The Bologna Process and Lifelong Education: Problem‐Based Learning

This article describes the application of Problem‐Based Learning (PBL) methodology in the context of a student congress, arguing that such new approaches to learning are best‐suited to the goals of the Bologna Process. The Congress in question enabled Spanish graduate students in Psychology, many of them mid‐career professionals, to increase their learning motivation, delve deeper into the learning experience, and further apply their learning and research. By taking an interdisciplinary approach, all the teachers concerned were able to coordinate their involvement. Feedback received from students and professors confirms that the Congress promoted new strategies and skills including self‐directed learning.     

As pliant as the bamboo: A grounded theory study of incarcerated Filipino elderly people’s sense of resiliency

The impact of prison upon incarcerated individuals is considerably destructive and may lead to low mental health resiliency. Despite a large body of literature on resiliency, little is known about the process that the elderly go through in developing resiliency in the penal setting—hence, this grounded theory investigation. The overall intent of this investigation is to describe the process by which older male adults develop resiliency while in prison. The study used a grounded theory design. To gather the needed data, a two-part research instrument that included a robotfoto and a semistructured interview was employed. A total of 25 incarcerated Filipino elderly in New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, Philippines were purposively selected. Field text was subjected to thematic analysis following Corbin and Strauss coding procedure. Interestingly, this study yielded the Maze Theory of Resiliency, which describes the Filipino elderly’s road to achieving resiliency. Initially, they go through the sending up phase in which they feel condemnation and uncertainty. The sending off phase captures the moments in which prisoners show signs of optimism and readiness to experience life in their new environment. Lastly, the sending in phase, prisoners became accustomed to the dynamics of penal environment—thus, achieving their sense of resiliency. The emerged theory from this study could help nurses in the early recognition of psychological deterioration and in providing counseling services to the incarcerated elderly without any prejudice. And at the same time, the theory could help implement nursing interventions appropriate for each stage of resiliency.     

A critique of mutualism’s combination of the Aristotelian and Kantian traditions

In this article, I will identify two key normative principles at the core of Robert L. Simon’s mutualist theory of sport, namely, the respect-for-the-opponent principle and the idea that sport is a practice aimed at pursuing excellence. The former is a Kantian principle grounded in human beings’ rationality, and the latter is an Aristotelian principle related to the development of excellences as a means to human flourishing. After having presented and analyzed both principles, I will critically evaluate Simon’s attempt to combine them within his mutualist approach. To conclude, I will highlight the challenges that mutualism should face to complete such a combination more successfully.

Abbreviation: Categorical imperative (CI)     

Functioning of the attentional networks at rest vs. during acute bouts of aerobic exercise

The present study explored the effects of three different activity conditions on three attentional functions: alerting, orienting, and executive control. A group of highly experienced cyclists performed the Attention Network Test-Interactions (Callejas, Lupiá?ez, & Tudela, 2004) at rest, during moderate aerobic exercise, and during intense aerobic exercise. Results indicated that aerobic exercise accelerated reaction time and reduced the alerting effect compared with the rest condition. However, aerobic exercise did not modulate the functioning of either the orienting or the executive control attentional networks. No differences in reaction time or attentional functioning were observed between the two aerobic exercise workloads. The present results suggest that moderate aerobic exercise modulates the functioning of phasic alertness by increasing the general state of tonic vigilance.     

When arts and crafts education meets Fascism: the Friuli mosaic school, 1922-1943

This paper examines the early history of the Friuli Mosaic School (FMS), an Italian arts and crafts school specialising in mosaic and terrazzo. The history of the FMS opens up a rare window into an often-overlooked field in the history of education: arts and crafts schools in Fascist Italy (1922–1943). Then, the FMS excelled in mosaic education and production and gained the trust of the regime, which notably commissioned the school to produce large mosaic works for the Foro Italico sports complex in Rome. Yet, as this paper contends, the FMS–Fascist Italy relationship was primarily functional rather than political. Similarly, the FMS adopted a pragmatic approach in times of economic hardship by becoming an active agent for its students and alumni who were compelled to emigrate. The migrant trajectory of alumnus Ettore Lorenzini to the United States was paradigmatic of this.     

Effects of cooperative learning on perceived competence,motivation, social goals,effort and boredom in prospective Primary Education teachers / Efectos del aprendizaje cooperativo sobre la competencia percibida,la motivación,las relaciones sociales,el esfuerzo y el aburrimiento de futuros docentes de Educación Primaria

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to analyze the effects of an intervention programme based on cooperative learning on several motivational variables in prospective teachers. 264 students of Primary Education Teacher Training participated. Prior to the intervention, a theoretical model was designed to explain the relations among the different variables. The intervention programme was applied to the experimental group during a 12-week period, while the control group experienced a traditional instructional approach. A questionnaire was designed using different validated subscales (PMCSQ-2, BPNS, PLOC, SGS-PE, PES) to gather data. The predictive theoretical model was tested using a structural equation analysis with the data obtained, which showed that the predictive model was correct, and significant improvements were seen in the experimental group only in terms of levels of perceived competence, self-determined motivation, effort, responsibility and relationships, and a significant decrease was seen in boredom. With regard to gender, women showed significantly different results in Competence and Boredom. Cooperative Learning has been proven to be a positive instructional model in Teacher Education.     

A fuzzy linguistic model to evaluate the quality of Library 2.0 functionalities

Libraries incessantly undergo change determined by evolving user needs. These are often induced by the emergence of previously unavailable tools. Web 2.0 represents an example of such a need-shifting technology, which has led to an embrace of new user interactivity services for many library websites, thus coined Library 2.0. This paradigm shift calls for new evaluation models to include the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies. The aim of this paper is to present such a model, and to evaluate the quality of Library 2.0 functionalities, measuring the quality of the 2.0 services offered through the websites based on user perception. We adopt fuzzy linguistic modeling to represent user perception, and apply aggregation operations to linguistic labels in order to evaluate the quality of the new services. Furthermore, our model subsumes the LibQUAL+ methodology, allowing for the identification of specific 2.0 functionalities in need of improvement and of those outstandingly satisfied by the system.     

Removing but not adding elements of a context affects generalization of instrumental responses

Three experiments with rats investigated whether adding or removing elements of a context affects generalization of instrumental behavior. Each of the experiments used a free operant procedure. In Experiments 1 and 2, rats were trained to press a lever for food in a distinctive context. Then, transfer of lever pressing was tested in a context created either by adding an element to the context of initial acquisition or by removing one of the acquisition context’s elements. In Experiment 3, a similar generalization test was conducted after rats received acquisition and extinction within the same context. For Experiments 1 and 2, we observed that removing elements from the acquisition context disrupted acquisition performance, whereas the addition of elements to the context did not. Experiment 3 revealed that removing elements from but not adding elements to the original context improved extinction performance. Our results are consistent with an elemental view of context representation.     

Physical fitness predicts the academic achievement over one-school year follow-up period in adolescents

The purposes of this study were to examine how fitness at the baseline could predict both academic achievement and academic achievement changes one school year in advance. A total of 194 adolescents (mean age: 14.15 ± 0.97 years old, 112 boys) who attended secondary school participated in our study. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured with the 20 m endurance shuttle-run test. We also assessed the lower-limbs muscular strength with the standing long jump test and flexibility with the sit-and-reach test. The academic achievement was assessed by school grades. We performed linear regression analyses. Additionally, we examined the relationship between fitness and changes in the academic performance following the same statistical methodology. Cardiorespiratory fitness was positively associated with mathematics one school year in advance (p = 0.025). Cardiorespiratory fitness was also positively associated with changes in Spanish language (p = 0.005), mathematics (p = 0.023), and the grade point average (p = 0.006). Muscular strength was also positively associated with changes in Spanish language (p = 0.040) and mathematics (p = 0.010), while flexibility was associated with changes in Spanish language (p = 0.039) and the grade point average (0.027). Our results suggest that cardiorespiratory fitness was positively associated with academic achievement in adolescents.     

The Impact of Tourette’s Syndrome in the School and the Family: Perspectives from Three Stakeholder Groups

This article analyzes the perceptions of Spanish health professionals, children with Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) and their parents about social, school and family problems related to the disorder. A qualitative research methodology was used involving Focus Groups (FGs) made up of children with TS (× 2 FGs), parents/caregivers of persons with TS (× 2 FGs) and health professionals (× 1 FG). The study highlights many of the principal areas of concern for persons with TS, parents/caregivers and health professionals that directly and indirectly add to the burden of living with the disorder. The results of the study point out that the stigma and social maladjustment in children with TS is caused in large part by a misunderstanding of the disorder by teachers and peers. Parents of children with TS especially emphasize tics, considering them to be the main cause of social maladaptation. The results suggest that interventions among parents, teachers and peers should be implemented towards a greater understanding of the disorder and its symptoms.