Interplay of Biological and Social‐Environmental Factors in the Developmental Outcome of Prematurely Born Children From Infancy To Seven Years

THE DEVELOPMENT of 58 preterm infants classified as low‐risk was compared over their first 7 years with a control group of 100 full‐term healthy infants. One major conclusion from this ongoing study is the critical need to take account of age when outcomes for prematurely born children are compared with full‐term children. As well as finding “catch up” phenomena at certain ages, the study also found periods during which there were reverses of this favourable tendency. Further, the study provided evidence that perinatal risk conditions may have a differential impact on mental development, depending on social‐environmental factors. It was suggested that advantaged family circumstances may reduce or even fully compensate for the adverse effects of preterm birth whereas a disadvantaged environment may amplify them.     

The educational performance of immigrant children at Czech schools

The integration of immigrant children into the education system is a process that is accompanied by serious debate, especially in advanced countries, which have large shares of immigrants and a long history of immigration. The poorer educational outcomes of foreign-born children are largely explained there through their socio-economically disadvantaged background compared to the native-born population. This article examines whether the observations for those countries also apply to the Czech Republic—a country with a relatively short immigration history and immigration flows from different source countries than those in Western Europe. Regression analyses conducted on PISA 2012 data focusing largely on the maths skills of 15-year-olds reveal that the performance of immigrant children in Czech schools roughly compares to that of their counterparts in Western Europe. While their PISA outcomes were lower than those of Czechs, this was because immigrant children have poorer conditions at home or in the classroom.     

Admission to Higher Education in Israel and the Role of the Psychometric Entrance Test: Educational and political dilemmas

This paper describes the admissions process to higher education in Israel, which is frequently debated in public. It presents the historical background, outlines the psychometric considerations, summarises the extensive research data gathered in validity and evaluation studies, and provides the social and political perspectives. The paper points to how developments in the volume and importance of higher education have affected the way upper-secondary certificates mediate university entrance. Particular reference is made as to how far the pressures are changed by the use of a psychometric entrance test. Two laws, dealing with admissions to higher education, that are currently being put to vote in the Israeli parliament, are described and discussed.     

Effectiveness of a school-based multicomponent program for the treatment of children with ADHD

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a multicomponent program for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) carried out by teachers in a classroom context. Dependent measures included neuropsychological tasks, behavioral rating scales for parents and teachers, direct observation of behavior in the classroom, and academic records of children with ADHD. Fifty children with ADHD participated in the study. The teachers of 29 of the 50 students were trained in the use of behavior modification techniques, cognitive behavior strategies, and instructional management strategies. The other 21 students formed the control group. Parents' and teachers'ratings detected improvements in primary symptoms (inattention-disorganization, hyperactivity-impulsivity) and in behavioral difficulties usually associated with ADHD (e.g., antisocial behavior, psychopathological disorders, anxiety). Furthermore, the results showed increased academic scores, enhanced classroom behavioral observations, and improved teachers' knowledge about the strategies directed toward responding to the children's educational needs.     

The Transformative Impact of Blended Mobility Courses

Several pedagogical assets of the blended‐learning courses conducted within the ADRIART.net partnership originate from their novel site‐specific approach and intercultural value. Conducted outside school environments across Austria, Croatia, Italy and Slovenia in 2011–2014, over a dozen of these intensive Master's programme workshops mixed students and mentors from different cultural and professional backgrounds, intersecting the realms of film, new media, photography, performance, architecture and contemporary art. These short‐term academic mobility courses concluded with public exhibitions, screenings or performances, often at eminent cultural venues or in public spaces pertaining to the site‐specific character of each course. This article discusses key issues that proved beneficial for conceiving and implementing this fruitful academic collaboration format. Several curricular and organisational solutions are presented that increased the positive impact on students as well as other stakeholders in this project‐based pedagogical piloting of the Media Arts and Practices international Master's programme. Set against its curriculum‐development framework, the article examines new methodological solutions, joint mentoring models and group dynamics management, as well as some specific logistical issues. Next to developing relevant employment skills and attitudes, such production‐oriented, but process‐aware course designs offer timely academic provisions as a response to a ‘glocalised’ world. More importantly, these course designs can also foster students' engagement with the actual (social, economic, natural, political) environment and the development of life‐long learning habits.     

Investigating cognitive change as a dynamic process / Investigar el cambio cognitivo como proceso dinámico

Abstract

In this introduction to the special issue ‘Dynamic aspects of cognitive development and learning’ we emphasize the current need for studies that address, in depth, the dynamic aspects of cognitive development and learning. We integrate cognitive development and learning into the concept of cognitive change. We then reflect on the scope and limitations of certain procedures that are implemented to turn these processes of cognitive change into limited objects of empirical research. This reflection will allow us to ask ourselves about the potential and validity of studies resulting from these procedures to inform educational and health-related practices. After presenting some methodological alternatives to explain cognitive change in a more productive way, we present the six studies that make up this special issue. The selection seeks to offer a rich repertoire of ideas; data collection, analysis and visualization methods; and evidence and explanations of situated processes of change in an evolutionary-educational arc extending from the first months of life in the context of familiar interactions, to adult learning.     

Retirement lifestyle conceptualization and well-being in recent retirees

ABSTRACT

The retirement literature contains four distinct conceptualizations of retirement lifestyle. Retirement can be seen as an opportunity to make a new start, the continuation of a pre-retirement lifestyle, an unwelcome imposed disruption, and a transition to old age. This research examines the conceptualizations of retirement lifestyle and how they relate to retirement adjustment and well-being in recent retirees (N = 173). A factor analysis confirmed the existence of four factors identifying four retirement conceptualizations. Although previous studies have presented retirement conceptualizations as mutually incompatible, significant relationships were found between them in this research, indicating that recent retirees can synchronously conceptualize seemingly distinct lifestyles. The cluster analysis identified three types of retirees in the sample. These types were labeled to reflect the prevailing retirement lifestyle concepts. The first type of retiree (N = 90) is “New beginning and continuation,” the second (N = 44) is “Imposed disruption without hope,” and the third is (N = 39) “Accepted disruption and ending.” The analysis of variance revealed the three types differ significantly in the level of satisfaction in retirement, subjective happiness, and life meaningfulness – with the highest level being found in the first retiree type and the lowest level in the second retiree type. The findings suggest that conceptualizations of retirement lifestyle change over time and affect psychological well-being in the recent retiree cohort. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are outlined.