1,720,964 research outputs found
Pre-service teachers' representations about children's learning: a pilot study
Full text linkBackground: Research on teachers' representations of children's learning is currently ongoing. Social representations are common-sense theories built and shared in everyday interactions. Their analysis can detect the possible differences between teachers’ naïve beliefs and scientific learning theories. Objective: The objective of this pilot study is to analyse the beliefs about children’s learning of a group of teachers. The beliefs will be related to the most acknowledged learning theories. Methods: A mixed methods research was employed to analyse 100 pre-service teachers’ representations of the origins of learning and the psychological processes involved. Results: It emerged from the results that the teachers interviewed consider children’s learning mainly as culturally acquired, which reveals the prevailing constructivist conception of learning. Many pre-service primary school teachers, however, tend to see learning as mere ‘transfer of information’; many pre-service kindergarten teachers perceive learning as ‘behaviour modification’. The most considered psychological aspects are ‘knowledge’ and ‘acquisition’, while emotions are barely considered. Conclusion: Linking implicit theories and disciplinary theories could support pre-service teachers in integrating the theory and the practice of learning so as to understand the way their models influence their educational choices
School Satisfaction and Self-Efficacy in Adolescents and Intention to Drop Out of School
Full text linkSchool dropout is a risky behaviour that is a threat to well-being in adolescence. This study aimed to analyse school satisfaction and self-efficacy in school activities in a sample of adolescents attending secondary school in an Italian region at high risk of school dropout. The objective was to investigate whether differences exist among students on the basis of school dropout intention, gender, and career choices. Another aim was to identify, among the students' satisfaction variables, the main psychosocial predictors of dropout intention. Students (N = 1340) attending secondary schools in Sardinia completed Soresi's questionnaires on life satisfaction and self-efficacy. The data were analysed with a multivariate analysis of variance and logistic regression analysis. The results indicated that students intending to drop out of school scored lower on satisfaction with perceived support and satisfaction with peer and teacher relationships than their peers not at risk of dropping out. The logistic regression analysis showed that the most significant predictors of dropout intention were academic performance, satisfaction with the school experience, satisfaction in the relationships with teachers and with family members, and satisfaction with perceived support (26.9% of model variance). The results of this research thus indicate which areas could be addressed through prevention to improve well-being conditions in education
Psychological Well-Being and Self-Efficacy for Self-Regulated Learning
Full text linkThis study explores psychological well-being in adolescence through a multidimensional perspective using the Adolescent Students’ Basic Psychological Needs at School Scale, derived from the Self-Determination Theory. The ASBPNSS focuses on three basic psychological needs (Competence, Autonomy, and Relatedness) in adolescence and has not yet been used within the school context in Italy. This study’s main objectives are: (1) to validate a preliminary Italian version of the ASBPNSS; (2) to analyze the association between well-being at school and self-efficacy for self-regulated learning; and (3) to verify whether there are differences by gender. A sample of 395 students (mean age = 17.5; SD = 0.75) completed the ASBPNSS and the Self-Efficacy for Self- Regulated Learning Scale. The factorial structure, composite reliability, and gender invariance of the ASBPNSS were examined. Associations between well-being at school and self-efficacy were tested with structural equation models (CFI = 0.935, TLI = 0.925; RMSEA = 0.054). Measures of well-being were associated with school self-efficacy for self-regulated learning, which predicted Competence (beta = 0.639), Relatedness (beta = 0.350), and Autonomy (beta = 0.309). These relationships were invariant over gender, although girls reported lower latent means in the Relatedness factor. This study highlights the importance of promoting school self-efficacy and well-being in adolescence
Relazione medico-bambino e rischio di burnout in pediatria: una ricerca qualitativa
No full textSummary
Background - Numerous studies show that health care providers are at risk of burnout.
Variability linked to the unit in which they work, the presence of chronic and disabling
conditions and excessive contextual demands have been found. Few studies focus on
burnout in paediatric wards.
Objectives - To check for syndromes among doctors that work in the paediatric ward and
analyse the main protection factors.
Materials and methods - A questionnaire designed to reveal signs of burnout, a semi-structured
interview on protective factors against the risk of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization,
and software for the analysis of the content from the interviews. Qualitative
and quantitative survey carried out with doctors working in a paediatric ward (N=12).
Comparison of the levels of burnout with the averages of the Italian normative sample and
analysis of the content from the interviews.
Results - Participants have an average level of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization
and low personal accomplishment at work. No doctor is in full-blown burnout. The protective
factors identified from burnout are organizational, relational and individual. Among
the first factors were: organization at the hospital (efficiency and complexity of the service),
teamwork, relational climate, rationalization of emergency room visits and synergy
with GP paediatricians. Among the relational and individual factors were: relationships
with colleagues, personal space for patients, awareness of working with patients-children
and the love for their job.
Conclusions - The doctors surveyed dwell on the problems of both criticism and resources,
taking into account organizational and relational aspects. Studies confirm that burnout is not
a problem that affects only the individuals but also the broader context in which they work.Background - Numerous studies show that health care providers are at risk of burnout. Variability linked to the unit in which they work, the presence of chronic and disabling conditions and excessive contextual demands have been found. Few studies focus on burnout in paediatric wards.
Objectives -To check for syndromes among doctors that work in the paediatric ward and analyse the main protection factors.
Materials and methods - A questionnaire designed to reveal signs of burnout, a semi-structured interview on protective factors against the risk of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and software for the analysis of the content from the interviews. Qualitative and quantitative survey carried out with doctors working in a paediatric ward (N=12). Comparison of the levels of burnout with the averages of the Italian normative sample and analysis of the content from the interviews.
Results - Participants have an average level of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low personal accomplishment at work. No doctor is in full-blown burnout. The protective factors identified from burnout are organizational, relational and individual. Among the first factors were: organization at the hospital (efficiency and complexity of the service), teamwork, relational climate, rationalization of emergency room visits and synergy with GP paediatricians. Among the relational and individual factors were: relationships with colleagues, personal space for patients, awareness of working with patients-children and the love for their job.
Conclusions - The doctors surveyed dwell on the problems of both criticism and resources, taking into account organizational and relational aspects. Studies confirm that burnout is not a problem that affects only the individuals but also the broader context in which they work
Mentalizing emotions and social cognition in bullies and victims
Full text linkMentalizing is the ability to represent mental states to navigate the social world. A reduced mentalizing ability is a risk factor for a variety of psychological issues. Several studies indicated deficits in social cognition in bullies and victims, specifically in mentalizing anger. However, only a few studies investigated mentalizing abilities related to both anger and happiness in pre-adolescence. Our study investigated possible differences in the ability to mentalize anger and happiness in preadolescent bullies and victims, compared to a control group. We interviewed 104 preadolescents (44% males; 56% females; M = 13.2 years; SD = 0.82) and administered the Olweus Questionnaire to identify bullies and victims. We applied a narrative approach to investigate the mental state language referred to anger and happiness. The results indicated a reduced ability to mentalize anger in bullies and victims compared to controls. Both bullies and victims tended to consider anger and happiness predominantly as behavioral conditions rather than a state of mind. These results highlight the need to promote effective intervention programs to prevent bullying by enhancing appropriate mentalization of emotions in pre-adolescents
Teacher Satisfaction in Relationships With Students and Parents and Burnout
Full text linkIn the educational field, the role of the support component of the teacher-student relationship is well known, while the role of the teacher-student relationship on teacher burnout is a more current field of investigation. Several studies on the sources of burnout have recently focused on job satisfaction and teacher-student satisfaction. However, the role of teacher-parent satisfaction is still little explored in this field. Moreover, in the Italian school context, students’ seniority and educational level require further investigation, as the average age of teachers is particularly high compared to their European colleagues. The present study aims to examine in a sample of 882 Italian teachers the presence of burnout and differences in teacher-student and teacher-parent satisfaction between primary (students aged 6–10years) and lower secondary (students aged 11–13years) teachers. A further objective is to test whether teacher-student and teacher-parent satisfaction and seniority can be significant predictors of burnout. Teachers completed the Job Satisfaction Scale (MESI) and the MBI-Educators Survey and the data were then processed using MANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis. The results revealed that 8.2% of the teachers suffered from burnout and lower secondary teachers showed the highest levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishment. Predictors of emotional exhaustion were job dissatisfaction and seniority, and predictors of depersonalisation were job dissatisfaction and teacher-student dissatisfaction. Finally, predictors of personal accomplishment were also teacher-parent satisfaction and teacher-student satisfaction. The implications of these findings for practice and research are discussed in this article
Burnout syndrome in reception systems for illegal immigrants in the Mediterranean. A quantitative and qualitative study of Italian practitioners
Full text linkIllegal immigration throughout the Mediterranean Sea is an intense and epoch-making phenomenon. This quantitative and qualitative study, based on the framework of the JD-R Model of burnout, described and assessed the risk of burnout among practitioners working in the reception system for illegal immigrants. A sample of Italian practitioners completed the Link Burnout Questionnaire (N = 193) and a semistructured interview (N = 108). The analysis of the questionnaires was carried out via ANOVA and χ2 test. The content of the interviews was examined using T-LAB. Quantitative results showed that the sample was generally at risk of burnout, and about a quarter were at severe risk. Qualitative results highlighted aspects of burnout that are specific to this working context: large workload, mental fatigue, and lack of social support; inability to understand the language and cultural differences of the immigrants; having to deal with organisational problems that come up repeatedly. This study offers coping strategies that can improve organisational health and performance of practitioners working in illegal immigration. Italy's shape, geographical location, and geo-political role make it a case in point for the whole European continent regarding the sustainability of illegal immigration across the Mediterranean Sea
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Parental Control and Internet Use Among Italian Adolescents
No full textInternet use can have both positive and negative impacts. Above all, risks are linked to immoderate use among adolescents. The importance of parental control over their children’s internet use is a key element in limiting the risk factors that such use may have. We investigated this perception by administering a self-report questionnaire to 236 Italian teenagers aged 14–17 years, of which 69.9% are female. Descriptive analyses were primarily conducted. Subsequently, to identify any differences in responses provided concerning social variables, Covariance Analyses and Multivariate Covariance Analyses (one in relation to each batch of items), whose factors were “residency area” (small centre - large centre), “socio-economic status” (medium high-medium low), and “gender”, were conducted. The variable “age” was inserted as a covariate. In line with the literature, the findings confirm that parental control plays a decisive role in favouring the responsible use of the Internet. Furthermore, we found that the place of residence influences the length of time spent on the Internet. Nevertheless, we observed that the relationship between parental control and the use/abuse of the Internet does not change depending on the parents’ economic status
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