Empirische Studien zur Perspektive von Lehrkräften

In deutschsprachigen Schulsystemen treffen aktuell die Reformansätze der Inklusion und der Bildungsstandards aufeinander, wodurch ein vielschichtiger bildungswissenschaftlicher Diskurs um deren Vereinbarkeit ausgelöst wurde. Jedoch liegt kaum Evidenz dazu vor, ob und inwiefern Lehrkräfte mit diesen aktuell bedeutsamen Reformen unterschiedliche oder gar gegensätzliche Anforderungen verbinden. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde unter Rückgriff auf sozialpsychologische und erziehungswissenschaftliche Theorien empirisch untersucht, wie sich in der Literatur diskutierte potentielle Gegensätze zwischen Inklusion und Bildungsstandards aus der Sicht von Lehrkräften darstellen. Dabei wurden Aspekte der Unterrichtsgestaltung (Studie 1) ebenso betrachtet wie Aspekte der Leistungsbeurteilung (Studie 1 und Studie 2) und Konsequenzen, die mit der Hervorhebung unterschiedlicher Beurteilungsmaßstäbe im Kontext beider Reformen für die Leistungsbeurteilung bestimmter Schülergruppen verbunden sein können (Studie 3). Die experimentell angelegte Studie 1 untersuchte auf Basis der theoretischen Unterscheidung von Sicht- und Tiefenstrukturen des Unterrichts (Oser & Baeriswyl, 2001) und der Theorie der Bezugsnormorientierung (BNO, Rheinberg, 1980) an einer Stichprobe von N = 135 Lehrkräften im Vorbereitungsdienst, inwiefern diese mit Inklusion und Bildungsstandards eine jeweils andere Unterrichtsgestaltung und Leistungsbeurteilung verbinden. Dabei wurden zwei Perspektiven der Unterrichtsbeschreibung (Selbst- und Fremdeinschätzung) kontrastiert. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass sich aus Lehrersicht inklusiver Unterricht von standardorientiertem Unterricht hinsichtlich der Umsetzung zentraler Merkmale von Unterrichtsqualität und hinsichtlich der darin auftretenden BNO bei der Leistungsbeurteilung unterscheidet. Berichtete Unterschiede waren zum Teil auf Einstellungen zu und Erfahrungen mit beiden Reformen sowie diesbezügliche Selbstwirksamkeitserwartungen seitens der Lehrkräfte zurückzuführen und variierten mit der Perspektive, aus der Unterricht beschrieben wurde. Davon ausgehend, dass Inklusion und Bildungsstandards unterschiedliche Bezugsnormen bei der Leistungsbeurteilung (Rheinberg, 1980) implizieren, untersuchte die experimentell angelegte Studie 2 anhand einer Stichprobe von N = 57 Lehrkräften im Vorbereitungsdienst, inwiefern eine Auseinandersetzung mit Bildungsstandards oder Inklusion in Abhängigkeit von den Einstellungen zu diesen Reformen zur Anwendung unterschiedlicher Bezugsnormen führt. Die Auseinandersetzung mit Bildungsstandards zog bei Lehrkräften mit einer positiven Einstellung zu diesen eine schwächer ausgeprägte individuelle BNO sowie tendenziell eine stärker ausgeprägte soziale BNO nach sich, während diese bei Personen mit einer negativen Einstellung zu Bildungsstandards zu einer stärker ausgeprägten individuellen BNO und tendenziell zu einer schwächer ausgeprägten sozialen BNO führte. Die Auseinandersetzung mit Inklusion beeinflusste die BNO hingegen nicht, weder bei positiver noch bei negativer Einstellung zu Inklusion. Da im Kontext beider Reformen unterschiedliche Maßstäbe der Leistungsbeurteilung hervorgehoben werden, untersuchte Studie 3 mögliche Konsequenzen der Anwendung subjektiver und objektiver Beurteilungsskalen für die Leistungsbeurteilung stereotypisierter Schülergruppen, wobei die sozialpsychologische Shifting-Standards-Theorie (z.B. Biernat, Manis & Nelson, 1991) zugrunde gelegt wurde. Die Studie gliederte sich in zwei experimentelle Vignettenstudien, wobei Teilstudie 1 (N = 115 Lehramtsstudierende) negative Stereotype gegenüber Mädchen in Mathematik fokussierte und Teilstudie 2 (N = 265 Lehramtsstudierende) negative Stereotype gegenüber türkischstämmigen Schülern in Deutsch. In beiden Teilstudien wurde jeweils das Mitglied der stereotypisierten Schülergruppe bei gleicher Leistung auf der objektiven Beurteilungsskala negativer eingeschätzt als das Mitglied der nicht stereotypisierten Schülergruppe, während sich auf der subjektiven Beurteilungsskala kein Unterschied in der Einschätzung beider Schülergruppen zeigte. Die Ergebnisse der drei Studien weisen auf bedeutsame Aspekte hin, hinsichtlich derer aus der Sicht von Lehrkräften unterschiedliche Anforderungen mit Inklusion und Bildungsstandards verbunden sein können, und tragen somit Erkenntnisse zur wahrgenommenen Vereinbarkeit beider Reformen in Bezug auf Unterrichtsgestaltung und Leistungsbeurteilung bei. Abschließend werden aus den Ergebnissen Vorschläge für die pädagogische Praxis sowie weitere Fragestellungen für die zukünftige Forschung abgeleitet.At present, two main reforms are implemented simultaneously within the educational systems of German speaking countries: inclusion and educational standards. The issue of whether the two are compatible figures prominently in current scientific debate. Although it is discussed in the literature that these reforms may have contradictory implications for teaching and performance evaluation, only few empirical studies have addressed this issue from a teachers’ perspective. The present dissertation attempts to fill this gap using approaches from educational sciences and social psychology. For that purpose, aspects of instructional quality (Study 1) as well as aspects of performance evaluation (Study 1 and Study 2) and consequences were examined, which may occur for specific social groups of students since both reforms highlight different approaches to performance evaluation (Study 3). The experimental Study 1 was based on the theoretical distinction between surface structures and deep structures of instruction (Oser & Baeriswyl, 2001) and the theory of reference norm orientation (Rheinberg, 1980). It examined how trainee teachers (N = 135) perceive instructional quality and performance evaluation in the context of inclusion and educational standards respectively, taking account of two perspectives on teaching – the own perspective and the external perspective. Trainee teachers associated different forms of instructional quality and different reference norm orientations with inclusion and educational standards. Attitudes towards both reforms, experiences with them and self-efficacy beliefs partly explained these differences. Further, reported differences between the two reforms varied depending on the perspective from which instructional quality and performance evaluation were described. Given inclusion and educational standards are associated with different reference norm orientations (Rheinberg, 1980) and taking account of subjects’ preexisting attitudes, the experimental Study 2 tested whether exposure to the concepts of “inclusion” vs. “educational standards” affected trainee teachers’ (N = 57) reference norm orientations. Teachers preferred either an individual reference norm or a social reference norm depending on their attitudes towards educational standards after being exposed to this concept. Confronting teachers with inclusion had no effect on their reference norm orientations regardless of a priori attitudes towards inclusion. Inclusion and educational standards highlight different approaches to performance evaluation. Against this background and based on the shifting standards theory (e.g., Biernat, Manis & Nelson, 1991) Study 3 examined possible consequences of applying subjective or objective scales on performance evaluation of negatively stereotyped students. The study was divided in two experimental vignette studies. Substudy 1 (N = 115 student teachers) focused on the stereotype that boys are better at mathematics than girls, substudy 2 (N = 265 student teachers) addressed the stereotype that students with a Turkish immigrant background perform worse at school than nonimmigrant students, especially in the subject German. Both substudies revealed that stereotyped students were evaluated less favorably than nonstereotyped students when objective scales were used, but were evaluated similarly to nonstereotyped students when subjective scales were applied. In summary, the results point to important aspects for which inclusion and educational standards may have conflicting implications from a teachers’ perspective. Thus, they contribute relevant findings to the current scientific debate on possibly conflicting demands imposed on teachers by inclusion vs. standardization reforms. Finally, implications for future research and practice are suggested based on the findings

When ethnic minority students are judged as more suitable for the highest school track: a shifting standards experiment

When students are grouped into school tracks, this has lasting consequences for their learning and later careers. In Germany to date, some groups of students (boys, ethnic minority students) are underrepresented in the highest track. Stereotypes about these groups exist that entail negative expectations about their suitability for the highest track. Based on the shifting standards model, the present research examines if and how stereotypes influence tracking recommendations. According to this theory, members of negatively stereotyped groups will be judged more leniently or more strictly depending on the framing of the judgment situation (by inducing minimum or confirmatory standards). N = 280 teacher students participated in a vignette study in which they had to choose the amount of positive evidence for suitability they wanted to see before deciding to recommend a fictitious student to the highest track. A 2 (judgment standard: minimum vs. confirmatory) × 2 (target student’s gender: male vs. female) × 2 (target student’s ethnicity: no migration background vs. Turkish migration background) between-subjects design was used. No effects of target gender occurred, but the expected interaction of target’s ethnicity and judgment standard emerged. In the minimum standard condition, less evidence was required for the ethnic minority student to be recommended for the highest track compared to the majority student. In the confirmatory standards condition, however, participants tended to require less evidence for the ethnic majority student. Our experiment underlines the importance of the framing of the recommendation situation, resulting in a more lenient or stricter assessment of negatively stereotyped groups

Absence of a strong, deep-reaching Antarctic Circumpolar Current zonal flow across the Tasmanian gateway during the Oligocene to early Miocene

The vigorous eastward flow of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) connects all major ocean basins and plays a prominent role in the transport of heat, carbon and nutrients around the globe. However, the establishment of a deep circumpolar flow, similar to the present-day ACC, remains controversial thereby obscuring our understanding of its climatic impact. Deciphering the chemical composition of Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) within the ACC can provide critical insights about its development and evolution. Here we present new fossil fish teeth/bone debris neodymium isotope (ε) records from Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Sites 278 and 274 in the southwest Pacific Ocean, with the aim to trace changes in deep water masses across the Tasmanian Gateway between the early Oligocene and early Miocene (~ 33–22 Ma). Site 274 provides the first Nd isotope record proximal to the Ross Sea during the Oligocene (33.5–23.4 Ma). Its Nd isotope composition shows excursions to very radiogenic values, ε = −3.1 and ε − 3.7, at 33.5 Ma and 23.8 Ma, respectively, in response to major steps in Antarctic ice sheet expansion. A shift to lower, more unradiogenic ε values between 29.7 and 29.1 Ma is linked to an increased influence of proto-CDW upwelling at the site. In contrast, the Nd isotope record from Site 278 in the southern Emerald Basin shows little variability (ε = −6.0 to −6.7) throughout the Oligocene and early Miocene (30.9–21.8 Ma). Comparison with published data north of the ACC path, demonstrates the presence of two deep water masses in the South Pacific prior to the inferred onset of the ACC (33–30 Ma), one occupying depths between ~2500 and 3000 m (ε ~ −3 to −5) and a deep/bottom water mass (> 3000 m) with a more unradiogenic Nd isotope composition (ε ~ −6). Site 278 located close to the proto-polar front (proto-PF) indicates that following the inferred onset of the ACC, deep waters bathing the southern Emerald Basin remained more radiogenic in the Southwest Pacific compared to sites along the proto-PF in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean (ε ~ −8.1). This indicates a provinciality in Nd isotope compositions of deep waters along the proto-PF across the Tasmanian Gateway. Our data are incompatible with the existence of a modern-like homogenous (lateral and vertical) Nd isotope composition of CDW along the main flow path of the ACC in all oceanic basins in the Oligocene to early Miocene. We attribute distinct Nd isotope compositions of deep waters across the Tasmanian Gateway to reflect a less deep reaching and weaker ACC (proto-ACC) than today. Our findings suggest that the modern strong and deep-reaching ACC flow must have been developed at a later point in the Neogene.Funding to this research is provided by the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation Ph.D. research grant: F ZL 016-1/2015-2016; the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitivity (grants CTM2017-89711-C2-1/2-P), co-funded by the European Union through FEDER funds; and an ECORD Research grant awarded to DE. PKB and FH acknowledge funding through the European Research Council starting grant #802835 OceaNice and NWO polar programme grant ALWPP2016.001. This paper is a contribution to the SCAR PAIS Programme

The genomes of two key bumblebee species with primitive eusocial organization

Background: The shift from solitary to social behavior is one of the major evolutionary transitions. Primitively eusocial bumblebees are uniquely placed to illuminate the evolution of highly eusocial insect societies. Bumblebees are also invaluable natural and agricultural pollinators, and there is widespread concern over recent population declines in some species. High-quality genomic data will inform key aspects of bumblebee biology, including susceptibility to implicated population viability threats. Results: We report the high quality draft genome sequences of Bombus terrestris and Bombus impatiens, two ecologically dominant bumblebees and widely utilized study species. Comparing these new genomes to those of the highly eusocial honeybee Apis mellifera and other Hymenoptera, we identify deeply conserved similarities, as well as novelties key to the biology of these organisms. Some honeybee genome features thought to underpin advanced eusociality are also present in bumblebees, indicating an earlier evolution in the bee lineage. Xenobiotic detoxification and immune genes are similarly depauperate in bumblebees and honeybees, and multiple categories of genes linked to social organization, including development and behavior, show high conservation. Key differences identified include a bias in bumblebee chemoreception towards gustation from olfaction, and striking differences in microRNAs, potentially responsible for gene regulation underlying social and other traits. Conclusions: These two bumblebee genomes provide a foundation for post-genomic research on these key pollinators and insect societies. Overall, gene repertoires suggest that the route to advanced eusociality in bees was mediated by many small changes in many genes and processes, and not by notable expansion or depauperation

Finding the missing honey bee genes: lessons learned from a genome upgrade

BACKGROUND: The first generation of genome sequence assemblies and annotations have had a significant impact upon our understanding of the biology of the sequenced species, the phylogenetic relationships among species, the study of populations within and across species, and have informed the biology of humans. As only a few Metazoan genomes are approaching finished quality (human, mouse, fly and worm), there is room for improvement of most genome assemblies. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) genome, published in 2006, was noted for its bimodal GC content distribution that affected the quality of the assembly in some regions and for fewer genes in the initial gene set (OGSv1.0) compared to what would be expected based on other sequenced insect genomes. RESULTS: Here, we report an improved honey bee genome assembly (Amel_4.5) with a new gene annotation set (OGSv3.2), and show that the honey bee genome contains a number of genes similar to that of other insect genomes, contrary to what was suggested in OGSv1.0. The new genome assembly is more contiguous and complete and the new gene set includes ~5000 more protein-coding genes, 50% more than previously reported. About 1/6 of the additional genes were due to improvements to the assembly, and the remaining were inferred based on new RNAseq and protein data. CONCLUSIONS: Lessons learned from this genome upgrade have important implications for future genome sequencing projects. Furthermore, the improvements significantly enhance genomic resources for the honey bee, a key model for social behavior and essential to global ecology through pollination.Funding for the project was provided by a grant to RG from the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (NHGRI, NIH) U54 HG003273. Contributions from members of the CGE lab were supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive grant no. 2010- 65205-20407 from the USDA National Institute of Food Agriculture. AKB was supported by a Clare Luce Booth Fellowship at Georgetown University

Case Reports1. A Late Presentation of Loeys-Dietz Syndrome: Beware of TGFβ Receptor Mutations in Benign Joint Hypermobility

Background: Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and dissections are not uncommon causes of sudden death in young adults. Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a rare, recently described, autosomal dominant, connective tissue disease characterized by aggressive arterial aneurysms, resulting from mutations in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) receptor genes TGFBR1 and TGFBR2. Mean age at death is 26.1 years, most often due to aortic dissection. We report an unusually late presentation of LDS, diagnosed following elective surgery in a female with a long history of joint hypermobility. Methods: A 51-year-old Caucasian lady complained of chest pain and headache following a dural leak from spinal anaesthesia for an elective ankle arthroscopy. CT scan and echocardiography demonstrated a dilated aortic root and significant aortic regurgitation. MRA demonstrated aortic tortuosity, an infrarenal aortic aneurysm and aneurysms in the left renal and right internal mammary arteries. She underwent aortic root repair and aortic valve replacement. She had a background of long-standing joint pains secondary to hypermobility, easy bruising, unusual fracture susceptibility and mild bronchiectasis. She had one healthy child age 32, after which she suffered a uterine prolapse. Examination revealed mild Marfanoid features. Uvula, skin and ophthalmological examination was normal. Results: Fibrillin-1 testing for Marfan syndrome (MFS) was negative. Detection of a c.1270G > C (p.Gly424Arg) TGFBR2 mutation confirmed the diagnosis of LDS. Losartan was started for vascular protection. Conclusions: LDS is a severe inherited vasculopathy that usually presents in childhood. It is characterized by aortic root dilatation and ascending aneurysms. There is a higher risk of aortic dissection compared with MFS. Clinical features overlap with MFS and Ehlers Danlos syndrome Type IV, but differentiating dysmorphogenic features include ocular hypertelorism, bifid uvula and cleft palate. Echocardiography and MRA or CT scanning from head to pelvis is recommended to establish the extent of vascular involvement. Management involves early surgical intervention, including early valve-sparing aortic root replacement, genetic counselling and close monitoring in pregnancy. Despite being caused by loss of function mutations in either TGFβ receptor, paradoxical activation of TGFβ signalling is seen, suggesting that TGFβ antagonism may confer disease modifying effects similar to those observed in MFS. TGFβ antagonism can be achieved with angiotensin antagonists, such as Losartan, which is able to delay aortic aneurysm development in preclinical models and in patients with MFS. Our case emphasizes the importance of timely recognition of vasculopathy syndromes in patients with hypermobility and the need for early surgical intervention. It also highlights their heterogeneity and the potential for late presentation. Disclosures: The authors have declared no conflicts of interes

Heterozygous Variants in KMT2E Cause a Spectrum of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Epilepsy.

We delineate a KMT2E-related neurodevelopmental disorder on the basis of 38 individuals in 36 families. This study includes 31 distinct heterozygous variants in KMT2E (28 ascertained from Matchmaker Exchange and three previously reported), and four individuals with chromosome 7q22.2-22.23 microdeletions encompassing KMT2E (one previously reported). Almost all variants occurred de novo, and most were truncating. Most affected individuals with protein-truncating variants presented with mild intellectual disability. One-quarter of individuals met criteria for autism. Additional common features include macrocephaly, hypotonia, functional gastrointestinal abnormalities, and a subtle facial gestalt. Epilepsy was present in about one-fifth of individuals with truncating variants and was responsive to treatment with anti-epileptic medications in almost all. More than 70% of the individuals were male, and expressivity was variable by sex; epilepsy was more common in females and autism more common in males. The four individuals with microdeletions encompassing KMT2E generally presented similarly to those with truncating variants, but the degree of developmental delay was greater. The group of four individuals with missense variants in KMT2E presented with the most severe developmental delays. Epilepsy was present in all individuals with missense variants, often manifesting as treatment-resistant infantile epileptic encephalopathy. Microcephaly was also common in this group. Haploinsufficiency versus gain-of-function or dominant-negative effects specific to these missense variants in KMT2E might explain this divergence in phenotype, but requires independent validation. Disruptive variants in KMT2E are an under-recognized cause of neurodevelopmental abnormalities

A Solve-RD ClinVar-based reanalysis of 1522 index cases from ERN-ITHACA reveals common pitfalls and misinterpretations in exome sequencing

Purpose Within the Solve-RD project (https://solve-rd.eu/), the European Reference Network for Intellectual disability, TeleHealth, Autism and Congenital Anomalies aimed to investigate whether a reanalysis of exomes from unsolved cases based on ClinVar annotations could establish additional diagnoses. We present the results of the “ClinVar low-hanging fruit” reanalysis, reasons for the failure of previous analyses, and lessons learned. Methods Data from the first 3576 exomes (1522 probands and 2054 relatives) collected from European Reference Network for Intellectual disability, TeleHealth, Autism and Congenital Anomalies was reanalyzed by the Solve-RD consortium by evaluating for the presence of single-nucleotide variant, and small insertions and deletions already reported as (likely) pathogenic in ClinVar. Variants were filtered according to frequency, genotype, and mode of inheritance and reinterpreted. Results We identified causal variants in 59 cases (3.9%), 50 of them also raised by other approaches and 9 leading to new diagnoses, highlighting interpretation challenges: variants in genes not known to be involved in human disease at the time of the first analysis, misleading genotypes, or variants undetected by local pipelines (variants in off-target regions, low quality filters, low allelic balance, or high frequency). Conclusion The “ClinVar low-hanging fruit” analysis represents an effective, fast, and easy approach to recover causal variants from exome sequencing data, herewith contributing to the reduction of the diagnostic deadlock

Fractionation of milk proteins on pilot scale with particular focus on β-casein

The aim of this study was to increase the yield and purity of casein fractions at pilot scale and determine the main process parameters influencing the isolation of β-casein, such as cold extraction time, separation speed. The fractions were obtained from micellar casein by means of selective precipitation following separation by a nozzle centrifuge. The purities, which were calculated based on the total casein content of the β-casein fraction, and the yields achieved for β-casein ranged from 68.7 to 89.6% and from 10 to 32%, respectively. For the other two fractions, αS- and κ-casein, the obtained purities were 61% and 43%, respectively. Using the proposed isolation method, high purities for the β-casein fraction were achievable; however, the other two fractions, αS- and κ-casein, need further improvement

Absence of a strong, deep-reaching Antarctic Circumpolar Current zonal flow across the Tasmanian gateway during the Oligocene to early Miocene

The vigorous eastward flow of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) connects all major ocean basins and plays a prominent role in the transport of heat, carbon and nutrients around the globe. However, the establishment of a deep circumpolar flow, similar to the present-day ACC, remains controversial thereby obscuring our understanding of its climatic impact. Deciphering the chemical composition of Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) within the ACC can provide critical insights about its development and evolution. Here we present new fossil fish teeth/bone debris neodymium isotope (εNd) records from Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Sites 278 and 274 in the southwest Pacific Ocean, with the aim to trace changes in deep water masses across the Tasmanian Gateway between the early Oligocene and early Miocene (~ 33–22 Ma). Site 274 provides the first Nd isotope record proximal to the Ross Sea during the Oligocene (33.5–23.4 Ma). Its Nd isotope composition shows excursions to very radiogenic values, εNd(t) = −3.1 and εNd(t)= − 3.7, at 33.5 Ma and 23.8 Ma, respectively, in response to major steps in Antarctic ice sheet expansion. A shift to lower, more unradiogenic εNd(t) values between 29.7 and 29.1 Ma is linked to an increased influence of proto-CDW upwelling at the site. In contrast, the Nd isotope record from Site 278 in the southern Emerald Basin shows little variability (εNd(t) = −6.0 to −6.7) throughout the Oligocene and early Miocene (30.9–21.8 Ma). Comparison with published data north of the ACC path, demonstrates the presence of two deep water masses in the South Pacific prior to the inferred onset of the ACC (33–30 Ma), one occupying depths between ~2500 and 3000 m (εNd(t)= ~ −3 to −5) and a deep/bottom water mass (> 3000 m) with a more unradiogenic Nd isotope composition (εNd(t)= ~ −6). Site 278 located close to the proto-polar front (proto-PF) indicates that following the inferred onset of the ACC, deep waters bathing the southern Emerald Basin remained more radiogenic in the Southwest Pacific compared to sites along the proto-PF in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean (εNd(t)= ~ −8.1). This indicates a provinciality in Nd isotope compositions of deep waters along the proto-PF across the Tasmanian Gateway. Our data are incompatible with the existence of a modern-like homogenous (lateral and vertical) Nd isotope composition of CDW along the main flow path of the ACC in all oceanic basins in the Oligocene to early Miocene. We attribute distinct Nd isotope compositions of deep waters across the Tasmanian Gateway to reflect a less deep reaching and weaker ACC (proto-ACC) than today. Our findings suggest that the modern strong and deep-reaching ACC flow must have been developed at a later point in the Neogene