Journal of Advances in Education Research

4

Authors: Xu Yifei

With the promotion of economic globalization, cultural diversity, market economy and social transformation, the subject, object, form and organization of voluntary services also change gradually. By measures like conducting matrix management, building two-way information platform and offering professional courses, a long-term voluntary service mechanism is established, which can be used as reference in dealing with the new problems brought by such revolution.

6

Authors: Fang Hongfeng

From the application of new media in learning, this paper divides new media learning into two categories: application in traditional classroom and network learning, and expounds the changes brought about by the development of science and technology to the two types of learning modes and the current situation of new media learning. It predicts the possibility of new media network education extending from online learning to online self-study, then to academic education, as well as the possibility of adaptive learning, and the change of learning style theory under the influence of new media and network development.

8

Authors: Qin Xu, Lili Yan

Based on the Involvement Load Hypothesis and from the perspective of involvement load and task type of the task design, this study aims to investigate the effects of task-induced involvement and different task types on incidental vocabulary acquisition in senior high school students. In this study, three parallel classes of Grade 10 from a senior high school in Xin County are selected as participants and they are divided as three parallel treatment groups assigned with three different reading tasks respectively. The three tasks are multiple choice questions after reading comprehension, gap-filling after looking up target words in the dictionary, and answering related questions with original sentences. Upon finishing the tasks, an immediate vocabulary test and a delayed vocabulary test one week later are carried out. Both quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis are applied to analyze the data collected. Major research findings are presented below: (1) Reading tasks with higher involvement loads generally lead to better initial word gains and delayed word gains than tasks with lower involvement loads but both fail to bring about satisfying retention effect of vocabulary. (2) With the same involvement load, there is no significant difference between the effect of the interpretive task and the productive task on immediate word acquisition while as for the effect on word retention, the productive task appears much superior to the interpretive task. The results of the present experiment partially supported the Involvement Load Hypothesis. Meanwhile, some pedagogical implications were suggested to improve vocabulary teaching in senior high school.

12

Authors: Guan Junyan

This study was designed to compare the similarities and differences between Chinese and the UK’s primary school teachers’ approaches to discipline problems. It also investigated the factors that influence the teachers’ choices on different aspects of discipline. Moreover, the study was to discuss the reasons that cause the similarities and differences between the two countries. Questionnaires were carried out with 75 teachers working for the different primary schools as well as 45 teachers in the UK’s primary schools. Findings showed that factors such as different teaching subject, teaching experience, the characteristics of class of teacher teach and individuals and so on may influence teachers’ choices on solving discipline problems. There are many similarities and differences on the different aspect on teachers’ approaches on discipline in China and the UK, but similarities are more than differences. The beliefs of children and children’s behaviours, globalization, culture, education system and practice situation in two countries may cause the similarities and the differences. The implications of these findings are that teachers should pay attention to students’ self-esteem and treat the solution of punishment in the right way.

5

Authors: Hu Qiyun

As a term frequently used in psychology, psycholinguistics, cognitive science, anthropology, and artificial science, Schema (plural schemata or schemas) means “an active organization of past reactions, or of past experiences, which must always be supposed to be operating in any well-adapted organic response.” (Bartlett, 1932, P.201). Given the consideration that few work has been conducted to analyze interpreting process from the perspective of schema theory, the article discusses the major kinds of schemata used in interpreting: linguistic schemata, content schemata and formal schemata and studies the effectiveness of each schemata in the interpreting process. Press Conferences of "two sessions" (of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)) are the main source of interpreting instances, which are considered to be closer to the real interpreting process. The article aims at elaborating the effectiveness of schema in interpreting process, and hopefully, to inspire people to utilize schema theory in interpreting spontaneously.

10

Authors: Sebastian Herbert Hoefer, Jan Mrosek, Jonas Lorenz, Jonas Lorenz, Bernd Bender, Marius Theis, Jasmina Sterz, Christina Stefanescu, Miriam Ruesseler, Robert Sader

Background: One of the greatest challenges in education is ensuring all students acquire competencies and retain those competencies over a long period of time. At the same time, the correct execution of practical skills is highly necessary. This study investigates the role of feedback reception stemming from teaching associates. Materials and Methods: All fourth year dental students at a German university who completed their internship in cmf-surgery participated. The students were randomized into two groups. Student’s competency directly after intervention and three months after the training was measured. Results: A total of 39 students were included. At both time points, the intervention group performed significantly better than the control group (p = <.001). Conclusion: The integration of teaching associates to instruct complex practical skills, has a significant positive effect on retaining transferred information on a short- and long-term basis

10

Authors: Michael J. Tews, Kelly Frager, Ashley I. Citarella, Robert M. Orndorff

As societal norms continue to evolve, it is not altogether clear what constitutes proper interviewing etiquette today. With a sample of 290 recruiters across three industry segments (business, education and social services, and science and technology), the present study sought to determine what interviewing etiquette practices recruiters value. Among a pool of 20 items, our findings highlight that recruiters most highly value being on time for the interview, shaking hands properly, and exhibiting a neat and professional appearance. At the same time, there was a fair amount of variability in recruiters’ values regarding handwritten thank you notes, the use of slang, and exhibiting tattoos. Furthermore, there were significant differences across the three industry segments.

15

Authors: Eric Pappas, Rosealie Lynch, Jesse Pappas, Mariah Chamberlin

Some of the greatest thinkers of our time have argued that among the most valuable human skills is the ability to change one’s self at will. In the two studies described here, we address questions about the purpose, practice, and consequences of an immersive, week-long intentional selfdevelopment project intended to produce durable and lasting positive changes in the self. The objective of the current research was to examine the immediate and longer-term effects of an original self-development intervention that uses cognitive dissonance (the tension produced by the lack of alignment between one’s values and behaviors) to motivate and sustain a series of intentional changes made in the service of becoming one’s “ideal self” across all life contexts for one full week. Our results show promising evidence that the methodology we have developed leads to students’ progress in the areas of awareness, motivation, and intentional self-development.

5

Authors: Chelsea K. Smith, John R. Slate

In this study, the percentages of female faculty at Texas 4-year public universities for the 2003 and 2014 academic years were examined to determine the degree to which changes might have occurred over time. Archival data were retrieved from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Full Professor faculty positions at Texas 4- year universities. Inferential statistical procedures revealed the presence of statistically significant differences was between the percentages of female faculty in each of the three positions between the 2003 and 2014 academic years. A statistically significant higher percentage of female faculty members was present in the 2014 academic year than in the 2003 academic year. Interestingly, the percentage of female faculty members at the Full Professor position increased by 9.46% over this time period, compared to an increase of only 4.15% at the Assistant Professor level, and an increase of only 4.04% at the Associate Professor level. Based on these percentages increase, female faculty members at the entry level rank of Assistant Professors were not increasing at the same rate as female Full Professors, which indicates a gap in the pipeline of professorship for female faculty. Discussion and policy recommendations to address this gap are discussed in this study.

11

Authors: M.Chad Jones, John R. Slate, Cynthia Martinez-Garcia, George W. Moore

In this empirical statewide investigation, the degree to which grade span configuration was related to the academic achievement of boys and girls in Texas public schools was addressed. Specifically analyzed were two grade span configurations (i.e., Pre-K/K-Grade 6/7/8 and Grades 6/7- Grade 12) and the reading and mathematics performance of Grade 6, 7, and 8 boys and girls for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years. Although statistically significant differences were present in only two reading analyses, higher passing rates in reading were present in the elemiddle grade span configuration than in the secondary configuration in all 12 analyses. For the TAKS Mathematics passing rates, 11 of the 12 analyses revealed statistically significant differences, with small to moderate effect sizes.

12

Authors: Madeleine Kapinga-Mutatayi, Pierre Mukendi, Jan Elen

Learning outcomes are mostly determined by students’ approaches to learning (SAL). The Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) is one of the most used instruments assessing SAL. Researchers from various contexts have either validated or used the SPQ. A few studies in African contexts have investigated its psychometrics properties or used it as such. However, none of them – to the best of our knowledge –stem from a French African context. The current paper fills this gap by exploring the reliability and the validity of the R-SPQ-2F (SPQ revised version) in a Congolese setting. In line with the original findings, the main scales (Deep and Surface) were found to be acceptably reliable whereas the subscales reliability was questioned. At the dimension level, the construct validity was confirmed though items-based analysis showed disappointing results. The results also revealed a positive correlation between both main scales. Findings are discussed for further investigations.

8

Authors: Karen Russell Randall, Danita Eatman, Ashley Kennedy Mitchell, MSPH, Meryl McNeal

New students are often challenged with the transition from undergraduate to graduate school. To enhance student progress and success, Learning Communities (LCs) were established at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) in 2012. The LC’s purpose is to form a supportive learning environment that encourages student connectivity to faculty and peers and promotes graduate school completion. Students were divided into LCs by degree programs and then further divided into stages. Year 1 sessions focused on topics related to students’ transition from undergraduate to graduate school. Sessions were faculty-facilitated and student led, with 2 peer mentors. Students completed assessments at individual sessions, mid-year, and end of year. Data from Academic Years 2012-2015 indicated 100% of PhD 1 LC respondents and 82% of MSBR 1 LC respondents report participating in Learning Communities was an overall good/outstanding experience. Based on preliminary data, more students are meeting degree requirements on the designated timeline.

9

Authors: Eric A. Worch, Emilio Duran, Lena Ballone Duran, Jacob N. Burgoon

Science teacher educators need to formatively assess preservice teachers’ understanding of the components of an effective science classroom in order to provide remediation before they assume primary responsibility for instruction. The Beliefs About Learning Environments (BALE) instrument has been used in a number of studies to assess knowledge of effective classrooms among preservice teachers, inservice teachers, principals, students, and parents. Interestingly, however, the results showed only small differences in knowledge among the various groups surveyed. We hypothesized that a different means of administration (focus group instead of pencil paper) would produce a stronger relationship between the amount of experience teachers have learning about and teaching inquiry approaches and their knowledge of effective learning environments. We compared the BALE results from a group of senior early childhood majors with those from a group of newly-graduated early childhood majors who participated in a year-long professional development project focused on inquiry science teaching.

12

Authors: Judith Lapidot Berman, Esther Firstater

This paper describes the results of a quantitative research study, pre and post design, conducted in a multicultural teachers' college in Israel, with the purpose of investigating differences between student-teachers who completed a “Human Sexuality” course and a control group, which did not. Three variables were examined: knowledge, attitudes concerning different aspects of human sexuality and self-efficacy to deal with sex education. The main findings of the research indicate a significant increase in knowledge and self-efficacy of the students, both Jews and Arabs, in the research group, but not in the control group. Attitudes were more progressive in the research group after the course, but did not change in the control group.

14

Authors: Benjamin Mark Bostick, John R. Slate

Differences in reading, mathematics, and writing achievement of Grade 7 students as a function of mobility were examined with and without controls for economic status in this investigation. Data were obtained from the Texas Education Agency Public Education Information Management System for the 2002-2003 through the 2007-2008 school years. Statistically significant differences were revealed in reading, mathematics, and writing test scores as a function of student mobility, both when controlling for and not controlling for economic status. Mobile students had statistically significantly lower reading, mathematics, and writing test scores than did non-mobile students for all 6 school years. Implications for policy and practice and suggestions for future research were made.