From Planning to Implementation: An Examination of Changes in the Research Design,Sample Size,and Precision of Group Randomized Trials Launched by the Institute of Education Sciences

Abstract

This article examines changes in the research design, sample size, and precision between the planning phase and implementation phase of group randomized trials (GRTs) funded by the Institute of Education Sciences. Thirty-eight GRTs funded between 2002 and 2006 were examined. Three studies revealed changes in the experimental design. Ten studies showed decreases in the total number of groups randomized, whereas 18 studies showed increases. In five cases, the decreases in the number of groups randomized were large enough to decrease the precision of the study. However, in the majority of the studies, the precision was relatively unchanged from planning phase to implementation phase. The consistency in the precision between the planning phase and implementation phase highlights the importance of planning adequately powered studies.     

Basic Approaches

Abstract

Communication abilities, conflict management, and delegation are all important to students' success in the work force. Instructors often simulate situations that give students skills in these crucial areas by assigning group projects. It is often difficult for instructors to select individuals who will work successfully together. Common methods for selecting groups, many of which are ineffective, are discussed. A student self-assessment method used by the authors to group students according to their skills is described. The method, used for two years in both sophomore-and senior-level courses, has been proven to prevent intragroup skill imbalances.     

从英语专业毕业论文透视英美文学教学改革——安徽理工大学为例

高校英语专业的英美文学课程教学在英语专业教育中举足轻重,是高校英语专业高年级学生的专业必修课。其意义和作用在于整体上促进学生人文素质的提高,尤其是在英语专业文学方向毕业论文撰写上,英美文学教学起着明显的导向性作用。     

Building collaborative structures for teachers’ autonomy and self-efficacy: the mediating role of participative management and learning culture

This study focused on the collaborative structure-building behavior of school principals and examined how such behavior affects teacher empowerment. More important, it tested the mediating effects of participative management and learning culture. By collecting nested data from 104 schools in Hong Kong and adopting multilevel structural equation modeling, we found that teachers’ sense of autonomy and self-efficacy were correlated at the individual level but were independent at the school level. The effect of building collaborative structures on teachers’ self-efficacy was mediated by both participative management and learning culture, whereas the effect on autonomy was mediated by participative management only. The findings contribute to the literature in at least 2 ways. First, the inclusion of both principal leadership and school-level factors provides more refined predications of teacher empowerment. Second, the testing of the theory-grounded hypotheses in an Asian society verifies the validity of certain cultural assertions about this region.     

语言疑问标示的类型学分析

疑问句的存在是语言的普遍特征之一,但不同语言在标示其疑问句时所采用的具体方式却不尽相同。本文主要着力于一般疑问句之疑问标示的跨语言对比研究,把“人类语言”的一般疑问句标示方式划分为疑问小词法、词缀法、移位法和变调法四类,对语言疑问标示作一类型学分析。     

谈高职学生职业素质的培养

高职教育对于学生日后职业的选择和发展起着至关重要的作用。引导在校学生做好个人职业生涯规划是高职教育的重要课题,高职院校必须加强高职学生职业素质的培养,促进学生发展。高职学生职业素质包括职业技能、职业道德及个人修养等。高职学生在校期间需认清自我,明确个人的职业方向、职业锚、职业兴趣,为最大限度地了解和融入社会做好准备,同时做好个人的职业生涯规划。     

一类具有相互干扰的功能反应捕食系统的捕获分析

研究一类具有相互干扰功能反应的捕食-食饵系统.对正平衡点的局部渐近稳定性和全局稳定进行了详细说明,证明了系统在正平衡点处是全局稳定的,并利用Pontrjagin最大值原理及最优控制理论,得到该系统的最优捕获策略.所得结果改进和推广了相关文献的主要结果.     

常绿-半常绿杨树苗期光合效率的变化规律

对3个常绿杨树无性系光合速率日变化及月变化动态进行了研究,结果表明,4月份及6月份,A-65／27及A-65／31的光合速率日变化均呈现明显的双峰型,分别在早上10时左右及午后14时左右达到两次高峰,第二高峰值低于第一个高峰值,A-61／186的光合速率全天只在早上10时左右呈现一个高峰;9、10、11、及12月份3个无性系在早上达到一个峰值后,光合速率开始下降,一天中再没有回升．3个无性系光合速率月变化均呈现明显的单峰型,7月份光合速率达到一年中的最高值,而后开始下降,12月份时降到一年当中的最低值．     

基于最小二乘优化的高精度参数估计研究

研究了捕食者一被捕食者模型在不同观测误差条件下的非线性微分方程组参数估计问题．首先利用差分方法进行离散化,得到一个超定的线性方程组,进行最小二乘拟合优化;其次,考虑观测资料有误差而时间变量无误差的情况,通过利用周期取平均的方法,从而降低了数据的误差;最后针对时间变量也会有误差情况,对每个观测时刺的数据进行归整处理来降低时间上的观测误差,最后利用最小二乘拟合得到最优的参数值．     

步步为营：运用变异理论指导教学操作步骤

选择某种理论并且期望藉此改进和提高教学实践水平,通行的做法是借助培训令教师接受这种理论.培训是否能够满足实现期望的需求？如果在培训的基础之上提出更为具体的指导,应该采用什么样的形式与内容？在与北京市海淀区教育科学研究所合作的研究课题《变异教学理论的课堂实践研究》中,项目组对此展开了研究,提出了包括五个环节的操作性步骤,并且在课题中加以尝试,帮助教师更为具体地理解和掌握变异理论,从而更为自觉地改善自己的教学.