Addressing sexuality and pregnancy in childbirth education classes

A positive, nonjudgmental, and informed approach to sexual health during pregnancy promotes acceptance of the normal functioning of women's bodies. It also encourages the development of close and supportive relationships that are so essential during pregnancy and birth. Common concerns do not need to become problems. Concerns include issues of libido, positioning, and preterm labor or fetal health, as well as myths and cultural attitudes. Childbirth educators can use tools such as the PLISSIT model to approach the topic of sexuality during pregnancy. In addition, opportunities are available in every childbirth class to acknowledge or ignore sexual issues. Perinatal educators who take responsibility for addressing this often-taboo topic can enhance women's feelings of safety and their confidence in normal birth.     

The Role of the Tutor in Asynchronous Discussion Boards: A Case Study of a Pre-Service Teacher Course

Based on a study conducted in a core module of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme at the National Institute of Education (Singapore), this paper provides an account of the perceptions and experiences of pre-service teachers on the roles of their tutors in the online discussion board. The research methods included a questionnaire survey, two focus group interviews and an analysis of the discussion records. The findings suggest that there are gaps between the experiences and perceptions of the pre-service teachers on the roles of their tutors. These identified gaps have various implications for the role of the online tutor in practice: setting meaningful tasks; guiding participants in the 'technicalities' of online discussion; participating actively in discussions by answering queries, providing feedback and posing conflicting views to elicit thinking/reflection; keeping the discussion focused; drawing conclusions and providing content expertise; and recommending resources for extension of learning.     

N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase,alanine aminopeptidase and protein: Creatinine ratio as early indicators of diabetic microangiopathy

The urinary excretion patterns of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), alanine aminopeptidase (AAP) and protein/creatinine ratio (UP/UCR) were studied in 133 diabetic subjects under treatment, 7 patients with established diabetic nephropathy (DN) and 79 carefully selected (age-matched) healthy subjects. NAG, AAP and UP/UCR were highly elevated in DN, while in diabetics urinary NAG levels correlated well with the degree of long-term metabolic control indicated by glycosylated hemoglobin (GHB or Hba1). Both AAP and UP/UCR were found to be more sensitive than NAG, but less specific. Urinary NAG and AAP assays thus offer simple, sensitive and non-invasive techniques for prognostic indication of the onset of microangiopathic changes in long-term diabetic subjects.     

Feasibility of the MTAI as a Selection Instrument for Pre-Service Teacher Education — A Pilot Project

The Institute of Education is the only institution in Singapore that trains and prepares individuals for the task of teaching. In order to ensure that its products, the teachers, are of a respectable calibre, not only should the training programme be reviewed regularly, but also the method of selecting trainees.     

Examining Chinese vocabulary knowledge in Taiwanese first- and second graders using confirmatory factor analysis

How the construct of vocabulary is defined remains unclear although multiple theories have been put forth. In light of the lack of empirical work investigating the dimensionality of vocabulary knowledge in Chinese, the present study investigated the factor structure of Chinese print vocabulary in a sample of 111 Taiwanese children in Grades 1 and 2. Participants completed six written measures designed to assess breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge in receptive or expressive formats. Three hypothesized models corresponding to (1) a unidimensional model on which all six measures loaded onto, (2) a 2-factor model comprising breadth and depth dimensions, and (3) a 2-factor model consisting of receptive and expressive dimensions, were compared using confirmatory factor analyses. Results indicated that the unidimensional model was preferred over two dimensional models, indicating that it is useful to view Chinese vocabulary as a holistic construct rather than as comprising separable dimensions among young Taiwanese children.

     

Effects of Diagrams on Mathematics Performance

Research on the facilitative effect of diagrams on solving mathematics problems is both inconsistent and inconclusive. This study investigates the effects of diagrams on 124 Singaporean pupils in three classes: Primary One and three, and Secondary One. Pupils' performance was measured with the use of teacher-written mathematics problems in the form of worksheets. Number of errors made on problems accompanied with and without diagrams were compared. Whether or not pupils benefit from diagrams was estimated by their patterns of errors made in the presence or absence of diagrams. Results both confirm and disconfirm previous findings and shed further light on the use of diagrams in mathematics.     

“阶段式教学法”在五笔字型汉字输入法教学中的应用

在当前中等职业学校突出“技能”的形式下，“五笔字型”汉字输入法是当前各中等职业学校每个学生必须掌握的一种技能，怎样使学生快速掌握“五笔字型”是每个职业学校计算机教师所面临的首要任务。笔者在课堂中主要应用了“阶段式教学法”，并应用了多种教学方法，比较行之有效。     

The Strong African American Families Program: translating research into prevention programming

A randomized prevention trial contrasted families who took part in the Strong African American Families Program (SAAF), a preventive intervention for rural African American mothers and their 11-year-olds, with control families. SAAF is based on a contextual model positing that regulated, communicative parenting causes changes in factors protecting youths from early alcohol use and sexual activity. Parenting variables included involvement-vigilance, racial socialization, communication about sex, and clear expectations for alcohol use. Youth protective factors included negative attitudes about early alcohol use and sexual activity, negative images of drinking youths, resistance efficacy, a goal-directed future orientation, and acceptance of parental influence. Intervention-induced changes in parenting mediated the effect of intervention group influences on changes in protective factors over a 7-month period.