Effective learning, joint university programs

and transformative activity

Maria Serena Veggetti   

 

Referring in the introduction to the need for new professionals in education, across the present day changing societies, the author focuses on the relevance of Cultural-historical psychology and Activity-theory-approach for education and instruction. In the social and collective experience generative of the higher, human, levels of psychic functioning, conceptualized by Vygotskij (1926), they attain a more effective human learning. The joint Master-degree programs in Pedagogy among Universities of Russia, where a new basic historical cultural instruction is provided, and Sapienza University of Rome, the author observes due to her direct experience, predispose promising, enhancing, cooperation among multiethnic and multicultural societies, aimed at this.Concluding the article, the international collaborations at the level of universities are presented as meaningful ways, for predisposing a comparison of the general systems of evaluation in psychology, the general research tools and procedures and the formation of professionals in education.

 

 

Cyberbully and cybervictim representations

in the Italian adolescents: an exploratory study

Maria Assunta Zanetti, Mirian Agus, Maria Lidia Mascia, Vanessa Spiga, Maria Pietronilla Penna

 

In today’s hyper-technological society, characterized by an increasing possibility of constant connections, children are exposed early to the use of new technologies that they use to express themselves and to relate with the others. The lack of adequate preparation for the correct use of these instruments, however, exposes children to considerable risks: interpersonal relationships, in fact, are distorted to the point that the virtual dimension often has the same value as reality or merges with it in a complementary way. An increase in instances of cyberbullying is a direct consequence, and these events have a significant effect on the well-being of individuals.

The present study investigated perception of the roles of the cyberbully and the cybervictim in a sample of adolescents aged between twelve and fifteen years, residents in Sardinia and Veneto, through a questionnaire consisting of 48 items.

The results show diverse representations of the cyberbully and cybervictim; some express a strong concern about the spread of the phenomenon, while others appear indifferent. This diversity can be explained both in relation to the wider socio-cultural context and to direct individualistic experience.

The dimensions identified confirm the paradigms identified in the literature, thus enabling us to trace profiles differentiated on the basis of this phenomenon. Gender differences identified in the victims, along with the characterizations linked to the apparent circularity of the phenomenon, confirm the distinctiveness of the role of the cyberbully.

 

 

Well-being at school to stay at school

A research activity in VET schools in Tuscany

Silvia Panzavolta, Chiara Laici

 

This paper describes the first year of a three-year research activity coordinated by INDIRE and aimed at identifying innovative organizational and teaching models that could be used to decrease early school leaving (ESL) rates and to improve students’ achievement. The research activity was carried out in some Tuscan VET schools by using the case study methodology. It takes into account some dimensions that researchers think might correlate with ESL. Each dimension has been analysed before and after a specific teacher training course on active learning with ICT was delivered, potentially useful to improve students’ engagement. In this paper, the authors present the results of the standardized tests administered to students pre- and post-teacher training activities.

 

 

An exploratory study on parental reminiscing practice

in preschool and school children

Laura Guidotti, Paola Corsano         

 

Literature shows that the reminiscing, a conversation between parent and child on shared events, promotes cognitive and emotional skills. However, the practice of parental reminiscing and the meaning that parents give to it have not been sufficiently studied. This exploratory study investigates how often parents do reminiscing with their children and which functions of it they consider relevant. Sixty-three parents of preschool and schoolchildren completed the Caregiver Child Reminiscence Scale. The results show that reminiscing is a common conversational activity in the parent-child dyads, and that parents consider relevant mainly some functions of reminiscing, such as behavioral control, emotion regulation and teaching/problem solving. Cognitive function is considered significantly less important. The educational implications of these results are discussed.

 

 

Adolescents and school: motivation, school wellbeing

and intention to drop out school

Maria Giulia Olivari, Gaia Cuccì, Eleonora Mascheroni

 

This study examines school wellbeing in a sample of 163 students enrolled in the first class of three different Italian high school in order to evaluate: the level of school wellbeing; the relationship between school wellbeing and school performance; if motivation, learning strategies, school wellbeing and school performance play a role in the student’s choice of leaving school. Results shows that motivation and learning strategies are linked to: school wellbeing in terms of satisfaction/recognition, relationship with teachers, and school performance. Intrinsic value, self-efficacy and relationship with teachers act as protective factors toward the decision of leaving school, on the contrary test anxiety appear to predict this choice.

 

 

Promoting soft skills in school: an action research

Valentina Ceriali, Luisa Molinari      

 

The article describes an action research carried out in three Italian high schools. It was carried out with focus group discussions centred on the definition of soft skills, the identification of observable behavioural descriptors of such skills and the description of educational actions able to promote them in school. The findings revealed that teachers and students agree about the importance of personal and relational competences, which are observable in the student behaviour in school and can be promoted through interactive and innovative activities. We also highlighted some differences in teachers’ and students’ points of view: according to the students, school often does not achieve the aim of bringing young people to the understanding of contemporary reality, while teachers emphasized the difficulty of reconciling the ministerial goals with school spaces and students’ rhythms, wishes and attitudes.

 

 

Resources and difficulties in children and adolescents

with LD. A comparison between teachers and parents

Silvia Falcone, Elisabetta Raniti, Ilaria Buonomo 

 

The study analyzed the internalizing and externalizing problems in a group of students with learning disabilities (LD) taking into account their school adjustment. Furthermore, teachers/parents agreement on students' problems was investigated as well. Participants were parents and teachers of 28 students (F=20) aged 7 to 17 years old (M=11.36; DS=2.97). Parents evaluated students’ functioning with the Child Behavior CheckList 6-18 (CBCL 6-18, Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001), while teachers with the Teacher Report Form 6-18 (TRF 6-18, Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001). School adjustment was a protective factor for internalizing (β=-.526, p<.01) and externalizing (β=-.510, p<.05) problems. Moreover, parents and teachers reached a better agreement when considering externalizing problems (.029<k<.274) than internalizing ones (.222<k<.455). Implications about wellbeing promotion of students with LD are discussed.