Having students create short video clips to help transition from naïve conceptions about mechanics to true Newtonian physics

Most students enter their first university physics course with a system of beliefs and intuitions which are often inconsistent with the Newtonian frame of reference. This article presents an experiment of collaborative learning aiming at helping first-year students in an engineering programme to transition from their naïve intuition about dynamics to the Newtonian way of thinking. In a first activity, students were asked to critically analyse the contents of two video clips from the point of view of Newtonian mechanics. In a second activity, students had to design and realise their own video clip to illustrate a given aspect of Newtonian mechanics. The preparation of the scenario for the second activity required looking up and assimilating scientific knowledge. The efficiency of the activity was assessed on an enhanced version of the statistical analysis method proposed by Hestenes and Halloun, which relies on a pre-test and a post-test to measure individual learning.     

The effects of stride technique and pitch location on slo-pitch batting

In slo-pitch softball, the ball is delivered in an arc trajectory with a moderate velocity; hence, batters have time to adjust their stride technique based on the pitched ball location. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of stride technique and pitched ball location on the mechanics of slo-pitch batting. A two-way ANOVA of two locations of pitch (inside and outside) x three strides (open, parallel, and closed) repeated measure study was conducted in this study. The results showed that the stride technique and pitched ball location did not have a consistent impact on the participants across different batting conditions, so the study recommends slo-pitch batters to explore different stride techniques when striking the ball. Further, to better understand the generalizability of the findings, the results indicated that participants were quite homogeneous as a group. Hence, coaches and educators may apply the findings from this study to other players with similar skill level.     

Faith Tribes as Powerful Communities of Adolescents in Highly Differentiated Societies

This article describes how communal aspects of faith find their way back into the lives of adolescents. The communal aspects of faith within individualized societies need more attention. It seems that with the current emphasis on individual faith, the intrinsic power of communal aspects of faith has been lost. This study shows that informal communities of adolescents—faith tribes—can restore the individual–communal balance in faith development. Youth ministry should encourage adolescents and tribal leaders to be aware of the faith possibilities of tribes.     

Mother-tongue training in school as a determinant of global language proficiency: A Belgian case study

Experimental models of education that incorporate the mother tongue of immigrant children into the structure of their curricula constitute obvious cases-in-point for assessing the validity of bilingual or multilingual education for such children. The present case study of one such model, the so-called Foyer Bicultural Education Project of Brussels, is intended to shed some light on the relationship between formal mother-tongue training and the development of global language proficiency in minority-language children. Since this particular case-in-point involves three languages — Italian (the mother tongue), Flemish and French — it is especially interesting with regard to the validity of the so-called interdependence principle, as formulated by Cummins (1979). The findings presented here confirm Cummins' principle that the development of literacy in the mother tongue is a determinant of global language proficiency in minority-language children.

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Zusammenfassung Versuchsweise eingeführte Erziehungsmodelle, die die Muttersprache von Einwandererkindern in die Struktur ihrer Curricula einarbeiten, stellen ganz offensichtlich Beispiele dar, die es ermöglichen, eine Daseinsberechtiging für die zwei- oder mehrsprachige Erziehung solcher Kinder zu etablieren. Die vorliegende Untersuchung, das sogenannte Foyer bikulturelle Erziehungsprojekt aus Brüssel soll die Beziehung zwischen formaler Muttersprachenausbildung und der Entwicklung globaler Sprachkompetenz bei Kindern mit Minoritätensprachen erläutern. Da der vorliegende Fall drei Sprachen betrifft — Italienisch (als Muttersprache), Flämisch und Französisch — ist er besonders interessant im Hinblick auf die Gültigkeit der sogenannten Interdependenz-Hypothese, die 1979 von Cummins formuliert wurde. Die hier vorgestellten Ergebnisse bestätigen Cummins Hypothese, daß die Entwicklung der Literalität in der Muttersprache ein Determinant der globalen Sprachkompetenz bei Kindern mit Minoritätssprachen sei.

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Résumé Les modèles expérimentaux d'enseignement qui incorporent la langue maternelle d'enfants immigrants dans leurs programmes d'étude constituent des exemples évidents d'évaluation de la validité de l'enseignement bilingue ou multilingue pour ces enfants. La présente étude de cas sur un modèle de ce genre, le Projet Foyer d'Education Biculturelle de Bruxelles, vise à apporter quelques éclaircissements sur la relation entre l'apprentissage formel de la langue maternelle et le développement de la compétence linguistique globale chez les enfants appartenant à une minorité linguistique. Du fait que cet exemple spécifique comprend trois langues — l'italien (langue maternelle), le flamand et le français — il est particulièrement intéressant quant à la validité de ce que l'on appelle le principe d'interdépendance, tel qu'il a été formulé par Cummins (1979). Les résultats qui sont présentés ici confirment le principe de Cummins selon lequel le développement de l'alphabétisme qui s'appuie sur la langue maternelle détermine la compétence linguistique globale d'enfants appartenant à une minorité linguistique.

     

Modeling achievement in mathematics: the role of learner and learning environment characteristics

This study examined a structural model of mathematics achievement among Druze 8th graders in Israel. The model integrates 2 psychosocial theories: goal theory and social learning theory. Variables in the model included gender, father's and mother's education, classroom mastery and performance goal orientation, mathematics self-efficacy and self-regulated learning, mastery and performance goals, and mathematics achievement. Data on learner and learning environment variables and achievement in mathematics were collected from 273 boys and girls. Results indicate appropriate fit of the model for the entire sample. Invariance analysis across gender indicated that only 2 of the 11 path coefficients, mother's education on mathematics achievement and classroom mastery goal orientation on self-regulation, were not invariant across gender. The same pattern of relationships accounted for different amounts of variance in mathematics achievement for boys and girls.     

Sex differences in spatial abilities of medical graduates entering residency programs

Sex differences favoring males in spatial abilities have been known by cognitive psychologists for more than half a century. Spatial abilities have been related to three‐dimensional anatomy knowledge and the performance in technical skills. The issue of sex differences in spatial abilities has not been addressed formally in the medical field. The objective of this study was to test an a priori hypothesis of sex differences in spatial abilities in a group of medical graduates entering their residency programs over a five‐year period. A cohort of 214 medical graduates entering their specialist residency training programs was enrolled in a prospective study. Spatial abilities were measured with a redrawn Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotations Tests in two (MRTA) and three (MRTC) dimensions. Sex differences favoring males were identified in 131 (61.2%) female and 83 (38.8%) male medical graduates with the median (Q1, Q3) MRTA score [12 (8, 14) vs. 15 (12, 18), respectively; P < 0.0001] and MRTC score [7 (5, 9) vs. 9 (7, 12), respectively; P < 0.0001]. Sex differences in spatial abilities favoring males were demonstrated in the field of medical education, in a group of medical graduates entering their residency programs in a five‐year experiment. Caution should be exerted in applying our group finding to individuals because a particular female may have higher spatial abilities and a particular male may have lower spatial abilities. Anat Sci Educ 6: 368–375. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.     

Boys do not benefit from male teachers in their reading and mathematics skills: empirical evidence from 21 European Union and OECD countries

The prevalence of women in the teaching profession has been claimed by various scholars to be responsible for the low school performance among boys. Based on this claim there have been widespread calls for increasing the share of male teachers as a means of improving boys' school performance. There is, however, very little empirical evidence supporting the claim that boys do in fact benefit from being taught by male teachers. Drawing on data from the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and the 2006 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, this paper examines the relationship between teacher gender and boys' and girls' respective school performance in a sample of 146,315 elementary school students from 21 countries. It finds that boys do not benefit from being taught by male teachers, neither in mathematics nor in reading. In some countries, however, girls seem to profit from being taught by female teachers.     

La compréhension du fonctionnement de la Balance. Une analyse hiérarchique

According to Flavell (1989), psychologists have now to analyze filiations between children’s ideas in more detailed way that the Piagetian one. The rule assessment approach of Siegler (1976, 1978) corresponds to this way, especially the works done about children comprehension of the balance. However, as Larivée et al. (1987) noticed it, the Siegler’s model does not integrate the problem solving strategies of very young children. This research tries to complete the Siegler’s studies. A simple balance with two scales was presented to children between 4 and 6. They were invited either to predict the effect of various manipulations or to explicit the manipulations which can produce some specific effects. The items were inspired by old Piagetian works. Fortyfive children received the first version of the test which was then ajusted (two items were added). The final version was presented to 80 children.