Practicing across cultures : perspectives of expatriate professionals

Relatório de estágio do mestrado em Ensino da Educação Física dos Ensinos Básico e Secundário, apresentado à Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e Educação Física da Universidade de CoimbraO Estágio Pedagógico é a última etapa do percurso que viabiliza a passagem de estudante a professor. É uma fase fundamental para o aluno estagiário entrosar a educação teórica e a prática, aplicar os conhecimentos adquiridos anteriormente, realizar experimentações e refletir para melhorar a prática de ensino. A reflexão é fundamental no decurso deste ano, pois só através desta é possível analisar tanto falhas como mais-valias, que se traduzem numa melhoria da docência. A Escola Básica Castro Matoso acolheu o núcleo de estágio e foi o elemento essencial para tornar este processo possível, juntamente com a turma do 9º B. A dificuldade em conseguir motivar os alunos para a disciplina de Educação Física e para a prática futura de atividade física levou à problemática desenvolvida neste relatório. Enquanto professora estagiária é evidente a falta de recursos e estratégias para tornar as aulas mais ricas e motivadoras, pelo que fomos à procura de um modelo de ensino que tentasse colmatar essa dificuldade. Foi aplicado o Modelo de Ensino pelo Desporto (MED) com o objetivo de aproximar as modalidades lecionadas a partir desse modelo a um contexto o mais próximo da realidade possível. Passaram-se dois questionários aos alunos, antes e depois do MED, com o intuito de compreender as perceções dos mesmos sobre diferentes variáveis que o modelo abarca. No cômpito geral, foi possível observar que os alunos têm a perceção que este tipo de ensino é motivador e torna as aulas mais ricas e realistas. Contudo, as poucas diferenças existentes entre o pré e pós aplicação do MED devem-se, essencialmente, a uma utilização nem sempre perfeita deste modelo, pois houve menos aulas que o previsto, encurtando o planeamento prescrito inicialmente. Em jeito de conclusão, depende essencialmente do professor tornar estas aulas mais ricas e motivadoras. The teaching practice is the last stage on the pathway, thus enabling the transition from student to a teacher. It is a crucial point for the student to ally both theoretical and practical teaching, applying previously acquired knowledge, undergo experiments and think over a better teaching practice. A critical reflection during this year is key, as only through this can it be possible to find flaws and strengths, leading to better and improved teaching. Castro Matoso School received the trainee group and was a key element on making the whole process achievable, as well as the 9thB class. Motivational problems on raising students’ interest for Physical Education, and future physical activity were the focus on this report. As a trainee teacher, it became clear the lack of resources and strategies to improve on stimulating lessons, so we went on the search for a teaching model that could overpass this difficulties. The Education through Sports model was implemented, with the aim of getting different sports modalities inside that method as close to reality as possible. Students were submitted to a questionnaire before and after the implementation of the model, as to understand their perception on the variables contained. On a general analysis, it was clear that students understand this as a motivating and realistic teaching method. There were little differences observed from pre to post method implementation, which can be explained by the shorter number of classes than the predicted and planed initially, thus having being an incomplete implementation process. In conclusion, it only relies on the teacher to make these richer and motivating classes

The posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis in preschool- and elementary school-age children exposed to motor vehicle accidents

Objective: Increasingly, children are being diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, including preschool-age children. These diagnoses in young children raise questions pertaining to 1) how diagnostic algorithms for individual disorders should be modified for young age groups, 2) how psychopathology is best detected at an early stage, and 3) how to make use of multiple informants. The authors examined these issues in a prospective longitudinal assessment of preschool- and elementary school-age children who were exposed to a traumatic event. Method: Participants were 114 children (age range: 2-10 years) who had experienced a motor vehicle accident. Parents and older children (age range: 7-10 years) completed structured interviews 2-4 weeks (initial assessment) and 6 months (6-month follow-up) after the traumatic event. A recently proposed alternative symptom algorithm for diagnosing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was utilized and compared with the standard DSM-IV algorithms for diagnosing PTSD and acute stress disorder. Results: At the 2- to 4-week assessment, 11.5% of the children met conditions for a diagnosis of PTSD based on the alternative algorithm criteria per parent report, and 13.9% met criteria for this diagnosis at the 6-month follow-up. These percentages were much higher than those for DSM-IV diagnoses of acute stress disorder and PTSD. Among 7- to 10-year-old subjects, the use of combined parent- and child-reported symptoms to derive a diagnosis resulted in an increased number of children in this age group who were identified with psychiatric illness relative to the use of parent report alone. Agreement between parent and child on symptoms for 1) a diagnosis of PTSD based on the alternative algorithm criteria and 2) diagnoses of DSM-IV acute stress disorder and PTSD in this age group was poor. Among 2- to 6-year-old subjects, the alternative algorithm PTSD diagnosis per parent report was a more sensitive predictor of later onset psychopathology relative to a diagnosis of DSM-IV acute stress disorder or PTSD per parent report. However, among 7- to 10-year-old subjects, a combined symptom report (from both parent and child) was optimal in predicting posttraumatic psychopathology. Conclusions: These findings support the use of the proposed alternative algorithm for assessing PTSD in young children and suggest that the diagnosis of PTSD based on the alternative algorithm criteria is stable from the acute phase onward. When both parent- and child-reported symptoms are utilized for the assessment of PTSD among 7- to 10-year-old children, the alternative algorithm and DSM-IV criteria have broad comparable validity. However, in the absence of child-reported symptoms, the alternative algorithm criteria per parent report appears to be an optimal diagnostic measure of PTSD among children in this age group, relative to the standard DSM-IV algorithm for diagnosing the disorder

Maladaptive Cognitive Appraisals Mediate the Evolution of Posttraumatic Stress Reactions:A 6-Month Follow-Up of Child and Adolescent Assault and Motor Vehicle Accident Survivors

A prospective longitudinal follow-up study (n = 59) of child and adolescent survivors of physical assaults and motor vehicle accidents assessed whether cognitive processes predicted posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) at 6 months posttrauma in this age group. In particular, the study assessed whether maladaptive posttraumatic appraisals mediated the relationship between initial and later posttraumatic stress. Self-report measures of PTSS, maladaptive appraisals, and other cognitive processes, as well as structured interviews assessing for acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), were completed at 2-4 weeks and 6 months posttrauma. PTSS and PTSD at 6 months were associated with maladaptive appraisals and other cognitive processes but not demographic or objective trauma severity variables. Only maladaptive appraisals were found to associate with PTSS/PTSD after partialing out initial symptoms/diagnosis and to mediate between initial and later PTSS. It was argued that, on this basis, maladaptive appraisals are involved in the development and maintenance of PTSS over time, whereas other cognitive processes (e.g., subjective threat, memory processes) may have an effect only in the acute phase. The implications of this study for the treatment of PTSS in youths are discussed

The role of the family in child and adolescent posttraumatic stress following attendance at an emergency department

Objective: To evaluate the role of family factors in posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) in children and adolescents who have attended an emergency department following assaults or motor vehicle accident. Methods: Children and their parents completed self-report questionnaires and semistructured interviews relating to their psychopathology and cognitive styles at 2-4 weeks and 6 months after trauma. Results: Parental depression was correlated with child PTSS at each assessment point. Less consistent findings were observed for family functioning. Parental endorsement of worry was a correlate of child PTSS at each assessment and a mediator between parental depression and child PTSS. Conclusions: A role for family factors, in particular parental depression and parental endorsement of worry, in the development of child PTSS is supported. Weaknesses of the study are discussed, and suggestions for future research are given

Re Burrard Yarrows Corporation, Vancouver Division, and International Brotherhood of Painters, Local 138

Union Grievance alleging improper contracting out. The union which is the grievor here is one of 11 unions signatory to the collective agreement with Burrard Yarrows Corporation — Vancouver Division. As an industrial collective agreement this poly-party agreement is somewhat unusual in that it provides for a form of closed shop union security with a role for the union hiring hall. At the same time it makes provision for seniority

The trauma memory quality questionnaire:Preliminary development and validation of a measure of trauma memory characteristics for children and adolescents

It has been suggested that post-traumatic stress is related to the nature of an individual's trauma memories. While this hypothesis has received support in adults, few studies have examined this in children and adolescents. This article describes the development and validation of a measure of the nature of children's trauma memories, the Trauma Memory Quality Questionnaire (TMQQ), that might test this hypothesis and be of clinical use. The measure was standardised in two samples, a cross-sectional sample of non-clinic referred secondary school pupils (n=254), and a sample participating in a prospective study of children and adolescents who had attended a hospital Accident and Emergency department following an assault or a road traffic accident (n=106). The TMQQ was found to possess good internal consistency, criterion validity, and construct validity, but test-retest reliability has yet to be established

Managing bereavement in the classroom: a conspiracy of silence?

The ways in which teachers in British schools manage bereaved children are under-reported. This article reports the impact of students' bereavement and their subsequent management in primary and secondary school classrooms in Southeast London. Thirteen school staff working in inner-city schools took part in in-depth interviews that focused on the impact of bereaved children on the school and how teachers responded to these children. All respondents had previously had contact with a local child bereavement service that aims to provide support, advice, and consultancy to children, their parents, and teachers. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using ATLAS-ti. Three main themes were identified from analysis of interview data. Firstly, British society, culture, local communities, and the family were significant influences in these teachers' involvement with bereaved students. Secondly, school staff managed bereaved students through contact with other adults and using practical classroom measures such as "time out" cards and contact books. Lastly, teachers felt they had to be strong, even when they were distressed. Surprise was expressed at the mature reaction of secondary school students to deaths of others. The article recommends that future research needs to concentrate on finding the most effective way of supporting routinely bereaved children, their families, and teachers

A Group-Based Yule Model for Bipartite Author-Paper Networks

This paper presents a novel model for author-paper networks, which is based on the assumption that authors are organized into groups and that, for each research topic, the number of papers published by a group is based on a success-breeds-success model. Collaboration between groups is modeled as random invitations from a group to an outside member. To analyze the model, a number of different metrics that can be obtained in author-paper networks were extracted. A simulation example shows that this model can effectively mimic the behavior of a real-world author-paper network, extracted from a collection of 900 journal papers in the field of complex networks.Comment: 13 pages (preprint format), 7 figure

Power Law Distribution of Wealth in a Money-Based Model

A money-based model for the power law distribution (PLD) of wealth in an economically interacting population is introduced. The basic feature of our model is concentrating on the capital movements and avoiding the complexity of micro behaviors of individuals. It is proposed as an extension of the Equiluz and Zimmermann's (EZ) model for crowding and information transmission in financial markets. Still, we must emphasize that in EZ model the PLD without exponential correction is obtained only for a particular parameter, while our pattern will give it within a wide range. The Zipf exponent depends on the parameters in a nontrivial way and is exactly calculated in this paper.Comment: 5 pages and 4 figure