Online Versus in the Classroom: Student Success in a Hands-On Lab Class     

Ron Reuter 《The American journal of distance education》2013,27(3):151-162

Abstract

This study compares learning success of online and on-campus students in a general education soil science course with lab and field components. Two terms of students completed standardized pre- and postassessments designed to test knowledge and skills from the lecture and lab content of the course. There was no difference in overall grade or lab assignment grades between course formats. Online students outperformed on-campus students on the preassessment in the first term and on the post-assessment in the second term; the two populations scored the similarly for the other assessments. Online students showed a 42% grade improvement from pre- to post-assessment; on-campus students had a 21% improvement. Online students also showed better learning success in lab-related knowledge and skills based on individual assessment questions. The students in both populations successfully met the learning objectives for this lab- and field-based science course.  相似文献   

The disposition toward critical thinking of high school and university science students: an interintra Israeli-Italian Study     

Uri Zoller  David Ben-Chaim  SaliT. Ron  Raffaele Pentimalli  SovrintendenzA. Scolastica  Mura S. Chiara 《International Journal of Science Education》2013,35(6):571-582

The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) was used to assess the disposition of Israeli and Italian high school and university science students toward critical thinking. The study sought to establish base-lines for these groups as well as quantifying the differences between two national populations. Significant differences between the Israeli and Italian high school science students in the total score and those of five subscales of the CCTDI have been found, the largest on the OpenMindedness and Self-Confidence subscales. The overall scores of high school and university science students on the CCTDI in both countries were essentially the same, with quite a similar pattern in the corresponding disposition profiles. Although the CCTDI can be reliably used for establishing base-line differences between science student populations, the effect of a specific approach to teaching (e.g. HOCS-orientation vs traditional) on the stability or change of this aspect of critical thinking remains an open question.  相似文献   

Can Schools Change? I. Outcomes at Six London Secondary Schools     

Barbara Maughan  Andrew Pickles  Michael Rutter  Janet Ouston 《School Effectiveness & School Improvement》2013,24(3):188-210

Abstract

Much work on school effectiveness has been based on cross‐sectional comparisons between schools. Longitudinal studies of schools over time may complement this approach. Changes in both school practice and pupil outcomes were monitored in a five year study of change in six London secondary schools. This paper reports on changes in outcomes, illustrating marked improvements in some areas. A companion paper (Ouston, Maughan & Rutter, in press) explores associated changes in school practice.  相似文献   

Addressing the Lack of Measurement Invariance for the Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution     

Amy Wagler  Ron Wagler 《International Journal of Science Education》2013,35(13):2278-2298

The Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) was constructed to be a single-factor instrument that assesses an individual's overall acceptance of evolutionary theory. The MATE was validated and the scores resulting from the MATE were found to be reliable for the population of inservice high school biology teachers. However, many studies have utilized the MATE for different populations, such as university students enrolled in a biology or genetics course, high school students, and preservice teachers. This is problematic because the dimensionality and reliability of the MATE may not be consistent across populations. It is not uncommon in science education research to find examples where scales are applied to novel populations without proper assessment of the validity and reliability. In order to illustrate this issue, a case study is presented where the dimensionality of the MATE is evaluated for a population of non-science major preservice elementary teachers. With this objective in mind, factor analytic and item response models are fit to the observed data to provide evidence for or against a one-dimensional latent structure and to detect which items do not conform to the theoretical construct for this population. The results of this study call into question any findings and conclusions made using the MATE for a Hispanic population of preservice teachers and point out the error of assuming invariance across substantively different populations.  相似文献   

Joining Forces for Families: an embedded response to neighborhood poverty     

Michael Bruce  Ron Chance  Laurie Meulemans 《International journal of qualitative studies in education》2013,26(6):750-756

The authors reflect on how they, as social work practitioners, support the school systems in supporting homeless youth and families. They emphasize the importance of relationships and trust in working with this vulnerable population. The reflexive vignettes highlight the challenges and success of developing community-based programming for homeless and highly mobile students.  相似文献   

A Helping Relationship Experience in Teacher Education,     

Newell T. Gill  Roy King  Ron G. Wilburn 《Journal of Experimental Education》2013,81(2):24-33

The helping relationship experience was explored as a means of insuring greater rapport with children. A sample of 82 junior and senior education students participated for a minimum of two hours/week for approximately eight weeks. Of this group, some were involved with white children; another group with Negro children and a third group served as control. Groups were pre- and post-tested on selected personality variables felt to be necessary for the establishment of good rapport. A complex analysis of variance design was used in analyzing the data. Females and “liberals” scored significantly higher on the MTAI than males or “traditionalists.” Failure to find other evidence of a significant effect on the experimental groups was attributed to insufficient duration and/or intensity of the treatment.  相似文献   

Changing a discipline in universities and a subject in schools: British geography in the 1950s–1970s     

Ron Johnston 《History of education》2013,42(5):682-699

Geography emerged as an academic discipline in British universities in response to demands for trained teachers of the subject in the country’s burgeoning secondary schools and their curricula formed a seamless transition from one to the other. In the 1960s a major shift in the nature of the academic discipline – often termed the ‘quantitative and theoretical revolutions’ – created a breach between the two, but there were demands from within the university sector for changes to the school subject so that a new seamless transition could be instated. This essay charts the nature of those changes and how they were brought about by the key actors, both individual and institutional. Having created that apparent unity, subsequent changes saw the two educational sectors drift apart, although recent developments have sought to reinstate stronger links.  相似文献   

Exercise‐induced muscle cramp: A prospective biochemical study in marathon runners     

R.J. Maughan 《Journal of sports sciences》2013,31(1):31-34

Exercise‐induced muscle cramp has been considered to result from disturbances of fluid and electrolyte balance resulting from excessive sweat loss. Serum biochemical and haematological measurements were made on 82 male marathon runners before and after a 42.2‐km race. Fifteen (18%) of the runners reported an attack of muscle cramp which occurred after 35 ± 6 km (mean±s.d.) had been covered. These subjects were not different from the others in terms of racing performance or training status. Serum electrolyte concentrations, including sodium and potassium, were not different between those suffering from cramp and those not so affected either before or after the race, although a significant (P< 0.001) increase in serum sodium concentration occurred in both groups. Serum bicarbonate concentrations fell to the same extent (from 28 to 24 mmol 1^‐1) in both groups. Significant decreases in plasma volume, calculated from the changes in circulating haemoglobin and haemotocrit, occurred in both groups of subjects, but there was no difference in the extent of the haemoconcentration. The results suggest that exercise‐induced muscle cramp may not be associated with gross disturbances of fluid and electrolyte balance.  相似文献   

Professional Issues: Questioning the Use of Alcoholics Anonymous With College Students: Is an Old Concept the Only Alternative for a New Generation?     

Ron Vick 《Journal of College Counseling》2000,3(2):158-167

The recommended treatment for alcoholism in the past typically has been participation in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). However, the use of AA on college campuses has not been proven effective. With a new generation comes the opportunity to rethink this approach to the problem of alcohol abuse on campuses and to incorporate new methods in counseling practice with young adults.  相似文献   

Becoming Qualitative Researchers: A Collaborative Approach to Faculty Development     

Ron W. Wilhelm  Madge T. Craig  Rebecca J. Glover  Diane D. Allen  Jane B. Huffman 《Innovative Higher Education》2000,24(4):265-278

Five junior scholars, representing two departments and four program areas in the College of Education at the University of North Texas, committed themselves to a long-term, systematic, research-based learning program in order to further their knowledge and skills as qualitative researchers. In this essay, this community of learners describes their collaborative efforts to develop more effective skills in one method of qualitative research, in-depth, oral history interviewing. Through their cross-discipline, research-based, faculty development model, the authors offer helpful direction to other higher education faculty who seek to improve their ability to conduct and also to guide students in qualitative investigations.  相似文献