Standard Distributions: One Graph Fits All

Standard distributions are ubiquitous but not unique. With suitable scaling, the graph of a standard distribution serves as the graph for every distribution in the family. The standard exponential can easily be taught in elementary statistics courses.     

Preserving the integrity of the scientific record: data citation and linking

The production of research data is increasing rapidly, meaning that it is now rarely possible to publish the data that underpins a piece of research within the article describing that research. Yet, if the conclusions drawn from the research are to stand up to scrutiny, then the data must be made available, and a permanent link made between the data and the publication. Data citation is promoted as an easily understood way of making this link, while at the same time providing the dataset creators with the attribution and credit they deserve for making their data available for verification checks and reproducibility tests. This paper discusses data citation principles and gives examples of data citation and other forms of data‐publication linking in practice.     

Preservice Teachers Map Compassion: Connecting Social Studies and Literacy Through Nonfictional Animal Stories

Nonfiction stories of animal compassion were used in this literacy-social studies integrated lesson to address both efferent and aesthetic stances in transmediation of text from picture books to maps. Preservice early childhood and elementary teachers chose places from the nine recent children’s stories, symbolizing them on a map while completing other map elements such as legend, index, title, and compass rose. Compassion and social-emotional skills were woven into the project by representing the affective tone of story events at various places through choice of place name adjectives. A social studies extension included analysis of how the five themes of geography were depicted on the map. Synopses of the books, one map made by first graders, and three preservice teacher-made maps, along with efferent and aesthetic elements and examples of geography themes from the maps are included. Suggestions for implementation and extension of the lesson with early elementary students are provided.     

Early Intervention for Emergent Literacy Development in a Collaborative Community Pre-Kindergarten

The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics and findings of an early literacy intervention program implemented to facilitate the development of critical emergent literacy skills among children identified as low-income and at-risk in the context of collaborative, pre-kindergarten/Head Start classrooms. Using data from a sample of pre-Kindergartners (n = 154), the intervention reveals the effectiveness of early literacy intervention in the areas of vocabulary, phonological awareness, and print knowledge. The study suggests the possibility of preventing literacy delays and referrals for specialized, special education services for young children through early intervention at the preschool level.     

Alle alles lehren – Schulleistungen in Englisch,Mathematik und den Naturwissenschaften vor und nach der Neuordnung der gymnasialen Oberstufe in Sachsen

Over the last few years, German federal states have increasingly emphasized and strengthened the subjects regarded as core domains of the Gymnasium (the academic school track), including German, mathematics, foreign languages and, to some extent, science subjects (biology, chemistry, physics) by reducing the number of course and examination options through specific educational reforms. The present study investigates consequences of the reform of upper secondary schooling in the federal state of Saxony on the learning time allocated to subjects and on achievement in the domains of mathematics, English and natural sciences. As expected, the mandatory course selection of science subjects introduced through the reform led to substantially higher achievement levels in physics and chemistry. Moreover, disparities in achievement in the subjects of chemistry and biology were reduced. The reform effects on average achievement levels were strongly associated with course level choices (basic course, advanced course, drop out). Achievement rates relating to course level were, however, largely independent of the amount of allocated learning time. No changes were observed with regard to achievement levels and disparities in mathematics and English.     

Do prospective mathematics teachers teach who they say they are?

In this case study, the professional mathematics teacher identity (PMTI) of final year mathematics education students is investigated in terms of their self-perceived and actualised identity. These prospective teachers were required to discuss and describe their own PMTI in terms of three aspects: mathematics specialisation, teaching-and-learning specialisation, and caring. Subsequently, they were observed in the classroom, where the actualisation of their PMTI was considered in terms of the same three. The participants’ perceptions of their own PMTI and the actualisation of that PMTI in the classroom were found not to be congruent. While their self-perceptions regarding their prowess as Mathematics Specialists were accurate, since this is concretely tested as part of their studies, their self-perceptions as teaching-and-learning specialists and particularly as Carers, were not verifiable in their classroom practice. Espoused theory, theory that the individual perceives as true and valid, and which may thus be seen as intrinsic to their PMTI’s, is not necessarily enacted.     

Infants Segment Continuous Events Using Transitional Probabilities

Throughout their 1st year, infants adeptly detect statistical structure in their environment. However, little is known about whether statistical learning is a primary mechanism for event segmentation. This study directly tests whether statistical learning alone is sufficient to segment continuous events. Twenty‐eight 7‐ to 9‐month‐old infants viewed a sequence of continuous actions performed by a novel agent in which there were no transitional movements that could have constrained the possible upcoming actions. At test, infants distinguished statistically intact units from less predictable ones. The ability to segment events using statistical structure may help infants discover other cues to event boundaries, such as intentions, and carve up the world of continuous motion in meaningful ways.     

Individual Differences in Children's and Parents' Generic Language

Generics (“Dogs bark”) convey important information about categories and facilitate children's learning. Two studies with parents and their 2‐ or 4‐year‐old children (N = 104 dyads) examined whether individual differences in generic language use are as follows: (a) stable over time, contexts, and domains, and (b) linked to conceptual factors. For both children and parents, individual differences in rate of generic production were stable across time, contexts, and domains, and parents' generic usage significantly correlated with that of their own children. Furthermore, parents' essentialist beliefs correlated with their own and their children's rates of generic frequency. These results indicate that generic language use exhibits substantial stability and may reflect individual differences in speakers' conceptual attitudes toward categories.