Enhancing spatial skills of preschoolers from under-resourced backgrounds: A comparison of digital app vs. concrete materials

Spatial skills support STEM learning and achievement. However, children from low-socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds typically lag behind their middle- and high-SES peers. We asked whether a digital educational app—designed to mirror an already successful, spatial assembly training program using concrete materials—would be as effective for facilitating spatial skills in under-resourced preschoolers as the concrete materials. Three-year-olds (N = 61) from under-resourced backgrounds were randomly assigned to a business-as-usual control group or to receive 5 weeks of spatial training using either concrete, tangible materials or a digital app on a tablet. The spatial puzzles used were an extension of items from the Test of Spatial Assembly (TOSA). Preschoolers were pretested and posttested on new two-dimensional (2D) TOSA trials. Results indicate that both concrete and digital spatial training increased performance on the 2D-TOSA compared to the control group. The two trainings did not statistically differ from one another suggesting that educational spatial apps may be one route to providing early foundational skills to children from under-resourced backgrounds.     

Patriarchal influences on the lives of African adolescent girls from child-headed households

This study examined the gendered experiences of patriarchal family life by adolescent girls from a low socio-economic status (SES) neighbourhood in South Africa. The informants were nine girls from an urban setting, three of whom were from child-headed homes. The six others lived with extended family and served to provide typical experiences for girls from the same community. Data on the girls’ experience of patriarchal values were gathered using focus group discussions and a photo-voice booklet. Thematic analysis of the data suggested pervasive patriarchal value influences on the adolescent girls – including pressure from within themselves to prove their academic abilities, as well as being competent and responsible in daily living responsibilities. The informant girls perceived their greater educational aspirations to be discounted by their male peers, who did not seem to take them seriously.     

The role of educational psychologists in promoting ethical research conducted with children: an exploratory study

This study explored perceptions of educational psychologists on their role in promoting ethical research involving children. Participants were 10 South African educational psychologists (females = 60%; males = 40%) from mostly public services (90%). Data on their perceived roles in research ethics monitoring and implementation were collected through individual interviews and a brief questionnaire. The data were thematically analysed. Findings suggest that educational psychologists have a role in protecting children from harm during research participation while also monitoring benefits due to the children. A social justice perspective appears to explain the role of educational psychologists in research protection for children.     

Applicability of systems philosophy to the futuristic science of education: Dissident vistas

This dissertation is a futuristic exploration into “dissident vistas” in pedagogical science and, in fact, in human sciences in general. The scope of educational research is often narrowed and distorted by the sociopolitical needs of the established academic elite. The mainstream of the present tradition of pedagogical theory and research has failed to focus on the phenomenon of education as a whole in order to open new perspectives for its beneficial influence on the society. There has been, for decades now, a growing need for education to become a change agent —a strategic tool for serious search after goals and models relevant to the future progress of the human society. Proper new scientific attempts are necessary if education is to be seriously considered as such a change agent. It is the firm conviction of the author that any attitude of today's educationalists towards their work, other than that of serious obligation towards the future of mankind, would be ethically unsound. Certain ambiguity has always surrounded the concept of education: is education a whole system or is it a vague set of very different things (human aspirations, social conditions, intentional input, contextual circumstances, natural processes etc.)? This ambiguity must be reduced, if any explicit discussion of the role of education is sought. In pedagogical science, and indeed in most human sciences, there are very few ontological premises, and certainly no axioms, that the majority of scientists would generally agree on. Systematic ontological and epistemological study of the phenomenon of education is almost nonexistent. It is to this end that this research is hoped to contribute.     

课程体系改革是中医针灸学走向现代化的基础--中医针灸教育改革必须面向未来

中医针灸学的现代研究遇到了一定的困难,解决这些困难有研究思路方面的问题,有研究方法方面的问题,亦有对中医针灸学术本质方面的认识问题,等等.但总起来讲,这些问题都与认识主体的认识能力和认识水平有关.认识能力和认识水平主要是由知识结构所决定的,而知识结构可以说是课程体系的翻版,不同的课程体系决定着不同的知识结构和不同的教育目标.中医针灸学课程体系所存在的问题已严重制约了专业自身的发展,对其课程体系的改革已成为中医针灸学走向现代化的基础环节.     

Nonconcurrent Multiple Baseline Designs and the Evaluation of Educational Systems

Important findings are often a balance between the rigor of the experimental design and innovativeness of the experimental question. One broad topic area that has received a great deal of discussion, but little empirical study, is the evaluation of educational systems. Experimental designs that permit the analysis of practices used by state education agencies, local education agencies, and schools have the potential for yielding socially significant findings that could improve education. In this article we discuss the use of nonconcurrent multiple baseline designs as an option for studying the activities and effects of educational programs. Nonconcurrent multiple baseline designs stagger the timing of baseline-to-intervention changes across various entities, but the baselines and intervention phases are not contemporaneous across each of the tiers. Although considered less rigorous than concurrent multiple baseline designs, nonconcurrent designs have a degree of flexibility that may allow for their use in studying complex social contexts, such as educational settings, that might otherwise go unanalyzed.     

Evaluation of a Brief Group Based Psychological/Educational Treatment Programme for Women with an Iatrogenic Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Thirty-two women with an iatrogenic chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were assigned to a treatment or waiting list control group and completed the SF-36, GHQ30, Battles SE, and two in-house questionnaires. A series of mixed model ANOVAs indicated a significant Group × Time effect for SF-36 physical functioning (F = 9.01, p < .01) and a series of repeated measures ANOVAs (treatment group only) indicated a significant time effect for a sustained improvement in psychological well-being (F = 8.01, p < .01) at 3 months posttreatment. Furthermore, most women posttreatment felt more positive and informed about their illness, had more confidence, and reported a greater ability to control and cope with their lives. Psychological/educational treatment programmes show promise for increasing adjustment and coping in women with an iatrogenic HCV infection and may be modified for use in other HCV cohorts.     

小学生学习适应问题的整合性教育干预实验研究

运用专题辅导、个别咨询辅导和家庭间接辅导相结合的整合性教育干预模式提高小学生学习适应能力。实验结果表明：(1)整合性教育干预能有效提高小学生的学习适应性整体水平;(2)干预措施对学习适应低水平组学生的促进效果较为显着。     

The promotive effects of family educational involvement for low-income children's literacy

Longitudinal data for 167 low-income children were analyzed to examine associations between family educational involvement during kindergarten, children's feelings about literacy, and children's literacy achievement from kindergarten through fifth grade. The promotive effect of family educational involvement for feelings about literacy and literacy achievement was moderated by maternal education such that involvement was more positively associated with literacy outcomes for children whose mothers were less educated compared with children whose mothers were more educated. In addition, children's feelings about literacy mediated associations between family educational involvement and literacy achievement. Implications for intervention efforts are discussed.