Another Look at Confidence Intervals: Proposal for a More Relevant and Transparent Approach

The behaviors of various confidence/credible interval constructions are explored, particularly in the region of low statistics where methods diverge most. We highlight a number of challenges, such as the treatment of nuisance parameters, and common misconceptions associated with such constructions. An informal survey of the literature suggests that confidence intervals are not always defined in relevant ways and are too often misinterpreted and/or misapplied. This can lead to seemingly paradoxical behaviours and flawed comparisons regarding the relevance of experimental results. We therefore conclude that there is a need for a more pragmatic strategy which recognizes that, while it is critical to objectively convey the information content of the data, there is also a strong desire to derive bounds on models and a natural instinct to interpret things this way. Accordingly, we attempt to put aside philosophical biases in favor of a practical view to propose a more transparent and self-consistent approach that better addresses these issues.Comment: 23 pages, 11 figure

Measuring the competence-quality of vocational teachers: An advocatory approach

Using a sample of 110 persons, this study examined the ”advocatory approach” for predicting the quality of (VET) teacher’s competency profiles. The participants (teachers, experts, non-teachers) observed a concrete teaching behavior using a film vignette, and judged it by means of different quality criteria. The hypothesis that differences in the groups, who evaluate, elicit differing sensitivity about the quality of specified teaching competencies (and not teaching performance) was mostly confirmed. We suggest that teachers can individually compare their values with expert values and non-teacher values, and thus use the discrepancies in quality sensitivity for the purposes of self-guided in-service training. (DIPF/Orig.

Stellar orbits in cosmological galaxy simulations: the connection to formation history and line-of-sight kinematics

We analyze orbits of stars and dark matter out to three effective radii for 42 galaxies formed in cosmological zoom simulations. Box orbits always dominate at the centers and $z$-tubes become important at larger radii. We connect the orbital structure to the formation histories and specific features (e.g. disk, counter-rotating core, minor axis rotation) in two-dimensional kinematic maps. Globally, fast rotating galaxies with significant recent in situ star formation are dominated by $z$-tubes. Slow rotators with recent mergers have significant box orbit and $x$-tube components. Rotation, quantified by the $\lambda_R$-parameter often originates from streaming motion of stars on $z$-tubes but sometimes from figure rotation. The observed anti-correlation of $h_3$ and $V_0 / \sigma$ in rotating galaxies can be connected to a dissipative formation history leading to high $z$-tube fractions. For galaxies with recent mergers in situ formed stars, accreted stars and dark matter particles populate similar orbits. Dark matter particles have isotropic velocity dispersions. Accreted stars are typically radially biased ($\beta \approx 0.2 - 0.4$). In situ stars become tangentially biased (as low as $\beta \approx -1.0$) if dissipation was relevant during the late assembly of the galaxy. We discuss the relevance of our analysis for integral field surveys and for constraining galaxy formation models.Comment: 21 pages, 19 figure

Negatives Wissen und Moral

In seiner Untersuchung zum Verhältnis von "Negativem Wissen und Moral" zeigt der Autor, dass "negatives moralisches Wissen" in biografischer und entwicklungslogischer Hinsicht für die Ausbildung moralischer Urteilsfähigkeit konstitutiv ist. Dabei unterscheidet er zwischen orientierenden, Sicherheit stiftenden, Sanktionen interpretierenden und Schutz gewährenden "Funktionen" negativen moralischen Wissens, welche zusammen "mehr als ein Normsystem" ausmachen, nämlich die Einsicht formulieren, dass wir aus der "Geschichte des Bösen" eine Vorstellung davon gewinnen können, "was das Gute sein könnte". Hierfür sind als "erzieherische Komponenten" Konzepte hilfreich, die ein "Umlernen" ermöglichen, mit sittlichen Missbilligungen in der Form von "Entrüstung" argumentieren und Praktiken einer "Just Community" kultivieren. (DIPF/Orig.

Auf der Suche nach Licht: Was heisst Wissenschaftsorientierung einer neuen Lehrerbildung?

In den einzelnen Kantonen sind Kommissionen daran, die Lehrerbildung zu reformieren. Grundlegender Tenor ist a) die Erhöhung der PrimarlehrerInnen- und KindergärtnerInnenausbildung auf zwei Jahre nach der Maturität, b) die Schaffung Pädagogischer Hochschulen, c) die Schaffung von Berufseinstiegsphasen und d) die Wissenschaftsfundierung der Ausbildung. Während die Punkte a) bis c) durch vernünftige pädagogische Argumentation abgesichert sind, finden zu Punkt d), der Wissenschaftsorientierung, immer wieder Kontroversen statt. Der Aufsatz greift diesen Punkt auf

You can "boo" AND vote: a new approach for studying how people combine political activities.

Do some people specialize only in electoral-oriented political participation such as voting, while others are active only beyond the electoral arena, participating in protests and demonstrations? In new research Jennifer Oser examines participatory inequalities by analyzing how people combine opportunities for political action in practice. She finds that most of those who are activists also vote, and that despite new opportunities for political activism, the majority of citizens are largely disengaged from politics

Standards in der Lehrerbildung. Teil 1: Berufliche Kompetenzen, die hohen Qualitätsmerkmalen entsprechen

Dieser Aufsatz hat zwei Teile. Im ersten werden Lehrerkompetenzen in der Weise beschrieben, dass sie hohen Qualitätsansprüchen auf der Handlungsebene entsprechen. Wenn die Bedingungen a) theoretische Fundierung, b) empirisches Wissen, c) evaluative Kriterien und d) Handlungstradition erfüllt sind, sprechen wir von Standards in der Lehrerbildung. Standards sind mehr als pädagogisch-psychologische Wissenseinheiten. Sie liegen auf der Ebene wissenschaftlich reflektierter Handlungsmuster von Lehrpersonen in sich dauernd wandelnden Kontexten. Sie sind somit auch mehr als automatisierte Fertigkeiten (Skills), und sie sind dergestalt, dass sie nicht von Fachleuten anderer Professionen oder von Laien wahrgenommen werden können. Aufgrund von Gesprächen mit Verantwortlichen der Lehrerbildung entwickelten wir 88 solcher Standards. Sie sollen hier vorgestellt werden. In der nächsten Nummer werden erste Ergebnisse zur Frage, mit welcher Intensität die Lehrerbildungsanstalten der Schweiz die Standards ausbilden, vorgestellt

How Citizenship Norms and Digital Media Use Affect Political Participation: A Two-Wave Panel Analysis

A centrally important question for researchers of media and communication is whether any type of individual-level behavior (e.g., digital media use) or normative attitude (e.g., norms of good citizenship) contributes to equalizing patterns of political participation, which often favor higher-status groups. Drawing on a two-wave repeated panel telephone survey that uses a nationally representative sampling frame, the study’s research design facilitates a robust analysis of how citizenship norms and digital media use affect political participation, with a focus on comparing higher- and lower-status groups. Specifically, the study analyzes a survey conducted in 2018 (Wave 1) and 2019 (Wave 2) among Israeli citizens, with a representative sampling of the generally higher-status Jewish majority and the lower-status Arab minority. The findings indicate that citizenship norms and digital media use in Wave 1 have a time-ordered positive effect on nonelectoral participation in Wave 2 for both Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel. However, the findings also show that for voting, the only statistically significant determinant is citizens’ Jewish or Arab identity. At a time when many democracies are facing severe challenges due to democratic erosion and social disintegration, this study contributes a normatively encouraging finding that key factors identified in the literature on citizenship norms and digital media use do not contribute to participatory inequalities between the Jewish majority and Arab minority in Israel. The findings also show, however, that it is essential to look beyond digital media use patterns to mobilize lower-status groups to become politically engaged in electoral-oriented politics