Motivational profiles in TIMSS mathematics : Exploring student clusters across aountries and time
This open access book presents a person-centered exploration of student profiles, using variables related to motivation to do school mathematics derived from the IEA’s Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data. Statistical cluster analysis is used to identify groups of students with similar motivational profiles, across grades and over time, for multiple participating countries. In this book, a person-centered analysis of distinct and meaningful motivational profiles and their differences on sociodemographic variables and mathematics performance broadens understanding about the role that motivation characteristics play in learning and achievement in mathematics.
Motivational Aspects of Prejudice and Racism
Motivational Aspects of Prejudice and Racism examines the cognitive processes as well as the motivational forces that create and sustain social hierarchies based on racial categories. A panel of top scholars analyzes the subtle and explicit manifestations of bias within and across racial groups, while refuting the idea that race has lost its power as a social concept. Chapter authors review the evolution of the psychological understanding of racism and its effects, pinpoint emerging trends in racism research, and illuminate the experience of prejudice from minority group members’ perspectives. Well-known psychosocial phenomena as the cross-race identification effect, social identity, and majority culture members' conflicting attitudes regarding race, are explored, with the underlying ideologies that nurture them. The volume concludes with a realistic assessment of the future, and possible elimination, of racism. Readers are challenged to re-think self and social identities and self-concepts—particularly relevant ideas as America grows more diverse, and potentially more divided.
Motivation and career satisfaction at higher education in Syria: A sample from private university
This research paper examines the effect of motivational factors , extrinsic and intrinsic factors which effect on staff satisfaction at work at universities in Syria. The research methodology employs a quantitative design of questionnaire instrument. The model predicts that if employees develop high levels of motivation in their work and organizations, this will stimulate a good quality in their productivity and develop satisfaction at work. Motivation in general , extrinsic factors, intrinsic factors and job satisfaction are based on prior research measures. Sampling strategy employed non-probability sampling. The size of the sample is 35. The results of the research designate that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors are positively associated with employee job satisfaction
Moral Psychology Today : Essays on Values, Rational Choice, and the Will
This book brings together in one volume some of the very latest developments in moral psychology that were presented at a major American conference in 2004. Moral psychology is a broad area at the intersection of moral philosophy and philosophy of mind and action. Essays in this collection deal with most of the central issues in moral psychology that are of interest to a large number of philosophers today, including important questions in normative ethical theory, meta-ethics, and applied ethics.
Modelli Dinamici Discreti = Discrete Dynamic Models
Discrete mathematical modeling is one of the driving factors in modern mathematics research, and has played a role of synthesis between different disciplines, becoming a tool for qualitative and quantitative analysis in applied sciences. This volume provides an introduction to the analysis of discrete dynamic systems, following a modeling approach. An examination of a wide range of examples, models, and motivations drawn from Biology, Demography, Engineering and Economics, is followed by the presentation of the tools for the study of linear and non-linear scalar dynamical systems, with particular attention to stability analysis. The linear difference equations are studied in detail and an elementary introduction to the Z and DFT transforms is provided. One chapter is devoted to the study of bifurcations and chaotic dynamics. One-step vector dynamical systems and the applications of Markov chains are the subject of three chapters.
Metal-Catalysed Reactions of Hydrocarbons
This unique book, drawing on the author’s lifetime experience, critically evaluates the extensive literature on the field of Metal-Catalysed Reactions of Hydrocarbons. Emphasis is placed on reaction mechanisms involving hydrogenation, hydrogenolysis, skeletal and positional isomerisation, and exchange reactions. The motivation for fundamental research in heterogeneous catalysis is to identify the physicochemical characteristics of active centres for the reaction being studied, to learn how these may be modified or manipulated to improve the desired behavior of the catalyst, and to recognize and control those aspects of the catalyst's structure that limit its overall performance. By restricting the subject of the book to hydrocarbons, Bond has progressively developed the subject matter to include areas of importance both to researchers and to those working in the industry.
Medicina fisica e riabilitativa nei disturbi di equilibrio = Physical and rehabilitative medicine in balance disorders
Balance disorders are very common in the population: particularly frequent over the age of 40, are the first motivation for a medical examination after the age of 65 and frequently tend to become chronic. Balance disorders are symptoms of system dysfunction vestibular, complex sensory-psycho-motor system, whose task is that to control the activity of the antigravity muscles to maintain the erect station, of the oculomotor ones to allow the stabilization of the visual field during movement, and the neurovegetative functions they have relationship with standing and movement. Whether the vestibular system provides the information necessary for the check-up of the erect position, the rachis realizes it through a "stability dynamic ", allowed by its structural characteristics proprioception the spine is also a fundamental sensor for controlling balance ; therefore the techniques of physical and rehabilitative medicine and of manual medicine represent a powerful tool for curing ailments equilibrium. This volume comes from the comparison between a physiatrist and an audiologist, who for 15 years have integrated their clinical experience and therefore proposes a new one inter-specialist approach to the diagnostic and therapeutic problems of patients with balance disorders.
Meaning in Action : Constructions, Narratives, and Representations
are far from genetically ? xing what behavioral preferences they may possess. Instead, learning mechanisms offer a ? exible way of attaining locally important cultural knowledge within temporal windows of opportunity as has been convi- ingly shown by research in language and culture attainment. Similar mechanisms are likely to exist for other social capacities, such as mate preferences, for example. It is this role of our biological inheritance that social science must appreciate in order to furnish a more complete understanding of human behavior. Within the natural range of variation of capacities and armed with biologically conditioned learning mechanisms we live out lives of meaning – in which we hold some things to be real, rational, valuable or morally right, and others not. It is this world of meaning in which we ? nd love and hate, struggles for justice, power, and money, and the dramas that lend to life both its depth and passion.
International Handbook of Virtual Learning Environments
Three issues are explored and used as organizers for The Handbook. First, a distinction is made between virtual learning and learning virtually. Second, since the focus is on learning, an educational framework is developed as a means of bringing coherence to the available literature. Third, learning is defined broadly as a process of knowledge creation for transforming experience to reflect different facets of "the curriculum of life".
International business management : Succeeding in a culturally diverse world 2nd edition
Shows the theoretical and practical aspects of managing international business operations while also dealing with multi-cultural, multi-national and global issues of managing business expansion beyond the domestic market.The contents of this textbook are separated into four parts. Part one offers introductory information on the scope and importance of international business management as well as the social and ethical challenges. Part two covers cultural and behavioral topics. Part three discusses the strategic and operational aspects of international business management. Part four explores humanresources and labor relations.
Interdisciplinary mathematics education : A state of the art
This book provides an essential introduction to the state-of the-art in interdisciplinary Mathematics Education. First, it begins with an outline of the field’s relevant historical, conceptual and theoretical backgrounds, what “discipline” means and how inter-, trans-, and meta-disciplinary activities can be understood. Relevant theoretical perspectives from Marx, Foucault and Vygotsky are explained, along with key ideas in theory, e.g. boundaries, discourses, identity, and the division of labour in practice. Second, the book reviews research findings of mainly empirical studies on interdisciplinary work involving mathematics in education, in all stages of education that have become disciplined. For example, it reports that a common theme in studies in middle and high schools is assessing the motivational benefits for the learner of subsuming disciplinary motives and even practices to extra-academic problem-solving activities; this is counter-balanced by the effort needed to overcome the disciplinary boundaries in academic institutions, and in professional identities. These disciplinary boundaries are less obviously limitations in middle and primary schools, and in some vocational courses. Third and finally, it explores selected case studies that illustrate these concepts and findings, both in terms of the motivational benefits for learners and the institutional and other boundaries involved.
Intelligent Tutoring Systems ; 8th International Conference, ITS 2006, Jhongli, Taiwan, June 26-30, 2006 Proceedings
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems, ITS 2006, held in Jhongli, Taiwan in June 2006. The 67 revised full papers and 40 poster papers presented together with abstracts of 6 keynote talks were carefully reviewed and selected from over 200 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on assessment, authoring tools, bayesian reasoning and decision-theoretic approaches, case-based and analogical reasoning, cognitive models, collaborative learning, elearning and web-based intelligent tutoring systems, error detection and handling, feedback, gaming behavior, learner models, motivation, natural language techniques for intelligent tutoring systems, scaffolding, simulation, as well as tutorial dialogue and narrative.
Innovative Concepts for Autonomic and Agent-Based Systems ; 2nd International Workshop on Radical Agent Concepts, WRAC 2005, Greenbelt, MD, USA, September 20-22, 2005, Revised Papers
This volume includes revised versions of papers presented at the workshop. The workshop was structured so as to allow adequate time for discussion and interaction, to exchange ideas and reflect on the motivations, scientific grounds and practical consequences of the concepts presented. Many of the ideas are truly “radical”, and so authors were given time to revise their papers to reflect further thoughts on the ideas presented and to reflect feedback received at the workshop. We are grateful to Jeff Kephart for a very interesting keynote speech describing IBM’s current and future work in this field, which fit very well with the aims and scope of the workshop.
Information and communication technologies in tourism 2005 ; Proceedings of the International Conference in Innsbruck, Austria, 2005
The key objectives of this premier conference in ICT in travel and tourism are the dissemination of research findings and strong interaction among researchers and practitioners. The conference theme this year is "eBusiness is here ? – what is next?" The future is being explored by researchers from all perspectives – papers examine the basic architectures and systems underlying how toursim information is provided and how the marketplace is responding. Trip advisory research is now moving from the speculative to the sophisticated reflecting the rapidly changing individual skill sets, motivations and goals of today's tourist while an emerging collection of work is investigating the growing phenomenon of collaboration and community-building. A close examiniation of the 51 research papers will reveal the full extent of marketing-oriented research and show how strong the link is between ICT developments per se and business adoption and use of the new technologies and systems.
Handbook on Decision Support Systems 1 : Basic Themes
Decision support systems have experienced a marked increase in attention and importance over the past 25 years. The aim of this book is to survey the decision support system (DSS) field – covering both developed territory and emergent frontiers. It will give the reader a clear understanding of fundamental DSS concepts, methods, technologies, trends, and issues. It will serve as a basic reference work for DSS research, practice, and instruction. To achieve these goals, the book has been designed according to a ten-part structure, divided in two volumes with chapters authored by well-known, well-versed scholars and practitioners from the DSS community.
Group interventions in schools : Promoting mental health for at-risk children and youth
Children who are labeled at-risk often suffer from severe deficiencies in cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills that, if unaddressed, may lead to limited prospects for future success and well-being. Tapping into the therapeutic potential of groups, this volume presents the theory and practice of cognitive-oriented group-centered counseling – combining intrinsic motivation, efficacy retraining, and targeted play therapy and social role-playing – that can be implemented to help children build core social skills and emotional regulation to complement their classroom instruction.
Globalization and culture at work : Exploring their combined glocality
Behaviour at work can no longer be stereotyped as global or local – modern or traditional – with very little in-between. Instead work behaviour is a complex interplay between Global and Local values. It takes place in a Glocality. Thus individual achievement co-exists with group aspirations, pay diversity takes place in a social context, teamwork reflects cultural narrative, and labour mobility is bound by community bias. Globalization and Culture at Work: Exploring their Combined Glocality breaks new ground by exploring such glocalities, and the implications they create for managing human potential better. The volume is essential reading for researchers, managers, culturalists and consultants of work behaviour alike.
Global perspectives on recognising non-formal and Informal Learning : Why recognition matters
This book deals with the relevance of recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning in education and training, the workplace and society. In an increasing number of countries, it is at the top of the policy and research agenda ranking among the possible ways to redress the glaring lack of relevant academic and vocational qualifications and to promote the development of competences and certification procedures which recognise different types of learning, including formal, non-formal and informal learning. The aim of the book is therefore to present and share experience, expertise and lessons in such a way that enables its effective and immediate use across the full spectrum of country contexts, whether in the developing or developed world. It examines the importance of meeting institutional and political requirements that give genuine value to the recognition of non-formal and informal learning; it shows why recognition is important and clarifies its usefulness and the role it serves in education, working life and voluntary work; it emphasises the importance of the coordination, interests, motivations, trust and acceptance by all stakeholders.
Global History and New Polycentric Approaches : Europe, Asia and the Americas in a World Network System
Examines how the discipline had evolved in various historiographies, from Anglo Saxon to southern European, and its emergence in Asia with the rapid development of the Chinese economy motivation to legitimate the current uniqueness of the history and economy of the nation. It contributes to the revitalization of the field of global history in Chinese historiography, which have been dominated by national narratives and promotes a debate to open new venues in which important features such as scholarly mobility, diversity and internationalization are firmly rooted, putting aside national specificities.
Geometry of Müntz Spaces and Related Questions
Starting point and motivation for this volume is the classical Muentz theorem which states that the space of all polynomials on the unit interval, whose exponents have too many gaps, is no longer dense in the space of all continuous functions. The resulting spaces of Muentz polynomials are largely unexplored as far as the Banach space geometry is concerned and deserve the attention that the authors arouse. They present the known theorems and prove new results concerning, for example, the isomorphic and isometric classification and the existence of bases in these spaces. Moreover they state many open problems. Although the viewpoint is that of the geometry of Banach spaces they only assume that the reader is familiar with basic functional analysis. In the first part of the book the Banach spaces notions are systematically introduced and are later on applied for Muentz spaces. They include the opening and inclination of subspaces, bases and bounded approximation properties and versions of universality.



















