Activities and Interactions of Mothers and Their Firstborn Infants in the First Six Months of Life: Covariation, Stability, Continuity, Correspondence, and Prediction

Activities of primiparous mothers and infants were observed at 2 and 5 months of age during naturalistic interactions at home. 5 prominent features of mother and infant exchanges in this short-term longitudinal study are described and discussed in the context of 3 models of unique environment-development relations: covariation, stability, continuity, correspondence, and prediction. Generally, mothers' activities did not positively covary at either age, nor did those of infants. Some maternal activities were stable in this time period; some developmentally increased, and some developmentally decreased. Infants' activities were unstable, but most increased over time. Specific mother and infant activities corresponded, and over time mothers and infants influenced one another in specific ways. In the critical period of the first half year, infants appear to be flexible and plastic in their behavioral repertoires and are influenced by their mothers; mothers are somewhat consistent, but they also adapt to the behaviors of their infants.     

Job-related requirements and competences of educational science graduates

All over the world, universities have to cope with the mission to promote the employability of their graduates, implying that competences should be trained which are relevant for the professional experience. In this context, it is of special interest where graduates work and what they are doing at work. In this study we focus on educational science graduates (N = 1565) and compare them to graduates of other study programmes (N = 10,224). Using data of the German DZHW graduate panel 2005 (N = 11,789), we address the questions (1) in which fields graduates of educational science work, (2) whether a theoretical-based four-dimensional internal structure of graduates’ job-related requirements and competences can be confirmed, (3) what kind of self-rated requirements educational science graduates experience at work, and (4) which self-rated levels of competences they possess, compared to other graduates. The analyses show that most graduates of educational science find an appropriate job in a clearly educational setting and that generic competences (systematic, social, and personal competences) are rated as more important than knowledge processing.     

Maternal scaffolding of attention between 5 and 8 months

Infants’ abilities to focus attention on objects and mothers’ behaviors mobilizing the attention of their child were studied in a sample of 30 dyads, at 5 and 8 months of age. It was hypothesized that at the younger age infants need their mothers’ scaffolding to explore their environment, and that the frequency of mothers’ encouragements at that age is related with their attentional capacities at 8 months; at this later age, mother’s and infant’s behaviors should no more be correlated. Data concerning both the total frequency of the target behaviors and the length of individual occurrences strongly confirm the hypotheses. They imply that in the mother attention getting should be distinguished from attention holding, and are discussed in terms of educational consequences.     

Defensive Behaviors in Infant Rhesus Monkeys: Ontogeny and Context-dependent Selective Expression

We examined the ontogeny of the infant rhesus monkey's defensive behaviors and the ability to modulate them in response to specific environmental cues. Rhesus infants in 4 age groups (N = 8 per group) were briefly separated from their mothers and tested under 3 conditions: alone, in the presence of a human who averted his gaze, and in the presence of a human staring at them. Infants as young as 0 to 2 weeks displayed defensive behaviors but did not selectively respond to the human's presence or direction of gaze. By 9 to 12 weeks of age, infants modulated their responses in relation to the parameters of the threat. At this age, infant rhesus monkeys undergo cognitive and emotional changes associated with brain development similar to those in human infants 7 to 12 months old. This also is the time when human infants engage in complex emotional and behavioral responses to threatening situations. Understanding the development and expression of defensive behaviors in infant monkeys should be applicable to similar issues in emotional development of human infants.     

Social inequalities in early childhood competences,and the relative role of social and emotional versus cognitive skills in predicting adult outcomes

This study draws on the nationally representative British Birth Cohort Study (BCS70) to examine (1) the association between social background and early socio-emotional and cognitive competences at age 5 and (2) the relative and independent contributions of early socio-emotional and cognitive competences to educational and socio-economic attainment in adulthood. A multi-dimensional (multiple exposure, multiple outcome) approach is adopted in conceptualising social background, childhood competences and adult outcomes by age 42. Indicators of social background include parental education, social class, employment status, family income, as well as home ownership, enabling us to test which aspects of socio-economic risk uniquely influence the development of early competences. Indicators of childhood competences include directly assessed cognitive competences (i.e. verbal and visual motor skills), while measures of socio-emotional competences include hyperactivity, good conduct, emotional health and social skills, reported by the child’s mother at age 5. Adult outcomes include highest qualifications, social class and household income by age 42. The findings suggest that multiple indicators of social background are associated with both socio-emotional and cognitive competences, although the associations with socio-emotional competences are less strong than those with cognitive competences. We find significant long-term predictive effects of early cognitive skills on adult outcomes, but also independent effects of socio-emotional competences, in particular self-regulation, over and above the role of family background. The study supports calls for early interventions aiming to reduce family socio-economic risk exposure and supporting the development of cognitive skills and self-regulation (i.e. reducing hyperactivity and conduct problems).     

Impact of a statewide home visiting program on parenting and on child health and development

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of a voluntary, paraprofessional home visiting program on promoting child health and development and maternal parenting knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. METHODS: This collaborative, experimental study of 6 Healthy Families Alaska (HFAK) programs enrolled 325 families from 1/00 to 7/01, randomly assigned them to HFAK and control groups, interviewed mothers at baseline, and followed families until children were 2 years old (85% follow-up). Child outcomes included health care use, development and behavior. Parent outcomes included knowledge of infant development, parenting attitudes, quality of the home environment, and parent-child interaction. HFAK records were reviewed to measure home visiting services. Home visitors were surveyed to measure knowledge, perceived effectiveness and perceived training adequacy. RESULTS: There was no overall impact on child health, but HFAK group children had more favorable developmental and behavioral outcomes. HFAK and control mothers had similar parenting outcomes except that HFAK mothers had greater parenting self-efficacy (35.1 vs. 34.6 based on the Teti Self-Efficacy Scale, p<.05). Fewer HFAK families had a poor home environment for learning (20% vs. 31%, p<.001). HFAK families were more likely to use center-based parenting services (48% vs. 39%, p<.05). The impact was greater for families with lower baseline risk (Family Stress Checklist scores<45). There was little evidence of efficacy for families with a higher dose of service. CONCLUSIONS: The program promoted child development and reduced problem behaviors at 2 years. Impact could be strengthened by improving home visitor effectiveness in promoting effective parenting. Future research is needed to determine whether short-term benefits are sustained.     

Dyadic activities and attention in the infant: A developmental study

Infants’ abilities to focus attention on objects are known to be related to mothers’ mobilizing behaviors. As delayed effects of maternal behaviors at 5 months may be observed in 8-month-olds, mothers may be considered as scaffolding their infant’s attention. However, all dyadic activities are probably not equally propitious to attention mobilizing. In a sample of 30 dyads, studied at 5 and 8 months of age, whole observations were split in four broad categories: care, dyadic play with objects, dyadic play without objects and infant alone. The duration of maternal mobilizing and infant attention focussing were studied within categories. Inter-dyads variability is high, while dyads are stable across ages. Even within the dyadic play with objects, mothers differ widely in the duration and way they mobilize attention. Five-month-olds still need their mother’s support, as they explore less when they are alone, while 8-month-olds are more autonomous. The impact and importance of the various types of dyadic activities on cognitive development are discussed.     

A Study of Infant Developmental Outcome with a Sample of Korean Working Mothers of Infants in Poverty: Implications for Early Intervention Program

Using a sample of 42 Korean mothers whose infants are cared for by someone at non-maternal child care facilities, this study first examined both main effects and interaction effects between maternal knowledge of infant development and maternal self-efficacy on parenting behavior. Second, the combined effects of variables of interest in this study including maternal knowledge of infant development, maternal self-efficacy, and parenting behavior on the child developmental outcome were investigated. Significant relationships between maternal knowledge of infant development and parenting behavior and child development outcome were detected. Only main effects of maternal knowledge of infant development were detected. Furthermore, maternal knowledge of infant development was the only significant predictor of infant developmental outcome. Research implications were discussed both on the continuum of findings from previous studies with Western samples and in terms of provision of effective early intervention programs for this targeted population.     

Developing teacher competences for education for sustainable development through reflection: the Environment and School Initiatives approach

The introduction to this paper gives a short overview of the Environment and Schools Initiatives (ENSI) perspective on teaching competences. We argue that as change is one of the key elements of sustainable development, reflection that helps to adapt educational practice to a continuously developing world should be a starting point for every educator dealing with education for sustainable development (ESD). The ENSI perspective is that different competence lists constitute a basis for this continuous reflection. The paper gives two examples from ENSI activities in the field of developing teacher reflection regarding ESD in teacher education. For pre‐service teacher education a one‐year, action research based training course is examined. In in‐service education an analysis of a sequence of project supporting workshops is presented. The paper concludes by identifying some future steps, which are necessary if teacher competences are to be used in ESD.     

Collaborative action research between schools,a continuing professional development centre for teachers and the university: a case study in Spain

This article describes a collaborative action research project developed over the course of the 2011/12 academic year in the Faculty of Education at Cordoba University (Spain). The RIECU school–continuing professional development centre for teachers–university learning network is part of this research process. The aim is to create and consolidate a community of practice made up of continuing professional development advisers to teachers, infant education teachers, university students who are training to become infant education teachers and university teaching staff. The most relevant findings, which respond to the questions raised, are: the action research conducted indicates that teamwork between teacher, adviser, researcher and university student is an effective strategy to facilitate the acquisition of professional competences among student teachers; and student-teachers involved in the case study have evolved in their conception and approach to childhood and have had the opportunity to learn by modelling the professional conduct of their mentor teachers.     

Infant-mother face-to-face interaction: age and gender differences in coordination and the occurrence of miscoordination

To evaluate the extent to which infants and mothers are able to coordinate their behavior, the interactions of 54 mother-infant pairs--18 each at 3, 6, and 9 months of age--were videotaped. Coordination was evaluated with 2 measures: (1) matching--the extent to which mother and infant engage in the same behavior at the same time; and (2) synchrony--the extent to which mother and infant change their behavior with respect to one another. Mother-infant pairs increase their degree of coordination with infant age, but the proportion of time they are coordinated is small. Mother-son pairs spend more time in coordinated states than mother-daughter pairs. The results suggest that interactions be characterized in terms of their movement from coordinated to miscoordinated states rather than only in terms of their degree of coordination. The gender differences are discussed in terms of their importance for the developmental differences in females and males.     

Pilot study of a program delivered within the regular service system in Germany: Effect of a short-term attachment-based intervention on maternal sensitivity in mothers at risk for child abuse and neglect

This pilot study examined the effectiveness of a short-term attachment-based intervention, the Ulm Model, in a German population at risk for child abuse and neglect. The intervention used home visits and video feedback to promote maternal sensitivity, and was implemented by trained staff within the health care and youth welfare systems. Mothers in the control group (n = 33) received standard services only, while those in the intervention group (n = 63) additionally the Ulm Model intervention. The outcomes measured were maternal sensitivity, as assessed by the CARE-Index at pre-intervention, after the last session, and at about 6 and 12 months of age; and infant socio-emotional development, as assessed by the ET6-6 development test at about 6 and 12 months of age. The moderating effects on treatment outcomes of two variables were examined: risk for child abuse (moderate vs. high) and type of maternal attachment representation (secure vs. insecure). Among participants at moderate risk for child abuse, no differences were found between the intervention group and control group in either maternal sensitivity or infant development. Among those considered high risk, mothers in the intervention group showed a significant increase in maternal sensitivity from pre- to post-intervention; however, no group differences were seen at follow-up. There were some indications that infants of mothers in the intervention group showed better emotional development. The variable of maternal attachment representation was not a significant moderator for the intervention effect, but post hoc analysis indicated that the mean sensitivity of secure mothers was significant higher at the 6-month follow-up.     

Educational records: I Sources for the history of English primary schools

Abstract:

This paper examines ways in which inter‐relationships between knowledge and skills can lead to important links between education and training to the considerable benefit of each. In particular it reviews the variety of ways in which the acquisition of knowledge (in the widest sense of the term) can contribute to the development of competences and conversely the variety of ways in which the development of a broad range of skills (including competences) can contribute to the acquisition of knowledge.     

Subjektiver Kompetenzgewinn und Wissenszuwachs bei frühpädagogischen Fachkräften unterschiedlicher Ausbildungsprofile

In the light of the diversity of early child teacher education profiles this study deals with two questions: Can typical content profiles regarding early childhood study courses be identified? Do gains in self perceived competences and professional knowledge differ between students of different content profiles? First, the curricula of 16 vocational schools and 15 bachelor study courses in early childhood education are coded regarding creditpoints (ETCS) in various domains of early childhood education. Latent class analyses led to one “practical” content profile of the 16 vocational schools and to three profiles of Bachelor courses: a social pedagogy and scientifically oriented profile, a pedagogical content profile, and a mixed profile. Multi-level regression analyses as well as analyses of complex covariance patterns of repeated measures (self-concept of competences and knowledge regarding language, language development and fostering language) yielded relationships between content profile of study courses and utilization of the courses’ offerings on the one hand and the development of competences and knowledge of prospective early childhood teachers on the other hand. These results hold true even when individual background variables were statistically controlled and show that it is less the academization per se but the content profile of study courses which makes the difference.     

高职院校金融专业学生综合能力提升探索

目前高职院校金融专业教学中存在专业分化过细、知识体系欠完整、忽视学生文字能力培养等问题,要提高学生综合能力,增强就业竞争力,需要从强化基础理论学习、拓宽相关知识学习、增强学生自学能力、锻炼学生的文字能力等方面着手。     

Competences in demand within the Spanish agricultural engineering sector

The Rural Engineering Department (Technical University of Madrid) ran three competence surveys during the 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 academic years and evaluated: (1) the competences gained by agricultural engineer's degree and agricultural technical engineer's degree students (360 respondents); (2) the competences demanded by agricultural employers (50 farming sector employers); (3) competences required by farming sector professionals and former students (70 professionals). The surveys show significant differences between what competences agricultural employers require of graduates and the competences they acquire during their agricultural engineering degree courses. Recruiters are looking for generic competences such as the ability to coordinate groups and place less importance on knowledge of engineering, biology, applied economics and legislation. Of the computer-related competences, those most in demand by sector professionals were related to the use of Microsoft Office/Excel (used by 79% of professionals). Surveys were used to redesign some subjects of the degrees.     

Physiological effects of infant exposure to environmental tobacco smoke: a passive observation study

This study explored infant physiologic responses of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) using a longitudinal passive observation study with a control group. Fifteen smoking and 15 non-smoking mothers were initially contacted in hospital maternity units, with home visits made when their infants were 2, 4, and 6 weeks old. Exposure to ETS was measured using infant urinary nicotine and cotinine levels. The physiologic effects of infant ETS exposure were measured by rectal temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. The smoking mothers in this sample were poorer, had less education, and were less likely to be married than the mothers who did not smoke. At birth, the infants of smoking mothers had higher diastolic blood pressure than infants of non-smoking mothers (p < .008). Mothers who smoke cigarettes should be educated that maternal smoking behavior can affect an infant's cardiovascular function. Parents should also be counseled about the risks of smoking in close proximity and/or in an enclosed space with an infant, especially in a motor vehicle.     

欧盟公民数字胜任力研究——基于三版欧盟公民数字胜任力框架的比较分析

数字科技的爆发式发展对公民的能力素养产生了革命性影响。欧盟在2006年提出数字胜任力的基础上,于2013年制定了欧盟公民数字胜任力框架1.0,在经过连续两次修订后,于2017年正式发布了欧盟公民数字胜任力框架2.1。与旧版相比,新版框架对胜任力域进行了拓展,修订了具体能力的名称,不再从知识、技能和态度方面描述具体能力,能力熟练度也划分成更详细的8个水平。新版框架体现了欧盟数字公民教育的理念转变,对复杂问题解决与创新创造能力培养的重视,对终身学习能力和合格数字公民培养的关注,以及对未来智能社会发展需求的前瞻,对我国建设学习型社会、构建全民终身学习体系和提升国民数字胜任力具有借鉴意义。     

Prematurity,maternal emotional distress,and infant social responsiveness among Arab-Bedouin families: The role of social support as a resilience factor

This study investigated predictors of early infant social development and the role of social support as a resilience factor among Arab-Bedouin families. We propose a mediation model in which social support will be related to maternal postpartum emotional distress (PPED), which in turn will be related to infant social responsiveness. One hundred five Arab-Bedouin mothers (age range = 17–44 years) and their preterm (n = 48) and full-term (n = 57) infants were recruited shortly after birth and were followed up at age 12 months. Findings demonstrate that, among the preterm group, higher levels of social support predicted lower levels of maternal PPED, and this, in turn, predicted higher levels of infant social responsiveness.     

核心素养背景下全息课堂教学原理与策略研究

全息原理是基于全息现象抽象提炼的基本原理.全息现象是指整体上的任何一部分或母体系统中的任何一个子系统,都包含着整体或母体系统全部信息的现象.全息理论在社会学和教育学中也得到经验性的迁移和应用.核心素养的提出对课堂教学提出了新的挑战.从全息认识论来看,核心素养就是人的全面素养的基本全息单元,这也意味着这种素养的全息单元可以结构性复制到教育的任何一个环节或结构中.课堂教学是核心素养落实的最后环节,因此,基于核心素养全息认识论特点,构建全息课堂是落实核心素养的有效策略.全息课堂依据结构、发展、重演三大原理和思维为本、知识为体、迁移为法、实践为基、素养为核、智慧为重、整体建构、全息发展八大策略构建.依据全息课堂原理和策略构建全息课堂评价方案,以评价全息课堂实施效果.