Elterliche Bildungsaspiration und Migrationshintergrund als Prädiktoren für Schulformwechsel in der Sekundarstufe I: Ergebnisse einer Längsschnittstudie

The present study investigates the extent to which changing school forms in secondary school is dependent not only on a student’s school grades, but also on the migration status and educational aspirations of their parents. Based on a cohort (N?=?4219) of school students from one school year in Luxemburg, we were able to show that throughout the lower secondary school, the grade average played a decisive role in the move to a different school form. Furthermore, students with a migration background were shown to have similar chances as students from Luxemburg of moving upwards to a higher school form, yet were less likely to move downwards. However, this phenomenon could essentially be explained by the fact that students with a migration background are not as highly represented in the higher school forms as are students from Luxemburg. Independent of migration status and school grades, parental educational aspirations played a decisive role change between school forms. High educational aspirations facilitated the move to a higher school form, while low educational aspirations correlated with moving to a lower school form.     

Assessment of metacognitive knowledge in students with special educational needs

This study investigated whether and, if so, how metacognitive knowledge can be assessed validly in students with special educational needs in a large-scale assessment like the German National Educational Panel Study. In total, 804 sixth-grade students including both regular school students attending the lowest track of secondary education (Hauptschule) and students with special educational needs in learning participated in the study. A scenario-based test of metacognitive knowledge focusing primarily on different aspects of strategy knowledge was implemented. In order to investigate optimal testing conditions, two conditions that varied in terms of administration mode were compared: autonomous reading as in regular test settings and a read-aloud condition. Reading speed and reasoning abilities were assessed as control variables. As expected, regular school students outperformed students with special educational needs in the metacognitive knowledge test. In addition, higher correlations between metacognitive knowledge and reading speed emerged in the autonomous reading condition compared to the read-aloud condition. Contrary to our expectations, a differential boost due to the testing accommodation of reading aloud was, however, only observed in regular students but not in students with special educational needs. The results are discussed with regard to educational and assessment-relevant approaches.     

Metacognitive knowledge in children at early elementary school

In metacognition research, many studies focused on metacognitive knowledge of preschoolers or children at the end of elementary school or secondary school, but investigations of children starting elementary school are quite limited. The present study, thus, took a closer look at children’s knowledge about mental processes and strategies in early elementary school aiming to extend findings on the respective age period. Therefore, at first, a new test that can be administered in group settings and that assesses a broad concept of children’s metacognitive knowledge in early elementary school was evaluated. Furthermore, analyses on the structure of metacognitive knowledge were carried out in cross-sectional as well as longitudinal analyses. In a longitudinal design, the new test instrument was administered to 870 children at the end of first grade and again one year later (N?=?720). Item Response models were used to evaluate the construct validity of the test. Test characteristics were checked based on different fit statistics, test fairness, and discriminant validity. In summary, the test exhibited good psychometric properties. Analyses on the dimensionality of the assessed metacognitive knowledge revealed that different strategies seemed to form rather distinct dimensions of metacognitive knowledge. However, these dimensions showed a rather homogeneous development from first to second grade. Impacts of the findings on theoretical considerations and on the theoretical understanding of metacognitive knowledge and further analyses with metacognitive competence data are discussed.     

Preparing German pre-service teachers in special needs education for school development—Can we do otherwise?

Although school development can be viewed as an emerging responsibility of teachers, special needs education in Germany does not leave sufficient room for non-teaching tasks, leading to a knowledge gap in the professionalisation of pre-service teachers with regard to school development upon entering the profession. This study focused on the preparedness of pre-service teachers in school development as a professional task at the end of their initial teacher training. The respondents of the interview study are 12 pre-service teachers enrolled at master level in special educational needs at a German university. The findings of the study report on the marginal situatedness of school development in the curriculum, the associated understanding of pre-service teachers of school development and their low assessment of the relevance of school development within special needs education. The study closes with practical recommendations on how to tackle the low level of preparedness for school development tasks in German teacher education.     

Supporting learning from illustrated texts: conceptualizing and evaluating a learning strategy

Texts and pictures are often combined in order to improve learning. Many students, however, have difficulty to appropriately process text-picture combinations. We have thus conceptualized a learning strategy which supports learning from illustrated texts. By inducing the processes of information selection, organization, integration, and transformation, the learning strategy should lead to a more elaborated learning. After conducting a pilot study, a main study with 133 sixth-grade students from two different middle schools was carried out in order to analyse the learning effectiveness of the strategy. One group of students learned without the strategy whereas the second group learned with the strategy. All students had to complete a pre-test as well as a post-test which followed the learning period. The learning outcomes of the two groups were then compared: both studies demonstrated that the students who employed the strategy attained significantly better learning results. The effect sizes are medium to large.     

A novel phased‐concept course for the delivery of anatomy and orthopedics training in medical education

Integration of anatomy and clinical teaching is a theoretical ideal, yet there is a worldwide paucity of such amalgamation. These teaching models provide support for medical trainees, an important element in Germany where orthopedic intern numbers have declined and anecdotal evidence suggests disinterest in orthopedics. The aim of the study was to develop an integrated anatomy‐surgical course for undergraduate medical training, assess the model developed, and explore how medical students perceive orthopedics as a career. The course was to deliver medical anatomy and clinical orthopedic training, focusing on interdisciplinary teaching and learning, vertical integration of clinical knowledge and skills, and professional interaction. Survey evaluation of the course and students' perceptions of orthopedic careers was performed, including Likert‐type responses rating variables of interest. A phased‐concept program of five courses, each optional and under one‐week in duration, was developed parallel to the undergraduate medical program. Delivered by anatomists and surgeons, courses included biomechanics, advanced dissection, surgical approaches, casts and implants, and sports medicine. Course data indicate positive support for course format, stimulation of interest, and high clinical relevance. Students are generally interested in surgery, and identify hierarchy, lawsuits, bureaucracy and physical stress as barriers to orthopedic careers. This novel phased‐concept successfully delivers combined anatomy and surgery training in a vertically‐integrated format while addressing students' clinical and professional skills. The format facilitates an appreciation of potential career options in orthopedics, while fostering professional skills during medical training. Barriers to careers in orthopedics can now be addressed in future courses. Anat Sci Educ 10: 372–382. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.     

BODIES R US: Ethical Views on the Commercialization of the Dead in Medical Education and Research

With the ongoing and expanding use of willed bodies in medical education and research, there has been a concomitant rise in the need for willed bodies and an increase in the means of supplying these bodies. A relatively recent development to enlarge this supply has been the growth of for- profit willed body companies (“body brokers”) in the United States. These companies advertise for donors, cover all cremation and other fees for the donor, distribute the bodies or body parts nationally and internationally, and charge their users for access to the body or body parts. In doing so, they generate substantial profits. This review examines the historical development of willed body programs, the legal and economic aspects of willed body programs, and then provides an ethical framework for the use of willed bodies. The ethical principles described include detailed informed consent from the donors, comprehensive and transparent information about the process from the body donation organizations, and societal input on the proper and legal handling of willed bodies. Based on the ethical principles outlined, it is recommended that there be no commercialization or commodification of willed bodies, and that programs that use willed bodies should not generate profit.     

Intercultural practices and inclusive education in Europe: can migration be a resource for individual and societal development?

European Journal of Psychology of Education - This is an introductory paper to the special section “Multilingual learning and social inclusion of children: The development of educational...