Development of an instrument to understand the child protective services decision-making process,with a focus on placement decisions

When children come to the attention of the child welfare system, they become involved in a decision-making process in which decisions are made that have a significant effect on their future and well-being. The decision to remove children from their families is particularly complex; yet surprisingly little is understood about this decision-making process. This paper presents the results of a study to develop an instrument to explore, at the caseworker level, the context of the removal decision, with the objective of understanding the influence of the individual and organizational factors on this decision, drawing from the Decision Making Ecology as the underlying rationale for obtaining the measures. The instrument was based on the development of decision-making scales used in prior decision-making studies and administered to child protection caseworkers in several states. Analyses included reliability analyses, principal components analyses, and inter-correlations among the resulting scales. For one scale regarding removal decisions, a principal components analysis resulted in the extraction of two components, jointly identified as caseworkers’ decision-making orientation, described as (1) an internal reference to decision-making and (2) an external reference to decision-making. Reliability analyses demonstrated acceptable to high internal consistency for 9 of the 11 scales. Full details of the reliability analyses, principal components analyses, and inter-correlations among the seven scales are discussed, along with implications for practice and the utility of this instrument to support the understanding of decision-making in child welfare.     

“校长信息化领导力”现状的调查研究

本文运用调查问卷和访谈的方法,对山西、新疆、河南、浙江等部分省市的教师和校长进行了调查．．从校长信息素养与信息化意识;学校信息化愿景规划与资金和技术支持;信息化教学资源的利用与管理;信息化环境下的人际关系与沟通能力;学校信息化评估与教师专业发展五个维度对校长信息化领导力的现状进行研究．在调查数据分析的基础上,进行了问题分析和对策思考。     

Pollution monitoring at heritage sites in developing and emerging economies

Abstract

Air quality is an important factor in the preservation of cultural heritage. Systematic air quality assessment is a requirement in most heritage conservation plans. However, apart from temperature and relative humidity, air pollution, which is another air quality parameter, is less often monitored. This is the case especially, but not only, in developing and emerging economies where the lack of air pollution data is worrying. In this paper, issues with air pollution monitoring at heritage sites in developing and emerging economies, from management to technical, are reviewed. Questionnaire responses from over 20 sites in Africa, Asia, and Latin America reveal that about eight out of ten sites have not yet considered pollution data. The responses also show that cost is not the only obstacle but that lack of awareness and insufficient technical expertise are also significant issues. Different possible solutions are reviewed and their appropriateness discussed. They range from systematic monitoring to model-based estimations. Diffusion tube measurements of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone from 11 sites are reported and discussed.     

Ten Years After the Question

ABSTRACT

A survey was designed for new department heads to use in facilitating introductions with a new staff. Questions focused on eliciting information about individuals' skills, training needs, and job satisfaction. Background, lessons learned, and the survey with results are included. The author presented this paper at ALCTS/CCS Heads of Cataloging Departments Discussion Group, ALA Midwinter, 1999.     

Competency-based Professional Development

ABSTRACT

Professional development can be a challenge for LIS professionals upon leaving graduate school and entering the work force. Engaging in an ongoing self-assessment of core competencies can assist LIS professionals in meeting their career goals. The Multi-Subject Learning Survey (MSLS) was administered to practicing librarians for a self-assessment of their abilities. Responses were analyzed through SPSS software to ascertain levels of ability in eight categories. A t test was performed for any significant differences between the groups of librarians. The survey was effective in identifying skills for improvement. Potential use by administrators for professional development and career planning were identified.     

Qualitative Inquiry and the Future of Health Communication Research

This article examines the ways that qualitative inquiry, especially when used in concert with quantitative inquiry in multimethodological designs, can contribute to the research challenges of health care and health promotion. It explores methodological diversity in health communication research and illustrates how survey, textual analytic, and ethnographic research are utilized in health communication research. The article concludes with a discussion of how multimethodological research designs have been successfully employed to examine complex health communication models, theories, and processes.     

《才溪乡调查》的社会科学研究方法解析与启示

文章基于社会科学研究方法的视角,从事件（过程）和文本（内容）等方面对《才溪乡调查》进行解析,包括：调查的动因;类型与样本选择;研究范式与理论逻辑;文本结构与组织方式;方法的归类与文本可靠性等,最后提出若干启示性思考：重视信息在社会发展中的基础地位;重视理论在社会变革中的建构功能;重视研究在管理实践中的重要作用;重视方法在社会研究中的指导价值;重视态度在实际工作中的前置地位.     

如何让《英语国家概况》课程活起来--以高职旅游英语专业教学为例

英语国家概况课是高职旅游英语专业的必修课,其教学应遵循高职高专教学规律,符合学生的学情。教师在教学过程中,应采用合适的教材和教学手段,灵活的教学方法来使课堂更生动,更实用,使学生爱学并从中受益,本文就教材,教学手段和教学方法提出一些建议。     

Teacher beliefs about feedback within an assessment for learning environment: Endorsement of improved learning over student well-being

Teachers’ understandings of feedback probably influence the type and quality of feedback that they provide. The beliefs of 518 New Zealand practicing teachers about feedback were evaluated with the Teachers’ Conceptions of Feedback (TCoF) inventory and related to practices these teachers considered to be feedback. Nine feedback factors and four practices factors were found and models were statistically invariant between primary and secondary teachers. New Zealand teachers’ understandings of feedback were strongly focused on improving learning instead of enhancing student well-being. Similar factors are expected in other contexts, though agreement rates should reflect local policy priorities and cultural values.     

开放教育资源（OER）使用现状调查

自2003年中国开放教育资源协会（CORE：China Open Resources for Education）——推广、应用开放教育资源（OER）的高等学校联合机构,即中国开放教育资源共同体成立以来,我国开放教育资源共享事业有了一定的发展。然而,开放教育理念在中国内地的传播、发展与影响仍然较为有限。了解和掌握我国目前开放教育资源发展的实际状况与水平,对于进一步推动我国开放教育资源深入发展具有重要意义。我们通过调查和量化研究得出的初步结论是：我国大学的个人已经具备了发表和使用OER的基本硬件设施条件,免费的OER能够对大学和个人形成吸引。大学和个人都认同使用障碍主要来自缺少对OER本身的了解,在使用过程中担心产生知识产权问题,对于发表OER的阻碍则是激励机制的缺乏。对于发表和使用OER的动机,个人更看重对于个人职业发展的积极作用,大学更看重对大学自身知名度的影响和降低开发成本。