Diversity among Bi-ethnic students and differences in educational outcomes and social functioning

The number of bi-ethnic children is increasing. The focus of this study is on bi-ethnic students in the Netherlands with one parent with an ethnic majority background and one parent with an ethnic minority background. Most studies that have investigated educational outcomes and social functioning in school for bi-ethnic students have not focused on the diversity within this group. In this study, we described the demographic, social and cultural diversity among bi-ethnic students and examined whether, in particular, ethnic background and gender of the migrant parent were related to the educational outcomes and social functioning of bi-ethnic students. Data on a total of 653 sixth grade bi-ethnic students (age 11–12) in primary education of the national Dutch cohort study (COOL5−18) were used in this study. To analyse the relationship between the ethnic background and gender of the migrant parent and the educational outcomes and social functioning among bi-ethnic students, multivariate multilevel analyses were performed. The research findings indicate that bi-ethnic students differ demographically, socially and culturally in a manner dependent on ethnic background and gender of the migrant parent. We also found that the ethnic background and the gender of the migrant parent were related to cognitive outcomes, social-emotional functioning and citizenship competences. When trying to understand and support bi-ethnic students, we must consider the diversity among them

Towards a comprehensive school effectiveness model of citizenship education: An empirical analysis of secondary schools in The Netherlands

We still have only a limited understanding of the effectiveness of schools in promoting citizenship, the factors explaining this effectiveness and the way in which these aspects interact. Using elaborate cross-sectional data from students, teachers, team leaders and school leaders at 78 Dutch secondary schools, this study empirically examines a school effectiveness model of citizenship education in order to achieve a more comprehensive explanation of citizenship competence acquisition. Using multilevel structural equation models, we analyze direct and indirect school-level predictors of student knowledge, attitudes and self-evaluated skills regarding citizenship. Four aspects of citizenship education are examined: the school's policies regarding citizenship education, its teaching practices, and its professional and pedagogical learning environment (i.e., teaching community and classroom climate). With respect to school policies, positive effects are found for the attention paid to citizenship education in staff meetings. The professional learning environment is related to students' citizenship competences mainly indirectly, via the average classroom climate. Effects of teaching practices vary: more emphasis on monitoring is more frequently found at schools with lower average levels of citizenship competences, whereas schools that let students choose their own topics in class have on average higher levels of citizenship competences

Detection and characterisation of a new astrovirus in chicken and turkeys with enteric and locomotion disorders

International audienceIn this paper, we report the unexpected discovery of a new virus in samples from chicken and turkey flocks with clinical disorders such as tenosynovitis, enteric problems, or runting and/or stunting-like problems. Since 1987, several virus isolation attempts on samples from these flocks resulted in the same, macroscopic characteristic lesions in embryonated SPF eggs, being mortality with bright red discoloration of legs and wing-tips, a swollen dark-red liver and oedema. Initial work showed characteristics of a non-enveloped RNA virus. Further work, which is described in this paper, showed that the isolated strains formed a new group of avian nephritis viruses (ANV), which is genetically and antigenically distinct from known avian astroviruses (AAstVs). Inoculation of a representative strain (isolate 19) of this new group of ANV, provisionally named avian nephritis virus-3 (ANV-3), in SPF layer chicks resulted in diarrhea, runting and stunting and even mortality

Theatrical technology assessment: A role-play simulation for transdisciplinary engineering education

To be able to contribute to societal challenges, engineering students need to learn how to interact with societal stakeholders and incorporate their viewpoints in technology development. This proves to be difficult, especially when it concerns newly emerging technologies, which are characterized by uncertainty and ambiguity. This paper presents a novel educational method - Theatrical Technology Assessment - which combines insights from Constructive Technology Assessment and improvisational theater in a role-play simulation that enables engineering students to explore the socio-technical dynamics and alternative futures of emerging technologies. This method is tested with bachelor students at the University of Twente. Students were involved as players of the role-play simulation, but also as co-designers and role-instructors. The pilot study corroborates that a role-play simulation is a powerful means for students to learn about the complexity of societal interactions around emerging technologies. They learn about differences in stakeholder perspectives and ways to anticipate or transcend these, and about general patterns in socio-technical dynamics

Smartphone-assisted student feedback to lecturers for better engineering education

One way to work on improving engineering education is to collect and use student feedback about lecturers’ teaching quality. However, as a lecturer in engineering education, it is not always easy to obtain such feedback. Therefore, the Impact! tool was developed. Students fill in a short questionnaire anonymously right at the end of the lecture just delivered. The questions reflect scientifically investigated characteristics of effective lessons. Summaries of students’ ratings are provided to lecturers. This way, student perceptions could be an important basis for lecturers’ reflections on their teaching and, how their lectures can be improved. Workshop participants will experience using the Impact! tool and we will discus how student feedback can be used effectively for improving engineering education. Moreover, results of research into the use of the impact tool will be presented and discussed

Professional identity development and career choices in engineering education: the added value of life history research

In the Netherlands, there has been a shortage of qualified technical workforce for many years. This is not only due to the number of students entering engineering degree programmes, but also due to the number of graduates that leave engineering right after their graduation. Around 42% of the engineering graduates does not start working in an engineering job after graduating. Professional identity is a key concept in understanding the study and career choices that students and alumni make. The project Bridge the Gap is aimed at understanding how professional identity (PI) of engineering students develops over time during and after their studies. Part of this project is a study on PI development from an early age on. In order to understand what experiences in life have shaped their study and career choices, life history interviews were carried out with both alumni that stayed as well as alumni that left engineering after their graduation, 13 in total. Life history research is a form of narrative research that is about comprehending the complexities in decision making in the daily life of an individual in order to get insight in a collective experience of a group. The nature of the collected data enables us to have a critical look at assumptions about study and career choices of engineering student and alumni, rather than allowing for generalizable conclusions. This paper describes the value of LHR for understanding professional identity development and career choices in engineering education

How can technology enhanced learning improve the efficiency and quality of help seeking and giving for programming

Programming tutorials are self-regulated learning activities where students are responsible for their own work pace and learning experience. They are working on programming assignments under supervision of teaching assistants (TAs), where help seeking is an essential skill. Especially, the ability to formulate specific questions contributes to higher test results. In addition, the likelihood of seeking help can be increased by electronic measures, as it is perceived as less threatening. During programming tutorials at the University of Twente the queue management system TA-help.me is used. In order to improve the quality of the learning process, this system was expanded by the following features: 1. Students had to choose a category to which their question belongs. 2. Students had to formulate their question or select a previously asked question. The extentions resulted from a Creative Technology Design process. For evaluation, quantitative data were gathered to measure the quality of the help seeking of students and the acceptance of the tool. Furthermore, TAs were interviewed to check if the tool improved the efficiency and quality of the help seeking and giving. The data indicate that the amount of improvident help seeking reduced, the categories were perceived as useful by the students. Furthermore, adding categories to the questions offered the TAs the opportunity to select topics and to spread their attention more effectively. Typing out the questions did, however, not increase the amount of more specific questions asked. Future research includes how to guide students to ask better questions