Portable School Stop Signs and Other Non-Uniform School Stop Control Devices, HR-190, 1978

Portable (roll-out) stop signs are used at school crossings in over 300 cities in Iowa. Their use conforms to the Code of Iowa, although it is not consistent with the provisions of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices adopted for nationwide application. A survey indicated that most users in Iowa believe that portable stop signs provide effective protection at school crossings, and favor their continued use. Other non-uniform signs that fold or rotate to display a STOP message only during certain hours are used at school crossings in over 60 cities in Iowa. Their use does not conform to either the Code of Iowa or the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Users of these devices also tend to favor their continued use. A survey of other states indicated that use of temporary devices similar to those used in Iowa is not generally sanctioned. Some unsanctioned use apparently occurs in several states, however. A different type of portable stop sign for school crossings is authorized and widely used in one state. Portable stop signs similar to those used in Iowa are authorized in another state, although their use is quite limited. A few reports in the literature reviewed for this research discussed the use of portable stop signs. The authors of these reports uniformly recommended against the use of portable or temporary traffic control devices. Various reasons for this recommendation were given, although data to support the recommendation were not offered. As part of this research, field surveys were conducted at 54 locations in 33 communities where temporary stop control devices were in use at school crossings. Research personnel observed the obedience to stop control and measured the vehicular delay incurred. Stopped delay averaged 1.89 seconds/entering vehicle. Only 36.6 percent of the vehicles were observed to come to a complete stop at the study locations controlled by temporary stop control devices. However, this level of obedience does not differ from that observed at intersections controlled by permanent stop signs. Accident experience was compiled for 76 intersections in 33 communities in Iowa where temporary stop signs were used and, for comparative purposes, at 76 comparable intersections having other forms of control or operating without stop control. There were no significant differences in accident experience An economic analysis of vehicle operating costs, delay costs, and other costs indicated that temporary stop control generated costs only about 12 percent as great as permanent stop control for a street having a school crossing. Midblock pedestrian-actuated signals were shown to be cost effective in comparison with temporary stop signs under the conditions of use assumed. Such signals could be used effectively at a number of locations where temporary stop signs are being used. The results of this research do not provide a basis for recommending that use of portable stop signs be prohibited. However, erratic patterns of use of these devices and inadequate designs suggest that improved standards for their use are needed. Accordingly, nine recommendations are presented to enhance the efficiency of vehicular flow at school crossings, without causing a decline in the level of pedestrian protection being afforded.

Quins són els factors que incrementen la motivació dels alumnes a les classes d'educació física?

L‟objectiu de l‟estudi és observar els diferents factors que fan incrementar la motivació dels alumnes a les classes d‟Educació Física. Aquesta recerca té com a finalitat descriure i interpretar el clima motivacional que envolta les sessions d‟Educació Física mitjançant l‟estudi de dos mestres de l‟especialitat. L‟estudi es centra en l‟observació de les diferents estratègies que utilitzen els docents per afavorir el clima motivacional a les sessions d‟Educació Física en els cursos de segon i tercer d‟Educació Primària. Aquesta recerca té com a base teòrica l‟estudi realitzat prèviament per diferents autors, com per exemple, Cecchini (2002), Cervelló (2005) i Pascual (2011). Paraules clau: Motivació, Educació Física, clima motivacional, entusiasme del docent, tasca, l‟autoritat del docent, el reconeixement del docent, grups de treball, l‟avaluació i el temps de treball.

Youths carrying a weapon or using a weapon in a fight: what makes the difference?

The objective of this study was to characterize weapon-carrying adolescents and to assess whether weapon carriers differ from weapon users. Data were drawn from a cross-sectional school-based survey of 7548 adolescents aged 16-20 years in Switzerland. Youths carrying a weapon were compared with those who do not. Subsequently, weapon carriers were divided into those who had used it in a fight and those who had not. Individual, family, school and social factors were analyzed using bivariate and stepwise multivariate analysis. For both genders, delinquent behavior and being victim of physical violence were associated with weapon carrying. For males, quarreling while intoxicated, being an apprentice, being sensation seekers, having a tattoo, having a poor relationship with parents and practicing unsafe sex were also related to weapon carrying. Compared with weapon carriers, female weapon users were more likely to be regular smokers. Male weapon users were foreign born, urban and apprentices; had poor school connectedness; practiced unsafe sex and quarreled while intoxicated. Carrying a weapon is a relatively frequent behavior among youths in Switzerland and a sizeable proportion of weapon carriers have used it in a fight. Weapon carrying should be part of the clinical assessment and preventive counseling of adolescents. Preventive programs specific for at-risk youth groups need to be developed.

Body image perception and weight-related behaviour among adolescents of the Seychelles

Background: We examined one's own body image perception and its association with reported weight-related behavior among adolescents of a rapidly developing country in the African region. Methods: We conducted a school-based survey of 1432 students aged 11-17 years in the Seychelles. Weight and height were measured, and thinness, normal weight and overweight were assessed along standard criteria. A self-administered and anonymous questionnaire was administered. Perception of body image was assessed using both a closed-ended question (CEQ) and the Stunkard's pictorial silhouettes (SPS). Finally, a question assessed voluntary attempts to change weight. Results: Overall, 14.1% of the students were thin, 63.9% were normal-weight, and 22.0% were overweight or obese. There was fair agreement between actual weight status and self-perceived body image based on either CEQ or SPS. However, a substantial proportion of the overweight students did not consider themselves as overweight (SPS: 24%, CEQ: 34%) and, inversely, a substantial proportion of the normal-weight students considered themselves as too thin (SPS: 29%, CEQ: 15%). Among the overweight students, an adequate attempt to lose weight was reported more often by boys and girls who perceived themselves as overweight vs. not overweight (72-88% vs. 40-71%, p <0.05 for most comparisons). Among the normal-weight students, an inadequate attempt to gain weight was reported more often by boys and girls who perceived themselves as thin vs. not thin (27-68% vs. 11-19%, p <0.05). Girls had leaner own body ideals than boys. Conclusions: We found that substantial proportions of overweight students did not perceive themselves as overweight and/or did not want to lose weight and, inversely, that many normalweight students perceived themselves as too thin and/or wanted to gain weight: this points to forces that can drive the upwards overweight trends. Appropriate perception of one's weight was associated with adequate weight-control behavior, although not strongly, emphasizing that appropriate weight perception is only one of several factors driving adequate weight-related behavior. These findings emphasize the need to address appropriate perception of one's own weight and adequate weight-related behavior in adolescents for both individual and community weight-related interventions.

Com conceben els infants els fenòmens meteorològics

En aquest projecte es reflexiona sobre la capacitat dels infants per aprendre ciències des del parvulari, i la possibilitat de l’escola d’iniciar-los en temes complexos com són els fenòmens meteorològics. És positiu que els docents s’interessin per conèixer les teories intuïtives dels seus alumnes abans d’introduir nous temes de ciències, d’aquesta manera aquests es podran abordar més efectivament i per tant serà més senzill fer-ne evolucionar les seves idees inicials, acostant-los a un model més aproximat amb la ciència. L’estudi, que es basa en les idees d’infants de 4 a 7 anys, es fonamenta amb un recull de dades reals a través d’entrevistes relacionades amb els fenòmens de la pluja, la neu i la boira. D’aquesta manera, s’analitzen les teories dels infants que expressen a través dels conceptes intuïtius que han anat creant i dels conceptes introduïts durant la seva estada a l’escola. La recerca finalitza amb unes conclusions en què es reflexiona sobre la possibilitat d’aprenentatge dels infants en relació als fenòmens meteorològics que els envolten.

Lukion opettajien ääni - Aineenopettajien käsityksiä muutoksista ja visioista lukiossa

Tulevaisuusorientaatio on tullut entistä tärkeämmäksi myös koulumaailmassa johtuen yhteiskunnassa nopeasti eteen tulevista muutoksista. On myös esitetty epäilyjä, että tulevaisuuteen reagoimisessa heikoin tilanne olisikin juuri kuntatason päätöksenteossa. Ymmärrys ja tieto opettajan työstä nimenomaan opettajan omasta perspektiivistä tarkasteltuna mahdollistavat lähtökohdan ja edellytykset todelliselle koulun uudistamiselle. Peruskysymys, johon tässä tutkimuksessa etsittiin vastausta oli: Millaisia ovat lukion aineenopettajien käsitykset lukion muutosprosesseista ja miten he visioivat oman lukionsa ja yleensä lukioiden tulevaisuutta? Aineiston keruu osui ajankohtaan, joka oli hyvin otollinen tulevaisuuden tarkasteluun, sillä uusi opetussuunnitelma otettiin käyttöön kaikissa Suomen lukioissa viimeistään lukuvuonna 2005-2006. Tutkimuksessa oli mukana kaksi hyvin erilaista lukiota Länsi-Suomen läänistä eli pieni maaseudun lukio ja hyvin suuri kaupunkilukio. Tutkimusaineiston keruu eteni kaksivaiheisesti: informoitu kysely ja teemahaastattelu. Tutkimusjoukon suuruus oli yhteensä 20, joista puolet oli miehiä ja puolet naisia. Aineenopettajien käsityksiä muutoksista ja visioista tutkittiin fenomenografisen tutkimusotteen avulla. Fenomenografiassa kiinnostuksen kohteena ovat ihmisten erilaiset käsitykset todellisuudesta ja näin saatava ymmärrys tavoista, joilla ihmiset kokevat tilanteita ja maailmaa. Organisaation muutosprosesseja voidaan kutsua myös oppimiseksi. Tutkimuksen oppivan organisaation näkökulmat perustuivat juuri yhteistyössä tapahtuvaan yhteisen toiminnan kehittämiseen. Aineenopettajien käsityksiä työyhteisöstään tarkasteltiin seuraavista oppivan organisaatiomallin näkökulmista: vuorovaikutus, päätöksenteko sekä rehtorin ja aineenopettajan rooli ja asema työyhteisössä. Aineenopettajien keskeisimmät käsitykset muutoksista lukiossa viime vuosina kohdistuivat aineenopettajan ammattirooliin ja lukio-opiskelijaan sekä opiskelijalta vaadittaviin lukio-opintoihin. Muutokset ammattiroolissa korostavat tutkimustulosten perusteella aineenopettajilta vaadittavia muitakin kuin opetettavien aineiden hallintataitoja. Suoranaista ammattitaidon puutetta opettajat kokivat varsinkin ryhmänohjaustehtävien yhteydessä, osittain myös uusien oppimisympäristöjen, esimerkiksi verkkopedagogisten taitojen, yhteydessä. Opettajien lisäkoulutuksen tarve koetaan konkreettisena, mutta sekä koulutusten sisältöihin, järjestelyihin ja ajankohtiin että koulun sijais- ym. järjestelyihin kaivattaisiin parannuksia. Verrattuna aikaisempiin tutkimuksiin näyttäisi siltä, että luokaton lukio on saanut opettajat enenevässä määrin huolestumaan opiskelijoiden syrjäytymisriskistä ja hyvinvoinnista. Opiskelijoiden syrjäytymisriskin kasvu lukio-opintojen aikana nouseekin yhdeksi lukion pessimistiseksi skenaarioksi. Muista pessimistisistä skenaarioista lukiolle, jotka saattoi johtaa tutkimustuloksista, voidaan mainita työyhteisön demokratiavajeen syveneminen sekä opetussuunnitelmasisältöjen ja ylioppilastutkintovaatimusten välisen kuilun syveneminen. Aineenopettajien käsitykset oman lukionsa visioista olivat sisällöiltään pääosin välineellisiä ja ne kohdentuivat kaikki opiskelijoihin. Esimerkiksi työyhteisöllisiä kehittämisajatuksia ei visioissa ilmennyt. Myöskään visioinnin dynaamisuus ei aineistossa korostunut. Aineenopettajien käsitykset visioiden arvopohjasta heijastivat perinteistä suomalaista arvomaailmaa eli itsekuria, velvollisuudentuntoa, kuuliaisuutta esivaltaa kohtaan ja perinteisten arvojen kunnioittamista. Sen sijaan antiikista perityviä Sokrateen edustamia keskustelua ja auktoriteettien kyseenalaistamista ei arvoissa ilmennyt, eikä myöskään uusliberalistista individualismia. Käsitykset visioiden synnystä näyttävät parhaiten selittävän opettajan muita käsityksiä liittyen visioon, visiointiin ja työyhteisöllisiin vaikutusmahdollisuuksiin sekä opettajan tulevaisuusorientoitumiseen.. Käsitykset vision syntytaustasta voidaan jakaa seuraaviin pää- ja alakategorioihin: 1. auktoriteettikeskeinen visiointi: johdon linjaus tai valtakunnallinen linjaus, 2. yhteisökeskeinen visiointi: yhteisöllinen linjaus tai toiminnallinen linjaus ja 3. yksilökeskeinen visiointi. Pessimistisimmiksi eli vähiten tulevaisuusorientoituneiksi opettajiksi työyhteisössä osoittautuivat ne opettajat, jotka pitivät oman lukionsa visiota koulun johdon sanelemana. Monet teoriat oppivasta organisaatiosta korostavat johtajuuden merkitystä työyhteisöä kehitettäessä. Johtajuuden merkitys nousi tämänkin tutkimuksen aineistosta keskeisesti esiin. Pyrkimystä kohti oppivaa organisaatiota opettajien puheista löytyy paljonkin, esimerkkeinä viittaukset johtajuuden ja vuorovaikutustapojen kehittämistarpeisiin. Sen sijaan opettajien puheet omista työyhteisöllisistä kehittymistarpeistaan, ns. alaistaidot, jäivät vähäisiksi. Tutkimustuloksista on luotu sovellusmalli kouluyhteisöjen visioinnin ja muun kehittämistyön tueksi.

Cooking and Active Leisure TAS Program, Spain: A Program Impact Pathways (PIP) analysis

Background. The “Cooking and Active Leisure” Tu y Alícia por la Salud (CAL-TAS) Program is a schoolbased pilot that addresses healthy lifestyle needs of Spanish secondary school students with initiatives that research has proven to improve dietary and physical activity behaviors. Objective. The objectives were to perform a Program Impact Pathways (PIP) analysis to describe key activities and processes of the CAL-TAS Program, identify Critical Quality Control Points (CCPs), and identify a suite of common indicators of healthy lifestyles to be applied across participant schools. Methods. The CAL-TAS Program designers and implementation team developed this PIP analysis through an iterative process and presented the results for feedback at the seven-country Healthy Lifestyles Program Evaluation Workshop held in Granada, Spain, 13–14 September 2013, under the auspices of the Mondelēz International Foundation. Results. The team identified three PIP CCPs: teachers’ motivation and training, changes in students’ knowledge of healthy lifestyles, and changes in students’ healthy lifestyle behavior. The selected indicators of the program’s impact on healthy lifestyles are adequacy of food intake, level of knowledge of healthy lifestyles gained, and adequacy of physical activity level according to World Health Organization recommendations. A clear definition of impact indicators, as well as collection of accurate data on healthy lifestyle behaviors and knowledge, is essential to understanding the effectiveness of this program before it can be scaled up. Conclusions. CAL-TAS is an effective secondary school-based program encouraging healthy lifestyles. The PIP analysis was instrumental in identifying CCPs to sustain and improve the quality of the program. The team hopes to sustain and improve the program through these program evaluation recommendations.

The Transformation of Practical Teaching Focusing on Dialogic Learning

This study investigates the transformation of practical teaching in a Catalan school, connected to the design, implementation and development of project-based learning, and focusing on dialogic learning to investigate its limits and possibilities. Qualitative and design-based research (DBR) methods are applied. These methods are based on empirical educational research with the theory-driven of learning environments. DBR is proposed and applied using practical guidance for the teachers of the school. It can be associated with the current proposals for Embedding Social Sciences and Humanities in the Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges. This position statement defends the social sciences and the humanities as the most fundamental and important ideas to face all societal challenges. The results of this study show that before the training process, teachers apply dialogic learning in specific moments (for example, when they speak about the weekend); however, during the process and after the process, they work systematically with dialogic learning through the PEPT: they start and finish every activity with a individual and group reflection about their own processes, favouring motivation, reasoning and the implication of all the participants. These results prove that progressive transformations of teaching practice benefit cooperative work in class

A pesquisa em Ensino de Química como área estratégica para o desenvolvimento da Química

This paper presents an overview of the development of chemical education as a research area and some of its contributions to society. Although science education is a relatively recent area of research, it went through an expressive development in the last decades. As in the whole world, in Brazil also such development is attested by the expressive number of scientific societies, specialized journals, and meetings with growing attendance in the areas of science education in general and chemical education in particular. Following are the main contributions of research in science education related to chemistry teaching: adoption of teaching-learning principles in chemistry education; contextualization of chemical knowledge; interdisciplinary approach to chemistry teaching; use of the history of science for the definition of contents and for the design of curricula and teaching tools; development of specific disciplines for the initial and in-service training of chemistry teachers; publication of innovative chemistry textbooks by university-based research groups; elaboration of official guidelines for high-school level; and evaluation of chemistry textbooks to be distributed to high-school students by the Brazilian government. In spite of a positive impact of such initiatives, science education in Brazil still faces many problems, as indicated by poor results in international evaluations (such as the Program for International Student Assessment). However, changes in such a scenario depend less on the research in chemical education than on the much-needed governmental initiatives aiming at the improvement of both attractiveness of teaching career and structural conditions of public schools. In conclusion, new government investments in education are necessary for continuing the development of chemistry; moreover, scientific societies and decision makers in educational policies should take into consideration the contributions originated from the chemical education research area.

Parallella, dynamiska representationer i gymnasiefysiken : implementering av ett interaktivt datorverktyg i didaktiska situationer och uppfattning av effektivt lärande

The computer is a useful tool in the teaching of upper secondary school physics, and should not have a subordinate role in students' learning process. However, computers and computer-based tools are often not available when they could serve their purpose best in the ongoing teaching. Another problem is the fact that commercially available tools are not usable in the way the teacher wants. The aim of this thesis was to try out a novel teaching scenario in a complicated subject in physics, electrodynamics. The didactic engineering of the thesis consisted of developing a computer-based simulation and training material, implementing the tool in physics teaching and investigating its effectiveness in the learning process. The design-based research method, didactic engineering (Artigue, 1994), which is based on the theoryof didactical situations (Brousseau, 1997), was used as a frame of reference for the design of this type of teaching product. In designing the simulation tool a general spreadsheet program was used. The design was based on parallel, dynamic representations of the physics behind the function of an AC series circuit in both graphical and numerical form. The tool, which was furnished with possibilities to control the representations in an interactive way, was hypothesized to activate the students and promote the effectiveness of their learning. An effect variable was constructed in order to measure the students' and teachers' conceptions of learning effectiveness. The empirical study was twofold. Twelve physics students, who attended a course in electrodynamics in an upper secondary school, participated in a class experiment with the computer-based tool implemented in three modes of didactical situations: practice, concept introduction and assessment. The main goal of the didactical situations was to have students solve problems and study the function of AC series circuits, taking responsibility for theirown learning process. In the teacher study eighteen Swedish speaking physics teachers evaluated the didactic potential of the computer-based tool and the accompanying paper-based material without using them in their physics teaching. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using questionnaires, observations and interviews. The result of the studies showed that both the group of students and the teachers had generally positive conceptions of learning effectiveness. The students' conceptions were more positive in the practice situation than in the concept introduction situation, a setting that was more explorative. However, it turned out that the students' conceptions were also positive in the more complex assessment situation. This had not been hypothesized. A deeper analysis of data from observations and interviews showed that one of the students in each pair was more active than the other, taking more initiative and more responsibilityfor the student-student and student-computer interaction. These active studentshad strong, positive conceptions of learning effectiveness in each of the threedidactical situations. The group of less active students had a weak but positive conception in the first iv two situations, but a negative conception in the assessment situation, thus corroborating the hypothesis ad hoc. The teacher study revealed that computers were seldom used in physics teaching and that computer programs were in short supply. The use of a computer was considered time-consuming. As long as physics teaching with computer-based tools has to take place in special computer rooms, the use of such tools will remain limited. The affordance is enhanced when the physical dimensions as well as the performance of the computer are optimised. As a consequence, the computer then becomes a real learning tool for each pair of students, smoothly integrated into the ongoing teaching in the same space where teaching normally takes place. With more interactive support from the teacher, the computer-based parallel, dynamic representations will be efficient in promoting the learning process of the students with focus on qualitative reasoning - an often neglected part of the learning process of the students in upper secondary school physics.

Kasvatus on kasvamaan saattamista. Kasvatusfilosofinen tutkimus J. A. Hollon sivistyskasvatusajattelusta

Tutkimukseni käsittelee J. A. Hollon (1885–1967) sivistyskasvatusajattelua. Hollo oli monitoiminen kulttuurivaikuttaja, joka toimi kriitikkona, kirjailijana, suomentajana ja kasvatustieteilijänä. Häntä voidaan pitää J. V. Snellmanin rinnalla yhtenä merkittävimpänä suomalaisena kasvatusajattelijana. Hänen kasvatusajattelustaan ei ole kuitenkaan aiemmin tehty väitöskirjatason tutkimusta. Tutkimuskysymykseni ovat seuraavat: 1. Millainen on Hollon näkemys kasvatuksesta, kasvatuksen maailmasta ja kasvatuksen teoriasta? 2. Mikä on Hollon käsitys kasvattajan ja kasvatettavan merkityksestä kasvatustapahtumassa? 3. Mitä asioita sisältyy sivistyskasvatuksen eli kasvamaan saattamisen elementteihin? Tutkimukseni on kasvatusfilosofinen. Tutkimusmenetelmäni on systemaattinen analyysi ja lähestymistapani on hermeneuttinen. Tutkimukseni pääaineistona ovat Hollon kasvatusta koskevat kirjoitukset, joista tärkeimmät ovat Mielikuvitus ja sen kasvattaminen I-II (1918, 1919), Kasvatuksen maailma (1927), Kasvatuksen teoria (1927) ja Itsekasvatus ja elämisen taito (1931). Hollon mukaan kasvatuksen maailma on suhteellisen itsenäinen elämänmuoto (Lebensform), jolla on oma ontologinen erityislaatunsa, so. sui generis. Kasvatusoppia ei pidä redusoida psykologiaan tai filosofiaan, koska sillä tavoin se menettää tieteellisen itsenäisyytensä. Hollon mielestä kasvatuksen teoria on teoria käytäntöä varten. Kasvatuksen teorian luomisessa tulee ottaa huomioon kasvatuksen maailman erityispiirteenä oleva kokonaisvaltainen näkökulma ja elämän palvelemisen päämäärä. Kasvattaminen on aina myös eettistä toimintaa. Kasvatuksen tavoitteena on hyvä elämä. Hollon mukaan kasvattajan tehtävä on luoda kasvatettavalleen eheä sivistyksellinen perusta. Tämä voi tapahtua vain laaja-alaisen sivistyskasvatuksen avulla, jonka runkona on antiikin humanistinen sivistysperinne. Sivistyskasvatukseen kuuluvat älyllinen, eettinen, uskonnollinen, esteettinen ja toiminnallinen kasvatus. Mielikuvituksen avulla kasvattaja voi yhdistää kasvatuksen osa-alueet eheäksi kokonaisuudeksi. Ilman mielikuvitusta erilaiset ilmiöt olisivat pirstaleisina, toisistaan erillisinä osina ihmisen mielessä. Opettajan persoona on merkittävä tekijä kasvatuksessa. Se tulee ottaa huomioon opettajankoulutuksen eli kasvattajan kasvattamisen valinnoissa. Opettaja-kasvattajan on tärkeää opiskella laajasti humanistisia opintoja, koska kasvatuksessa on kysymys ihmisestä. Ennen kaikkea kasvattajan eettistä ja esteettistä kykyä tulee harjoituttaa. Näin hän oppii käyttämään mielikuvitustaan kasvatustapahtumassa siten, että hän tulee kasvatuksellisesti näkeväksi kasvamaan saattajaksi, joka ymmärtää sen, mikä kussakin tilanteessa vaatii erityistä huomiota. Tutkimukseni osoittaa, että Hollon henkitieteellinen ja fenomenologis-hermeneuttinen kasvatusnäkemys ei ole vain vastaparadigma empiiriselle kasvatustieteelle, vaan myös nykyajan teknis-taloudelliselle eetokselle, joka yhtäältä uhkaa välineellistää kasvatuksen ja toisaalta väärällä tavoin tieteellistää kasvatuksen tutkimuksen. Tämän takia kasvatusoppi kysymyksineen uhkaa siirtyä kasvatuskeskustelussa syrjemmälle, jopa hävitä kokonaan. Kasvatuksen ja kasvatuksen tutkimuksen vaarana on niiden liiallinen sitouttaminen tuotantoelämän jatkeeksi, minkä seurauksena on ihmisyyden toteuttamisen vaikeutuminen. Tutkimuksen lopuksi esitän ideaalikoulunäkemykseni, joka perustuu osittain Hollon kasvatusnäkemykseen. Hollon näkemys on yhä ajankohtainen ja merkittävä kontribuutio kasvatusta, sen teoriaa ja käytäntöä koskevaan keskusteluun.

Changing teachers´ practices in regular schools enrolling children with visual impairment

The number of persons with visual impairment in Tanzania is estimated to over 1.6 million. About half a million of these persons are children aged 7-13. Only about 1% of these children are enrolled in schools. The special schools and units are too few and in most cases they are far away from the children’s homes. More and more regular schools are enrolling children with visual impairment, but the schools lack financial resources, tactile teaching materials and trained special education teachers. Children with visual impairment enrolled in regular schools seldom get enough support and often fail in examinations. The general aim of this study was to contribute to increased knowledge and understanding about how teachers can change their teaching practices and thus facilitate the learning of children with visual impairment included in regular classrooms as they participate in an action research project. The project was conducted in a primary school in a poor rural region with a high frequency of blindness and visual impairment. The school was poorly resourced and the average number of pupils per class was 90. The teachers who participated in the collaborative action research project were the 14 teachers who taught blind or visually impaired pupils in grades 4 and 6, in total 6 pupils. The action research project was conducted during a period of 6 months and was carried out in five cycles. The teachers were actively involved in all the project activities; identifying challenges, planning solutions, producing teaching materials, reflecting on outcomes, collaborating and evaluating. Empirical data was collected with questionnaires, interviews, observations and focus group discussions. The findings of the study show that the teachers managed to change their teaching practices through systematic reflection, analysis and collaboration. The teachers produced a variety of tactile teaching materials, which facilitated the learning of the pupils with visual impairment. The pupils learned better and felt more included in the regular classes. The teachers gained new knowledge and skills. They grew professionally and started to collaborate with each other. The study contributes to new knowledge of how collaborative action research can be conducted in the area of special education in a Tanzanian school context. The study has also relevance to the planning of school-based professional development programs and teacher education programs in Tanzania and in other low-income countries. The results also point at strategies which can promote inclusion of children with disabilities in regular schools.

Cognitive coaching : a multiple case study /

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the application of Cognitive Coaching as a school-based professional development program to improve instructional thought and decision making as well as to enhance staff perceptions, coUegiality and school culture. This topic emerged from personal and professional issues related to the role ofthe reflective practitioner in improving the quality of education, yet cognizant of the fact that little professional development was available to train teachers to become reflective. This case study, positioned within the interpretive sciences, focused on three teachers and how their experiences with cognitive coaching affected their teaching practices. Their knowledge, understanding and use of the four stages of instructional thought (preactive, interactive, reflective and projective) were tested before and at the end of eight coaching cycles, and again after two months to determine whether they had continued to use the reflective process. They were also assessed on whether their attitude towards peer coaching had changed, whether their feelings about teaching had become more positive and whether their professional dialogue had increased. Three methods of data collection were selected to assess growth: interviews, observations and joumaling. Analysis primarily consisted of coding and organizing data according to emerging themes. Although the professed aim of cognitive coaching was to teach the process in order that the teachers would become self-analytical and self-modifying, this study found that the value of the coaching, after trust had been established in both the coach and the process, was in the dialoguing and the time set aside to do it. Once the coaching stopped providing the time to dialogue, to examine one's meanings and beliefs, so did the critical self-reflection. As a result ofthe cognitive coaching experience though, all participants grew in their feelings of efficacy, craftsmanship, flexibility, consciousness and interdependence. The actual and potential significance ofthis study was discussed according to implications for teacher supervision, professional development, school culture, further areas of research and to my personal growth and development.

The influence of physical activity behaviour on the relationship between motor proficiency and body composition in children

There is an emerging awareness that children with poor motor abilities are at particular risk for overweight. This cross-sectional study examined the influence of physical activity behaviour on the relationship between motor proficiency and body composition. Participants were 1287 (646 males, 641 females) Grade 6 students in the Physical Health Activity Study project. Height, weight, waist girth, and motor proficiency (Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Performance BOTMP-SF) were assessed. Physical activity behaviours were also evaluated with a multifaceted approach and reported for school-based, non-school based physical activity, free-time play, and sedentary activities (Participation Questionnaire), and leisure time exercise (Godin-Shephard Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire GS). Overweight was defined by BMI scores: boys :::20.6-21.2 and <25.1-26.0; girls: ::: 20.7-21.7and <25.4-26.7 and obesity was defined as: boys:::: 25.1-26.0; girls: :::25.4-26.7. Children were classified as case group (CG,::; 10% on BOTMP-SF), borderline case group (BC, > 10% to ::; 20% on BOTMP-SF) or non-case group. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) uncovered a significant difference in overweight and obesity between the case group and non-case group. Normal-weight children reported higher participation in organized school-sports (intra-mural and inter-school teams). The CG reported significantly lower participation in school sports teams and lower GS results, with a trend towards lower participation in all active pursuits. They also reported a significantly higher duration of television watching and book reading. There were no significant differences between motor proficiency groups by gender, age, nonschool sports, or free-time activity. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that the case group was 10.9 times more likely to be overweight/obese than their peers. No single aspect of physical activity was able to explain the difference in odds ratios for the motor proficiency groups. However, for the entire cohort, children who participated in more organized school sports were less likely to be overweight/obese. These findings confirm that children with low motor proficiency are at significant risk of developing overweight. It is evident that these children have generally attenuated activity levels and heightened levels of sedentary pursuits. School-based activities appear particularly limited, and are the one area where children have near autonomy in their decision to pursue active opportunities. The promotion of school-based programs, specifically intramural sports may be an important aspect in increasing children's overall activity levels. It is also essential to consider the needs of those children with low motor proficiency when designing activity promotion programs. Future research should further explore motor proficiency and overweight/obesity.