Intention to imitate: Top-down effects on 4-year-olds’ neural processing of others’ actions

Education and Child Studie

Schoolsucces als de scholen dicht zijn?: Een onderzoek naar de rol van ondersteuning door leerkrachten en ouders tijdens de coronacrisis

In dit vragenlijst-onderzoek onderzochten we het ervaren schoolsucces van leerlingen in de bovenbouw van het basisonderwijs (N = 667) en hoe dat samenhing met de ondersteuning die ze ontvingen van leraren en ouders tijdens de scholensluiting in het voorjaar van 2020. Ook vroegen we een deel van de ouders (N = 174) hoe zij de relatie met leerkrachten hebben ervaren tijdens het afstandsonderwijs. Ervaren schoolsucces vatten we op als de motivatie, zelfregulatie en ervaren schoolprestaties (“hoeveel heb ik geleerd?”). De resultaten van het onderzoek laten zien dat leerkrachtondersteuning samenhing met motivatie en zelfregulatie. Ouderbegeleiding hing samen met alle drie de indicatoren van schoolsucces. Leerkracht-ouderrelatie, ten slotte, hing alleen samen met motivatie. Het is opvallend dat leerlingen over het algemeen aangaven evenveel te hebben geleerd als in de normale situatie, terwijl eerder onderzoek naar de effecten van de scholensluiting op toetsresultaten een gemiddeld leerverlies liet zien. Ten slotte rapporteerden oudere leerlingen (groep 7 en 8) lagere prestaties evenals een lager niveau van motivatie dan de jongere groep leerlingen (groep 6). We bespreken implicaties van onze uitkomsten voor het afstandsonderwijs zelf, maar ook voor de periode daarna. Het is onder meer interessant dat leerkrachtondersteuning belangrijk blijkt voor motivatie en zelfregulatie, zelfs als er geen fysiek contact is. De resultaten impliceren bovendien dat het belangrijk is ruimte en voldoende ondersteuning te bieden aan ouders, zodat zij hun kinderen goed kunnen begeleiden.Education and Child Studie

The Joint Influence of Intra- and Inter-Team Learning Processes on Team Performance: A Constructive or Destructive Combination?

In order for teams to build a shared conception of their task, team learning is crucial. Benefits of intra-team learning have been demonstrated in numerous studies. However, teams do not operate in a vacuum, and interact with their environment to execute their tasks. Our knowledge of the added value of inter-team learning (team learning with external parties) is limited. Do both types of team learning compete over limited resources, or do they form a synergistic combination? We aim to shed light on the interplay between intra- and inter-team learning in relation to team performance, by including adaptive and transformative sub-processes of intra-team learning. A quantitative field study was conducted among 108 university teacher teams. The joint influence of intra- and inter-team learning as well as structural (task interdependence) and cultural (team efficacy) team characteristics on self-perceived and externally rated team performance were explored in a path model. The results showed that adaptive intra-team learning positively influenced self-perceived team performance, while transformative intra-team learning positively influenced externally rated team performance. Moreover, intra-team and inter-team learning were found to be both a constructive and a destructive combination. Adaptive intra-team learning combined with inter-team learning led to increased team performance, while transformative intra-team learning combined with inter-team learning hurt team performance. The findings demonstrate the importance of distinguishing between both the scope (intra- vs. inter-team) and the level (adaptive vs. transformative) of team learning in understanding team performance

Neural mirroring and social interaction: Motor system involvement during action observation relates to early peer cooperation

Contains fulltext : 164831.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)Whether we hand over objects to someone, play a team sport, or make music together, social interaction often involves interpersonal action coordination, both during instances of cooperation and entrainment. Neural mirroring is thought to play a crucial role in processing other's actions and is therefore considered important for social interaction. Still, to date, it is unknown whether interindividual differences in neural mirroring play a role in interpersonal coordination during different instances of social interaction. A relation between neural mirroring and interpersonal coordination has particularly relevant implications for early childhood, since successful early interaction with peers is predictive of a more favorable social development. We examined the relation between neural mirroring and children's interpersonal coordination during peer interaction using EEG and longitudinal behavioral data. Results showed that 4-year-old children with higher levels of motor system involvement during action observation (as indicated by lower beta-power) were more successful in early peer cooperation. This is the first evidence for a relation between motor system involvement during action observation and interpersonal coordination during other instances of social interaction. The findings suggest that interindividual differences in neural mirroring are related to interpersonal coordination and thus successful social interaction.9 p

Students’ Learning Activities Within and Between the Contexts of Education and Work

Many professional educational programs combine learning at an educational institute with learning in the workplace. The differences between these contexts, and the resulting challenges for learning, have been well-documented. However, there are few studies that explore the same students’ learning in both contexts, and even fewer that compare that learning to the learning that results from an integration of learning in both contexts. In this study we investigate, in detail, the similarities and differences of students’ learning activities both within and between the formal educational and workplace contexts of a professional educational program in the Netherlands. To that end, we analysed 1866 learning experiences of 148 students in a dual teacher education program. Analyses revealed that although the different contexts appear to be more conducive to certain kinds of learning activities, thereby confirming prior research, all learning activities did occur in all contexts. Our findings also confirm the value of learning that combines the educational and the workplace contexts, as this learning results in integrations of theory and practice and reflections on professional identity. Implications for dual education programs include focussing on increasing the diversity of learning activities within a single context and supporting students in learning how to learn, next to what to learn, irrespective of the context in which this learning takes place

Neural mirroring and social interaction: Motor system involvement during action observation relates to early peer cooperation

Whether we hand over objects to someone, play a team sport, or make music together, social interaction often involves interpersonal action coordination, both during instances of cooperation and entrainment. Neural mirroring is thought to play a crucial role in processing other's actions and is therefore considered important for social interaction. Still, to date, it is unknown whether interindividual differences in neural mirroring play a role in interpersonal coordination during different instances of social interaction. A relation between neural mirroring and interpersonal coordination has particularly relevant implications for early childhood, since successful early interaction with peers is predictive of a more favorable social development. We examined the relation between neural mirroring and children's interpersonal coordination during peer interaction using EEG and longitudinal behavioral data. Results showed that 4-year-old children with higher levels of motor system involvement during action observation (as indicated by lower beta-power) were more successful in early peer cooperation. This is the first evidence for a relation between motor system involvement during action observation and interpersonal coordination during other instances of social interaction. The findings suggest that interindividual differences in neural mirroring are related to interpersonal coordination and thus successful social interaction