Children's political learning in primary school – evidence from Germany

Recent political socialisation research focuses almost exclusively on the orientations of adolescents, even though the literature seems to agree on the assumption that politically relevant orientations and attitudes are acquired much earlier in the life span. This article argues that it is essential to look at the beginning of socialisation if we want to shed further light on the processes underlying the development of democratic citizenship and therefore looks at children aged six to eight years. It examines the influence of primary school institutions on children's political learning by looking at three important school contexts on children's political knowledge, (1) teaching, (2) class, and (3) school context. The empirical analyses draw on data from a German study that includes several hundred children at the beginning and at the end of their first school year, as well as their teachers. Even though individual factors can account for a good portion of the variance, school factors are also important but depend on the respective knowledge domain. The findings can contribute to the ongoing discourse about a broadening of children's political and civic rights and are meant to trigger a discussion about a re-orientation of civic education in primary school.     

Assessment of the effects of a cooperative play programme for children aged 10–11 years on social adaptation and on the perception that parents,teachers and peers have of children's prosocial behaviours

Abstract

The objective of this research was to design a cooperative play programme in order to assess its effects on social adaptation and on the perception that parents, teachers and peers have of children's prosocial behaviours. The study used an experimental pre-posttest design with control group. The sample included 86 participants aged 10 to 11 years, 54 in the experimental group and 32 controls. Before and after administering the programme, three evaluation instruments were applied. The intervention consisted of a weekly two-hour play session throughout the school year. The programme's activities stimulate communication and prosocial behaviour. Results of the analysis of variance suggest positive impact of the intervention, as the experimental participants significantly increased their behaviours of self-control and leadership, as well as their prosocial behaviour; moreover, an increase was observed in the number of classmates considered prosocial. Highest levels of improvement were found in the experimental participants who, at pretest, had few behaviours of consideration for others, self-control and leadership and low prosocial behaviour, but many withdrawal behaviours. Some effects of the programme were found to be influenced by gender, as the girls showed more decrease in their withdrawal behaviours and a greater increase in the number of classmates perceived as prosocial.     

论教学的游戏品格

游戏是人的基本存在方式,教学作为师生教育生活的存在方式,理应具有游戏的品格。人类早期教学充满着游戏精神。随着班级授课制、心理技术的引入以及教学中计划性和工具理性的加强,现代教学已基本丧失游戏的品性,中国的教学尤其如此。为此,教学应呼唤人的回归,反思计划的界限,培育游戏的精神。     

传承与超越:从教学游戏化到课程游戏化

使幼儿从事的活动游戏化,是顺应幼儿喜好游戏之天性的必然要求,能够给幼儿带来浸润放松性警觉感的情境体验,并为幼儿创建最近发展区,激活其经验联结。所谓教学游戏化,就是"化"教学为游戏,是陈鹤琴提出的幼稚教育的原则之一,与杜威的"做中学"教育思想相呼应,是中国幼儿教育的本土化创举。课程游戏化既是对教学游戏化的传承,也是对教学游戏化的超越。实施课程游戏化就是要保证幼儿有充足的游戏活动时间,保障幼儿的游戏权利;就是要赋予幼儿园一日活动以游戏的性质,让幼儿感受到心智的自由,产生丰富的"游戏性"体验;就是要聚焦幼儿生活,帮助幼儿在生活化、游戏化的活动情景中逐步养成良好的学习品质。课程游戏化的持续推进,既需要政府的规范引导与幼儿园的努力实践,也需要家园加强合作,共同建构和谐共育的社会生态。     

The use of teaching materials in religious education in Sweden: a quantitative analysis of Swedish religious education teachers’ reported use of teaching materials in RE classrooms

Abstract

Recent studies show that religious education (RE) and various media outlets serve as increasingly important arenas for religious socialisation among Swedish youths. At the same time, it has been shown that media material, for example in the form of various news media, often make their way into RE classrooms to be used as materials alongside the more traditional textbooks. However, little quantitative research has been conducted in order to map RE teachers’ selection and use of materials in their classrooms, and what factors are involved in this selection. A nationally representative survey among 1292 RE teachers was conducted, and the results clearly show that textbooks are the most popular form of material, followed by pictures, sacred texts, documentaries, television news and news articles. Out of the relevant background variables, it was primarily school form, age, gender and religiosity that seemed to influence the teachers’ choices of material. The author concludes that familiarity with a certain form of material through personal experiences is a likely explanation for many of the correlations found and that further research is needed in order to explore the potential complexities that arise in the juxtaposition of classroom and media logics.     

浅谈游戏在篮球教学中的运用

在篮球教学中运用游戏教学应从以下几方面入手:注意针对性、科学性、合理性、纪律性、安全性、情趣性、纠错性、意识性、创新性。     

角色扮演教学方法在《汽车商务谈判》课程中的应用

本文论述角色扮演教学方法在《汽车商务谈判》课程中的应用。需要针对课程的特点和教学目标,选择合适的教学方法有序的开展教学。     

The sociocultural factors that influence a novice teacher’s LGBT activism

Despite growing support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the United States, the Southeastern region continues to pass legislation that discriminates against those who do not fit normative notions of sexuality and gender. This opposition affects LGBT students and the teachers who identify as LGBT activists. This study of two years of data is an analysis of one novice teacher’s efforts to advocate on behalf of LGBT students despite the resistance that she faced from sociocultural factors influencing her students, classroom, and her teaching practices. An examination of the social, cultural, and political limitations she faced suggest that research advocating curricular changes and findings suggesting that teachers resist sexuality- and gender-based topics ignore the many sociocultural factors acting on educators in the Southeastern US as they strive to be LGBT activists.     

More than just fun: a place for games in playful learning / Más que diversión: el lugar de los juegos reglados en el aprendizaje lúdico

Games play a significant role in childhood, fuelling hours of engagement and social interaction, and probably much learning as well. Board games, card games and outdoor games (such as Tag) first come to mind, but more recently, games have also gone digital. In this piece, we offer a new perspective by placing games within the established construct of ‘playful learning’. We review key elements of playful learning and the two subtypes: free play and guided play. We suggest that games promote learning in ways similar to other playful learning situations. Games involve fun, a sense of curiosity and an inhibition of reality, in active, engaging, meaningful and socially interactive contexts. We argue that games therefore belong alongside free play and guided play to form a trio of playful learning experiences. This perspective adds to a growing understanding of the role of games in supporting children’s learning and development.     

创造性教学现状分析--来自游戏精神视角的论述

在创造性教学实践中,人们往往用取实性的态度对待它,以技术性的标准衡量它,操作不到位。如果从游戏精神的视角来分析的话,那就是师生在创造性教学过程中存在着游戏的基本精神——自由精神、体验精神、主体精神的缺失现象。     

审美游戏与中学课程教学

审美游戏是人类特有的一种融创造性、娱乐性和教育性为一体的活动,由于学校教育和审美游戏在本质上具有同一性,因而在实践活动中可以将二者有机地结合起来。以中学课程教学为例:语文和哲学是关于语言和解释的游戏,音乐和数学是关于符号和序列的游戏,美术和历史是关于时间和变化的游戏,地理和物理是关于空间和运动的游戏,生物和化学是关于模拟与复制的游戏。搞好课程教学的关键在于充分发掘身体、器物和符号这三者之间的内在联系并不断地促使其相互转化。