To rubric or not to rubric? The effects of self-assessment on self-regulation,performance and self-efficacy

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of situations in which self-assessment was conducted using rubrics and situations in which no specific self-assessment tool was used. Two hundred and eighteen third-year pre-service teachers were assigned to either non-rubric or rubric self-assessment for designing a conceptual map. They then assessed their own maps. The dependent variables were self-regulation measured through a questionnaire and an open question on learning strategies use, performance based on an expert-assigned score, accuracy comparing self-scores with the expert’s scores and task stress using one self-reported item. The results showed that the rubric group reported higher learning strategies use, performance and accuracy. However, the rubric group also reported more problems coping with stress and higher performance/avoidance self-regulation that was detrimental to learning.     

Longitudinal study of a cooperation-driven,socio-scientific issue intervention on promoting students’ critical thinking and self-regulation in learning science

ABSTRACT

This longitudinal study explored the effects of a Cooperation-driven Socioscientific Issue (CDSSI) intervention on junior high school students' perceptions of critical thinking (CT) and self-regulation (SR) in Taiwan. Forty-nine grade 7 students were randomly selected as an experimental group (EG) to attend a 3-semester 72-hour intervention; while another 49 grade 7 students from the same school were randomly selected as the comparison group (CG). All participants completed a 4-wave student questionnaire to assess their perceptions of CT and SR. In addition, 8 target students from the EG with the lowest scores on either CT or SR were purposefully recruited for weekly observation. These target students and their teachers were interviewed one month after the intervention in each semester. Analyses of covariance and paired-wise t-tests revealed that the EG students' perceptions of CT and SR in learning science were improved during the study and were significantly better than their counterparts' at the end of the study. Systematic interview and classroom observation results were consistent with the quantitative findings. This study adds empirical evidence and provides insights into how CDSSI can be integrated into planning and implementing effective pedagogical strategies aimed at increasing students' perceptions of CT and SR in learning science.     

国际非政府组织的自我约束方式：评述与思考

为了达到增强其问责机制、弥补规制真空和完善其内外部治理的效果,国际非政府组织自愿加入各种行为准则。实践证明,国际非政府组织这种自我约束的方式起到了非常重要的作用。但是这种机制也存在着诸如无强制性特点、规定模糊不清、无强有效的遵守和惩处机制等缺陷。应该通过从其基本内容的设定改变行为准则的自愿性质、对其成员的问责机制加以清晰的设定、对遵守机制及惩处机制加以明确等来达到完善这种行为准则的效果,也只有通过这些途径才能真正对国际非政府组织起到自我约束的作用。     

Interactive Effects of Prior Knowledge and Material Format on Cooperative Teaching

The purpose of the experiment was to determine the separate and combined effects of varied learning materials (knowledge maps or texts) and teaching props (overview maps or outlines) on the learning of 2 different sets of material within the context of cooperative teaching. The participants were assigned to 1 of 4 cooperative teaching groups that used knowledge maps or texts as study materials, teaching props, or both. Each dyad studied material on probability theory (PT) and on the autonomic nervous system (ANS). One participant was responsible for teaching 1 set of material and was the learner for the other set of material. The teachers significantly outperformed the learners on measures of recall that included content and organization. The effects of format of the study materials or communication props depended on the prior knowledge of the participants. Format of the materials affected scores on organization for the PT passage but affected the content of the recall of the ANS passage. The results of the experiment delineated some of the conditions under which knowledge maps and texts are effective as learning or teaching tools.     

Learning arithmetic outdoors in junior high school – influence on performance and self-regulating skills

This study aims to explore the influence of outdoor teaching among students, aged 13, on arithmetic performance and self-regulation skills as previous research concerning outdoor mathematics learning is limited. This study had a quasi-experimental design. An outdoor and a traditional group answered a test and a self-regulation skills questionnaire before and after a 10 weeks unit in arithmetic. Findings suggest differences in changes in academic performance between the groups in favour of the outdoor group and no significant changes in self-regulation skills, apart from a decrease in intrinsic motivation in the traditional group.     

论幼儿自言自语的自我调节作用

幼儿自言自语由于涉及幼儿自我调节的发展这一重大问题，一直为心理学家和教育学家们所关注。从上个世纪20年代开始，发展心理学的两位大师——皮亚杰(Piaget)和维果茨基(Vygotshy)就对这一问题作过深入系统的探讨，他们的思想仍然是当前对自言自语研究的思想和灵感的重要来源。近20年来，有关幼儿自言自语的大量研究倾向于支持维果茨基的理论假设。各种横向和纵向研究都表明，在问题解决情境中，自言自语一贯遵循从可听见的外部言语向较为内化的、不出声的言语转化这样一个发展顺序。自言自语在儿童心理发展特别是在儿童认知发展上具有重要的价值，是所有儿童认知发展过程中一个必不可少的组成部分。     

Attracting and retaining rural teachers in Ghana: the premise and promise of a district sponsorship scheme

Recruiting and retaining qualified teachers for schools in rural communities is both an issue and a problem in many countries. The very nature of rural communities and perceptions of teaching in such environments tend to discourage qualified experienced and new teachers from taking appointments there. Education jurisdictions, therefore, use various strategies either to compel or entice candidates to accept rural teaching appointments. This paper describes a district sponsorship scheme to attract candidates for teacher training and subsequent appointment in rural schools in Ghana. The paper describes how the scheme operates and assesses its potential to attract and retain teachers, using data obtained through analysis of documents, interviews with key education officers and focus group with teachers. Though the district sponsorship scheme is not new in many education jurisdictions, it is the first of its kind in Ghana. Suggestions for improving the scheme's effectiveness are offered, drawing attention to the need to complement financial incentives with non‐monetary measures in rural teacher recruitment and retention policies.     

How a learner self-regulates reading comprehension： A case study for graduate level reading

The purpose of this study is to examine how a learner self-regulates learning while reading an academic text. In particular, the aim is not to generalize self-regulatory processes for any learning task, but to have an overall idea about how a learner self-regulates. In particular, Pintrich＇s SRL （self-regulated learning） model is used to find out whether the model was apparent in the learner＇s reading comprehension process. In this model, self-regulatory processes are categorized into 4 phases （forethought, monitoring, control and reflection）, and each phase is divided into 4 areas of self-regulation （cognitive, motivational, behavioral and contextual）. The data were collected through observation, videotaping and semi-structured interview. Purposeful sampling was used to obtain an in-depth understanding about how an experienced learner self-regulates and uses different kinds of strategies while reading an academic text. The result of the study revealed that all the phases in the model were apparent in the participant＇s reading comprehension task. However, it was difficult to decide on which strategies were belonging to monitoring or control phases. Actually, much of the empirical work also does not find much separation on these phases. This might be because these phases are reflecting the learner＇s thinking process.