The promise and reality of formative assessment practice in a continuous assessment scheme: the case of Trinidad and Tobago

Continuous Assessment (CA) systems are externally directed, curriculum-based assessment schemes used for both summative and formative purposes within classrooms. CA has been implemented as national policy in several postcolonial developing countries and is believed to hold great promise for improving education outcomes. This theory-driven evaluation (TDE) used a mixed methods research design to interrogate the nature of CA practice. The focus was on stakeholders’ understanding and practice of formative assessment in the CA Programme (CAP) of Trinidad and Tobago. The integrated findings suggest that the programme planners’ formative intent was often not fulfilled. Instead, teachers routinely recorded assessment marks without using the data. There is evidence that formative assessment practice was not congruent with teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and practices. Although the design of CA schemes suggests the possibility of synergy between formative and summative purposes, in reality this ideal is rarely achieved in these particular contexts.     

Components of reading comprehension and scholastic achievement

The aim of this study was to understand whether the reading comprehension process is better explained by a single or by multiple factors. 184 students (9 to 13 years old) were presented with a recently devised battery of tests, that measure ten aspects of reading comprehension. Structural equation modelling showed that a two factors model better accounts for the data compared to a one or a three factors model. Results confirmed the hypothesis which distinguishes between ‘basic’ and ‘complex’ aspects of reading comprehension. The second goal of the study was to analyze the relationship between the two-components model and scholastic achievement. Our results highlighted that the more ‘complex’ aspects of reading comprehension, reflecting some metacognitive knowledge and control processes, are the better predictors of scholastic achievement.     

体育明星作形象代言人推行品牌产品的战略效应分析

运动鞋企业是晋江经济的支柱,其发展对晋江经济和体育产业的发展有着重要的意义。值此第七届晋江(国际)鞋业博览会之际,运用文献资料、调查访问、观察及网上查询等研究方法,并运用经济学、广告学等相关学科的一些原理,分析了福建晋江运动鞋企业聘请体育明星作形象代言人推行品牌建设的现状及存在的一些主要问题,并提出了进一步推动晋江运动鞋企业品牌建设的一些对策和建议,以便给当地政府及相关的决策者提供一些理论参考。     

The interaction of functional and dysfunctional emotions during balance beam performance

The interaction between functional and dysfunctional emotions, as one of the major tenets of the individual zones of optimal functioning (IZOF) model (Hanin, 2000), was studied in a sport specific setting. Fourteen female gymnasts performed three attempts of a compulsory balance beam routine at three different heights. Heart rate and self-report of functional and dysfunctional emotions were measured during each routine. These data revealed the effectiveness of inducting emotions by manipulating height. Also, performance decreased on the most challenging condition, (i.e., the first attempt on the highest height). Moderated hierarchical regression analysis revealed a significant interaction between functional and dysfunctional emotions only when the dysfunctional emotion level was low.     

试析毛泽东的教学思想

教育是立国之本，强国之路，面对当代科技革命的挑战，党和国家了适时的回应，和出全面推进素质教育的决定。在如何实施素质教育工作中，毛泽东同志关于“教学民主”、“知行统一”、“少而精”、“启发式”等一系列教学思想给我们提供了一定的思路和启迪。