Teachers’ self-efficacy and intercultural classroom practices in diverse classroom contexts: A cross-national comparison

This cross-national study provides new insights in teacher efficacy in today’s culturally diverse classrooms using survey data of 269 early childhood and primary school teachers in England, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. Teacher efficacy can be viewed as a two dimensional concept in which both general beliefs are measured alongside (diversity-related) domain-specific beliefs. These beliefs are related to the cultural classroom context and the use of intercultural classroom practices. Our results indicate that policies and professional development targeted at the reciprocal relation between diversity-related efficacy and practices are important when preparing teachers for working in diverse classroom contexts.     

加强对大学英语学习弱势群体的关注

本文把第四学期CET - 4成绩在 4 9.5分以下的非英语专业本科生称为大学英语学习的弱势群体。统计了这部分学生的数量 ;分析了这个群体产生和形成的主要原因 ;提出了帮助这部分学生走出英语学习困境的建议以及改变现状的具体措施。     

我国电子资源引进的发展策略研究

针对电子资源采购的国际发展动态 ,分析我国电子资源引进的现状 ,根据电子资源自身的类型和特点 ,提出多元化、分层次引进电子资源的构想 ,并根据我国的实际情况提出相应的对策     

Exploring Verbal,Visual and Schematic Learners' Static and Dynamic Mental Images of Scientific Species and Processes in Relation to Their Spatial Ability

The current study compared different learners’ static and dynamic mental images of unseen scientific species and processes in relation to their spatial ability. Learners were classified into verbal, visual and schematic. Dynamic images were classified into: appearing/disappearing, linear-movement, and rotation. Two types of scientific entities and their related processes were investigated: astronomical and microscopic. The sample included 79 female students from Grades 9 and 10. For the purpose of the study, three instruments were used. The Mental Images by Guided Imagery instrument was designed to investigate participants' visualization of static and dynamic mental images. The Water-Level Task was adopted to estimate participants' spatial ability. The Learning Styles Inventory was used to classify participants into verbal, visual and schematic learners. The research findings suggest that schematic learners outperformed verbal and visual learners in their spatial ability. They also outperformed them in their vividness of microscopic images; both micro-static and micro-dynamic images; especially in the case of appearing/disappearing images. The differences were not significant in the case of astronomical images. The results also indicate that appearing/disappearing images received the least vividness scores for all three types of learners.     

Evaluating Growth for ELL Students: Implications for Accountability Policies

In recent years, many U.S. states have introduced growth models as part of their educational accountability systems. Although the validity of growth‐based accountability models has been evaluated for the general population, the impact of those models for English language learner (ELL) students, a growing segment of the student population, has not received sufficient attention. We evaluated three commonly used growth models: value tables or transition matrices, projection models, and student growth percentiles (SGP). The value table model identified more ELL students as on track to proficiency, but with lower accuracy for ELL students. The projection and SGP models were more accurate overall, but classified the fewest ELL students as on track and were less likely to identify ELL students who would later be proficient. We found that each model had significant trade‐offs in terms of the decisions made for ELL students. These findings should be replicated in additional state contexts and considered in the development of future growth‐based accountability policies.     

从《说文解字》看中国先民的审美意识

以许慎《说文解字》中与审美范畴相关的字词解说为对象，从汉字文化学的角度，在饮食审美意识、人体审美意识两大方面考察了中国先民的审美意识。考察结论：中国先民审美意识既具有多样性又具有和谐性。     

Pedagogical practices of NetNZ teachers for supporting online distance learners

A supportive online learning environment entails teachers using effective pedagogical practices to meet the needs of their students and developing a positive teacher–student relationship to foster learner motivation and engagement. This paper reports a study investigating how 32 secondary teachers in New Zealand taught their online distance classes and how they related to their students. These classes were administered by NetNZ, an online distance education community. An online survey conducted in 2016 found that NetNZ teachers used inquiry-based practices including flipped learning and knowledge-building pedagogies to support agency, autonomy, collaboration, and community development. They also used synchronous and asynchronous communication technologies to overcome barriers of relationship building in online settings. NetNZ was unique in delivering distance education in the New Zealand context in that it used a community approach to encourage a more active participation of its member schools and teachers in delivering distance courses to secondary students.     

基于远程学习者个体需求的教学策略探究

远程教学是建立在信息技术和学习者学习需求基础上的教学,在具体的教学过程中采用什么样的教学策略,不仅要看技术条件和学科特点,更重要的是要看学习者的实际需求。本文在分析了远程学习者特征和学习需求的基础上,着力探讨了网络环境下基于学习者个体需求的教学策略。在宏观上提出了三种比较可行的教学策略,即资源性教学策略、非系统性教学策略和服务性教学策略。     

英语请求语用发展研究──以探询型请求子策略之选择为例

通过语篇补全测试,调查中国英语学习者对探询型请求子策略的选择。结果发现：学习者在请求主体策略选择上呈现与英语母语者相同的序列;学习者在请求子策略选择上存在过多或不当使用某些情态词,某些话句类型使用单一的情况;角色指向性的选择上,以听话者为指向的比率较高。这些特点表明文化间既具有相通性也存在文化相异,需要在教学中积极开展明示语用教学,重视学生语言能力的培养。