is a perceptual property that plays a crucial role in triggering newborns' preference toward faces. The present study examined the contribution of a second configural property, congruency , to newborns' face preference. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that when embedded in nonfacelike stimuli, congruency induces a preference of the same strength as that induced by facedness. Experiments 3 and 4 demonstrated that the attentional biases toward facedness and congruency produce a cumulative effect on newborns' visual preferences according to an additive model. These findings were extended by those of Experiment 5, showing that the additive model holds true when congruency is added to top-heaviness in nonfacelike stimuli displaying more elements in the upper portion.     

Factors associated with staff perceptions towards inclusive education in Singapore

In this study, we sought to examine the perceptions of teachers and other school professionals towards the inclusion of secondary school students with special educational needs (SEN), and the associated factors. The Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education Revised scale (SACIE-R) was completed by 131 teachers and school professionals from two mainstream secondary schools in Singapore. The findings revealed an overall neutral attitude towards inclusion. Together, confidence in teaching students with SEN, the level of training SEN support, as well as experience teaching students with SEN account for a large proportion of the variance in ratings of inclusive perceptions. Further analyses revealed that confidence in teaching or supporting students with SEN was found to be a significant predictor of inclusive perceptions. The findings suggest that schools seeking to engage in inclusive practices should focus on ways to develop the confidence of personnel to support students with SEN. Professional development and mentorship were suggested as possible avenues.     

Learning in digital environments: a model for cross-cultural alignment

Educational technology research and development - This article presents a conceptual model of cross-cultural alignments in education in the digital era. The intention was to explore and respond to...     

国产芸香科九里香属化学分类

九里香是芸香科的一个小属，主要分布于我国南部及中南半岛，少数个别品种向西南   延伸至印度和斯里兰卡及向东南伸展至澳洲东北部。  我国境内共有8种和1亚种。  九里香   属植物含丰富的生物碱和香豆精，其中包括不少生物活性成分，民间亦每每选用该属植物作传   统草药。最近又从千里香的根部分离得一种新的双吲哚生物碱，命名为月橘烯碱; 该成分有强   效的抗着床活性，对计划生育有重大意义。在发掘月橘烯碱的自然资源的研究过程中，作者分   析了国产的8种九里香属植物，发现该属植物可以划分为两组，即九里香组和棕茎组。九里香   组之成员跟棕茎组的在形态上有明显分别，而且前者之根部含抗着床成分月橘烯碱和8-戊烯   化香豆精，但后者之根部则含咔巴唑生物碱。初步分析了澳洲的卵叶九里香和泰国的暹罗九  里香，其形态及化学成分亦支持将该属分为两组。作者据此发表新组合。     

Multiple‐goal learners and their differential patterns of learning

The hypothesis in this study was that different types of multiple‐goal learners would have different patterns of learning. A sample of 797 adult distance learners enrolled in different programs offered by a distance learning university in Hong Kong completed a questionnaire assessing their goals, use of strategies, motivational beliefs, and attitudes towards the course they were doing. Two‐stage cluster analyses found a group of single‐goal learners (mastery focused) and three groups of multiple‐goal learners with different focuses in their goal profiles: performance focus, work focus, and multiple focuses. These four clusters of learners differed in terms of use of learning strategies, regulatory strategies, motivational beliefs, and attitudes towards the course. Learners focusing on work‐related goals or performance goals achieved better examination results than did those focusing on multiple goals or solely on mastery goals.