Research and teaching cultures in two contrasting UK policy contexts: Academic life in Education Departments in five English and Scottish universities

The paper explores academic staff and departmental research and teaching cultures in the Education Departments of five universities in Scotland and England, countries with increasingly diverging public policies in respect of education. The relationship between research and teaching, how the purposes of universities are defined and the status of research in Education are current UK higher education policy preoccupations. Data is drawn from interviews with 40 academics, observation of department settings, documentation and websites. The analysis draws on the work of Bourdieu, considering the changing habitus of individual academics, their departmental and academic subject context and the forms of symbolic capital now required in Scottish and English Education departments in response to new policies affecting their academic field. The paper also utilises recent literature on the research–teaching relationship. The career trajectories of respondents, their habitus and the forms of symbolic capital that they bring to academic life are examined, as are the extent to which the teaching and research cultures in each of the five departments studied mirror each other and whether these also reflect the two different policy contexts. The themes how academic cultures are shaped and research/teaching connections viewed have international as UK relevance.     

Academic self-efficacy and academic self-concept: Reconsidering structural relationships

The current study investigates (1) whether academic (e.g. math) self-efficacy and academic self-concept represent two conceptually and empirically distinct psychological constructs when studied within the same domain, (2) the nature of the relationship existing between both self-constructs, (3) their antecedents, and (4) their mediating and predictive qualities for background variables such as gender and prior knowledge and outcome variables such as math performance, math interest, and math anxiety. Results indicate that (1) math self-efficacy and math self-concept do indeed represent conceptually and empirically different constructs, even when studied within the same domain, (2) students' academic self-concept strongly influences their academic self-efficacy beliefs, (3) academic self-concept is a better predictor (and mediator) for affective–motivational variables, while academic self-efficacy is the better predictor (and mediator) for academic achievement. These findings underpin the conceptual and empirical differences between both self-constructs as suggested by Bong and Skaalvik [Bong, M., &; Skaalvik, E.M. (2003). Academic self-concept and self-efficacy: How different are they really?. Educational Psychology Review, 15, 1–40.].     

Play to win! Using games in library instruction to enhance student learning

Research has shown that educational games can have positive impacts on student learning and motivation. The success of a game played in a library instruction class depends on the type of game selected, the development of learning outcomes, and the flexibility of the librarian during class. This article explains the benefits to students and librarians of using games, discusses the development and use of a Jeopardy-style game, and provides practical tips for librarians interested in developing and incorporating games into one-time library instruction sessions.     

刍议如何提高高校学术期刊的办刊质量

针对高校学术期刊在信息化社会中所面临的各种挑战和机遇,从编辑人才培养、编委会成员构成、编辑部工作网络化等方面,讨论高校学术期刊现状,提出提高高校学术期刊办刊质量的几点建议.     

大学图书馆创新发展探析

文章以图书馆的转型发展与高等教育的快速发展为背景,从公共空间、文化自觉、服务重塑以及智慧图书馆四方面对新时期大学图书馆的创新发展进行了系统探析。参考文献16。     

论编辑参与学术活动之三重性

学术活动是编辑获取相关信息,了解学界动态,物色合适作者,展示自身形象的重要平台。编辑参与学术活动有三重性:既要入乎其内,又能出乎其外;既具人文情怀,又备儒商品格;既要人情练达,又能坚守原则。     

关于21世纪高校图书馆事业建设的思考

本文从２１世纪对高校图书馆的要求出发,分析并阐述了目前我国高校图书馆事业的发展现状与存在问题,提出了世纪之疱图书馆事业的发展方向与对策。     

高校图书馆特色馆藏建设的现状与对策

特色馆藏以其特有的珍稀性和专题性而有别于图书馆的一般性馆藏,是具有各图书馆独特风格的文献资源的集合。高校图书馆特色馆藏应更多地体现专题性和学科性的特点,在确保珍稀性特色馆藏建设的基础上加强专题性特色馆藏的建设应该成为高校图书馆特色馆藏建设未来的发展方向。制订特色馆藏发展政策、对特色馆藏进行特殊化管理、对特色资源实行个性化选择是特色馆藏建设健康有序发展的保证。     

引文国际化对论文被引的影响研究

[目的/意义]在学术交流日趋国际化的背景下,本文拟探索引文国际化与被引量之间的关系,力图回答良好的国际视野是否有助于提升论文的学术影响力这一学界普遍关注的问题。[研究设计/方法]以社会科学为研究对象,选取管理学、图书情报学和新闻传播学的181,406篇CSSCI论文为研究样本,采用相关分析、非参数检验与回归分析的方法研究引用外文期刊论文的数量、学术质量、学科领域、时效性对论文被引量的影响。[结论/发现]在控制了文献类型、期刊声誉等若干可能影响论文被引量的因素后,发现样本论文的引文国际化水平对其被引量具有显著的正向影响。具体而言,引用外文期刊论文的数量越多、平均学术质量越高、学科专属度越高、平均时效性越强的论文具有更高的被引量。[创新/价值]证实了国际视野有助于提升中文社科论文的学术影响力,并提出了有针对性的建议。     

E-Mail Reference Evaluation

Abstract

E-mail reference has been utilized as a reference tool in academic libraries since the early 1980s. Today it is one of the most common media for providing digital reference service. An important aspect of providing any service is evaluating users' satisfaction levels with that service. Users of the Ask-A-Librarian e-mail reference service at a large academic library over a ten-month period voluntarily completed a seven item web-based questionnaire. The results indicated that the majority of respondents were satisfied with Ask-A-Librarian overall. This paper discusses how the library used the survey results to improve the existing service, and to implement a new one-chat reference. Reference service providers should not only ask users for feedback on existing services, but also should include them in the planning and design phase of new services. In doing so, they demonstrate their commitment to providing adequate and appropriate services to their patron community, and ultimately can save their institutions time and expense.