Emotionally Intense Science Activities

Science activities that evoke positive emotional responses make a difference to students’ emotional experience of science. In this study, we explored 8th Grade students’ discrete emotions expressed during science activities in a unit on Energy. Multiple data sources including classroom videos, interviews and emotion diaries completed at the end of each lesson were analysed to identify individual student's emotions. Results from two representative students are presented as case studies. Using a theoretical perspective drawn from theories of emotions founded in sociology, two assertions emerged. First, during the demonstration activity, students experienced the emotions of wonder and surprise; second, during a laboratory activity, students experienced the intense positive emotions of happiness/joy. Characteristics of these activities that contributed to students’ positive experiences are highlighted. The study found that choosing activities that evoked strong positive emotional experiences, focused students’ attention on the phenomenon they were learning, and the activities were recalled positively. Furthermore, such positive experiences may contribute to students’ interest and engagement in science and longer term memorability. Finally, implications for science teachers and pre-service teacher education are suggested.     

A qualitative analysis of the factors determining the quality of relations between a novice physical education teacher and his students’ families: implications for the development of professional identity

The purposes of this study were: (a) to analyze the factors determining the quality of relationships between a novice physical education (PE) teacher and his students’ families and (b) understand the implications of these relationships for his professional identity. The data stemmed from detailed teacher’s diaries written by the participant throughout his first five years of teaching. The data analysis followed several rounds of cyclical inductive-deductive processes in order to identify and classify the patterns related to the aforementioned purposes. The results, presented in two sections, show two distinct sets of factors, which, respectively, had very different implications for the development of the teacher’s professional identity. On the one hand, in the first three years of teaching, there appeared 11 specific ‘struggle factors’ (6 socio-cultural and structural factors and 5 family prejudices toward PE) that threatened the teacher’s initial pedagogical passion and lead to a great deal of hesitation and discouragement on his part; on the other hand, in the fourth and fifth years, due to the teacher’s ongoing commitment and (self-)reflective practice, there emerged eight ‘success factors’ (one from the families and seven from the teacher) that transformed his previous discouragement into hope and self-confidence. Besides the detailed analysis of all these factors and their implications, some additional recommendations for PE teacher education programs and further research are provided.     

The affective lives of doubled-up Latinx youth: Influences of school experiences,familism, and ethnic identity exploration

Doubled-up Latinx youth experience many daily challenges associated with ethnic minority status and residential instability. Doubled-up youth share housing with noncustodial caregivers such as friends and/or extended family members primarily because of economic hardship and a breakdown in available parental support. Using data from baseline and 10 days of twice-a-day surveys, this study examined how in-school positive experiences, familism (i.e., a perspective that gives precedence to the family), and ethnic identity (i.e., affirmation, exploration, and resolution) influence after school positive (e.g., feeling joyful/happy) and negative (e.g., feeling stressed/anxious) affect among doubled-up Latinx youth (70% female; M_age = 16.5). Results indicate that in-school positive experiences were associated with more after school positive affect and less after school negative affect. In addition, youth with higher levels of familism reported experiencing less after school negative affect. However, gender moderated the relation of ethnic identity exploration and experiences of after school positive affect. Specifically, females with higher levels of ethnic identity exploration reported relatively lower levels of after school positive affect compared with males. Overall, study findings highlight the importance of both person-level and varying contextual influences on the affective lives of doubled-up Latinx youth.     

Problem solving in everyday office work—a diary study on differences between experts and novices

Contemporary office work is becoming increasingly challenging as many routine tasks are automated or outsourced. The remaining problem solving activities may also offer potential for lifelong learning in the workplace. In this study, we analyzed problem solving in an office work setting using an Internet-based, semi-standardized diary to collect data close to the process. Thirteen employees in commercial departments of an automotive supplier participated voluntarily; they recorded 64 domain-specific problem cases in total. Typical problems were moderately complex but rather urgent. They were detected by means of monitoring, augmented feedback or feedback from others. The problems detected provoked states of high arousal, including both negative and positive emotions. We found that seeking support from others was the most common approach to problem solving, and that in general problem solving offered considerable learning possibilities. Experts were confronted with more complex problems than novices, they more often solved problems using their domain-specific knowledge, but they also preferred social support. Surprisingly, experts reported higher negative emotional states after having detected a problem than novices. The results, the diary method and the limitations of the study are discussed.     

行动研究:教师科研新方法

本文论述了中小学教师应如何使用行动研究的方法进行科研,并认为行动研究可以加速教育科研“产业化”。行动研究以合作的定性研究为主,实地研究和反思是行动研究的关键,日记是重要的环节。本文以笔者正在研究的一个课题为例对行动研究的方法作了详细的介绍。     

《物理随感集》的指导尝试

为适应素质教育及新课改的要求,结合物理学科特点及学生基础不一、实验器材相对短缺的实际,在物理教学中大胆创新,积极引导学生在课外撰写《物理随感集》,作为课堂教学的补充和延伸,收到了较好的效果。     

Young people’s everyday romance and sexual experiences in relation to sex-related conversations with parents: a diary study in the Netherlands

This study builds on existing research into how young people’s emergent sexual development is connected to parent–child sex-related communication through avoidance vs. disclosure. Over the course of one year, a total of 21 young people (age range 12–17.5) reported in longitudinal qualitative diaries their (1) everyday sexual experiences and (2) sex-related conversations with their parents. Using a mixed-methods approach, findings show that less sexually experienced participants reported greater avoidance of parent–child sex-related conversations than more experienced participants. The sex-related conversations of more experienced participants mainly concerned overt experiences in the form of everyday issues with their romantic partner, while the conversations of less experienced participants were characterised by more covert experiences such as opinions about romantic relationships in general. These results suggest that the degree to which young people feel comfortable talking about sexuality with their parents partly depends on when the conversation takes place during a young person’s romantic and sexual development.     

蒋介石登临鸡公山有关史实考释

蒋介石是与鸡公山文化相关联的重要人物。关于蒋介石与鸡公山的关系由于无人专门进行考证以致长期处于传说层面。根据近年来发现的有关资料可以证实,1938年,蒋介石曾先后两次登临鸡公山。其中第2次到鸡公山,蒋介石在山上待了3天,并且是与夫人宋美龄同行的。蒋介石到鸡公山的目的有三:一是为避暑纳凉;二是为纾解郁闷的心情和紧张的工作压力;三是为静心考虑大局及外交问题。根据《蒋介石日记》及有关资料,所谓蒋介石在鸡公山召开"中原会议"或军事会议之说,应属猜测。     

岳麓书院秦简三年《质日》初探

笔者根据《岳麓书院藏秦简.壹》中《廿七年质日》、《卅四年质日》、《卅五年私质日》,论述其形制、内容、笔误和共同特点,与里耶秦简、周家台秦简等相关记录做了比较。经过总结其共性,结合较有代表性的汉代历谱简册,与里耶秦简、周家台三十号秦墓竹简比对后,就秦汉历谱简册形制、避秦始皇名讳、未注气、非实用历谱等问题做了初步探讨。我们认为,《岳麓书院秦简.壹》三年《质日》既非实用历谱,亦非日记,而是带有历谱格式的官员纪事册。     

Tabloid Journalist as P.O.W.

In 1941 Australian tabloid journalist Dorothy Gordon Jenner was caught up in the Japanese siege of Hong Kong and was incarcerated in the Stanley Internment Camp. During her internment Jenner kept a clandestine record of daily life written in pencil on Bronco brand toilet paper and kept hidden in the heels of her shoes. To date her fragmented diary and notes have defied analysis. This paper provides a reading of Jenner's personal wartime testimonio through the frame of tabloid journalism to expose how the tabloid genre—Jenner's stock-in-trade as a journalist before the war—became the framework for her personal testimony during World War II. By interpreting Jenner's private diary and notes as testimonio journalism this paper exposes the flow of the tabloid vernacular style of journalism between private and public discourses.