A Collective Self-Study to Improve Program Coherence of Clinical Experiences

Student feedback collected through program evaluation of secondary education licensure and Master’s program clinical experiences prompted us to conduct a collective self-study. We used a reflective framework for analysis and discussion of the shifts students in our courses made as they progressed from observers to practicing teachers. Along with our graduate students, we collected and shared data and analysis from two courses – an introductory mathematics course for pre-service teachers and a capstone self-study teacher research course for in-service teachers. Data included students’ reflective accounts of their clinical experiences, dialogue with peers in response memos and focus groups, and our meta-conversation about and interpretations of data captured in meeting notes, audio recordings of meetings, email exchanges, and video conferencing over a two-month period. Analysis resulted in reframed thinking about our teaching and implications for program coherence, including provision of meaningful participant observations in diverse settings, design of dialogic platforms for students to make connections, and support of a critical level of reflection to inform teacher professional practice. The results are informative to teacher educators and programs seeking to better understand their roles in designing dialogic spaces for students to think deeply about the connections of their courses to clinical experiences and in supporting ongoing teacher professional development. The study highlights the benefits of faculty collective self-studies and contributes to the literature on self-study for program development.     

高等教育大众化:日本的经验与教训

日本高等教育大众化的实现具有与欧美各国不同的路径,即以大力发展对社会需求具有“敏感性”的私立高等教育来达成的,但也因此遇到高等教育质量的下降及爆发全国性的大学学潮等问题。为了摆脱高等教育面临的“危机”,构建适应大众阶段的、新的大学和高等教育系统,日本政府(文部省)进行了一系列的政策性探索,其中最具代表性的是中央教育审议会于1971年提交的咨询报告所阐述的关于高等教育的13项改革构想及其实施。日本高等教育大众化所遇到的诸多问题,在许多方面与现在正处于急速发展的大众化过程的中国具有共通性,其为解决问题而出台的诸政策对中国来说,也具有一定的借鉴意义。     

Listening to Mothers II: Report of the Second National U.S. Survey of Women's Childbearing Experiences: Conducted January–February 2006 for Childbirth Connection by Harris Interactive? in partnership with Lamaze International*

With permission from Childbirth Connection, the “Executive Summary” for the Listening to Mothers II survey is reprinted, here. The landmark Listening to Mothers I report, published in 2002, described the first national U.S. survey of women''s maternity experiences. It offered an unprecedented opportunity to understand attitudes, feelings, knowledge, use of obstetric practices, outcomes, and other dimensions of the maternity experience. Listening to Mothers II, a national survey of U.S. women who gave birth in 2005 that was published in 2006, continues to break new ground. Although continuing to document many core items measured in the first survey, the second survey includes much new content, exploring earlier topics in greater depth, as well as some new and timely topics.     

国外高校外语课程改革的经验及启示

本文从语言教育政策、外语课程指导框架、外语教学策略、现代科学技术、教师教育和评估体系六方面,阐述了国外外语课程改革的成功经验,希望高校外语教师通过跨文化比较,不断拓宽外语课程改革的研究视野。     

Adverse childhood experiences,health perception,and the role of shared familial factors in adult twins

To examine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and health perception in adulthood, and to explore the contribution of shared familial factors to these associations. Data were collected from 180 female twins (90 pairs) from the community-based University of Washington Twin Registry. Participants completed questionnaires including the modified ACE Questionnaire, Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire, McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form, and the SF-36. Mixed effects linear regression modeling investigated the effects of ACE on indices of health perception controlling for correlated twin data. Additional models examined the associations while controlling for the experience of physical and/or sexual abuse in childhood; within-twin pair models that inherently adjust for familial factors explored shared familial influences. After controlling for relevant demographic variables, more ACE was associated with worse perceptions of general health (p = .01) and vitality (p = .05) on the SF-36. After controlling for childhood physical and/or sexual abuse, the relationship between ACE and general health remained significant (p = .01) while vitality was no longer significant. None of the associations remained significant after accounting for the influence of familial factors. These results support previous findings on the negative link between ACE and perceived health in adulthood. The detrimental effects of ACE on vitality may be accounted for by the experience of childhood physical and/or sexual abuse. Shared familial factors might play a partial role in the relationship between ACE and health perception. Future research should further investigate the genetic and environmental mechanisms that may explain this relationship.     

Underlying Consumer-Valuing Structures of Baby Boomers as Older Adults in Community Colleges: A Grounded Theory

The purpose of this study was to present a grounded theory that fills in gaps in the higher education literature on the concept of educational consumer value and perceptions that support consumer value. Specifically, this study focuses on the learning experiences of Baby Boomers (40–60 year old adults) as older adult students attending community colleges. This study examines value as a factor in the consumer behavior of these students. An understanding of Baby Boomer consumer behavior, the processes which drive this behavior, and the aging Baby Boomers' potential as continuously returning learners, could help develop programs and marketing plans for community colleges interested in attracting and retaining the Baby Boomer market.     

Can we meet their expectations? Experiences and perceptions of feedback in first year undergraduate students

Student ratings of satisfaction with feedback are consistently lower than other teaching and learning elements within the UK higher education sector. However, reasons for this dissatisfaction are often unclear to teaching staff, who believe their students are receiving timely, extensive and informative feedback. This study explores possible explanations for this mismatch between staff and students’ perceptions of feedback quality. One hundred and sixty-six first year undergraduate students completed a questionnaire detailing their experiences of feedback on coursework before and throughout their first year at university. Results indicate that whilst procedural elements of feedback (timeliness and legibility) are considered satisfactory, past experiences (pre-university) may influence student expectations of feedback. Some students had a severe, negative emotional response to the feedback provided and few students engaged in self-help (independent learning) behaviours to improve their performance following feedback. We consider how changes in feedback practices could improve students’ use of, and satisfaction with, their feedback.     

The Relationship between Students' Connections to Out‐of‐School Experiences and Factors Associated with Science Learning

This study examined the relationship between students' out‐of‐school experiences and various factors associated with science learning. Participants were 1,014 students from two urban high schools (secondary schools). They completed a survey questionnaire and science assessment describing their science learning experiences across contexts and science understanding. Using multilevel statistical modelling, accounting for the multilevel structure of the data with students (Level 1) assigned to teachers (Level 2), the results indicated that controlling for student and classroom factors, students' ability to make connections between in‐school and out‐of‐school science experiences was associated with positive learning outcomes such as achievement, interest in science, careers in science, self‐efficacy, perseverance, and effort in learning science. Teacher practice connecting to students' out‐of‐school experiences was negatively associated with student achievement but has no association with other outcome measures. The mixed results found in this study alert us to issues and opportunities concerning the integration of students' out‐of‐school experiences to classroom instruction, and ultimately improving our understanding of science learning across contexts.     

The teacher–state relationship in China: an exploration of homeroom teachers’ experiences

With the relaxation of the system of command in China’s public schooling sector and the decline of ideological coercion in the post-Mao era, the Chinese state has reshaped its control over individual teachers. Much effort has been made to analyse the state’s influence on teachers’ academic activities at school, but little attention has been paid to the teacher–state relationship in another facet of teachers’ work, namely the socialisation of students. This article examines Chinese teachers’ perceptions of their relationship with the state through an analysis of homeroom teachers’ perspectives. Using a multi-method approach, this study reveals the teacher–state relationship through three key themes: teacher-profession–state, teacher–school–state, and teacher–market–state. The findings indicate that the post-Mao regime seeks to monitor and control homeroom teachers using indirect, subtle methods, and that teachers have a complicated understanding of the state’s articulation of their role and status.