A case of Service Learning and Research Engagement in pre-service teachers\u2019 education

Service Learning (SL) represents one experiential methodology largely adopted in Higher Education because it is able to develop both academic and soft skills, in particular civic and reflective ones. SL has gained the attention of teacher educators in the U.S. since the 1990s.. Many scholars have underlined how SL is useful to enhance elements essential for future teachers as (a) the development of teaching skills, (b) reflective skills; (c) a more complex vision of teaching and learning practices; (d) an attention to special need children and children coming from different social and ethnical backgrounds; (e) a human service-oriented vision of teaching; and in building a community of practice. Moreover, SL is particularly suitable in Teacher Education because it connects pre-service with in-service teachers, as requested by the European Commission (2014); from this relationship, it involves the whole community in a process of transformation

Il laboratorio LeCoSe: Learning Community Service

Il progetto del laboratorio LeCoSe (Learning Community Service), che il Dipartimento di Scienze Umane dell\u2019Universit\ue0 di Verona, Corso di laurea magistrale a ciclo unico in Scienze della Formazione Primaria \u2013 ha attivato con l\u2019Ufficio Scolastico Territoriale di Verona e le scuole del territorio, pone alla base dellle sue finalit\ue0 di ricerca e formazione il Service Learning, un contesto di apprendimento ispirato al principio dell\u2019experiential learning e al principio del valore formativo e culturale del servizio. La scelta del modello risponde principalmente a tre scopi - l\u2019esigenza di orientare i processi formativi degli studenti, preparandoli a incontrare le complessit\ue0 reali della scuola; - l\u2019oggettiva richiesta di aiuto da parte del mondo della scuola, che si trova ad affrontare sfide inedite; - il desiderio di un ripensamento del ruolo dell'Universit\ue0 quale sede di formazione, in questo caso di insegnanti di scuola dell'infanzia e primaria

Kilometer-scale climate models: Prospects and challenges

Currently major efforts are underway toward refining the horizontal resolution (or grid spacing) of climate models to about 1 km, using both global and regional climate models (GCMs and RCMs). Several groups have succeeded in conducting kilometer-scale multiweek GCM simulations and decadelong continental-scale RCM simulations. There is the well-founded hope that this increase in resolution represents a quantum jump in climate modeling, as it enables replacing the parameterization of moist convection by an explicit treatment. It is expected that this will improve the simulation of the water cycle and extreme events and reduce uncertainties in climate change projections. While kilometer-scale resolution is commonly employed in limited-area numerical weather prediction, enabling it on global scales for extended climate simulations requires a concerted effort. In this paper, we exploit an RCM that runs entirely on graphics processing units (GPUs) and show examples that highlight the prospects of this approach. A particular challenge addressed in this paper relates to the growth in output volumes. It is argued that the data avalanche of high-resolution simulations will make it impractical or impossible to store the data. Rather, repeating the simulation and conducting online analysis will become more efficient. A prototype of this methodology is presented. It makes use of a bit-reproducible model version that ensures reproducible simulations across hardware architectures, in conjunction with a data virtualization layer as a common interface for output analyses. An assessment of the potential of these novel approaches will be provided

Psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale Form C in a non-Western culture

Form C of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scales (MHLC-C) was designed to investigate health-related control beliefs of persons with an existing medical condition. The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of this instrument in a culture characterized by external control beliefs and learned helplessness—contrary to the societal context of original test development. Altogether, 374 Hungarian patients with cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders were enrolled in the study. Besides the MHLC-C, instruments measuring general control beliefs, anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, and health behaviors were also administered to evaluate the validity of the scale. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques were used to investigate the factor structure of the scale. Our results showed that the Hungarian adaptation of the instrument had a slightly different structure than the one originally hypothesized: in the present sample, a three-factor structure emerged where the items of the Doctors and the Others subscales loaded onto a single common component. Internal reliability of all three subscales was adequate (alphas between .71 and .79). Data concerning the instrument's validity were comparable with previous results from Western countries. These findings may suggest that health locus of control can be construed very similarly to Western countries even in a post-communist society—regardless of the potential differences in general control beliefs

Multiple dimensions of health locus of control in a representative population sample: ordinal factor analysis and cross-validation of an existing three and a new four factor model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Based on the general approach of locus of control, health locus of control (HLOC) concerns control-beliefs due to illness, sickness and health. HLOC research results provide an improved understanding of health related behaviour and patients' compliance in medical care. HLOC research distinguishes between beliefs due to Internality, Externality powerful Others (POs) and Externality Chance. However, evidences for differentiating the POs dimension were found. Previous factor analyses used selected and predominantly clinical samples, while non-clinical studies are rare. The present study is the first analysis of the HLOC structure based on a large representative general population sample providing important information for non-clinical research and public health care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The standardised German questionnaire which assesses HLOC was used in a representative adult general population sample for a region in Northern Germany (N = 4,075). Data analyses used ordinal factor analyses in LISREL and Mplus. Alternative theory-driven models with one to four latent variables were compared using confirmatory factor analysis. Fit indices, chi-square difference tests, residuals and factor loadings were considered for model comparison. Exploratory factor analysis was used for further model development. Results were cross-validated splitting the total sample randomly and using the cross-validation index.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A model with four latent variables (Internality, Formal Help, Informal Help and Chance) best represented the HLOC construct (three-dimensional model: normed chi-square = 9.55; RMSEA = 0.066; CFI = 0.931; SRMR = 0.075; four-dimensional model: normed chi-square = 8.65; RMSEA = 0.062; CFI = 0.940; SRMR = 0.071; chi-square difference test: p < 0.001). After excluding one item, the superiority of the four- over the three-dimensional HLOC construct became very obvious (three-dimensional model: normed chi-square = 7.74; RMSEA = 0.059; CFI = 0.950; SRMR = 0.079; four-dimensional model: normed chi-square = 5.75; RMSEA = 0.049; CFI = 0.965; SRMR = 0.065; chi-square difference test: p < 0.001). Results were confirmed by cross-validation. Results based on our large community sample indicated that western general populations separate health-related control-beliefs concerning formal and informal assistance.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Future non-clinical HLOC studies in western cultures should consider four dimensions of HLOC: Internality, Formal Help, Informal Help and Chance. However, the standardised German instrument needs modification. Therefore, confirmation of our results may be useful. Future research should compare HLOC structure between clinical and non-clinical samples as well as cross-culturally.</p

Laboratorio Le CoSe: quando il Service Learning \ue8 un ponte che crea sinergie tra formazione e ricerca, tra territorio e universit\ue0

A livello internazionale molti centri di Faculty Development inseriscono, tra i servizi offerti ai docenti del proprio ateneo, un supporto nella progettazione, implementazione e valutazione dei percorsi di Service Learning, ritenendo fondamentale per lo sviluppo professionale la capacit\ue0 di gestire progetti che coniughino l\u2019impegno didattico e di ricerca con le esigenze della comunit\ue0 di riferimento (Abes, Jackson &amp; Jones 2002; Pelco, &amp; Howard, 2015). Tale legame \ue8 stato inoltre esplorato in particolare interrogandosi sulle modalit\ue0 pi\uf9 adeguate per renderlo proficuo, tuttavia il punto di partenza che viene trasversalmente accettato \ue8 che non \ue8 possibile puntare a uno sviluppo dell\u2019istituzione universitaria se non in relazione con lo sviluppo della comunit\ue0 in cui essa \ue8 inserita (Fink, 2018). Alcuni studiosi hanno inoltre evidenziato come, proprio grazie al suo essere in grado di mettere in comunicazione l\u2019accademica con i contesti sociali di riferimento, il Service Learning sostiene lo sviluppo delle competenze di ricerca poich\ue9 consente di avere accesso ai problemi centrali con cui la societ\ue0 si confronta (Bringle, Hatcher &amp; Jones, 2006). Infine il Service Learning, essendo uno strumento didattico di tipo esperienziale, supporta il processo di familiarizzazione dei docenti universitari con questo tipo di metodologie didattiche e sostiene il processo di innovazione didattica (Bringle,1996; McKay &amp; Ronzee, 2004). Presso l\u2019Universit\ue0 di Verona \ue8 attivo dal 2014 il \u201cLaboratorio Le CoSe \u2013 Learning Community Service\u201d che porta avanti un percorso di Service Learning che si rivolge specificatamente alla formazione degli insegnanti (Corso di Laurea in Scienze della Formazione Primaria). Il progetto, nato inizialmente come una sperimentazione, \ue8 oggi istituzionalizzato all\u2019interno del percorso di tirocinio ed \ue8 organizzato in tre macro-fasi che prevedono: (i) l\u2019identificazione del bisogno emergente dalla comunit\ue0; (ii) l\u2019ideazione e la realizzazione dell\u2019intervento ad esso indirizzato; (iii) la realizzazione di una ricerca che indaghi l\u2019intervento realizzato. Queste tre fasi vedono coinvolti in modo intrecciato tre principali attori: a) un team accademico multidisciplinare; (b) gli studenti del IV e del V anno; (c) i rappresentanti della comunit\ue0, con particolare riferimento agli insegnanti che accolgono gli studenti (Mortari, 2017; Silva, 2018). Questa organizzazione consente da un lato ai futuri insegnanti di formarsi a competenze essenziali per il loro sviluppo professionale, ma allo stesso tempo stringe i legami tra universit\ue0 e territorio, poich\ue9 porta la prima a impegnarsi in progetti di ricerca a vocazione trasformativa capaci di prendersi in carico, con senso di responsabilit\ue0 civica, dei problemi reali che emergono dai contesti di riferimento, permettendo ai ricercatori di sviluppare competenze di ricerca significative proprio perch\ue9 poste in relazione con la pratica (Mortari, Silva, Girelli, Ubbiali, 2017

Dialoguing on friendship as political virtue: an experience of citizenship education for primary school children.

Friendship is one of the objects of the second edition of the MelArete project, a program of ethical education designed by CRED (Education and Didactics Research Centre) of the University of Verona (Italy) to engage kindergarten and primary school children in reflecting on those virtues which are central for the development of citizenship. In this contribution, we will present some texts written by the pupils and the Socratic conversations about friendship, developed during the implementation of the program, in which the children were invited to define this concept. These conversations were recorded, verbatim transcribed and qualitatively analyzed following a methodological crossbreeding between the phenomenological-eidetic method and the grounded theory (Mortari, 2007). Also the written texts were analyzed following the same method. Findings bring to light what friendship is according to the participants and how they experience it. The results are finally discussed in light of the importance of such proposals in promoting citizenship education

DIALOGUING ON FRIENDSHIP AS POLITICAL VIRTUE: AN EXPERIENCE OF CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

Friendship is one of the objects of the second edition of the MelArete project, a program of ethical education designed by CRED (Education and Didactics Research Centre) of the University of Verona (Italy) to engage kindergarten and primary school children in reflecting on those virtues which are central for the development of citizenship. In this contribution, we will present some texts written by the pupils and the Socratic conversations about friendship, developed during the implementation of the program, in which the children were invited to define this concept. These conversations were recorded, verbatim transcribed and qualitatively analyzed following a methodological crossbreeding between the phenomenological-eidetic method and the grounded theory (Mortari, 2007). Also the written texts were analyzed following the same method. Findings bring to light what friendship is according to the participants and how they experience it. The results are finally discussed in light of the importance of such proposals in promoting citizenship education