The implications of the out-of-field phenomenon for effective teaching,quality education and school management

Abstract

The out-of-field phenomenon, that is the situation where teachers teach outside their field of expertise, adds complexity to the education environment and affects learners, colleagues, parents, governing bodies and school management. It puts extra strain on school management's responsibility to provide quality management and jeopardises effective teaching and quality learning. This article examines the implications of the out-of-field phenomenon for school management. An empirical investigation entailing the use of a qualitative approach was employed for the study. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with selected participants who shared their experiences of the phenomenon. Findings indicated that the out-of-field phenomenon and its implications should be recognised in order to provide effective and quality teaching, substantial teacher support and sufficient staff development programmes.     

Reducing teacher burnout: A socio-contextual approach

The aim of this study was to examine the interrelation between teachers' proactive strategies and perceived teacher–working environment fit that would be mediated by the socio-contextual burnout experience. Altogether 2310 Finnish teachers completed the study's survey. The results indicate that teachers can learn the kinds of strategies that allow them to reduce burnout and construct a better working environment fit. Both the learning and use of the strategies is highly embedded in a school's social interactions.     

Mixed Mode Latent Class Analysis: An Examination of Fit Index Performance for Classification

This Monte Carlo study examines the performance of fit indices commonly used by applied researchers interested in finite mixture modeling for the purposes of classification. Conditions for the simulation study were selected to reflect conditions found in applied educational and psychological research. The factors included in the investigation were metric level of indicators, sample size, and class prevalence. All models contained a combination of categorical and continuous indicators. All categorical indicators were dichotomous, and continuous indicators were normally distributed. The fit indices examined were Akaike’s information criterion, Bayesian information criterion (BIC), sample size-adjusted Bayesian information criterion (SSBIC), integrated classification likelihood criterion with Bayesian-type approximation, and Lo–Mendell–Rubin likelihood ratio test. Overall, SSBIC tended to identify the correct solution with higher frequency than other indices. BIC tended to identify the correct solution with higher frequency than the other indices in models with more continuous than categorical indicators, or when rare classes were absent.     

Combining IRT and SEM: A Hybrid Model for Fitting Responses and Response Certainties

This article proposes a model-based procedure, intended for personality measures, for exploiting the auxiliary information provided by the certainty with which individuals answer every item (response certainty). This information is used to (a) obtain more accurate estimates of individual trait levels, and (b) provide a more detailed assessment of the consistency with which the individual responds to the test. The basis model consists of 2 submodels: an item response theory submodel for the responses, and a linear-in-the-coefficients submodel that describes the response certainties. The latter is based on the distance-difficulty hypothesis, and is parameterized as a factor-analytic model. Procedures for (a) estimating the structural parameters, (b) assessing model–data fit, (c) estimating the individual parameters, and (d) assessing individual fit are discussed. The proposal was used in an empirical study. Model–data fit was acceptable and estimates were meaningful. Furthermore, the precision of the individual trait estimates and the assessment of the individual consistency improved noticeably.     

Detecting Misspecification in Mean Structures for Growth Curve Models: Performance of Pseudo R 2s and Concordance Correlation Coefficients

This study examined the performance of 4 correlation-based fit indexes (marginal and conditional pseudo R ²s; average and conditional concordance correlations) in detecting misspecification in mean structures in growth curve models. Their performance was also compared to that of 4 traditional SEM fit indexes. We found that the marginal pseudo R ² and average concordance correlation were able to detect misspecification in the marginal mean structure (average change trajectory). The conditional pseudo R ² and concordance correlation could detect misspecification when it occurred in the conditional mean structure (individual change trajectory) or in both mean structures. Compared to the SEM fit indexes, the correlation-based fit indexes were more robust to sample size but were less robust to data properties such as magnitude of population mean and measurement error. Theoretical and practical implications of the results and directions for future research are discussed.     

基于二叉排序树的最佳适应算法

当前操作系统在管理内存时,常采用最佳适应算法对空闲内存块进行分配,但该算法存在效率不高、时空消耗大的缺点,对此提出基于二又排序树的最佳适应算法,改变原有的最佳适应算法中把所有空闲分区按容量大小顺序连接成空闲分区链的特点,而把所有空闲分区组建成一颗二叉排序树,进程发出请求时,根据二叉排序树的性质依次查找满足条件的空闲分区,并在分配后重组二叉排序树,保证二叉排序树的结构不被破坏,改善现有的最佳适应算法在查找过程中的效率问题.     

适应数字图书馆需要 加快馆员队伍建设

论职业技术学院在知识经济的新形势下,加强学校数字化、网络化图书馆员队伍的建设,适应时代的改革和发展。     

建立健全以保持廉洁为核心的权力监督体系

建设廉洁政治最重要的就是廉洁权力运作,从而必须以保持“廉洁”为中心,建立健全权力监督体系。其一,要着眼廉洁分权,强化权力资源配置的监督;其二,坚持廉洁“亮岗”,强化招聘岗位竞聘的监督;其三。要规范廉洁授权,强化岗位应聘人员选任的监督;其四,要健全廉洁运权,强化权力运作程序的监督;其五,要立足廉洁用权,强化权力具体作为的监督;其六,要完善廉洁管权,强化权力运行全程的监督。     

Validation of the child sex abuse attitude scale through confirmatory factor analysis

A validation study was conducted on the Child Sex Abuse Attitude Scale (CSAAS) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine factor structure. The CSAAS was developed based on Festinger's (1957) theory of attitude development resulting in a 4‐factor first‐order structure (cognition, value, affect, and behavior) and a single‐factor 2nd‐order structure (attitude). A sample of 215 school psychologists, members of the National Association of School Psychologists, responded to the CSAAS survey. CFA results supported the hypothesized factor structure of the CSAAS, thus indicating the plausibility of a 4‐factor 1st‐order and a single‐factor higher order structure of the CSAAS.     

高技术企业智力资本IPO-M系统价值配适性分析

从系统论及共变配合论的角度出发,在重构智力资本系统结构基础上,验证智力系统配适度及其对企业价值的解释力。通过模型设定表明,智力资本系统配适度对价值增值有很强的解释力,该结论为企业及其利益相关者进行智力资本系统管理、投资与决策提供适用的工具。