Teacher change beliefs: validating a scale with structural equation modelling

The objectives of the study were to validate a substantiated Teacher Change Beliefs Model (TCBM) and an instrument to identify critical components of teacher change beliefs (TCB) in Malaysian secondary schools. Five different pilot test approaches were applied to ensure the validity and reliability of the instrument. A total of 936 teachers from 47 high-performing secondary schools completed the survey. Structural equation modelling was applied to test the models. Exploratory factor analysis was employed to identify the underlying factors, whereas confirmatory factor analysis was applied to test the measurement models. The analysis yielded a three-factor TCBM: (1) discrepancy, (2) efficacy and (3) principal support. The results demonstrated a good fit of the model: normed χ² = 3.156, Tucker-Lewis Fix Index = .987, Comparative Fix Index = .991 and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = .048. The results also provided evidence for convergent validity, discriminant validity and construct reliability. The TCBM is an empirically tested model derived in a local Malaysian cultural education setting. It provides direction for practitioners in planning and designing training programmes of change management for school principals in the enhancement of TCB among teachers in schools. Besides, Teacher Change Beliefs Scale is a promising and welcome tool for both practitioners and researchers. With only nine items, it is easy to administer and not time-consuming.     

Isolation,resilience, and faith: Experiences of Black Christian students in biology graduate programs

To increase participation of students of color in science graduate programs, research has focused on illuminating student experiences to inform ways to improve them. In biology, Black students are vastly underrepresented, and while religion has been shown to be a particularly important form of cultural wealth for Black students, Christianity is stigmatized in biology. Very few studies have explored the intersection of race/ethnicity and Christianity for Black students in biology where there is high documented tension between religion and science. Since graduate school is important for socialization and Black students are likely to experience stigmatization of their racial and religious identity, it is important to understand their experiences and how we might be able to improve them. Thus, we interviewed 13 Black Christian students enrolled in biology graduate programs and explored their experiences using the theoretical lens of stigmatized identities. Through thematic content analysis, we revealed that students negotiated experiences of cultural isolation, devaluation of intelligence, and acts of bias like other racially minoritized students in science. However, by examining these experiences at the intersection of race/ethnicity and religion, we shed light on interactions students have had with faculty and peers within the biology community that cultivated perceptions of mistrust, conflict, and stigma. Our study also revealed ways in which students' religious/spiritual capital has positively supported their navigation through biology graduate school. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of why Black Christian graduate students are more likely to leave or not pursue advanced degrees in biology with implications for research and practice that help facilitate their success.     

大学生理想信念教育的瓶颈及其突破口--基于上海E大学的实证研究

在价值多元化和处于社会转型期的当今,大学生理想信念呈现出新的特征,主要表现在思想层面上的信念认同和怀疑并存,生活层面上的奉献精神与趋利选择并存,以及教育层面上的主体单一性和“授受”脱节。如何做好理想与现实、教育者与学生间的接轨,是大学生理想信念教育面临的瓶颈,也是突破口和着力点。从主体参与层面引入全员育人的同时,也要整合教育资源,完善分层次教育的载体建设。     

试论埃及宗教教育的发展--以爱资哈尔大学的教育改革为中心的研究

爱资哈尔大学是伊斯兰世界享有盛名的宗教大学。从公元10世纪建立至今,经过一系列改革,爱资哈尔大学已经由一所宗教性质的大学发展成一所闻名世界的综合性现代大学。爱资哈尔大学的改革反映了埃及宗教教育的世俗化。爱资哈尔大学依然保留了部分伊斯兰教课程的教育,说明埃及宗教教育世俗化的同时注重伊斯兰教的教育。     

陕北地名文化浅析

陕北地名丰富多彩、种类繁多,为研究陕北历史、地理、文化等提供了丰富的素材。陕北地名与黄土高原自然地理有着高度一致性,并一定程度上表现出了浓厚的宗族思想,作为历史上各民族融合的主要区域,陕北地区还保留了很多涉及少数民族的地名,成为了研究中国古代民族关系、民族文化的重要资料。研究陕北地名文化是在新形势下阐释黄土文化的重要手段,也是弘扬具有陕北地域特色优秀文化的必要方面。     

异质同构的终末叙事——《驿站长》中宗教伦理的现代性反思

透过阐释学的视角，《驿站长》中源于《圣经》典故“浪子回头”的宗教图式与杜妮亚的人生轨迹有着结构上的同构，却在质性上指涉不同的意向。杜妮亚居于现代意义上的自觉人生选择与典故所隐喻的宗教伦理精神相悖而行，从而暗示俄国传统道德法则的失效，并在更高的意义上对宗教伦理的现代性困境作了一个终末式的叙述：社妮亚整个人生选择所预示的不仅是传统宗教伦理秩序面临的断裂，还是俄罗斯新女性代表的滥觞。     

Competing priorities: Singaporean teachers’ perspectives on critical literacy

This paper explores a group of Singaporean English language teachers’ knowledge and beliefs about critical literacy as well as their perspectives on how best to teach literacy and critical literacy in Singapore schools. A face-to-face survey was conducted among 58 English language teachers by using open-ended questions. The survey covered various topics related to literacy instruction including text decoding, meaning construction, and critical analysis of texts. The participating teachers believed strongly that reading and writing are transactional and interactional practices. However, they were less certain in their beliefs about teaching critical literacy including the critical, analytical and evaluative aspects of text reading. Some teachers saw a conflict between using time on teaching critical literacy and preparing students to pass their exams. As critical literacy is not a requirement at exams, they found it difficult to justify using time teaching it. The results suggest that the teachers’ belief systems are strongly influenced by the broad macro-structure of the educational system in Singapore and their own educational experiences.     

Religion in Chinese education: from denial to cooperation†

In China, from the founding of the People's Republic of China to the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, it was thought that religion would disappear with the development of society and the freedom not to believe in religion was stressed. During the Cultural Revolution religion became the object of oppression. However, from the end of the Cultural Revolution in the late 1970s to date, the long‐term existence of religion came to be accepted. Searching for cooperation between socialism and religion, ways in which religion could effectively contribute to modernisation began to be put forward. In comparison with the previous situation, the current period is marked by a much more tolerant policy. If one looks at religion in education, first, at the level of legal codes, the separation of public education and religion is extolled based on the rule of separation of religion and state. And, it is clearly forbidden to engage in activities that use religion to interfere with educational activities. This applies to ethnic minorities as well. Second, be this as it may, religion is touched upon at all levels of education. For example, at the level of high school education, the distribution of the three major world religions is explained and many other religions are introduced. Moreover, the culture and customs of some religions are introduced. In higher education, in universities and graduate schools, the Religious Studies major has been created for the training of those in charge of regulating religions as well as scholars. Third, several of the religions recognised by the Chinese government have developed institutions to train personnel. Furthermore, some of these institutions are working in cooperation with institutions of higher education to offer programmes of study. In this way, especially following the end of the Cultural Revolution, cooperation between socialism and religion was sought. And, coexistence with ethnic minority groups, which believe in a number of different religions, was considered. And yet, within school education, the treatment of religion is strictly limited. Only education that aims at a basic knowledge of religion is conducted. There are significant national differences in the relationship between education and religion. It would be fruitful for China to reconsider this relationship, taking account of developments in other countries, in the present situation where the Chinese government has a more tolerant policy towards religion.     

Support teachers' beliefs about the academic achievement of students with special educational needs

José Castro Silva, lecturer in sciences of education, and José Morgado, assistant professor, both work at the Instituto Superior de Psicologica Aplicada in Lisboa, Portugal. In this article, they describe their study of support teachers' beliefs about the academic achievement of school students with special educational needs. The 'support teachers' who were the subject of this study work in mainstream schools where the majority of pupils with special educational needs are educated in mainstream classes run by 'general teachers'. The work of the support teachers is supervised and supported by 'special education team co-ordinators'. The study reported here set out to elicit the support teachers' beliefs about the factors that contribute to success at school for pupils with special educational needs. Results suggest that the support teachers consider that factors including 'school climate', 'curriculum design' and 'teaching approach' contribute significantly to achievements among these pupils. On the other hand, analysis reveals that the support teachers attribute difficulties and lack of achievement significantly to 'out-of-school' contextual variables. These findings are related to a detailed review of the literature and the authors discuss the implications for policy, practice and professional development.     

Autonomy and religious education: lessons from a six-year evaluation of an educational reform in an Israeli school network

This study investigated the tension that exists between promoting an educational agenda and practising an educational approach which emphasises autonomy within the framework of religious education. Our main thesis is that every educational deed contains a dialectical tension between endorsing an educational agenda and the promotion of autonomy. Moreover, this tension is not restricted to religious education. The intensity of such a conflict varies in accordance with the flexibility (or inflexibility) of the dogma, the conceptual cohesion of the educational agenda and the perceived importance of granting autonomy to students. The more cohesive and inflexible the educational agenda is, the greater the danger that autonomy will be discarded. The present research examined an educational reform implemented in the National-Religious School Network in Israel, which included the promotion of autonomy among principals, teachers and students. Conducted over a six-year period (2006–2012), the research employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and involved various stakeholders in the school network. The multifaceted picture that emerged of the relationship between educational autonomy and religious agenda is presented.