Yaacov B. Yablon

Online university learning: cognitive and affective perspectives

Online university courses have become popular in many universities and colleges throughout the world. In addition to the relative cost‐effectiveness of online learning, there are studies that indicate that students reach satisfactory achievement levels in these courses. The major aim of the present research was two‐fold: to examine students’ academic performance in a mandatory first‐year university Internet‐based “Introduction to statistics” course and to investigate psycho‐pedagogical variables which contributed to students’ online learning, compared to learning of students who participated in a traditional lecture‐based “Introduction to statistics” course. Results of the study indicate that students who participated in the mandatory online course reached similar academic performance levels to those achieved by students who participated in the traditional lecture‐based course. In addition, the findings indicate that participation in the online course improves psycho‐pedagogical attitudes towards online l...

Affect and digital learning at the university level

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to examine the efficiency of SMS based cell‐phone vocabulary learning as compared to email vocabulary delivery and snail mail vocabulary delivery at the university level.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 241 first year university students studied English vocabulary in their mandatory English foundation course. Students were divided into three groups: study via cell‐phone based SMS messages, via email messages and via snail mail delivery. Vocabulary lists were delivered weekly to students via the three delivery strategies during course. Students in the three groups were tested on English vocabulary and responded to a questionnaire that examined their attitudes toward flexibility of the learning strategy; user friendliness of the learning strategy; learner control of the learning process, learner motivation; and learner autonomy.Findings – Results of the study indicate that there were no significant differences for achievement attained by the three groups on the ...

Student–teacher relationships and students’ willingness to seek help for school violence

Students’ willingness to seek help from a teacher to deal with four different forms of violence (physical, relational, verbal, and use of weapon) was studied. The role of positive teacher–student relationships and whether such relationships mediate students’ perceptions of the teacher’s ability to assist were assessed. Findings pointed to only partial mediation in physical, relational, and verbal violence and no mediation in the case of weapon use. Girls and younger students were more willing to seek help for all forms of violence. The importance of relationships with teachers for dealing with school violence is discussed.

How Safe Do Students Feel at School and While Traveling to School? A Comparative Look at Israel and the United States

Despite increased interest in studying school violence, much less attention has been given to examining students’ fear of experiencing this violence. A better understanding is important, because fear of victimization can generate negative academic consequences for the individual student and larger school environment. To explore students’ fear, our study takes a cross-national approach and compares the United States and Israel. Previous victimization experience is universally associated with fear at school. With regard to other correlates, greater similarities are found between U.S. and Israeli-Jewish students than for either group with Israeli-Arab students. Our study also examines students’ fear while traveling to school. Here, similarities are found among all students. Girls and students victimized at school report being fearful more often while traveling to school than boys and students who were not victimized. Explanations for our findings are discussed as well as possible implications for future policy and research.

Cognitive rather than emotional modification in peace education programs : advantages and limitations

Contact intervention programs are being used as the main vehicle to enhance positive relationships between conflict groups. Current research seeks to reveal the force driving processes that lead to positive contact between conflict groups, and points to the importance of emotional modification. Acknowledging the centrality of emotional modification, the present study points to the importance of defining the desired goals of contact interventions. It aimed to reveal which of the emotional, cognitive, motivational or behavioural components of intergroup relations were most enhanced in peace intervention programs for Israeli Jewish and Bedouin Arab high‐school students in Israel. The findings indicate the cognitive realm as the most enhanced. These findings raise the question of the relevance of emotional modification in regions of persistent conflict, and suggest that intervention methods and desired outcomes must be closely linked. Finally, implications for moral education are discussed.

Gender differences in peace education programmes

Peace education programmes have become part of the school curriculum all over the world, as a way to enhance positive relationships between conflict groups. However, although gender differences are being taken into account when planning various educational programmes, this is usually not the case with peace education. The present study aimed to reveal gender differences regarding peace and peace pedagogy. One hundred and eighty Israeli Jewish and Arab high school students participated in a peace contact education programme. Gender and group differences were examined both before and after participation in the programme. The findings revealed that the Jewish and Arab female youths were more dovish than the males both before and after participating in the programme, and gained more from the encounters. Implications for conflict resolution and peace pedagogy are discussed.

Feeling Close from a Distance: Peace Encounters via Internet Technology.

In regions of intractable conflicts, daily circumstances and overall reality allow very narrow opportunities to bring members of conflict groups together in order to modify their social relationships. Internet-based communications were the backbone of a three-month program designed to address the Jewish-Arab conflict between Israeli Jewish youth and Arab youth to enable students to discuss issues such as equality, democracy, tolerance, and peace.

Are we preaching to the converted? The role of motivation in understanding the contribution of intergroup encounters

The role of motivation to participate in peace encounters was examined against the popular claim that such programs mainly benefit those who already espouse peace-movement ideas. The self-determination theory served as the theoretical framework for the study. Jewish and Arab high-school students (N = 330) were randomly assigned to research and control groups based on their motivation to participate in peace encounters. The findings revealed that those who benefited most and whose social relationships were significantly enhanced by participation in the program were participants who were extrinsically motivated. Those who were amotivated gained nothing but did not deteriorate, whereas their counterparts in the control group deteriorated. Those who were intrinsically motivated did not gain much from their participation but did not deteriorate, even without the encounters (in the control group). Theoretical and pedagogical implications of the findings are discussed.

Religion as a Basis for Dialogue in Peace Education Programs.

Religion could play a positive role in intergroup relations. However, this potential is usually overlooked and religion is often perceived as divisive and polarizing, perhaps even a source of intergroup conflict. This study examined religion as a possible tool for achieving positive intergroup encounters. A randomized control trial research design was used to study the contribution of religion to the enhancement of positive relations between Jewish and Arab high school students in Israel. The 255 eleventh‐grade students were randomly assigned into three groups: encounters based on religious content, encounters based on social content, and a control group. Findings revealed that the religion‐based intervention was more effective than the social‐based one, which merely slowed down the deteriorating relationships between the groups. The results suggest that religion can serve as a common denominator for different national and social groups and be used for enhancing tolerance and understanding between conflict groups.

Quality of care at home and in daycare and social behaviour in early childhood

An attempt was made in the present study to identify mothers’ and caregivers’ teaching (mediation) behaviour in relation to toddlers’ social behaviour. Participants were 103 toddlers, two- to four-year olds, their mothers, and 28 caregivers at 16 public daycare centres in Israel. Two observations were carried out, one in toddlers’ homes and the other in the daycare centres. Research findings indicate that mothers’ and caregivers’ social mediation behaviour ‘encouraging’ and ‘regulating behaviour’ were related to more prosocial behaviour and to less aggressive behaviour of toddlers. Especially, interesting findings were noted regarding effects of incompatible mediation on childrens social behaviour. It was found that when mothers or caregivers exhibited more mediation that was unmatched or unsynchronised with their childs behaviour (i.e. ‘unspecified encouragement’), their children exhibited more aggressive and less prosocial behaviour.