In‐service training for teachers who work in full‐day schools. Evidence from Greece1

The purpose of this paper is to examine teachers perceptions of the effectiveness of training for teachers who work in ‘full‐day’ schools in the professional development of teachers and the implications for education policy. Through an empirical investigation this paper points out that recent education reforms regarding in‐service teacher training cannot be considered as the most important positive influence on teachers' progression and consequently on meeting the learning needs of pupils in full‐day schools. The lack of encouragement and motivation offered by the Greek school administration is linked to the unwillingness of Greek school teachers to participate in in‐service training. As a result of the latter, there are teachers in full‐day schools offering extra curricula activity who are without the appropriate knowledge and the skill of reflection, teachers who have not developed the qualifications to teach effectively. Thus, it is evident that teacher in‐service training in Greece needs careful reconsideration by the Ministry of Education. All schools (all types) should have appropriately‐trained teaching staff and teachers that adjust more easily to the social, technological and academic changes that naturally occur in the school environment.

L'objectif de cette étude est d'examiner les perceptions des instituteurs au sujet de l'efficacité de la formation reçue par les instituteurs travaillant dans les écoles à horaire élargi sur leur développement professionnel ainsi que sur la politique éducative. Basée sur une approche expérimentale, cette étude constate que les reformes éducatives récentes concernant la formation des instituteurs lors de leur horaire de travail ne saurait avoir un impact positif et considérable sur leur progrès ni les aider à répondre aux besoins éducatifs des élèves des écoles horaire élargi. Le manque d'encouragement et de motivation de la part de l'administration scolaire grecque est étroitement lié aux réticences des instituteurs grecs de suivre une formation supplémentaire après leur nomination. Par conséquent, il y a des instituteurs dans les écoles à horaire élargi chargés d'animer des activités hors programme sans posséder ni les connaissances nécessaires ni la compétence de transmission, à savoir des instituteurs complètement démunis de toute aptitude qui leur permettrait d'enseigner efficacement. Il est donc bien évident que la formation des instituteurs en Grèce, après leur nomination, nécessite une réforme adéquate de la part du Ministère de l'Education. Chaque école, indépendamment de sa catégorie devrait être équipée d'un personnel formé et les instituteurs devraient s'adapter plus facilement aux changements sociaux, technologiques et académiques advenant dans le milieu scolaire.

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las percepciones de los profesores sobre la efectividad que tienen los cursos de formación para profesores en activo en colegios de día completo, en su desarrollo profesional, así como sobre sus implicaciones en la política de educación. A través de un estudio experimental, este artículo pone de relevancia que las recientes reformas de la educación relacionadas con los cursos de formacion de profesores en activo no se consideran como la influencia positiva mas importante en la progresión de dichos profesores y por consiguiente en la consecución de las necesidades educativas de los estudiantes en los colegios de día completo. La falta de estímulo y motivación por parte de la administración escolar de Grecia está relacionada con la reticencia de los profesores de educación primaria de Grecia a someterse durante su servicio a cursos de formación. Como consecuencia de esto último, existen profesores en los colegios de día completo que ofrecen actividades extra‐curriculares sin los conocimientos necesarios y los reflejos adecuados, profesores que no han desarrollado las cualificaciones necesarias para enseñar con eficacia. Por lo tanto, es evidente que el Ministerio de Educación griego debe reconsiderar minuciosamente los cursos para profesores en activo. Todos los colegios (todos los tipos de colegios) deben de disponer en su plantilla de profesores con una formación adecuada y que sepan adaptarse con mayor facilidad a los cambios sociales, tecnológicos y académicos que ocurren de forma natural en el ambiente escolar.

Zweck dieser Studie ist die Nachforschung der Ansicht von Lehrern über die Wirksamkeit der Weiterbildung von Lehrern, die speziell in Ganztagschulen tätig sind, sowie ihre Berufsentwicklung und die Konsequenzen auf die allgemeine Ausbildungspolitik. Wie es mittels empirischer Annäherung gezeigt wird, es könne nicht angenommen werden, dass die letzten Reformen im Bereich der Weiterbildung von Lehrern während ihrer Tätigkeit, ihren Fortschritt, und demnach ihre Anpassung auf die Ausbildungsbeduerfnisse der Schüler von Ganztagsschulen, positiv und bedeudent beeinflussen. Der Mangel an Motivation von der Seite der Griechischen Schulverwaltung wird verbunden mit der Abgeneigtheit der Griechischen Lehrer, sich nach ihrer Einstellung weiterzubilden. Das hat wiederrum als Folge, dass es in Ganztagsschulen Lehrer gibt, die für Aktivitäten ausserhalb des dienstlichen Ausbildungsplans zuständig sind, und die über die notwendigen Kenntnisse und die Fähigkeit der U?bertragbarkeit nicht verfügen, also Lehrer mit unzureichenden Qualifikation, die nicht effektiv lehren können. Folglich, es ist Tatsache, dass in Griechenland die Weiterbildung der Lehrer nach ihrer Einstellung, sorgfältige U?berprüfung von der Seite des Ausbildungsministeriums bedarf. Alle Schultypen sollten über das geignet ausgebildete Personal verfügen, und die Lehrer sollten sich den gesellschaftlichen, technologischen und akademischen Änderungen, die naturgemäss im Schulbereich auftreten könnten, leichter anpassen.     

Effects of load on ground reaction force and lower limb kinematics during concentric squats

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of external load on vertical ground reaction force, and linear and angular kinematics, during squats. Eight males aged 22.1 +/- 0.8 years performed maximal concentric squats using loads ranging from 7 to 70% of one-repetition maximum on a force plate while linear barbell velocity and the angular kinematics of the hip, knee and ankle were recorded. Maximum, average and angle-specific values were recorded. The ground reaction force ranged from 1.67 +/- 0.20 to 3.21 +/- 0.29 times body weight and increased significantly as external load increased (P < 0.05). Bar linear velocity ranged from 0.54 +/- 0.11 to 2.50 +/- 0.50 m x s(-1) and decreased significantly with increasing external load (P < 0.05). Hip, knee and ankle angles at maximum ground reaction force were affected by external load (P < 0.05). The force-barbell velocity curves were fitted using linear models with coefficients (r2) ranging from 0.59 to 0.96. The results suggest that maximal force exertion during squat exercises is not achieved at the same position of the lower body as external load is increased. In contrast, joint velocity coordination does not change as load is increased. The force-velocity relationship was linear and independent from the set of data used for its determination.     

Relation between freshman-year experience and perceived importance of four major educational goals

This study assesses the relationship between the freshman-year experience and the importance students attach to the educational goals of gaining a liberal education, developing career knowledge and skills, enhancing personal knowledge, and improving interpersonal skills. After controlling for students' precollege traits and the importance attached to the above goals prior to entering college, reliable relationships were identified between (1) gaining a liberal education and student-faculty contacts to discuss intellectual and course-related matters and to socialize informally, and students' perceived progress in academic and intellectual development; (2) developing career knowledge and skills and student-faculty contacts to get advice for potential careers; and (3) improving interpersonal skills and peer interactions.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual conference of the American Education Research Association, New York, March 1982.     

The Mechanism of Vision: Conceptual Similarities between Historical Models and Children’s Representations

James Wandersee asked in 1986: ‘Can History of Science help science educators anticipate students’ misconceptions?. This paper aims to answer the same question by attempting a comparative bibliographical study between the assumptions of early philosophers and the conceptions of children relating to the roles of light and the eye in the process of vision. The results indicate remarkable similarities, which are analysed as to their nature and origin. The conclusions underline the significant role of the history of science as a rich bank of ideas for the design of educational material. Additionally, implications for educational research are discussed.     

Analysis and synthesis of resistive n-port networks

Various aspects of analysis and synthesis of resistive n-port networks are considered in this paper. Two different characterizations of the network are examined, the Y matrix characterization and the K matrix characterization. Based on these characterizations, a set of equations is derived which relate the edge admittances with the elements of these matrices. When the K matrix is given, these equations are linear and can be solved analytically. When the Y matrix is given, the equations are bilinear and cannot be solved analytically. In this case, the problem is formulated as an optimization problem and techniques of nonlinear programming are used to obtain a realization. Synthesis from the Y matrix is finally extended to include sensitivity considerations.     

Dual-hop relaying communications over generalized-K (KG) fading channels

In this paper, a study on the end-to-end performance of dual-hop non-regenerative relaying over independent generalized-K (KG) fading channels is presented. Using a suitable upper bound for the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), novel closed-form expressions for the cumulative distribution function (CDF), probability density function (PDF) and the moments of this bounded SNR are derived. These results can be afterwards used to obtain important performance metrics of the considered system such as the outage probability and the error performance of digital modulation schemes. In the case of independent but non-necessarily identical fading channels, lower bounds for the average bit error probability (ABEP) for different modulation schemes are determined by using the Padé approximants method. For the case of identical fading channels, closed-form lower bounds for the ABEP are derived. Various numerical and computer simulation results illustrate the proposed analysis.     

Impact of social networking for advancing learners’ knowledge in E-learning environments

Education and Information Technologies - Social networking has modernized digital education through the provision of novel functionalities, such as reacting, commenting, motivation or group...     

Study Behavior in the Closed-Book and the Open-Book Examination: A Comparative Analysis

The study focused on students’ perceptions in order to find out the study behavior put forward by them prior to and during the exam in each of both the open-book and the closed-book exam alternatives. Participants were 181 students, comprising a 72.8% response rate, who experienced both exam alternatives; they were asked to assess 39 statements referring to study behaviors on a 5-point scale (1 = not at all present to 5 = present to a very great extent) for both exam options. The results indicated that students preparing for a closed book examination tend to postpone their study at the end of the semester, focus on the assigned texts and memorize information. Students preparing for an open-book examination tend to consult various sources and interrelate the information acquired; when taking the exam, they work creatively while, at the same time, they probe deeply into the knowledge gained. When the 39 statements were factor-analyzed, four factors emerged having to do with (a) mastering the course content; (b) involvement in the learning process; (c) using the knowledge gained in a creative way; and (d) facing the exam with optimism. For all four factors, the composite score was higher for the open-book exam option than for the closed one. The implications of the study as well as its major flaws are also discussed.