Children's attitudes toward their peers with Down Syndrome in schools in rural Ireland: an exploratory study

Increasingly, children with Down Syndrome are attending mainstream schools, but evidence suggests that these children are more prone to peer rejection and other problems when compared with their non‐disabled counterparts. However, relatively little is known about children's attitudes toward their peers with moderate to serious learning disabilities, including Down Syndrome. This study assessed the attitudes of non‐disabled primary school children (n = 118) in mainstream education toward their peers with Down Syndrome. A secondary aim was to assess whether exposure to audiovisual material promoting inclusion had any immediate effects on overall attitudes. A cross‐sectional, questionnaire‐based survey was administered in four rural‐based schools. The results showed that female participants over 10 were the most sociable. Overall attitudes toward inclusion were consistently and statistically significantly more negative than those toward sociability. Other factors, such as contact with peers with Down Syndrome, were not related to attitudes. Neither was there any change in overall attitudes following exposure to the promotional material. Further work is needed to identify factors underpinning the attitudes of non‐disabled children to their peers with Down Syndrome and how best to promote inclusion in mainstream schools.     

Environmental Education in Mexican Schools: The Primary Level

Abstract

Schools–which play an important role in the formation of young children's positive attitudes toward the environment–can improve their environmental performance by working with all members of the school community. In this article, I discuss schools' relevance in developing environmental awareness in young children. This article also explains that the primary-level national curriculum and the Mexican educational system are working toward an environmental policy. A brief introduction describes some of the most significant educational changes in recent Mexican history, emphasizing the role of textbooks.     

The development of attitudes and social characteristics of students attending predominantly black colleges: A longitudinal study

The study was designed to assess the development of Family Independence (FI), Peer Independence (PI), Liberalism (L), Social Conscience (SC), and Cultural Sophistication (CS) among students attending three predominantly black colleges. Responses to the Attitudes section of the College Student Questionnaires were obtained from 334 students when they were entering freshmen, end-of-year freshmen, and graduating seniors. The data were analyzed with a repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance design. College, Sex, and Time were the independent variables, and the five attitude scales were the dependent variables. The tests for the main effects of time revealed overall gains on all five scales. A significant Sex × Time interaction indicated that PI scores for males increased, while females' PI scores decreased, during the freshman year; the females' PI scores increased during the subsequent three year period. Significant College × Time interactions were found for FI and CS. College × Sex × Time interactions were significant for L and CS. The results indicated that students who attended these predominantly black colleges developed greater self-reliance and autonomy and broadened interests in political, social, and cultural affairs. The extent of change in these attitudes varied, however, according to the college attended and/or sex of the student.     

Before,During, and After Examination: Development of Prospective Preschool Teachers’ Mathematics-Related Enjoyment and Self-Efficacy

This article examines the stability of Norwegian prospective preschool teachers’ enjoyment of mathematics and their mathematics-related self-efficacy before, during, and after a teacher-education examination. In addition, the stability of the two constructs across countries was examined through a comparison with Germany. The data revealed partial stability (technically speaking, metric invariance) of enjoyment but not of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy increased significantly before and after the examination without decreasing enjoyment, which may be a result of increased learning time. Prior mathematical knowledge predicted the level and development of enjoyment and self-efficacy in both countries. Many Norwegian students reported low mathematics-related enjoyment and self-efficacy, including negative developments. It may be important to provide positive experiences of mathematical activities during preschool teacher education.     

Attitude items and low ability students: the need for a cautious approach to interpretation

The results of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS 2001) were published in 2003. In addition to data about the reading achievements of 10‐year‐olds in 35 countries, PIRLS 2001 also collected questionnaire information from children, their teachers, headteachers and parents. The results showed not just how well students can perform in various reading tasks, but also the relationship between reading abilities and other characteristics, including the characteristics of their homes and schools, the students' attitudes to reading, reading enjoyment, self‐confidence, engagement and perceptions of their reading abilities. Surprisingly enough, children in England were reported as having poor attitudes to reading, compared to children in many other countries, despite high achievement on the reading tests. This paper raises some concerns about the interpretation of results from the study, suggesting a more complex picture than that presented in the summary index published in 2003. Our secondary analysis of the attitude and achievement data from PIRLS shows that pupils with low ability levels have misunderstood the questions which tested their attitudes towards reading. The authors point out that caution is needed when making cross‐country comparisons to avoid naïve approaches to interpretation.     

Teachers' Attitudes Toward Technology in a Two-Way Dual-Language Program

This study examined the attitudes of nine teachers in a two-way dual-language program in regard to using technology to support the linguistic and academic development of emergent bilinguals. Using a phenomenological, multiple case-study approach, teachers' perceptions about using technology in education and the potential of technology to advance the students' bilingualism and biliteracy were analyzed. Results showed that teachers had a positive outlook about the potential of technology as a tool to support the academic and linguistic growth of the students. However, several significant challenges were identified, most notably among them the scarcity of technological hardware at the school and the shortage of Spanish-language educational resources. The teachers' perception was that a greater availability of digital technologies, including resources in the Spanish language, would greatly enhance student learning.     

大众传媒视域中后现代主义对大学生婚恋观的影响及引导路径

大众传媒的发展与普及为后现代主义的传播提供了便捷的传播载体。大众传媒承载着丰富的信息,并具有瞬间扩大的效果,其对后现代主义的大肆推崇,对大学生的婚恋观造成了一定的负面影响。因此,有必要探索大众传媒视域中后现代主义对大学生婚恋观的影响,分析后现代主义对大学生婚恋观影响的特征,帮助大学生树立正确的婚恋观。     

Science and it’s Images – Promise and Threat: From Classic Literature to Contemporary Students’ Images of Science and “The Scientist”

The physical and social image of the scientist among school children, student teachers, and teachers over the last 50 years was investigated. Interest has also been shown in the perception of the personality behind the physical stereotype. Nevertheless, the value judgments of science and scientists and the positive and negative mind–sets attaching to these judgments in our society were less investigated, either in Israel or abroad. In this investigation models given to science and scientists in the classical literature and by some popular science writers were investigated, together with contemporary learners’ views. The populations consist of 125 high school students from Israel. Several tools were used during this investigation to decipher the images of science: Closed questionnaire, writing an essay, and semistructured collective interviews. Classical authors have pessimistic views about science and the scientists. Most models are unfavorable, and criticize the scientists: The mad and monstrous scientist (Frankenstein), the scientist who is alienated from human life (The Physicists), the scientist who is cut off from reality, the “geek” (Gulliver’s Travels), the scientist whose irresponsible research is harmful to the environment (Jurassic Park), the scientist who hungers for knowledge at any cost (Faust). The positive images found especially in the popular science literature: the scientist who cures diseases (Microbe Hunters), the scientist who has professional integrity (Galaxies), the scientist who keeps to the rules of the scientific method to obtain objective results (Wrinkles in Time). We found that some expressions relating to fear of science which have appeared in the classics since the beginning of the 18^th century were found in a similar way with students of the 21^st century, while others expressed that same fear in different ways. There was also an identification with Swift’s “unsociable and unemotional” scientists. Alongside the existence of expressions of fear of science, and mainly ambivalent opinions of students toward science, the dominant picture that stands out in this study is that our contemporary students are pro science, and regard science as a useful area of society.     

Skill Flexibility and School Change: A Multi-national Study

This study investigated skill flexibility (theability to use skills according to changingneeds) among teachers in the context of schoolchange in nine countries. Data were collectedas part of a multi-country study on the effectof change on teachers' work life. Resultsshowed that teachers tended to be moreskill-flexible when they had more of a role inthe change, and less skill-flexible when schoolmanagement initiated change or when changeinvolved administrative objectives, as opposedto educational or social ones. Teachers alsotended to be more skill-flexible when theybelieved that change had a positive impact ontheir work life, professional development,student learning, and general feelings aboutchange. An individual-country analysis revealedthat countries varied in the way skillflexibility was related to change factors.These differences were interpreted in thecontext of cultural background.