Access,attitudes and the digital divide: children’s attitudes towards computers in a technology‐rich environment

Given that children in Germany with a lower socio‐economic status (SES) are over‐represented at general secondary schools, the present study aimed to examine the impact of children’s SES on attitudes towards computers. The results suggest that compared to average SES students, children from deprived socio‐economic backgrounds perceive the computer as important but remain generally more cautious towards computers, despite being exposed to a “technologically rich environment”, where computer‐based instruction is part of the curriculum and ensures frequent access to high quality ICT devices. The findings add further support to the notion that the mere provision of ICT access is not sufficient to close the digital divide. Rather, the extent of support that low SES children receive from their social network and prevailing stereotypes with respect to ICT proficiency, seem to be salient variables which require further investigation.

Zugang, Einstellungen und die digitale Kluft: die Einstellungen von Kindern zu Computern in einer technologie‐geprägten Umgebung

In Anbetracht dessen, dass Kinder in Deutschland mit einem niedrigeren sozioökonomischen Status (SES) bei allgemeinen Höheren Schulen überrepräsentiert sind, hatte die vorliegende Studie zum Ziel, den Einfluss des SES von Kindern auf Einstellungen zu Computern zu untersuchen. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass im Vergleich zu SES‐durchschnittlichen Studenten Kinder mit sozial benachteiligten sozioökonomischen Hintergründen den Computer als wichtig wahrnehmen, aber allgemein zurückhaltender gegenüber Computern bleiben. Trotzdem wurden sie einer “technologisch reichen Umgebung” ausgesetzt, wo Computer Instruktion stützte, ein Teil des Lehrplans ist und häufigen Zugang zu ICT Geräten hoher Qualität sicherte. Die Ergebnisse der Studie legen nahe, dass die bloße Bestimmung des ICT‐Zugangs nicht ausreichend ist, um auf eine digitale Kluft zu schließen. Eher scheinen sie das Ausmaß der Unterstützung, dass als niedrig‐SES bewertete Kinder von ihrem sozialen Netz und vorherrschenden Stereotypien in Bezug auf ICT Kenntnisse erhalten, wichtige Variablen zu sein, die weitere Untersuchungen erfordern.

Accès, attitudes et fossé numérique: les attitudes des enfants par rapport aux ordinateurs dans un environnement riche en technologie

Etant donné qu’en Allemagne les enfants venant d’un niveau socio‐économique plus bas (NSE) sont sur‐représentés dans les écoles secondaires générales,la présente étude avait pour objet d’étudier l’impact du niveau socio économique des enfants sur leur attitude par rapport aux ordinateurs. Les résultats permettent de penser que, si on les compare aux élèves NSE moyens, les enfants venant de milieux socio économiques défavorisés, perçoivent l’importance de l’ordinateur mais restent généralement plus prudents vis‐à‐vis de l’informatique bien qu’ils aient été exposés à «un environnement riche en technologie» o[ugrave] l’enseignement fondé sur l’ordinateur fait partie du cursus et assure un accès fréquent à des systèmes TIC de grande qualité. Ces résultats renforcent également la notion selon laquelle le seul fait de fournir un accès TIC ne suffit pas à lui seul pour combler la fracture numérique. A la vérité, l’ampleur du soutien que les enfants de milieux socio économiques défavorisés reçoivent de leur réseau social et les stéréotypes en vigueur par rapport aux compétences informatiques, semblent constituer des variables frappantes qui nécessitent des études plus approfondies.

Acceso, actitudes y la brecha digital: algunas actitudes de los niños acerca de los ordenadores en entornos ricos en tecnologías

Considerando que en Alemania los niños procedentes de niveles socio económicos (NSE) bajos están sobrerepresentados en en las escuelas secundarias generales, el objetivo del presente estudio era de examinar el impacto del nivel socioeconómico de esos niños sobre sus actitudes acerca de los ordenadores. Los resultados nos llevan a pensar que en comparación con el promedio de los alumnos NSE, los niños procedentes de familias desfavorecidas perciben indudablemente el ordenador como una cosa importante pero generalmente permanecen más cautelosos acerca de los ordenadores aunque están expuestos a entornos ricos en tecnologías en los cuales la enseñanza basada en los ordenadores forma parte del curriculo y garantiza un acceso frecuente a aparatos informáticos de alta calidad. Esos resultados demuestran con más fuerza que la mera provisión de un acceso a las TICs no es suficiente para compensar la brecha digital. Al contrario el grado de apoyo que los niños de NSE bajo reciben de su red social así como los estereotipos comunes acerca de la competencia informática, parecen constituír variables destacadas que necesitan investigaciones minuciosas.     

高校本科专业状态监测评价模式研究

高校内部专业评估是保证教育教学质量的一种有效手段。专业评估要素可以分为“硬实力”和“软实力”两大类。通过构建“本科专业状态监测评价”体系,能够实现专业状态监测、水平评价和导向激励三项评估功能。     

试论“民”在孟子仁政学说中的地位

孟子主张实行“仁政”,并要求统治者给予“民”以政治、经济、文化教育等方面的有限权利,这种以“民为贵”思想是否意味着孟子将“民”的地位置于君主之上呢？通过分析孟子“仁政”主张的具体措施及其终极目的发现,“民”只是在国家中具有基础性地位,而并非在国家政治权利结构中居于主体性地位.     

Fourth Graders' Social Standing with Peers: A Prospective Study on the Role of First Grade Physical Activity,Weight Status,and Motor Proficiency

We prospectively examined the role of physical activity involvement, weight status, and motor functioning capability in 1^st grade for social status among other pupils in class in the 4^th grade. Our sample included 80 Norwegian 1^st grade pupils (Girls N = 44; Boys N = 36). 1^st grade motor proficiency and objectively measured physical activity, but not weight status was predictive of 4^th grade social standing among pupils in class as measured by socio‐metric status. Interaction findings also revealed that 1^st grade healthy weight children being proficient in the motor domain benefit more in terms of their social standing among peers in 4^th grade than do 1^st grade overweight but equally motor proficient children. Being physically active in the 1^st grade seems more important for social standing among peers in 4^th grade for 1^st grade girls than for boys. Results may inform early intervention efforts in school to enhance pupils' psychosocial development.     

Measurement Invariance of Socioeconomic Status Across Migrational Background

Socioeconomic status (SES) is often used as control variable when relations between academic outcomes and students' migrational background are investigated. When measuring SES, indicators used must have the same meaning across groups. This study aims to examine the measurement invariance of SES, using data from TIMSS, 2003. The study shows that a latent SES variable has the same meaning across sub-populations with Swedish and non-Swedish background. However, the assumption of scalar invariance was rejected, which is essential for estimation of differences in latent means between groups. Comparisons between models assuming different degrees of scalar invariance indicated that models allowing partial scalar invariance should not be used when comparing latent variable means across groups of students with different migrational backgrounds.     

The shaman‐trickster's art of misdirection: The rhetoric of Farrakhan and the million men

A charismatic sleight of hand characterizes many rhetorical transactions in African American culture, an adroit manipulation engendered by a history that crushed open confrontation. The skill of the double voiced utterance was appropriated into a performance art which is practiced even today. The Million Man March exemplified the art of “gittin’ ovuh,” an action that simultaneously undercuts one's enemies‐putting something over on someone‐and provides spiritual uplift‐getting over to the promised land. Such a magical performance works by exploiting the power of rhetoric to show and hide. But this is not the same as an exploitation of sophistic technique, because there is an overlapping of the magic of illusion and the magic of the sacred. For contemporary rhetoric this presents an occasion to regard the ethics of deception and the curious phenomenon of a moral sophistry. Louis Farrakhan, although often viewed (perhaps with reason) as either ambitious claimant to national black leadership, or as a skillful exploiter of prejudices, may also be viewed as a master of the art of gittin ovuh, and his call was an incantation that evoked the prodigious response of the “Million Men.” The demonstration on the Washington Mall in October of 1995 enacted a spiritual magic show that has deep cultural roots.     

‘That great educational experiment’: the City of London Vacation Course in Education 1922–1938: a forgotten story in the history of teacher professional development

Each summer between 1922 and 1938, up to 500 elementary school teachers from across Britain, and some from overseas, joined together in London for a two-week residential vacation course. Organised by Evans’ Brothers Publishers and patronised by leading educationists, politicians and policy-makers, the City of London Vacation Course came to be regarded as an important annual educational institution and a cutting-edge exemplar of teacher professional development. In spite of this apparent fame, it appears to have been entirely overlooked in the history of teacher education. This paper seeks to recover the lost story of the City of London Vacation Course and documents its educational and professional focus and its social and cultural function. Locating it within a wider educational, economic and political climate, the paper also examines how the City of London Vacation Course somehow captured and embodied the promise of an emergent new professionalism for elementary teachers during that period.     

When love hurts: Assessing the intersectionality of ethnicity,socio-economic status,parental connectedness,child abuse,and gender attitudes in juvenile violent delinquency

Researchers have not yet reached agreement about the validity of several competing explanations that seek to explain ethnic differences in juvenile violent offending. Ethnicity cannot solely explain why boys with an ethnic minority background commit more (violent) crimes. By assessing the intersectionality of structural, cultural and individual considerations, both the independent effects as well as the interplay between different factors can be examined. This study shows that aforementioned factors cumulatively play a role in severe violent offending, with parental connectedness and child abuse having the strongest associations. However, since most variables interact and ethnicity is associated with those specific factors, a conclusion to be drawn is that ethnicity may be relevant as an additional variable predicting severe violent offending although indirectly.     

The effects of individual characteristics,socioeconomic status,and political engagement on the attainment of student leadership roles in Chinese university students

This study analyzes the effects of individual characteristics, socioeconomic status, and political engagement among Chinese university students with respect to their attainment of student leadership roles. The study investigated 10,930 students from elite Chinese universities. The results showed that female and only-child students were more likely to become student leaders than male students and students with siblings. Students from local Hukou (household registration) were less likely than students from nonlocal Hukou, to become student leaders. Each upgrade of one level in the membership of the Chinese Communist Party doubled the students’ odds for attaining student leadership roles.     

关怀生命：我国教师生存现状的实证研究

“社会本位论”下的道德存在和知识存在无法完整诠释教师的主体存在,生命存在是教师主体存在的根基。教师体力、脑力、心理等方面的全面和谐发展必须以“以人为本”即教师生命存在作为其逻辑前提。生命教育理应关怀教师生命存在最基本的、最具体的生存条件,而这种生命关照必然要建立在对教师生存现状的实证研究基础之上。