Authors:Didem Inel Ekici Pages: 27 - 40 Abstract: This explanatory research uses a mixed method design to investigate the effect of using an online community of practice within teaching practices on science and math pre-service teachers’ teaching self-efficacy beliefs. 102 science and math pre-service teachers participated in the research. “Teaching Self-Efficacy Belief Scale” and “The Questionnaire on Opinions about Using Online Communities of Practice within Teaching Practices” were the data collection tools of the study. Results showed that online communities of practice affected pre-service teachers’ teaching self-efficacy beliefs significantly and positively. Qualitative data of the research also supported this positive change. Science and math pre-service teachers mentioned several benefits of online communities of practice, such as sharing, recognizing common problems, freely expressing themselves, making comparison, realizing their shortcomings, and benefiting from the experiences of others. However, research findings also showed that online communities of practice have some limitations such as the lack of expressions of sincerity, the need for internet access, the need for additional time, and anxiety when it comes to criticism. PubDate: 2018-03-01 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-017-9511-8 Issue No:Vol. 19, No. 1 (2018)
Authors:Sunny Xinchun Niu; Guofang Wan Pages: 63 - 78 Abstract: The Chinese government has implemented a series of special admission policies in recent years to increase access to elite universities for disadvantaged students from rural areas and less developed inland regions. Using administrative data of 1996–2015 freshman cohorts and survey data of a 2014 freshman cohort at X University in the eastern China, we empirically assess the effectiveness, and the dual concerns of equity and efficiency of these policies. Findings show that these policies have effectively changed the geographic composition of enrollees at X University toward higher proportions of students from the central and western regions and lower share of the local students. While students from the western region underperformed academically, urban students in this region caught up quickly. Low family SES and weak academic preparation largely explained why rural students from the western region underperformed. Importantly, compared with the local students who scored lower in college entrance exam—the proxy for likely displaced students because of the policies, the likely admission policy beneficiaries performed about equally well. These results indicate that the current practice of Chinese special admission policies has effectively promoted equal access to Chinese elite universities with a limited loss in efficiency. PubDate: 2018-03-01 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-018-9521-1 Issue No:Vol. 19, No. 1 (2018)
Authors:Eunha Kim; Minchul Kang Pages: 103 - 110 Abstract: This study explored the effects of ethnic/racial matching on psychotherapy outcomes via the number of counseling sessions attended by clients, using clinical data collected from a university’s counseling center. A total sample of 644 clients (193 men, 448 women) was selected and the ethnic/racial distribution of the sample comprised 499 White/European American (77.5%), 81 African American (12.6%), 33 Asian American (5.1%), and 31 Hispanic clients (4.8%). As a result of a multilevel mediation analysis, it was found that the clients working with counselors of matching ethnicity/race attended more number of counseling sessions than those with counselors of different ethnicity/race. Moreover, the ethnic/racial matching between clients and counselors led to a higher improvement of global assessment of function (GAF). The analysis also revealed that the client–counselor ethic/racial matching showed significant, direct effects on the improvement of GAF. The effects of ethnic/racial matching on the number of counseling sessions and GAF improvement significantly differed at the counselor-level. Clinical implications to multicultural counseling and training are provided. PubDate: 2018-03-01 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-018-9518-9 Issue No:Vol. 19, No. 1 (2018)
Authors:Guoyuan Sang; Jyh-Chong Liang; Ching Sing Chai; Yan Dong; Chin-Chung Tsai Abstract: To help students build twenty-first century learning skills, teachers must have reasonable perceptions about twenty-first century learning. To investigate Chinese teachers’ perceptions of twenty-first century learning competencies (TP21CLC), we conducted a survey (N = 340) using the questionnaire “Teachers’ Perceptions of 21st Century Learning Competencies.” This scale consists of six subscales including collaborative learning; self-directed learning; meaningful use of information and communication technology; critical thinking; creative thinking; and problem solving. Teachers rated each item on two forms of expression: perceptions of preferred learning and perceptions of actual learning. The results indicated that there was a clear gap between actual and preferred perceptions of twenty-first century learning. In addition, teachers’ perceptions of meaningful use of information and communication technology (ICT) had significant, positive correlations with other factors of TP21CLC. PubDate: 2018-02-15 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-018-9522-0
Authors:Xiaoxue Kuang; Kerry John Kennedy Abstract: As an important group of students, the alienated and disaffected students are often overlooked in more general studies of civic education. Based on data from the International Civics and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS 2009), the study investigated alienated and disaffected students in Asia and explored the development of their civic attitudes. Student samples from Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand were involved in the study. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify alienated and disaffected students across the five Asian societies, and multilevel multinomial logistic regression (MMLR) was used to explore factors related to group membership. Students’ future civic intentions were analyzed under the framework of Personal Investment Theory (PIT) by multilevel regression. Based on LPA, three groups were identified: the Outsiders, the Moderates, and the Active Participators. The results showed that Outsiders scored lower on all conventional civic values and tended to endorse negative civic behaviors. The results of MMLR showed that boys were more likely to be Outsiders than girls, students’ expected education level, their socio-economic background, and home literacy were negatively related with being in the Outsider group. By combining PIT with multilevel analysis, the study identified that students’ sense of self and facilitating condition accounted for their future civic engagement. Students’ positive attitudes toward traditional culture, morality of politicians, and good citizenship were predictors for conventional civic participation—adult electoral participation and negatively related to their future illegal protest. The study demonstrated the role of traditional values in promoting future civic engagement. PubDate: 2018-02-02 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-018-9520-2
Authors:Ricky Lam Abstract: In Hong Kong, pupils at Grades 3, 6 and 9 are required to take the Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA). TSA is a low-stakes standardized assessment, tracking pupils’ attainment of the basic competence levels in English, Chinese and Mathematics. By design, TSA does not constitute part of individual pupils’ school results, but generates assessment information which monitors teaching and learning in school as a quality assurance mechanism. Despite its low-stakes nature, key stakeholders remain skeptical about its rationale, purpose and usefulness, especially when it comes to ranking school performance. Because of this, this paper examines the extent to which the Grade 3 TSA could serve its purpose to enhance teaching and learning and promote constructive alignment of assessment and learning. The paper begins with an overview of the international assessment arena, followed by a discussion on the Hong Kong assessment reform landscape. Then, the paper reviews three issues in TSA, namely pedagogical, societal and political concerns. Next, it addresses whether TSA has become a high-stakes test; whether it brings about drilling; and whether it facilitates positive learning. Lastly, three sustained recommendations as to how the Grade 3 TSA could concurrently serve its evaluative, pedagogical and learning purposes are provided. PubDate: 2018-01-31 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-018-9523-z
Authors:Szu-Yin Chu Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the perspectives of Taiwanese families regarding promoting foundations of self-determination for young children with disabilities. Twenty-one families of children with disabilities between 3 and 6 years of age in Taiwan were recruited for this study. Interviews were used to capture their perspectives. Data were coded, and four major themes emerged. First, all parents expressed positive regard for and used a variety of strategies to promote the foundations of self-determination at home. Second, parents mentioned the different challenges they faced while providing supports for their child’s foundation skills, including child’s disabilities, health condition, parents’ schedules, and family supports. The challenges varied depending on child’s characteristics, family values, and cultural environment. Third, these families had expectations that their child could be self-regulated, engage in choice-making, and be engaged in activities, but the specific expectations were adjusted by characteristics of child, family, or communities. Fourth, families emphasized the importance of positive partnership and parents’ roles to promote. Implications for research and practice are discussed in this study. PubDate: 2018-01-27 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-018-9519-8
Authors:Tao He; Chang Zhu; Frederik Questier Abstract: Although the adoption of digital technology has gained considerable attention in higher education, currently research mainly focuses on implementation in formal learning contexts. Investigating what factors influence students’ digital informal learning is still unclear and limited. To understand better university students’ digital informal learning (DIL), this study proposed a model based on decomposed theory of planned behavior to investigate students’ behavioral intention to DIL. Different aspects of DIL behavior were further explored, through examining behaviors of cognitive learning, metacognitive learning, and social and motivation learning. This study also integrated digital competence as a new construct into the model, along with other variables to test the proposed model. A sample of 335 students selected from three universities in China took part in this study. The partial least square structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data. The results provide support and better understanding for the importance of motivation factors such as digital competence and compatibility to explain students’ DIL. PubDate: 2018-01-17 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-018-9517-x
Authors:Siwen Guo; Lingyan Li; Danhui Zhang Abstract: Climate strength was first conceptualised in the organisational psychology literature as the within-group agreement on the perceptions of climate. In contrast to the deep study of climate level, climate strength has not been clarified by school climate research. The purpose of this cross-cultural study is to identify the main effect of disciplinary climate strength on student reading performance, and its moderating effect on the relationship between disciplinary climate level and student reading performance. A multilevel analysis was conducted on 2009 data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) from Shanghai-China, Japan, and the United States (US). The result showed a significantly positive relationship between climate strength and student reading performance in Shanghai-China and the US. Moreover, a moderating effect of climate strength was found in Shanghai-China and the US. The effects of climate strength were further examined in strong and weak conditions. School-level predictors of climate strength were also examined. The differences in disciplinary climate strengths and their effects on student reading performance suggested some culture differences in these countries/areas. PubDate: 2018-01-16 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-018-9516-y
Authors:Mark McCrohon; Berenice Nyland Abstract: This paper examined domestic educator and Chinese international student (CIS) perspectives on their experience of the commoditisation of international higher education in Australia. Data consisted of semi-structured interviews with academic and student participants. A Trans-disciplinary Framework derived from grounded theory and the Auditable Systematised Qualitative Analysis tool, provided structure and a method to systematise interview data. An interpretation of positioning theory gave insights into the perceived reality of research participants. Findings indicated that a number of academics struggled in their role as teachers of CIS. Concerns varied from disquiet about high fees to a perception that the quality of the teaching and learning program was lower because of the university’s emphasis on international students as a source of income. Conversely, some international students paid a high price for a Western education and considered success a fait accompli. PubDate: 2018-01-12 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-018-9515-z
Authors:Majid Ghasemy; Sufean Bin Hussin; Megat Ahmad Kamaluddin Bin Megat Daud; Ahmad Zabidi Bin Abdul Razak; Mohd Jamil Bin Maah Pages: 519 - 519 Abstract: In Table 14 in the Appendix: the value p 2 under the Low-current-tenure leaders model section is an erratum (spelling error) and should change to f 2. PubDate: 2017-12-01 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-017-9510-9 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 4 (2017)
Authors:Jason Hsinchieh Wu; Chunn-Ying Lin Abstract: Research on teacher and school academic optimism has abounded ever since these two constructs were confirmed and shown to have positive effects on student achievement. However, one overlooked research question is the nested association between teacher and school academic optimism. This study intends to fill this gap by using hierarchical linear modeling to empirically test the relationship between individual teacher academic optimism and collective school academic optimism. By using the data from 1073 teachers in 102 schools in Taiwan, the results show that around 10% of variance in teacher academic optimism came from school level, and that school academic optimism explained nearly all of the between-school variance as it overpowered a number of school contextual variables, such as percentage of minority students and student achievement, in predicting variation in teacher academic optimism. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed. PubDate: 2017-12-29 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-017-9514-5
Authors:Na Jiang; Bambang Sumintono; Corinne J. Perera; Alma Harris; Michelle S. Jones Abstract: Principal preparation and training is generally viewed as an important contributor to school and system improvement. While the international evidence based on leadership and leadership development is extensive, contemporary accounts of principal preparation in a number of Asian countries are not widespread. This article outlines the findings from a small-scale, exploratory investigation of principal preparation and training in one province in China. Open-ended questionnaire and interview data were collected from a sample of secondary school principals in Henan Province in China, as part of a larger comparative study. The findings show that while principals in this province appreciate their formal training, they also seek out other sources of informal preparation to assist them in their fulfilling their many obligations and responsibilities. The data also highlight that many principals in China are finding the demands of their formal leadership role very challenging, particularly in delivering, contemporary reforms such as the new curriculum. The article concludes by proposing that for principals in China, there are some contradictions and tensions associated with the current demands of this leadership role. PubDate: 2017-12-04 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-017-9513-6
Authors:Hongryun Woo; Sangmin Park; Hyunhee Kim Abstract: This study examined the relationship between faculty burnout and scholarly productivity, as well as job satisfaction as a moderator, among 251 counseling faculty in the U.S. Faculty burnout was predictive of scholarly productivity. Job satisfaction moderated the relationship between faculty burnout and scholarly productivity. Implications for counseling faculty and higher education institutions are discussed. PubDate: 2017-11-16 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-017-9506-5
Authors:Huiying Cai; Xiaoqing Gu; Lung-Hsiang Wong Abstract: This paper reports a study on developing an assessment inventory of Chinese learners’ competencies as needed for the twenty-first century. In creating the instrument, three relevant twenty-first century competency frameworks were referenced: from the OECD, the European Council, and the USA. The preliminary version of this instrument, which consists of 55 items, was administered to 732 Shanghai students from three types of K-12 schools. To investigate the factors and the structure of the competencies that young Chinese learners’ in the twenty-first century should possess, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were employed. This resulted in a selection of 42 items in seven categories. These were conceptions of learning, competencies in ICT, problem solving, communication, critical thinking, cross-cultural communication, and advanced-level literacy. Based on these findings, the status of students’ twenty-first century competencies in Shanghai, were investigated in relation to gender, region, and grade. The implications of the findings were discussed, such as balancing the learning resource and teacher deployment in differently developed regions, as well as guiding the implementation of a competency-based curriculum in China. PubDate: 2017-11-16 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-017-9509-2
Authors:Yunsoo Lee; Heh Youn Shin; Jiwon Park; Woocheol Kim; Daeyeon Cho Abstract: Numerous studies on employee engagement in the HRD (human resource development) field have contributed to the promotion of employee engagement in organizations, yet issues and challenges remain. The purpose of this study is to investigate how employee engagement has been discussed in four representative HRD journals: Human Resource Development Review (HRDR), Human Resource Development International (HRDI), Human Resource Development Quarterly (HRDQ), and Advances in Developing Human Resources (ADHR). We conduct a literature review based on Torraco’s (Hum Resour Dev Rev 4(3):356–367, 2005) framework, resulting in the selection of 24 articles for further review: 10 empirical articles and 14 conceptual articles. These articles are then classified, summarized, and synthesized by year of publication, research type and aim, and analysis of findings. Based on the results of the literature review, we analyze and identify the current state of employee engagement research in the HRD field and suggest implications for HRD scholars and practitioners. PubDate: 2017-11-14 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-017-9508-3
Authors:Baoyan Cheng Abstract: In contrast to the continued decline and bleak future of liberal arts education and liberal arts colleges in Europe and America, there has been a revival of the liberal arts model in Asian countries in recent years. This paper compares the liberal arts tradition of education in the West and Confucian tradition of education in the East, in the aspects of educational goal, curriculum, and pedagogy, as well as the way both traditions are institutionalized. It makes connections between these humanistic approaches to demonstrate the common ground for the education of mankind: human beings need to develop meaning for life and to be able to relate to others in order to have a fulfilling life, and highlights the importance of such humanistic approaches as liberal arts education and the Confucian tradition in an increasingly utilitarian and vocation-oriented world. PubDate: 2017-11-09 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-017-9505-6
Authors:Majid Ghasemy; Sufean Bin Hussin; Megat Ahmad Kamaluddin Bin Megat Daud; Ahmad Zabidi Bin Abdul Razak; Mohd Jamil Bin Maah Abstract: This study was undertaken to determine the extent to which leadership capabilities and managerial competencies explain leadership performance in Malaysian Higher Education context. Data were collected from academic leaders in 25 public and private universities and colleges using a few previously developed scales in Malaysian context. Next, the collected data through 368 surveys were screened thoroughly prior to the main analysis. A variance-based structural equation modeling approach was adopted and SmartPLS 3 was used to analyze the data, followed by running finite mixture segmentation and importance-performance map analysis. The results did disclose unobserved heterogeneity within the data. Through the study, two models namely low-current-tenure leaders and high-current-tenure leaders models were developed. Moreover, role-specific competency and change-oriented capability were identified as the major areas of improvement to be addressed by managerial activities based on low-current-tenure leaders and high-current-tenure leaders models, respectively. PubDate: 2017-11-06 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-017-9504-7
Authors:Jim King; Atsuko Aono Abstract: This paper discusses the issue of tolerance of silence within university tutorials from a cross-cultural, comparative perspective. A mixed methods, quasi-experimental approach was employed to measure the length of silence which individual students from samples in Japan and the UK tolerated during a one-to-one staged encounter with their instructor. The comparison groups consisted of two first-year intact classes, one in Japan (n = 20) and one in the UK (n = 15), both of whom were studying for a Bachelor degree in English. During the tutorial encounter, the instructor refrained from speech from a set point in the meeting. Participants’ reactions to the period of silence which ensued were examined in detail using non-verbal coding and their length of silence tolerance was measured precisely. Contrary to the popular notion of the silent ‘East’ versus the garrulous ‘West’, the study’s quantitative findings revealed there was no significant difference in the length of silence students from both groups could tolerate during tutorials. Furthermore, self-reported feelings of discomfort during the silence were relatively high for both Japanese and UK participants, but length of silence was not found to be correlated with degree of discomfort. Qualitative data were collected from retrospective interviews examining what participants were thinking and feeling whilst the silent encounter was in progress. Testimony illustrating acute feelings of anxiety on the part of both UK and Japanese students was the primary theme to emerge in this phase of data collection. We propose the construct situational silence anxiety to describe such feelings of apprehension during situated encounters in which talk is expected but does not occur. PubDate: 2017-10-30 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-017-9503-8
Authors:Kun-Dang Chen; Ping-Kuo Chen Abstract: This study focused on China’s higher education system and explored if personality traits were a mediator of the relationship between motivational mechanisms and continuous improvement, and further explored if leadership change was a moderator of the relationship between personality traits and continuous improvement of the motivations and student study processes. In this paper, partial least squares (PLS) was the primary methodology used to test mediation and moderation. This study analysed 350 samples even though a large sample may cause an evaluative error in the mediation effect when using PLS. For this reason, we further adopted the Sobel test to verify this effect. According to the test results, in addition to motivational mechanisms having a positive effect on continuous improvement of the motivations and student study processes, personality traits are a mediator that influences the effect of motivational mechanisms on the continuous improvement of the motivations and student study processes. Furthermore, we proved that leadership change is a moderator between personality traits and continuous improvement of the motivations and student study processes. In addition, we discussed the relationship between mediation and moderation effects of different personality traits and leadership change. PubDate: 2017-09-14 DOI: 10.1007/s12564-017-9500-y
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