Language choice for science education: policy and practice

The Maltese National Minimum Curriculum published in 1999 sought to strengthen bilingualism by reinforcing the practice of teaching and assessing some subjects in English and others in Maltese. It also pointed out that code-switching should only be used in cases of severe pedagogical difficulties. As a new National Curriculum Framework was being prepared some educators suggested language as a possible barrier to student progress and argued that the traditional practice of teaching subjects such as science in English should be reconsidered. This study investigated language choices, function and code-switching in science lessons. Classroom observations, interviews and focus groups showed that in state schools 12-13 year old students were being taught science predominantly in Maltese while reading, writing and formal assessment were in English. Students who were more exposed to English, irrespective of class stream, used this language more frequently than those who were less exposed to the language. The findings seem to suggest that teachers may be overcautious. While code-switching may initially provide technical terms and serve as a bridge between the two languages, eventually it can give way to a more precise and formal use of English thus ensuring both learning of science and development of bilingualism.     

Dialed In: Continuous Response Measures in Televised Political Debates and Their Effect on Viewers

As a result of emerging debate formats and technological advancements over the years, the media started using continuous response measures (CRMs) in the form of on-screen trackers, allowing select audiences to rate candidate performances in political debates in 2004. Given the limited amount of scholarly research that has tackled this issue, this study aims to investigate the effect of CRMs on college students’ voting choices and perceptions of political candidates. This experimental study has found that these trackers did influence the participants’ evaluations of the political candidates shown in the debate regardless of previously stated political affiliation.     

建立在探索基础上的中小学数学教育回顾与展望

过去几十年中小学数学教育研究的主要进展表现在：数学教育改革，社会交流研究，课程发展研究等方面，数学教育研究应该将教育实践活动，课程开发，数学学科教育理论研究3者结合起来，当前，中小学数学课堂改革主要是：接受学生是在和思维材料相互作用的过程中建构数学知识的观念，以及课程改革、技术改革和数学语言改革等方面。     

The teacher‐counselor partnership: Helping effective teachers of the gifted become more affective

A Counselor‐Teacher Education Program provides a workable model for teachers and counselors to integrate their skills and be more effective in programs for the gifted.