Home atmosphere and adolescent future orientation

Adolescent future orientation was studied from the point of view of orienting expectations about the future, consisting of three aspects: cognitive (clarity of plans for the use of future time), affective (optimistic vs pessimistic attitudes toward the future), and motivational (realistic vs unrealistic wishes for the future). The study was part of the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Social Development, the original sample for which consisted of 8-year-old subjects. Follow-up studies were made using a semistructured interview covering several aspects of home atmosphere (child-rearing and external home conditions) and youthful life orientation at ages 14 and 20 with 115 subjects. Results obtained with LISREL confirmed the hypothesis that optimism toward the future at age 20 was related to positive memories of child-rearing, and to a degree the hypothesis that the clarity of plans was related to parental occupational status and working conditions. Memory of the parents’ time for the child explained all aspects of adolescent future orientation.     

How are the Perceptions of Learning Networks Shaped Among School Professionals and Headteachers at an Early Stage in their Introduction?

This paper draws on the findings of a research project funded by the Liverpool City of Learning consortium in the UK. The aim is to explore the process of introduction of ten authority wide learning networks, the impact these have on school professionals practice, the opportunities they offer for CPD and the extent to which they may impact on pupil learning. The research presented here draws on findings from a questionnaire distributed to school professionals and key issues emerging from their analysis point to the influence of national government agendas on school professionals’ interpretation of the purpose of the networks. They also point to the views of staff regarding the impact of the attainment agenda as well as the extent to which an increased emphasis on social inclusion and wider understandings of learning and achievement (which are less well represented by results-based performance monitoring) are having on their hopes for what Learning Networks might deliver. The expectations of staff of the opportunities offered by learning networks for long term professional development provide some interesting insights, and perhaps, some useful pointers as to how networks of this kind might develop in the future.     

Father Absence in Pregnancy or During Childhood and Pubertal Development in Girls and Boys: A Population-Based Cohort Study

This cohort study, including 15,810 children born 2000–2003 in Denmark, aimed to investigate the association between father absence in pregnancy or during childhood and pubertal development in girls and boys. The children were followed from 11 years of age and throughout pubertal development. Mean age differences according to exposure groups were estimated for each pubertal marker separately and for a combined pubertal marker. The results suggested that father absence in pregnancy and during childhood was associated with earlier pubertal development in girls, and father absence from late childhood was associated with earlier pubertal development in boys. The paternal investment theory, the psychosocial acceleration theory and the energetics theory were explored, and did not seem to explain the observed associations.     

Do Belonging and Social Exclusion at School Affect Structural Brain Development During Adolescence?

Students’ sense of belonging presents an essential resource for academic and health outcomes, whereas social exclusion at school negatively impacts students’ well-being and academic performance. Aiming to understand how feelings of school-related belonging and exclusion shape the structural brain development, this study applied longitudinal questionnaire-based data and MRI data from 71 adolescent students (37 females, M_age at t1 = 15.0; t2 = 16.1 years). All were white participants from Germany. Voxel-based morphometry revealed only an association of social exclusion (and not of belonging) and gray matter volume in the left anterior insula: From t1 to t2, there was less gray matter decrease, the more social exclusion students perceived. School-related social exclusion and disturbed neurodevelopment are thus significantly associated.     

A schematic–Theoretic view of problem solving and development of algebraic thinking

This study explored the problem-solving schemas developed by 7th-grade pre-algebra students as they participated in a teaching experiment that was designed to help students develop effective schemas for solving algebraic problem situations involving contexts of (1) growth and change and (2) size and shape. This article describes the qualities and types of schemas that students developed through examples of problems used to develop schemas, examples of students' reasoning and writing, and excerpts from student interviews. Findings from the study indicated that there is a link between the type of generalizations students construct and the schemas they are forming. By using these schemas students recognize, extend, and generalize patterns and quantitative relationships both verbally and symbolically. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of Spatial Scale on Cognitive Play in Preschool Children

This study examines the effects of a scale-reduced play environment on temporal aspects of play behavior. Specifically, it examines the amount of time required to enter complex forms of play, the length of play segments, and the percentage of total play time spent in complex play under normal environmental conditions (full-size, control) and under scale-reduced environmental conditions (experimental). Eleven subjects (mean age of 4 years 2 months) were observed during unstructured play activity with playdough in a small-n, A-B-A-B design. Subjects served as their own controls and were self-motivated relative to the activity. The play structure (scale-reduced environment) consisted of a screened wooden frame 7' (L) x 5' (W) x 5' (H) over a vinyl floor. Results indicate subjects enter complex forms of play more quickly, engage in play segments of longer duration and tend to spend a slightly greater percentage of their overall play time in complex play under experimental conditions, as hypothesized. This study suggests attention span and information processing may be affected by the scale of the play environment. : -.     

Experiential Learning through Community Co‐design in Interior Design Pedagogy

The profit‐driven tendency of interior design trends and styles today has developed in line with the decrease of social awareness in design. The majority of interior design students also decide to pursue interior design education for its marketable and profitable purposes rather than seeing interior design as a field of opportunity to contribute to the social welfare of their communities. Hence, the objective of this research is to implement community service through co‐design in interior design pedagogy. The article describes the learning and design methods used based on human‐centred design approaches of co‐design and analyses the resulting benefits from this approach. Findings reveal that the process of collective creativity and collaborative development with the community enables a direct experience of learning and fosters a deeper connection and understanding of users. They also promote novel multidisciplinary design innovations, accommodate the community's potentials in the society and stimulate a reflexive impact, allowing students to reflect on their future role as interior designers in bringing positive changes to their community against the profit‐driven tendency of contemporary designers today.     

Enhancing subjective well‐being in individuals with asthma

Asthma, a chronic respiratory disease, is caused by a complex interaction between genetic and environmental variables. The intent of this article is to propose a theory that provides an explanation for the reduction of emotionally triggered asthma through treatments derived from positive psychology. The basic tenet of the theory is that physical health issues, such as asthma, can be promoted through systematic interventions that are designed to enhance the individual's sense of independence, intimacies or friendships, and/or feelings of competence. This theoretical approach is based largely on Bertrand Russell's definition of happiness and is consistent with positive psychology in that it focuses on variables that promote subjective well‐being, or a satisfying daily life. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 95–100, 2004.