Conditional inference and advanced mathematical study     

Matthew Inglis  Adrian Simpson 《Educational Studies in Mathematics》2008,67(3):187-204

Many mathematicians and curriculum bodies have argued in favour of the theory of formal discipline: that studying advanced mathematics develops one’s ability to reason logically. In this paper we explore this view by directly comparing the inferences drawn from abstract conditional statements by advanced mathematics students and well-educated arts students. The mathematics students in the study were found to endorse fewer invalid conditional inferences than the arts students, but they did not endorse significantly more valid inferences. We establish that both groups tended to endorse more inferences which led to negated conclusions than inferences which led to affirmative conclusions (a phenomenon known as the negative conclusion effect). In contrast, however, we demonstrate that, unlike the arts students, the mathematics students did not exhibit the affirmative premise effect: the tendency to endorse more inferences with affirmative premises than with negated premises. We speculate that this latter result may be due to an increased ability for successful mathematics students to be able to ‘see through’ opaque representations. Overall, our data are consistent with a version of the formal discipline view. However, there are important caveats; in particular, we demonstrate that there is no simplistic relationship between the study of advanced mathematics and conditional inference behaviour.

Matthew InglisEmail:

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Effects of Diagrams on Mathematics Performance     

Lily Yee-Sheung Wong  Loh Mei Yoke  Ng Lay Pheng  Mak Wai Han 《Asia Pacific Journal of Education》1992,12(2):26-34

Research on the facilitative effect of diagrams on solving mathematics problems is both inconsistent and inconclusive. This study investigates the effects of diagrams on 124 Singaporean pupils in three classes: Primary One and three, and Secondary One. Pupils' performance was measured with the use of teacher-written mathematics problems in the form of worksheets. Number of errors made on problems accompanied with and without diagrams were compared. Whether or not pupils benefit from diagrams was estimated by their patterns of errors made in the presence or absence of diagrams. Results both confirm and disconfirm previous findings and shed further light on the use of diagrams in mathematics.  相似文献   

Vocational Secondary Schools can be more Cost‐effective than Academic Schools: the case of Israel     

Shoshana Neuman  Adrian Ziderman 《比较教育学》1989,25(2):151-163

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The Secret Garden revisited   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Adrian Gunther 《Children‘s Literature in Education》1994,25(3):159-168

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Exploring the relationship between homework task difficulty,student engagement and performance     

Raymond Lynch  Adrian Hurley  Olivia Cumiskey  Brian Nolan  Bridgeen McGlynn 《Irish Educational Studies》2019,38(1):89-103

This article considers the relationship between differential homework task difficulty, student engagement and performance across four Irish post-primary school sites. A total of 236 participants completed all elements of this study. All participants were junior cycle students, aged between 12 and 16 years. The study employed a standardised test–retest approach, with a one week interval between tests. Between testing, participants were randomly subdivided into three cohorts. Each cohort received homework questions of different difficulty levels to complete for one week. The results of this study found that Cohort A, who received the least difficult homework tasks, completed the most non-compulsory questions. Although Cohort A demonstrated higher levels of engagement, no statistically significant difference was found in the change in performance scores of the three cohorts. The results highlight the negative impact of increased task difficulty on student engagement with independent homework tasks. The findings suggest that in order to support student engagement it is important that teachers afford ample opportunity for student success when designing self-directed tasks such as homework.  相似文献   

The pedagogical value and the interdisciplinary nature of inductive processes in forming generalizations: Reflections from the classroom     

Bharath Sriraman  Harry Adrian 《Interchange》2004,35(4):407-422

The tendency to generalize from specific experiences leading to new, more abstract concepts is a natural aspect of human thought. Generalizations are the end result of an inductive process that begins with the identification of similarities in seemingly disparate situations. It is the existence of such generalizations that makes it possible for us to understand each other and the world around us. It is pedagogically weak to present generalizations to students and expect them to know how and when to apply them. On the other hand if students experience the inductive process in classrooms and discover generalizations, they are likely to remember and use this process when tackling other problems. The authors illustrate the pedagogical value of such an approach and the interdisciplinary nature of the inductive process by reflecting on teaching practices in English literature and mathematics in a high school classroom. In particular the authors reflect on how the inductive process was applied to four short stories and four problem-solving situations, which resulted in high school students arriving at generalizations that characterized the stories and the problems. A conceptual model that illustrates how inductive processes facilitate generalizations in the classroom is presented.  相似文献   

The governance of sustainable socio-technical transitions   总被引：8，自引：2，他引：8  

Adrian Smith  Andy Stirling  Frans Berkhout   《Research Policy》2005,34(10):1491-1510

A quasi-evolutionary model of socio-technical transitions is described in which regimes face selection pressures continuously. Differentiated transition contexts determine the form and direction of regime change in response to these pressures. The articulation of pressures, and the degree to which responses are coordinated and based on resources available within the regime, define the transition context. Four alternative contexts are described: endogenous renewal; re-orientation of trajectories; emergent transformation and purposive transitions. Agency and power in the governance of regime transformation are analysed. Power to affect change depends on regime membership, the distribution of resources for change and expectations.  相似文献   

Grief – The Expression of Romanian Artistic Spirituality     

Adrian Dragut 《The International Journal of Art & Design Education》1999,18(2):213-216

This paper expresses a personal point of view of the main features of Romanian artistic spirituality based on the writings of Romanian philosopher, Emil Corian, on personal knowledge of Romanian folk art, of the art of the initiated, and on teaching and art-making experience.  相似文献   

Intelligence,general knowledge and personality as predictors of creativity     

Mark Batey  Adrian Furnham  Xeniya Safiullina 《Learning and individual differences》2010,20(5):532-535

This study sought to examine the contribution of fluid intelligence, general knowledge and Big Five personality traits in predicting four indices of creativity: Divergent Thinking (DT) fluency, Rated DT, Creative Achievement and Self-Rated creativity and a combined Total Creativity variable. When creativity was assessed by DT test, the consistent predictor was fluid intelligence. When creativity was assessed in terms of achievement or self-rating, personality variables were consistently predictive.  相似文献   

Parental concerns regarding a centre-based early intervention programme for Down syndrome in Malaysia: a case study     

Nagasangari Kunagaratnam  Sau Cheong Loh 《Asia Pacific Education Review》2010,11(4):489-496

This qualitative study provides information on the concerns faced by parents having children with Down syndrome in a centre-based Early Intervention Programme in Malaysia and how they coped with these concerns. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of five parents and two special educators. The interview and observation findings indicate that there are numerous concerns faced by parents, such as the child’s uncertain future, teacher training, family involvement, expansion of services, support services, lack of information and resources, inconsistency of language used, increase in fees, and changes in lifestyle. The study has also revealed unmet needs of special children, for example, time duration, music therapy and the facilities provided. Recommendations have also been suggested for further needed improvement in the Early Intervention Programme.  相似文献