The PISA Tasks: Unveiling Prospective Elementary Mathematics Teachers’ Difficulties with Contextual,Conceptual, and Procedural Knowledge

The aim of this mixed methods study was to investigate the difficulties prospective elementary mathematics teachers have in solving the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012 released items. A mathematics test consisting of 26 PISA items was administered, followed by interviews. Multiple data were utilized to provide rich insights into the types of mathematical knowledge that a particular item requires and prospective teachers’ difficulties in using these knowledge types. A sample of 52 prospective teachers worked the mathematics test, and 12 of them were interviewed afterwards. The data-sets were complementary: the quantitative data showed that PISA items could be categorized under contextual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge and indicated the most frequent difficulties in the combined contextual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge items. The qualitative data revealed that few prospective teachers could give mathematical explanations for conceptual knowledge items, and that their contextual knowledge was fragmented. Educational implications were discussed.     

复杂产品系统的复杂性对知识管理的影响探讨

复杂产品系统具有多学科知识集成、多企业参与管理、定制性等特性,这使得复杂产品系统的管理中更需要知识管理,同时也增加了实施知识管理的难度。就复杂产品系统特性对知识管理任务的直接影响,以及这些特性如何通过影响文化要素、IT要素、项目组织要素来间接影响知识管理任务进行了研究。     

Instructional control of cognitive load in the training of complex cognitive tasks

Limited processing capacity constrains learning and performance in complex cognitive tasks. In traditional instruction, novices' failure to adequately learn cognitive tasks can often be attributed to the inappropriate direction of attention and the related high or excessive load that is imposed on a learner's cognitive system. An instructional design model for the training of complex cognitive tasks should provide instructional strategies that control cognitive load. We propose such a model and recommend research in which the cognitive load of instructional manipulations is systematically investigated and determined with mental-effort based measures.     

图书馆阅读研究的目的与任务

文章认为图书馆阅读研究的目的有三:一是研究“馆内阅读”现象;二是研究“社会阅读”现象;三是研究“阅读推广”现象.图书馆阅读研究的任务有三:一是整理与分析传统阅读理论,提供“经典阅读”的最佳场所;二是学习与借鉴国外图书馆阅读理论,供给图书馆学新鲜血液;三是关注与重视图书馆阅读实践,提升图书馆阅读研究的学术水准.     

基于社会文化语境下工作任务的高职英语写作课程设计

在当今的社会文化语境下,对商务英语人才的要求越来越高。高职英语写作作为一门基础课程贯穿整个教学与学习过程,在设计高职英语写作课程时,应以社会文化语境下的工作任务为依据。本文主要论述了高职英语写作课程的内容、特点,以及课程设计思路、依据、原则。     

A theoretically driven teaching and research framework: learning technologies and educational practice

The emphasis of this paper is on the derivation of design principles from qualitative analysis of student reflections based on their participation in authentic, collaborative and technology-mediated activities. This paper reports on the initial phases of a design-based research project at a comprehensive university in South Africa where the authentic nature of the activities contributed to the depth of student reflections and ultimately led to meaningful design principles based entirely on the experiences of students. Students’ reflective reports were analysed for their content using simple inductive coding techniques leading to the identification of themes and the derivation of design principles from further refinement of these themes. These design principles, therefore, have their origins in the specific theories underpinning the learning activities that were used in the teaching and learning process, and contribute once again in an innovative way to this same body of knowledge. This theory-driven praxis thus makes a contribution to both educational theory and teaching practice which is applicable across a variety of contexts and sectors worldwide. More importantly, this can be seen as meaningful research that is socially responsible, with a high theoretical and practical value, and of relevance to a wider international audience.     

Role Behavior Profiles of Israeli School Counselors

This study of 681 school counselors in Israel examines how counselors allocate their time between counseling tasks and whether their role behavior can be characterized according to distinctive profiles. Three distinctive profiles of role behavior were identified: The traditional profile (40% of the sample), in which individual counseling to students was prominent; the prevention profile (20% of the sample), in which a guidance curriculum with an emphasis on prevention programs was preva1ent; and the balanced profile (40% of the sample), in which the time devoted to the main counseling responsibilities is allocated in relatively equal proportions. Three variables were found to affect the profiles: the school setting (i.e., level), the principals expectations from the counselor and the counselors personal preferences. The findings of this study can contribute to the effort of defining and clarifying the role and function of school counseling in Israel and other countries.     

工学结合背景下高职课程标准的构建——以“商务英语视听说”为例

近些年来,高职院校已经纷纷认识到对于学生能力培养的重要性,在课程改革中引入工学结合模式,将实践教学引入课堂。针对高职院校课程标准的内涵和基本特征,文章以商务英语专业的专业核心课商务英语视听说为例,探索了制定工学结合背景下高职课程标准的思路,并对商务英语视听说的课程标准进行了基本描述。     

Criteria for Empowering Innovation in Higher Education

ABSTRACT

Although academic staff have a key role to play in innovation at higher education institutions (hEIs), current innovation adoption among academic staff is disappointing. Most curricula at hEIs are stalled in the traditional pedagogical model of knowledge transmission for teaching and learning with little exploration of technologies for innovative/inventive outputs. This article explores the essential issues of innovation/invention in higher education and provides criteria for empowering innovation. Starting from reflections and perspectives on innovation at South African hEIs and the theories on innovative problem solving, the article provides arguments on multiple issues of innovation/invention that culminate in crucial criteria for innovation. The real dilemma for innovation is caused by external and macro-level factors that require the analysis of existing business models. The management of HEIs have to take into account the underlying barriers, such as knowledge of patenting and academic valorisation, when they create policies that encourage academic staff to explore innovative endeavours.     

A comparison of the influence of government policy on information and communications technology for teacher training in England and Northern Ireland

Abstract

This article examines the introduction of national standards and guidelines for the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in initial teacher training in England and Northern Ireland. The context for the increased focus on ICT in teacher education is described for each part of the United Kingdom (UK). Comparisons are drawn between the two areas of the UK to show how schools and teacher training institutions have attempted to meet the standards within each political context by examining the positive features of three case teacher training courses, two in England and one in Northern Ireland. From this, inferences are drawn about the level of intervention by Government and whether greater government control has reduced or increased the integration of ICT into the cycle of teaching and learning.