Transferring and Transforming Technology Education: A Study of Norwegian Teachers’ Perceptions of Ideas from Design & Technology

What happens when educational ideas cross national and cultural borders? How do teachers respond to ideas originating in a different school system and a different national culture? This article reports on an empirical study investigating the transfer of ideas from Design &; Technology as a subject in England and Wales into Norwegian schools. A sample of teachers participating in a specific project on technology teaching inspired by this subject has been studied by means of interviews and classroom observation. Results of the study show that while some elements of Design &; Technology are adopted by the teachers, essential ideas of the subject are significantly transformed. Drawing on Barnes, (1992, Teachers and Teaching: From Classrooms to Reflection (pp. 9–32), The Falmer press, London) concept of teachers' professional frames for teaching, it is shown how specific aspects of the national and educational culture have had a considerable effect on?the teachers' interpretation of the nature of technology as a subject of teaching and its place in the curriculum. The study illustrates the importance of the cultural context in how educational ideas are interpreted, reshaped and realized in schools.     

Differences in the Cost of Trade Execution Services on Floor-Based and Electronic Futures Markets

This paper provides new evidence on the impact of electronic trading on brokerage commissions by investigating a sample period that covers the period of transition from floor to electronic trading on the Sydney Futures Exchange. After controlling for liquidity, volatility and broker identity, the introduction of electronic trading remains to be associated with lower brokerage commissions relative to floor markets. The study also provides new evidence on brokerage commissions in futures markets finding that commission fees charged on futures trades average 0.002% of transaction value. This is up to 120 times smaller than the magnitude of brokerage fees charged in stock markets, and considerably lower than the magnitude of brokerage fees assumed for futures markets in previous research. Consistent with existing studies based on stock markets, commissions charged per contract decrease with order size reflecting economies of scale in the provision of brokerage services in futures markets. Commission rates are positively related to bid-ask spreads and price volatility, which proxy for the probability of execution error costs and execution difficulty, respectively. Finally, the identity of the broker is found to be a significant determinant of commissions reflecting different pricing schedules across brokers.     

The effectiveness of interest-rate futures contracts for hedging Japanese bonds of different credit quality and duration

This study investigates the effectiveness of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE)-traded Japanese 10-year JGB futures contract to hedge portfolios of Japanese bonds of differing maturity and credit quality. The bond portfolios examined are Government, AAA-, and AA-rated Eurobonds with maturities of 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 20 years. Consistent with the recent literature, the study employs univariate methods for calculating hedge ratios based on levels, first differences, and percentage change of each series. Out-of-sample forecasting is used to determine the effectiveness of the calculated hedge ratios for each of the bond portfolios and to determine which approach to calculating hedge ratios is the most effective. The results show that this particular futures contract does provide a good hedge, particularly for those bond terms closest to the 10-year term of the contract. There is some evidence, although not strong, that JGBs are better hedged than AAA and AA bonds. Investors should take some caution when using this futures contract to hedge bond portfolios of different maturities and credit ratings.     

社会资本测量理论方法探讨：农户社会资本的测量

社会资本的测量一直是社会资本领域研究的重要问题.根据农户社会资本具有结构性和关系性的特征,按异质性、趋同性、工具性和情感性四个维度选取经验指标进行实证研究.研究发现:首次提出针对农户社会资本测量理论并选择出适合中国村庄环境特点、能够体现农户社会资本功能性和特征性的社会资本测量维度;提出一种更加客观并体现主体差异的IOWA客观自主评价法,并通过实证方法对社会资本进行测量;依据农户社会资本测量理论,采用定性定量相结合的分析方法对一个村庄做实证检验以确定理论及方法的合理性和有效性.     

德语国家休闲与旅游地理研究的回顾与进展

德语国家的旅游地理学研究发端于汉斯·波塞尔(Hans Poser)1939年对利森山区(Riesengebirge)旅游景区的分析研究.他将景观看作旅游的背景,认为地理学研究旅游要从分析景观和度假之间的关系入手.二战后形成的以休闲行为研究为主的慕尼黑学派,更重视游客及其休闲行为.目前的旅游地理学研究主要以应用为主,如可持续旅游发展、空间承载力以及社会变迁对旅游供求市场的影响等.另一个趋势是地理多元空间(如物理空间、行为空间、虚拟空间等)对休闲和旅游的影响研究.另外,休闲旅游发展的整体性研究方法又重新复活.     

环境艺术教育表现课程体系建构研究

环境艺术设计专业对设计表现类课程是有一定要求的,近年来,由于个人电脑的普及,该课程体系受到一定程度的冲击,从整体上对专业教学造成一定的影响。本文从设计发展的历史及学科构建的角度出发,阐述了设计表现类课程体系的重要性和必要性以及表现类课程体系的内容。     

我国缺失国际能源定价权的原因和对策分析

贸易摩擦和能源革命正驱动国际能源市场格局悄然发生变化,能源安全再一次成为各国关注的焦点.作为能源进口大国和隐含能源净出口大国,我国由于缺失国际能源定价权经常被动接受"中国溢价"而蒙受巨大损失.研究发现,我国缺失国际能源定价权的原因主要在于能源期货市场发展滞后,能源战略储备不足,人民币国际化程度较低,行业垄断度较高.面对...     

中国商品期货指数与GDP指数的关系研究

本文在借鉴国内外商品期货指数编制方法的基础上,编制了我国商品期货指数.基于1998-2005 年的时间序列数据,对我国商品期货指数与GDP指数之间的超前滞后关系进行了实证研究,研究结果表明在样本区间内存在商品期货指数到GDP指数的因果关系,其先行时间达2个月.我国商品期货指数与GDP指数两者之间存在长期均衡关系,但是期货市场的价格发现功能依然存在某些缺陷.因此,应当进一步完善我国的期货市场,使商品期货指数成为监测我国经济景气的指示器.     

Cultural vs. operational market orientation and objective vs. subjective performance: Perspective of production and operations

The relationship between market orientation and organizational performance has been the focus of many studies for the last few years. The conclusions reported are very diverse and even contradictory. This ambiguity is reinforced to some extent by the high degree of methodological heterogeneity in the definition and measure of market orientation and organizational performance and the empirical formalization of the relationship between both concepts. This study tackles this question by comparing different methodological approaches. Three key aspects are considered: (1) cultural and operational approaches for measuring market orientation; (2) objective and subjective measures of performance; and (3) the source of information in the organization, specifically the perspective of production and operations. The results obtained from a sample of Spanish industrial firms show a stronger positive relationship for operational market orientation and subjective performance. Moreover, the adoption of ‘operational recipes’ of market orientation by the production and operations function seems to improve organizational performance regardless of the existence of any cultural support for market orientation.     

刍议基差在期货交易中的运用与地位

本文首先通过分析不同期货品种基差的构成及基差正负所表现的市场意义揭示基差的内涵;然后根据对各种具体期货交易模式的分析归纳出对期货交易创新具有指导意义的基差原理和基差思想;最后指出,基差作为重要的分析工具,基差原理和基差思想作为重要的交易理念,在期货交易中具有重要地位。