Felice Carugati

Teacher judgments and pupils’ causal explanations: Social valorization of effort-based explanations in school context

Achievement evaluation in school contexts may be considered as a kind of social judgment, which is affected by social and moral determinants since it is not merely an estimation of pupils’ accomplishment (Dompnier, Pansu, & Bressoux, 2006; Weiner, 2003). Teachers’ judgments have been investigated starting from the analysis of two theoretical approaches: the norm of internality (Dubois, 2003), and the attributional approach to social motivation (Weiner, 2006). In order to study the social valorization of internal explanations referring to effort in school context, an empirical research has been conducted. Our study investigates how teachers evaluate fictitious pupils, which are supposed to explain events by means of different types of causal explanations. According to our results, pupils providing effort-based explanations receive more positive judgments. Findings are discussed by considering effort as a key principle of school environments.RésuméLe jugement scolaire peut être considéré comme un jugement social influencé par des déterminants sociaux et moraux puisqu’il n’est pas seulement une estimation des résultats des élèves (Dompnier, Pansu, & Bressoux, 2006; Weiner, 2003). Le jugement des enseignants a été investigué à partir de l’analyse de deux approches théorique: la norme d’internalité (Dubois, 2003) et l’approche attributionnelle de la motivation sociale (Weiner, 2006). Le but de cet article est de tester l’hypothèse de la valorisation sociale des explications internes en appelant à l’effort dans le contexte scolaire. L’étude, basée sur la méthode des juges, a été conduite, en Italie, auprès de 121 enseignants. Les enseignants étaient invités à évaluer des élèves (fictifs) connus par leur niveau scolaire (fort ou faible) et par leurs réponses à un questionnaire d’internalité (évoquant majoritairement des explications soit internes en termes d’habileté, soit internes en termes d’effort, soit externes). Les résultats montrent que les élèves connus pour avoir donné des réponses internes en termes d’effort sont mieux jugés que les autres et font l’objet d’un meilleur pronostic. Les résultats sont discutés en considérant les explications internes en termes d’effort comme un principe clé du contexte scolaire.

What Marks Should I Give? A Model of the Organization of Teachers' Judgments of Their Pupils.

The present study is devoted to the empirical endeavour of showing the structural characteristics of this claimed general dimension, its longitudinal consistency, and its causal influence on the first level organization of judgments. A content analysis of school reports of 77 Italian pupils, filled out by their own five teachers over five years of compulsory school (from 6 to 10 years) show seven major topics, which are used by the teachers for their year-scheduled evaluations.A Lisrel-based two-levels model of the organization of judgments is then presented and discussed. This model is shown to be well held by teachers at the end of the first school form and it allows to predict the organization of their evaluations during third and fifth form, as well as final judgments of each form.This model is discussed in a social psychological framework, which underlines the role played by normative aims of the school programmes and the evaluative everyday practices as major professional duties for teachers.

Adapting the portuguese version of the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) – Short Form

O Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire – Short Form (Robinson, Mandleco, Olsen & Hart, 2001) e um questionario utilizado para avaliar os estilos parentais de pais e maes de criancas em idade escolar, cujas qualidades psicometricas estao bem estabelecidas internacionalmente. Com o objectivo de apresentar a versao portuguesa deste instrumento, o questionario foi aplicado a uma amostra de 344 pais e maes com filhos a frequentar o 1o Ciclo do Ensino Basico. A sua estrutura, evidenciada gracas ao recurso a tecnica de modelacao de equacoes estruturais (analise factorial confirmatoria), revelou-se semelhante a original: multidimensional e hierarquica, formada por factores de primeira e segunda ordem, que diferenciam os estilos parentais democratico, autoritario e permissivo, bem como as respectivas dimensoes. Em termos gerais, os resultados finais revelam um bom ajustamento do modelo teorico aos dados. A consistencia interna apresenta, igualmente, valores proximos da versao original, podendo ser considerada satisfatoria.

The Flow Grid: A Technique for Observing and Measuring Emotional State in Children Interacting with a Flow Machine

The presence of flow state was measured and observed in children playing with the MIROR-Improvisation prototype, an interactive reflexive musical system (IRMS). IRMS have been defined as ‘flow machines’ on account of their ability to imitate the style of the human playing a keyboard. Twenty-four children (4 and 8 years old) took part in three sessions playing a keyboard on three consecutive days. In each session, all children played the keyboard with and without the MIROR-Impro, alone and with a friend. One group of children played the system with a set-up in which the reply is more similar to the child’s input (set-up Same). The other group played the system with the set-up Very Different, in which the reply is less similar to the child’s input. The results show that the flow state is higher when the children play with MIROR-Impro, with the set-up Same and in 8-year-old children. These results would support the hypothesis that IRMS and reflexive interaction can generate an experience of well being and creativity. The flow grid worked in an effective way and it was possible to identify some aspects of the system that could be improved.

Social representations of intelligence: structure and effects of some sociocognitive variables

The first aim of the present research is to analyse the structural organization of beliefs and implicit theories of intelligence in females from different social backgrounds and educative roles (Mothers vs. No-Mothers and Teachers vs. No-Teachers). Another goal is to examine the way how this beliefs and implicit theories can be influenced by socio-cognitive dynamics as identity conflicts (in participants who play both roles) or the degree of familiarity with the representation object intelligence, perceived by the participants. From a theoretical position we adopt the Social Representation Theory approach, considered as organizers principles of beliefs and implicit theories. Concerning the first aim, confirmatory factorial analysis supports a three factor model with low or moderate correlations between factors. For the second goal, multivariate analysis of variance shows that mothers value innate theories as a possible way to protect their social identities. Some new results emerge in this research: mothers are, also, the participants who most value the image of an intelligent child, both well socialized and autonomous and dynamic in order to achieve ambitious goals. Finally, another new result is the fact that participants without any position regards the issue of familiarity with the object of representation, value most this last implicit theory. We suggest further research in order to highlight these issues.

Children’s experience at school: expected and perceived quality by mothers

La qualita attesa e percepita del sistema scolastico e della scuola frequentata dai figli costituiscono temi cruciali nell’esperienza delle madri. Esse infatti svolgono ancora un ruolo specifico nelle pratiche di cura e nell’educazione dei figli, certamente durante il periodo della scuola dell’infanzia e della scuola dell’obbligo. Una dettagliata rassegna della letteratura specialistica sulla qualita della scuola ha per-messo di individuare dei temi specifici sottoposti, sotto forma di un questionario, ad un campione di oltre 700 madri di due regioni italiane. Grazie ad un’analisi delle corrispondenze, i risultati mostrano che un livello socio-culturale medio-alto delle madri e associato ad una qualita attesa elevata verso il sistema scolastico che si concretizza in scelte impegnative per la famiglia e richieste altrettanto impegnative verso gli insegnanti. Analogamente un livello socio-culturale medio-alto, la qualita percepita e, quindi, il grado di soddisfazione verso la scuola scelta per il figlio ap-paiono associati soprattutto alla qualita degli insegnanti operanti in una scuola impegnativa (in parte suggerita da amici e conoscenti), e ad un’esperienza scolastica precedente considerata positiva. “Essere madri non e sufficiente”: le posizioni sociali differenziano i percorsi di vita e influenzano i percorsi di socializzazione e le scelte educative che li caratterizzano.

L'esperienza scolastica dei figli : la qualità attesa e percepita dalle madri

La qualita attesa e percepita del sistema scolastico e della scuola frequentata dai figli costituiscono temi cruciali nell’esperienza delle madri. Esse infatti svolgono ancora un ruolo specifico nelle pratiche di cura e nell’educazione dei figli, certamente durante il periodo della scuola dell’infanzia e della scuola dell’obbligo. Una dettagliata rassegna della letteratura specialistica sulla qualita della scuola ha permesso di individuare dei temi specifici sottoposti, sotto forma di un questionario, ad un campione di oltre 700 madri di due regioni italiane. Grazie ad un’analisi delle corrispondenze, i risultati mostrano che un livello socio-culturale medio-alto delle madri e associato ad una qualita attesa elevata verso il sistema scolastico che si concretizza in scelte impegnative per la famiglia e richieste altrettanto impegnative verso gli insegnanti. Analogamente un livello socio-culturale medio-alto, la qualita percepita e, quindi, il grado di soddisfazione verso la scuola scelta per il figlio appaiono associati soprattutto alla qualita degli insegnanti operanti in una scuola impegnativa (in parte suggerita da amici e conoscenti), e ad un’esperienza scolastica precedente considerata positiva. “Essere madri non e sufficiente”: le posizioni sociali differenziano i percorsi di vita e influenzano i percorsi di socializzazione e le scelte educative che li caratterizzano. Parole chiave: esperienza scolastica, qualita attesa, qualita percepita, esperienza materna, esperienza figli.

Lavoro di cura, famiglie e futuro: riflessioni per uno strumento di ricerca

Il presente contributo riguarda le riflessioni teoriche che hanno portato alla costruzione di uno strumento di ricerca sul tema delle cure educative che le madri pensano ed agiscono nella vita quotidiana nei confronti dei figli. Utilizzando una prospettiva che studia i contesti sociali come unita d’analisi a piu livelli, dall’individuale al collettivo (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), dalle azioni alle rappresentazioni (Doise, 1982), integrando in questa prospettiva anche lo studio delle Rappresentazioni Sociali (Mugny, Carugati, 1985), vengono descritti i principali contenuti di un questionario somministrato ad un campione di madri con figli di eta tra i 5 e gli 11 anni. Parole chiave: madri; cura educativa; vita quotidiana; Rappresentazioni Sociali