A teacher-report measure of children's task-avoidant behavior: A validation study of the Behavioral Strategy Rating Scale

This study aims to validate a teacher-report measure of children's task-avoidant behavior, namely the Behavioral Strategy Rating Scale (BSRS), in a sample of 352 Finnish children. In each of the four waves from Kindergarten to Grade 2, teachers rated children's task-avoidant behavior using the BSRS, children completed reading and mathematics tests, and trained testers rated children's task-avoidant and social-dependent behavior after the test situation. Mothers also rated children's task-avoidant behavior in the last two waves. The results showed that a two-factor model including one factor representing task avoidance and one method factor accounting for wording effects among the negatively phrased items fitted the data best. The scale demonstrated strict measurement invariance across all four waves and satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. Teacher-reported task avoidance was negatively associated with performance in reading and mathematics. The results suggest that the BSRS is a reliable, valid, and developmentally suitable instrument.     

高职艺术设计专业基础课改革的探讨

在艺术设计教学中,存在着专业基础课与专业设计课脱节、重技能轻创意等问题。这种情况,已明显不符合整个设计教学和时代的要求。面对当前设计专业知识更新之快,要培养与时俱进的设计师,就必须改革专业基础课教学,重视学生创新思维的开发。     

Emerging Educational Institutional Decision-Making Matrix

The ＂emerging educational institutional decision-making matrix＂ is developed to allow educational institutions to adopt a rigorous and consistent methodology of determining which of the myriad of emerging educational technologies will be the most compelling for the institution, particularly ensuring that it is the educational or pedagogical but not the technological imperative that drives the technology integration agenda. The matrix is designed to be used after some initial research into an emerging technology. Once a technology is put through the matrix, a member of options are available： （1） shelving the technology; （2） putting the technology on hold and maintaining a watching brief until the technology matures in the market; and （3） researching the product further by conducting a trial or placing in testing sandpit. After further research, the technology can be tested as a pilot to determine how well or otherwise, the technology works within the institution. If an emerging technology has more than one product associated with it, a second and third step in the matrix has been developed, and the second step assigns a rating to each of the categories within the matrix. With many products containing similar features, a third step has been developed to compare products on a feature level.     

美国专业科学硕士教育质量保障体系初探

介绍美国专业科学硕士的大致情况以及与之相关的质量保障组织。分入学前、培养中和毕业后三个阶段,并结合各个阶段的相关教育要素,对其专业科学硕士教育质量保障体系进行探究,以期为我国专业学位教育的发展提供借鉴。     

盲生刻板行为研究综述

盲生刻板行为在某种程度上具有不良影响,一些行为不仅对于自身身体有一定伤害,而且对于其融入主流社会造成了一定阻碍.尤其在先天盲生及多重残疾盲生中,刻板行为的发生率更高.因此,盲生家长和教师必须重视这些行为.本文通过文献研究,从盲生刻板行为的概念界定、出现率、产生原因、不良影响、评估和干预等几个方面,对盲生刻板行为的相关研究进行了概述.     

复合·加强·优化——地方本科院校人才培养的有效途径探索

文章围绕地方本科院校的人才培养定位,提出实现应用型人才培养目标的三条措施：构建学生复合型知识结构;加强实验教学和社会实践以培养学生的实践应用能力;优化课程教学评价以考核学生综合素质。     

高职园林工程技术专业“园林树木学’’课程改革初探

为适应城市建设和房地产行业的迅猛发展,作为园林工程技术专业（园林规划设计方向）的核心课程《园林树木学》的课程教学必须进行迅速而深刻的改革,应结合国内园林专业学生就业形势以及高职教育的本身特点,改革教学内容、更新教学方法,建立适应市场需要的人才培养新模式,采用多元化考核评定方式,以培养有人才市场、有竞争优势、服务于园林建设行业的专业人才。     

Classroom action research on formative assessment in a context-based chemistry course

Context-based science courses stimulate students to reconstruct the information presented by connecting to their prior knowledge and experiences. However, students need support. Formative assessments inform both teacher and students about students’ knowledge deficiencies and misconceptions and how students can be supported. Research on formative assessments suggests a positive impact on students’ science achievement, although its success depends on how the formative assessment is implemented in class. The aim of this study was to provide insights into the effects of formative assessments on achievement during a context-based chemistry course on lactic acid. In a classroom action research setting, a pre-test/post-test control group design with switching replications was applied. Student achievement was measured in two pre-tests, two post-tests and a retention test. Participants were Grade 9 students from one secondary school in the Netherlands. Repeated-measures analysis showed a significant effect of formative assessments on students’ achievement. During the implementation of the formative assessments, intriguing discussions emerged between students, between students and teacher, and between teachers. Adding formative assessments to context-based approaches reinforces their strength to meet with the current challenges of chemistry education. Formative assessments affect students’ achievement positively and stimulate feedback between students and teacher(s).     

Undergraduates and the development of argument

This article emphasizes the need to encourage undergraduate students to develop arguments, which involves enhancing their analytical skills and capacity for critical thinking, across disciplines regardless of level. It argues that these skills, required by the Quality Assurance Agency＇s （QAA） benchmarks, are developed not by instruction but by engaging with the philosophic process that leads to the deep learning. This process of learning is based on a dialectical approach, viewing dialogue with colleagues, primary texts and written assignments, as central to developing an inductive argument and a critical perspective. This article proposes an analytical framework to analyze the extent to which a tutor is facilitating the development of argument. It suggests that while, if required one must provide students with explicit guidelines about this process, nevertheless this practice is problematic because of the inherent tension between explicit teaching and deep learning, which facilitates the acquisition of these analytical skills.     

美国教师教育评估及对我国的借鉴和启示

20世纪80年代以来，教师教育的质量问题逐渐受到美国教育界的关注。美国的教师教育评估主要从两个方面进行：即教师教育机构认证和对教师教育毕业生的追踪评价。通过对美国教师教育评估的相关问题进行梳理，以期引起我国对教师教育质量的重视并对其提供借鉴．以引导教育界关注教师教育改革的效果并进行教师教育质量评估。