A Corpus-Based Learning Method of Compound Noun Indexing Rules for Korean

In Korean information retrieval, compound nouns play an important role in improving precision in search experiments. There are two major approaches to compound noun indexing in Korean: statistical and linguistic. Each method, however, has its own shortcomings, such as limitations when indexing diverse types of compound nouns, over-generation of compound nouns, and data sparseness in training. In this paper, we propose a corpus-based learning method, which can index diverse types of compound nouns using rules automatically extracted from a large corpus. The automatic learning method is more portable and requires less human effort, although it exhibits a performance level similar to the manual-linguistic approach. We also present a new filtering method to solve the problems of compound noun over-generation and data sparseness.     

How an understanding of Bakhtin's theory of the chronotope can assist progression in classroom writing

Our argument in this paper is that the model of literary progression which Bakhtin (1981, 1986) expounds in his writing on the chronotope can generate insight into the processes through which pupils improve their writing. We suggest more generally that there are concepts and clues in Bakhtin's historical model of the development of the European novel and in his theory of dialogue which can be helpful in both the evaluation and teaching of classroom writing.     

Inclusive Education in China: Conceptualisation and Realisation

This paper examines the historical background of the development of special education and how “Learning in Regular Classrooms” (LRC) has become the major service delivery model to universalise compulsory education for children with disabilities in China. The authors assert that the current model of inclusive education in China was conceptualised through the influence of the Western ideology of inclusion and the practical consideration of Chinese socio-economical conditions. To realise this model, a number of strategies were introduced and widely practised in an attempt to effectively implement the LRC programs. Adverse social climate, the exam-oriented education system, and limited resources in all aspects, however, remained as critical elements to be overcome for the future development of inclusive education in China. The LRC model is expected to continue to be the main form of inclusive education in China.     

Social‐Information‐Processing Skills of Kindergarten Children with Developmental Learning Disabilities

The study examined the social‐information‐processing skills of kindergarten children with developmental learning disabilities (LD) utilizing Crick and Dodge's (1994) model of children's social adjustment as a theoretical framework. Participants consisted of 20 kindergarten children with developmental LD who attended three integrated kindergartens and 20 children without developmental LD from the same kindergartens. Participants were assessed on social‐information‐processing skills, feelings of loneliness, sense of coherence, and teachers' ratings of behavioral problems and positive resources. The results indicated that girls with developmental LD performed significantly lower on two information‐processing steps—the response decision and the enactment steps—than did girls without LD. Such differences were not found for boys. The results also showed that the social‐information‐processing skills of children with developmental LD were correlated with teachers' ratings.     

Environmental attitudes of pre-service teachers: A conceptual and methodological dilemma in cross-cultural data collection

Human generated environmental problems are significant issues of global concern. Despite this, varying attitudes towards environments continue to exist across the globe, impacting on environmental decision-making and action at local, national and international levels. This paper probes some of the similarities and differences in environmental attitudes amongst pre-service teachers in Australia, Republic of Maldives and Indonesia. Data were collected using an established environmental attitude questionnaire and individual interviews. The three communities exhibited a similar range of environmental attitudes using the established questionnaire but significant differences emerged when the interview data were analysed phenomenographically. These differences reflect diversity within and across cultural groups that cannot be satisfactorily explained by the theory underpinning the established questionnaire. Consequently, a revised conceptual framework is proposed.