Combining cognitive and affective support in order to promote learning

The present study investigated the impact of cognitive and affective support intervention on the learning outcomes of learners working with a simulation in economics. Cognitive support was given by statements in order to increase reflection and self-explanation in learners. Affective support was given by a goal-based scenario. Participants were 104 students of social science classes who were randomly allocated to a variant with cognitive and/or affective support as well as a basal variant without affective and cognitive support. Perceived germane cognitive load was increased by cognitive support but not by affective support. Understanding, as measured by posttest performance, was significantly increased by a combination of affective and cognitive support as compared to the basal variant without any support, while a single support intervention had no significant impact. The need for an augmented Cognitive Load Theory by the inclusion of affective factors is applied.     

Learning from multimedia presentations: Facilitation function of animations and spatial abilities

Animations may facilitate learning by providing external support for visual–spatial mental processing. Facilitation is challenged by findings that demonstrate involvement of spatial abilities in learning from animations, because this involvement indicates active internal visual–spatial processing. In the present study, learners attended to a system-paced multimedia presentation in which a verbal–auditory explanation was concurrently synchronized either with animation, with static core pictures, or with enriched static pictures that showed additional intermediate steps and arrows indicating motion. Results demonstrated better learning success with animations and with enriched static pictures than with static pictures. Spatial abilities were not substantively related to learning success with animations or with static pictures, but they played a crucial role for learning success with enriched static pictures. It is concluded that active visual–spatial processing was recruited with enriched static pictures. With animations, learning was truly facilitated by external support for visual–spatial mental processing.     

Value orientations and studying in school–leisure conflict: A study with samples from five countries

The relations between students' value orientations and experiences of motivational interference during studying following conflicts between learning and leisure activities were investigated in a self-report study. Overall, 1075 adolescents, mostly from Catholic schools, in Bosnia–Herzegovina (n = 203), India (n = 200), Paraguay (n = 96), Spain (n = 442), and the US (n = 134), participated. The samples varied substantially in terms of modern and postmodern value orientations, experience of motivational interference during studying, and time invested in studying. By controlling for age, gender, and economic capital, postmodern value orientation was positively related to conflict frequency and experience of motivational interference during learning, and negatively related to time investment. For modern value orientation, the relations were almost reversed. Despite the considerable differences between the sample means, the study revealed some consistency in the relations between the variables across the samples, which indicates that most of the relations can be generalized.     

Let the context become your ally: school principalship in two cases from low performing schools in Cyprus

Context has a considerable effect on the role and responsibilities of school principals. The aim of this paper is to provide a holistic perspective of the effects of school principals’ involvement in two low performing schools with different contexts. A qualitative research approach was employed, with individual and focus groups interviews under a multi-actor perspective. Our results suggest that school leaders differ in the way they relate to the inner and outer environment of the school. We suggest that they have to acquire new skills that address entrepreneurial as well as pedagogical tasks, thus exercising edupreneurial leadership.     

Across institutional boundaries?: Research collaboration in German public sector nanoscience

Research collaboration is a key mechanism for linking distributed knowledge and competencies into novel ideas and research venues. The need for effective inter-institutional knowledge flows is of particular importance in emerging domains of research, and also a challenge for public research systems with a high degree of institutional differentiation. Motivated by concerns about favorable institutional conditions for the conduct of scientific research, we analyze research collaboration in the emergent domain of nanoscience within the highly segmented German public research system. Drawing on multiple data sources, such as co-publications, macro research statistics, and in-depth interviews, we identify governance structures that support or hinder scientists’ efforts to engage in collaborative work relations across institutional boundaries.     

Die Messung aktuellen Wohlbefindens im Gesundheitssport

There is a growing body of evidence that physical activity has under certain circumstances a positive influence on actual well-being. Actors in health sports should hence be able to investigate their actions regarding the influence on the well-being of the participants. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of the existing methods of measurement concerning actual well-being and to publish recommendations for the practical application. Therefore the search was narrowed down to multidimensional questionnaires, measuring the actual well-being. Five instruments, e. g. Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), “Befindlichkeitsskalen” (BFS), Profile of Mood States (POMS) are finally reviewed after an introduction which outlines the categories of well-being and reviews the mechanisms which have been suggested to explain the beneficial effects of exercise. The questionnaires vary sizably concerning the theoretical background, the psychometric properties and their structure. The suitability for various domains can be verified regarding these differences. The POMS for example can be recommended because of the international comparability, the PANAS because of the time-efficient use and the BFS because of their extensive use in the German-speaking world.     

Das soziale Rekrutierungsfeld der Lehrer

Fragen der sozialen Selektivit?t im Schulsystem werden gegenw?rtig sehr einseitig, bezogen auf die soziale Herkunft der Lernenden, diskutiert. Die soziale Rekrutierung der Lehrkr?fte und ihre Auswirkungen auf den Umgang mit Schülerinnen und Schülern waren dagegen in jüngster Zeit kaum Gegenstand in der Bildungsforschung. Auf der Basis der ALLBUS-Kumulation 1980–2002 liefert der Beitrag empirisch fundierte Erkenntnisse darüber, wie die Zugangschancen zu akademischen Berufspositionen in Abh?ngigkeit von der sozialen Herkunft variieren. Für den Lehrernachwuchs wird ein soziales Herkunftsprofil nachgewiesen, welches die Lehrerprofession im Gegensatz zu anderen Akademikern st?rker als Beruf des sozialen Aufstiegs kennzeichnet. Die Befunde werfen die Frage auf, ob die sozialen Mobilit?tschancen der Lehramtskarriere die schichtspezifische Selektivit?t im deutschen Schulsystem nicht sogar im Sinne eines kumulativen Effektes verst?rken.     

Communities,networks and ICT professional development across schools in close physical proximity

ABSTRACT

Many studies have focused on professional development within schools, while this article focuses on ICT (information and communications technology) professional development across schools. The aim of this article is to explore how the encouragement of communities and networks might contribute to ICT professional development across schools in close physical proximity. The study is based on a two-year action research project and interviews with the participants of a lead teacher community across five schools. Although the lead teachers and school leaders played a central role, ICT professional development was dependent on a complex interplay of different types of communities and networks, both within, across and outside the schools. This study illustrates how ICT professional development occurred in both expected and unexpected ways and emphasises the need for professional development to take account of the complex needs of teachers, rather than being a ‘one size fits all’.     

Associative properties of a conditioned inhibitor as a function of age in kittens

The efficacy of conditioned inhibition in a novel conditioned stimulus/conditioned inhibitor (CS/CI) compound was tested in 6-, 10-, and 14-week-old kittens. The conditioned response was suppression of respiration elicited by a 5.1-sec CS paired with a brief, mild footshock. During original inhibitory training, a CI was presented 2 sec after the onset of the CS, and the stimuli coterminated 3 sec later without the shock. As previously reported, the CI trained in this paradigm is more potent in older kittens but passes a summation test in all age groups (Dess & Soltysik, 1989). In the transfer test, the order of the CS and CI was reversed, so that the CI preceded the CS with no stimulus overlap. Transfer of inhibition to this new compound was virtually absent in the 6-week-old kittens and nearly perfect in the 14-week-old kittens. The CI alone (before CS onset) elicited a strong fear response in the youngest kittens, moderate fear in the 10-week-old group, and very little fear in the oldest group. The transferability of inhibitory training to a different temporal configuration of the CS and CI is absent at 6 weeks of age and fully developed 8 weeks later.