Reasoning and working memory as predictors of school grades

The present paper contributes to individual difference research in the field of working memory (WM) and reasoning and their contribution to the prediction of real-life criteria. Therefore, a broad WM test battery, a well-established measure of reasoning, and school grades were applied. It is argued that abilities as assessed with the WM component coordination are relevant for good performances at school, especially for science courses. The verbal task of the WM component storage in the context of processing was assumed to be relevant for the prediction of performance in language courses. As expected, reasoning turned out to be the best predictor of school grades. However, it was also confirmed that variance shared by coordination and reasoning can explain school performance, especially as concerns science courses. The verbal storage in the context of processing task significantly accounted for variance in language courses above and beyond reasoning. Thus, the present study provided further insights into the differential validity of different WM components.     

Sportlehrerprofessionalität: Ende einer Misere oder Misere ohne Ende?

This article provides an overview of the current status in the field of empirical research on professionalism and professionalization of physical education (PE) teachers. It aims to examine the thesis on the “misery” of the PE teacher profession. Therefore, different research approaches from the educational science field are taken into consideration. This might allow finding explanations for the postulated deficits in the professionalization of PE teachers. First, three different perspectives are introduced, including sociology of the profession, subject culture, and occupational biography. In a second step, professionalization of PE teachers is structured and modelled in alignment with longitudinal studies in the education science field. Based on this model, research findings and research desiderata on PE teachers professionalization are shown. This approach allows a differentiated view on the topic.     

Expertise reversal effects in writing-to-learn

This article presents two longitudinal studies that investigated expertise reversal effects in journal writing. In Experiment 1, students wrote regular journal entries over a whole term. The experimental group received a combination of cognitive and metacognitive prompts. The control group received no prompts. In the first half of the term, the experimental group applied more cognitive and metacognitive strategies in their journals and showed higher learning outcomes than the control group. Towards the end of the term, the amount of cognitive and metacognitive strategies elicited by the experimental group decreased while the number of cognitive strategies applied by the control group increased. Accordingly, the experimental group lost its superiority on learning outcomes. In order to avoid these negative long-term effects of prompts, a gradual and adaptive fading-out of the prompts was introduced in the experimental group in Experiment 2 while a control group received permanent prompts. The results showed that, over the course of the term, the fading group applied increasingly more cognitive strategies while the control group applied fewer and fewer cognitive strategies. Accordingly, at the end of the term, the permanent prompts group showed substantially lower learning outcomes than the fading group. Together, these results provide evidence for an expertise reversal effect in writing-to-learn. The more the students became skilled in journal writing and internalized the desired strategies, the more the external guidance by prompts became a redundant stimulus that interfered with the students’ internal tendency to apply the strategies and, thus, induced extraneous cognitive load. Accordingly, a gradual fading-out of the prompts in line with the learners’ growing competencies proved to be effective in mitigating the negative side-effects of the provided instructional support.     

Initial Vocational Training from a Company Perspective: a Comparison of British and German In-House Training Cultures

Vocational training and skills are playing an increasingly important role in the developed economies. However, both the vocational education structure and the underlying philosophy and culture of education and training vary from country to country. What is clear, though, is that employers play a crucial role in all cases; this paper explores the reasons why companies in different countries are willing to invest in initial vocational education and how they do so. The paper will focus on Great Britain and Germany as examples of a market-led model and a state-directed model, respectively. Interviews with employers in both countries show that, in Britain, initial vocational education is strongly task-related in most cases or else is seen as the employee’s private, individual concern. In Germany, by contrast, a much broader range of initial vocational education is available and is viewed as an integral part of company culture.     

Familie und Familienalltag als Bildungsherausforderung

Against the background of a growing diversity and fluidity of family life in modern western societies, the arrangement of everyday family life has become quite demanding for individuals and families. The reflection of individual notions of family as well as the development of concepts of a fulfilling everyday family life has become a recurrent challenge throughout the life course, particularly relevant during transitions in family life (e. g. the transition to parenthood, the reentry of the main caregiver into the labor market, or the transition into post couple parenthood after separation or divorce). Although family theory recently developed the concept of ‘doing family’ to highlight the need to maintain and arrange family life day after day, there is little knowledge on how individuals develop family concepts and how these concepts are adopted to changing life circumstances. In this article we present a research approach which allows to empirically study the reflection and development of family concepts and to work out family concept-related processes of learning and ‘Bildung’. We will illustrate our theoretical and methodological considerations by presenting results from a case study that is part of an ongoing longitudinal study.     

Science knowledge and trust in medicine affect individuals’ behavior in pandemic crises

In pandemic crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals’ behavior has a strong impact on epidemiological processes. Compliance with prevention guidelines, such as social distancing, is critical to avoid further spreading an infectious disease or to slow down its spread. However, some individuals also or instead engage in panic behavior, such as hoarding. We investigate how education prepares individuals to respond adequately by modelling the path from seeking information about COVID-19 to eventual behavior. Based on a sample of N = 1182 adult Americans, gathered at the pandemic’s onset (March 2020), we conclude that science knowledge helps individuals convert information into coronavirus knowledge. This knowledge then helps individuals avoid panic behavior. Individuals lacking coronavirus knowledge and science knowledge still comply with prevention guidelines when they have a general trust in medicine. Individuals lacking knowledge still follow prevention guidelines when they trust in medicine. Facilitating science knowledge and trust in science through education and targeted public health messaging are likely to be of fundamental importance for bringing crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic under control.

     

Jugendkulturen zwischen Globalisierung und Ethnisierung

Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft - Wie formt sich der Prozess der Globalisierung in den Lebensstilen Jugendlicher aus? Dieser allgemeinen Fragestellung gehen wir im folgenden am Beispiel...