Meaningful learning with mobile devices: pre-service class teachers’ experiences of mobile learning in the outdoors

The authors consider the use of mobile learning environment ActionTrack in teacher education. Pre-service class teachers’ (N = 277) experiences of the mobile learning environment were measured with a 7-point Likert-scale questionnaire based on seven attributes of meaningful learning. Students’ ratings for different attributes were analysed quantitatively. The authors conclude that, based on this analysis, it is possible to create meaningful learning experiences using ActionTrack. All the measured attributes of meaningful learning obtained positive values. In the mobile learning events of this study, three attributes arose as the essential features: mobile learning in the outdoors was primarily considered collaborative, active and contextual.     

Exploring the effects of concreteness fading across grades in elementary school science education

The present study investigates the effects that concreteness fading has on learning and transfer across three grade levels (4–6) in elementary school science education in comparison to learning with constantly concrete representations. 127 9- to 12-years-old elementary school students studied electric circuits in a computer-based simulation environment, where circuits remained concrete (bulbs) throughout the learning or faded from concrete to abstract (bulbs to resistors). The most important finding was that the outcomes seemed to be influenced by a developmental factor: the study found a significant interaction between condition and grade level in relation to learning outcomes, suggesting that the outcomes generally improved as a function of grade level, but that there were notable differences between the conditions regarding the improvement of outcomes across the three grades. According the results, learning with constantly concrete representations either took less time or resulted in better learning compared to concreteness fading. Because transfer is one of the central arguments for concreteness fading, a somewhat surprising finding was that the concrete condition succeeded at least as well as the fading condition on transfer tasks. The study also discusses why the results and issues related to the conceptualisation and operationalisation of central concepts in the study call for caution towards generalization and for more research with young learners across different grades.     

Positive and negative feedback effects in competition for dominance of network business systems

This paper extends the existing research on the interplay of positive and negative feedback dynamics in the competition for business system dominance. By building on an analysis of the digital television launch in the United Kingdom, we find that the expectation of network externalities intensifies competition causing strong negative feedback effects to emerge. Actions aimed at improving one's position are systematically imitated and pre-emptied. Pressure builds up in the business system, and only when the weakest firms exit, the positive feedback effects are unleashed in their full magnitude. Our findings contribute to an improved understanding of institutional dynamics in new technology introduction.     

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among children in Children’s Hospital Zagreb during the initial and second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia

IntroductionThe study aimed to investigate the prevalence and titres of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in children treated at the Children’s Hospital Zagreb in the first and the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistical significance of difference at two time points was done to determine how restrictive epidemiological measures and exposure of children to COVID-19 infection affect this prevalence in different age groups.Materials and methodsAt the first time point (13th to 29th May 2020), 240 samples and in second time point (24th October to 23rd November 2020), 308 serum samples were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). Confirmation of results and titre determination was done using virus micro-neutralization test. Subjects were divided according to gender, age and epidemiological history.ResultsSeroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies differs significantly in two time points (P = 0.010). In first time point 2.9% of seropositive children were determined and in second time point 8.4%. Statistically significant difference (P = 0.007) of seroprevalence between two time points was found only in a group of children aged 11-19 years. At the first time point, all seropositive children were asymptomatic with titre < 8. At the second time point, 69.2% seropositive children were asymptomatic with titre ≥ 8.ConclusionsThe prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was significantly lower at the first time point than at the second time point. Values of virus micro-neutralization test showed that low titre in asymptomatic children was not protective at the first time point but in second time point all seropositive children had protective titre of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.     

National Guidelines for the Performance of the Sweat Test in Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis on behalf of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine and the Cystic Fibrosis Centre - Paediatrics and adults,University Hospital Centre Zagreb

The sweat test (ST) is a cornerstone in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF), together with newborn screening and genetic testing. However, the performance of the ST can depend on the operator’s skill, so several international guidelines have been published to standardise the ST, but inconsistencies remain. The joint Working Group for ST Standardisation (WG STS) of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine, in association with cistic fybrosis health professional and the Cistic Fibrosis Centre for Paediatrics and Adults, have issued National Guidelines for the Performance of the Sweat Test in order to ensure consistency in ST performance and accuracy of reported results. Many of the standards were taken from the 2nd Edition of the UK Guidelines for Performance of the ST for the Diagnosis of CF, while others were taken from independent consensus statements from the WG STS based on local ST equipment and practices. The standards cover every step of the ST, from the indications for testing to reporting of results and their interpretation, including the analytical phase and quality control. In addition, National Guidelines include appendices with practical examples in order to aid implementation of the recommendations in routine practice.     

Evaluation of Well-Being in Schools – A Multilevel Analysis of General Subjective Well-Being

The aim of this study was to explore the variation of general subjective well-being on individual and school levels. The classroom survey data of the School Health Promotion Survey (SHPS) were gathered in 1998 (N = 39 886) and in 1999 (N = 47 455) in different parts of Finland. The subjects were 8th and 9th graders from 458 secondary schools. Well-being was measured using the General Subjective Well-being Indicator (GSWI). The variation was studied using linear multilevel modeling. One percent of the variation in GSW occurred at the school level. The great majority of subjective well-being variation occurred between pupils.     

The Influence of Achievement Goal Orientations and Task Concreteness on Situational Interest

This study investigated changes in elementary school students’ (n = 140) situational interest as a function of achievement goal orientation profiles and task characteristics. The authors repeatedly measured situational interest during a simulated science learning task in 2 task conditions that differed in the concreteness of the task elements. The authors identified 3 groups of students with different goal orientation profiles: success-, mastery-, and avoidance-oriented. Results of repeated-measures analysis of covariance showed that students with different profiles displayed different patterns of changes in situational interest in the 2 task conditions. The results confirmed the importance of acknowledging the interaction of student and task characteristics in the arousal and maintenance of situational interest across a learning task.     

Antecedents of Norwegian beginning teachers’ turnover intentions

This study aims at exploring several individual, organizational, and contextual factors that may affect beginning teachers’ turnover intentions during their first years of practice. The sample consists of 227 beginning teachers (69% female and 31% male) from 133 schools in Norway. The results show four important antecedents of beginning teachers’ turnover intentions: collective teacher efficacy, teacher–principal trust, role conflict, and affective commitment. Our findings suggest that organizational and contextual factors, and not necessarily individual competence perceptions, have a significant impact on beginning teachers’ turnover intentions. Also the findings suggest that beginning teachers should be studied separately from more experienced teachers. Implications for school leadership are discussed.     

In pursuit of excellence? Discursive patterns in European higher education research

European higher education is awash with educational reform initiatives that purport to transform universities into better-managed higher quality organizations that more directly contribute to national development. This exploratory study examines patterns of research discourse in higher education in Europe. We argue that these patterns are changing in the direction of greater isomorphism with globally favored models of the university. First, we show some global trends that reveal the rise of “world class universities” and “higher education and development” discourse. Next, we analyze discursive shifts in European higher education research publications in the period between 1990 and 2009. Our initial analysis of these publications shows changes in the expected direction: we find a growing emphasis on management, organization, and quality and less emphasis on student access to higher education, an earlier equity concern. We propose further research to see whether higher education has become a more consolidated research field over time, perhaps suggesting an erosion of the historical legacies that often informed higher education systems and universities in Europe. Lastly, we briefly reflect on the implications of influential world models on comparative studies of higher education.     

Drivers of change in construction training: How significant is the sustainability agenda?

The construction industry is contributing to the sustainability agenda through numerous strategies to improve energy efficiency in the design, materials, and operating conditions of buildings. However, this is only one driver of change in the construction sector. This article, which takes Australia as a case study, shows that many other drivers are also important. Among them are the growing importance of building information management systems, and the trend towards the factory manufacturing of components and onsite assembly in construction. Rather than see these as competing drivers of green construction, the article argues that the emphasis on soft skills in these drivers can be used, within the training context, to reinforce the sustainability and green skills agenda.