Journal of Advances in Education Research

5

Authors: Rolf Erhardt, M. Eng., Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Schmitt

In the year 2002 Germany ratified the Lisbon Convention which contained the recognition of prior learning. After some changes in the state law on universities and colleges regarding the access to higher education it is now possible for people with advanced vocational training to access higher education. Furthermore, professional skills may be credited toward the study course. Usually, this recognition does not lead to a shortened duration of study. Aalen University developed a model in the area of engineering sciences with a reduced duration of study lasting 7 to 5 semesters. The first group recently graduated.

6

Authors: Jane Finn, Alexandra Hutchinson

The Friendship House is an establishment where students without disabilities live with same aged individuals with intellectual disabilities. After years of this side-by-side living, a standardized assessment entitled the Transition Planning Inventory (TPI) was given to all stakeholders including roommates with and without disabilities and the parents of individuals with disabilities. Outcomes showed those adult living skills that were satisfactory as well as areas of needed improvement for those individuals with disabilities. Results gleaned from this research will help determine and identify critical transition planning areas for the individuals with intellectual disabilities whose goal is to live independently.

10

Authors: Joseph M. Furner

Getting young people excited about mathematics is critical in our high-tech world. Teachers today need to encourage students to be confident in their ability to solve problems, to think and use their imaginations, to understand mathematical concepts, to be creative, and see math as a human endeavor. The author believes that as students feel less anxious about, and more confident in their abilities to do math their performance will improve. Math anxiety has become a growing concern in the United States as well as in many other countries around the globe. Educators need to address this alarming problem and work toward developing mathematically confident young people for a world where Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields dominate the globe. Using children’s literature and fairy tales to teach math may help in addressing the improvement of attitudes toward mathematics and help students to be more creative and imaginative in a world with endless possibilities and with advancing technologies. Bibliotherapy is also discussed.

11

Authors: Maria Cecilia Mollica, Hadinei Ribeiro Batista

In this paper, we discuss new possibilities for e-learning and studies on language from a virtual tool. We emphasize the use of computational tools for the creation and treatment of data in order to elucidate and put into thesis advantages and challenges from such methodology, especially in relation to textual production. This study is an experiment with the virtual tool Sabere1, designed specifically for the purpose of the research in thesis. Sabere was thought for pedagogical purpose, supporting e-learning and setting up cybercorporaii with fine-grained control of social variables. This tool, besides providing social services in education, allows the construction of corpora for different purposes and areas of knowledge. In this study, we will focus on research conducted in the field of language (especially those regarding social variables), particularly on studies on textual production and revision in different genres and text types. As an innovative goal, we seek to point out new guidelines in sociolinguistics, cognitive linguistics and policies on education, carrying out analysis on language and mind. Beyond this, we look forward to discussing new public policy on e-learning and academic research.

22

Authors: Billie Eilam, Dorit Reisfeld

Calls for school curricula to increase students’ exposure to complex systems are clearly warranted, given the topic’s learnability and the increasing prevalence of such systems. This study deepens our understanding of 16 ninth graders’ system thinking by identifying some cognitive aspects involved in the acquisition process while studying specially designed simulation-based curriculum for a full semester. Students manipulated two simulation-types: (a) providing a top-down view of the system behavior – based on the system dynamics model, and (b) providing a bottom-up view of the same system – based on the agent-based model. Contrasting these simulation outputs scaffold students’ ability to relate the system macro and micro levels. We focused on complex system conceptual knowledge (dynamic equilibrium) and diverse system thinking modes (stochastic or dynamic thinking) by examining students’ written and computerized products and pre-posttests results. A significant improvement in most students’ system thinking abilities has been found. Implications for school science instruction are discussed.

5

Authors: Dan Peterson

Every year thousands of successful foreign students attend American high schools, sponsored by many organizations. These students have experienced an education in two countries, so they have a specific, participatory knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of two very different systems. Using a survey designed for this study, the students in this study compared American high schools with the high schools in their home countries. Initially the foreign students rated their home high school higher than their American high school, but by the end of the school year, they rated American high schools higher than their home country high school. The results indicate many strengths of American schools and also indicate areas of improvement needed from this unique perspective of foreign students.

7

Authors: Karen Haley, Jean Henscheid, Becky Boesch, Lindsey Blem

Completing a graduate assistantship (GA) is one key experience that can provide both work experience and socialization to a career as well as provide financial assistance in exchange for services. This qualitative study explored the motivation of GAs through an “orientation to work” lens. The findings show that GAs exhibit a high extrinsic motivation (positive or negative) toward their work, and graduate administrative assistants exhibit a higher positive intrinsic motivation to work than graduate teaching assistants or graduate research assistants.

11

Authors: Georgios Stamelos, Georgios Aggelopoulos

This paper negotiates interdisciplinarity as a tool of European policy transfer. As a case study, it focuses on the master programs in the Greek University. Policy transfer theory is used as an analytical tool for exploring the results of research on interdisciplinary master programs funded by the European support framework for Greece. We try to focus on the role of policy makers on a national level and on the key actors on the local level (university). We argue that the policy makers create the necessary conditions by modifications to the legislative framework. The University and its key-actors have adopted interdisciplinarity as a supplementary institutional funding and with care so as not to disturb the internal institutional structure and its power relations. So, as Dolowitz & Marsh argue we observe hybrid construction for interdisciplinary master programs. This point is converse with Bomberg and Peterson's reasoning that «policy transfer does not occur by chance, but often produces unintended results.

7

Authors: Shin-Il Han

The purpose of this study is to analyze peer evaluation essays to determine what college students consider important when evaluating their peers in a PBL class. Discovering and comparing students’ comments regarding high achievers and low achievers during peer evaluation are the specific study objectives. Eleven students taking a class that utilized PBL participated in this study. The participants were tasked with submitting peer evaluation essays after the completion of PBL group activities. Each student was asked to first rank his or her peers and then to explain in essay form the reasons why he or she ranked them in that order. The analytic process for the peer evaluation essay involved qualitative research methods comprised of (1) examining every sentence in the students’ essays and classifying similar words or phrases into a provisional concept, (2) a review by an external educational expert, (3) and member-checking by participating students. Triangulation and member-checking were used for the validation of the study. Upon grouping the sentences in the peer evaluation essays according to similar meanings, words, or concepts, a convergence on 6 to 8 common factors emerged. Eight factors (participation, cognition, preparation, communication, leadership, responsibility, affectivity, skills) were observed when the criteria for the high achievers at peer evaluation were examined. Six factors (participation, cognition, preparation, communication, diligence, cooperation) were identified when the criteria for the low achievers at peer evaluation were analyzed. In addition, factors of cognition, leadership, and participation were most frequently and positively mentioned by students when evaluating high achievers within their groups, while participation and diligence were most frequently and negatively mentioned when evaluating low achievers. Based on the findings, various subject matters are discussed.

9

Authors: Donna E. Karno, Bethany W. Bilodeau

Formal and informal methods of communication between parents and teachers are considered critical to high quality early childhood classrooms that use developmentally appropriate practice (Clarke-Stewart & Allhusen, 2005; Copple & Bredekamp, 2009). With the increasing use of social media, communication methods are undergoing significant change throughout society (PewResearch, 2014b). This research explored the introduction of a secure social network site to a preschool classroom, and the impact the social network site had on teacher, child, and parent communication. The study found that for those parents who used the social network site, there was a deeper understanding of “what went on” in the classroom. Parents who participated in the social network site also reported sharing the pictures and videos with their children, and aiding in parentchild discussion about the class. For non-participating parents, there was a decrease in their perception that teachers were providing detail and information regarding their child’s day. For the participating and non-participating parents, there was no increase in collaboration levels. The social network site succeeded in bringing the classroom to parents in a manner not previously possible.

12

Authors: Jess L. Gregory, Tisha A. McCoy, Michelle F. Baker, Amy L. Fedigan

Students with mild to moderate disabilities are included in classes whether or not the teacher holds the necessary attitudes to help that student achieve success. This research seeks to present four perspectives on how leaders at different levels can use the same information regarding educator attitudes towards inclusion to promote student learning and encourage professional development in the settings in which they lead. Districts, schools, and individual leaders can change pedagogical practice through assessing educator attitudes, providing differentiated professional development, and establishing policies that support inclusive education.