从领导的视角看香港幼儿教育的学习空间:一种现象学的方法

近年来,香港的幼儿教育开始受到重视,政府对幼儿教育机构负责人的管理也开始加强。本文籍由从事现象学研究的学者常用的访谈法对6位幼儿期教育机构的领导进行了访谈,访谈的内容主要涉及与学习概念有关的个人发展经历和其在幼儿教育机构工作时的经验。从幼儿教育机构的领导的视角来看待香港幼儿教育的学习空间,本文探索了在他们的早期学校教育、教师培训和幼儿教育机构教学经历中的一些好的学习经验以及成人学习与幼儿学习的明显区别。     

The nature of Chinese Language classroom learning environments in Singapore secondary schools

This article reports findings from a classroom environment study which was designed to investigate the nature of Chinese Language classroom environments in Singapore secondary schools. We used a perceptual instrument, the Chinese Language Classroom Environment Inventory, to investigate teachers’ and students’ perceptions towards their Chinese Language classroom learning environments using six dimensions, namely, Student Cohesiveness, Teacher Support, Involvement, Cooperation, Task Orientation and Equity. The investigation was carried out using a sample of 1,460 secondary three (Grade 9) students from 50 Chinese Language classes in 25 Singapore government secondary schools. The nature of the Chinese Language classroom learning environments was interpreted from analyses of the perception scores obtained, as well as from various comparisons of the perception scores between different groups. Although both the Chinese Language teachers and students perceived their present classroom learning environments positively, they would like improvements in all the six dimensions of the classroom learning environments under investigation. Also teachers perceived a more positive classroom learning environment than their students in the same class. In addition, female students perceived their actual and preferred classroom environments more positively than their male counterparts.     

Beginning teachers’ perceptions of their levels of pedagogical knowledge and skills: did they change since their graduation from initial teacher preparation?

This study investigated changes in beginning teachers’ self-perceptions of their pedagogical knowledge and skills after their first year of teaching. Surveys were administered to 322 graduating student teachers at the end of the initial teacher preparation programme and at the end of their first year of teaching to compare if there were any differences in their self-perceptions. The results of the study showed significant increases in beginning teachers’ perceptions of their pedagogical knowledge and skills in three factors: Instructional Support, Accommodating Diversity and Classroom Management. Results established the development of teachers to be an ongoing process that is initiated but not completed in initial teacher preparation. Implications of findings for induction and mentoring of beginning teachers are discussed.     

Information privacy concerns and demographic characteristics: Data from a Korean media panel survey

This study explores the relationship between individuals' demographic characteristics and information privacy concerns (IPC) using panel data from the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI) that has collected a large sample from 7809 respondents. Its goal is to address the gaps in existing information privacy literature that focuses mainly on behavioral determinants of IPC and thus has not paid much attention to the direct examination of the relationship between demographic characteristics of individuals and IPC. A few relevant studies that focus on such a relationship have produced inconsistent results. In our study, we found that while the effects of educational attainment, income level, and marriage are in line with existing studies, the effects of gender and age are at odds with existing studies. The main contribution of this study is to confirm the results of previous studies with a large sample and enables the generalization of empirical findings. In addition, the results that are in contrast to the literature can generate new research avenue.     

Theories of change and outcomes in home-based Early Head Start programs

Programs to promote children's early development are based on a set of assumptions, explicit or implicit, about intended outcomes and how the program will effect change. The “theories of change” were examined in ten home-based programs in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (EHSREP), using data collected through multiple interviews with program staff. All home-based programs indicated that parenting outcomes were among their highest three priorities, while only 4 of 10 programs said that child outcomes were in their top priorities. The pattern of outcome differences between randomly-assigned program and control group participants reflected the programs’ theories of change in several ways. Early Head Start home-based programs showed positive impacts on 9 of 9 parenting outcomes, including parental supportiveness, home language and learning supports, emotional responsiveness, and family conflict when children were 24 months of age. Significant program impacts on child cognitive skills (Bayley MDI scores) and social behavior (observed child engagement of parent during play) were found when children were 36 months of age. Mediation analyses showed that the 54% of the program impact on 36-month child cognitive scores was mediated by 24-month program impacts on parental supportiveness, language and learning support, emotional responsiveness, and family conflict, and 47% of the program impact on 36-month child engagement of parent was mediated by 24-month impacts on parental supportiveness, language and cognitive stimulation, and emotional responsiveness. Results from mediation analyses were consistent with these home-based programs’ theories of change, supporting the efficacy of focusing on parent change as a mechanism for child outcomes in home visiting programs.     

Worldviews,religions, and beliefs about teaching and learning: perception of mathematics teachers with different religious backgrounds

Beliefs about mathematics education and their influences on teaching practices have been widely investigated in recent decades. There have been numerous empirical studies on the influences of religions on teachers’ and students’ beliefs about subjects such as sciences and language. However, the influences of worldviews in general and religions in particular, as one of the major sources of beliefs in relation to mathematics education, are under-researched. The current study is a first step to unpacking the relationship between teachers’ religions and their beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning. By means of semi-structured interviews with mathematics teachers of different religious backgrounds, teachers’ perceptions on the connection between their personal religious beliefs and their beliefs about teaching and learning are investigated. In-depth analyses of the perceptions of three mathematics teachers reveal the complex relationship between teachers’ religious beliefs and their teaching beliefs. First, there are some common values shared by different religions, which influence the beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning as well as education in general. Second, religion is a rich belief system, and the teachers appear to apply only a portion of their religious beliefs to guide their teaching. It is also possible that a teacher is influenced by more than one religion or cultural tradition. Despite its subtleties, our study provides evidence to support the alignment between teachers’ personal religious beliefs and their beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning.     

Spheres of influence: what shapes young people’s aspirations at age 12/13 and what are the implications for education policy?

Young people’s aspirations remain an enduring focus of education policy interest and concern. Drawing on data from an ongoing five-year study of young people’s science and career aspirations (age 10–14), this paper asks what do young people aspire to at age 12/13, and what influences these aspirations? It outlines the main aspirations and sources of these aspirations as expressed by young people in England in the last year of primary school (survey of 9000+ Y6 pupils, aged 10/11, interviews with 92 children and 76 parents) and the second year of secondary school (survey of 5600+ Y8 pupils, aged 12/13, interviews with 85 pupils). We demonstrate how aspirations are shaped by structural forces (e.g. social class, gender and ethnicity) and how different spheres of influence (home/family, school, hobbies/leisure activities and TV) appear to shape different types of aspirations. The paper concludes by considering the implications for educational policy and careers education.     

Grade 5 Students’ Online Argumentation about Their In-Class Inquiry Investigations

This study examined the extent to which fifth-grade students participate in online argumentation and the argument patterns they produced about the inquiry-based investigations completed using the Science Writing Heuristic approach in their science classes. One hundred twenty-nine students from five classes of two teachers in a Midwestern public school completed two inquiry-based investigation units, one per semester, followed by asynchronous online discussions using the Moodle forum. Among the 129 students, 107 students produced 739 notes in the plant investigation online discussion and 111 students produced 686 notes in the human health investigation online discussion. Results indicate that students were actively engaged in the online discussions about inquiry investigations with comments being focused on providing more evidence and backing for claims and negotiating evidence in both investigations. The students also engaged in challenging and querying the test procedures and reference sources as the basis for evidence. Implications are discussed for science teaching and learning and further study on argument-based inquiry in online environments.     

Doug Kirby's contribution to the field of sex education

Doug Kirby transformed the field of sex education by conducting rigorous research that led to new, critical insights about ways to strengthen programmes, evaluation and policies related to sexual health throughout the world. Throughout his career, Kirby was meticulous in compiling evidence and translating findings into actionable recommendations for interventions, research and policy. He published more than 150 scientific articles, book chapters and monographs that have been widely cited and more than 900,000 copies of his publications have been distributed. Kirby's impact has been recognised with awards from numerous professional organisations and his unique and powerful scientific voice is greatly missed by his colleagues and friends.