Teachers’ attitudes towards tracking: testing the socialization hypothesis

The paper examines how teachers’ attitudes towards tracking (separating pupils into groups with different curricula on the basis of their abilities and results) differ among various generations of teachers. Fundamental and quick changes in the educational system occurred in the Czech Republic after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 as a unified educational system moved to a system strongly accenting tracking practices. We use this ‘policy discontinuity’ to validate teacher socialization theory and test three alternative socialization hypotheses based on different key periods in teachers’ development: the pupil experience hypothesis, the pedagogical preparation hypothesis and the pedagogical experience hypothesis. We work with a data-set from 2009 covering 1002 Czech teachers. The mean tests and the logistic regression analysis support the socialization theory, however only the pedagogical experience hypothesis was found to be most influential.     

A reflection on adaptability,achievement motivation and success of Central and Eastern European students in one English university

This article reflects on and discusses Central and Eastern European (CEE) learners’ adaptability and achievement in one English post-1992 university. There appears to be a scarcity of studies of values, beliefs, attitudes and needs as well as achievement (and factors contributing to it) between CEE and other learners. Since the expansion of the European Union, CEE students’ presence in British higher education has become more pronounced. CEE learners are treated as home students (for the purpose of fees) and yet they come from a distinctively different socio-historical background and pedagogic tradition – tradition (as explained further in the article) that is, to a certain extent, common in CEE countries as a result of the sovietisation of education systems within post communistic countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In the British higher education sector there is a move in curriculum delivery towards more personalised learning, which underlines that effective teaching and learning starts with understanding the individual student. Therefore, it is important that universities with a high proportion of EU students attempt to understand where CEE students come from and what their aspirations might be. This article provides some insights into CEE learners’ values, attitudes and motivations to learn and looks for possible reasons for their success.     

Entrepreneurialism at the University of Zagreb: Managing the Sustainability of Change

This article presents a study of the different aspects of entrepreneurialism at the University of Zagreb in the context of Croatian higher education. The recent history of changes at the University of Zagreb is described using a temporal perspective from the beginning of the development of the European Higher Education Area to the implementation of the Bologna Process in Croatia. The theoretical framework for the study has been Burton Clark's (1998 Clark, B. R. 1998. Creating Entrepreneurial Universities, Oxford: Pergamont and Elsevier Science. Organizational Pathways of Transformation [Google Scholar]) seminal analysis of the main features of academic entrepreneurialism. Each feature: the strengthening of steering capacity, the diversification of financial sources, a stimulated academic heartland, an extended periphery, and integrating entrepreneurial culture have been elaborated using the illustrative examples from university practice and university statistics. The last part of the study gives an overview of the results of the empirical study conducted among university managers, teachers, and students on their perceptions of the university's entrepreneurial culture at the level of the institution as a whole as well as at the level of their respective faculty. In the final conclusions, the main requirements for effective change management within the university context are listed.     

Association between 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 gene polymorphisms and metabolic syndrome in Bosnian population

Introduction:

The enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) catalyzes the conversion of the hormonally inactive cortisone to active cortisol, thus facilitating glucocorticoid receptor activation in target tissues. Increased expression of 11β-HSD1 in adipose tissue has been associated with obesity and insulin resistance. In this study, we investigated the association of two 11β-HSD1 gene (HSD11B1) polymorphisms with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its characteristics in the Bosnian population.

Materials and methods:

The study included 86 participants: 43 patients diagnosed with MetS and 43 healthy controls. Subjects were genotyped for two HSD11B1 gene polymorphisms: rs846910: G>A and rs45487298: insA, by the high resolution melting curve analysis. Genotype distribution and an influence of genotypes on clinical and biochemical parameters were assessed.

Results:

There was no significant difference in the mutated allele frequencies for the two HSD11B1 gene polymorphisms between MetS patients and controls. In MetS patients, no significant associations between disease-associated traits and rs45487298: insA were found. Regarding rs846910: G>A variant, heterozygous patients (G/A) had significantly lower systolic (P = 0.017) and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.015), lower HOMA-IR index (P = 0.011) and higher LDL-cholesterol levels (P = 0.049), compared to the wild-type homozygotes. In the control group, rs45487298: insA polymorphism was associated with lower fasting plasma insulin levels (P = 0.041), lower homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index (P = 0.041) and lower diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.048). Significant differences between rs846910: G>A genotypes in controls were not detected. Haplotype analysis confirmed the association of rs45487298: insA with markers of insulin resistance in the control subjects.

Conclusions:

Our results indicate that a common rs45487298: insA polymorphism in HSD11B1 gene may have a protective effect against insulin resistance.     

Approximation based on orthogonal and almost orthogonal functions

In this paper, we define a class of almost orthogonal rational functions of Legendre type in a new manner. Relations of these functions with classical exponentional functions orthogonal over interval (0, ∞), as well as classical polynomials orthogonal over (0, 1) are explained. Defining relations of these functions can be used for designing almost orthogonal filters. These filters are generators of orthogonal signals and can be successfully applied in finding the best signal approximation in the sense of the mean square error. The filters orthogonal property enables building of physical (in this case electrical) models of dynamical systems (the sources of signals to be approximated) either with less components for the same model accuracy or higher accuracy for the same number of components than the other known models. New filters represent further improvement of previously designed filters, by the same authors, in the sense of simplicity, higher accuracy, lesser approximation time and even a possibility to approximate signals generated by systems with built-in imperfections. Series of experiments were performed to analyze the dependence of approximation accuracy and the number of filters sections.     

The effect of inspiratory muscle fatigue on acid-base status and performance during race-paced middle-distance swimming

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pre-induced inspiratory muscle fatigue (IMF) on race-paced swimming and acid-base status. Twenty-one collegiate swimmers performed two discontinuous 400-m race-paced swims on separate days, with (IMF trial) and without (control trial) pre-induced IMF. Swimming characteristics, inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressures, and blood parameters were recorded. IMF and expiratory muscle fatigue (P < 0.05) were evident after both trials and swimming time was slower (P < 0.05) from 150-m following IMF inducement. Pre-induced IMF increased pH before the swim (P < 0.01) and reduced bicarbonate (P < 0.05) and the pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO₂) (P < 0.05). pH (P < 0.05), bicarbonate (P < 0.01) and PCO₂ (P < 0.05) were lower during swimming in the IMF trial. Blood lactate was similar before both trials (P > 0.05) but was higher (P < 0.01) in the IMF trial after swimming. Pre-induced IMF induced respiratory alkalosis, reduced bicarbonate buffering capacity and slowed swimming speed. Pre-induced and propulsion-induced IMF reflected metabolic acidosis arising from dual role breathing and propulsion muscle fatigue.     

Marketing of services in secondary schools in the Republic of Croatia

The goals of the research were to determine the quantity, variety and quality of service, the extent to which certain marketing activities are applied in Croatian high schools, to explore the attitudes of teachers in respect to the need for marketing activity application in secondary schools in Croatia, and the knowledge teachers have about the marketing of services. In order to achieve these goals, we conducted a survey including 271 teachers of public, private and religious high schools. Even though the research confirmed that all schools apply numerous marketing activities, teachers in religious (85%) and public (72%) high schools believe these activities are not present at all. Teachers in public (26%) and religious (48%) high schools share the opinion that marketing activities should not be applied since they work in non-profit institutions. This opinion indicates a lack of knowledge about marketing and even a wrong attitude toward it.     

Stimulators and barriers towards social innovations in public libraries: Qualitative research study

Public libraries have a huge potential to be creators and facilitators of social innovation in communities and society. Qualitative research based on interviews with 27 librarians showed that social innovation in libraries can take the form of educational and cultural activities, leisure and networking activities and social support services. The main goal of the research was to find out what factors support and make these innovations difficult in public libraries. A four-layer model of barriers and stimulators for social innovation is presented, which includes structural, local, organizational and personnel levels. The model could serve to inform librarians, their stakeholders and governments about all levels of barriers and stimulators connected to innovation of library services and social re-positioning of public libraries in the future.