National IQs predict differences in scholastic achievement in 67 countries

This paper examines the relationship of the national IQs reported by Lynn & Vanhanen (2002, 2006) to national achievement in mathematics and science among 8th graders in 67 countries. The correlation between the two is 0.92 and is interpreted as establishing the validity of the national IQs. The correlation is so high that national IQs and educational achievement appear to be measures of the same construct. National differences in educational achievement are greater than differences in IQ, suggesting an amplifier effect such that national differences in IQs amplify differences in educational achievement. Controlling for national differences in IQ, slight inverse relationships of educational achievement are observed with political freedom, subjective well-being, income inequality, and GDP. However, public expenditure on education (as % of GDP) was not a significant predictor of differences in educational achievement.     

Attentional performance, age and scholastic achievement in healthy children

Background

Attentional processes in children play a critical role in daily school demands and accomplishments. Studies on the association of attentional processes with school achievement and age in healthy school children are scarce. The aim of the present study was to identify correlations between dimensions of attentional performance, scholastic achievement and age.

Methodology/Principal Findings

An extensive testing battery was used to assess a wide range of attentional dimensions. A principal component analysis revealed three factors that are related to attentional performance (distractibility, lapses of attention, cognitive speed). Age was negatively associated with distractibility, lapses of attention and cognitive speed, indicating that distractibility and lapses of attention decreased with age in healthy children and resulted in lower cognitive speed.

Conclusions/Significance

Attentional processes in healthy children should be measured in relation to distractibility, lapses of attention and cognitive speed.     

银川市中学生耳鸣症状流行病学调查

目的 调查中学生耳鸣的分布情况及相关因素,为制订防治策略提供科学依据.方法 采用分层随机整群抽样法,对银川市2 009名中学生进行问卷调查、耳科检查,数据用SPSS 15.0统计软件处理.结果 中学生耳鸣的总体患病率为4.3％;女生耳鸣患病率(5.4％)高于男生(3.2％),差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).随身听使用时间、失眠及耳疾等是耳鸣的危险因素,OR值分别为2.676,2.882,3.508.结论 耳鸣可影响中学生的学习和生活,其发生与多种因素有关.     

初中生生物学前科学概念来源的研究

在文献分析的基础上,分析了初中生生物学前科学概念的来源。其主要来源有:1)个体的日常生活经验;2)自己的判断、推理;3)生物学概念的术语;4)教学资料;5)教师的前科学概念;6)同学、朋友;7)学生遗忘了;8)相近概念的混淆;9)社会媒体;10)家人。这些来源依内-外部的维度,可分为内部因素和外部因素;依人-物的维度,可分为人的因素和物的因素;依教育领域的维度,可分为学校教育因素、社会教育因素和家庭教育因素。     

佛山市禅城区中小学生肺结核感染和患病现况

目的 了解佛山市禅城区中小学生结核菌感染和肺结核患病现况,为主管部门提供学校结核病防治工作决策依据.方法 整群抽取佛山市禅城区中小学新生19 685名进行PPD试验,检查结果采用SPSS 16.0统计分析.结果 佛山市中小学生PPD总体阳性率为52.0％,强阳性率3.6％,发现5例活动性肺结核病人,患病率为28.76/105.初中学生PPD阳性4 737例(51.5％),强阳性307例(3.3％);小学生阳性3 689例(45.1％),强阳性311例(3.8％);初中生阳性率低于小学生(χ2 =70.36,P＜0.01).受检男生中,阳性4 459例(46.1％),强阳性255例(2.6％);女生中,阳性3 967例(51.4％),强阳性363例(4.7％),女生阳性率高于男生(χ2=124.39,P＜0.01).有肺结核患者的学校PPD阳性和强阳性检出率高于无肺结核患者的学校(x2=31.76,P＜0.01),患者所在班级PPD总体阳性率高于无患者的班级(x2=9.28,P=0.01).结论 佛山市中小学学生结核菌感染率和活动性肺结核患病率较高,初中生、女生易感,患者所在班级和学校结核菌感染率较高.因此,要针对重点人群,加强佛山市中小学生结核病防治工作.     

The role of chronotype,gender, test anxiety,and conscientiousness in academic achievement of high school students

Previous findings have demonstrated that chronotype (morningness/intermediate/eveningness) is correlated with cognitive functions, that is, people show higher mental performance when they do a test at their preferred time of day. Empirical studies found a relationship between morningness and higher learning achievement at school and university. However, only a few of them controlled for other moderating and mediating variables. In this study, we included chronotype, gender, conscientiousness and test anxiety in a structural equation model (SEM) with grade point average (GPA) as academic achievement outcome. Participants were 158 high school students and results revealed that boys and girls differed in GPA and test anxiety significantly, with girls reporting better grades and higher test anxiety. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between conscientiousness and GPA (r = 0.17) and morningness (r = 0.29), respectively, and a negative correlation between conscientiousness and test anxiety (r = –0.22). The SEM demonstrated that gender was the strongest predictor of academic achievement. Lower test anxiety predicted higher GPA in girls but not in boys. Additionally, chronotype as moderator revealed a significant association between gender and GPA for evening types and intermediate types, while intermediate types showed a significant relationship between test anxiety and GPA. Our results suggest that gender is an essential predictor of academic achievement even stronger than low or absent test anxiety. Future studies are needed to explore how gender and chronotype act together in a longitudinal panel design and how chronotype is mediated by conscientiousness in the prediction of academic achievement.     

北京市西城区中学生体力活动情况及肥胖超重影响因素分析

目的 了解北京市西城区中学生体力活动的情况,探讨中学生超重肥胖相关行为现状及影响因素,为制定干预措施提供科学依据.方法 采取整群随机抽样方法,对北京市西城区9所中学59个班级1 930名在校生使用“北京市青少年健康相关行为调查问卷”进行调查.结果 在过去7d中,有74.8％和59.1％中学生分别参加体育锻炼和中等强度运动;平均每天看电视、玩电子游戏、上网超过2h的报告率分别为24.9％,11.9％和31.9％.参加体育锻炼、中等强度运动、玩电子游戏行为报告率男生高于女生.职高学生、自感学习成绩差的中学生运动行为报告率较低,静态行为报告率较高.母亲文化程度越高,家庭类型为核心或大家庭中学生运动行为报告率越高,静态行为报告率越低.男生患超重肥胖的危险是女生的3.207倍;平均每天看电视超过4h的中学生患超重肥胖的危险是平均每天看电视不足1h中学生的1.755倍.结论 广泛开展健康教育,增强中学生健康理念,引导科学运动,控制看电视、上网和玩电子游戏的时间,可以减少青少年超重和肥胖的发生.     

Behavioral pattern of overweight and obese school children

The aim of this study was to determine socio economic, health status, nutritional and behavioral differences in obese, overweight and normal weight children attending first grade elementary school. In overweight group there is 13.8% of boys and 12.6% of girls, in obese group 8.3% of boys and 6.9% of girls. In factor analysis 12 factors was excluded with cumulative loading of 60% variability. Discriminant analysis was performed with 12 factors as predictive variables and discriminant variables were three BMI groups: normal weight, overweight and obese. Function 1 discriminate well normal weight group from overweight and obese group. Overweight and obese groups is described with lower number of children in the family and lower order of birth, higher education of parents, they eat less vegetables and fruits, spend more time playing computer games, have less physical activity, drink more alcohol with their meals, exactly opposite to normal weight group.     

“Filling a gap: knowledge in health related science for middle school students in formal and informal contexts

ABSTRACT

Background: Recent studies shows lack of knowledge concerning health literacy relatively microorganism/disease and the correct use of antibiotics. These facts lead to the spreading of resistant strains bacteria.

Aims: The overarching goals of this study were a) to promote health literacy predominantly in respect to microorganism/disease, diseases transmission, antibiotic target and adequate antibiotic use; b) to show the importance of the transmission of health information in different environments; c) to motivate students for science research.

Methods: Students’ knowledge was evaluated with a survey instrument. Responses were analyzed before and after the implementation of the activity. The activity consists of an interactive lecture, slide show presentation and some practical activities. The sample includes 25 Portuguese students, 13–17 years old who attended the activity in Palácio de Cristal (Porto) and 66 students from D. Maria II School, V.N. Famalicão.

Results: In this study, significant increase in knowledge about all the topics evaluated were observed both in formal and informal environments between the pre and post-test; however the best results were detected in informal contexts.

Conclusion: The findings showed the importance of the implementation of scientific activities to middle-school students. This experience was valuable and helped to improve student knowledge on heath topics.     

慢性疲劳综合征中学生运动前后尿液差异代谢物的比较

目的：探讨慢性疲劳综合征（CFS）中学生运动前后尿液的差异代谢物及其代谢通路特征,阐述慢性疲劳综合征的代谢机制。方法：依据美国疾病预防控制中心关于CFS的筛选标准,选取8名17~19岁男性CFS中学生作为受试对象,同时选择来自同一学校的8名同龄、同性别健康中学生作为对照组。受试者进行一次改良的哈佛台阶运动（上下台阶30次/min,持续3 min）,采集运动前后的尿液,以液相-质谱联用（LC-MS）法检测其差异代谢物;采用多维统计法对所检测到的代谢物进行主成分分析（PAC）和正交偏最小二乘判别分析（OPLS-DA）;通过MetPA数据库分析与差异代谢物相关的代谢通路。结果：与对照组相比较,运动前CFS组筛选出肌酸、吲哚乙醛、植物鞘氨醇和焦谷氨酸4个差异代谢物,其含量均显著下降（P<0.05或P<0.01）;运动后CFS组检测出11个差异代谢物,依次是壬二酸、甲基腺苷、乙酰肉碱、癸酸、皮质酮、肌酸、左炔诺孕酮、泛酸、焦谷氨酸、黄嘌呤核苷和黄尿酸,其中除甲基腺苷和肌酸比对照组显著升高（P<0.05）外,其他9个差异代谢物均较对照组显著降低（P<0.05或P<0.01）。将上述15个差异代谢物分别输入MetPA数据库进行代谢通路权重得分分析,结果显示,运动前CFS组只检测出精氨酸-脯氨酸代谢通路紊乱,标记代谢物为肌酸;而运动后检测出精氨酸-脯氨酸代谢、泛酸与辅酶A生物合成、类固醇激素生物合成3条代谢通路存在障碍,标记代谢物依次是：肌酸、泛酸和皮质酮。结论：运动干预前,CFS中学生的精氨酸-脯氨酸代谢通路紊乱被检出;施加运动后,又检测出其类固醇激素生物合成代谢通路与泛酸和辅酶A代谢通路也存在代谢紊乱情况。     

体验式教学法在中学生物学教学中的应用

“体验式”教学法是在宽松的情境中让学生主动参与学习活动,通过学生对自身体验的省思来进行学习并完成知识的建构过程,获得自主发展的一种教学模式。论述了体验教学的内涵、策略、过程及构建该教学模式应注意的问题。     

中学生物学教学回顾与期盼

追述世界生物科学的发展 ,直至 1 8世纪 ,生物科学还主要是研究生命活动的各种表现 ,生物科学工作者的注意力仅仅集中在搜集、积累事实资料上。跨入1 9世纪以来 ,生物科学有了巨大的进展 ,生物科学的面貌发生了惊人的变化 ,生物科学家、生物科技工作者注意到了生命过程的发展、变化和联系。而我国直至1 9世纪 4 0年代才步入对生物科学的学习和研究 (表1 ) ,不过此时国人已经意识到了生物学的重要价值 ,许多生物科技工作者积极投入到了生物科学的研究行列 ,并取得了一些成绩。到了 2 0世纪 ,生物科学的进展更快了 ,已经从描述到实验 ,从定性…     

Explaining events in the environment to primary school students

This paper is part of an investigation into 11-year-old students' interpretations of events in the environment. In particular, we analyse the use of a scale model constructed and manipulated by students when simulating a forest fire.We consider that their explanations involve the interrelation of three levels of organisation: the level at which the phenomenon is observed, a lower level at which causal mechanisms are identified, and a higher level in which environmental constraints are identified. The data consisted of recordings of conversations in class and the students' explanations themselves.These were analysed under three headings: 1. The organisational level of the explanation; 2. The source of the evidence (original observations, the scale model, previous experiences or authorities); and 3.Who promotes the explanation (teacher, student or in interaction). The results show a spiral process of explanation construction. The use of the scale model encourages the inclusion of constraints in the explanations, while mechanisms are mostly introduced when resorting to previous experiences and observations. Scientific language is used mostly regarding mechanisms, and the integration of levels is encouraged by questions posed by the teacher.