David D. Preiss

Patrones de Discurso Observados en el Aula de Matemática de Segundo Ciclo Básico en Chile

Las secuencias triadicas (pregunta-respuesta-seguimiento) son una forma frecuente de interaccion en las salas de clases de diversas partes del mundo. A partir de la codificacion del discurso hablado, el presente estudio describe estas secuencias en 89 clases de matematicas de segundo ciclo basico de escuelas publicas filmadas en Chile, elegidas al azar de 684 clases filmadas para una evaluacion nacional. En base al analisis descriptivo de las frecuencias con la que los profesores utilizan distintos tipos de preguntas y seguimientos y a la asociacion de estas con actividades de la clase y desempeno del profesor, se identifico un patron de interaccion relativamente compartido, caracterizado por preguntas cerradas, escasa participacion de los estudiantes y seguimientos de bajo potencial metacognitivo. Se evidencio que, al ejecutar actividades de practica de contenidos matematicos, los profesores produjeron mas preguntas de aplicacion y que los profesores mejor evaluados produjeron mayor cantidad de preguntas abiertas y sobre experiencias personales. Los resultados sugieren que una potencial area de capacitacion de profesores es el aumento del repertorio del discurso pedagogico. Triadic sequences (initiation-response-follow up) are a frequent type of interaction in classrooms in many different countries. This study describes, using a spoken discourse codification system, these sequences in 89 Chilean public middle-school level mathematics lessons, chosen at random from 684 classes that were filmed for a national evaluation. Triadic sequences were related to teachers’ performance scores and lesson activities. The study identified a relatively shared interactional pattern, whose main features were: closed ended questions, low frequency of student participation and low use of metacognitive teacher follow-ups. In addition, when teaching mathematic skills, teachers generated more questions involving application of content, in comparison to other type of questions. Teachers that received a higher performance assessment produced a higher number of open-ended questions as well as a higher number of questions about students’ personal experiences. The results of this study suggest that increasing the repertoire of teacher discourse is a potential area for teachers’ training.

Discurso y Pensamiento en el Aula Matemática Chilena

Este estudio tuvo por objetivo explorar la naturaleza de los procesos de pensamiento matematico presentes en el discurso de profesoras y profesores que ensenan en el segundo ciclo de educacion basica de escuelas publicas en Chile. Se codificaron 77 videos de clases de profesores participantes en el Sistema de Evaluacion Nacional Docente del Gobierno de Chile, en base a una rubrica que distinguia 4 formas de pensamiento matematico: resolucion mecanica de problemas, resolucion razonada de problemas, presentacion mecanica de la informacion y presentacion razonada de la informacion. Se realizaron analisis descriptivos y analisis multivariados de varianza. Los resultados evidencian que el pensamiento matematico docente esta focalizado en la presentacion mecanica de informacion y la resolucion mecanica de problemas. Los profesores que ensenan en 5o y 6o grado dedican significativamente menos tiempo a resolucion de problemas que los profesores que ensenan en 7o y 8o grado. Los resultados son coherentes con evidencia proveniente de otros estudios que muestran la adherencia de los profesores chilenos a una pedagogia intuitiva externalista, centrada en la practica repetida de procedimientos. Palabras clave: pensamiento publico, ensenanza de matematicas, estudio de video The goal of this study was to explore the nature of the processes of mathematical thinking evidenced in the discourse of teachers working at Chilean middle-school level public schools. Seventy seven classroom videos filmed as a part of the Chilean Government National Teaching Assessment System were coded according to a rubric that distinguished 4 forms of mathematical thinking: mechanic problem solving, reasoned problem solving, mechanic information presentation, and reasoned information presentation. Descriptive analysis and multivariate analyses of variance were performed. The results evidence that teachers’ mathematical thinking is focused on mechanic information presentation and mechanic problem solving. Teachers working in 5th and 6th grade classrooms significantly allocate less time to problem solving than teachers working in 7 th and 8 th grade classrooms. These results are coherent with previous evidence showing that Chilean teachers adhere to an intuitive pedagogy focused on the repeated practice of procedures.

Reading Skills, Creativity, and Insight: Exploring the Connections

Studies of the relationship between creativity and specific reading disabilities have produced inconclusive results. We explored their relationship in a sample of 259 college students (age range: 17 to 38 years-old) from three Chilean universities. The students were tested on their verbal ability, creativity, and insight. A simple linear regression was performed on the complete sample, and on high- and low-achievement groups that were formed based on reading test scores. We observed a significant correlation in the total sample between outcomes on the verbal ability tasks, and on the creativity and insight tasks (range r =. 152 to r =. 356, ps <.001). Scores on the reading comprehension and phonological awareness tasks were the best predictors of performance on creativity and insight tasks (range β = .315 to β = .155, ps <.05). A comparison of the low- and high-scoring groups on verbal ability tasks yielded results to the same effect. These findings do not support the hypothesis that specific reading disability is associated with better performance on creative tasks. Instead, higher verbal ability was found to be associated with higher creativity and insight.

On the temporality of creative insight: a psychological and phenomenological perspective

Research into creative insight has had a strong emphasis on the psychological processes underlying problem-solving situations as a standard model for the empirical study of this phenomenon. Although this model has produced significant advances in our scientific understanding of the nature of insight, we believe that a full comprehension of insight requires complementing cognitive and neuroscientific studies with a descriptive, first-person, phenomenological approach into how creative insight is experienced. Here we propose to take such first-person perspective while paying special attention to the temporal aspects of this experience. When this first-person perspective is taken into account, a dynamic past–future interplay can be identified at the core of the experience of creative insight, a structure that is compatible with both biological and biographical evidences. We believe this approach could complement and help bring together biological and psychological perspectives. Furthermore, we argue that because of its spontaneous but recurrent nature, creative insight could represent a relevant target for the phenomenological investigation of the flow of experience itself.

Measuring the relation between computer use and reading literacy in the presence of endogeneity

This work studies the relation between computer use for reading activities and academic literacy in 15-year-old students in Chile, Uruguay, Spain, and Portugal. Data used is from the PISA 2009 test. Special attention is given to potential bias problems when the computer use is an endogenous variable. Few studies in this area address this issue: existing literature has shown that different types of computer use have different implications on performance. The limitations of observational data have also been emphasized to establish cause-effect relations between computer use and academic performance. It is important, however, to consider the computer use endogeneity hypothesis (above all at home) since students decide on the frequency of computer use at home. The results found show that by controlling for endogeneity, computer use for reading is not related to reading performance neither in digital or printed format, with the exception of Chile that shows a negative relation in the case of reading from a printed format. The results considering endogeneity differ considerably from results when endogeneity is not taken into account. The work shows the relevance of experimental type studies in order to make sound statements with regard to the computer use and academic performance relation. In turn, school reading activities in a digital environment are suggested that could have an impact on reading performance. We study the relation between computer use for reading and academic literacy.Our results differ considerably when endogeneity is taken into account.Computer use is not related to reading performance when endogeneity is considered.We suggest experimental studies to measure computer use-reading score relation.

Teachers’ professional development through university–school partnerships: theoretical standpoints and evidence from two pilot studies in Chile

Abstract This paper presents a teacher professional development programme, based on a university–schools partnership and a collective reflection model, addressing the needs of in-service teacher education in Chile. First, the main challenges faced by both teachers and teacher education in Chile are summarised. Then, the foundations of this model are presented. Finally, an illustration of the model is provided by presenting two pilot studies implemented in Chile. A qualitative analysis of interviews showed that the programme was successful in promoting teacher reflection, leading to reported changes in their practices. Finally, the advantages and the challenges arising from this study, and the educational possibilities of this model of professional development, are discussed.

Desarrollo de habilidades de observación en estudiantes de pedagogía: resultados de una intervención piloto basada en el uso de la Videoteca de Buenas Prácticas Docentes.

Uno de los aspectos claves de la formacion inicial de profesores es la participacion de los estudiantes en experiencias pedagogicas en contextos reales. Estas experiencias suelen ser limitadas y parcialmente mediadas por los profesores de los programas de formacion. El presente articulo se enmarca en el desarrollo de una videoteca docente, cuyo uso en la formacion inicial pretende aumentar la exposicion mediada de los estudiantes a practicas reales. En este contexto, se presenta el diseno, implementacion y evaluacion de un modelo pedagogico basado en evidencias internacionales sobre video formacion. Especificamente, se busco desarrollar en los estudiantes la capacidad de observacion y razonamiento basado en conocimientos. Se aplico un protocolo de observacion de video, y se condujo un analisis de contenido. Los resultados muestran avances de los participantes en su capacidad de focalizacion en el triangulo estudiantes-profesor-contenido, y en la modalidad de observacion, pasando de descripciones generales a especificas, e interpretaciones.* Los autores agradecen al Ministerio de Educación y, específicamente, al Centro de Perfeccionamiento, Experimentación e Investigaciones Pedagógicas (CPEIP) el acceso a los videos usados en la construcción de la Videoteca de Buenas Prácticas Docentes. Adicionalmente, agradecen a FONDEF de CONICYT el financiamiento que hizo este estudio posible (Proyecto FONDEF D09I1063. Generación de Videoteca de prácticas ejemplares para la formación inicial y continua de profesores en Chile). Magdalena Müller realizó este trabajo como parte de sus estudios conducentes al grado de doctora en Psicología en la Escuela de Psicología de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Valeska Grau y David Preiss son también miembros del Centro de Estudios de Políticas y Prácticas en Educación (Proyecto CIE01-CONICYT). Estudios Pedagógicos XXXIX, Número Especial 1: 65-74, 2013 DESARROLLO DE HABILIDADES DE OBSERVACIÓN EN ESTUDIANTES DE PEDAGOGÍA: RESULTADOS DE UNA INTERVENCIÓN PILOTO BASADA EN EL USO DE LA VIDEOTECA DE BUENAS PRÁCTICAS DOCENTES 86 A key aspect of pre-service teachers training is students’ participation in real-life educational contexts. However, students’ access to these experiences is limited and training programs face practical limitations to fully mediate these experiences. This article comes from a research project aimed at developing an online repository of classroom videos. The web platform, named Videoteca de Buenas Prácticas Docentes, is expected to enhance students’ access to mediated observation of real-life classrooms. The present study introduces the design, implementation and evaluation of a teaching model supported on international training experiences. The specific goal was to develop observation skills and knowledge based reasoning among students. A pre and post video observation task was carried out, and data were processed using content analysis. Results show advances in participants’ ability to observe and reflect on classroom videos, focusing on the student-teacher-content triangle, and improving their observation stance from general description to specific ones, and also interpretations.

Classroom research and child and adolescent development in South America.

The article reviews recent classroom research developed in South America related to child and adolescent development. We review work about three themes: ethnicity, school climate and violence, and the learning process. The few studies found on ethnicity and classroom experiences told a story of invisibility, if not exclusion and discrimination. Research on violence suggests that, although there are variations within countries, school climate is an area of concern. Intervention work, still limited, is necessary considering the incidence of violence in the classrooms. Research on learning showed that most classrooms adhere to a very conventional pedagogy. There is a need to advance on international comparisons across all themes. Similarly, there is a need to go beyond the description of classroom dynamics to test educational interventions that may shed light on ways to improve educational performance, to decrease school violence, and to promote diversity within the classroom. Notwithstanding its limitations, the research here reviewed provides clear evidence of the relevant role that classroom experiences play in human development. In addition to their essential role in schooling, classrooms are the settings where processes related to peer relations, identity formation, and socioemotional development unfold.

Mind Wandering, Creative Writing, and the Self

Abstract We propose that creative writers develop a sense of identity that is strongly grounded on their awareness of the mind wandering process. As creative writers develop their expertise, they gain a better knowledge of the creative process. Specifically, they become mindful mind wanderers. That is, they make temporally extended insight problem solving a core part of their self and their life story. Specifically, creators make mind wandering part of their life story by means of four processes: acknowledging extended time, developing trust in incubation, incorporating the creative process as a part of identity development, and recognizing the positive impact of creativity on overall well-being. We illustrate these processes with excerpts from interviews of four Chilean poets.

Child and Adolescent Development in Latin America: Introduction to the Special Issue.

The purpose of this special issue is to present a collection of reviews developed by leading scholars in Latin America about the state of child and adolescent research in this region. To date, there is no such integrative source of developmental inquiry in Latin America. Most of the academic work on child development is commonly dispersed across journals belonging to different disciplines or in publications generated by the multiple agencies advancing applied research in the region. In addition, this dispersion hinders the accumulative process of knowledge building and sharing in Latin America. Therefore, we intend in this collection of reviews of substantive areas of research not only to present a summary of the state of the science but also to stimulate additional collaborative initiatives. Thus, Segretin, Hermida, Prats, Fracchia, Ruetti, and Lipina review studies of the associations between poverty and cognitive development and call attention to a set of methodological issues that should be considered in future regional studies. Strasser, Rolla, and Romero-Contreras review studies on the school readiness of preschool children in Latin America and provide insights to Latin American policy makers about factors correlating with school readiness. Berger, Lisboa, Cuadros, and de Tezanos-Pinto focus on friendships, classroom climate, and intergroup relations in adolescence in Latin America, adopting a socioemotional perspective. Mota, Copelli, and Ribeiro review the development and application in Latin America of new technologies that can help to identify mental disease to promote early diagnosis and intervention. Lions and Peña provide an overview of factors associated with failure in reading comprehension in Latin America and discuss the applicability to the region of interventions made in typically developing students from English-speaking countries. Finally, Preiss, Grau, Ortiz, and Bernardino identify the main approaches and topics addressed by recent research on the development of creativity in South America focusing on individual differences and educational studies. Narea closes the issue with a commentary on ways developmental research could inform public policy in Latin America. We hope these contributions will help readers become more aware of the multiple dimensions of child and adolescent development in Latin America, get acquainted with academic work advanced in the region and its main emphases, and relate its findings with the international scientific literature on the topics considered in this issue. I conclude by thanking all