Analysis of Computer Science Communities Based on DBLP

It is popular nowadays to bring techniques from bibliometrics and scientometrics into the world of digital libraries to analyze the collaboration patterns and explore mechanisms which underlie community development. In this paper we use the DBLP data to investigate the author's scientific career and provide an in-depth exploration of some of the computer science communities. We compare them in terms of productivity, population stability and collaboration trends.Besides we use these features to compare the sets of topranked conferences with their lower ranked counterparts.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 6 table

Design principles for professionalizing primary school teachers on promoting reading motivation

Studies show that teachers’ continuing professional development (CPD) is essential for educational quality, and moreover, when it comes to reading, key for students’ success in education and participation in our 21st century society. Most of the research investigating professional development programs on improving teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching reading and in particular on fostering students’ reading motivation, however, fails to include clear and detailed descriptions of the design principles underlying the programs. Therefore, the present study provides a comprehensive description and operationalization of the design principles of a CPD program for primary school teachers focusing on promoting students’ reading motivation combining Desimone’s (2009) framework for effective professional development with Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Consequently, the CPD program’s core features as distinguished by Desimone (i.e., content focus, coherence, active learning, collective participation and duration) and the need for autonomy, competence and relatedness as put central in SDT are analytically described and elaborated on. In view of reporting on the implementation check of the CPD, we further provide insight into whether these operationalized design principles were also perceived as such by the teachers participating in a first iteration of the CPD intervention. information

The Influence of Social Support and Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction on Student Academic Motivation at a Cameroonian University: Structural Equation Modeling

Problem The growing number of students at the university level in Cameroon created maladaptive behaviors including lack of behavior adaptation, interests, respect, happiness, self-esteem, which led to strikes, vandalism, academic failure and resulting in school dropout (Nwaimah, 2008). The Cameroonian government proposed a number of reforms to solve these issues. One of the major proposed reforms consisted of implementing the Bologna Model in higher education through borrowing and transferring of policies, ideas, and practices from a European higher education area (Eta, 2015; Mngo, 2011). Yet despite the surface progress, the question of how to enhance student learning and improve instruction always remains unsolved. While enrollment numbers are increasing, gaps persist in degree attainment (Eta et al., 2017). This is evidence that the phenomenon of academic motivation is one of the main problems of student success, especially among college students who have negative feelings separation from their parents during college. As a result, these students experience low academic performance and achievement leading to school dropout. Kelly (1988) pointed out that even if best developmental and remedial instructions could improve the learning skills of an academically weak and unprepared student, they could not do so for unmotivated and unprepared students. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of social support and basic psychological needs on student academic motivation of first-year, second-year, and third-year students in the Faculty of Arts, Letters, and Social Sciences (FALSS) at University of Ngaoundéré in Cameroon. Research Design The study utilized a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational, cross-sectional, survey design. Structural equation modeling was the statistical technique used to analyze the data. The sample included first- year, second-year, and third-year students from the Departments of History, Geography, and Sociology/Anthropology in the FALSS at University of Ngaoundéré. There were 388 students who completed the questionnaire; however, five missing cases had to be deleted which resulted in 383 study participants. The data was analyzed using SPSS AMOS version 25 to estimate the parameters and to determine the fit of the structural model with the observed data. A statistical significance level of .05 was established for the study. Results Results from the analysis of the hypothesized model showed that the initial model did not fit the observed data. However, an adjusted model provided an adequate fit to the data (χ2 = 128,094, DF = 55, GFI = .95, CFI = .97, NFI = .95, and the SRMR = .05). Following the re-specification of the model, there were relatively strong path coefficients for the structural model. There were two predictors with direct effect on student academic motivation: peer support and basic psychological needs. Peer support was the strongest direct predictor for the outcome variable of student academic motivation with a statistically significant coefficient of .67. The direct path from the predictor variable of social support to the mediating variable of basic psychological needs had a strong, positive, statistically significant coefficient of .70. This indicated that the mediating variable of basic psychological needs was a potential contributor to student academic motivation. The direct path coefficient from the mediating variable of basic psychological needs to the outcome variable of student academic motivation was weak with a coefficient of .18. In spite of this weak direct path coefficient from basic psychological needs to student academic motivation, the total indirect effect from the exogenous variable of social support to the outcome variable of student academic motivation was a strong, positive, and statistically significant coefficient of .65. The squared multiple correlation coefficients estimate the magnitude of the results, also called effect size or practical significance, of the statistical findings. The interpretation of the squared multiple correlation coefficients from the structural model indicated that the indirect effects of the exogenous variable of social support accounted for approximately 49% of the variance in the mediating variable of basic psychological needs. The primary finding from this study was the strong direct effect of the predictor variable of peer support on the outcome variable of student academic motivation. This direct effect accounted for approximately 45% of the variance in student academic motivation. Conclusions The initial theoretical model, based on a comprehensive literature review and self-determination theory, did not predict a direct effect of peer support on student academic motivation. Thus, the findings did not support the hypothesized pattern of relationships depicted on the initial model. As previous studies with this instrument had been conducted in “Western,” Anglophone cultures, it should not be surprising to learn that self-determination theory is not a good fit for an African, Francophone culture. The findings of this study suggest the need for Cameroonian university teachers and administrators to promote teaching and learning practices that rely on relationship building and peer interaction. Also, this study points to the necessity of continuing research to look for additional factors that may contribute to student motivation in Francophone Africa. This will help create a robust, culturally sensitive theory of student academic motivation for the region

Three decades of strategic management research on M&As: Citations, co-citations, and topics

Merger and acquisitions (M&As) strategies have been growingly deployed by firms for their domestic and international expansion, to redefine their business scope or take advantage of emerging opportunities. In this paper we conduct a bibliometric study of the extant strategy research on M&As, assessed by the articles published in the main journal for strategic management studies over the period 1984-2010. Results reveal the highest impact works (articles and books), the intellectual ties among authors and theories that form five main clusters of research, and the topics delved into. Performance effects, M&As as diversification strategies and RBV and capabilities-based topics have dominated the extant research. The study contributes to the extant knowledge on M&As by taking stock of the accumulated knowledge and research direction, complementing other literature reviews with a strategic management specific perspective. Thus, we provide a rear view of the field which facilitates detecting untapped gaps that may be munificent avenues for future research.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influencing a physically active lifestyle through instructional practices in university basic instruction courses

University graduation requirements for physical education courses termed Basic Instruction Courses (BIC) are at an all-time low. This is contradictory to university research support for the importance of lifetime physical activity (PA). BICs should be examined to identify best instructional practices to influence future PA. The purpose of this study was to examine instructional best practices BIC instructors used to increase students' intentions for future PA. Four Future Practice categories were generated from a pilot study (Social interactions, community, enjoyment, persuasion/role modeling). This study examined the use of these practices in a beginner level soccer course. A beginning volleyball BIC, in which students did not receive the Future Practices program, served as a comparison condition. Data sources for this research were The Physical Activity Intention Adherence Questionnaire (PAIAQ), the Basic Instruction Course Self-Survey (BICSS), student interviews, lesson observations, and instructor journals and checklists. The PAIAQ and BICSS were analyzed descriptively, while the qualitative data was analyzed using open and axial coding to identify themes across data sources. Results displayed no statistically significant changes between classes from pre-tests (Wilks λ=.85, F=1.58, p=.20 with equal variance assumed: Box's M=9.50, p=59). However, the BICs showed more significant change in the PAIAQ and relatedness measures. The Future Practice categories' effectiveness was described from qualitative analysis. The themes of gameplay, health/fitness, and feeling comfortable emerged as characteristics of instruction that led to students' future PA intentions. The most influential instructional Future Practices were the Social Interaction and Outside Class Involvement practices as they catered to student comfort in future PA. The instructor's expertise in sequencing instructional tasks to develop students' sport skills and confidence also appeared to influence students' future PA intentions. Based on the findings of this research, instructional practices addressing game situations, health benefits, and community resources appear to be influential in university students' future exercise intentions

Predictors of Identified and Introjected Religiosity in Upper Elementary Age Children

The rise of research investigating children’s spirituality along with the emerging view of children as social actors in their development provides the impetus to expand research investigating children’s voices around their religious experiences. A significant number of children regularly attend Christian education in church and yet there is limited research investigating how those programs support children’s faith (Bunge, 2006). The investigator designed this study to fill a gap in the literature by investigating the church as a context which supports children’s religiosity. The study was guided by theological reflection on the human spirit and self-determination theory as the theoretical framework. The research specifically assessed children’s perceived relatedness with adults and peers in church and children’s perceived autonomy in Sunday school. There is significant empirical evidence showing that parent religiosity impacts the religiosity of their children, therefore perceived parent religiosity served as a control variable in the study (Benson, Donahue, & Erickson, 1989; Boyatzis, Dollahite, & Marks, 2006; Flor & Knapp, 2001; Veermer, 2010. Four hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify if the church variables were significant predictors of identified religiosity, introjected religiosity, or spiritual well-being in relation to God. Neither perceived relatedness in church nor perceived autonomy in Sunday school were significant predictors of identified or introjected religiosity. However, perceived relatedness in church did significantly predict relationship with God. Furthermore, identified religiosity predicted relationship with God

Impact Of The Future Project On Student Motivation: Meeting Basic Psychological Needs To Improve Academic Dispositions

Student motivation in high school is a long-standing topic of interest considering the widespread problem of low academic engagement and relatively high dropout rates, which are predicted by low attendance. This prevailing problem is indicative that previous interventions have not been sufficient. One hypothesis is that interventions may be too targeted towards outcomes and neglect what motivation researchers in psychology have learned over decades. Motivation researchers, specifically self-determination theorists, have identified three underlying psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) that are critical to fostering intrinsic motivation. This study hypothesizes that these needs are not being met in the school setting even when academic interventions are present. This study will explore how a new intervention, The Future Project, that is not directly academic in nature but as a Positive Youth Development program may proactively foster these psychological needs and could be more effective in enhancing high school student academic motivation. The programming includes four facets: building one-on-one relationships between a student and mentor, exposing students to skill building courses, supporting students individually to design projects that they are passionate about and that have an impact on the world in some way, and it develops an intimate team of students who serve as collaborative leaders in their schools to support each other and their peers in self-reflection or personal project development. This is a mixed methods phenomenological study using secondary data analysis of student and alumni interviews, principal and teacher surveys, and teacher interviews. All data was collected by The Future Project in Spring 2016 to explore the student experience when participating in The Future Project programming and to gather feedback from students, teachers, and administrators. This study will use this data to explore how participating in The Future Project may contribute to fulfilling students’ needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness; and how that influences student academic motivation and engagement, which have previously been determined as precursors to academic achievement; and to illustrate the mechanisms that connect autonomy, competence, and relatedness with academic motivation and engagement

Työntekijöiden työmotivaatio suomalaisissa tietotekniikka-alan kasvuyrityksissä

Rapid developments in commercial and industrial internet, IT software and hardware have allowed the major growth of startup companies worldwide. In addition, the rapidly developing venture capital and accelerator practices are making a notable contribution to the so called startup hype. There is a growing interest towards startups among the global skilled workforce and almost every major university across the world has developed some kind of entrepreneurship program or community. In entrepreneurship literature much has been studied concerning the founding of companies and especially the founders. However, the non-founding employees of startups, who are the actual creators of growth, have been left aside. This thesis focused on the work motivation of the employees, who join startups after their founding. The self-determination theory by Deci and Ryan (1999), which defines psychological need satisfaction as the main promoter of motivation, was used as the theoretical framework for motivation study. In addition to needs, the reward and feedback practices were also studied. Research was based on qualitative methodology and the case study method was used. The founders and employees of three software startups in Finland were interviewed. The main method for data collection was the theme interview and a total of 20 interviews formed the empirical evidence of this research. The data analysis provided a collection of generalized statements related to each psychological need, rewards and feedback. Also a selection of direct quotes could be used to deepen the picture of the results. A unique version of the startup lifecycle was defined by combining theory and empirical evidence. This framework was used to assess changes in perceive need satisfaction. The psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness were perceived to be satisfied well in the case companies. The overall motivation was extrinsic with a highly internalized regulation. In other words, the behavior and culture of the companies was understood, valued and integrated into the self of employees. This type of motivation comes very close to intrinsic motivation, which is considered having the greatest positive effect on work performance. The initial growth phase (as pictured in Figure 1) was the first and most significant point of changes to perceived need satisfaction along the startup lifecycle.IT-alan nopean kehityksen ansiosta kasvuyritysten määrä on lähtenyt jyrkkään nousuun ympäri maailman. Tätä kasvua on ollut tukemassa myös riskirahoittajat ja yrityskiihdyttämöt, jotka mahdollistavat yhä useamman kasvuyrityksen läpilyönnin. Niin sanotun startup-innostuksen myötä yhä useampi korkeakoulutettu tai kokenut työnhakija on kiinnostunut yrittäjyydestä ja kasvuyrityksistä. Yrittäjyyskirjallisuudessa on tutkittu yrityksen perustamista ja menestyksen saloja sekä etenkin itse yrittäjiä. Tutkimukset ovat kuitenkin harvoin keskittyneet kasvuyritysten ensimmäisiin työntekijöihin, joita voidaan pitää menestyksen varsinaisina mahdollistajina. Tässä työssä tutkittiin kasvuyritysten työntekijöiden työmotivaatiota. Keskeisimpänä taustateoriana motivaatiotutkimuksessa toimi Decin ja Ryanin (1999) kehittämä itsemääräytymisteoria (self-determination theory), joka määrittelee motivaation syntyvän kolmen psykologisen tarpeen täyttymisestä. Tarpeiden lisäksi tutkittiin palkitsemis- ja palautteenantokäytäntöjä sekä niiden yhteyttä motivaatioon. Tutkimuksessa käytettiin kvalitatiivista metodologiaan ja tutkimusmetodina toimi tapaustutkimus. Kolmen suomalaisen kasvuyrityksen perustajia sekä työntekijöitä haastateltiin teemahaastattelumetodia käyttäen. Haastatteluita kertyi 20 kappaletta ja ne muodostivat tutkimuksen empiirisen tiedon. Tutkimustiedon analysointi tuotti joukon yleistettyjä lausuntoja, jotka kuvasivat tarpeiden täyttymistä yrityksissä. Lisäksi, havainnollistamisen tukena käytettiin suoria lainauksia, jotka välittivät haastateltavien subjektiivisia mielipiteitä. Kasvuyrityksen elämänkaaresta luotiin uusi malli, joka pohjautuu sekä aikaisempaan tutkimukseen että haastatteluista kerättyyn tietoon. Tätä viitekehystä käytettiin kuvailemaan tarpeiden täyttymisessä tapahtumien muutosten yhteyttä yrityksen elämänkaareen. Kolmen psykologisen tarpeen, eli autonomian, kompetenssin sekä yhteisöllisyyden, koettiin täyttyvän hyvin tapausyrityksissä. Yleinen motivaatiotaso oli hyvin lähellä sisäistä motivaatiota, jolla on parhaat vaikutukset työtehokkuuteen. Työntekijät olivat täysin sisäistäneet yrityksensä käytöstavat sekä kulttuurin ja käsittivät näiden arvon. Ensimmäiset ja merkittävimmät muutokset tarpeiden täyttymisessä kohdattiin kasvuyrityksen elämänkaaren kolmannessa vaiheessa, jolloin muun muassa yritykseen liittyy ensimmäinen suuri joukkio uusia työntekijöitä

A FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE RESTRUCTURING STRATEGIES EMPWYED BY LARGE FOOD MANUFACTURERS IN THE 1980s

Agribusiness, Industrial Organization,

Self-Determination Theory and Faculty Behavior: A Quantitative Study of Faculty Leaders\u27 Use of Assessment Evidence

Despite assessment of student learning being essential work in higher education, a number of institutions have noted faculty could more effectively be using assessment results (Jankowski et al., 2018; Kuh et al., 2015; Metzler & Kurz, 2019; Suskie, 2014). This study applied Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a theoretical framework to provide context for faculty behavior associated with assessment actions (Fuller et al., 2016; Ryan & Deci, 2000). Mostly quantitative data were collected via electronic survey of faculty program leaders at a single institution, National Louis University (NLU). Results indicated a significant and positive relationship suggesting an increase in meeting the collective SDT needs would be met with an increase in faculty program leaders use of assessment evidence. Implications for further research are provided, as well as recommendations for changes to be made at NLU for the betterment of faculty experience and assessment culture