Antecedents of self-regulation in early childhood

Abstract presented at The Inaugural Early Start Conference, 28-30 September 2015, Wollongong, Australi

Incomplete Quadratic Exponential Sums in Several Variables

We consider incomplete exponential sums in several variables of the form S(f,n,m) = \frac{1}{2^n} \sum_{x_1 \in \{-1,1\}} ... \sum_{x_n \in \{-1,1\}} x_1 ... x_n e^{2\pi i f(x)/p}, where m>1 is odd and f is a polynomial of degree d with coefficients in Z/mZ. We investigate the conjecture, originating in a problem in computational complexity, that for each fixed d and m the maximum norm of S(f,n,m) converges exponentially fast to 0 as n grows to infinity. The conjecture is known to hold in the case when m=3 and d=2, but existing methods for studying incomplete exponential sums appear to be insufficient to resolve the question for an arbitrary odd modulus m, even when d=2. In the present paper we develop three separate techniques for studying the problem in the case of quadratic f, each of which establishes a different special case of the conjecture. We show that a bound of the required sort holds for almost all quadratic polynomials, a stronger form of the conjecture holds for all quadratic polynomials with no more than 10 variables, and for arbitrarily many variables the conjecture is true for a class of quadratic polynomials having a special form.Comment: 31 pages (minor corrections from original draft, references to new results in the subject, publication information

Measurement of mental attention: Assessing a cognitive component underlying performance on standardized intelligence tests

Despite the widespread use of standardized IQ tests to measure human intelligence, problems with such measures have led some to suggest that better indices may derive from measurement of cognitive processes underlying performance on IQ tests (e.g., working memory capacity). However, measures from both approaches may exhibit performance biases in favour of majority groups, due to the influence of prior learning and experience. Mental attentional (M-) capacity is proposed to be a causal factor underlying developmental growth in working memory. Measures of M-capacity index important cognitive variance underlying performance on standardized intelligence tests. These measures appear to be reasonably culture-fair and invariant across content domains. The current study tested theoretical predictions regarding the content-invariance of M-measures and the development of M-capacity for groups of children differing in performance on standardized IQ tests. 91 participants differentiated on the basis of academic stream (intellectually gifted vs. mainstream) and age (grade 4 vs. grade 8) received measures of M-capacity in the verbal and visuo-spatial domains. Children identified as gifted scored about one stage higher on both measures. Results suggest that measures of M-capacity may be useful adjuncts to standardized intelligence measures

Measuring students\u27 perceptions of plagiarism: Modification and Rasch validation of a plagiarism attitude scale

Plagiarism is a significant area of concern in higher education, given university students\u27 high self-reported rates of plagiarism. However, research remains inconsistent in prevalence estimates and suggested precursors of plagiarism. This may be a function of the unclear psychometric properties of the measurement tools adopted. To investigate this, we modified an existing plagiarism scale (to broaden its scope), established its psychometric properties using traditional (EFA, Cronbach\u27s alpha) and modern (Rasch analysis) survey evaluation approaches, and examined results of well-functioning items. Results indicated that traditional and modern psychometric approaches differed in their recommendations. Further, responses indicated that although most respondents acknowledged the seriousness of plagiarism, these attitudes were neither unanimous nor consistent across the range of issues assessed. This study thus provides rigorous psychometric testing of a plagiarism attitude scale and baseline data from which to begin a discussion of contextual, personal, and external factors that influence students\u27 plagiarism attitudes

An Investigation of Teachers’ Awareness and Willingness to Engage with a Self-Directed Professional Development Package on Gifted and Talented Education

Despite recognising the importance of educators in meeting the needs of gifted and talented students, research indicates that teachers often lack the essential knowledge, skills and confidence to identify and meet the needs of gifted and talented students. Evidence suggests this lack of preparation may be related to teachers’ professional development. This quantitative study of 96 primary school teachers aimed to provide an initial insight into the knowledge and uptake of the 2005 DEST/GERRIC Gifted and Talented Training Package. It further aimed to give some insight into teachers’ opinions and behaviours as it pertains to this mode of professional development. Results suggest a lack of knowledge and uptake of this training package, despite an overwhelming willingness to undertake this mode of gifted and talented education training as part of professional development. Implications and recommendations conclude the paper

The Performance Effects of Word Locator Cues on the NAEP Reading Assessment

Beginning with the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment, a new subset of items will be introduced with the intent of measuring vocabulary in context. The assessment’s item format requires an examinee to locate a targeted word in the reading passage. It was reasoned that presenting these items along with ‘word locator cues’ might help reduce construct irrelevant variance due to students’ differential ability in searching the targeted word. Using a sample of 1323 fourth and eight grade students, this study investigated the effects of two such ‘word locator cues’ on student performance: numbering the lines of the passage, and printing targeted words in boldface type. The results indicated that various format conditions (with and without cues) do not influence student performance on the vocabulary items after controlling for reading comprehension. On the other hand, at both fourth and eighth grade, we detected interactions between format conditions and race/ethnicity, which suggested that word locator cues appear to hurt the performance of certain subgroups. Implications of these findings for NAEP’s future reading assessments are discussed. Accessed 11,314 times on https://pareonline.net from October 04, 2007 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right

Qualitative process evaluation of an Australian alcohol media literacy study: recommendations for designing culturally responsive school-based programs

Background: Alcohol media literacy programs seek to mitigate the potentially harmful effects of alcohol advertising on children\u27s drinking intentions and behaviours through equipping them with skills to challenge media messages. In order for such programs to be effective, the teaching and learning experiences must be tailored to their specific cultural context. Media in the Spotlight is an alcohol media literacy program aimed at 9 to 12 year old Australian children. This study evaluates the process and implementation of the program, outlining the factors that facilitated and inhibited implementation. From this evaluation, a pedagogical framework has been developed for health professionals implementing culturally responsive programs in school settings. Methods: Process measures included: semi-structured interviews with teachers before and after the program was implemented (n = 11 interviews), program evaluation questionnaires completed by children (n = 166), lesson observations completed by teachers (n = 35 observations), and reflective journal entries completed by the researcher (n = 44 entries). A thematic analysis approach was used to analyse all of the data sets using NVivo. Inductive coding was used, whereby the findings were derived from the research objectives and multiple readings and interpretations of the data. Results: Five key pedagogical considerations were identified that facilitated implementation. These were: connecting to the students\u27 life worlds to achieve cultural significance; empowering students with real-world skills to ensure relevance; ensuring programs are well structured with strong connections to the school curriculum; creating developmentally appropriate activities while providing a range of assessment opportunities; and including hands-on and interactive activities to promote student engagement. Three potential inhibitors to implementing the alcohol media literacy program in upper-elementary school classrooms were identified. These included topic sensitivities, classroom management challenges, and fitting new programs into already busy school schedules. Conclusion: Overall, the program content and individual lessons were well received by the teachers and students. The lessons learned from the development, implementation and evaluation of this program can provide health professionals with key pedagogical strategies for designing culturally responsive educational programs. Culturally responsive programs are critical for ensuring interventions are effective for their specific context

Measurement of mental attention: Assessing a cognitive component underlying performance on

Abstract Despite the widespread use of standardized IQ tests to measure human intelligence, problems with such measures have led some to suggest that better indices may derive from measurement of cognitive processes underlying performance on IQ tests (e.g., working memory capacity). However, measures from both approaches may exhibit performance biases in favour of majority groups, due to the influence of prior learning and experience. Mental attentional (M-) capacity is proposed to be a causal factor underlying developmental growth in working memory. Measures of M-capacity index important cognitive variance underlying performance on standardized intelligence tests. These measures appear to be reasonably culture-fair and invariant across content domains. The current study tested theoretical predictions regarding the content-invariance of M-measures and the development of M-capacity for groups of children differing in performance on standardized IQ tests. Ninety-one participants differentiated on the basis of academic stream (intellectually gifted vs. mainstream) and age (grade 4 vs. grade 8) received measures of M-capacity in the verbal and visuo-spatial domains. Children identified as gifted scored about one stage higher on both measures. Results suggest that measures of M-capacity may be useful adjuncts to standardized intelligence measures