The Effectiveness of the Responsive Teaching Parent-mediated Developmental Intervention Programme in Turkey: A pilot study

The case study was conducted to examine the feasibility of an early intervention curriculum called Responsive Teaching with two five-year-old children from Turkey who had significant developmental delays. This study determined whether Turkish mothers might be successful in learning to become more responsive to their children, and whether this would result in significant improvements in their children’s development. Both dyads received 28 individual parent–child intervention sessions which were conducted over a four-month period of time. Pre-, mid-, and post-assessments indicated improvements in the mothers’ responsiveness to their children and the children’s levels of engagement with their parents. There were also improvements in the children’s language and personal social development. Mothers reported that Responsive Teaching helped them learn to interact more effectively with their children and that this resulted in longer and more enjoyable interactions with them. Results from this investigation are discussed in terms of their implications for providing developmental services to preschool-aged children with disabilities in Turkey.     

Teaching about the importance of trees: a study with young children

This paper reports on a study undertaken with the primary aim of investigating the effect of the storytelling teaching approach on kindergarten children's retention of ideas about the importance of trees. The study also assessed the effect of storytelling on children's intention to participate in a tree planting activity that they had to select from a list of activities. The story that was created included such elements as binary opposites, mental images, mystery, and wonder, according to Kieran Egan's theory. The study utilized a two‐group design, was conducted in three phases (pre‐test, intervention, and post‐test), lasted 11 weeks, and its results provide evidence of the effectiveness of the storytelling approach when compared with the traditional method of expository teaching complemented with visual images (pictures) of trees and their importance to human beings. The pedagogical appropriateness of the story, which was based upon the binary pair of opposites ‘security–insecurity’, is also discussed in the paper.     

Chinese children with ASD in Hong Kong (SAR): development of inclusive practice

The advancement of inclusive educational provision in the Asia‐Pacific region has been guided by international research. As one example, Hong Kong has developed a unique and cultural response to inclusive practice within the region. This paper reviews Hong Kong's development of inclusive education practice for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It provides an account of how services in education have developed for Chinese children with ASD, from diagnosis to school placement, and how the students are supported. A number of challenges for the region are discussed including those related to pedagogy, mentoring, placement, support and the need for culturally appropriate professional learning.     

儿童教育的使命:培养敬人敬事敬自然的精神

良好起始教育会奠定孩子一生良好发展的基础。良好的起始教育应旨在培养儿童敬人敬事敬自然的精神。具体来说,应让儿童在敬家人、同学、老师和自己中养成敬人的精神;在敬人事物事和公事私事中形成敬事的精神;在观察感悟自然现象中陶冶敬自然的精神。培育儿童的三敬精神旨在让其过上美好心灵生活。     

3-5岁流动儿童心理理论发展与家庭功能的关系

本研究以135名3-5岁流动儿童为被试,考察其心理理论发展与家庭功能的关系,研究发现:(1)3-5岁流动儿童心理理论发展水平存在显著的年龄差异,随着年龄的增长流动儿童心理理论发展水平也越稳固,且其发展具有一定的滞后性;(2)是否独生子女对3-5岁流动儿童心理理论发展影响显著,非独生子女被试心理理论水平显著高于独生子女;(3)母亲的文化水平对幼儿心理理论任务成绩影响显著,母亲文化程度越高,幼儿心理理论任务成绩越好;(4)家庭功能类型中,中间型与平衡型、中间型与极端型家庭儿童在心理理论发展水平上存在显著差异,中间型家庭流动儿童心理理论发展水平明显高于其他两种类型家庭,且家庭亲密度与流动儿童心理理论任务成绩呈显著正相关.为促进流动儿童心理理论的发展,流动儿童家长应加强对子女的精神关爱,经常与其交流、谈话;应鼓励子女更多地与他人交往,并为其提供假装游戏的机会;应努力营造家庭成员之间感情亲密、家庭功能健全的家庭氛围,多与子女进行情感层面的互动.     

音乐的非倾向性功能与儿童音乐教育

音乐具有非倾向性、审美性和倾向性三个层次的功能,其中非倾向性功能具有基础性地位,是后两种功能实现的基础.音乐能以情绪的方式满足人类精神生活的天然需要,儿童对音乐有着天然的亲近,并能对音乐这种意会性语言产生跨越时代与种族的心灵共鸣.儿童音乐教育应端正目的,放弃功利化的追求,遵循潜移默化的原则,秉承"顺应儿童天性、让儿童适才适性成长"的理念,以游戏精神为引导,在真正激发儿童艺术天性的基础上,以浸润和熏陶为基本手段,促进儿童音乐学习的热情与兴趣.     

教育财政公平与农民工子女教育机会均等

随着改革开放的深入和城市化进程的加快,我国农民工规模不断扩大,其适龄入学子女也逐渐增多。但由于历史和社会经济等方面的原因,他们中相当一部分,无论是在家乡的农村还是在客居的城镇,都没有得到公正的对待和较好的教育,农民工子女教育公平问题日趋严峻。农民工子女教育面临的困境主要是由政府公平财政责任缺位造成的。各级政府财政努力程度不够导致农民工子女教育经费投入不足,财政制度缺陷造成农民工子女教育资源配置不公,部门、地方利益造成农民工子女教育经费筹措措施不力。要解决新时期农民工子女教育机会不均等的问题,必须做到:遵守和完善现有法律,依法治理农民工子女教育;树立教育公平理念,加大对农民工子女的财政资助;最重要的是进行制度改革,逐步改革以户籍制度为基础的教育资源配置体制,逐步规范农民工子女教育经费的筹措渠道和建立较完善的教育财政转移支付制度。     

家长问卷区分自闭症谱系障碍儿童功能的探索

通过家长问卷筛查自闭症谱系障碍儿童是为常见,然运用问卷来区分功能则,本研究欲探索其可能性.结合我国社会文化编制了用于甄别自闭症谱系障碍儿童和区分其功能的家长访谈问卷,并运用该问卷对全国11个城市的2901名1-6岁普通儿童和119名自闭症谱系障碍儿童家长进行了实际调查.调查结果表明,运用该问卷既可甄别又可有效地区分自闭症谱系障碍儿童不同功能.说明运用家长问卷甄别与区分自闭症谱系障碍儿童的功能具有可行性.     

韦氏儿童智力量表与特殊儿童测查:挑战、改革与发展

韦氏儿童智力量表是迄今为止最权威和应用最广泛的儿童智力量表之一.自面世 以来,它在各特殊儿童的筛查、诊断、安置、干预与治疗过程中一直发挥着重要作用.目 前,该量表已发展到第四版,并仍在不断地修订中.总结该量表在特殊教育领域内的应用 现状并省思其在实践过程中遭遇的困境与挑战,进而把握其进一步改革的研究方向及发展 趋势,有助于促进国内特殊教育的发展.文章回顾了该量表在国内外的发展简史,就各类 特殊儿童智力测查对该量表提出的挑战进行了总结,对其实践中遇到的问题进行了分析, 指出了其在发展过程中已有的改进措施和尚未解决的问题及继续研究的方向,并在此基础 上总结了该智力测验发展的七大趋势.     

农村留守儿童社会支持与孤独感的关系

通过对264名留守儿童和213名非留守儿童进行问卷调查,探讨了不同情况下,社会支持对留守儿童孤独感的影响.结果表明:留守与非留守儿童在孤独感上没有显著差异;同学支持和母亲支持对非留守儿童的孤独感有显著负向影响,而同学支持、父亲支持和教师支持同时对留守儿童的孤独感具有显著负向影响;高自尊组留守儿童的孤独感显著低于低自尊组;只有同学支持对于低自尊组留守儿童的孤独感具有显著负向影响,而同学支持和教师支持同时对高自尊组留守儿童的孤独感也具有显著负向影响.