Applying MacKinnon's 4Ps to foster creative thinking and creative behaviours in kindergarten children

The purpose of this study was to identify certain strategies and conditions that should be used by teachers in kindergarten so as to foster creative thinking and creative behaviours to children. We used a quasi-experimental research design for 6 months in a public kindergarten in a suburban area of Greece, and we developed a creative music and movement programme. The programme was based on the 4Ps of MacKinnon (press, product, process and personality). The experimental group participated in the creative programme 2–3 times a week, while the control group participated in the unstructured free-play setting. A total of 16 interventions were applied of 45–60 min each. The intervention was conducted by an external teacher, specialised in music and movement education, who was also the observer of the intervention. Double evaluation was applied in both groups, before and after the intervention, and the results were compared based on MacKinnon's approach. The results of the study showed that following MacKinnon's approach during the design of an educational programme could foster children's creativity.     

Historical coastal urban landscapes digital documentation and temporal study with 2D/3D modeling functionality: The case of Thessaloniki,Greece

The study refers to the visual representation of the coastal front of the historical center of Thessaloniki in northern Greece and its changes that have occurred through the years. Most of the old town was destroyed by fire on August 18, 1917. A few years later, the French architect and archeologist Ernest Hébrard proposed the reconstruction of the city centre, but his plans were never fully implemented. Since then, a series of interventions changed the form of the old town and consequently the coastal cityscape. The research was initially based on the photogrammetric processing of archive aerial images (1938) of Thessaloniki's city centre. Besides the vertical images, high oblique aerial images dated back to 1932, proved to be a significant source of information. A rich archive of old photographic material, sketches, drawings and gravures of the coastal forehead of the city was also used. Ortho-images of the coastal front, derived from laser scanning (2010), and a 3D model of the historical city center, derived from the stereo photogrammetric process of aerial images (1990), contributed decisively at the multi temporal study of the city front. The main outcomes of the present documentation study are the 3D representation (at scale of 1:200, accuracy 5 cm) of temporal changes of a part of the coastal front of the historical center of Thessaloniki and the 2D representation (at scale 1:100, accuracy 1–2 cm) of these changes with respect to variations on skyline, lacunas, interventions in old buildings, etc.     

Development of a Questionnaire for Self-Evaluation of Teacher Effectiveness in Physical Education (SETEQ-PE)

The purpose of the present study was to develop a reliable and valid questionnaire for the self-evaluation of teacher effectiveness in physical education (SETEQ-PE). Initially, 90 items, based on the findings of the international bibliography on teacher effectiveness and effective teaching, were formed and then categorized in 11 thematic units (phase 1). The questionnaire was completed by in-service physical education teachers (N?=?470) in phase 2 (N?=?250) and phase 3 of the study (N?=?220). In each phase, the appropriate modifications were made on the basis of internal consistency and construct validity of the instrument. The final form of the SETEQ-PE consists of 25 items that evaluate six domains of teaching in physical education. The results showed that the self-evaluation questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool that can be used for assessing the work of the physical education teacher. Further, this tool might probably enhance a teacher's knowledge, understanding, motivation, and attitudes towards teaching.     

Peer groups in the Greek primary school: a research of their characteristics and criteria

The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of peer groups that pupils form, after selecting one another, during the various primary school classes. One hundred and fifty-nine 4th, 5th and 6th grade pupils, attending urban schools in the provinces, took part in the survey. Moreno's sociometric recommendation test was provided for the collection of data. The results show the group characteristics divided into class and sex. Significant discrepancies emerged between the classes and the two-gender sample with respect to the percentages of pupils selecting one another in the groups. In the meantime, it was established that a number of students participate in groups which do not socialise with the rest of the class members.     

The experience of bullying among secondary school students

The present study was designed to qualitatively investigate secondary students' interpretations and experiences of bullying (and victimization) in Greek schools, with a focus on gender similarities and differences. Overall, 95 students (50 boys and 45 girls), 15 or 16 years old, participated in focus group interviews that were homogeneous in terms of grade and gender. Data analysis, using the interpretative phenomenological approach, showed that different interpretations and meanings of bullying between genders have important consequences on actual behavior. Furthermore, students do not reveal bullying and victimization to either parents or teachers, who are described as indifferent and ineffective. Results are indicative of a school culture that is conducive to bullying behaviors and have important implications for antibullying interventions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Institutional hierarchies and research impact: new academic currencies,capital and position-taking in UK higher education

Abstract

Globally, performance-based research funding aims to support the most deserving academic institutions and researchers. However, overcoming entrenched assumptions about quality is a persistent challenge for higher education research policies worldwide; traditionally powerful institutions tend to maintain dominance. Research impact as a performance criterion presents an opportunity for position-taking through success according to non-academic criteria. Could impact-oriented research funding challenge institutional hierarchies? The UK university system presents an instructive case study for exploring this question. However, exposing the effects of such performance-based funding on institutional stratification requires focusing on the interface between institutions and disciplines. A Bourdieusian analysis of 53 cases of research-based impact on higher education policy/practice revealed the differential capital that researchers from more and less ‘prestigious’ universities mobilise when generating research impact. By uncovering how impact reinforces disparities in research power between UK institutions, the study contributes to understanding of sectoral reproduction through discipline-level mediation of research policy.     

The potential of free‐choice learning for environmental participation in Greece

Citizen participation in environmental decision‐making is of extreme importance in securing a good quality of life. Local communities know best what alternate solutions should be implemented for appropriate management of their area. This paper presents findings about the environmental characteristics of various Greek citizens’ groups, where respondents’ abilities and willingness to participate in environmental issues governance in relation to their free‐choice learning context was analyzed. The results indicate that participants desire access to an appropriate non‐formal/informal environmental education that will enable them to enhance their knowledge and acquire skills for critical thinking and active participation.     

Employing genetic ‘moments’ in the history of mathematics in classroom activities

The integration of history into educational practice can lead to the development of activities through the use of genetic ‘moments’ in the history of mathematics. In the present paper, we utilize Oresme’s genetic ideas – developed during the fourteenth century, including ideas on the velocity–time graphical representation as well as geometric transformations and reconfigurations – to develop mathematical models that can be employed for the solution of problems relating to linear motion. The representation of distance covered as the area of the figure between the graph of velocity and the time axis employed in these activities, leads on naturally to the study of problems on motion by means of functions, as well as allowing for the use of tools (concepts and propositions) from Euclidean geometry of relevance to such problems. By employing simple geometric transformations, equivalent real life problems are obtained which lead, in turn, to a simple classification of all linear motion-related problems. When applied to a wider range of motion problems, this approach prepares the way for the introduction of basic Calculus concepts (such as integral, derivative and their interrelation); in fact, we would argue that it could be beneficial to teach the basic concepts and results of Calculus from an early grade by employing natural extensions of the teaching methods considered in this paper.