Development and Construct Validation of a Situational Judgment Test of Strategic Knowledge of Classroom Management in Elementary Schools

The current study describes the development and construct validation of a situational judgment test for assessing the strategic knowledge of classroom management in elementary schools. Classroom scenarios and accompanying courses of action were constructed, of which 17 experts confirmed the content validity. A pilot study and a cross-validation with preservice teachers and inservice teachers revealed the assumed factor structure and sensitivity of the test to differences in expertise. The results indicate that the situational judgment test for assessing strategic knowledge of classroom management in elementary schools is a valid assessment tool for investigating the acquisition and promotion of classroom management knowledge during teacher education.     

Parent stress and satisfaction with early intervention services for children with disabilities – a longitudinal study from Germany

This study assessed parent–child and family-related stress at two points of time and analysed relationships between stress, child and family characteristics and parent satisfaction with early intervention services. In Germany, 125 parents of young children with intellectual disabilities, hearing impairment or visual impairment responded to a questionnaire. Eighty-seven parents agreed to participate in the second survey. Results indicated that (a) perceived parenting competence is associated with general self-efficacy and satisfaction with professional support, (b) parent–child interactional stress increased with time, specifically in families with children with intellectual disability or visual impairment, (c) the level of satisfaction with amount and quality of family support was low in a considerable subgroup of parents, (d) regression analyses support predictive relationships among parent–child stress, family-related stress, perceived parenting competence and satisfaction with early intervention services.     

Stratifikationen im Bereich der Hochschulbildung in Deutschland

Until recently there have been no universities or study programs in Germany that were connected to claims for top level positions in the field of higher education. However, by now efforts to vertically differentiate higher education are increasing and emphasize differences in quality. Such efforts have so far been observed with respect to research. In contrast, this article focusses on stratificatory efforts that are primarily connected to education at universities. It is based on cases studies in the field of graduate schools funded by the German excellence initiative and in the field of private higher education institutions that belong to law, business, and the social sciences and try to positions themselves as top level institutions. The first part addresses specific forms in which stratification is institutionalized in the field of higher education at present. The second part then exemplifies the various ways in which vertical differentiation is mobilized along a common attribute in both fields—internationality. We show that stratification is not a monolithic process but involves highly complex differentiations along various attributes and in multiple ways.     

New guiding principles in educational policy: the case of Germany

Pluralism, decentralization, deregulation, school autonomy, greater diversity and parent empowerment in education are among the new guiding principles in educational policy in numerous industrial countries. Whereas this paradigm shift reflects the advance of the market ideology into the education sector in other (particularly English‐speaking) countries, the driving force behind this movement in Germany is rather the political system's loss of legitimation and the conflict‐ridden state of educational policy. The first part of the article takes a retrospective view which links up to the analyses of Weiler. It shows that the former strategies for securing legitimation and regulating conflicts ‐ involving science in the educational reform process, legalization and judicialization ‐ have only been effective temporarily. Using the new Education Act of Hesse as example, the hypothesis is developed that the strategy of increasing parent empowerment and partially transferring regulatory powers and decision‐making competence to individual schools will also not bring about the expected effects since this will not solve the structural problems of the German school system. In the second part of the article this thesis is elaborated within the framework of a differentiated analysis of the consequences of the structural problems as manifested in individual school types on local educational markets.     

Triathlon transition study: quantifying differences in running movement pattern and precision after bike-run transition

Various publications discuss the discrepancies of running in triathlons and stand-alone runs. However, those methods, such as analysing step-characteristics or ground-contact time, lack the ability to quantitatively discriminate between subtle running differences. The attractor method can be applied to overcome those shortcomings. The purpose was to detect differences in athletes’ running patterns (δM) and movement precision (δD) by comparing a 5,000 m run after a prior cycling session (TRun) with an isolated run over the same distance (IRun). Participants completed the conditions on a track and a stationary trainer, allowing the use of their personal bike to simulate an Olympic triathlon. During each run, three-dimensional acceleration data, using sensors attached to the ankles, were collected. Results showed that both conditions lead to elevated attractor parameters (δM and δD) over the initial five minutes before the athletes found their rhythm. This generates a new perspective because independent of running after a bike session or without preload, an athlete needs certain time to adjust to the running movement. Coaches must consider this factor as another tool to fine-tune pacing and performance. Moreover, the attractor method is a novel approach to gain deeper insight into human cyclic motions in athletic contexts.     

Felt or False Smiles? Volitional Regulation of Emotional Expression in 4‐, 6‐, and 8‐Year‐Old Children

The development of volitional emotion regulation of expression was examined with a modified disappointing gift paradigm and strategy for coding children's expressions. Forty‐nine boys and 49 girls aged 4, 6, and 8 were motivated to volitionally deceive an observer by false smiling, regardless of whether they received an attractive, unattractive, or no gift. Ten naïve observers watched children's videotaped behavior in random order and judged the quality of emotion and type of gift. This impression analysis indicated that children's competence to volitionally regulate their expressions increased with age. In addition, this ability was positively associated with children's emotion understanding of how to differentiate between emotion and expression. Unexpectedly, girls did not display a superior volitional regulation of expression than boys.     

奥运纪念邮票演绎史

奥林匹克集邮是与奥林匹克运动会并肩发展的。正是在第1届奥运会时发行了第一套奥林匹克邮票。多年来,随着奥林匹克集邮在筹备奥运资金、推动奥林匹克运动发展及传播奥运文化等方面的贡献,奥运集邮与奥林匹克运动两者的关系也愈见弥深。如果说古代奥运会的维持是缘于与宗教的结