Methods for studying family visitors in art museums: A cross-disciplinary review of current research

This paper examines current trends in family studies research, details the methodological and topical perspectives that are emerging, and reflects on how these findings could be integrated to provide a more coherent approach to researching the leisure, learning and recreational aspects of family visitors to art museums. Research findings from disciplines such as sociology, ethnography, education, design and marketing are of interest to the field of visitor studies, and this paper contributes to the wider research agenda by providing an overview of family research methods from a range of other disciplines, as well as those used within visitor studies.Over the last decade, there has been a growth of research in family learning in science museums, leading to an emerging disciplinary matrix, whilst many aspects of family visits to art museums remain relatively unexplored. The paper discusses the problems of gathering meaningful data from adults and children in family groups, and concludes by suggesting that a challenge for art museums is to learn from what is happening in other areas of cultural research into families, and to develop a framework for research which builds on the methodological strengths and practical experience of robust studies.     

Lugar de la psicología entre las ciencias sociales y biológicas

RESUMEN

El autor analiza el problema del lugar de la Psicología entre las ciencias sociales y las ciencias biológicas. Critica la “teoría de los dos factores”, que escinde bruscamente lo biológico de lo social en los procesos psíquicos. También es erróneo pensar que todas las formas de actividad psíquica dependen del factor biológico. La Psicología Soviética, como ya estudiaron en profundidad Vygotski y Leontiev, considera que hay que ir más allá de lo individual y buscar la procedencia de la actividad consciente en la vida social en que se desenvuelve el hombre. La Psicología no puede ser pues una ciencia puramente biológica o puramente social. El objeto de la psicología científica debe ser el estudio de las formas más complejas de la actividad consciente, social por su procedencia y realizada por el cerebro, y debe situarse en la frontera entre las ciencias naturales y las sociales.     

Robotics as a Tool to Enhance Technological Thinking in Early Childhood

Journal of Science Education and Technology - This paper presents findings regarding the addition of robotics education in kindergarten and elementary school as a tool for enhancing technological...     

The Effect of Guided-Inquiry Instruction on 6th Grade Turkish Students' Achievement,Science Process Skills,and Attitudes Toward Science

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of guided-inquiry approach in science classes over existing science and technology curriculum in developing content-based science achievement, science process skills, and attitude toward science of grade level 6 students in Turkey. Non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design was used to investigate the treatment effect. There were 162 students in the experimental group and 142 students in the control group. Both the experimental and control group students took the Achievement Test in Reproduction, Development, and Growth in Living Things (RDGLT), Science Process Skills Test, and Attitudes Toward Science Questionnaire, as pre-test and post-test. Repeated analysis of variance design was used in analyzing the data. Both the experimental and control group students were taught in RDGLT units for 22 class hours. The results indicated the positive effect of guided-inquiry approach on the Turkish students' cognitive as well as affective characteristics. The guided inquiry enhanced the experimental group students' understandings of the science concepts as well as the inquiry skills more than the control group students. Similarly, the experimental group students improved their attitudes toward science more than the control group students as a result of treatment. The guided inquiry seems a transition between traditional teaching method and student-centred activities in the Turkish schools.     

The Effects of Mindful Movement Intervention on Academic and Cognitive Abilities Among Kindergarten Children

Early Childhood Education Journal - Evidence suggests that acting mindfully, that is, by stressing the purpose of the action and monitoring its current state, may benefit health, wellbeing, and...     

Psicología infantil y pedagogía

RESUMEN

El artículo analiza las etapas iniciales de formación de la acción consciente en los niños, entendiendo por acción consciente aquella que obedece a un plan interno o programa. Se ha demostrado que esto exige la total conformación de las estructuras frontales del cerebro. A veces el cumplimiento del programa se mostrará en desacuerdo con las condiciones concretas de su cumplimiento y esto provocará un conflicto. Conflicto que será superado con la maduración gradual del niño y gracias al cual proseguirá la formación de la acción consciente.     

Labels of giftedness and gender-typicality: Effects on adults' judgments of children's traits

The study examines the impressions adults form of children as a function of labels of giftedness and gender-typicality. Participants read about a child described as male/female, “gifted”/“average,” and gender-typical/gender-atypical in academic interests; they then responded on 30 adjective scales. Compared with children labeled “average,” children labeled “gifted” are seen as closer to odd than to fits in well. Gender-atypical boys were considered more odd and gender-atypical girls were rated less odd than were gender-typical children, regardless of giftedness. There was no additive negative effect of being both gifted and gender-atypical. Basically, participants described gifted and gender-atypical children differently; some overlap exists between adjectives used to describe these children (e.g., odd). Giftedness and gender-atypicality are related but separate concepts, each with many facets. The interrelationships and diversity of the two concepts must be assessed when individuals consider the impression that gifted or gender-atypical children make on others.