Childhood Maltreatment and School Problems: A Danish National Study

The association between child maltreatment (CM) and educational outcomes have been well documented. However, there is a paucity of research that explores the association between different types of maltreatment and other school problems that may affect the educational outcomes of maltreated children. This study examined the association between different types of CM and school changes, concentration problems, and special educational needs. Gender differences were also examined. Structured interviews were conducted with 2,980 participants. Significant associations emerged between CM, in particular, multiple maltreatment experiences and school problems. Males had higher concentration difficulties and special educational needs. More research attention is needed into optimal learning environments and interventions that support maltreated children more effectively.     

Anti-bullying procedures for schools in Ireland: principals’ responses and perceptions

The role of the principal is imperative in creating a school climate that nurtures differences and equality at the same time. Policy and legislation in Ireland dictates the responsibility of school principals in preventing and intervening in issues relating to bullying. The current research investigates the extent to which principals consider the impact of bullying on their students and the strategies they take to combat it in their schools. We consider how principals respond to bullying and what supports they feel are missing for them to adhere to relevant policy. A sample of 918 principals from a range of schools across Ireland completed an online survey. The results demonstrated some positive actions by principals such as the provision of anti-bullying policies. However, they also document areas that need more action such as increased access to counsellors and appointing a specific staff member to deal with and tackle bullying in each school. Guidance from the Department of Education and Skills in Ireland on the development and provision of an anti-bullying programme is called for. Results are discussed in light of the current Anti-Bullying Procedures established by the Department of Education and Skills and the Action Plan for Bullying 2013.     

Humanizing the use of technology in education: A re-examination

Educators are currently attempting to integrate computers into the classroom, in order to humanize their use. The strategies that have been adopted, however, are primarily logistical and ignore the philosophy that underpins this technology. It is argued in this paper that educational technology will not be humanized until it is understood to be sustained by a philosophy other than technological rationality, and thus is provided with a human base. The life-world (Lebenswelt) is identified as a proper foundation for technology, because technological rationality is illustrated to be a modality of human expression. When this is the case, technology is placed in the service of humankind, for it cannot be conceived as the genesis of personal freedom.

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Zusammenfassung Gegenwärtig sind Pädagogen um die Integration von Computern ins Klassenzimmer bemüht, um deren Gebrauch zu humanisieren. Die dabei angewandten Strategien sind jedoch primär logistisch und ignorieren die theoretischen Voraussetzungen, auf die sich diese Technologie stützt. In diesem Bericht wird argumentiert, daß die Bildungstechnologie so lange nicht humanisiert wird, bis sie nicht in einem anderen Sinn als dem der technologischen Rationalität verbunden wird und auf eine humane Grundlage gestellt ist. Die Lebenswelt wird als ein wahres Fundament der Technologie identifiziert, da technologische Rationalität als eine Modalität menschlichen Ausdrucks dargestellt wird. Wenn dies der Fall ist, wird die Technologie in den Dienst der Menschheit gestellt, da sie nicht als Nemesis persönlicher Freiheit angesehen werden kann.

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Résumé Les pédagogues, aujourd'hui, tentent de faire entrer l'ordinateur dans la salle de classe, afin de ramener son utilisation à l'échelle humaine. Cependant, les stratégies adoptées demeurent de l'ordre de la logistique et ignore tout de la philosophie qui étaye cette technologie. Dans cet article, il est argué que l'on ne saurait humaniser la technologie au sein de l'enseignement, tant qu'il n'est pas entendu qu'une philosophie autre que la rationalité technologique la sous-tend, la dotant ainsi d'un fondement humain; l'environnement naturel (Lebenswelt) constitue la véritable base de la technologie car la rationalité ne représente qu'une modalité de l'expression humaine. Dans ce cas, la technologie est placée au service de l'humanité et ne saurait être conçue comme sanction de la liberté individuelle.

     

Physiotherapy Student Clinical Education: the influence of subjective judgements on observational assessment

The process of assessing students on clinical placements has to date been under‐researched. In particular, while the involvement of subjective judgements in assessing students has been discussed in the literature, there has been no attempt to look for systematic evidence. This paper comprises the first attempt to relate judgement theory to the assessment of vocational education. Preliminary results demonstrate that physiotherapy assessors made subjective judgements of their students, that these contributed to the determination of assessment grades, and that in certain cases these judgements were erroneous. The relationship of these subjective judgements to the awarding of grades via a supposedly objective assessment instrument is not yet known. Given the widespread use of such assessment instruments across different professions, the question raised is whether all observational assessment systems suffer from similar problems. If students are being judged on criteria not included on assessment instruments, perhaps the other criteria being used need to be made more explicit.     

Diversity as a natural occurrence: an enrichment strategy of peer learning

Business educators are concerned with integrating diversity-related topics and seek methods by which to teach them. This paper suggests that as classes become more heterogeneous, the opportunity to examine diverse perspectives and experiences naturally arises in the course of class assignments and activities. The differential experiences of majorities and minorities are revealed when students discuss and write about their own experiences related to the content of various business courses. The issues of self and group identity and perceptions of others emerge in the context of small group discussions when students share their experiences as recorded in learning logs, personal cases, research assignments, and typical class discussions. The opportunity for community learning in heterogeneous groups provides a forum for diverse perspectives and experiences to be shared. Students and professors learn about different perceptions and reactions to personal and current events as well as their own perspectives, creating a culture of inclusion in the class. Implications and suggestions for a wider application of our methods to a global context are also offered.     

Parental reactions to children's negative emotions: longitudinal relations to quality of children's social functioning

Relations between self-reported parental reactions to children's negative emotions (PNRs) and children's socially appropriate/problem behavior and negative emotionality were examined longitudinally. Evidence was consistent with the conclusion that relations between children's externalizing (but not internalizing) emotion and parental punitive reactions to children's negative emotions are bidirectional. Reports of PNRs generally were correlated with low quality of social functioning. In structural models, mother-reported problem behavior at ages 10-12 was at least marginally predicted from mother-reported problem behavior, children's regulation, and parental punitive or distress reactions. Moreover, parental distress and punitive reactions at ages 6-8 predicted reports of children's regulation at ages 8-10, and regulation predicted parental punitive reactions at ages 10-12. Father reports of problem behavior at ages 10-12 were predicted by earlier problem behavior and parental distress or punitive reactions; some of the relations between regulation and parental reactions were similar to those in the models for mother-reported problem behavior. Parental perceptions of their reactions were substantially correlated over 6 years. Some nonsupportive reactions declined in the early to mid-school years, but all increased into late childhood/early adolescence.     

Qualitätssicherung im österreichischen Hochschulsystem

Die ?sterreichischen Universit?ten und Fachhochschulen sind gesetzlich dazu aufgefordert, interne Qualit?tssicherungsprozesse und -systeme zu entwickeln. Der Grundsatz der Erstverantwortlichkeit der Hochschulen für die Sicherung von Qualit?t in Lehre, Forschung und Organisation tr?gt der Hochschulautonomie Rechnung, und er kommt durch die im Zuge des Bologna-Prozesses vereinbarten Europ?ischen Standards der Qualit?tssicherung zum Ausdruck. Als Qualit?tssicherungsagentur für den gesamten Hochschulbereich in ?sterreich bietet die AQA Universit?ten und Fachhochschulen externe Begleitung, vermittelt unabh?ngige Expertise und führt Evaluierungen durch. Die AQA hat ihre Leistungen und Verfahren auf Grundlage europ?ischer Standards der externen Qualit?tssicherung für Universit?ten und Fachhochschulen entwickelt. Die Verfahren der AQA stellen die hochschulinterne Qualit?tskultur in den Mittelpunkt: Basierend auf den Erfahrungen mit externen Evaluierungsverfahren und des Hochschulvergleichen, welche die AQA seit 2004 durchgeführt hat, implementiert die Agentur nun ein Verfahren, welches das hochschulinterne Qualit?tsmanagement st?rken soll und den Hochschulen l?ngerfristig eine Zertifizierung ihres Qualit?tsmanagements bietet. Die AQA stellt hierfür die Expertise internationaler Expertinnen und Experten zu Themen des Hochschulmanagements bereit und nutzt Kooperationen mit anderen Qualit?tssicherungsagenturen. Auf l?ngere Sicht k?nnte ein prozessorientiertes "Quality Audit"-Verfahren eine Referenz der externen Qualit?tssicherung für den gesamten ?sterreichischen Hochschulbereich darstellen.