Sampling Methods and Sample Populations in Quantitative Mass Communication Research Studies: A 15-Year Census of Six Journals

This study evaluated the sampling methods and sample populations used in all U.S.-based survey and experimental mass communication studies published between 2000 and 2014 in six major journals (N = 1,173). Most studies used nonprobability samples, and more than half used student samples. Experiments used more nonprobability and student samples than surveys. Funded studies used more probability and nonstudent samples than nonfunded studies. Implications of results pertaining to population validity and interpretations of findings for mass communication research are discussed.     

为什么外国女孩儿需要中国男朋友

我想要告诉你们所有人,特别是外国女孩子们,为什么外国女孩儿需要找一个中国男朋友。首先,我想介绍一下我自己。我叫Tara。我是芬兰人,也是美国人,两个国籍。我从小在美国长大,高中毕业以后我搬去芬兰上大学。实话实说,我以前并不太熟悉中国。我知道中国非常大,人也非常多。我觉得所有的东亚人长得都     

The ethics of polyvocal ethnography: empowering vs. textualizing children and teachers

Polyvocal approaches allow researchers and informants to interact on a more equal footing and informants’ voices to be heard in the final text. But research methods intended to empower informants also can be a source of unanticipated authorial power ‐ the power to confront informants with unsolicited self‐reflections and to textualize people's lives and words. The authors reflect on those ethical dilemmas in this article.     

Stepping out: collaborative research across disciplines

This paper offers the experiences and insights of two faculty members, located in two separate disciplines, as they engaged in collaborative research. While knowledge created by stepping out and reaching across disciplines reflects the reality of an increasingly complex world, their experiences highlight both the benefits of a supportive collaborative partnership as well as the risks and discomfort experienced without tangible discipline support, when researchers stray too far from their home discipline. While transparency and attention to process is critical to all researchers engaged in collaborative partnership, its necessity is heightened when venturing beyond the territory of familiar disciplines.     

The role of cognitive factors in chemistry achievement

Evidence from the research literature suggests that a variety of cognitive factors is responsible for chemistry achievement. This investigation examined the role of four cognitive factors, namely, formal reasoning ability, prior knowledge, field dependence/ independence, and memory capacity on achievement in chemistry as measured by tests of laboratory application, chemical calculations and content knowledge. The sample comprised grade 11 students from eleven high schools who were following the same chemistry syllabus. The results indicated that prior knowledge and formal reasoning ability were each statistically significantly related to variation in chemistry achievement. Field dependence/independence and memory capacity played no significant role in chemistry achievement.     

Vicarious learning from dialogue and discourse

This study examined learning in the domain of sentence parsing and syntax treediagram construction. The aim of the study was to assess whether subjects could learn vicariously from recordings of interactions between a previous student and a tutor.Four intervention conditions and a control condition were compared. Subjects in a dialogue group (DL) read printed tutorial notes and subsequently vicariously viewed dynamic (animated) recordings of tree diagrams being constructed by a previous student in the presence of a tutor.The discourse (DI) condition was similar except that subjects viewed recordings of tree diagrams being constructed by a tutor who concurrently verbalised instructional discourse.In a third condition (DO), subjects viewed tree-diagram construction animation clips which were not annotated with either dialogue or discourse. In a linear text (LT) condition, subjects were given only printed tutorial notes. A control (CO) condition involved pre and post testing without any intervention.Results indicated that the dialogue condition was as effective as the discourse condition. This provides support for contention that re-usable dialogue is a useful resource for the vicarious learner. Another finding was that un-annotated animated diagrams were surprisingly effective. Several reasons for their effectiveness are suggested from the literature on instructional animations.     

Teaching physics to prospective elementary teachers: Bridging gaps or widening chasms

The education of prospective Elementary and Early Childhood (E&EC) teachers to teach science has been an on-going challenge for science teacher educators. Accordingly, a course in physical science was planned and implemented especially for prospective E&EC teachers. The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of the enacted curriculum and about the forces which constrained its evolution. Miller, the teacher of the course, had no prior experience in teaching prospective E&EC teachers and many of his experiences as a university level teacher were based on his teaching of physics majors. These experiences shaped his approach to teaching the course as did his years as a basketball coach. Miller was an expert in physics and constructed his role as teaching students significant scientific truths. Miller saw the purpose of the course as being to educate the students in science, not to prepare them to teach science. He was unwilling to address the goals of students that were oriented strongly toward becoming better teachers. The beliefs of the teacher constrained the enacted curriculum to an extent that gaps between the needs of students and the enacted curriculum were wider at the end of the course than they were at the beginning. Armstrong College In my opinion I think I failed completely, but I am quite happy with what I am trying to do. I just don't think I executed it well. So I was pretty unhappy with the whole experience in terms of the results, but I was not unhappy with the experience in terms of whether it was worth doing. I think it is important in science to develop free-thinking and being able to come to conclusions. Science is being able to reflect on the human condition, and being able to think about things you don't know about. (Miller)     

创新大数据、创新治理效能和数字化转型

愈加庞杂的国家创新体系的有效治理迫切需要借助现代科学的方法和手段来支撑，国家创新治理的数字化转型是实现国家创新治理能力现代化、推动创新型国家建设的有效选择。本文从创新治理数字化转型的实践背景与研究背景出发，从多元主体参与、科学性与透明性、精准性、效率、应对与风险防控能力5个维度深入剖析了大数据如何影响国家创新治理，同时从科技发展监测、预见和战略制定、项目与计划管理、活动行为刻画、政策演化和效果跟踪5个方面描述了大数据在国家创新治理体系中的应用情景。最后，就充分发挥利用大数据在创新治理中的作用、实现创新治理的数字化转型提出了相应建议：转变政府创新治理的理念和治理模式、建立多层次创新监测数据整合平台、打通部门间的多层级创新信息孤岛、推行和实施科技创新信息的公开化、建立完善的创新数据管理法规体系、加快推进新型数字基础设施建设。本文为进一步认识大数据在创新引领发展与国家治理体系现代化中的重要支撑作用提供依据。     

Improving science teaching practices

A review of research relating to the problem of using research findings to improve classroom practice is presented. There are two aspects to this problem: familiarizing teachers with relevant research and identifying an aspect of teaching that needs to be improved. Research conducted in local settings appears to have most relevance to teachers and is more likely to be accepted by them. Studies indicate that research can have an impact on practice as long as teachers are involved in identification of problems in their class and are provided with a context in which they can learn the strategies to be implemented and understand why they are likely to improve teaching. Teachers need opportunities to practice teaching in peer groups where errors can be made without jeopardizing student learning; receive performance feedback; practice the strategies in their own classes; observe others teach; and discuss teaching with others. Strategy analysis, coaching and peer coaching are techniques which enable most of these criteria to be met and to facilitate science teaching improvement.