Gerard Seegers

Solving Math Problems: Where and Why Does the Solution Process Go Astray?.

This article describes a model of adaptable learning which takes account of the interaction between affective and cognitive variables in learning situations. In addition, an instrument for measuring the relevant aspects of this model is introduced. We present some initial results of the application of this instrument in the domain of mathematics learning by students in the final year of primary education. Emphasis is placed on differences between boys and girls.

Effects of a post-hospitalization group health education programme for patients with coronary heart disease

Effects of a post-hospitolization group health education programme for patients with coronary heart disease. A health education programme was offered to groups of coronary heart patients and their partners after discharge from hospital. A randomized pre-test post-test control group design was used to evaluate the effects of this experimental intervention. The health education programme was offered to 109 coronary heart patients in groups of between five and eight patients together with their partners in addition to standard medical care and physical training. A control group of 108 patients received only standard medical care and physical training. The intervention consisted of eight weekly two-hour group health education sessions and one follow-up session. All sessions focused on the promotion of healthy habits and the reduction of adverse psychosocial consequences of the incident. In the short term (about four months after the incident) the health education programme showed statistically significant intervention effects on knowledge about coronary heart diseases, smoking cessation, healthy eating habits and the number of consultations with the family physician, but no effects on emotional distress. In the long term (one year after the incident) there was only a significant intervention effect on smoking cessation. These results suggest that the effects of the programme are modest, especially in terms of maintenance of behavioural change. As a consequence, it is suggested that the programme should not be offered to all coronary patients during cardiac rehabilitation, but only to those who can be expected to profit most from it.

Examining a Model of Stress Reactions of Bank Directors

The purpose of this study was to investigate to what level work-related and environmental/personality characteristics explain individual differences in psychological and physical well-being, and absenteeism. The Michigan model, as developed by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, was used as a base for further analyses. A number of 376 bank directors was included in the study. Using the LISREL program for testing causal assumptions, a model resulted that explained substantial amounts of variance for psychological and physical well-being. The model, however, was not effective to explain absenteeism.

Affective consequences of mathematics instruction for students with special needs

Affective consequences of two types of mathematics instruction, guiding instruction and directing instruction, were studied for two types of students with special needs: mildly mentally retarded students and students with specific learning disabilities. Seventy students were instructed in small groups in either a guiding or a directing instruction condition. Taking the domain of this research into account—addition and subtraction up to 100—two variants of directing instruction were distinguished: directing-jump instruction and directing-split instruction. Results revealed that the directing-jump instruction and guiding instruction resulted in more constructivist beliefs about learning mathematics than the directing-split instruction. Compared to students with specific learning disabilities, mildly mentally retarded students developed higher levels of ego orientation as well as task orientation.