Argyris Kyridis

An analysis of attitudes of pedagogical students towards environmental education in Greece

Purpose – Greek pedagogical students’ attitudes towards environmental education in Greece are very important as these students represent future teachers who will affect the success of environmental education in schools. Therefore, the identification of their views will give us the potentiality to modify the curricula of pedagogical departments accordingly.Design/methodology/approach – The use of a questionnaire was chosen as the most suitable method to review and record pedagogical students’ attitudes towards environmental education.Findings – The results of this study show that pedagogical students have not only realized the importance of environmental education in primary education but have also been sensitized to the environment and the issues involved in this. Attending practical courses on the environment seems to help towards this sensitivity.Originality/value – Results of this research show that an attempt should be made to develop education for sustainability in universities through an interdiscip...

Reading Children's Books to the Preschool Children in Greek Families.

SummaryThis paper is a report on a study of the practice of reading to young children in 1115 families in Greece. The outcome of the study shows that families from high socio-economic (HSES) backgrounds buy and read children’s books to their preschoolers significantly more than families from low socio-economic (LSES) backgrounds do. HSES families use children’s literature, aesthetic reading and they talk to their children during story reading sessions significantly more than LSES families do. This variability depicted in the sample may reflect the Greeks’ reading behavior and is related to the linguistic development, the school achievement and the enthusiasm that Greek children show in reading.RésuméCet article est un rapport d’une étude sur la pratique de la lecture aux jeunes enfants dans 1115 familles en Grèce. Les résultats de l’étude montrent que les familles de niveau socio-économique élevé achètent et lisent des livres à leurs enfants d’âge préscolaire beaucoup plus que les familles d’un niveau socio-économique plus faible. Aussi les familles du premier groupe utilisent la littérature enfantine, la lecture esthétique et discutent avec leurs enfants pendant la lecture beaucoup plus que les familes du deuxième groupe. La variabilité illustrée dans notre échantillon peut refléter le comportement des Grecs face à la lecture et être lié à leur niveau de développement linguistique, leur réussite scolaire et l’enthousiasme que les enfants grecs manifestent pour la lecture.ResumenSegún una encuesta sobre la práctica de la lectura de los libros de la literatura infantil que se realizó en 1115 familias griegas los cientificos llegaron a la conclusión que: las familias que tienen un nivel económico y cultural bastante alto, compran y leen libros a sus niños de edad pre-escolar más que aquellas cuyo nivel económico y cultural es bajo. Las familias de nivel económico y cultural alto usan la literatura infantil, la lectura estética y hablan a sus niños durante la lectura más, en comparación con las familias de nivel cultural y económico bajo que no lo hacen. Las variedades, que remarcamos en la muestra, reflejan probablemente la actitud de la población griega frente a la lectura y se relacionan con el desarrollo de lengua y el éxito escolar. Sin duda la educación preescolar podría ser un importante factor de ayuda en este sentido.

Greek Pre-Schoolers Crayon the Politicians: A Semiotic Analysis of Children's Drawing.

This article concerns the ways in which pre-school children use the visual arts to portray their understanding of politicians. The purpose of this research was to discuss childrens drawings of politicians using semiotic analysis. The use of semiotic analysis was based on the need to understand the nature of the drawings and their relation to the ways in which children regarded their politicians. This method can be used to analyze the particular sample of childrens drawings as there is an ‘intention to inform’ and also as the signs, which offer information, are dependent on the objects-persons being described.

Gender and Sports Publications in School Newspaper Columns: The Greek Example

Sport is a basic element of social culture and a way of social expression, while it also constitutes a form of social education. Sport, however, also exhibits the most evident gendered characteristics of sports journalism since it constitutes a “ male/male-dominated ” field. What is the presence of boys and girls in the role of the sports editor/journalist? What sports issues are chosen by boys and girls and published in school newspaper columns? To what extent is the presence of the “ male-dominated ” sports domain and the sports news perpetuated/continued in schools ’ newspapers? We analyze the publication content by gender in school newspapers, so as to determine in a qualitative and quantitative manner the basic parameters that define gendered sports discourse and its social components.

“... As Long as Power Relations Exist ... Yes, There are Inequalities…”1 Social and Educational Inequalities in Greece According to the Views of Female and Male Students of Tertiary Education Institutions

Abstract The issue of social and more specifically educational inequalities in Greek society and education seems to concern the Greek society less and less nowadays. Scientific research and the contemporary sociological theory have focused on specific areas of interest of the phenomenon, neglecting the issue in its macro sociological dimension, without, of course, this meaning that the frames and fields of analysis that have emerged are of minor importance. The main question that concerns this research is, if social and educational inequalities are recognized today by the Greek social body and on which fields they focus. Do social and educational inequalities exist in Greece? Are they recognizable and how are they manifested? Our research was carried out with two research tools: a questionnaire which includes two attitude scales (social and educational inequalities) (N=800) and another one which contains a single question, which concerns the expression of opinion about whether the sample considers that there are inequalities in the Greek education system, and the justification of its views (N=800). The questionnaires were answered by female and male students of Greek Universities and Technological Educational Institutes. We chose the university student status in the sample, in order to record attitudes and opinions of young people who are considered “favored” by the education system. The analysis showed that the sample considers that, indeed, there are inequalities in Greek society as well as in Greek education and it is able to recognize a significant range of indications of the phenomenon. It seems that the experienced inequality prevailed against the “favorable” treatment which the system “reserved” in this specific sample.

The logotypes of football clubs as expressions of collective identities: a socio-semiotic approach

This paper focuses on 119 logotypes that are depicted on European football club kits. The football clubs were selected based on their participation in the first two rounds of the UEFA Champions League competitions and in specific in its first two rounds covering a period of time from 1993 to 2010. Our research interest focuses on the significance of ideological loading in terms of the codes occurring in team logos as symbols of collective identities. Our view was, firstly, that logotypes have absorbed and internalized values and stereotypes from the wider social sphere (paradigmatic axis) and, secondly, that there is a common structuring of logos in terms of codes (syntagmatic axis). Our research is based on socio-semiotic methodology, which is not confined to a formalistic approach of texts, but scrutinizes them as an integral part of a material, socio-economic and political context. The analysis led to a series of important data referring to the structuring of team logos as well as to how these logos are related.

Students and Mobile Phone

The continuing and rapid evolution of mobile telephony seems to effect contemporary life and especially students life. In our research we investigate Greek high school students’ beliefs and attitudes about mobile telephony and their stance on mobile phone usage. A total of 194 students of high school, participated in the study (99 boys and 95 girls). A closed form questionnaire with 16 sentences has been given. The data that has been collected analyzed using Factor Analysis method. In this way the data grouped according to their interrelation, in order to project special categories and fully describe students’ attitudes. Based on the Factor Analysis five independent axes arise, which interpret the 69% of the total sample. The results show that although students consider mobile phone as a necessity, they treat it as a life style gadget.