Ways of thinking associated with mathematics teachers’ problem posing in the context of division of fractions

Twenty-four mathematics teachers were asked to think aloud when posing a word problem whose solution could be found by computing 4/5 divided by 2/3. The data consisted of verbal protocols along with the written notes made by the subjects. The qualitative analysis of the data was focused on identifying the structures of the problems produced and the associated ways of thinking involved in constructing the problems. The results suggest that success in doing the interview task was associated with perception the given fractions as operands for the division operation and, at the same time, the divisor 2/3 as an operator acting over 4/5. The lack of success was associated with perception of division of fractions as division of divisions of whole numbers and using the result of division of fractions as the only reference point. The study sheds new light on the teachers’ difficulties with conceptualization of fractions.     

A MODULAR COURSE APPROACH TO IN‐SERVICE AND PRE‐SERVICE TRAINING IN GERONTOLOGY

In order to meet both in‐service and pre‐service training needs in gerontology, North Country Community College has developed an innovative one‐year certificate program. Under the assumption that persons working with the aged in a rural area must have a diverse group of skills to draw upon, the gerontology certificate stresses course work in: communication skills, culture variability, gerontology knowledge, management skills, and service skills. The curriculum approach taken is that of competency based education, with most of the skills courses put into a modular course format. After the first year of the certificate, 53% (N = 65) of the students in the certificate courses are adults or community professionals turning to this community college program to upgrade skills or acquire new ones. This certificate is beginning to meet the training needs in a rural area that were only previously addressed by occasional workshops for the human service practitioner.     

Learning to mark: exemplars,dialogue and participation in assessment communities

The problems of shifting from norm-referenced assessment to criterion-referenced assessment have been identified by several scholars in recent years. These important critiques touch on a number of areas, but neglect a key question about how assessors learn to accomplish what Shay calls a ‘socially situated interpretive act'. Research that does exist tends to focus on salaried, full-time academics. This overlooks the heterogeneity of the academic labour force in higher education and the substantial contribution made by contract (hourly-paid) lecturers, particularly in applied disciplines such as Business and Management. This study explores how nine newcomers to a UK Business School – including salaried and contract staff – attempt to understand local assessment practice. We use a situated learning lens to analyse their diary entries and interviews about their experiences of learning to mark. Drawing on scholars such as Sadler, we examine the suggestion that exemplars are important for newcomers coming to understand local assessment practice. We argue for the fundamental importance of dialogue about exemplars and other aspects of practice, both to develop inter-subject understandings of assessment ‘anchor points' and also to foster among newcomers (and especially contract lecturers) a greater sense of participating in, and being valued by, the local assessment community.     

Reproducibility of objectively measured physical activity: Reconsideration needed

ABSTRACT

Reliability of accelerometer-determined physical activity (PA), and thus the required length of a monitoring period, appears to depend on the analytic approach used for its calculation. We compared reliability of objectively measured PA using different resolution of data in a sample of 221 Norwegian 2–6-year-old children providing 2–3 valid 14-day periods of accelerometer monitoring (ActiGraph GT3X+) during September–October, January–February, and May–June 2015–2016. Reliability (intra-class correlation [ICC]) was measured for 1–14 days of monitoring across the measurement periods using linear mixed effect modelling. These results were compared to reliability estimated using different resolution of data using the Spearman–Brown formula. The measured reliability improved only marginally with increased monitoring length and levelled off after 5–6 days. Estimated reliability differed substantially when derived from different resolution of data: 3.9–5.4, 6.7–9.2, 13.4–26.7 and 26.3–87.7 days of monitoring was required to achieve an ICC = 0.80 using an hour-by-hour, a day-by-day, a week-by-week and a period-by-period approach, respectively. Reliability could not be correctly estimated from any single resolution of data. We conclude that reconsideration is needed with regard to how reproducibility of objectively measured PA is analysed and interpreted.     

Science education in the long shadow of michael polanyi

Conclusion Science teaching in Australia has been dogged by a lack of independence from the top-down pressures of the tertiary institutions and overseas, particularly British, influences. In a future paper we will examine the influence of Professor Harry Messel of Synney University and his Philosophy of Science as exemplified by the Wyndham Science Course for secondary schools in NSW. Science teaching continues to ignore such questions as, whose interests are served by the managers of scientific research? There is an absence of discussion about autonomous technology and growth economics advocated by Australian and other governments. Even the curious juxtaposition of caution and demand for more technology by Barry Jones inSleepers, Wake! (1982) has failed to stimulate discussion.     

Literacy skills of welfare recipients

Illiteracy is considered to be a significant barrier to employment. Programs are being established to require literacy education and work programs of welfare recipients. The purpose of this study was to determine the literacy skills of a random sample of welfare recipients. One-hundred and six welfare subjects were administered theWoodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery and a comprehensive interview form. Using common criteria to separate the sample into the literate and functionally illiterate, the groups were found to differ significantly on intellectual capabilities. It was concluded that illiteracy is associated with subaverage intellectual functioning among persons on welfare. A number of recommendations were made pertaining to policy.     

Meta-analytic evidence for the persuasive effect of narratives on beliefs,attitudes, intentions,and behaviors

Although narratives are often credited with the capacity to change opinions, empirical tests of this prediction have produced mixed results. To provide a more precise test of narrative's effect on beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors, we performed meta-analyses on studies that evaluated narrative's persuasive influence on these outcomes. Results suggested positive relationships between exposure to a narrative and narrative-consistent beliefs (k?=?37; N?=?7,376; r?=?.17), attitudes (k?=?40; N?=?7,132; r?=?.19), intentions (k?=?28; N?=?5,211; r?=?.17), and behaviors (k?=?5; N?=?978; r?=?.23). Moderator analyses on the effect of fictionality yielded mixed results. Neither medium of presentation nor research design influenced the magnitude of the narrative-persuasion relationship. However, results suggested the presence of unidentified moderators.