Does gender make a difference? Gender-related fairness of high-stakes testing in A-level examinations in English as foreign language in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia in the context of Educational Governance

The shift from decentralized to centralized A-level examinations (Abitur) was implemented in the German school system as a measure of Educational Governance in the last decade. This reform was mainly introduced with the intention of providing higher comparability of school examinations and student achievement as well as increasing fairness in school examinations. It is not known yet if these ambitious aims and functions of the new centralized examination format have been achieved and if fairer assessment can be guaranteed in terms of providing all students with the same opportunities to pass the examinations by allocating fair tests to different student subpopulations e.g., students of different background or gender. The research presented in this article deals with these questions and focuses on gender differences. It investigates gender-specific fairness of the test items in centralized Abitur examinations as high school exit examinations in Germany. The data are drawn from Abitur examinations in English (as a foreign language). Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis reveals that at least some parts of the examinations indicate gender inequality. (DIPF/Orig.)

Spoken Language in Hearing Impairment Children with Digital Hearing-Aid or Cochlear Implant: Grammatical Strenghts and Weaknesses

In this study, semi spontaneous samples of spoken language are analysed. Participants are 30 children with severe or profound deafness who employ digital hearing-aid or cochlear implant. The main goal is to find out the strengths and weaknesses of their grammatical skills in order to employ that information in dessigning speech therapy programs.

Fiber Pathways for Language in the Developing Brain: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) Study

The present study characterized two fiber pathways important for language, the superior longitudinal fasciculus/arcuate fasciculus (SLF/AF) and the frontal aslant tract (FAT), and related these tracts to speech, language, and literacy skill in children five to eight years old. We used Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) to characterize the fiber pathways and administered several language assessments. The FAT was identified for the first time in children. Results showed no age-related change in integrity of the FAT, but did show age-related change in the left (but not right) SLF/AF. Moreover, only the integrity of the right FAT was related to phonology but not audiovisual speech perception, articulation, language, or literacy. Both the left and right SLF/AF related to language measures, specifically receptive and expressive language, and language content. These findings are important for understanding the neurobiology of language in the developing brain, and can be incorporated within contemporary dorsal-ventral-motor models for language.

A literary approach to teaching english language in a multicultural classroom

Literature is not generally considered as a coherent branch of the curriculum in relation to language development in either native or foreign language teaching. As teachers of English in multicultural Indian classrooms, we come across students with varying degrees of competence in English language learning. Although language learning is a natural process for natives, students of other languages put in colossal efforts to learn it. Despite their sincere efforts, they face challenges regarding pronunciation, spelling, and vocabulary. Indian classrooms are a microcosm of the larger society, so teaching English language in a manner that equips the students to face the cutthroat competition has become a necessity and a challenge for English language teachers. English today has become the key determinant for being successful in their careers. The hackneyed and stereotypical methods of teaching are not acceptable now. Teachers are no longer arbitrary dispensers of knowledge, but they are playing the role of a guide and facilitator for the students. Teachers of English are using innovative ideas to make English language teaching and learning interesting and simple. Teachers have started using literary texts and their analyses to explore and ignite the imagination and creative skills of the students. One needs to think and rethink the contribution of literature to intelligent thinking as well as its role in the process of teaching/learning. This article is, therefore, an attempt at exploring the nature of the literary experience in the present-day classrooms and the broader role of literature in life.

English, Swedish or both? : An empirical study on teachers’ choice of language in the EFL classroom

There are different ideas when it comes to the use of either Swedish or English during EFL lessons. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate teachers’ choice of language in the upper elementary EFL classroom in Swedish schools and their arguments for the use of one or the other. In order to find out which language different teachers use and why, semi-structured interviews with six different teachers were carried out. All respondents were currently teaching English in grade 4-6. The results of the study show that the teachers’ most commonly used language in the EFL classroom is English. However, several of the teachers mention that they also use Swedish, for example when it comes to explaining difficult instructions or grammar. All teachers participating in this study mention the importance of hearing and using English in order for the pupils to learn English and therefore they try to use mostly English. Nevertheless, this study only has six participants, all living in the same county and working at schools with many similarities, which makes it difficult to draw any generalizable conclusions. To be able to draw better conclusions, a study would have to be conducted with more participants within a larger area.

The teaching of reading English in a foreign language in Libyan universities: methods and models

This study focuses on the learning and teaching of Reading in English as a Foreign Language (REFL), in Libya. The study draws on an action research process in which I sought to look critically at students and teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Libya as they learned and taught REFL in four Libyan research sites. The Libyan EFL educational system is influenced by two main factors: the method of teaching the Holy-Quran and the long-time ban on teaching EFL by the former Libyan regime under Muammar Gaddafi. Both of these factors have affected the learning and teaching of REFL and I outline these contextual factors in the first chapter of the thesis. This investigation, and the exploration of the challenges that Libyan university students encounter in their REFL, is supported by attention to reading models. These models helped to provide an analytical framework and starting point for understanding the many processes involved in reading for meaning and in reading to satisfy teacher instructions. The theoretical framework I adopted was based, mainly and initially, on top-down, bottom-up, interactive and compensatory interactive models. I drew on these models with a view to understanding whether and how the processes of reading described in the models could be applied to the reading of EFL students and whether these models could help me to better understand what was going on in REFL. The diagnosis stage of the study provided initial data collected from four Libyan research sites with research tools including video-recorded classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with teachers before and after lesson observation, and think-aloud protocols (TAPs) with 24 students (six from each university) in which I examined their REFL reading behaviours and strategies. This stage indicated that the majority of students shared behaviours such as reading aloud, reading each word in the text, articulating the phonemes and syllables of words, or skipping words if they could not pronounce them. Overall this first stage indicated that alternative methods of teaching REFL were needed in order to encourage ‘reading for meaning’ that might be based on strategies related to eventual interactive reading models adapted for REFL. The second phase of this research project was an Intervention Phase involving two team-teaching sessions in one of the four stage one universities. In each session, I worked with the teacher of one group to introduce an alternative method of REFL. This method was based on teaching different reading strategies to encourage the students to work towards an eventual interactive way of reading for meaning. A focus group discussion and TAPs followed the lessons with six students in order to discuss the 'new' method. Next were two video-recorded classroom observations which were followed by an audio-recorded discussion with the teacher about these methods. Finally, I conducted a Skype interview with the class teacher at the end of the semester to discuss any changes he had made in his teaching or had observed in his students' reading with respect to reading behaviour strategies, and reactions and performance of the students as he continued to use the 'new' method. The results of the intervention stage indicate that the teacher, perhaps not surprisingly, can play an important role in adding to students’ knowledge and confidence and in improving their REFL strategies. For example, after the intervention stage, students began to think about the title, and to use their own background knowledge to comprehend the text. The students employed, also, linguistic strategies such as decoding and, above all, the students abandoned the behaviour of reading for pronunciation in favour of reading for meaning. Despite the apparent efficacy of the alternative method, there are, inevitably, limitations related to the small-scale nature of the study and the time I had available to conduct the research. There are challenges, too, related to the students’ first language, the idiosyncrasies of the English language, the teacher training and continuing professional development of teachers, and the continuing political instability of Libya. The students’ lack of vocabulary and their difficulties with grammatical functions such as phrasal and prepositional verbs, forms which do not exist in Arabic, mean that REFL will always be challenging. Given such constraints, the ‘new’ methods I trialled and propose for adoption can only go so far in addressing students’ difficulties in REFL. Overall, the study indicates that the Libyan educational system is underdeveloped and under resourced with respect to REFL. My data indicates that the teacher participants have received little to no professional developmental that could help them improve their teaching in REFL and skills in teaching EFL. These circumstances, along with the perennial problem of large but varying class sizes; student, teacher and assessment expectations; and limited and often poor quality resources, affect the way EFL students learn to read in English. Against this background, the thesis concludes by offering tentative conclusions; reflections on the study, including a discussion of its limitations, and possible recommendations designed to improve REFL learning and teaching in Libyan universities.

TIDES unveiled: pioneering green peptides synthesis and oligonucleotides innovations in science

My PhD research focused on the development of environmentally sustainable methods for peptide synthesis. The traditional and toxic solvents and bases used in solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) were replaced with eco-friendly alternatives to reduce the environmental impact. In particular, N-octylpyrrolidone was found to be an effective green solvent in combination with dimethyl carbonate, resulting in a 63-66% reduction in process mass intensity (PMI). In addition, a green base, DEAPA, was identified for Fmoc removal, which showed comparable results to piperidine, while being less regulated and toxic, and able to better control aspartimide-related side reactions. The study extended beyond SPPS to explore liquid-phase peptide synthesis (LPPS) and solution-phase peptide synthesis (SolPPS) using propylphosphonic anhydride (T3P®) as a coupling reagent. The developed green SolPPS using Cbz amino acids achieved exceptional efficiency, minimal racemisation and a PMI of 30 to introduce a single amino acid in the iterative process. This PMI value is the lowest ever reported for an oligopeptide synthesis protocol. This technique was extended to N-Boc amino acids in DCM, requiring aqueous workups and achieving 95% purity of Leu-Enkephalin. Finally, T3P® was found to be suitable for LPPS. An anchor, mimicking a resin, was used to allow precipitation or solubilisation of the growing anchored-peptide, depending on the polarity of the solvent used. Anisole and DCM resulted in a pentapeptide purity of over 95%. While at Oxford University, I synthesized a cleavable fragment that is sensitive to cathepsin B (CatB) and incorporated it into a cyclic antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting the metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1). ASO demonstrated good stability in a simulated in vivo environment using human serum and high affinity with complementary RNA. The Cyclic-ASO was opened by CatB in optimal conditions. Experiments highlight therapeutic potential and a novel method for controlling cyclic oligonucleotide activity, potentially enhancing cellular uptake.

I comportamenti degli scienziati nell'Open Innovation in Science: stato dell'arte, definizione dei comportamenti e misurazione tramite KPI

L'Open innovation (OI) rappresenta un concetto complesso, pieno di sfaccettature e dimensioni di analisi. Il seguente elaborato adotta un approccio micro-fondazionale (Abell et al., 2008) al fine di studiare l'Individuo nella sua relazione con questo costrutto. Nello specifico l'obiettivo è quello di studiare comportamenti che l'individuo adotta al fine di perseguire determinati "Social Outcomes"(pratiche di Open innovation implementate a livello di organizzazione). Allo studio dei comportamenti si aggiunge la proposta di un set di KPI, atti a misurarli in modo dinamico. Un driver fondamentale è il focus sul contesto scientifico: nello specifico vengono studiati i comportamenti collaborativi messi in atto da scienziati lungo il processo innovativo (Beck et al., 2022). Lo studio deriva da una meta analisi e interviste etnografiche. L'analisi è stata condotta su Scopus e Scholar dove è stato inserito un ampio set di parole chiave (e.g. ”Open innovation & Measures/scales”, "Open innovation in Science (OIS)", “University-Industry collaboration”, …). Sono stati estratti articoli rilevanti che proponevano scale per misurare diversi costrutti collegati ad OI(Antons et al., 2017) (Boardman and Corley, 2008). Sono stati estratti gli items dalle scale e convertiti in comportamenti relativi alla pratica di OIS, sulla base del framework proposto da Beck et al. (2022). Sono stati ottenuti 48 comportamenti unici da 8 scale diverse: sono stati clusterizzati al fine di ottenere 10 cluster di comportamenti omogenei. La clusterizzazione è stata condotta a partire da una matrice di similarità creata da 5 esperti, sottoposta al Software Ucinet. I cluster così formati sono stati la base per generare un set di 24 kpi, derivanti dai comportamenti, e suddivisi tra i vari cluster. Sono stati definiti 5 ulteriori indicatori a partire da interviste proposte a 13 partecipanti tra ricercatori e professori. Questi ultimi KPI derivano dai valori trainanti per i ricercatori, emersi come insights.

La influencia de factores educativos y familiares sobre el aprendizaje de una segunda lengua, y los efectos sobre la inteligencia y cognición

Actualmente, la investigación científica acerca de la influencia de los factores educativos y familiares en el aprendizaje de una segunda lengua (L2) es limitada. En comparación, los efectos que tiene la L2 en la inteligencia y cognición han sido más estudiados. Por esta razón, el artículo presenta una revisión de la literatura empírica existente que relaciona lo mencionado anteriormente, ampliando así la temática del bilingüismo. Se buscaron artículos en cuatro bases de datos (PSICODOC, ISI Web of knowledge y SCOPUS), usando palabras claves específicas, en el periodo de 1990 hasta el 2012. De 79 artículos encontrados, 34 cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión para la revisión. Asimismo, se tuvieron en cuenta dos libros, de los cuales se revisó un capítulo por cada uno según los mismos criterios. En conjunto, los resultados arrojaron importantes datos teóricos y de investigación que relacionan el éxito en el aprendizaje de una L2 con la inteligencia y cognición, según la influencia de los factores educativos y familiares. En conclusión, se identificaron más factores educativos que familiares; lo cual a concepto de la autora evidencia la limitada investigación que se ha hecho sobre los factores familiares en el bilingüismo actualmente.

Saberes docentes mobilizados em contextos interativos discursivos de ensino de física envolvendo analogias

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

An investigation of mathematics and science instruction in English and Spanish for English language learners

The contextual demands of language in content area are difficult for ELLS. Content in the native language furthers students' academic development and native language skills, while they are learning English. Content in English integrates pedagogical strategies for English acquisition with subject area instruction. The following models of curriculum content are provided in most Miami Dade County Public Schools: (a) mathematics instruction in the native language with science instruction in English or (b) science instruction in the native language with mathematics instruction in English. The purpose of this study was to investigate which model of instruction is more contextually supportive for mathematics and science achievement. ^ A pretest and posttest, nonequivalent group design was used with 94 fifth grade ELLs who received instruction in curriculum model (a) or (b). This allowed for statistical analysis that detected a difference in the means of .5 standard deviations with a power of .80 at the .05 level of significance. Pretreatment and post-treatment assessments of mathematics, reading, and science achievement were obtained through the administration of Aprenda-Segunda Edición and the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test. ^ The results indicated that students receiving mathematics in English and Science in Spanish scored higher on achievement tests in both Mathematics and Science than the students who received Mathematics in Spanish and Science in English. In addition, the mean score of students on the FCAT mathematics examination was higher than their mean score on the FCAT science examination regardless of the language of instruction. ^

Exploring the Current State of Grades 4 to 8 Science Education in Ontario

This study sought to explore the current state of Grades 4 to 8 science education in Ontario from the perspective of Junior/Intermediate (J/I) teachers. The study’s methodology was a sequential 2-phased mixed methods explanatory design denoted as QUAN (qual)  qual. Data were collected from an online survey and follow-up interviews. J/I teachers (N = 219) from 48 school boards in Ontario completed a survey that collected both quantitative and qualitative data. Interviewees were selected from the survey participant population (n = 6) to represent a range of teaching strategies, attitudes toward teaching science, and years of experience. Survey and interview questions inquired about teacher attitudes toward teaching science, academic and professional experiences, teaching strategies, support resources, and instructional time allotments. Quantitative data analyses involved the descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Qualitative data was coded inductively and deductively. Academic background in science was found to significantly influence teachers’ reported level of capability to teach science. The undergraduate degrees held by J/I science teachers were found to significantly influence their reported levels of capability to teach science. Participants identified a lack of time allocated for science instruction and inadequate equipment and facilities as major limitations on science instruction. Science in schools was reported to be of a “second-tiered” value to language and mathematics. Implications of this study include improving undergraduate and preservice experiences of elementary teachers by supporting their science content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.

How language can help discrimination in the Neural Modelling Fields framework

The relationship between thought and language and, in particular, the issue of whether and how language influences thought is still a matter of fierce debate. Here we consider a discrimination task scenario to study language acquisition in which an agent receives linguistic input from an external teacher, in addition to sensory stimuli from the objects that exemplify the overlapping categories that make up the environment. Sensory and linguistic input signals are fused using the Neural Modelling Fields (NMF) categorization algorithm. We find that the agent with language is capable of differentiating object features that it could not distinguish without language. In this sense, the linguistic stimuli prompt the agent to redefine and refine the discrimination capacity of its sensory channels. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TR-2015001: A Survey and Critique of Facial Expression Synthesis in Sign Language Animation

Sign language animations can lead to better accessibility of information and services for people who are deaf and have low literacy skills in spoken/written languages. Due to the distinct word-order, syntax, and lexicon of the sign language from the spoken/written language, many deaf people find it difficult to comprehend the text on a computer screen or captions on a television. Animated characters performing sign language in a comprehensible way could make this information accessible. Facial expressions and other non-manual components play an important role in the naturalness and understandability of these animations. Their coordination to the manual signs is crucial for the interpretation of the signed message. Software to advance the support of facial expressions in generation of sign language animation could make this technology more acceptable for deaf people. In this survey, we discuss the challenges in facial expression synthesis and we compare and critique the state of the art projects on generating facial expressions in sign language animations. Beginning with an overview of facial expressions linguistics, sign language animation technologies, and some background on animating facial expressions, a discussion of the search strategy and criteria used to select the five projects that are the primary focus of this survey follows. This survey continues on to introduce the work from the five projects under consideration. Their contributions are compared in terms of support for specific sign language, categories of facial expressions investigated, focus range in the animation generation, use of annotated corpora, input data or hypothesis for their approach, and other factors. Strengths and drawbacks of individual projects are identified in the perspectives above. This survey concludes with our current research focus in this area and future prospects.

Evaluation of indexed language used in collective catalogues of university libraries: a socio-cognitive study using verbal protocol

The use of indexing language in university libraries collective catalogs and the socio-cognitive context of indexing and users were evaluated. The methodology consisted of a diagnostic study elaboration of the functioning and treatment procedures of the indexing information from nine libraries of the UNESP Network, representing the Civil Engineering, Pedagogy and Dentistry areas from a data collection using the Verbal Protocol introspective technique in the Individual and Group forms. The study conducted a reflection upon the statements issued by the seventy-two participating individuals whose the results revealed unsatisfactory results about the use of the Subject Headings List of the BIBLIODATA Network, indexing language utilizing by the UNESP Libraries Network, Brazil, in the representation and in the information retrieval process in the ATHENA catalog, about the sequent aspects of the language: lack of specialized vocabulary as well as updated; lack of remissives and of specific headings, and others. We have concluded that the adequate use of indexing languages of specialized scientific areas becomes by means of evaluation as to updating, specificity and compatibility in order to meet the needs of indexing and information retrieval.