Meritocratic Epistemic Communities: An Alternative Policy Paradigm for Higher Education

This paper attempts to propose an alternative policy frame for higher education policy by demonstrating the inadequacy of the market approach adopted by the 2011 English higher education policy in addressing the economic and social agenda, and by reframing higher education as a mechanism that selects and distributes talents to vocational sectors in a way that achieves socially optimal outcomes. The paper shows why government control is more appropriate than market mechanism in managing higher education cost, how effective screening and distribution of talents can be achieved through deliberation among epistemic community members and how the alternative policy frame supports a social justice agenda. The idea of a meritocratic epistemic community for screening and educating talents is central to this new frame as it facilitates the creation of a common space where competing stakeholders of one vocational sector gather together to deliberate on the merits of the future workforce.     

Contextualising the career pathways of women principals in Hong Kong: a critical examination

The fields of gender and educational leadership have been enriched recently by analyses of national case studies from non-western contexts. By contextualising women’s career development, these studies highlight the importance of including experiences other than those generated from Anglo-American-Australian contexts, thus broadening our knowledge base for more nuanced theorisation in the field. This paper contributes a close examination of the career histories of eight female primary school principals in Hong Kong. Our analyses identify a range of facilitators, including the expansion of promotion opportunities, strong values placed on education and training, professional encouragement and support and help in relieving family responsibilities. Valuable these factors may be, but we argue that they are incidental, informal, familial and individual, and incur the costs of burn-out and guilt. The discussion not only underlines the significance of case study and cultural and contextual specificities, it also provides a nuanced understanding of Chinese patriarchy.     

Practicing Social Skills Training for Young Children with Low Peer Acceptance: A Cognitive-Social Learning Model

Peer acceptance during early childhood is related to children's academic achievement, adjustment in school, and even psychological well-being in adulthood. Children who experience low peer acceptance exhibit socially inappropriate behavior patterns, which are associated with irrelevant patterns of information processing. Therefore, as a way of helping children with low peer acceptance, a cognitive-social learning model of social skills training has been used because the model focuses on cognitive changes as well as behavioral changes. Three parts of the social skills training—enhancing skill concepts, promoting skill performance, and fostering skill maintenance/generalization—are discussed. In order to be successful, a trainer should understand the training model as well as behavioral patterns of children with low peer acceptance to provide theory-based and individualized feedback to each participant.     

Continuity of Care,Caregiver–Child Interactions,and Toddler Social Competence and Problem Behaviors

ABSTRACT

Research Findings: Continuity of care is a recommended practice in child care intended to promote secure and supportive relationships between infants and toddlers and their caregivers. Toddlers (N = 115) between 12 and 24 months were observed in 30 continuity and 29 noncontinuity classrooms. The average duration of care for toddlers with caregivers was 14 months in the continuity rooms and 5 months in noncontinuity rooms. Toddlers observed in continuity rooms experienced higher levels of interactive involvement with their caregivers and were rated by their caregivers as having fewer problem behaviors compared with the toddlers in noncontinuity rooms. Toddlers in rooms with higher staff–child ratios also experienced more involved caregiving. We did not find evidence that the level of involved caregiving mediated the association between continuity of care and toddlers’ social competence or problem behaviors. Practice or Policy: Continuity of care may be a promising practice for programs that strive to provide high-quality care for infants and toddlers.     

A New Stopping Rule for Computerized Adaptive Testing

The goal of the current study was to introduce a new stopping rule for computerized adaptive testing. The predicted standard error reduction stopping rule (PSER) uses the predictive posterior variance to determine the reduction in standard error that would result from the administration of additional items. The performance of the PSER was compared to that of the minimum standard error stopping rule and a modified version of the minimum information stopping rule in a series of simulated adaptive tests, drawn from a number of item pools. Results indicate that the PSER makes efficient use of CAT item pools, administering fewer items when predictive gains in information are small and increasing measurement precision when information is abundant.     

The effects of POWERSOURCE© assessments on middle-school students’ math performance

This paper describes results from field testing of middle-school math formative assessments alongside professional development and instructional resources. We employed a randomised, controlled design to address the question: Does using our formative assessment strategies improve student performance on assessments of key mathematical ideas relative to a comparison group? This study also provided data on the instructional sensitivity of the assessments, which is part of the validation needed for formative assessments. Teachers were recruited from two districts and seven middle schools. Nineteen treatment and 17 comparison group teachers and their students were included in study analyses. Scores on extended response and short-answer questions indicated that students in the treatment group performed better than students in the comparison group who received the formative assessments alone. These findings demonstrate both the feasibility and value of including performance task-types in a brief assessment context.     

韩国的语言政策与国家意识探析

语言政策是处理和解决国家语言问题的基础与核心,它不仅体现着国家对语言的根本认识和态度,也蕴含着国家意识、社会价值取向等诸多重要内容;国家意识是一个人或集体内心深处对自己所属的民族和国家的认同,而这种"认同(identity)"既可来自于自我的认知意识,也可来自支配性制度;语言政策与国家意识之间存在相互依存相互建构的紧密关系;本文以韩国"国语醇化"政策、汉字政策以及"韩国语世界化"政策为切入点,分析探讨韩国语言政策与国家意识之间的关系和作用。     

The influences of student engagement, institutional mission, and cooperative learning climate on the generic competency development of Korean undergraduate students

Using multilevel models, this study examined whether the strength of the association between student engagement and development of generic student competencies (GSCs) varies across Korean colleges. Data from the Korean Educational Development Institute’s 2007 national sample and from 5,445 students representing 60 four-year colleges and universities were utilized. The results indicate that a specific type of engagement is linked to a particular learning outcome, which means that not every engagement type has an equal impact thereon. The findings also suggest that in Korea, the impact on GSC of one of the student engagement types, that is, active learning, significantly varies by college mission and the peer climate of cooperative learning.     

Korean-American student perceptions on literacy and identity: perspectives from an ethnographic case study

This ethnographic case study examines perceptions of literacy and identity for a Korean-American student in a third-grade classroom. The researchers examine how teachers can misinterpret Asian identity in the classroom due to perceptions related to the Model Minority Myth and other stereotypical representations of Asian culture. By focusing solely on academic success, teachers miss opportunities to gain insight for nurturing other areas of student success and adjustment in the classroom environment. Implications for identity formation and authentic integration of language and literacy practices are discussed. Educators interested in culturally-relevant instruction for immigrant students should find this study informative.