Teacher change beliefs: validating a scale with structural equation modelling

The objectives of the study were to validate a substantiated Teacher Change Beliefs Model (TCBM) and an instrument to identify critical components of teacher change beliefs (TCB) in Malaysian secondary schools. Five different pilot test approaches were applied to ensure the validity and reliability of the instrument. A total of 936 teachers from 47 high-performing secondary schools completed the survey. Structural equation modelling was applied to test the models. Exploratory factor analysis was employed to identify the underlying factors, whereas confirmatory factor analysis was applied to test the measurement models. The analysis yielded a three-factor TCBM: (1) discrepancy, (2) efficacy and (3) principal support. The results demonstrated a good fit of the model: normed χ² = 3.156, Tucker-Lewis Fix Index = .987, Comparative Fix Index = .991 and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = .048. The results also provided evidence for convergent validity, discriminant validity and construct reliability. The TCBM is an empirically tested model derived in a local Malaysian cultural education setting. It provides direction for practitioners in planning and designing training programmes of change management for school principals in the enhancement of TCB among teachers in schools. Besides, Teacher Change Beliefs Scale is a promising and welcome tool for both practitioners and researchers. With only nine items, it is easy to administer and not time-consuming.     

Longitudinal analysis of the environmental attitudes of university students

This article addresses the important questions that higher education institutions ask concerning their impact on their students’ sustainability-related attributes ‘How do our students’ worldviews change as they experience higher education with us?’ The process of monitoring such a dynamic entity is fraught with statistical complexity but may not be impossible for an institution willing to ask whether or not its educational efforts in ‘education for sustainability’, ‘education for sustainable development’ or ‘environmental education’, and campus sustainability developments, are paralleled by changes in the attitudes of its students. We describe here a longitudinal survey process based on the revised New Ecological Paradigm scale, with two cohorts of students, in three programmes of study, operating over four years, with multiple survey inputs by each student. We implemented the longitudinal analysis using a linear mixed-effects model and describe here the development and testing of this model. We conclude that higher education institutions can benchmark the sustainability attributes of their students and monitor changes, if they are minded to. We invite higher education practitioners worldwide to join us in further developing suitable research instruments, processes and statistical models, and in further analysing the assumptions that link higher education to sustainability and to global citizenship.     

Mathematical language and mathematical abilities in preschool: A systematic literature review

It is well established that early general language during preschool is critical for children's mathematical abilities. In an attempt to further characterize this association between language and mathematics, an increasing number of studies show that one specific type of language, namely mathematical language or the key linguistic concepts that are required for performing mathematical activities, is even more critical to children's mathematical abilities. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the evidence on mathematical language and mathematical abilities. We focus on preschool children as nearly all of the existing work has been done at this age. We first explain how mathematical language has been defined across studies, and report how it has been evaluated in studies in preschool. Next, we present the results of our systematic review. Following the PRISMA guidelines and after a critical appraisal, we ended with a set of 18 papers that were all of sufficient methodological quality. In these studies, mathematical language was defined as terms that are about numbers and operations on numbers (e.g., nine), but also included linguistic terms that do not directly refer to numbers, yet are important to understand mathematical concepts (i.e., quantitative and spatial terms such as fewest and middle, respectively). Some of these studies evaluated children's performance on mathematical language tasks, while others evaluated the mathematical language input provided to the child by their (educational) environment (teachers/parents/interventionists). Mathematical language correlated positively with children's mathematical abilities, concurrently and longitudinally. It also directly affected children's mathematical abilities, as was shown by intervention studies. We discuss potential directions for future research and highlight implications for education, arguing for more support for teachers and parents to improve the use of mathematical language in the classroom and in home settings.     

基于山东省高等学校在线开放课程的教学改革--以“概率论与数理统计”课程为例

基于信息技术在教育领域的飞速提升,在线课程融入课堂势在必行。混合式教学是目前高等教育教学改革的热点。山东中医药大学教学改革团队依据培养应用型人才的毕业要求,对“概率论与数理统计”课程进行了混合式教学改革。“概率论与数理统计”课程知识点多且内容抽象,课堂容量较大,从而导致传统课堂重知识技能的传授,难以展开知识的应用,这进一步导致学生学习兴趣不高。另外,课程思政元素的融入也是一个亟待解决的问题。首先将知识点拆分,重构知识框架,建成山东省高等学校在线开放课程“医药数理统计”,在此基础上将智慧树平台翻转教学互动工具用于课堂教学,改革成果初见成效。     

独立学院数学建模培训模式的探索与改革

随着独立学院的蓬勃发展,独立学院报名参加数学建模竞赛的队伍越来越多,但很多学院的成绩不理想。本文从数学建模的培训模式这方面出发,根据近几年的实践,总结了教改的经验,提出了一套有效的培训模式。     

数学分析教学中的若干意见

时高师数学分析的教学进行了探讨和研究，有针对性的提出了数学分析教学中应贯彻的六个“注重”：即注重引导学生主动建构数学分析知识结构；注重“良好的开始等于成功的一半”，讲好ε-语言；注重数学活动过程的教学；注重教学思想方法的教学，贯彻理论性与应用性相结合的原则；注重体系的内在统一，打破理论本身的封闭性和知识结构的单一性；注重发挥习题课的作用，上好习题课。     

Learning strategies and reading literacy among Chinese and Finnish adolescents: evidence of suppression

Many arguments have been advanced in the context of the predictive correlation between learning strategies and reading achievement. There is insufficient understanding, however, of the subtle ways in which different types of learning strategies (i.e. memorisation, elaboration and control strategies) function in facilitating students’ reading achievement. A post hoc analysis was performed to examine this issue among Chinese and Finnish adolescents who participated in the PISA 2009 reading programme. A multigroup structural equation modelling found the suppression pattern among the three strategies: control strategy is positively related to reading literacy and this association increases substantially once memorisation and elaboration strategies are accounted for. There is evidence that Chinese adolescents outperformed their Finnish counterparts due to larger suppression effect from elaboration. Implications for models of learning strategies and intervention are discussed.     

Examining the moderating effect of individual-level cultural values on users’ acceptance of E-learning in developing countries: a structural equation modeling of an extended technology acceptance model

In this study, we examine the effects of individual-level culture on the adoption and acceptance of e-learning tools by students in Lebanon using a theoretical framework based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). To overcome possible limitations of using TAM in developing countries, we extend TAM to include subjective norms (SN) and quality of work life constructs as additional constructs and a number of cultural variables as moderators. The four cultural dimensions of masculinity/femininity (MF), individualism/collectivism, power distance and uncertainty avoidance were measured at the individual level to enable them to be integrated into the extended TAM as moderators and a research model was developed based on previous literature. To test the hypothesised model, data were collected from 569 undergraduate and postgraduate students using e-learning tools in Lebanon via questionnaire. The collected data were analysed using the structural equation modelling technique in conjunction with multi-group analysis. As hypothesised, the results of the study revealed perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), SN and quality of work life to be significant determinants of students’ behavioural intention (BI) towards e-learning. The empirical results also demonstrated that the relationship between SN and BI was particularly sensitive to differences in individual-cultural values, with significant moderating effects observed for all four of the cultural dimensions studied. Some moderating effects of culture were also found for both PU and PEOU, however, contrary to expectations the effect of quality of work life was not found to be moderated by MF as some previous authors have predicted. The implications of these results to both theory and practice are explored in the paper.     

Socially shared metacognition of dyads of pupils in collaborative mathematical problem-solving processes

This study investigated how metacognition appears as a socially shared phenomenon within collaborative mathematical word-problem solving processes of dyads of high-achieving pupils. Four dyads solved problems of different difficulty levels. The pupils were 10 years old. The problem-solving activities were videotaped and transcribed in terms of verbal and nonverbal behaviours as well as of turns taken in communication (N = 14 675). Episodes of socially shared metacognition were identified and their function and focus analysed. There were significantly more and longer episodes of socially shared metacognition in difficult as compared to moderately difficult and easy problems. Their function was to facilitate or inhibit activities and their focus was on the situation model of the problem or on mathematical operations. Metacognitive experiences were found to trigger socially shared metacognition.     

影响山区少数民族学生数学问题提出能力的因素分析——以广西贺州市土瑶族群为例

调查研究发现山区少数民族学生的居住环境、家庭环境、传统教育环境、学校环境、教师素质、学生的兴趣、语言以及个性心理等因素直接影响着数学问题提出能力的提高。