Stereotypes of Older Lesbians and Gay Men

This study examined stereotypes of older lesbians and gay men. Key findings are that older lesbians and gay men were perceived as similar to older heterosexual women and men with regard to aging stereotypes, such as being judicious. At the same time, sexual minorities were targets of unique stereotypes. Consistent with the implicit inversion theory, lesbians were conceived as similar to heterosexual men, and gay men similar to heterosexual women with regard to gender-stereotypic traits, and regardless of age. These findings suggest the persistence into late adulthood of the belief that lesbians and gay men are inverted females and males.     

Investing in skills to overcome the crisis? Low-skilled workers in Italy: European strategies,policies and structural weaknesses

A skilled workforce is a prerequisite for productivity and a stepping stone for innovation. This is the reason why education and investment in skills have been made the foundations of Europe 2020, Europe’s strategy to overcome the economic crisis and boost growth. The propensity for developing skills is consistently present in European countries and concerns all educational levels. However, differences between countries are often considerable, in particular with regard to skills and educational attainment. There are countries, such as Italy, which have not been successful thus far at decreasing the number of low-skilled workers. This article aims to describe the situation of low-educated and low-skilled workers in Italy and the impact of the economic crisis on this particularly vulnerable group. The work is based on official data issued by national and international institutions, as well as on results from a narrative analysis of 15 biographical interviews with low-skilled adults in Italy conducted within a Cedefop project. Drawing on both types of sources, the article will offer a perspective on the relationship between structural constraints in regard to access to and participation in lifelong learning in Italy, specifically for low-skilled workers, and individual strategies adopted to cope with these constraints.     

Inquiry-Based Learning and Undergraduates’ Professional Identity Development: Assessment of a Field Research-Based Course

Innovative strategies in inquiry-based learning are recognized as improving the quality of higher education learning, but there is a need to explore whether and how these strategies promote the development of professional identity among undergraduates. In this article we describe an inquiry-based course, situated in a European context, which is designed to support students’ professional identity development through reflective practice; and we present the assessment of students’ learning outcomes. Results highlight the key roles of field research, peer groups, and a narrative approach in promoting positive student attitudes toward reflecting on their production of knowledge and in developing their professional identity.     

Some Learning Problems Concerning the Use of Symbolic Language in Physics

This paper aims to draw the attention of teachers of basic university physics courses towards students' problems concerning the interpretation of the symbolic language used in the discipline. Specific difficulties found in the first course of physics, related to different kinds of statements expressed in mathematical language, are pointed out and analysed, and some suggestions are made to cope with them during instruction. It could be concluded that teachers may need only to reflect and comment on the virtues of making explicit the semantic and syntactic aspects of formal languages as they teach physics.     

Architektur Multimedialer Informationssysteme

Ohne Zusammenfassung

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Architektur Multimedialer Informationssysteme

     

The special education teacher between the priorities of inclusion and specialisation

In Austria, the profession of the special education teacher is facing major changes. Presently, special education teachers need to have general pedagogical competences to teach children of all grades, and are expected to have competences in managing highly heterogeneous groups in inclusive settings. Additionally, they need to apply special strategies to efficiently work with children with various special needs. Student teachers starting their education 2015/2016 will no longer have the option of obtaining a distinct degree as a special education teacher. Instead, future teachers will choose between teaching in primary or in secondary schools, and can then select their preferred focus from various options, including inclusive education. This qualitative study is based on written and oral research interviews with teachers in inclusive settings, and aims to identify competences in the areas of knowledge, action, and attitude which teachers consider necessary and effective for successfully teaching a heterogeneous group of pupils. The results indicate the need to further strengthen both the inclusive and the reflexive attitude in teachers. The outcomes will influence curricula development in the new teacher education programmes, and aid to tailor courses offered in in-service training for teachers working in inclusive settings.     

Steer Clear or Get Ready: How Coping Styles Moderate the Effect of Informational Utility

A 2x3x2 between-subjects experiment tested the effect of informational utility on selective exposure to online news stories. Trait coping styles were tested as moderators of informational utility. Informational utility intensity, characterized by greater magnitude, likelihood, and immediacy, increased selective exposure. A fourth dimension, efficacy, did not yield a main effect or moderate other message factors. However, coping styles demonstrated the proposed interactions. Individuals low on avoidant coping browsed messages with high informational utility longer than messages with low utility. Those low on problem-focused coping spent more time with high-efficacy messages; those high on problem-focus spent more time with low-efficacy messages.     

High-School Students’ Epistemic Knowledge of Science and Its Relation to Learner Factors in Science Learning

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an online contextualized test for assessing students’ understanding of epistemic knowledge of science. In addition, how students’ understanding of epistemic knowledge of science interacts with learner factors, including time spent on science learning, interest, self-efficacy, and gender, was also explored. The participants were 489 senior high school students (244 males and 245 females) from eight different schools in Taiwan. Based on the result of an extensive literature review, we first identified six factors of epistemic knowledge of science, such as status of scientific knowledge, the nature of scientific enterprise, measurement in science, and so on. An online test was then created for assessing students’ understanding of the epistemic knowledge of science. Also, a learner-factor survey was developed by adopting previous PISA survey items to measure the abovementioned learner factors. The results of this study show that; (1) by factor analysis, the six factors of epistemic knowledge of science could be grouped into two dimensions which reflect the nature of scientific knowledge and knowing in science, respectively; (2) there was a gender difference in the participants’ understanding of the epistemic knowledge of science; and (3) students’ interest in science learning and the time spent on science learning were positively correlated to their understanding of the epistemic knowledge of science.