La integración del niño sordo en la escuela normal

RESUMEN

El niño con un déficit sensorial se encuentra con dos dificultades: el déficit en sí mismo y el hándicap social, que son las dificultades con las que se encuentra a la hora de su integración social. Una opción educativa válida no sólo debe incidir en el déficit, sino también en el hándicap social simultáneamente. Se realiza un programa de integración en la escuela con niños sordos incidiendo en dos aspectos: la adquisición del lenguaje oral y la interacción con el mundo de los oyentes. Se trabaja en el ámbito escolar y familiar. Aparte del esperado progreso en el desarrollo del lenguaje, se dio un paso adelante en la socialización y en la aceptación de los niños sordos por parte de los oyentes.     

Cultura y procesos cognitivos: hacia una psicología cultural

Resumen

Se hace una revisión de las investigaciones cognitivas transculturales de las últimas décadas. De estos estudios se deriva una serie de problemas metodológicos que cuestionan la validez de sus resultados. En el plano teórico, por otra parte, ha prevalecido un enfoque de caja negra que no ha permitido desvelar los mecanismos de influencia de lo cultural sobre lo cognitivo. Se defiende un planteamiento nuevo, que se sitúa en la línea del enfoque sociocultural de la psicología soviética, que centra los análisis en los contextos culturales y que toma las nociones de actividad y zona de desarrollo próximo como herramientas conceptuales para el estudio de la relación entre cultura y procesos cognitivos.     

Cognitive apprehension in visual pattern generalization problems / Aprehensión cognitiva en problemas de generalización de patrones visuales

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify cognitive apprehensions used by fifth- and sixth-grade students (10–12-year-olds) when answering far generalization questions in two problems of visual pattern generalization. A total of 81 students solved two linear generalizing problems, presented in two different configurations, in a succession of figures (square tables or trapezoid tables). The results showed that students used different types of cognitive apprehensions to solve problems and that these apprehensions sometimes changed according to the configuration of the sequence of figures. This finding indicates that configurations could determine apprehensions used by students, which in some cases led to the emergence of algebraic thinking. In addition, difficulties in modifying apprehension and a lack of coordination between spatial and numerical structures could explain some students’ difficulties in far generalization.     

The study of the pupil’s cognitive structure: the concept of angle

The present research approached a problem which has a twofold aspect: the concept of angle and the techniques needed to represent how pupils construct that concept in their cognitive structure during their years in school. In order to access the knowledge of the concept of angle, we used the pathfinder associative networks. This technique provided us with the data of the 458 networks of the participating students, using 11 concepts related to the general concept of angle. We used quantitative indicators on the network characteristics: coherence, complexity, and similarity with others. Results showed how the pupil’s cognitive structure evolutioned during instruction and what were the most relevant concepts for them. On the basis of the results, we have proposed what we call the “Theory of Nuclear Concepts” which offers a new focus to understanding how the processes of teaching and learning occur.     

Information systems in Czech agriculture: Implications for research and the study of agricultural extension

Recent and rapid changes have occurred in the structure of agriculture in the Czech Republic. These have been accompanied by innovation in the provision of information and advice to farmers and also in the role of the Agricultural Universities (especially in Departments of Education) and in the teaching of Agriculture in vocational secondary schools. The information resource for agriculture has been developed by encouraging sources and centres from which information and advice can be obtained by farmers, rather than by the introduction of a formalised national Extension Service. Hence, the emerging system is based on farmers constructing their own information systems as responses to what they perceive to be their needs and what they find most useful. Research was conducted during 1998 – 2000 to establish farmer priorities for information, and the relative uses made of 20 possible sources, by small-scale and large-scale private farmers, by company farms and the new cooperatives. Evidence was also obtained about some recent and current changes in needs and sources. Transfer of information between farms was shown to be very important. An assessment was also made of the levels of farmer optimism about the future of their farms. The small-scale farmers were the most numerous (39,6 %) optimistic respondents. Suggestions are made for the development of curricula for teaching Extension in the Czech Republic and also, significantly, the essential data that have been collected to establish a baseline for future analyses to monitor changes which are on-going in the information systems.     

Self-regulating activity: use of metacognitive guides in the interpreting classroom

This research studies the development of metacognitive skills in students of consecutive interpreting from German into Spanish. The purpose is to discover which self-regulating processes appear after introducing a specific pedagogical action based on metacognitive guides. Our hypothesis is that self-regulating activity will increase as work with the guides advances. We also analyse the changes which occur as the course progresses. The analysis of the corpus enables us to describe metacognitive activity in consecutive interpretation students and also to justify the introduction of a component of self-regulation in teaching andlearning processes. The research contributes to pedagogical development in consecutive interpretation since it sheds light on how to use effective teaching and learning patterns that can lead to self-regulation.     

Sexuality and human reproduction: a study of scientific knowledge,behaviours and beliefs of Portuguese future elementary school teachers

Sex education in Portugal has become a right and an obligation starting in the first years of school. However, despite being required by legislation, this is not easy to achieve, partly because of weaknesses in the training of teachers, which need to be identified. In this study, data were collected about the knowledge, behaviours and beliefs of 148 teacher trainees of elementary education (6–10 years old) from two Portuguese public higher education institutions. The topic of sexuality and human reproduction had been covered by almost all of them during their initial training and was considered important by most of them. Nevertheless, about 85% asserted they are not confident enough to teach this topic to small children in a classroom and committed scientific errors about physiological‐anatomical aspects of the human body. All subjects felt that there is a lack of specific didactic materials, which does not help to overcome those obstacles. It was also possible to identify in these future teachers risky sexual practices resulting, in part, from their beliefs, which could have implications about the way the topic will be approached in the classroom. These findings show how essential it is for training institutions to pay greater attention to the education of future elementary school teachers in this area.     

Analysis of measures for attention to diversity in Compulsory Secondary Education: the case of the Region of Murcia,Spain

In this paper, we present an analysis of the implementation of measures of attention to diversity for students with special educational support needs studying Compulsory Secondary Education (12–16 years) in the Region of Murcia, Spain. Our aim is to learn about the organisational and curricular structures implemented in five secondary education schools with a total of 1967 students. These structures are used to deal with student diversity through common and specific measures of attention to diversity and are established by law. We intend to verify and assess whether these are properly and effectively implemented, providing a quality educational response in conformity with the discourse on inclusion and social cohesion. A review of existing legislation suggests that it may be advisable to apply common measures before specific ones in the event that a student has educational support needs and, if possible, in the usual context, that is, within the regular classroom.     

Dynamics of Illegal Participation in Peer-to-Peer Networks—Why Do People Illegally Share Media Files?

In 1997, a law was passed in Spain that mandated that “broadcastings of general interest” be free-to-air rather than pay-per-view. Since that time, a soccer match of the Spanish First Division—considered a public benefit activity—can be viewed on a weekly basis for free throughout the regular season. The aim of this article is to determine whether a “general interest” for these free-to-air broadcastings exists. To perform the empirical analysis, a demand equation for a TV audience is estimated using a unique panel data set on a regional level, in which the dependent variable is the number of viewers of free-to-air matches in each Spanish region during the period 2008–2012. The model specifications consider whether a particular region has a team competing in the First Division and other socioeconomical and sporting variables. The results conclude that a nationwide “general interest” in free-to-air broadcasting of soccer matches, which would support Spanish law, does not exist, with the exception of matches played by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, Fútbol Club Barcelona, and local teams.