La superdotació als centres d'educació infantil i primària dels Serveis Territorials d'Educació de Girona: creences dels professionals de l'educació, mestres i Equips d'Assessorament i Orientació Psicopedagògica (EAP), sobre la detecció d'aquests alumnes i les mesures d'intervenció educativa

En aquesta tesi es fa una valoració dels elements que incideixen en les creences dels mestres d'educació infantil i primària i dels professionals dels EAP respecte la detecció dels alumnes amb altes capacitats i les principals mesures d'intervenció educativa. Els instruments utilitzats són els propis de les metodologies naturalistes i quasi experimentals. L'anàlisi de resultats obtinguts llarg de tres cursos escolars recull les creences dels mestres i EAP a partir de diferents fonts d'informació: entrevistes, descripció de casos, anàlisi de dades, valoració de normativa i dos qüestionaris, un per a mestres i l'altre per a EAP. Els resultats posen en evidència una molt baixa detecció, insuficiència de regulació legal, eines de diagnòstic febles, dispersió documental i falta de formació. Es detecten contradiccions entre les creences i les pràctiques. Finalment es proposa una redefinició del concepte Altes Capacitats-superdotació des dels àmbits de l'eficàcia, del perfil i del rendiment escolar.

Educação do aluno sobredotado no Brasil e em Portugal : uma análise comparativa

Este estudo compara o percurso da educação do sobredotado no Brasil e em Portugal. Para isso descreve-se a trajectória histórica, a legislação e a terminologia adoptada, os programas e serviços de atendimento ao sobredotado, a formação dos profissionais e a produção científica brasileira e portuguesa na área. As análises efectuadas indicam uma maior consistência da legislação e das medidas educativas no Brasil em atenção aos alunos sobredotados, havendo uma maior consistência histórica e um maior reconhecimento social desta área. O desenvolvimento da área no Brasil assenta em três pilares: estruturas governativas da educação, associações e instituições de ensino superior, sendo que em Portugal o contributo por parte das entidades governativas ao desenvolvimento da área é inexistente. Face à proximidade linguística e cultural, e ao significativo intercâmbio académico entre os dois países, apontam-se algumas iniciativas para os próximos anos em prol do desenvolvimento da educação do aluno sobredotado. Essa aposta passa pela realização de estudos e publicações conjuntas ou pelo intercâmbio de estudantes e profissionais interessados na área.

Estratégias de intervenção educativa junto de alunos com hiperatividade e problemas de atenção

A Perturbação de Hiperatividade e Défice de Atenção (PHDA) é um distúrbio que, segundo a literatura, afeta entre 3-7% das crianças em idade escolar e que consiste numa tríade de desatenção, hiperatividade e impulsividade. Este distúrbio é prevalente e para os atingidos pode ter consequências gravosas sendo o insucesso escolar um dos primeiros obstáculos. Muitas vezes entendidas pela classe docente como falta de educação e preguiça, estas características não recebem a atenção devida. Baseado num aluno do 8º ano com diagnóstico de PHDA do tipo misto desde os 5 anos de idade, este projeto destinou-se a estudar sumariamente a PHDA e a encontrar, aplicar e avaliar a eficácia de um conjunto de estratégias de aprendizagem que, numa perspetiva inclusiva, permitissem quer ao aluno quer ao grupo turma desenvolver os seus potenciais de aprendizagem. O aluno não se encontra abrangido pelo Decreto Lei 3/2008 mas apresentou insucesso escolar no 7º ano que quase comprometeu a sua progressão. Integra uma turma de dezasseis alunos que inclui três alunos abrangidos pelo referido decreto sendo um de currículo específico individual. Este projeto desenvolveu-se no primeiro período do ano letivo 2012-2013 e possui duas vertentes: a tutoria individual - num tempo semanal – assumido na qualidade de diretora de turma, e o espaço de sala de aula curricular de Físico-Química – em três tempos semanais – da qual a autora do presente trabalho é docente. O projeto de tutoria, sugerido pelo psicólogo que acompanha o aluno, destinou-se à implementação de um Programa de Promoção da Função Cognitiva e de Métodos e Hábitos de Estudo incidindo nos seguintes domínios: componente motivacional, componente comportamental, componente cognitiva, autoconhecimento e autoavaliação, e planeamento de uma metodologia de estudo mais eficaz. Em sala de aula o enfoque esteve na componente motivacional para o estudo da disciplina com o intento de otimizar as funções executivas de Ativação, Foco e Esforço mencionadas por Brown (2009), e na atribuição de significado aos conteúdos estudados para trabalhar a Memória de curto e longo prazo. Para a abordagem dos vários temas utilizaram-se recursos variados procurando respeitar os vários estilos de aprendizagem mas o recurso a objetos e atividades experimentais foram os que se revelaram mais eficazes. No final desta intervenção, a avaliação do período em estudo revelou um aluno mais motivado e participativo na generalidade das disciplinas e especialmente em Físico-Química onde obteve classificações acima da média da turma. PALAVRAS CHAVE: Perturbação de hiperatividade e défice de atenção, inclusão, estratégias de intervenção em sala de aula.

Educação comprometida: vicissitudes de aprendizagem de um grupo de estudantes de uma escola pública na cidade de Campo Maior - Piauí

A educação não pode se caracterizar como sendo algo que estabelece diferenças e prioridades levando-se em consideração as vantagens de grupos de alunos que possuem excelente estrutura familiar, melhores condições de vida e freqüentam escolas particulares, com toda infraestrutura de ensino e dotadas de recursos didáticos avançados em detrimento de uma maioria da população que freqüenta escola pública, recebe ensino de péssima qualidade e ainda tem que trabalhar para sobreviver. Mesmo que sejam questionadas, tais diferenças existem, estão comprovadas e identificadas nos diversos relatórios e dados a respeito da educação e do sistema educacional brasileiro, principalmente os de caráter público. Os reflexos das distorções sociais e das dificuldades de acesso à escola púbica retratam uma realidade cruel acerca de um percentual considerável de alunos que tentam fazer da educação um instrumento de melhoria da qualidade de vida, superação de obstáculos e das dificuldades enfrentadas com a exclusão social, se forem retratados os aspectos sócio-culturais e econômicos. Em um contexto que envolve a realidade educacional dos alunos da Unidade Escolar José Olimpio da Paz, as dificuldades são visíveis, entretanto a superação dos obstáculos e das dificuldades se dá pelo comprometimento dos alunos em participar ativamente do processo ensino-aprendizagem no intuito de melhorarem e aumentarem cada vez mais seus conhecimentos, ao mesmo tempo em que o envolvimento dos professores em promover educação com qualidade, fazendo de sua prática pedagógica um instrumento de luta pelas transformações educacionais, culturais e sociais da comunidade, com foco direcionado para a melhoria da qualidade de vida dos alunos através da educação e da aprendizagem contribui, também e de modo decisivo, para a obtenção de resultados positivos através dos quais todos tenham razões de ganho com o envolvimento compromissado com educação de qualidade.

Learners’ perceptions of being identified as very able: insights from Modern Foreign Languages and Physical Education

While learners’ attitudes to Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) and to Physical Education (PE) in the UK have been widely investigated in previous research, an under-explored area is learners’ feelings about being highly able in these subjects. The present study explored this issue, among 78 learners (aged 12-13) from two schools in England, a Specialist Language College, and a Specialist Sports College. Learners completed a questionnaire exploring their feelings about the prospect of being identified as gifted/talented in these subjects, and their perceptions of the characteristics of highly able learners in MFL and PE. Questionnaires were chosen as the data collection method to encourage more open responses from these young learners than might have been elicited in an interview. While learners were enthusiastic about the idea of being highly able in both subjects, this enthusiasm was more muted for MFL. School specialism was related to learners’ enthusiasm only in the Sports College. Learners expressed fairly stereotypical views of the characteristics of the highly able in MFL and PE. The relevance of these findings for motivation and curriculum design within both subjects is discussed.

Considering heteroglossia in language and development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Countries throughout the sub-Saharan (SSA) region have a complex linguistic heritage having their origins in opportunistic boundary changes effected by Western colonial powers at the Berlin Conference 1884-85. Postcolonial language-in-education policies valorizing ex-colonial languages have contributed at least in part to underachievement in education and thus the underdevelopment of human resources in SSA countries. This situation is not likely to improve whilst unresolved questions concerning the choice of language(s) that would best support social and economic development remain. Whilst policy attempts to develop local languages have been discussed within the framework of the African Union, and some countries have experimented with models of multilingual education during the past decade, the goalposts have already changed as a result of migration and trade. This paper argues that language policy makers need to be cognizant of changing language ecologies and their relationship with emerging linguistic and economic markets. The concept of language, within such a framework, has to be viewed in relation to the multiplicity of language markets within the shifting landscapes of people, culture, economics and the geo-politics of the 21st Century. Whilst, on the one hand, this refers to the hegemony of dominant powerful languages and the social relations of disempowerment, on the other hand, it also refers to existing and evolving social spaces and local language capabilities and choices. Within this framework the article argues that socially constructed dominant macro language markets need to be viewed also in relation to other, self-defined, community meso- and individual micro- language markets and their possibilities for social, economic and political development. It is through pursuing this argument that this article assesses the validity of Omoniyi’s argument in this volume, for the need to focus on the concept of language capital within multilingual contexts in the SSA region as compared to Bourdieu’s concept of linguistic capital.  

An illustrative case study of precocious reading ability

This is a longitudinal case study of a child who taught herself to read before she went to school. This case study is drawn from a wider study of a group of precocious readers, all of whom had received no explicit instruction, but who had had positive literacy experiences in their homes. The subject of this study was able to read fluently at the age of 5 years and 4 months. Her reading was at least 5 years ahead of her chronological age and her spelling was 4 years ahead. Her reading speed was also very proficient. Moreover, tests indicated that her pseudoword reading was highly accurate and that she was highly proficient on a series of measures of phonemic awareness. Her performance was also assessed at the ages of 6, 7, and 11 years. She continued to show high levels of ability in all aspects of literacy. This study contrasts with recent case studies on very precocious readers who showed poor levels of phonological awareness and who were unable to spell at an early age.

The experience of the hidden curriculum for autistic girls at mainstream primary schools

This article presents the findings of ethnographic case studies of three girls on the autistic spectrum attending mainstream primary schools and illustrates the difficulties they experience and the ways in which these are often unrecognised. The observations of the girls and subsequent individual interviews with their mothers, class teachers, SENCO’s and ultimately themselves, reveal the personal adjustments the girls make in response to the hidden curriculum and the ways in which these go unnoticed, effectively masking their need for support, and contributing to their underachievement in school. The research also identifies a misunderstanding of autism in girls by some teachers that contributes to a lack of support for their needs, despite their diagnosis. Teachers need to understand how autistic girls present, and how they learn, if they are to recognise the need to illuminate the hidden curriculum. The implications of these findings are that without this awareness autistic girls in mainstream settings are also at risk of limited access to the known curriculum and of social isolation.

Collecting disability data from parents

This article describes the development and national trial of a methodology for collecting disability data directly from parents, enabling schools and local authorities to meet their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA; 2005) to promote equality of opportunity for all children. It illustrates the complexities around collecting this information and also highlights the dangers of assuming that special educational needs (SENs) equate to disability. The parental survey revealed children with medical and mental health needs, but no SENs, who were unknown to schools. It also revealed children with a recorded SEN whose parents did not consider that they had a disability in line with the DDA definition. It identified a number of children whose disability leads to absences from school, making them vulnerable to underachievement. These findings highlight the importance of having appropriate tools with which to collect these data and developing procedures to support their effective use. We also draw attention to the contextual nature of children’s difficulties and the importance of retaining and respecting the place of subjective information. This is central to adopting a definition of disability that hinges on experience or impact.

Ensamhet - gemenskap : Ett spänningsfält i Vilhelm Ekelunds författarskap

For the Swedish poet, essayist and aphorist Vilhelm Ekelund, ensamhet (solitude) and gemenskap (intellectual and spiritual community) were highly complex notions, with various and often contradictory meanings. In this article, I argue that both concepts have positive as well as negative connotations in Ekelund’s texts. Solitude can be sweet and delightful and the poet/writer may long for it, but it can also appear to him as a sordid and painful state. In the same way, life with other people may be just as difficult and complicated. I show that Ekelund as a young poet both embraced solitude as a positive notion and suffered from depressing isolation. The theme of solitude also appeared in his early prose as a heroic stance fitting for an extraordinary person. According to Ekelund, the fate of the truly gifted artist is loneliness, and he will find great difficulties connecting with people around him. In fact, he will find intellectual and spiritual community only when communicating with the great precursors – in Ekelund’s case that meant the prominent figures of Greek and Roman cultural heritage. “Modern” artists interested him only in so much as they openly venerated this classicist tradition. Ekelund may have despaired at the idea of an intellectual or spiritual community with his contemporaries; he was, nevertheless, optimistic regarding the ability of later generations to understand him. He was convinced that he did not write for people in his own time but, indeed, for posterity.

The nature of children's social interactions at school

Interpersonal interactions are important for emotional and psychological wellbeing. One attempt to systematically assess social interactions among gifted children was presented by Manor-Bullock et al. (1995) in their Social Interaction Questionnaire (SIQ). However, no psychometric properties of this scale or the nature of the factors that form students' social interactions have been reported. The aim of this study to ascertain the underlying factor structure of students' social interactions on scores on the SIQ and to compare the responses of children attending a regular school to those in Manor-Bullock et al.'s cohort of gifted children. Two independent factors emerged from the data: social/popular and confident/studious with internal reliability of {alpha} = 0.82 and {alpha} = 0.60 respectively. There were no gender differences on these factors in the current data. Chi square analyses revealed concordance between gifted and regular-school children on seven of 16 comparable items. Discussion of the items demonstrating an association is presented. Confirmation of the current factor structure is necessary and a matched comparison with gifted children is recommended.

Intervening early to reduce developmentally harmful substance use among youth populations

Early-onset or frequent substance use during adolescence increases the risk of developing mental health problems, as well as a range of other adverse outcomes (eg, alcohol or drug dependence, educational underachievement, health problems, social difficulties) during late adolescence and early adulthood.

Increases in rates of risky drinking among young people are particularly concerning, suggesting that an effective, evidence-based alcohol policy and preventive framework needs to be developed.

Restricting the supply of licit and illicit substances to adolescents, delaying the age that licit substances can be legally purchased, reducing positive media portrayals of substance use, and banning targeted promotions, should be universal, public prevention priorities.

Mass-media campaigns need to deliver coherent and credible evidence-based messages to young people, utilising a broad array of dissemination strategies.

Clear policy and guidelines for parents regarding appropriate alcohol use for adolescents also need to be developed.

Prevention programs should target children and adolescents in families with parents who use drugs, young people who have been suspended from school, or those with mental health problems.

Preventive screening and targeted brief interventions can be effectively delivered in a variety of settings by a range of health professionals.

The right tool for the job? Use of the multiple intelligences and Bloom's taxonomy grid

This article explores the tacit understanding of teachers in the field of gifted educational practices after their participation in gifted education professional development. The data for this article are drawn from a single-case qualitative study where semi-structured interviews were held with teachers, administrators and support staff in a metropolitan Victorian primary school. The findings lead to two main arguments: first, that some teachers preserved their deeply entrenched beliefs and assumptions about the gifted, the talented and intelligence[s]; and second, that teachers, without critical examination, eagerly adopted and adapted Gardner's Multiple Intelligences theory, overlaid with Bloom's Revised Taxonomy of Thinking as a means for addressing individual differences in the classroom. The article argues that teachers welcomed the Gardner/Bloom matrix for its 'tick-the-box' simplicity, with little insight into the theoretical models. Whilst the matrix had an immediate value in the mixed ability classrooms, in the long term it did not support the learning needs of gifted students. [Author abstract]

Pretend play and maternal scaffolding : comparisons of toddlers with advanced development, typical development, and hearing impairment

This study used measures of pretend play and maternal scaffolding to explore and compare the early development of deaf children, typically developing children, and children showing advanced intellectual development. Marked differences were found among the groups in both play development and characteristics of mother-child interactions. In particular, children who scored above 130 IQ at four years of age were found, as toddlers, to have demonstrated significantly advanced pretend play. In addition, the mothers of the high IQ children engaged in scaffolding behaviors involving higher stages of pretend transformations, verbal analogies and world links. The findings are discussed in relation to children's learning in Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, as well as possible implications for future research on early gifted development.

Mother and toddler activity in the zone of proximal development for pretend play as a predictor of higher child IQ

This study investigated the pretend play of mother—toddler dyads in relation to later child IQ. Twenty-one toddlers were videotaped in monthly play sessions with their mothers, from age 8 to 17 months, and later assessed at 5 years of age on the Stanford-Binet IV. Children's and mothers' pretend play levels and frequencies were measured using Brown's (1997) Pretend Play Observation Scale. Dyadic play activity was analyzed using the conceptual frameworks of scaffolding and Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Toddlers later assessed as having higher IQ demonstrated more rapid learning in the ZPD for pretend play and experienced earlier maternal transfer of responsibility for play. These findings support other evidence on the differential early development of high ability or gifted children and the role of caregiver interactions in that development.

Putting the Research to Use: This study provides evidence that gifted children show differential development, in this case more rapid learning, from the first year of life. It also demonstrates how responsive parental interactions can support this advanced development. For family and professional caregivers, the findings imply that optimum caregiving for the young gifted child involves interactions that are both responsive to individual potential and appropriately challenging. In regard to the methodological challenges of researching early giftedness, the study demonstrated that the constructs of the ZPD and scaffolding were useful frameworks for investigating early gifted development and caregiver influences on that development. Pretend play activity was also shown to be an effective measure and a useful context for the study of gifted development in infants and toddlers. It would be valuable for future researchers in this area to utilize similar approaches that are grounded in the unique developmental characteristics of young children, and that aim to account for the interactive contexts that are so important in children's lives. The field of gifted education, in general, would also benefit from an increased awareness and exploration of the role of play in the development of intellect, imagination and creativity.