International fieldschool reciprocity: using a whole-of-university approach to create positive change in Northern Uganda     

Paul G. Munro  James T. Dhizaala  Stella Apecu Laloyo  Sebastian Oguti Oswin  Sarah Walker 《高等教育研究与发展》2019,38(7):1461-1474

ABSTRACT

International fieldschools to developing countries have become an important component of the university curriculum because they provide experiential learning and research skills, while also contributing a range of soft skills such as resilience, empathy, resourcefulness, critical thinking, and cross-cultural communication. Yet, with the increasing popularity of ‘developing world’ fieldschools, an ever-more pertinent question to ask is, cui bono? Who benefits when relatively ‘privileged’ students from wealthy countries travel to visit ‘underprivileged’ communities in poorer parts of the world? In this article, we contribute to the discussion about fieldschool reciprocity using data from a newly established program in Northern Uganda, established as part of the University of New South Wales’ UNSW2025 strategy. We show that a whole-of-university approach has significant benefits for staff and students from both institutions, more diffuse benefits for the wider Ugandan host community, as well as the potential to create synergies to leverage community transformation. We also look at challenges that include: power differentials, uncertainty in the field environment, sustainability, and the ability to maintain collaborative equity between institutions over the long term.  相似文献   

Exploring the relationship between physics-related epistemological beliefs and physics understanding     

Christina Stathopoulou  Stella Vosniadou 《Contemporary educational psychology》2007

Three studies are reported that investigated the relationship between secondary school students’ physics-related epistemological beliefs and physics conceptual understanding. Study 1 involved the development of a Greek Epistemological Beliefs Evaluation Instrument for Physics (GEBEP) which was administered to 394 students (10th graders). Study 2 investigated the hypothesis that physics epistemological sophistication as measured by the GEBEP is a good predictor of physics understanding. The participants were selected from the 394 students who participated in Study 1. More specifically we selected the 10% (38) students with the highest scores in the GEBEP (high epistemological sophistication group, HES) and the 10% (38) students with the lowest GEBEP scores (low epistemological sophistication group, LES) and measured their understanding of Newton’s three laws using the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation instrument (FMCE) developed by Thornton and Sokoloff (1998). The results showed that the HES group had significantly higher scores in the FMCE than the LES group. Regression analysis showed that beliefs regarding the Construction and Stability of physics knowledge and the Structure of physics knowledge were good predictors of physics understanding. Study 3 re-examined the same hypothesis on a new independent sample of students. The results based on the entire sample, showed again that beliefs regarding the Construction and Stability of physics knowledge predicted physics understanding. Overall, the results suggest that sophisticated physics-related epistemological beliefs are necessary but not sufficient for physics understanding and point to the importance of taking them into consideration in physics education.  相似文献   

Conceptual Change from the Framework Theory Side of the Fence     

Stella Vosniadou  Irini Skopeliti 《Science & Education》2014,23(7):1427-1445

We describe the main principles of the framework theory approach to conceptual change and briefly report on the results of a text comprehension study that investigated some of the hypotheses that derive from it. We claim that children construct a naive physics which is based on observation in the context of lay culture and which forms a relatively coherent conceptual system—i.e., a framework theory—that can be used as a basis for explanation and prediction of everyday phenomena. Learning science requires fundamental ontological, epistemological, and representational changes in naive physics. These conceptual changes take a long time to be achieved, giving rise to fragmentation and synthetic conceptions. We also argue that both fragmentation and synthetic conceptions can be explained to result from learners’ attempts assimilate scientific information into their existing but incompatible naive physics.  相似文献   

The Effects of Mass Media Use and Social Capital on Civic and Political Participation     

Weiwu Zhang  Stella C. Chia 《Communication Studies》2013,64(3):277-297

More recently, many scholars have lamented the decline of social capital, civic and political participation in American society. This study attempts to clarify the concept of social capital and its major components. We differentiate two dimensions of social capital: trust and social connectedness. In addition, we investigate the differential effects of a full range of media use on civic and political participation.

Analysis of data from a telephone survey in Clarksville, Tennessee in 2002 showed that people's social connectedness enhances both civic and political participation. Time spent in reading newspaper and watching public affairs on television was positively correlated with political participation whereas frequency of Internet use and entertainment TV viewing was not. The results also showed no correlation between media use and civic participation. Implications of the findings for future research on democratic citizenship were discussed.  相似文献   

The impact of the hybrid library on strategic management     

Clare Nankivell  Pete Dalton  Stella Thebridge  Andrew Hampson 《New Review of Academic Librarianship》2013,19(1):51-64

This paper examines in detail one aspect of the eLib funded BUILDER hybrid library project ‐ the impact of the BUILDER Project on strategic management within the University of Birmingham. Data was collected from senior managers at the outset and end of the Project to explore their changing views on the concept of the hybrid library and its development, and to identify the extent to which the BUILDER Project had influenced their thinking. Although BUILDER was considered to be having an impact on many Schools, social, political and technological developments in the wider arena were having the most impact. It was acknowledged that the services and technologies developed through the Project would be valuable in supporting the transition towards a hybrid environment, and had worked consistently to do this. The paper sets this data within the broader context of factors influencing change in university strategic management over the past five years.  相似文献   

Book reviews     

Stella Lee 《Open Learning》2013,28(2):207-214

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Early Childhood Education and Care Content for the Social Work Curriculum     

Joy Pastan Greenberg  Robert Herman-Smith  Susan F. Allen  Maryah Stella Fram 《Journal of Teaching in Social Work》2013,33(3):308-324

Social workers are poised to play an important role in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings; however, they need the knowledge and skills necessary to make a meaningful contribution. This article presents learning activities that infuse ECEC content, centered on the following four areas for social work education: (1) history of the profession, (2) observation of current practice, (3) culturally competent service delivery, and (4) advocacy to enhance social justice. Through this infusion of content, social work educators can better prepare their students for the growing field of ECEC practice and for social work practice more broadly.  相似文献   

Classification Consistency and Accuracy With Atypical Score Distributions     

Stella Y. Kim  Won-Chan Lee 《Journal of Educational Measurement》2020,57(2):286-310

The current study aims to evaluate the performance of three non-IRT procedures (i.e., normal approximation, Livingston-Lewis, and compound multinomial) for estimating classification indices when the observed score distribution shows atypical patterns: (a) bimodality, (b) structural (i.e., systematic) bumpiness, or (c) structural zeros (i.e., no frequencies). Under a bimodal distribution, the normal approximation procedure produced substantially large bias. For a distribution with structural bumpiness, the compound multinomial procedure tended to introduce larger bias. Under a distribution with structural zeroes, the relative performance of selected estimation procedures depended on cut score location and the sample-size conditions. In general, the differences in estimation errors among the three procedures were not substantially large.  相似文献   

Transitions,transformations and finding success. A phenomenological analysis of the experiences of a doctoral student in early candidature     

Edwin Creely  Stella Laletas 《高等教育研究与发展》2020,39(3):439-453

ABSTRACT

This article examines and analyses the authentic experiences of a doctoral student, Kate, in the period just prior to Confirmation, an academic milestone in the Australian doctoral education context. The article uses qualitative phenomenological inquiry as the methodology and employs ideas drawn from the writings of hermeneutical phenomenologist, Paul Ricoeur, especially his notions of narrative, self, time, and human agency. These ideas are utilised in order to ‘get inside’ the constructions of self, the strategies of learning and adaptation, and the experiences of being a doctoral candidate within the milieu of an Australian university education faculty. The writers argue that such a close and personal examination of experience and a hermeneutical approach to analysis is important for a deep understanding about how Kate negotiated her way through the hurdles of early candidature and adapted her life and identities towards success. Particular focus is given to Kate’s experiences of transition and change and the formation of her academic identity that emerged out of these experiences, which led to successful negotiation of this early period of candidature. The research findings reported in this article suggest that Kate’s deep reflexivity, enjoyment of her research and sense of her own well-being as a doctoral student are significant for her perseverance through difficult milestones and ultimately her successful completion of her PhD.  相似文献   

Improving pre-laboratory preparation of first year university chemistry students     

Marissa Rollnick  Stella Zwane  Mina Staskun  Sandra Lotz  Gail Green 《International Journal of Science Education》2013,35(10):1053-1071

This study uses an action research approach to investigate how different modes of pre-laboratory preparation contribute towards a fruitful laboratory experience for first year students on an access programme. We considered the experience to be fruitful if the students successfully acquired procedural understanding, communicative competence and were able to apply the conceptual understanding to make the purpose of the labs meaningful. A group of students was observed by participant observers during 1996. Data was gathered during laboratory sessions and from written pre-laboratory work. These data were analysed and changes were instituted in the running and conceptualization of the laboratory in the subsequent year. A group of students was again observed and data collected. Two important factors emerged from the analysis of the data. One finding was the importance of adequate student preparation for the laboratories, regardless of the mode of preparation employed. Another was that the ability to prepare depended on the conceptual and procedural understanding of the laboratory as a whole. Preparedness is also important if conceptual benefit is to be obtained from the practical experience.  相似文献