Introduction to the special issue ‘How adolescents read and learn on the Web: internal and external factors (Introducción al número especial ‘Cómo leen y aprenden los adolescentes en la red: factores internos y externos’)

ABSTRACT

The World Wide Web has become a major information resource for adolescents (i.e., 10–19 years of age), offering an unprecedented amount of information on virtually any topic. While the Web can potentially offer new learning opportunities, it also presents several challenges. Reading and learning on the Web requires a set of advanced literacy skills that adolescents do not necessarily possess and need to develop in order to effectively deal with the complexity of information encountered online. This special issue brings together five empirical articles and a discussion paper that examine internal and external factors that are beneficial (or detrimental) to adolescents’ reading and learning on the Web, and contribute to explaining how young learners develop complex literacy skills. Theoretically, the special issue contributes to the conceptualization of what researchers refer to as ‘multiple documents literacy’. In practice, it informs researchers and educators of emerging empirical results regarding adolescents’ information behaviour, as well as on instructional strategies that can be effective for developing adolescents’ literacy skills.     

Bullying and social support: variation by school-type and emotional or behavioural disturbances

The present study analysed whether bullying/victimisation and related social support vary by emotional and behavioural disturbances (EBD) as well as school type. We examined 540 German adolescents with and without emotional disturbances (ED)/behavioural disturbances (BD) attending regular and special schools for students with EBD. Adolescents with BD and co-morbid co-occurring emotional and behavioural disturbances (ED + BD) reported elevated levels of bullying, while students with ED and co-morbid ED + BD reported elevated levels of victimisation. Enhanced levels of overt victimisation were also found in adolescents from special schools. Students from special schools perceived less peer support but more teacher support. Furthermore, adolescents with co-morbid ED + BD were least likely to tell teachers about being victimised. It is concluded that bullying interventions for adolescents with EBD and students from special schools need to be implemented and evaluated.     

The impact of maternal responsiveness and control on change in externalising behaviour problems: differences between regular and special schools

The present study compared 124 adolescents from special schools for students with emotional and behavioural disturbances (EBDs) and 133 regular schooled adolescents with regard to their perceived maternal behaviour. It was also tested longitudinally whether effects of maternal parenting behaviour on subsequent externalising behaviour vary as a function of school type. The two groups did not differ from each other with regard to perceived maternal parenting behaviour. However, an interaction effect of school type and parenting behaviour on externalising behaviour was found. Maternal warmth/support predicted a decrease and maternal strict control an increase in subsequent problem behaviour only for adolescents from special schools. The importance of parenting programmes especially for parents of adolescents attending special schools for students with EBD is discussed.     

Mentors’ contributions to gifted adolescents’ affective,social, and vocational development

Research on mentorships for gifted adolescents primarily has focused on the role mentors play in students’ academic success. Mentors’ contribution to gifted adolescents’ affective, social, and vocational development rarely has been addressed. This article identifies special needs and characteristics of gifted adolescents in these latter areas, and suggests how mentors can play a significant role in each, including the particular value of mentoring relationships for gifted adolescent females. Finally, educational implications are explored, as well as the need for empirical studies which examine the benefits derived by gifted and nongifted mentees from mentoring relationships.     

Toward constructivism for adult learners in online learning environments

Since online learning has a different setting from the conventional classroom, online educators need to use some special techniques and perceptions to lead to success. Moreover, adults have special needs and requirements as learners compared with children and adolescents, thus online educators should know how adults can learn best because of their special characteristics. Philosophical and methodological shifts also affect instruction. Many researchers have suggested that constructivism should be applied in distance education. Thus, this paper attempts to examine the impact of constructivism in online learning environments when focusing on adult learners. The author develops the connection between constructivism and adult learning theory. In addition, the paper proposes instructional guidelines using the constructivist approach in online learning for adults.     

Data Collection Strategies and Measurement Tools for Assessing Academic and Therapeutic Outcomes in Recovery Schools

Accurate evaluation and documentation of the efficacy of recovery schools can be vital to the continuation and expansion of these beneficial resources. A very limited data set currently exists that examines the value of specific schools established to support adolescents and young adults in recovery; additional research is necessary. The following article outlines the methodology utilized in a current quasi-experimental study evaluating both academic and therapeutic outcomes of adolescents attending recovery high schools as compared to traditional (non-recovery-based) high schools. The developmental considerations in assessing adolescents in recovery and their parents is delineated in this article, which underscores the need for extensive knowledge of adolescent substance abuse and other mental health issues. In addition, sensitivity around privacy among adolescents, parents, schools, and health providers is highlighted, as well as the validity of assessment. Key assessment strategies, including protocol of recruitment and interviewing techniques, are also presented along with a list of parent and adolescent assessment instruments and their corresponding interpretive variables. Protocol recommendations for future research are also outlined.     

新疆南疆地区维吾尔族青少年国家认同与民族认同比较研究

民族认同与国家认同是民族地区青少年需要面对的双重认同问题,树立正确的民族认同观与国家认同观直接关系到民族文化的传播和国家的稳定。在对新疆南疆地区2116名青少年进行比较研究后发现：南疆地区维吾尔族青少年的国家认同较民族认同相比表现得更为积极,与汉族青少年相比,他们的国家认同较低而民族认同较高 国家认同的形成会提升维吾尔族青少年的民族认同 来自县镇和城市的青少年群体在国家认同和民族认同上都较高,而农村的相对较低 父母亲的文化程度越高,子女的国家认同与民族认同就越高。     

Attachment security and the school experience for emotionally disturbed adolescents in special education

Adolescents with disabilities are at increased risk for school failure, and those in special education as the result of emotional disturbances consistently have the highest dropout rate of any disability. This paper discusses the importance of feelings of security in relationships for these adolescents and the results of a study designed to determine the effects of these feelings on their educational experience. The impact of several relationships in the home and school life on the school experience of the emotionally disturbed adolescent is explored. These relationships include those with mother, father, teachers, social workers/therapists and peers. All of these figures are potentially ‘secure bases’ for adolescents, providing the experience of emotional safety necessary to engage in the challenges of the academic environment. The resources need to be provided to enhance feelings of emotional safety in the school setting, including the services of social workers and other mental health professionals.     

School Characteristics,Child Work,and Other Daily Activities as Sleep Deficit Predictors in Adolescents from Households with Unsatisfied Basic Needs

Sleep in adolescents has been shown to be an important factor when looking at physical, mental, and social well‐being. Little evidence is found regarding sleep patterns in adolescents from households facing extreme poverty, where conditions such as crowding, poor housing, sanitation or education, and precarious employment set an adverse environment for sleep. In this study, we sought to assess in a nationwide sample comprised of 1,682 adolescents from Argentina, how the presence of extreme poverty—as defined by the presence of unsatisfied basic needs (UBN)—affects the relationship of sleep duration with school, work, and other daily activities. A global high prevalence of short sleeping time, a slight increase of sleep time in adolescents with UBN, and different patterns of wake activities that predict sleep deficit, depending on the presence of UBN, were found. The poor academic achievement, increased risk of accidents, and adverse health outcomes associated with sleep deprivation support the view that sleep is an additional unsatisfied basic need that worsens living conditions at this age. The results may help to design public health policies that contribute to ameliorate this adverse situation.     

Do adolescents with emotional and behavioral disturbances attending schools for special education have lower expectations regarding the transition to adulthood?

Individuals with emotional and behavioral disturbances (EBD) and those attending special schools tend to have poorer adult outcomes than adolescents without EBD and peers from regular schools. Using a four-group comparison (students with or without EBD from special schools and students with or without EBD from regular schools), the present study examined whether German adolescents with EBD and adolescents attending special schools also have lower expectations regarding their transition to adulthood (moving out of parents’ home, finishing postsecondary education, being full-time employed, getting married, and becoming parents) than adolescents without EBD and adolescents attending regular schools. Only small between-group differences were found regarding the expected timing of transitions and the anticipation to not attain transitions at all. Adolescents with EBD reported later expected ages of marrying and adolescents with EBD attending regular schools expressed later ages of being full-time employed. Students from special schools more often anticipated remaining unmarried. The results are discussed with concern to how adolescents’ overoptimistic expectancies can be handled. Also, the instrumentality of confidence of success is considered.     

Hard-of-Hearing Adolescents and Identity Construction: Influences of School Experiences, Peers, and Teachers

This qualitative study explored the identity construction of seven adolescents who attended special classes for hard-of-hearing (HH) students for part or all of their elementary school years. Results of open-ended group interviews and written questionnaires indicated that the students strongly identified as HH people. School experiences and interactions with teachers and HH peers appeared to be major influences on this choice. The findings support the position that a HH identity may exist separate from the culturally Deaf identity. The findings also suggest that HH students need to connect with other HH individuals whether or not they assimilate into the hearing world or decide to participate in both the hearing and Deaf worlds.     

Developing Programmes to Promote Participation in Sport among Adolescents with Disabilities: Perceptions Expressed by a Group of South African Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy

Adolescents with disabilities in developing countries frequently have limited access to sporting opportunities and comparatively little is known of their lived experiences and preferences. We set out to understand what a group of adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) living in South Africa perceive to be important components of programmes developed to increase their participation in sport. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 adolescents with CP. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Congruent with existing research, our findings suggest that sporting programmes should allow participants choice, provide physical challenges and present opportunities to socialise and experience mastery. Participants ask for: variety and a wider range of sports; greater recognition; coaching; and competition within programmes which are inclusive and fair. The data highlights the need for advocacy work and draws attention to the challenges of responding to participants’ requests when developing sports programmes for adolescents with disabilities in resource-scarce countries.     

青少年偶像崇拜的心理学分析

青少年偶像崇拜是一个普遍的社会现象。青少年偶像崇拜产生的心理成因有自我认同的需要、心理归属的需要、从众行为的需要等。青少年偶像崇拜的特征表现为理想化、浪漫化、绝对化、冲动性和多样性,崇拜偶像的类型和方式对青少年偶像崇拜分别有着不同的影响。我们应该对青少年进行合理的引导,促进青少年的健康成长。     

Children with Special Education Needs and Subjective Well-being: Social and Personal Influence

Children and adolescents with cognitive and developmental difficulties show difficulty in social interaction, feelings of rejection, autonomy, social rules and in behavioural and emotional self-regulation. Importantly, their subjective well-being is associated to social support and personal factors, such as self-esteem and a positive self-image. The data were collected in 16 schools, 8 in the North Region and 8 in the Lisbon Region of Portugal. The sample is composed by 1181 young people of which 51.5% were female, with ages ranging between 8 and 17 years. From the sample, 2.6% had special educational needs (SEN), and 3% did not use the Portuguese language at home. 12.2% had been retained one grade or more. Three regression models were built. Model 1 establishes the association between having SEN, grade and subjective well-being. The final model with all variables showed that social and personal characteristics present a stronger explicative value on children and adolescents’ subjective well-being. The model also showed that, when social and personal variables are included the association between being a student with SEN and well-being is not statistically significant. Research and intervention implications include the need to promote subjective well-being, social and personal skills and a positive development in children and adolescents with SEN.     

School leadership and special education: challenges,dilemmas and opportunities from an Australian context

This article examines the personal and professional attributes of school leaders in relation to special educational needs and disability (SEND) and assesses the extent to which these might be sufficient to give such professionals the confidence necessary to be role models for their staff. Data were collected via a survey of a randomly selected set of Australian school leaders, in both special and mainstream schools. This included principals from all sectors of the Australian school system. The study was based on the premise that school principals place as much importance on the need to be instructional leaders as they do on being managers. The study was informed by an assumption that in order to be successful as a school leader in respect of SEND, a school principal requires a deep pedagogical knowledge and a clear understanding of children's developmental milestones. The study found that school leaders expressed a need to develop further understanding of how to differentiate the taught curriculum in order to identify and support school‐wide quality teaching and learning processes for students with SEND.     

A Study of Ways and Means of Reorganizing and Improving Instruction in Reading

Abstract

The study was a follow-up investigation of research previously reported in this journal. In the original analysis" an examination was made of relations between the family environments and cognitive performance of 11 year old Australian children from different ethnic groups. Those data were used in the present study to examine correlates of the educational and occupational aspirations of the children when they were 16 years old. The adolescents also provided information on the perceptions they had of their parents’ aspirations for them, the encouragement they had received from their parents, and the interest they considered their parents had in their education. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that adolescents, aspirations were related strongly to a set of family environment measures, but that there were ethnic group differences in the relationships. The results suggested that if teachers are concerned about constructing school contexts that will assist in the formation of adolescents, aspirations, then they will need to take into account the strong parental influences on aspirations.     

福利院孤残青少年心理健康状况分析及对策思考

福利院的孤残青少年有着特殊的人生课题,如就业、结婚、独立、与人相处等。福利院对这一群体的管理面临着新考验。通过调查、了解孤残青少年的心理健康水平、性格特征和智力水平,并对其进行评估,开展实验性教学,尝试常规化管理。     

The legacy of Child Development's 1990 special issue on minority children: an editorial retrospective

Sixteen years have passed since the publication of Child Development's Special Issue on Minority Children. It is suggested that the most critical legacy of the special issue is the conceptual and ideological zeitgeist it fostered. The issue set culture and ecological context in the foreground of analyses, advanced a cultural-variant perspective, and further discredited the deficit perspective that long dominated the study of ethnic minority children and families. The special issue is also significant for its role in shaping post-1990 research agenda. In addition, it underscored the need for more nuanced articulations of what cultural or ethnic characteristics are of special relevance for understanding specific domains of development and the need for well-crafted methodological tools with which to test these ideas.     

当代青少年同辈交往的影响机制及其引导

青少年同辈交往有其独特性,对青少年发展的重要影响并有着特殊的作用机制,从协助建立积极的青少年群体亚文化、关注学校社会心理处境特殊的青少年等方面引导青少年同辈交往,是促使当代中小学教育具有更大影响力的重要途径     

DIFFICULTIES OF USING PIAGETIAN TESTS IN THE CLASSROOM‐‐I

The author has compared groups of educationally sub‐normal adolescents in special schools with others in special classes in ordinary schools, with regard to their choices of jobs and actual later employment. Among other related findings, it transpired that many ESN pupils made realistic choices of occupation as well as did the normal pupils, and were more stable in their jobs than the normal pupils.