Neurophysiology and neuroanatomy of reflexive and volitional saccades as revealed by lesion studies with neurological patients and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

This review discusses the neurophysiology and neuroanatomy of the cortical control of reflexive and volitional saccades in humans. The main focus is on classical lesion studies and studies using the interference method of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). To understand the behavioural function of a region, it is essential to assess oculomotor deficits after a focal lesion using a variety of oculomotor paradigms, and to study the oculomotor consequences of the lesion in the chronic phase. Saccades are controlled by different cortical regions, which could be partially specialised in the triggering of a specific type of saccade. The division of saccades into reflexive visually guided saccades and intentional or volitional saccades corresponds to distinct regions of the neuronal network, which are involved in the control of such saccades. TMS allows to specifically interfere with the functioning of a region within an intact oculomotor network. TMS provides advantages in terms of temporal resolution, allowing to interfere with brain functioning in the order of milliseconds, thereby allowing to define the time course of saccade planning and execution. In the first part of the paper, we present an overview of the cortical structures important for saccade control, and discuss the pro's and con's of the different methodological approaches to study the cortical oculomotor network. In the second part, the functional network involved in reflexive and volitional saccades is presented. Finally, studies concerning recovery mechanisms after a lesion of the oculomotor cortex are discussed.

Schulpraktika in der Lehrerbildung. Theoretische Grundlagen, Konzeptionen, Prozesse und Effekte = Pedagogical field experiences in teacher education. Theoretical foundations, programmes, processes, and effects

Seit mehr als zwanzig Jahren werden in der tertiären Lehramtsausbildung Schulpraktika reformiert und neuerdings in ihrem zeitlichen Umfang relativ zur Studienzeit vergrößert. Zum Gegenstand reger Forschungsaktivitäten avancierten Schulpraktika jedoch erst im letzten Jahrzehnt. Hiermit werden ein Überblick über das Forschungsfeld (Grundlagen der schulpraktischen Komponenten der Lehrerbildung; Forschungsmethodik) vorgelegt und aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse zu zentralen Aspekten der Wirksamkeit von Praktika und Effekten von Mentoring präsentiert. In englischsprachigen bzw. deutschsprachigen Beiträgen wird der Forschungsstand in Deutschland, den Niederlanden, Österreich und der Schweiz sowie den USA aufgezeigt. Der Band richtet sich an Personen, die in der Lehrerbildung tätig sind, also an Dozent/inn/en in Hochschulen und Seminaren, an Lehrerbildungsforscher/innen sowie an Fachpersonen in der Bildungsadministration und interessierte Studierende.

Pedagogical field experiences in teacher education: Introduction to the research area

Research on pre-service teacher internships has become a dynamic area of investigation in teacher education whose growth seems to correspond with increased activity at the institutional level over the past two decades. Introducing or expanding field experiences has been a common strategy in nearly all teacher education programs for the last twenty years, and reforming teacher education with a focus on its practical aspects still ranks near the top of education policy agendas. This article provides an introduction to the research field, addressing five basic issues: (1) precision in the definition of the construct, (2) main sources of research literature, (3) elaboration of the construct in terms of effects and mediating variables, (4) the methodological challenges of empirical research, and (5) major areas of future research. Emphasis is placed on the often ignored aspect that internships elicit both intended and unintended effects, including not only positive but also adverse side effects.

Rethinking science for sustainable development: Reflexive interaction for a paradigm transformation

If we postulate a need for the transformation of society towards sustainable development, we also need to transform science and overcome the fact/value split that makes it impossible for science to be accountable to society. The orientation of this paradigm transformation in science has been under debate for four decades, generating important theoretical concepts, but they have had limited impact until now. This is due to a contradictory normative science policy framing that science has difficulties dealing with, not least of all because the dominant framing creates a lock-in. We postulate that in addition to introducing transdisciplinarity, science needs to strive for integration of the normative aspect of sustainable development at the meta-level. This requires a strategically managed niche within which scholars and practitioners from many different disciplines can engage in a long-term common learning process, in order to become a “thought collective” (Fleck) capable of initiating the paradigm transformation. Arguing with Piaget that “decentration” is essential to achieve normative orientation and coherence in a learning collective, we introduce a learning approach—Cohn's “Theme-Centred Interaction”—which provides a methodology for explicitly working with the objectivity and subjectivity of statements and positions in a “real-world” context, and for consciously integrating concerns of individuals in their interdependence with the world. This should enable a thought collective to address the epistemological and ethical barriers to science for sustainable development.