Self-concept in children receiving special support at school

The aim of this study is to investigate the variations of self-concept in pupils attending basic compulsory schools and special units. It also examines self-concept in pupils receiving support according to different models. The study involved 183 pupils aged nine to 13 years, attending basic compulsory schools or special programme units in Sweden. Seventy-seven pupils were receiving support from special educators, who have completed a supplementary programme in special education. A comparison was made between pupils receiving support and pupils receiving no support and between pupils in different organization models of support. Global self-concept at school does not seem to be related to the model of special support. Pupils at compulsory schools who are receiving support differ from pupils who receive no support, in that peer relations appear to be more important for their self-concept at school. This could be interpreted as being a compensatory strategy to maintain a good self-concept in spite of difficulties at school. Some implications for educational strategies are discussed.     

Demonstration of pelvic anatomy by modified midline transection that maintains intact internal pelvic organs

Gross dissection for demonstrating anatomy of the human pelvis has traditionally involved one of two approaches, each with advantages and disadvantages. Classic hemisection in the median plane through the pelvic ring transects the visceral organs but maintains two symmetric pelvic halves. An alternative paramedial transection compromises one side of the bony pelvis but leaves the internal organs intact. The authors propose a modified technique that combines advantages of both classical dissections. This novel approach involves dividing the pubic symphysis and sacrum in the median plane after shifting all internal organs to one side. The hemipelvis without internal organs is immediately available for further dissection of the lower limb. The hemipelvis with intact internal organs is ideal for showing the complex spatial relationships of the pelvic organs and vessels relative to the intact pelvic floor. Anat Sci Educ 3:254–260, 2010. © 2010 American Association of Anatomists.     

Examining genetic and environmental effects on social aggression: a study of 6-year-old twins

Using a genetic design of 234 six-year-old twins, this study examined (a) the contribution of genes and environment to social versus physical aggression, and (b) whether the correlation between social and physical aggression can be explained by similar genetic or environmental factors or by a directional link between the phenotypes. For social aggression, substantial (shared and unique) environmental effects but only weak genetic effects were found. For physical aggression, significant effects of genes and unique environment were found. Bivariate modeling suggests that social and physical aggression share most of their underlying genes but only very few overlapping environmental factors. The correlation between the two phenotypes can also be explained by a directional effect from physical to social aggression.     

College Talk and the Rural Economy: Shaping the Educational Aspirations of Rural,First-Generation Students

The college-going rates of rural students lag behind those of more urban students, a gap likely due, in part, to rural students’ lower educational aspirations. These lower aspirations appear to be tied to the dilemma that higher education presents for many rural students: whether to remain in their rural home, working in traditional trades and industries that do not require a college degree, or to leave in pursuit of an education that is often the first step toward an adult life lived away. This study seeks to better understand this dilemma by examining the messages that rural, first-generation students receive about the value of higher education. Drawing upon interviews and observations, it shows that high school guidance counselors, college admissions officials, and the staff of community-based college aspirations organizations adopt a strikingly consistent message: they cite struggling rural economies in their argument for the necessity of a practical degree for all students, one that can be easily leveraged into a career. Despite noting broad parental support for this message, many participants also describe continued resistance from some rural families, a perception that may heighten the dilemma of rural college-going for students.     

Improving Prospective Teachers’ Counseling Competence in Parent-Teacher Talks: Effects of Training and Feedback

Counseling parents concerning students’ learning processes is considered to be an increasingly important competence area of teachers. However, few educational programs exist specifically focusing on improving this essential teacher competence, particularly in early teacher education. The current study, which took place at a German university, describes the evaluation of a corresponding training program for prospective teachers as well as a process-oriented feedback intervention. We conducted a quasi-experimental study with three treatment groups (training group, training + feedback group, control group) combining pre-, post-, and follow-up test measures with time–series data. By means of multivariate repeated measures MANOVAs and time-series analyses, we were able to demonstrate that prospective teachers’ counseling competence can be successfully fostered by training and individual process-oriented feedback. Our results provide several practical implications concerning the improvement of teachers’ counseling competence within the context of teacher education.     

The National Disability Insurance Scheme and access to education: progressive or coercive policy discourse?

This paper explores the experiences of a small group of families in Australia in relation to recent reform to disability policy by way of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Framed in critical disability perspectives of policy implementation research, the paper focuses on the extent to which the scheme articulates inclusive opportunities for children and young people with disabilities, particularly in relation to facilitating access to education. Interview data that illustrate families' expectations of the scheme and latter-day experiences, coercions and negotiations highlight the tensions that exist for scheme participants who draw on its provision to support their education. These first- and second-order policy effects indicate a welcome change to disability support in Australia, though the extent to which the scheme can advance inclusion for people with disabilities is uncertain, given the distance rendered between the policy and its participants and other service systems. The paper concludes with a theoretical discussion based on the analysis of how the NDIS is framed to interrelate with scheme participants and education and how it might be reframed for better outcomes.     

Linkages between children's and their friends' social and physical aggression: evidence for a gene-environment interaction?

Based on a sample of 406 seven-year-old twins, this study examined whether exposure to friends' social or physical aggression, respectively, moderates the effect of heritability on children's own social and physical aggression. Univariate analyses showed that children's own social and physical aggression were significantly explained by genetic factors, whereas friends' social and physical aggression represented "true" environmental factors that were unrelated to children's genetic dispositions. Multivariate analyses further suggested a possible gene-environment interaction in the link between friends' and children's physical aggression but not in the link between friends' and children's social aggression. Instead, friends' social aggression was directly related to children's social aggression, in addition to genetic effects on this behavior. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.     

Welcoming the child with special needs

Mara Jambor is a kindergarten teacher with the Jefferson County School System, Jefferson County, AL.     

A monozygotic twin difference study of friends' aggression and children's adjustment problems

This study used the monozygotic (MZ) twin difference method to examine whether differences in friends' aggression increased the differences in MZ twins' aggression and depressive symptoms from kindergarten to Grade 1 and whether perceived victimization by the friend played a mediating role in this context. Participants were 223 MZ twin pairs. Results showed that differences in kindergarten friends' aggression significantly predicted an increased difference in MZ twins' aggression from kindergarten (mean age = 6.7 years) to Grade 1 (mean age = 7.5 years) for both boys and girls. Differences in perceived victimization by the friend mediated this association, albeit only in boys. Differences in perceived victimization by the friend also predicted an increase in MZ twins' differences in depressive symptoms. These results support the importance of friendship experiences during early childhood.