Impact of peer mediation programmes to prevent bullying behaviours in secondary schools / El impacto de los programas de mediación entre iguales para prevenir conductas de acoso escolar en los centros de secundaria

The aim of the study was to determine the impact of peer mediation programmes at a secondary school, as compared to another centre that did not have any such programme. The impact would be evaluated by means of three levels of variables: pro-victim attitudes, the roles adopted by the youngsters and the school climate (this last item was analysed from two perspectives: that of the pupils and that of the teachers). In order to attain this goal, students from 12 to 14 years old (N = 323) and 17 teacher-tutors were administered different questionnaires in Time 1 (baseline, prior to intervention) and Time 2 (after programme intervention). Results highlight the validity of peer mediation programmes when it comes to fostering pro-victim attitudes, preventing the increase of negative roles and improving the school climate.     

Pedro Gutiérrez Bueno’s Textbooks: Audiences, Teaching Practices and Chemical Revolution

Pedro Gutiérrez Bueno wrote two editions of a chemistry textbook between 1788 and 1802. The paper offers a comparative view of both editions taking into account Gutiérrez Bueno’s biography, his intended audience and the changes related to the so-called chemical revolution. Some conclusions are at odds with common images about scientific revolutions and the role of textbooks in science. The analysis aims to shed some light on the multiple historical forces shaping textbooks and the way in which scientific change is assimilated by their writers. This research was partially supported by the program BHA2002-04611-CO3-02     

Changes in the Multi‐Level Effects of Socio‐Economic Status on Reading Achievement in Sweden in 1991 and 2001

This study examines the changes in educational inequality at the school‐ and individual‐levels in 1991 and 2001. Comparisons are made between the IEA Reading Literacy Study 1991 and the so called 10‐Year Trend Study in PIRLS 2001. The between‐school differences in reading achievement variance and the size of the relationship between SES and reading achievement at school‐level are the two main focuses. Applying a two‐level structural equation modeling technique, it was found that the between‐school differences in reading achievement were greater in RLS 2001 than in RLS 1991, and the school SES effect has been strengthened over time. These changes indicate that educational inequality in Sweden has increased over time. Some possible explanations to these changes are discussed with reference to school reforms and demographic changes.     

First‐Generation Undergraduate Students' Social Support,Depression, and Life Satisfaction

First‐generation undergraduate students face challenging cross‐socioeconomic cultural transitions into college life. The authors compared first‐ and non‐first‐generation undergraduate students’ social support, posttraumatic stress, depression symptoms, and life satisfaction. First‐generation participants reported less social support from family and friends, more single‐event traumatic stress, less life satisfaction, and marginally more depression symptomatology than non‐first‐generation participants, but significant generation–gender interactions showed first‐generation women doing worse and first‐generation men doing better than others.     

UK higher education viewed through the marketization and marketing lenses

This paper uses the Economic Market mechanisms and the 4P Marketing Mix as lenses to review the context of UK higher education (HE) and to explore the relationship between the market and marketing disciplines and practice. Four Economic Market mechanisms – autonomy, competition, price and information – are contrasted with the four Ps of marketing: product, price, place and promotion. This paper demonstrates how market forces influence HE institutions and, in contrast, how HE institutions shape the environment via marketing practice. Knowing how one discipline relates to another is crucial for those who strive to understand the context of HE.     

Teacher professional development through collaborative action research: impact on foreign English-language teaching and learning

In 2011 we, a group of English-as-a-foreign-language teachers at a secondary school in Argentina, decided to investigate our teaching practices through collaborative action research so as to improve our students’ learning opportunities and thus revitalise English-language teaching in our context. We implemented and evaluated the integration of content and language learning in our classrooms through the development of our own materials. The experience revealed a growth in professional development and how our motivation and autonomy influenced our students’ motivation and language development. In our attempt to disseminate our experience as a group, this report particularly focuses on the evaluation facets of our collaborative action research project so as to encourage other teachers and teacher-researchers to adopt collaborative action research to improve their own practices.     

La adquisición de los términos cuantitativos en español. Estudio de un caso

Resumen

El presente estudio intenta hacer una aportación en un área de innegable trascendencia para padres y educadores como es la incidencia del lenguaje incipiente en el aprendizaje de las matemáticas.

Los trabajos sobre este tema, realizados hasta la fecha, tanto en español como en otras lenguas, son relativamente escasos. No obstante, hemos podido observar cuatro bloques de investigaciones en función de los propósitos planteados.

Los objetivos de este trabajo son dobles. Por un lado, intentamos conocer la adquisición y secuencia de desarrollo de los términos cuantitativos en un niño hispanohablante. Por otro, establecer pautas provisionales para el desarrollo de los términos cuantitativos en español.

El sujeto de estudio fue el hijo de la autora, cuya evolución lingüística se siguió desde el nacimiento hasta los trea años cumplidos. El procedimiento para la recogida de datos consistió en grabación magnetofónica y anotaciones diarias de las emisiones lingüísticas libres. Los resultados muestran la amplia cobertura que presenta la cuantificación en el lenguaje del niño; desde el grupo de los cardinales, de uso frecuente, hasta el grupo de los cuantificadores, de pronta aparición. Destaca, igualmente, el nacimiento de los gradativos a partir de la igualdad.     

Status of Individuals' Planning to Prepare for Retirement in Turkey

This research was conducted in Ankara province for the purpose of examining the status of planning in preparation for retirement as an individual and as a family of individuals who show differences in educational level. Individuals who lived in Ankara province, who were 3 years from retirement according to age limit, and who had social security from one of the three official government plans (The Pensions Fund For Civil Servants of The Republic of Turkey, Social Insurance Institution, or Social Security Organization of Artisans, and Craftsmen and other Self-Employed People) were the research population from which 393 individuals were chosen using the Stratified Random Sampling Method. There was a higher percentage of individuals who stated that they had not planned for retirement than those who had. Of the individuals who stated that they had made plans, 80.7% had made those plans about their financial status. Individuals who thought that it was necessary to have an educational program for preparing for retirement also wanted “financial status” topics at the head of the list of topics for such a program.     

Steps towards inclusion in Hungary

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a rhythmic gymnastics programme on the dynamic balance ability of a group of children with deafness. The sample consisted of 29 children with deafness. The subjects met the same criteria in terms of age, aetiology, hearing level, intelligence, school placement and socioeconomic status, and in this way, they were assigned to two groups of 12 and 17 children, for the control and experimental groups respectively. The experimental group received a 16-week rhythmic gymnastic programme at a frequency of three lessons per week, for 40 minutes, whereas the control group adhered to its regular school routine. The methods of data collection included pre-/post-test measurements of the dynamic balance for all participants of both groups. The dynamic balance ability was measured by means of a balance deck (Lafayette) in duration of 30, 45 and 60 s intervals. The findings of this study provide evidence that the specific rhythmic gymnastic programme facilitates significant improvement in the dynamic balance ability of this sample of children with deafness.