The future of the MBA in the UK

The MBA has always aroused controversy in the UK. The background to this and some explanations are presented, together with an analysis of what is perceived by some to be a crisis for MBA provision. Whilst the number of programmes has expanded, demand, particularly for full-time programmes, has weakened due in part to the recent recession. The paper offers explanations of these adjustments and some evidence that the MBA is gradually becoming a standard qualification for senior management. It is argued that what appears a crisis is an overdue adjustment of expectations. Graduation salary premia have declined as the supply of places and graduates has increased. As a consequence, most schools will experience pressures to reduce experience requirements and real fee levels. Increased customer price-consciousness will result in a greater focus on costs for business schools and their faculty. A brief history of the origins and evolution of the MBA in the USA and UK is provided, with an emphasis on the importance of the revised US model of the early 1960s for the subsequent success and upward drift of the MBA. A number of tensions and challenges in MBA provision are identified.     

Use of comics to enhance students’ learning for the development of the twenty-first century competencies in the mathematics classroom

Abstract

This paper discusses the use of comics in teaching mathematics in the secondary mathematics classroom. We explicate how the use of comics in teaching mathematics can prepare students for the twenty-first century competencies. We developed an alternative teaching package using comics for two lower secondary mathematics topics. This alternative teaching package consists of (1) several sets of comic strips expounding all related mathematical concepts in a lively way; (2) tiered practice questions for learning reinforcement; and (3) a set of proposed lesson outlines with suggestions on how to use the comics for mathematics teaching. We also report how one of the teachers in our study used this teaching package in her mathematics lessons. Her lessons were video-recorded and 11 students were interviewed to help us understand how the mathematics comics lessons were enacted and the students’ perception of comics as instruction. We identified instances in which the teacher tweaked the provided resource to further enhance student learning and incorporated elements of the twenty-first century competencies during her lessons. Through selected student interviews, we also identified instances in which students commented on their gain from the new approach from the perspective of the twenty-first century competencies.     

Academic dishonesty among Hong Kong secondary school students: application of theory of planned behaviour

The theory of planned behaviour was used to examine academic dishonesty among secondary school students in Hong Kong. Participants were 386 students in Forms 1–3 (Grades 7–9). Attitudes toward cheating, perceived behavioural control, and moral obligation were positively related to the intention to cheat, but only the subjective norm against cheating was significantly related to self-reported cheating behaviour. The subjective norm was both a predictor of self-reported cheating and a moderator of the relationship between the intention to cheat and self-reported cheating: the intention predicted the behaviour only when the subjective norm against cheating was perceived to be weak.     

Psychological correlates of physical abuse in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To understand the associations between adolescent family physical maltreatment and psychiatric morbidity or psychological problems. METHODS: questionnaire survey on 489 secondary school students in Form 2 from 10 schools in Hong Kong. Questions regarding three forms of family physical maltreatment were measured: corporal punishment within the past 6 months, beaten without any reason within the past 6 months, or ever been beaten to injury. MAIN RESULT: Corporal punishment was not associated with the psychological variables after Bonferroni adjustment was made. Those who experienced the two other forms of physical maltreatment had significant and strong associations with positive Achenbach CBCL outcome (OR from 3.26 to 3.27), drug abuse problems (OR from 2.60 to 20.38), self-injurious behaviors (OR from 3.34 to 8.47) and poor perceived parental support. In addition, those who had ever been beaten to injury scored significantly lower in the "physical appearance" and "behavioral conduct" subscales of the Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: In Hong Kong, some forms of family physical maltreatment (beaten for no reason and beaten to injury) were associated with a number of psychiatric/psychological problems. Further studies should be carried out to clarify whether the relationships are causal in nature.     

Pre‐service science teachers' perceptions of written lesson appraisals: the impact of styles of mentoring

Biology and chemistry graduates (n = 29) on a one year, post graduate, initial teacher training course were asked about their perceptions of written lesson appraisals produced by mentors when observing their teaching. Data were collected using the same open questions at three points in their course. The data relating to mentors who had received only generic training were compared with those for mentors who had been trained to focus on topic‐specific pedagogy. Marked differences in pre‐service science teachers' perceptions are identified. The implications arising from these differences for using written lesson appraisals in developing topic‐specific pedagogy are discussed and opportunities for future research identified.

Nous avons demandé à des licenciés en biologie et chimie poursuivant des études de formation pédagogique d'un an comment ils percevaient les évaluations écrites par leur conseiller pédagogique (mentor) lors des observations de leurs leçons. Nous avons rassemblé les données en posant les mêmes questions ouvertes, à trois reprises pendant leur cours. Nous avons comparé les données reliées aux mentors ayant reçu une formation générique avec les données reliées aux mentors ayant reçu une formation spécifique centrée sur leur matière. Nous avons identifié de nettes différences dans les perceptions des professeurs‐stagiaires. Nous discutons les implications issues de ces différences pour l'utilisation des évaluations écrites de leçons dans le but de développer une pédagogie propre à chaque matière et nous identifions des possibilités de recherches dans le futur.

Preguntamos a licenciados en biología y química que siguen una formación pedagógica de un año cómo percibían las evaluaciones escritas por sus mentores cuando observan sus lecciones. Colectamos nuestros datos por medio de las mismas preguntas abiertas que les hicimos durante el curso. Comparamos los datos relacionados con los mentores que habían recibido una formación genérica con los datos relacionados con los mentores que habían recibido une formación enfocada en una asignatura específica. Notamos diferencias claras en las percepciones de los profesores‐aprendices. Discutimos las implicaciones que resultan de esas diferencias para la utilización de dichas observaciones escritas a fines de desarrollar una pedagogía específica a cada asignatura y acertamos oportunidades para investigaciones futuras.

Biologen und Chemiker (n = 29) mit abgeschlossenem Studium, die an einer einjährigen Referendarausbildung teilnahmen, wurden gefragt, wie sie die schriftlichen Unterrichtsbeurteilungen ihrer beobachtenden Mentoren einschätzten. Daten wurden gesammelt, indem die selben offenen Fragen zu drei verschiedenen Zeitpunkten im Kurs gestellt wurden. Daten bezüglich Mentoren, die nur eine allgemeine Mentorenausbildung mitgemacht hatten, wurden mit Daten betreffs anderer verglichen, die darin ausgebildet worden waren, sich auf themenspezifische Pädagogik zu konzentrieren. Deutliche Unterschiede in den Einschätzungen der Referendare wurden festgestellt. Die aus diesen Unterschieden aufkommenden Implikationen für den Benutz schriftlichen Unterrichtsbeurteilungen bei der Entwicklung themenspezifischer Pädagogik werden hier diskutiert, und Möglichkeiten für zukünftige Forschung identifiziert.     

Knowing where we Stand: Mapping Teachers’ Conception of Reflection in Service-Learning

Innovative Higher Education - Reflection is fundamental in experiential pedagogies, and many studies have been carried out to investigate its impact and benefits on student learning outcomes....     

Redesigning a large-enrollment introductory biology course

Using an action research model, biology faculty examined, implemented, and evaluated learner-centered instructional strategies to reach the goal of increasing the level of student achievement in the introductory biology course BIO 181: Unity of Life I, which was characterized by both high enrollments and a high DFW rate. Outcomes included the creation and implementation of an assessment tool for biology content knowledge and attitudes, development and implementation of a common syllabus, modification of the course to include learner-centered instructional strategies, and the collection and analysis of data to evaluate the success of the modifications. The redesigned course resulted in greater student success, as measured by grades (reduced %DFW and increased %AB) as well as by achievement in the course assessment tool. In addition, the redesigned course led to increased student satisfaction and greater consistency among different sections. These findings have important implications for both students and institutions, as the significantly lower DFW rate means that fewer students have to retake the course.     

国内外优秀男子20 km竞走运动员技术的对比研究

运用三维运动学分析法对我国8名男子20km竞走运动员的技术进行研究,指出我国选手的不足之处:步长较短,腾空时问偏长,身体重心起伏较大,躯干前倾角偏大,髋关节的灵活性差,左右脚着地角度偏大,支撑腿着地阶段技术不合理.     

Effects of mobile apps for nursing students: learning motivation,social interaction and study performance

Abstract

This study examined the effects of mobile apps on the learning motivation, social interaction and study performance of nursing students. A total of 20 students participated in focus group interviews to collect feedback on their use of mobile apps for learning and communicative activities. Two consecutive cohorts of students in a nursing programme, each with about 200 students, were recruited for assessing their learning motivation through a survey and study performance by two tests. The results showed that the students actively used the mobile apps for studying supplementary materials as well as participating in in-class activities and clinical assessments. The students had a relatively high level of motivation for performing and learned well, but relatively low perceived satisfaction and self-efficacy with mobile learning. They showed better study performance after practising mobile learning. The results also suggest that students’ perceived intrinsic value with mobile learning has to be enhanced for improving study performance.