Curiosity and openmindedness in open and traditional classrooms

In an attempt to determine if an open classroom environment encourages greater curiosity and/or openmindedness than does a traditional classroom environment, 41 open classroom children and 42 traditional classroom children completed an openmindedness scale and 5 subtests of a curiosity scale. Sex was included as a factor and IQ was included as a covariate in all analyses. No significant sex differences were found. The significantly higher mean curiosity score for the open classroom group was primarily due to significant differences between classrooms on 2 of the subtests: those measuring preference for novelty and change (p <.05). The results were interpreted as an indication that the open classroom may encourage some aspects of curiosity to a greater extent than does the traditional classroom.     

From Retrieval Status Values to Probabilities of Relevance for Advanced IR Applications

Information Retrieval systems typically sort the result with respect to document retrieval status values (RSV). According to the Probability Ranking Principle, this ranking ensures optimum retrieval quality if the RSVs are monotonously increasing with the probabilities of relevance (as e.g. for probabilistic IR models). However, advanced applications like filtering or distributed retrieval require estimates of the actual probability of relevance. The relationship between the RSV of a document and its probability of relevance can be described by a normalisation function which maps the retrieval status value onto the probability of relevance (mapping functions). In this paper, we explore the use of linear and logistic mapping functions for different retrieval methods. In a series of upper-bound experiments, we compare the approximation quality of the different mapping functions. We also investigate the effect on the resulting retrieval quality in distributed retrieval (only merging, without resource selection). These experiments show that good estimates of the actual probability of relevance can be achieved, and that the logistic model outperforms the linear one. Retrieval quality for distributed retrieval is only slightly improved by using the logistic function.     

GREEK PUBLIC ATTITUDES: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

The dictatorship that ruled Greece between 1967–74 hadlasting consequences on the country's political culture. FromWorld War II and the Greek civil war until the dictatorship'scollapse, pro-Western, anti-communist, pro-business, sociallytraditional values had dominated public opinion. The dramaticfall of the dictatorship amidst a ‘national tragedy’made it a scapegoat and made what it stood for very unpopularespecially among the younger generation. So, when the lattercame of age, it contributed to the emergence of a new set ofvalues that were anti-rights, anti-Western, anti-business, anti-traditionalistand even historically revisionist, and were majoritrian in the1980s. These values have been so strongly entrenched that neitherthe Panhellenic Socialist Movement's (PASOK's) poor record inpower, nor the indictment of some of its leaders for seriousscandals in 1989, nor even the emergence, under PASOK rule,of a new more moderate generation, have helped the right toregain the absolute majority of the votes so to govern the country,although it has led to a partial moderation of the radical ‘juntageneration’.     

QUESTIONING THE HOMOGENIZATION OF IRREGULAR MIGRANTS IN EDUCATIONAL POLICY: FROM (IL)LEGAL RESIDENCE TO INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

In this article Elias Hemelsoet questions the way irregular migrants are approached in educational policymaking. In most cases, estimations of the number of irregular migrants serve—despite large methodological problems—as a starting point for policymaking. Given the very diverse composition of this group of people, the question is whether residence status is an appropriate benchmark for dealing with the social problems related to these people. There seems to be a homogenizing tendency at work that reduces the complexity of irregular migration. Preferable distinctions are overlooked or even denied. Inclusive education seems to provide an alternative that does not reduce individuals to a group they belong to, claiming that differences only matter at the individual level. The question is whether such an approach entails a new form of homogenization. Using the case of Roma people, Hemelsoet argues here that group differences do matter for educational practice, theory, and policy. Qualitative data on the social practices of groups can help provide insight into the particularity of situations. This “insight” or “understanding,” in its turn, is a requirement in order for policymakers to make well‐considered choices.     

A first-language-first multilingual model to meet the quality imperative in formal basic education in three ‘francophone’ West African countries

This paper documents the new trend towards a first-language-first multilingual model in formal education in three former French colonies of West Africa, namely Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. It compares the sociolinguistic situations, the conditions of the development of multilingual education and the achievements of mother-tongue-medium education in all three countries. The evidence is that, contrary to common discourse in francophonie, a strong first-language-first model in formal education is the best guarantee of a good mastery of French and, more generally, of quality education in francophone countries.     

Bringing together acculturation theory and intergroup contact theory: Predictors of Flemings’ expectations of Turks’ acculturation behavior

The present paper explores Flemish majority members’ expectations concerning the acculturation of Turkish minorities. We studied two kinds of antecedents: majority members’ perceptions of Turkish minorities’ acculturation behavior and their experiences of intergroup contact. The possible mediating role of outgroup affect was also investigated. 247 Flemish high school students completed a survey. Data were analyzed using path analyses. Results show that positive contact experiences and perceiving that Turkish immigrants make efforts to engage in contact with the host group and/or to adopt the host culture are associated with less negative affective reactions towards Turkish migrants. Perceiving that Turkish immigrants maintain their heritage culture is associated with more negative affective reactions. Our results further revealed that increased negative affective reactions are associated with less support for culture maintenance and for contact with the host group but with a higher demand for host culture adoption. The present results also show that expectations of contact engagement and expectations of host culture adoption cannot be considered as equivalent. This implies that results from studies using Berry's conceptualization of acculturation expectations (Berry, 2001) and results from studies using Bourhis’ conceptualization of acculturation expectations (Bourhis, Moïse, Perreault, & Senécal, 1997) are not directly comparable. Our data also clearly disconfirm the orthogonal structure of the fourfold acculturation model for majority members’ acculturation expectations, suggesting that relying on the specific dimensions defining acculturation expectations may constitute a more valid approach to understand ongoing acculturation processes.     

THE DEPICTION OF SEX ROLES IN AMERICAN AND GERMAN MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENTS*

This study provides a quantitative content analysis of the depictionsof sex roles in the American news magazine Time and the WestGerman news magazine Stern from 1969 to 1988. The underlyingassumption of the study is that advertisements reflect changesin social reality. While most studies focus on explicit aspectsof gender role depictions such as jobs, activities, interactionsand situations, this content analysis also covers implicit aspectsof role depictions such as posture, gestures, and facial expression.Some authors have claimed that these are powerful means of transmittingtraditional sex role stereotypes of women as being submissiveand of men as being dominant. Results indicate that while therehave been considerable changes in the explicit presentationof male and female roles, the implicit presentation remainedquite consistent over the 20-year period. According to thesefindings, sex roles may have changed primarily on the surface,while nonverbal sex role stereotypes still linger on. Differencesbetween the developments in Germany and the US are outlined.