The Validity of Teacher Ratings of Adolescents' Social Skills

The validity of teacher ratings of adolescents' social skills was examined in a follow-up study of a cohort sample of 395 students from seventh to ninth grade. The internal consistency of the teacher ratings on Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) was examined at two points in time, and the multidimensionality of the SSRS was confirmed through factor analyses. The findings indicated multi-informant consistency in ratings: teacher ratings consistently covaried with teacher ratings of problem behaviour in the classroom and academic competence, sociometric nominations by peer students, and grade point average in selected school subjects. Teacher ratings also produced construct-relevant group differences, with students referred to psychosocial and educational helping services receiving significantly lower ratings than their nonreferred peers.     

Literary Competence Beyond Conventions

Comparing reading test results with an understanding of 'literary competence' as internalized literary conventions, the present article proposes a revision of the conception as well as a model view for practical use. Two Russian students' texts, produced within the framework of an ongoing international research project, are used as examples, showing that literary competence cannot be reduced to internalized literary conventions, although they are recognized as a fundamental component of literary competence. In accordance with Mikhail Bakhtin, aesthetical reading is understood as a profoundly personal act, taking place beyond conventions. Therefore, if too much attention is paid to 'performance competence', two important components of literary competence can be overlooked: 'constitutional competence', the hallmark of the human species, according to Aristotle; 'literary transfer competence', more or less identical with the 'subtilitas applicandi' of the hermeneutic tradition. In the light of this broader understanding of literary competence, the article also tries to discern typical merits and weaknesses of literary school cultures in Sweden and Russia.     

The Impact of Instructional Technology Use,Course Design,and Sex Differences on Students’ Initial Perceptions of Instructor Credibility

This study explores the impact that instructional technology use, course design, and sex differences have on students’ initial perceptions of instructors’ credibility (i.e., competence, trustworthiness, and perceived caring). Participants included 864 students from two Midwestern universities who were randomly assigned to one of 16 experimental conditions (i.e., scenarios) manipulating the use of technology across two types of courses and across two types of instructors (i.e., male and female instructors). Multivariate analyses revealed a two-way interaction effect of technology use by student sex on perceptions of instructor credibility. Follow-up procedures revealed both a curvilinear and a linear effect for technology use on students’ perceptions of instructor competence. In terms of instructor trustworthiness, however, only a curvilinear effect emerged. Finally, the results suggested that technology use has both a curvilinear and a linear effect on perceptions of perceived caring, though the linear effect size was marginal at best. Among the most important implications of this research is the fact that technology use produced the strongest effect size for the perceived caring dimension of instructor credibility.     

Swearing by Peers in the Work Setting: Expectancy Violation Valence,Perceptions of Message,and Perceptions of Speaker

Swearing is a frequent language form in a number of contexts, including the work setting. This investigation extends research on expectancy violations theory as an explanation for how people perceive swearing by examining violation valence. Study 1 concludes that violation valence is positively related to perceptions of message appropriateness and effectiveness and to perceptions of the speaker. Study 2 replicates these findings using a national sample. These results provide support for the role of expectancy violations in swearing and show that swearing is not always perceived as negative in work settings.     

基于电子商务环境下的中小企业核心竞争力构建探究

电子商务的出现为中小企业提供了快捷廉价的信息和服务,扩宽了中小企业的发展空间,为中小企业核心竞争力的提高创造了条件。本文分析了中小企业核心竞争力的现状,提出了我国中小企业在当前电子商务背景下存在的问题,并提出从开发核心技术、建立规范的企业制度、制定企业的战略目标以及创建企业特色的企业文化四个方面采取措施来提高核心竞争力。     

论老年教育的本质——基于世界图景演变视角的分析

老年教育是现代社会老龄化的产物,也是当代终身教育关注的重要领域。当前在技术理性的支配下,老年人被视为社会秩序中的弱势群体,老年教育被当作构建和谐社会的有效手段。这种对老年教育本质的理解过于机械和偏狭。若从世界图景演变的宏大视角进行分析,则可发现:古典世界图景注重人的智慧与经验,强调"美德即知识";而现代机械论世界图景则把人的价值体现为力量的强与弱,强调"知识即力量"。后者对事实与价值二分的立场,不仅颠倒了物质与精神互为因果的重要关系,还导致了老年教育与老龄化社会的深度捆绑。唯有让老年教育从崇尚力量的理性框架中跳将出来,还原到人作为生命体本身的立场,方可使其回归"育人"的本质。同时,让经历完整生命历程的老人通过其道德实践与经验智慧来弥补青年人在认知层面的不足,亦能彰显老年教育的育人、善人及惠人之价值。未来应加快推进老年教育的立法进程,围绕教育对人产生生命价值的核心角度对老年教育课程及教学进行系统的制度设计,并逐步完善老年教育在终身教育体系中的制度建构,由此促进老年教育的深度优化发展。     

基于核心竞争力分析的院士著作馆发展战略研究

院士著作馆是一家特色鲜明的小型图书馆,它的核心竞争力在于极具特色的品牌资源、信息资源、关系资源、技术资源、人力资源以及在这些资源基础上所形成的特色服务能力。针对自身的核心竞争力,院士著作馆在今后的发展中应注重品牌战略、数字化战略以及资源共享战略的规划。     

Raising the profile of career guidance: educational and vocational guidance practitioner

In 2007 the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG) launched the Educational and Vocational Guidance Practitioner credential (EVGP) as one means of formally acknowledging the knowledge, skills, and personal attributes that practitioners need in order to provide quality career development services to clients. This paper describes the foundational background to this initiative and some of the implications for training career practitioners and delivering career services.     

开发利用阅读课文本资源，以读促写

高校英语专业写作课时数有限,教学方法滞后,难以完成高效培养学生写作能力的要求,而阅读课中大量精选的优秀文章得不到充分利用,这是一种资源的浪费。语言教学的最终目的是培养交际能力。若能在现有的课程设置基础上充分利用阅读课文本资源,将读写巧妙结合,可避免费时低效,使二者互惠双赢。     

浅谈钢琴伴奏教师在舞蹈课堂教学中应具备的专业素养

钢琴伴奏是舞蹈教学中重要的组成部分,它不仅与舞蹈教学有着密切的关系,还在舞蹈教学的各个阶段起着及其重要的作用。因此,钢琴伴奏教师既要掌握相应的演奏手法和伴奏技能,还要认真去理解音乐和舞蹈教学的特点,掌握音乐和舞蹈教学相互关系的规律,努力提高钢琴教师的专业素养。