A Mixed Methods Content Analysis of the Research Literature in Science Education

In recent years, more and more researchers in science education have been turning to the practice of combining qualitative and quantitative methods in the same study. This approach of using mixed methods creates possibilities to study the various issues that science educators encounter in more depth. In this content analysis, I evaluated 18 studies from science education journals as they relate to the definition, design, and overall practice of using mixed methods. I scrutinized a purposeful sample, derived from 3 journals (the International Journal of Science Education, the Journal of Research in Science Teaching, and the Research in Science Education) in terms of the type of data collected, timing, priority, design, the mixing of the 2 data strands in the studies, and the justifications authors provide for using mixed methods. Furthermore, the articles were evaluated in terms of how well they met contemporary definitions for mixed methods research. The studies varied considerably in the use and understanding of mixed methods. A systematic evaluation of the employment of mixed methods methodology was used to identify the studies that best reflected contemporary definitions. A comparison to earlier content analyses of mixed methods research indicates that researchers' knowledge of mixed methods methodology may be increasing. The use of this strategy in science education research calls, however, for an improved methodology, especially concerning the practice of mixing. Suggestions are given on how to best use this approach.     

Development and Application of a Three‐Tier Diagnostic Test to Assess Secondary Students’ Understanding of Waves

This study focused on the development and application of a three‐tier multiple‐choice diagnostic test (or three‐tier test) on the nature and propagation of waves. A question in a three‐tier test comprises the content tier, which measures content knowledge; the reason tier, which measures explanatory knowledge; and the confidence tier, which measures the strength of conceptual understanding of the respondents. This paper presents results based on the responses of 243 Grade 10 students after they were formally instructed on the topic. The vast majority of the respondents showed an inadequate grasp of concepts about waves. Eleven alternative conceptions (ACs), which were expressed with confidence by more than 10% of the students, were identified; four of these ACs were expressed with high confidence.     

Reflecting Caring and Power in Early Childhood Education: Recalling Memories of Educational Practices

This paper examines university social science and education students' views of research methodology, especially asking whether a negative research orientation towards quantitative methods exists. Finnish (n?=?196) and US (n?=?122) students answered a questionnaire concerning their views on quantitative, qualitative, empirical, and theoretical methods, their readiness to use quantitative and qualitative methods in their own research, and the difficulties they experienced in quantitative methods' learning. Students were clustered in groups according to their views. Students had varying combinations of views on the methods, that is different research orientations towards methods were found in both countries. Some of the students had a dichotic attitude towards quantitative and qualitative methods; they seemed to “choose their side” between these methods. In both countries a negative research orientation towards quantitative methods was found. It was connected with either difficulties in quantitative methods' learning or with a lower appreciation of empirical methods than that of other students. Major subject and study year had no effect, so the views were not discipline‐specific and students seemed to already have them on entering university. Views were quite stable during the course. A reduction in difficulties experienced with quantitative methods' learning was connected with a lowered over‐appreciation of qualitative methods at the end of the course.     

Meta-Analysis of Meta-Analyses in Communication: Comparing Fixed Effects and Random Effects Analysis Models

Thirty-nine meta-analyses obtained from the past 10 years of communication research (1997–2007) were reanalyzed using fixed effects (FE), random effects (RE), and Hunter and Schmidt (HS) meta-analytic methods. The majority of studies (62%) reported use of the HS model in the original analysis. Differences identified between models include (a) greater propensity for Type 1 error under the FE approach, (b) episodes of inflated effect size (ES) under the RE approach, and (c) high levels of heterogeneity in population ESs across studies. Recommendations are made for scholars to appropriately choose and implement meta-analytic models in future research.     

高校教师人性化管理的途径和方法

教师人性化管理将成为高校管理工作的核心和发展方向,合适的途径和科学的方法是实现高校教师人性化管理的关键。强化"以人为本"的管理理念,探索切实可行的教师人性化管理的途径和方法,增强教师的凝聚力和战斗力,不断增强高校的向心力和凝聚力,是现代高校管理的必然选择。     

高职物理实验之应用型教学方式新探

在分析了我国高职物理实验教学弊端的基础上,结合实践,针对高职学生的特点,提出应用型能力培养方法的新思路,对于培养创新型人才具有重要意义。     

保护私有信息的统计量化规则挖掘

统计量化规则（SQ rule）在数据挖掘中拥有重要和有用的地位。尽管集中式挖掘SQ规则的算法已经存在,但是集中式算法不能简单应用到分布式环境中,尤其涉及到分布式环境中各方的私有信息保护的时候。考虑数据分布共享的多方,在不泄漏各自的私有信息的情况下,合作完成SQ规则的挖掘问题。该问题属于保护私有信息的数据挖掘（PPDM）研究领域的问题。基于3个PPDM的基本工具,包括安全求和、安全求平均和安全求频繁项集的集合等,提交2个算法,共同完成水平划分数据下的保护私有信息的SQ规则挖掘。其中,一个算法安全计算置信区间,该区间用来检验规则的重要性;另一个算法安全挖掘规则。最后,给出算法的正确性、安全性和复杂性分析。     

畜禽QTL及其检测方法和策略

讨论了畜禽数量性状座位的概念、检测数量性状座位的两种方法：候选基因法和基因组扫描法,以及两种方法的优缺点,并对离ＱＴＬ的检测进展和前景作了综述。     

中小型高校图书馆自建数据库的一点思考

本文分析了高校用户的需求特点及综合性数据库存在的不足,指出中小型图书馆应自建专题特色数据库,提供特色服务,以特色求生存、求发展。对专题数据库建设的策略、方法及利用加以探讨。