Lexical Quality and Reading Comprehension in Primary School Children

In a cross-sectional study, we examined the relationship between the quality of lexical representations and text comprehension skill in German primary school children (Grades 1–4). We measured the efficiency and accuracy of orthographical, phonological, and meaning representations by means of computerized tests. Text comprehension skill was assessed with a standardized reading test with questions requiring recognition of text information and inferencing. Both the accuracy of and the efficiency of access to the three types of lexical representations contributed to explaining interindividual variation in text comprehension skill. Results from a path-analytic model suggest a specific causal order of the three components of lexical quality with the quality of meaning representations partly mediating the effects of form representations.     

Teaching Community Skills to Two Young Children with Autism Using a Digital Self-Managed Activity Schedule

The current study investigated the efficacy of a self-managed activity schedule to teach 2 participants how to effectively order food items from a local community bakery. 2 participants who were on the autism spectrum were taught to follow a task analysis that was displayed on an iPhone. We used a multiple baseline design across participants to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching procedure. Results showed that the participants were able to order items, and this skill generalized to a novel bakery. The task analysis and iPhone were immediately withdrawn at a 2 to 5 week follow-up, and both participants were still able to effectively perform the steps of the task analysis without the use of prompts.     

Preference for rewards that follow greater effort and greater delay

Humans prefer (conditioned) rewards that follow greater effort (Aronson & Mills, 1959). This phenomenon can be interpreted as evidence for cognitive dissonance (or as justification of effort) but may also result from (1) the contrast between the relatively greater effort and the signal for reinforcement or (2) the delay reduction signaled by the conditioned reinforcer. In the present study, we examined the effect of prior force and prior time to produce stimuli associated with equal reinforcement. As expected, pressing with greater force or for a longer time was less preferred than pressing with less force or for a shorter time. However, participants preferred the conditioned reinforcer that followed greater force and more time. Furthermore, participants preferred a long duration with no force requirement over a shorter duration with a high force requirement and, consistent with the contrast account but not with the delay reduction account, they preferred the conditioned stimulus that followed the less preferred, shorter duration, high-force event. Within-trial contrast provides a more parsimonious account than justification of effort, and a more complete account than delay reduction.     

Seeking big ideas in algebra: the evolution of a task

In this paper we describe a strand of activities for teachers of mathematics that we used with two cohorts of participants in a professional development program called Revitalizing Algebra (REAL). We first discuss our goals and describe the participants, and then we describe the construction and selection of the tasks followed by teacher responses. Finally, we reflect on different iterations of the tasks, their impact on the teachers’ thinking and practice, and the role of school and department culture in the process of change.     

Implementation Effects of a Pre‐service Training Course for Secondary Education Teachers

A quasi‐experimental, treatment‐control group investigation was designed to test the effects of a pre‐service training course for secondary education teachers. Previous findings from teacher effects research and cognitive strategy instruction were translated into two direct instructional models: a model of executive acting directed at well‐structured skills and a model of strategic acting directed at higher‐level thinking strategies. Pre‐ and post‐training comparison of classroom observations by trained observers revealed significantly more effective instruction by the student teachers after training. No treatment effect was found for pupil engagement rates. The ratings from the supervising teachers did not show significantly better use of the recommended instructional skills by the trained student teachers than by the untrained student teachers.     

“We’re not just sat at home in our pyjamas!”: a thematic analysis of the social lives of home educated adolescents in the UK

A common perception of home education is that despite potential beneficial educational outcomes, children who are home educated lack social experiences and therefore show poor social development. However, previous research in this area suggests that home educated children demonstrate a range of age-appropriate social skills. This research has mainly focused on children younger than 12; thus, we have much less of an understanding of the social impacts of home education on adolescents. Furthermore, previous research has often used social skills questionnaires and has not explored the experiences of home educating families from their own perspectives. The current study addresses these gaps in the literature by interviewing three home educated adolescents and their mothers about their social experiences and development with the research question of ‘how do home educated adolescents and their parents experience and understand socialisation?’. In one-to-one interviews, young people (aged 11–14) were asked about their experiences and perceptions of their social lives. In a separate interview, mothers were asked about how they facilitated these social experiences and their perceptions of the impact this had on their child’s development. Data from the interviews was thematically analysed. Results suggested that adolescents participated in a range of social experiences that promoted their social skills, happiness and confidence. Participants felt that this created a positive social environment and sense of community, and encouraged the adolescents to interact with a diverse range of people. However, further research is needed to explore whether this finding is generalisable to the broader community of home educated adolescents.

     

Primary Considerations for Primary TEFL in China

This article will focus on five key areas relating to Primary TEFL in China.Firstly,the real TEFL context in Chinese primary schools will be discussed in terms of its special characteristics.Secondly,the current methodological approach will be examined from both a theoretical perspective,focusing on government(MOE)policy for primary TEFL,and a practical perspective,based on personal observations of classroom practice.The third section of the article will highlight some perceived shortcomings of current practice,while the fourth will outline the actual needs of primary learners in the Chinese educational system.Finally,the question of how teachers can meet these needs will be examined in relation to:methodological integration; integration of skills and sub-skills teaching/learning;and the exploitation of materials and activities to provide learners with three different types of language input and output opportunities(extensive,intensive and analysed:Swan,2006).     

Consistency and variability of learning strategies in different university courses

The present study addressed the question of consistency and variability in learning strategies. Four university courses provided different learning contexts. The same group of students reported about their learning strategies by completing identical questionnaires on each of these courses. Participants were 85 students attending the first year of Law studies. A second study consisted of 63 students attending similar courses in the following academic year. An analysis of variance showed that students varied their reported learning strategies as a function of different learning contexts. This indicated a context-specific component in strategy use. Intercorrelations, however, showed that students displayed consistency in reported learning strategies across course contexts as well. This indicated a personal, habitual component in strategy use. It thus seems that the question of variability and consistency in learning strategies does not yield an either-or, answer. Context variables were explored to explain the variations. Use of stated cases, provision of a clear organisation of subject matter and of diverse didactic resources appeared to diminish encountered problems and lack of regulation (which proved to be related variables), and promote the use of concrete processing, relating, analyzing, self-regulation and externally regulated strategies. Evidence was found that learning strategies differed among each other in the degree of variability. Memorizing turned out to be relatively resistant to differences in course context, whereas concrete processing strategies and lack of regulation showed relatively large susceptibility to course context. Explanations were proposed in terms of different stages in the development of learning strategies and in terms of context-variables.     

Effects of applying a VR-based two-tier test strategy to promote elementary students’ learning performance in a Geology class

Science and technology are driving people’s life changes, including education and the environment. Many scholars have attempted to import technology into the classroom to help students learn in different subjects. However, students often need assistance with unfamiliar learning approaches and learning environments. This study proposed a non-immersive virtual reality (VR) guidance system combined with a two-tier strategy to help students learn geology knowledge. Two groups of students used different learning approaches: the experimental group students were guided by the two-tier test VR guidance system, and the control group students learned with the conventional VR guidance system. According to the experimental result, the two-tier test VR guidance system not only improved the students’ learning achievement in natural science, but also enhanced their learning motivation. In addition, according to the sequential results, we found that VR learning materials or environmental resources can help students answer questions and solve problems more effectively.     

An Assessment of Environmental Literacy and Analysis of Predictors of Responsible Environmental Behaviour Held by Secondary Teachers in the Hualien Area of Taiwan

This study assessed teachers' environmental literacy and analysed predictors of teachers' responsible environmental behaviour (REB). A nine page instrument was administered by mailed questionnaire to 300 randomly selected secondary teachers in the Hualien area of Taiwan with a 52.3% effective response rate. As a result of stepwise multiple regression analyses, the most parsimonious set of predictors of REB for all teachers included: perceived knowledge of environmental action strategies (KNOW), intention to act, area of residence and perceived skill in using environmental action strategies (SKILL, total r² = 0.3867). For urban teachers, the most parsimonious set of predictors included: intention to act, SKILL, major sources of environmental information and membership in environmental organisations (total r² = 0.4711). For rural teachers, the most parsimonious set of predictors included: KNOW, intention to act and perceived knowledge of environmental problems and issues (total r² = 0.3200). Implications for programme development and instructional practice are presented. Recommendations for further research are also provided.