The hand-held calculator at the intermediate level

This survey presents a study in eight classes of intermediate level in Sweden, forms 4–6, where the pupils were supposed to use hand-held calculators whenever they could be of any use to them. The experiment took place during the period 1979–82 and was evaluated by tests, questionnaires, interviews by teachers, and observations.     

Conditions of school success: Relationships between characteristics of pupils,home environment,and school marks

European Journal of Psychology of Education -     

Structural aspects reconsidered: A reanalysis of two studies in educational evaluation

In two papers recently published in this journal, effectiveness is claimed for some training programs (development of social abilities and skills of disadvantaged pupils in Israeli youth villages; change in prejudices toward people of other races in a West German integrated comprehensive school) due to certain changes between sets of variables. As to the conclusions of the authors, some scepticism seems in order, however. Detailed reanalyses of the data were therefore performed using an explicitly structurally oriented approach via target analysis, the results of which contradict those reached by the authors.     

INTERNATIONAL INTER‐UNIVERSITY FACULTY AND STUDENT EXCHANGES ‐ A VIEW FROM THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

As the role of a university is like that of a lighthouse, international inter‐university exchanges of students and of teachers enable universities to perform their instructional and research‐oriented tasks with increased efficiency and creativity. The universities of the German Democratic Republic, having accumulated more than thirty years of experience in the domain of student and faculty exchanges, can offer the world some advice on the subject. Although good and bad points can be identified with regard to different kinds of exchanges, the good points predominate. No one condemns the overall usefulness of inter‐university exchanges of teachers and students. The future will no doubt witness an increase in the number of exchanges, particularly of those arranged through multilateral agreements     

The Social Embeddedness of Transactions: Evidence from the Residential Real-Estate Industry

Information and communications technologies (ICT) are becoming pervasive in the residential real-estate industry and their usage is affecting the work lives of real-estate agents. Drawing on data from a regional study of the residential real-estate industry in the United States, we focus on the disintermediation or, more accurately, the reintermediation of real-estate agents in the sales process. Using data collected from interviews, direct observation, and archival records, we examine how real-estate agents are (1) taking advantage of new ICT in their work, and (2) protecting themselves from others wishing to displace their position in the real-estate value chain. Our analysis of this activity draws on two contrasting theoretical perspectives to illuminate the roles of residential real-estate agents: transaction cost and social capital. The results of this study provide insights into the ways in which ICT are used to build and draw on the social relationships that underpin the actual transactions, to help guide the process of buying/selling a house, and to invoke expertise as needed.     

Stichwort: Schulische Inklusion

‘Inclusion’ has become a central topic in the field of education. The idea that all children should attending regular schools has been increasingly discussed following the UN Convention, which came into force in Germany in 2009. This article highlights the central dimensions of the on-going discussions on inclusion in education. First, the tension between inclusion as a global and inclusion as a regional concept as well as the tension between the understanding of inclusion in a narrow and broader sense will be discussed. The different areas of discussion emphasize the complexity of this topic. Second the central challenges that are associated with inclusive schooling and curriculum development in inclusive schools will be discussed on the basis of current research findings. Lastly, the importance of attitudes of teachers dealing with inclusion will be highlighted. The article comes to the conclusion that research on and the implementation of inclusive education must take into account the complexity inherent in the circular pattern of causal factors in the field of education.     

Interesting,but Less Interested: Gender Differences and Similarities in Mathematics Interest

The purpose of the present study was to examine gender differences in mathematics interest. In a sample of middle school students (N?=?366), we examined mathematics interest as a trait (i.e., individual interest) and as a current state (i.e., situational interest) during a learning activity in mathematics. Assessment of perceived competence, performance, and effort during learning was also included. Results revealed a significant difference between boys and girls in their ratings of individual interest, but not in the current experience of situational interest. Furthermore, boys and girls did not differ in performance during learning, but girls invested significantly more effort than boys. Results and their implications are discussed in relation to interest development, gender differences, and subjective beliefs.