How do Teachers Teach Memory Skill?

Research on teachers' efforts to influence the ways in which children approach memory tasks and understand and regulate their own memory processes has been limited, possibly because of the restrictive views of memory held by cognitive theories that have previously guided research efforts. A more complex perspective on the memory skills that develop over the elementary school years has been elaborated by developmental psychologists and information-processing theorists, but their work has had limited influence on either teacher-training practices or research in teaching. In order to begin to apply this newer perspective to an understanding of classroom teaching processes, research needs to consider teacher practices and expectations for children's learning and memory. A program of research that has been concerned with how teachers teach memory and metacognitive skills and with teachers' views of memory processes is summarized in this article, and implications for teacher training are discussed.     

Short-term memory and working memory in children as a function of language-specific knowledge in English and Spanish

This study determined the degree to which the phonological and executive components of memory reflect language-specific capacities in Spanish and English vocabulary. We tested whether the memory processes in a sample of English language learners found in Grade 1 also emerged in Grade 2. For the total sample (N = 90), Grade 1 English STM measures shared a common construct with Spanish STM, whereas Grade 2 STM measures were language dependent. In contrast, WM measures were language independent across grades 1 and 2. When vocabulary subgroups were analyzed, a subgroup × type of memory task emerged. The results showed that performance on Spanish and English STM tasks were a function of high and low Spanish and English vocabulary knowledge, whereas WM was not. The relationship between language-specific processes in memory was discussed.     

High-School Students’ Epistemic Knowledge of Science and Its Relation to Learner Factors in Science Learning

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an online contextualized test for assessing students’ understanding of epistemic knowledge of science. In addition, how students’ understanding of epistemic knowledge of science interacts with learner factors, including time spent on science learning, interest, self-efficacy, and gender, was also explored. The participants were 489 senior high school students (244 males and 245 females) from eight different schools in Taiwan. Based on the result of an extensive literature review, we first identified six factors of epistemic knowledge of science, such as status of scientific knowledge, the nature of scientific enterprise, measurement in science, and so on. An online test was then created for assessing students’ understanding of the epistemic knowledge of science. Also, a learner-factor survey was developed by adopting previous PISA survey items to measure the abovementioned learner factors. The results of this study show that; (1) by factor analysis, the six factors of epistemic knowledge of science could be grouped into two dimensions which reflect the nature of scientific knowledge and knowing in science, respectively; (2) there was a gender difference in the participants’ understanding of the epistemic knowledge of science; and (3) students’ interest in science learning and the time spent on science learning were positively correlated to their understanding of the epistemic knowledge of science.     

Study and Conservation of the St. Nicola's Basilica Mosaics (Bari,Italy) by Photogrammetric Survey: Mapping of Polychrome Marbles,Decorative Patterns and Past Restorations

ABSTRACT

This present work focuses on the mapping of marbles, decorative patterns and area of the mosaics of the St. Nicola’s Basilica in Bari (Italy) by their photogrammetric survey. The extraordinary importance of these mosaics is due to the stylistic uniqueness and the undisputed workmanship and to the employed materials for tesserae. These mosaics include the white and polychrome marbles, used in the Roman age and reused in medieval artistic production, and imitation stones used as substitutes during the past restorations. The digital survey was realised by the photogrammetric reconstruction of mosaics collecting a photo dataset, after the mosaics redrawing by an image processing software and finally implemented it with lithological identification marbles. It allowed to obtain a punctual mapping of materials, through which to identify original areas and restoration areas, decorative patterns, recurring geometries. The research carried out, supported by the photogrammetric reconstruction as established method for high resolution digital reproduction and mapping, not only ensures the conservation and improvement of the enjoyment of the mosaic floors of the St. Nicola’s Basilica, but allows to conduct studies on materials, decorative patterns and restoration areas directly on the digitized product.     

Differently structured advance organizers lead to different initial schemata and learning outcomes

Does the specific structure of advance organizers influence learning outcomes? In the first experiment, 48 psychology students were randomly assigned to three differently structured advance organizers: a well-structured, a well-structured and key-concept emphasizing, and a less structured advance organizer. These were followed by a sorting task, a text study phase, and a posttest. The results indicated that differently structured advance organizers lead to different proto-schemata before and different learning outcomes after the text study phase. The second experiment replicated and extended these findings with 53 mathematics students. As in experiment 1, three differently structured advance organizers were used; but to rule out alternative explanations, the sorting task between the advance organizer and the text study phase was omitted. The results showed strong beneficial effects of well-structured advance organizers on near and far transfer tasks. Taken together, both experiments support the claim that the structure of advance organizers has an effect on preliminary schemata and learning outcomes. On a general level, the results indicate that advance organizers can support the generation of proto-schemata and thus can be more than the activation of “existing” concepts in long-term memory. With regard to education, this implies that educators should not only think about whether prior domain-specific knowledge is present, but also about how to scaffold the generation of proto-schemata at the beginning of instruction.     

The effect of social programs and exposure to professionals on the educational aspirations of the poor

Investment in human capital is an important tool for reducing poverty. However, the poor may lack the capacity to aspire, which often results in underinvestment in their children's education. This paper studies the effect of a social program on the educational aspirations poor parents have for their children, and explores the role of exposure to educated professionals as a possible channel for increasing these aspirations. First, using differences-in-differences, we show that the Mexican antipoverty program PROGRESA raises the educational aspirations of beneficiary parents for their children of a third of a school year. Then, exploiting PROGRESA's mandated differential exposure to professionals, using triple differences, we find evidence suggesting that educational aspirations for children from high-exposure households are almost half of a school year higher six months after the start of the program. Finally, we show that there is a positive correlation between parental aspirations and children's educational attainment.     

Teaching Clinical Social Work in Spanish: Cultural Competency in Mental Health

We have developed a new graduate elective in the MSW degree program called Evaluación e Intervención en Español (Assessment and Intervention in Spanish). This class, taught entirely in Spanish, is designed to train Spanish-speaking MSW students in culturally and linguistically competent clinical practice with Hispanic clients. In this case study, we summarize the course.     

Understanding parental views of adolescent sexuality and sex education in Ecuador: a qualitative study

Parents' contribution to sex education is increasingly receiving research attention. This growing interest stems from recognition of the influence that parental attitudes may have both on young people's sexual attitudes and behaviour, and on school-based sex education. Studies regarding parental attitudes towards sexuality are, however, still rare. The two main objectives of this study were to explore parental views about sexuality and to understand parental attitudes towards sex education. Four focus group discussions were conducted with parents from high schools in Cuenca, Ecuador. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The study revealed that parents held a restricted view about sex education, grounded in traditional religious ideas about sexuality, which led parents to understand it as a morally and physically dangerous activity. Although parents expressed a willingness to make good quality sex education available to their children, they reported having insufficient personal resources to fulfil that objective. The results of this study provide important information about the need to develop and adapt sex education to each specific cultural context, thereby confirming the importance of knowing about the cultural traditions and religious beliefs that may form obstacles to effective sex education for young people in Ecuador.