Search behavior of dogs (Canis familiaris) in invisible displacement problems

Gagnon and Doré (1992) showed that domestic dogs are able to solve a Piagetian object permanence task called the invisible displacement problem. A toy is hidden in a container which is moved behind a screen where the toy is removed and left. Dogs make more errors in these problems than they do in visible displacement tests, in which the object is hidden directly behind the target screen. In Experiment 1, we examined components of the standard procedure of invisible displacements that may make encoding or retention of the hiding location more difficult than it is in visible displacements. In Experiment 2, we compared dogs’ performances in visible and invisible displacement problems when delays of 0, 10, and 20 sec were introduced between the object’s final disappearance and the subject’s release. The results revealed that dogs’ poorer performance in invisible displacement tests is related to the complex sequence of events that have to be encoded or remembered as well as to a difficulty in representing the position change that is signaled, but not directly perceived.     

Strategies d'orientation scolaire et insertion sociale: Contexte general et cas des jeunes marocains en belgique francophone

Résumé L'insertion scolaire est un facteur qui conditionne les différentes formes d'intégration. Elle est mesurée par la qualité, la quantité et le contenu des études suivies. Les structures de formation et leur accessibilité aux familles immigrées sont la base d'une insertion réussie ou, selon les cas, d'une relégation sociale. Des données récentes démontrent qu'en Belgique francophone, l'école est plus un lieu d'échec qu'un lieu de réussite pour les jeunes issus de l'immigration: les imperfections du système scolaire et en particulier, son incapacité à gérer la pluralité éthnique et sociale produisent un échec massif avec tous les risques de marginalisation socio-économique que cette situation comporte. Notons cependant que l'hypothèse principale de l'enquête présentée ici porte sur l'environnement socio-culturel, le niveau de vie du ménage, l'histoire migratoire de la famille d'origine et l'histoire individuelle, fruits d'une multi-détermination sociale et pouvant influencer la scolarisation, l'orientation des jeunes lors de ce processus et, enfin, la réussite. Il apparaît que l'hypothèse se vérifie à travers quatre facteurs globaux expliquant la réussite et l'insertion à l'école. Il s'agit du niveau de formation scolaire des parents, de la catégorie socio-professionnelle de ceux-ci, du niveau de la pratique de la langue française au sein de la famille et de la nationalité des parents. Dans ce compte rendu, certains points touchant la formation scolaire des étrangers sont développés; une analyse plus détaillée du cas des Marocains de Belgique est tentée.

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Successful schooling is a factor which significantly influences integration in its various forms. It is measured by the quality, quantity and content of what is studied. Educational structures and their accessibility to immigrant families are at the heart of successful schooling, or social failure. Recent data show that in French-speaking Belgium, school is more a place of failure than of success for immigrants. The imperfections of the school system and, in particular, its inability to manage ethnic and social plurality, produce massive failure, with all the attendant risks of socio-economic marginalisation. However, the main hypothesis of the study presented here concerns the socio-cultural environment, the standard of living of the home, the migration history of the family of origin, and the history of the individual. These are determined by many social factors, and can in turn influence school performance, young people's attitudes to school, and ultimately their success. It appears that the hypothesis is true, there being four global factors which explain school performance and success. These are the level of the parents' schooling, their socio-professional class, the level of use of the French language in the family, and the nationality of the parents. In this report, certain points relevant to the schooling of foreigners are touched on, and a more detailed analysis of the case of Moroccans in Belgian is attempted.

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Zusammenfassung Die schulische Eingliederung ist ein Faktor, der die unterschiedlichen Arten von Integration bedingt. Sie wird nach Qualität, Quantität und Inhalt der absolvierten Studien bemessen. Bildungsstrukturen und ihre Zugänglichkeit für Immigrantenfamilien sind die Basis einer erfolgreichen Eingliederung bzw. eines sozialen Mißerfolgs. Kürzlich zusammengetragene Daten zeigen, daß Immigranten im französischsprachigen Belgien die Schule eher als einen Ort des Mißerfolgs als des Erfolgs empfinden. Die Unzulänglichkeiten des Schulsystems und insbesondere dessen Unfähigkeit, ethnische und soziale Pluralität zu meistern, führen zu massivem Mißerfolg und den dazugehörigen Risiken sozialer Ausgrenzung. Die Haupthypothese der hier präsentierten Studie betrifft jedoch die sozialkulturelle Umgebung, den Lebensstandard und die Migrationsgeschichte der Familie, sowie die persönliche Geschichte des individuellen Familienmitglieds. Diese werden durch viele soziale Faktoren bestimmt und können umgekehrt die schulischen Leistungen, die Einstellung junger Menschen zur Schule und schließlich ihren Erfolg beeinflussen. Es scheint, daß die Hypothese über die Existenz vier globaler Faktoren, die Schulleistungen und den Erfolg bestimmen, zutrifft. Zu diesen Faktoren gehören der Grad der elterlichen Schulbildung und deren sozialer und beruflicher Status, der Grad der Anwendung der französischen Sprache in der Familie und die Nationalität der Eltern. Dieser Bericht zeigt gewisse, für die Schulbildung von Ausländern relevante Kriterien auf, und versucht eine detaillierte Analyse über die Situation von Marokkanern in Belgien.

     

Impacts of a university–school partnership on middle school students' fractional knowledge: A quasiexperimental study

In this quasiexperimental study, the authors investigated the effects of university within school partnership model, within which faculty members acted as teacher-researchers to improve fractional knowledge among middle school (Grades 5–8) students. Students in nine Grade 6 mathematics classes from two public middle schools in Turkey were assigned to two conditions: University within school model instruction and traditional instruction. Pre- and posttest data showed that the students exposed to instruction through the university within school partnership model significantly outperformed their traditional instruction peers on the fractions test. Results indicated that students made significant gains in fractional knowledge in the experimental classrooms and in different subgroup populations. It was suggested that a substantial amount of mathematical infusion through partnership could have a positive impact on middle school students' fractional knowledge. The educational implications of the study were also discussed.     

Improving vocational students’ consideration of source information when deciding about science controversies

We present an empirical investigation of a classroom training fostering vocational students’ consideration of source information when deciding about science-based controversies. The training was specifically aimed at raising students’ awareness of the division of cognitive labor and the resulting need to take a source’s competence into account when deciding whom to trust. Data were collected from a training group and a waiting list control group in a pretest–posttest design. The results show that students benefitted from the training in terms of their inclination to agree with pertinent expert sources rather than low-pertinent experts and to refer to the source of information to justify their judgment. Source memory was not affected by the training.     

The uniqueness of the handicapped person and the politics of integration

We summarize the different legal measures taken during the last few years in Europe to integrate the handicapped person. The problem today is to remedy the inefficacy of official help because of the economic crisis. But the main problem that we underline is the contradiction between politics for a relatively large group of people and for handicapped persons, each of whom is unique in the originality of his psychological development. We take two examples of this uniqueness from several studies of the mentally handicapped. We show that the counsellor must ensure that the fate of the handicapped does not become bound to the politics of integration as defined by limited regulations.A lecture given at the IRTAC consultation on Counselling for the integration of the handicapped in society. Montecatini, 26–30 April 1981.     

Change or Durability? The Contribution of Metaconceptual Awareness in Preservice Early Childhood Teachers’ Learning of Science Concepts

This longitudinal study examined the role of metaconceptual awareness in the change and the durability of preservice teachers’ conceptual understandings over the course of several months. Sixteen preservice early childhood teachers participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to reveal the participants’ conceptual understandings of lunar phases (pre, post, and delayed-post) and level of metaconceptual awareness (delayed-post only). Based on the change and stability in participants’ conceptual understandings from pre to post and from post to delayed-post interviews, participants’ conceptual understandings were assigned into three groups that described the profile of their long-term conceptual understandings: “decay or stability”, “continuous growth”, and “growth and stability”. The results indicated that participants in the “continuous growth” and “growth and stability” groups had significantly higher metaconceptual awareness scores than participants in the “decay or stability” group. The results provided evidence that metaconceptual awareness plays a more decisive role in the restructuring of conceptual understandings than the durability of conceptual understandings.     

Human Anatomy: Teaching–Learning Experience of a Support Teacher and a Student with Low Vision and Blindness

In Brazil, a federal law ensures that all students with disabilities are entitled to enrollment in higher education institutions. Higher courses in human anatomy stand out for their complexity in both theoretical and practical contents. Therefore, adaptation is required to accommodate students with special educational needs. This study aimed to describe the experience of a Support Teacher in the development of inclusive pedagogical practices for the discipline of Human Anatomy offered in the physiotherapy course for a student with low vision and blindness. The challenges and learning difficulties faced by a visually impaired student are reported. Qualitative analysis was performed by interviewing a student with low vision and blindness and a Support Teacher. The audio recordings were transcribed, categorized, and analyzed using content analysis. The Support Teacher created schematics and drawings of anatomical structures, reviewed theoretical and practical contents, developed adaptations of the examinations, and applied palpatory anatomy to facilitate the student’s learning process. The findings illustrate that the student faced the greatest difficulty in dealing with the emotional aspects, due to the inability to visualize the anatomical details in human cadavers. Thus, the presence of a Support Teacher was fundamental to ensure that the student could learn the content and overcome this limitation. In conclusion, personalized adaptation, commitment, and collaborative work between the Support Teacher and students with low vision and blindness improve their learning conditions.     

Knee extensor fatigue developed during high-intensity exercise limits lower-limb power production

We investigated the association between changes in vastii electromyography (EMG) and knee extensor fatigue during high-intensity cycling, and the subsequent effect on lower-limb power and intermuscular coordination during all-out cycling. On two separate days, participants completed 30-s all-out cycling or 10-min of high-intensity cycling followed by 30-s all-out cycling. EMG for gluteus maximus (GMAX), rectus femoris (RF), vastii (VAS), hamstrings (HAM) and gastrocnemius (GAS); co-activation for GMAX/RF, VAS/HAM and VAS/GAS; isometric maximal voluntary force (IMVF) and resting twitch (RT) of the knee extensors were measured. VAS EMG increases during high-intensity cycling (6% to 14%, P < 0.05) were negatively correlated (r = ?0.791, P < 0.05) with knee extensor IMVF decreases (?2% to?36%, P < 0.05) following the exercise. Knee extensor IMVF decreases were positively correlated (r = 0.757, P < 0.05) with all-out cycling power reductions (0% to ?27%, P < 0.05). VAS/GAS co-activation did not change (P > 0.05) during all-out cycling while VAS and GAS EMG decreased. Larger increase in VAS EMG during high-intensity cycling was associated with greater knee extensor fatigue and larger power reduction during all-out cycling. High VAS/GAS co-activation potentially limited power reduction induced by knee extensor fatigue during all-out cycling.     

Performance,motivation, and enjoyment in young female basketball players: An interdisciplinary approach

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the variation in accumulated basketball training experience, body size, functional performance, deliberate practice motivation, achievement and competitiveness motivation and sources of enjoyment among young female basketball players, partitioning the potential variation by individuals´ biological characteristics (menarche status) and contextual characteristics (competitive age group and competitive level). We considered 114 adolescent female basketball players aged 14.3 (1.8) years. We used multilevel regression and poststratification estimations. The adolescent female basketball players selected for state-level had more accumulated experience, were taller and with better functional performance. Conditional on the data, youth female coaches tend to value (probably overvalue) size and function when selecting/promoting players, even at early age groups, likely contributing to an overrepresentation of early maturing girls in at early age groups. Players from club- and state-level were similarly highly motivated for deliberate practice and to achievement. Only for competitiveness, state-level players had higher values than club level players. The sources of enjoyment were influenced by context (competitive levels) for self-referenced competencies and others-referenced competencies. Structured programs of training and competition in youth female basketball provide a nurturing environment for the development of players´ engagement and commitment to training and excellence attainment.     

Les problèmes cognitifs rencontrés par des elèves de l’enseignement secondaire dans l’apprentissage de l’informatique

The purpose of this paper is to develop some theoretical and methodological elements of the study of learning programming by the secondary school students. The attention is focused on different topics: subject’s representations about the informatical device and about the structuration of data (data structuring); acquisition of the variable and iteration concepts.