The thesis is concerned with the application of Feuerstein's theory of mediated learning experience to teaching in the first year of primary school. It summarises basic information about Feuerstein's work, the theories of mediated learning experience and structural cognitive modifiability. It also deals with the application of mediated learning experience to teaching in the first year of primary school. In this respect, it characterises the period of early school age and the role of the teacher. The central theme of the work, the theory of mediated learning experience, is an approach targeted at the process and structure of thought. The application of this theory is aimed at the individual's general cognitive development, especially the development of the thinking process. The principal goal of the thesis is to introduce the possibilities of applying the theory of mediated learning to teaching in school and thus contribute to the spread of this methodology only recently introduced to the Czech Republic, which can be considered a helpful and meaningful way to enrich teaching and support the children's cognitive development.

A Sociedade e o mercado de trabalho exigem de cidadãos e trabalhadores, nos últimos tempos, um perfil de desempenho diferente daquele até então aceito. As principais carências do trabalhador dizem respeito, dentre outras necessidades, ao desempenho de certas competências pessoais e a melhoria do funcionamento cognitivo. As escolas, responsáveis pela preparação dessas pessoas para viver em Sociedade - o que inclui a preparação para o mundo do trabalho - não costumam realizar ações educacionais intencionais na direção da melhoria do desenvolvimento cognitivo de seus alunos. O foco do presente estudo está na possibilidade da Escola realizar intencionalmente o desenvolvimento cognitivo de estudantes, futuros trabalhadores. utilizando um programa já existente, criado e estruturado para essa finalidade por Reuven Feuerstein. No final da década de 1940, coube a Feuerstein a tarefa de educar centenas de crianças e jovens, órfãos da guerra, para que se tornassem cidadãos autônomos e produtivos. Diante da necessidade real de modificar o desempenho cognitivo e resgatar a cidadania dessas pessoas, Feuerstein criou - a partir de sua visão de mundo, de um conjunto de crenças por ele estabelecido e de sua experiência - duas teorias: Modificabilidade Cognitiva Estrutural e Experiência de Aprendizagem Mediada e três sistemas inter-relacionados, ou seja, um sistema de avaliação: Avaliação Dinâmica do Potencial de Aprendizagem, um sistema de intervenção: Programa de Enriquecimento Instrumental e um sistema de manutenção: Modelagem de Ambientes Modificadores. Avaliar o efeito do primeiro nível do Programa de Enriquecimento Instrumental (PEI I) no desenvolvimento cognitivo de estudantes da 3ª série de Escolas pública ou privada de Ensino Médio é o objetivo amplo desse trabalho. Em resumo, foram envolvidos no projeto 96 estudantes (54 rapazes e 42 moças) de duas Escolas de Ensino Médio: uma privada e outra pública. Sessenta e sete desses alunos participaram dos grupos experimentais que se submeteram ao PEI I e as outras 29 pessoas integraram grupos de controle, não participando, portanto, da aplicação do Programa. Todos os estudantes participaram de uma avaliação inicial diante de seis instrumentos, sendo que alguns deles permitiam avaliação dinâmica. Da análise dos resultados dos instrumentos, que envolviam avaliação dinâmica, foram levantadas necessidades e estabelecidos procedimentos de intervenção. Os alunos dos grupos experimentais foram submetidos ao primeiro nível do Programa de Enriquecimento Instrumental (PEI I). Durante a aplicação do PEI I, alunos participaram de avaliação intermediária, realizada a partir da aplicação de instrumento de avaliação e ou de questionário para levantamento da percepção dos estudantes sobre o PEI. Finalmente, todos os participantes foram submetidos a uma avaliação final. Os resultados foram analisados de forma descritiva e estatística. Os testes U ou de Mann- Whitney e o teste t de Student foram utilizados para indicar semelhanças e diferenças prováveis entre os desempenhos dos grupos de alunos. A partir da discussão desses resultados foram montadas proposições que justificaram as seguintes conclusões: A modificabilidade cognitiva estrutural dos estudantes dos grupos experimentais foi ampliada. O desenvolvimento cognitivo demonstrado pelos estudantes dos grupos experimentais foi maior que o desempenho cognitivo demonstrado pelos alunos do grupo de controle. / In the recent past, both society and labour market are demanding from citizens a performance far different from those accept until then. The major lacks of workers may concern, among others, to the development of specific personal competences and to the improve of the cognitive process. Schools, responsible for the preparation for life in society - including the life in the labour market - don\'t usually take intentional educational actions aiming the improve of the cognitive development of their students. The focus of the present study is mainly on analyzing the possibility of Schools to make an intentional effort to develop student\'s cognitive habilities, future workers, using a preexisting program created and structured for this meaning by Reuven Feuerstein. In the late 40\'s, Feurstein took the task of teaching hundreds of children and teenagers, war orphan children, to become autonomous and productive citizens. Facing the real need of improving their cognitive habilities and rescuing their citizenship, Feuerstein came up - using his own wide world perception, personal beliefs and experience - with two theories: Structural Cognitive Modifiability (SCM) and Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) and three interrelated systems, or an evaluation system: Learning Potential Assesment Device (LPAD), an interventional system: Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE) and a maintenance system: Shaping Modifying Environments (ME). The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effect of the first level of the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE I) on 3rd grade public or private High School student\'s cognitive development. Summing up, there were 96 students involved in this project (54 boys and 42 girls) from two different High Schools: one private and one public. Sixty seven of these students were placed on experimental groups that were submitted to FIE I and the other 29 kids took part on control groups, staying away from the program application. All the students participated on an initial evaluation, facing six instruments, some of then allowing a dynamic evaluation. From the instrument result analysys, needs were raised and intervention procedures were established. The students\'s experimental group was submitted to the first level of the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE I). During its application, the students had an intermediary evaluation, made by the application of the evaluation instrument and by a questionnaire to measure the student\'s level of perception about the (FIE I). Finally, all the participants were submitted to a final evaluation. The results were analyzed in a descriptive statistical way. The U or Mann-Whitney tests and the t for Student test were used to indicate probable similarities and differences among the student\'s groups performances. From its discussion were put together propositions to justify the following conclusions: The student\'s experimental group structural cognitive modifiability was raised. The cognitive development shown by the student\'s experimental group was higher than the cognitive performance shown by the student\'s control group.

Abstract Childhood development has always been a major topic when studying psychology and biology. This makes sense because the brain develops from the time a child is conceived to the time that child has reached around the age of twenty-seven. Doctors, psychologists, and sociologists look at numerous things when studying childhood development. However, how common is it for researchers to study how the fine and performing arts affect childhood development? Sociologists tend to be extremely open and mindful of all aspects of things such as culture, sexuality, religion, and even age. By taking a sociological standpoint when studying the arts and studying childhood development, society is able to make connections between the two that leads to better understanding of a child's development socially, mentally, and academically.

Antecedents: No hi ha gaire coneixement sobre el neurodesenvolupament de preescolars i la seva susceptibilitat enfront a factors ambientals. Objectius: Avaluar les respostes del neurodesenvolupament en nens i les seves característiques psicomètriques, i, si factors ambientals primerencs (ex., duració de la lactància materna i mares que fumen) poden influir tals respostes. Mètodes: Dues cohorts prospectives des del naixement en població general (Menorca (N=421) i Ribera d'Ebre (N=79)) van se seguides fins als 4 anys d'edat durant un període de dos anys (2001-2003). Els nens van ser avaluats per tres psicòlegs i els seus respectius mestres per les funcions neuropsicològiques (MCSA), els comportaments de dèficit d'atenció i d'hiperactivitat (TDAH-DSM-IV) i la competència social (CPSCS); junt amb l'administració (en persona) a les mares de qüestionaris generals.Resultats: Les respostes van mostrar característiques psicomètriques acceptables i els patrons neuropsicològics del TDAH eren consistents amb altres troballes sobre TDAH. La lactància materna de llarga durada estava associada amb una millora de totes les àrees comportamentals avaluades. Fumar durant l'embaràs estava associat a puntuacions cognitives més baixes.Conclusions: Avaluar el neurodesenvolupament a preescolars sans és factible i necessari per investigar efectes primerencs de factors ambientals i aplicar polítiques preventives de salut pública. / Background: Little is known about neurodevelopment among preschoolers and its susceptibility to environmental factors.Objectives: Assess neurodevelopmental outcomes and their psychometric characteristics in children; and, if early environmental factors (i.e., duration of breastfeeding and maternal smoking) influence the neurobehavioral outcomes. Methods: Two prospective population-based birth cohorts (Menorca (N=421) and Ribera d'Ebre county (N=79)) were followed up at the age of 4 years during a two year period (2001-2003). Children were assessed by three psychologists and their respective teachers for neuropsychological functions (MCSA), inattention-hyperactivity behaviors (ADHD-DSM-IV) and social behavior (CPSCS); in addition to maternal in person general questionnaires. Results: Outcomes showed acceptable psychometric characteristics and ADHD neuropsychological patterns were consistent with other ADHD findings. Long-term breastfeeding was associated with the improvement of all behavioral areas assessed. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with lower cognitive scores.Conclusions: Assessing neurodevelopment in healthy preschoolers is feasible and necessary to investigate early effects of environmental factors and apply public health preventive policies.

In the secondary school situation, a pupil needs to read to learn, therefore it is imperative to comprehend what is read. Reading comprehension is one of the two functions of reading and it is dependent on the abilities of the reader, the reader's interpretation of the text and the context in which the text is read. In examining reader characteristics, it is evident that it is very difficult for learning disabled pupils with a reading comprehension deficit to comprehend successfully. Their · unique problems can be exacerbated by such external factors as text components and the context in which the reading takes place. Reading comprehension has been instructed to learning disabled secondary school pupils using reading methods and strategies, to facilitate reading comprehension. From this practical experience and the literature studied, guidelines have been formulated for teachers to use to improve the reading comprehension skills of learning disabled secondary school pupils. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Orthopedagogics)

A Sociedade e o mercado de trabalho exigem de cidadãos e trabalhadores, nos últimos tempos, um perfil de desempenho diferente daquele até então aceito. As principais carências do trabalhador dizem respeito, dentre outras necessidades, ao desempenho de certas competências pessoais e a melhoria do funcionamento cognitivo. As escolas, responsáveis pela preparação dessas pessoas para viver em Sociedade - o que inclui a preparação para o mundo do trabalho - não costumam realizar ações educacionais intencionais na direção da melhoria do desenvolvimento cognitivo de seus alunos. O foco do presente estudo está na possibilidade da Escola realizar intencionalmente o desenvolvimento cognitivo de estudantes, futuros trabalhadores. utilizando um programa já existente, criado e estruturado para essa finalidade por Reuven Feuerstein. No final da década de 1940, coube a Feuerstein a tarefa de educar centenas de crianças e jovens, órfãos da guerra, para que se tornassem cidadãos autônomos e produtivos. Diante da necessidade real de modificar o desempenho cognitivo e resgatar a cidadania dessas pessoas, Feuerstein criou - a partir de sua visão de mundo, de um conjunto de crenças por ele estabelecido e de sua experiência - duas teorias: Modificabilidade Cognitiva Estrutural e Experiência de Aprendizagem Mediada e três sistemas inter-relacionados, ou seja, um sistema de avaliação: Avaliação Dinâmica do Potencial de Aprendizagem, um sistema de intervenção: Programa de Enriquecimento Instrumental e um sistema de manutenção: Modelagem de Ambientes Modificadores. Avaliar o efeito do primeiro nível do Programa de Enriquecimento Instrumental (PEI I) no desenvolvimento cognitivo de estudantes da 3ª série de Escolas pública ou privada de Ensino Médio é o objetivo amplo desse trabalho. Em resumo, foram envolvidos no projeto 96 estudantes (54 rapazes e 42 moças) de duas Escolas de Ensino Médio: uma privada e outra pública. Sessenta e sete desses alunos participaram dos grupos experimentais que se submeteram ao PEI I e as outras 29 pessoas integraram grupos de controle, não participando, portanto, da aplicação do Programa. Todos os estudantes participaram de uma avaliação inicial diante de seis instrumentos, sendo que alguns deles permitiam avaliação dinâmica. Da análise dos resultados dos instrumentos, que envolviam avaliação dinâmica, foram levantadas necessidades e estabelecidos procedimentos de intervenção. Os alunos dos grupos experimentais foram submetidos ao primeiro nível do Programa de Enriquecimento Instrumental (PEI I). Durante a aplicação do PEI I, alunos participaram de avaliação intermediária, realizada a partir da aplicação de instrumento de avaliação e ou de questionário para levantamento da percepção dos estudantes sobre o PEI. Finalmente, todos os participantes foram submetidos a uma avaliação final. Os resultados foram analisados de forma descritiva e estatística. Os testes U ou de Mann- Whitney e o teste t de Student foram utilizados para indicar semelhanças e diferenças prováveis entre os desempenhos dos grupos de alunos. A partir da discussão desses resultados foram montadas proposições que justificaram as seguintes conclusões: A modificabilidade cognitiva estrutural dos estudantes dos grupos experimentais foi ampliada. O desenvolvimento cognitivo demonstrado pelos estudantes dos grupos experimentais foi maior que o desempenho cognitivo demonstrado pelos alunos do grupo de controle. / In the recent past, both society and labour market are demanding from citizens a performance far different from those accept until then. The major lacks of workers may concern, among others, to the development of specific personal competences and to the improve of the cognitive process. Schools, responsible for the preparation for life in society - including the life in the labour market - don\'t usually take intentional educational actions aiming the improve of the cognitive development of their students. The focus of the present study is mainly on analyzing the possibility of Schools to make an intentional effort to develop student\'s cognitive habilities, future workers, using a preexisting program created and structured for this meaning by Reuven Feuerstein. In the late 40\'s, Feurstein took the task of teaching hundreds of children and teenagers, war orphan children, to become autonomous and productive citizens. Facing the real need of improving their cognitive habilities and rescuing their citizenship, Feuerstein came up - using his own wide world perception, personal beliefs and experience - with two theories: Structural Cognitive Modifiability (SCM) and Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) and three interrelated systems, or an evaluation system: Learning Potential Assesment Device (LPAD), an interventional system: Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE) and a maintenance system: Shaping Modifying Environments (ME). The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effect of the first level of the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE I) on 3rd grade public or private High School student\'s cognitive development. Summing up, there were 96 students involved in this project (54 boys and 42 girls) from two different High Schools: one private and one public. Sixty seven of these students were placed on experimental groups that were submitted to FIE I and the other 29 kids took part on control groups, staying away from the program application. All the students participated on an initial evaluation, facing six instruments, some of then allowing a dynamic evaluation. From the instrument result analysys, needs were raised and intervention procedures were established. The students\'s experimental group was submitted to the first level of the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE I). During its application, the students had an intermediary evaluation, made by the application of the evaluation instrument and by a questionnaire to measure the student\'s level of perception about the (FIE I). Finally, all the participants were submitted to a final evaluation. The results were analyzed in a descriptive statistical way. The U or Mann-Whitney tests and the t for Student test were used to indicate probable similarities and differences among the student\'s groups performances. From its discussion were put together propositions to justify the following conclusions: The student\'s experimental group structural cognitive modifiability was raised. The cognitive development shown by the student\'s experimental group was higher than the cognitive performance shown by the student\'s control group.

The dissertation thesis presents the results of a research project which focused on the application of mediated learning experience theory to teaching with respect to cognitive development of pupils. The first chapter introduces cognitive education, which concentrates on the process of learning. It also compares this approach with traditional methods aimed at the content of learning. The following parts of the thesis deal with selected theories postulated by Reuven Feuerstein which are important for understanding the context in which his other theory was developed: the theory of mediated learning experience. This theory is the central theme of the theoretical part of the thesis. Apart from its definition and parameters, the thesis presents specific recommendations for teachers about how to develop cognitive functions of their pupils by applying this theory directly in class. Afterwards, attention is paid to Feuerstein's well-known worldwide intervention program called The Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment. This program is used in the Czech school system, too. The essential part of this chapter introduces a number of studies which focused on the verification of benefits of Feuerstein's approaches to cognitive development in children and adolescents. The last chapter of the theoretical part...

The main goal of the thesis entitled "The selected methods of social work with clients self-non sufficient in health care facilities" was to describe and to analyze methods used in activation of the elderly suffering from dementia. It draws a comparison of different settings and explores workers's attitude to the methods of activation. The text of the thesis was mapped out into five chapters. The first chapter was set into the context of old age and ageing. The second chapter is concerned with the issues of self-sufficiency and dependency of old age and other related issues. The topic of the third chapter is old age in relation with memory. It defines memory and memory disorders in the elderly suffering from dementia. The fourth chapter is crucial and gives an idea of non-pharmacological and other possible activities which are eligible for application in practice and are intended to reduce cognitive disorders of cognitive functions and behavior disorders. The theoretical part enters into research carried out in four facilities which care for clients with dementia. The research section is represented by a qualitative research where methods of a half structured interview and observation were opted for. The interviews were realized with eight practicing experts. The outcomes gathered from the...