National Institute of Education

The authors describe an evolving theoretical framework that has been called one of the best kept secrets of academia: cultural-historical activity theory, the result of proposals Lev Vygotsky first articulated but that his students and followers substantially developed to constitute much expanded forms in its second and third generations. Besides showing that activity theory transforms how research should proceed regarding language, language learning, and literacy in particular, the authors demonstrate how it is a theory for praxis, thereby offering the potential to overcome some of the most profound problems that have plagued both educational theorizing and practice.

Abstract Facebook is a popular social networking site. It, like many other new technologies, has potential for teaching and learning because of its unique built‐in functions that offer pedagogical, social and technological affordances. In this study, the Facebook group was used as a learning management system (LMS) in two courses for putting up announcements, sharing resources, organizing weekly tutorials and conducting online discussions at a teacher education institute in Singapore. This study explores using the Facebook group as an LMS and the students' perceptions of using it in their courses. Results showed that students were basically satisfied with the affordances of Facebook as the fundamental functions of an LMS could be easily implemented in the Facebook group. However, using the Facebook group as an LMS has certain limitations. It did not support other format files to be uploaded directly, and the discussion was not organized in a threaded structure. Also, the students did not feel safe and comfortable as their privacy might be revealed. Constraints of using the Facebook group as an LMS, implications for practice and limitations of this study are discussed. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Facebook has been popularly used by tertiary students, but many students do not want their teachers to be friends on Facebook Teacher's self‐disclosure on Facebook can promote classroom atmosphere, teacher's credibility and student–teacher relationship Commercial learning management systems (LMSs) have limitations What this paper adds The Facebook group can be used an LMS as it has certain pedagogical, social and technological affordances Students are satisfied with the way of using the Facebook group as an LMS Younger students are more acceptable with the idea of using the Facebook group as an LMS Using the Facebook group as an LMS has limitations: it does not support other format files; its discussions are not listed in threads; and it is not perceived as a safe environment Implications for practice and/or policy The Facebook group can be used an LMS substitute or supplement Third‐party applications are needed to extend the capability of the Facebook group as an LMS Using Facebook seems to be more appropriate for young learners than adults Teachers do not have to be students' friends on Facebook.

The aim of this study is to probe for ideological construction of racism imbricated within the structure of newspaper reporting. The study focuses on news reports relating to a Vietnamese gang in Australia whose violent and drug-dealing activities have received publicity in two Sydney-based newspapers: The Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Telegraph. The analysis of these reports adheres to the analytic paradigm of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and is undertaken in two stages. The first, a general characterization of the newspaper discourse, reveals evidence of a systematic `othering' and stereotyping of the ethnic community by the `white' majority. This is followed by a comparative analysis of two reports, which surfaces evidence of a racist ideology manifest in an asymmetrical power discourse between the (ethnic) law-breakers and the (white) law-enforcers. The study concludes with a discussion to explain the evidence of `Racism in the News', which both reflects and reinforces the marginalization of recent Vietnamese migrants into Australia.

In this article, we describe the design principles undergirding productive failure (PF; M. Kapur, 2008 Kapur, M. 2008. Productive failure. Cognition and Instruction, 26: 379–424. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). We then report findings from an ongoing program of research on PF in mathematical problem solving in 3 Singapore public schools with significantly different mathematical ability profiles, ranging from average to lower ability. In the 1st study, 7th-grade mathematics students from intact classes experienced 1 of 2 conditions: (a) PF, in which students collaboratively solved complex problems on average speed without any instructional support or scaffolds up until a teacher-led consolidation; or (b) direct instruction (DI), in which the teacher provided strong instructional support, scaffolding, and feedback. Findings suggested that although PF students generated a diversity of linked representations and methods for solving the complex problems, they were ultimately unsuccessful in their problem-solving efforts. Yet despite seemingly failing in their problem-solving efforts, PF students significantly outperformed DI students on the well-structured and complex problems on the posttest. They also demonstrated greater representation flexibility in solving average speed problems involving graphical representations, a representation that was not targeted during instruction. The 2nd and 3rd studies, conducted in schools with students of significantly lower mathematical ability, largely replicated the findings of the 1st study. Findings and implications of PF for theory, design of learning, and future research are discussed.

Although early studies of executive functioning in children supported Miyake et al.'s (2000) three-factor model, more recent findings supported a variety of undifferentiated or two-factor structures. Using a cohort-sequential design, this study examined whether there were age-related differences in the structure of executive functioning among 6- to 15-year-olds (N = 688). Children were tested annually on tasks designed to measure updating and working memory, inhibition, and switch efficiency. There was substantial task-based variation in developmental patterns on the various tasks. Confirmatory factor analyses and tests for longitudinal factorial invariance showed that data from the 5- to 13-year-olds conformed to a two-factor structure. For the 15-year-olds, a well-separated three-factor structure was found.

There has been a growing interest in and concern for the teaching of listening in the last 40 years. Looking back over the years, we can see how the emphases on teaching listening and the focus of listening instruction have changed. Although instructional practices were initially heavily influenced by models of the written language and a behaviourist approach, the focus has since moved to developing listening as a skill needed for constructing and communicating meaning. More recently, discussions about listening instruction have emphasized the role of strategy training and learner metacognition in facilitating comprehension. In this paper I discuss a metacognitive approach, drawing on understandings from educational research as well as second language listening studies. I explain its theoretical rationale and identify principles for carrying out metacognitive instruction, as well as outline general instructional objectives and learning activities for this purpose. Finally, I suggest possible research directions for examining the role of metacognition in second language listening and the relevance of metacognitive instruction to listening development.

This study tested the replicability and cross-cultural invariance of a trans-contextual model of motivation across 4 samples from diverse cultures. The model proposes a motivational sequence in which perceived autonomy support (PAS) in physical education (PE) predicts autonomous motivation, intentions, and behavior in a leisure-time (LT) physical activity context. High-school pupils from Britain, Greece, Poland, and Singapore completed measures of PAS and autonomous motives in a PE context. Good-fitting path-analytic models supported the main hypotheses of the trans-contextual model in the British, Greek, and Singaporean samples. PAS in PE had significant total effects on autonomous motives in LT, except in the Polish sample. The effect of autonomous motives in LT on physical activity intentions and behavior was mediated by theory of planned behavior constructs in all samples. Results supported the main hypotheses of the trans-contextual model across cultures, although the effect of PAS was not pervasive in the Polish sample. Copyright 2005 by the American Psychological Association.

Many narrative studies subscribe to the criterion of verisimilitude as a form of quality check. However, such a criterion does not fully nor explicitly address the issue of quality or rigour. This paper examines a possible set of necessary criteria for evaluating narrative studies. It draws on the quality literature from the broader qualitative research field as well as the narrative research field. Specifically, it deals with the need to have a list of considerations to refer to in order to ensure acceptability and recognition of narrative studies’ rigour. This paper posits that issues of trustworthiness, narrative truth, verisimilitude and utility need to be attended to for any narrative study to ensure its quality.

This study investigated the potential of students' written and oral questions both as an epistemic probe and heuristic for initiating collaborative argumentation in science. Four classes of students, aged 12–14 years from two countries, were asked to discuss which of two graphs best represented the change in temperature as ice was heated to steam. The discussion was initiated by asking questions about the phenomenon. Working in groups (with members who had differing viewpoints) and guided by a set of question prompts, an argument sheet, and an argument diagram, students discussed contrasting arguments. One group of students from each class was audiotaped. The number of questions written, the concepts addressed, and the quality of written arguments were then scored. A positive correlation between these factors was found. Discourse analysis showed that the initial focus on questions prompted students to articulate their puzzlement; make explicit their claims and (mis)conceptions; identify and relate relevant key concepts; construct explanations; and consider alternative propositions when their ideas were challenged. Productive argumentation was characterized by students' questions which focused on key ideas of inquiry, a variety of scientific concepts, and which made explicit reference to the structural components of an argument. These findings suggest that supporting students in productive discourse is aided by scaffolding student questioning, teaching the criteria for a good argument, and providing a structure that helps them to organize and verbalize their arguments. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47:883–908, 2010

This article examines the strategies employed by four Singapore schools (two primary and two junior colleges) to manage barriers to information and communication technologies (ICT) integration. Based on the observations of ICT-mediated lessons and face-to-face interviews with teachers, ICT heads-of-department and school principals, six strategies are identified and discussed: (a) appointment of technical support staff, (b) appointment and training of student ICT helpers, (c) sufficient time for teachers to prepare for ICT-mediated lessons, (d) collaboration among teachers in preparing ICT-mediated lessons, (e) support provided by school leaders in addressing teachers’ ICT concerns, and (f) training, demonstrations or advice for teachers on how to incorporate ICT into classroom instruction. A further four recommendations are made by the authors to support these strategies.

If design research involving technology-based tools is going to impact educational settings, the design process must be extended beyond the tool itself to encompass a broader range of factors such as the classroom social structures (e.g., beliefs about learning and knowledge, learning activities and participant structures, configurations of both physical space and cyberspace). Although prior research has underscored the importance of classroom social structures in technology integration, it has failed to specify the critical design variables that must be taken into account. Only by understanding the critical variables involved is it possible to develop a deep understanding of how and why things work. The Social Infrastructure Framework systematically frames the critical design elements in terms of 4 dimensions: (a) cultural beliefs, (b) practices, (c) socio-techno-spatial relations, and (d) interaction with the “outside world. ” This article details the design issues associated with each dimension based on examples drawn from a range of educational technologies. This article also describes how the framework can serve to advance the methodology of design research by serving as a tool for both design and analysis. Since the 1990s, starting with papers by Brown (1992) and Collins (1992), there has been a growing movement to develop a new methodology for carrying out studies of educational interventions under the labels design research, design experiments, anddesign studies. Various researchers have contributed to the effort

ABSTRACT: An English lingua franca seems to be emerging in the ten ASEAN countries, and this paper investigates features of the pronunciation of this lingua franca. Twenty speakers, two from each of the ASEAN countries, were recorded while they were conversing in groups of three or four people, all from a different country. The speech that they used is analysed to identify shared features of pronunciation, especially to evaluate the effect that these features have on intelligibility, and it is argued that some of their shared non‐standard features actually enhance intelligibility. Finally, some of the misunderstandings that occurred are analysed to determine the extent to which pronunciation played a part, and it is found that only those features of pronunciation not shared by speakers from other ASEAN countries resulted in a break‐down in communication.

This study investigated factors related to successful and unsuccessful collaborations, studied the specific problems that are part of the collaboration process, and identified solutions to minimize their occurrence. Thirty-three stakeholders from nine state departments and three private social services agencies in Ohio were categorized into two groups: program chiefs and program specialists. Participants were interviewed as to their opinions on successes, problems, and solutions related to interagency collaboration. Interviews were transcribed and data were analyzed using content analysis. Significant differences were found in two areas: factors that jeopardized interagency collaboration and areas each group would change in future collaborative efforts. Based on the outcomes of this study, seven factors related to successful interagency collaboration were delineated.

ABSTRACT: Singapore is placed in the Outer Circle of the Kachru's Three Circles Model, and has over the years developed an English which is uniquely Singaporean. This paper argues that in order to understand the ways in which Singapore English is developing its own standards and ways of speaking, a new model needs to be developed that takes culture, capital and identity into consideration. This socio-cultural perspective is one grounded in an understanding of the dualistic role of English in Singapore both as a global language and a local language. It is argued that this duality is consistent with the cultural identity of Singaporeans who negotiate fluidly between two divergent orientations – that of the global citizen and the local Singaporean. The paper explains how a culturally focused model which examines the identities of Singaporean speakers is able to provide a finer-grained and thus more explanatorily adequate account of Singapore English than previously proposed models, in particular, the diglossic analysis.

Gender and academic major are often seen as amongst the major factors that influence language learning. However, empirical studies on these two factors have produced inconsistent results. This paper bases itself upon the contention that specific tasks and contexts of learning may confound the relationship among gender, academic major, learning strategies and learning outcomes. A large-scale survey was conducted amongst a group of adult Chinese EFL learners on their vocabulary learning strategies. Female students significantly outperformed their male counterparts in both a vocabulary size test and a general proficiency test. Females also reported significantly more use of almost all vocabulary learning strategies that were found to be correlated with success in EFL learning. Academic major, on the other hand, was found to be a less potent background factor. Science students slightly outperformed arts students (though insignificantly) in vocabulary size, but arts students significantly outperformed science students on the general proficiency test. Strategy differences were also found between arts and science majors, but differences on most strategy categories were less clear-cut than were those between male and female participants. Interpretation of these results and pedagogical implications are presented.

districts focused on the new requirements in 1974. The thrust of these new requirements and standards involved the introduction of three domains of survival level competencies as minimum conditions for high school graduation by 1978: personal development, social responsibility, and career development. In addition to passing a normal complement of high school courses, students will be obligated to master locally determined minimum standards in these three com-

Sequence-specific gene silencing by short hairpin (sh) RNAs has recently emerged as an indispensable tool for understanding gene function and a promising avenue for drug discovery. However, a wider biomedical use of this approach is hindered by the lack of straightforward methods for achieving uniform expression of shRNAs in mammalian cell cultures. Here we report a high-efficiency and low-background (HILO) recombination-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) technology that yields virtually homogeneous cell pools containing doxycycline-inducible shRNA elements in a matter of days and with minimal efforts. To ensure immediate utility of this approach for a wider research community, we modified 11 commonly used human (A549, HT1080, HEK293T, HeLa, HeLa-S3, and U2OS) and mouse (CAD, L929, N2a, NIH 3T3, and P19) cell lines to be compatible with the HILO-RMCE process. Because of its technical simplicity and cost efficiency, the technology will be advantageous for both low- and high-throughput shRNA experiments. We also provide evidence that HILO-RMCE will facilitate a wider range of molecular and cell biology applications by allowing one to rapidly engineer cell populations expressing essentially any transgene of interest.

This study demonstrates how explicit metacognitive training influences the mathematical word‐problem solving of forty 11–12‐year‐old low achievers in a cognitive‐apprenticeship, computer‐based environment. Results from the experimental and case study designs revealed that experimental students outperformed control students on ability to solve word‐problems on their individual written measures; experimental students developed the ability to ascertain when to make metacognitive decisions, and elicit better regulated metacognitive decisions than control students; knowing when and how to use metacognitive strategies is an important determinant to successful word‐problem solving; and the cognitive‐apprenticeship‐computer‐based environment appears to amplify low achievers' metacognitive and cognitive behaviours during word‐problem solving.

A new method for thermally bonding poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrates has been demonstrated. PMMA substrates are first engraved by CO2-laser micromachining to form microchannels. Both channel width and depth can be adjusted by varying the laser power and scanning speed. Channel depths from 50 µm to 1500 µm and widths from 150 µm to 400 µm are attained. CO2 laser is also used for drilling and dicing of the PMMA parts. Considering the thermal properties of PMMA, a novel thermal bonding process with high temperature and low bonding pressure has been developed for assembling PMMA sheets. A high bonding strength of 2.15 MPa is achieved. Subsequent inspection of the cross sections of several microdevices reveals that the dimensions of the channels are well preserved during the bonding process. Electroosmotic mobility of the ablated channel is measured to be 2.47 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1. The functionality of these thermally bonded microfluidic substrates is demonstrated by performing rapid and high-resolution electrophoretic separations of mixture of fluorescein and carboxyfluorescein as well as double-stranded DNA ladders (ΦX174-Hae III dsDNA digest). The performance of the CO2 laser ablated and thermally bonded PMMA devices compares favorably with those fabricated by other professional means.

Despite the large number of speakers of English in China, little previous work has been done to describe their pronunciation. Thirteen young speakers from north-east, east and central China were recorded reading a passage and participating in a short interview, and their pronunciation is analyzed. The most salient features of their speech include the use of an epenthetic vowel after word-final plosives especially before another word beginning with a consonant, avoidance of reduced vowels especially in function words, heavy nasalization of vowels preceding a final nasal consonant, substitution of [s] for /θ/ and [z] or [d] for /ð/, use of [x] for /h/, and emphasis on sentence-final pronouns. It is suggested that some of these features may become established as part of a unique variety of English that is emerging in China.