The influence of experience on pre-service and novice teachers – the Croatian perspective

This paper researches students’ and teacher trainees’ personal experience of student-centred teaching during their education in grades 1–4 of primary school. The questionnaire comprised 45 statements and was completed by 403 primary school teacher trainees and 535 students (future teachers) at Faculties of Teacher Education in Croatia. The research results show that students do not have sufficient prior experience that they could use as inspiration in their future teaching practice and that in the course of their education they were mainly exposed to traditional approach to teaching. The majority of teacher trainees are aware of the importance of student-centred teaching although they cannot fully give up the control of students and educational process. This research opens up the issue of a paradigm change within the teaching system and education in Croatia as well as the issue of changes within education and professional development of teachers.     

The influence of technology-mediated and in-person communication on student satisfaction: The moderating role of national culture

This article analyses the effects of technology-mediated (i.e., social media) and in-person communication (i.e., non-verbal cues) on student satisfaction in a higher education context. Data were collected among 221 college students from the University of Valencia (UVEG) in Spain and analysed from the perspective of the respondents' national culture. Contrary to expectations, the results show that neither one of the social media aspects drives student satisfaction, thus providing support for the technology paradox literature. Instead, three non-verbal communication cues are found to influence student satisfaction, i.e., paralanguage, kinesics, and chronemics. The moderating role of national culture on the examined relationships is also considered. The results reveal that national culture seems to only affect the relationship between chronemics and satisfaction.     

Integer codes correcting burst and random asymmetric errors within a byte

In most communication networks, error probabilities 1?→?0 and 0?→?1 are equally likely to occur. However, in some optical networks, such as local and access networks, this is not the case. In these networks, the number of received photons never exceeds the number of transmitted ones. Hence, if the receiver operates correctly, only 1?→?0 errors can occur. Motivated by this fact, in this paper, we present a class of integer codes capable of correcting burst and random asymmetric (1?→?0) errors within a b-bit byte. Unlike classical codes, the proposed codes are defined over the ring of integers modulo 2^b ?1. As a result, they have the potential to be implemented in software without any hardware assist.     

Skeleton Changes Induced by Horse Riding on Medieval Skeletal Remains from Croatia

Skeletal remains of 35 individuals from the Croatian excavation site Kamen Most – Kaldrma from the fourteenth to fifteenth centuries were analyzed anthropologically. Due to specific skeletal characteristics, eight of them were analyzed in great detail in this study. The results of additional analysis indicated that all bone elements, except pelves, of all eight persons belonged to males. All pelvic girdle have characteristics of female sex and pronounced muscle attachments that are both indicative of horse riding. All eight persons had at least two of six changes on femora indicative of horse riding. Vertebrae of seven persons (one person did not have preserved vertebrae) have Schmorl's nodes. Signs of advanced osteoarthritis were found on all joints in all eight persons. All of them also have visible signs of periostitis especially on lower extremities. Pathological signs of trauma were found in five persons. Two of them had skull fractures and the rest had fractures of extremities which are also characteristic for horse riders. The average age of all eight persons was above 45 years at death. DNA analysis confirmed male sex for seven individuals. The results were additionally confirmed by later archeological findings of tombstones with illustrations of horse riders.     

Political preferences and public funding of tertiary education during the economic crisis

This article analyses how political preferences, which are co-determined by the beliefs of decision-makers and influences of interest groups and the general public, affect the decisions to maintain or cut public funding for tertiary education during the economic crisis. Our sample included 29 European countries which we divided into two groups depending on the level of public funding for tertiary education before the crisis, which we used as a measure of revealed political preferences. We then observed the differences in changes in public tertiary education funding during the crisis between these two groups of countries using five different indicators. Three of the five indicators show that countries with a stronger political preference for tertiary education public funding cut their spending on tertiary education to a lesser extent (or even increased spending) during the economic crisis.     

Job change in later life: A process of marginalization?

Adopting a longitudinal approach, this article examines downward occupational mobility (DOM) later in working life and its effects on job satisfaction and perceptions of working conditions of older workers in Europe. The main aim was to test whether the risk that workers will be negatively impacted and marginalized in the labor market due to demotion into lower quality jobs is offset by benefits. Based on an ordinal logistic regression of merged Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and English Longitudinal Study of Ageing datasets, the study found a positive significant impact of DOM on overall job satisfaction. Moreover, DOM was associated with a statistically significant reduction in workload pressure, although it did increase physical work demand. This article adds to the literature on marginalization of workers with indications that the lower income and status associated with DOM at older ages may have offsetting benefits.     

Anatomical Sciences in Chiropractic Education: A Survey of Chiropractic Programs in Australia

Human anatomy knowledge is a core requirement for all health care clinicians. There is a paucity of information relating to anatomy content and delivery in Australian chiropractic programs. The aim of this study was to describe anatomy teaching in Australian chiropractic programs, utilizing a survey which was distributed to all four programs, requesting information on: anatomy program structure, delivery methods, assessment, teaching resources, and academic staff profile at their institution. The survey was undertaken in 2016 and documented practices in that academic year. All four institutions responded. There was a reported difference in the teaching hours, content, delivery and assessment of anatomy utilized in Australian chiropractic programs. Anatomy was compulsory at all four institutions with the mean total of 214 (SD ± 100.2) teaching hours. Teaching was undertaken by permanent ongoing (30%) and sessional academic staff, and student to teacher ratio varied from 15:1 to 12:1. A variety of teaching resources were utilized, including human tissue access, either as prosected cadavers or plastinated body parts. The results of this survey confirm that anatomy has an established place in chiropractic education programs in Australia and while curricular variations exist, all programs had similar course design, delivery, and assessment methods. This study confirmed the provision of a strong foundation in topographical anatomy and neuroanatomy, while other anatomical sciences, such as histology and embryology were not consistently delivered. Formalization of a core anatomy curriculum together with competency standards is needed to assist program evaluation and development, and for accreditation purposes.