Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University / The intention of this study is to examine the quality and quantitative achievements of two hundred seventy-nine left handed children located in the elementary schools of New England.

Denna studie syftar till fördjupade kunskaper om hur gitarrlärare ser på vänsterhänthet i relation till instrumentets speltekniska svårigheter och hur de anser sig arbeta med vänsterhänta elever i sin undervisning. I uppsatsen ges en bakgrund om vad vänsterhänthet är, en historisk bakgrund om den klassiska gitarren och dess speltekniska svårigheter samt tidigare forskning om musikundervisning av vänsterhänta. Studien utgår från ett multimodalt designteoretiskt perspektiv och ett empiriskt material bestående av fyra kvalitativa intervjuer. Av studiens resultat framkommer att de deltagande lärarna inte ansåg sig anpassa sin undervisning efter elevernas vänsterhänthet, förutom vid starkare grader av vänsterhänthet då eleverna uppmanades att vända på gitarren. Valet av hur gitarren ska hållas beskrivs sällan överlåtas till den enskilda eleven, utan förefaller istället vanligen bestämmas av läraren. Lärarna menade också att alla elever behöver öva samma tekniker och att samma undervisning därför bör gälla för höger- såväl som vänsterhänta elever. Den högersträngade gitarren utgör norm i undervisningen, vilket lärarnas berättelser om hur de sällan rekommenderade elever att vända på gitarren visar. Utifrån detta resultat diskuteras sedan gitarrundervisning av vänsterhänta. Undervisningen beskrivs inte enbart vara en fråga om att anpassa ett instrument, då hela undervisningens design beskrivs spela roll för elevernas lärande med instrumentet. / The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper knowledge of how guitar teachers view left-handedness with regard to the technical difficulties of the instrument and how they work with left-handed students while teaching. This paper provides some background on what left-handedness is, some historical background on the classical guitar and the technical difficulties of playing it, and an overview of previous work on musical education and left-handed people. The study is based on a multimodal and design theoretical perspective, and an empirical material consisting of four qualitative interviews. The results show that the participating teachers did not, in their own view, adapt their teaching because of left-handed students. The exception was students with a strong degree of left-handedness, who were encouraged to turn the guitar around. However, how the guitar is held was not often described as something left up to the individual student, but rather as something decided by the teacher. The teachers also felt that all students need to practice the same techniques, and that the same instructions therefore should be used for both right-handed and left-handed students. Right-handed guitars are standard in teaching situations, and the fact that the teachers say that they rarely recommend that students turn the guitar around reflects that. The results of the study then form the basis for a discussion on teaching left-handed students. It is not just a question of adapting an instrument; the whole design of the lessons makes a difference when it comes to the student learning the instrument.

[Truncated abstract] Atypical handedness is found to be more prevalent in schizophrenia patients than in psychiatric and normal controls, suggesting atypical brain lateralisation, particularly of regions associated with language. This ‘behavioural aberration’ is commonly considered as a marker of disturbed neurodevelopment, which is usually indexed by minor physical abnormalities. A prevailing view in the literature is that the atypical lateralisation of hand preference provides an additional index for the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia. Consistent with this hypothesis, an atypical lateralisation of hand preferences can also be considered as a consequence of environmental agents that might have interfered with early embryonic development. Notwithstanding the above, an atypical lateralisation of hand preferences can occur as a result of genetic factors as well as an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. The overall objective of this thesis was to advance existing knowledge on atypical laterality in schizophrenia by addressing its various (though related) aspects, including measurement, classification and conceptualisation. Atypical lateralisation of hand preferences in schizophrenia patients was approached by five separate studies. ... Overall, this thesis argues that the causes of atypical lateralisation of hand preferences are due to combined genetic and environmental factors and that its use as a marker of vulnerability to schizophrenia is limited. A cautious interpretation of various associations between the laterality and other measures, particularly cognitive measures, is advised until a broad agreement on the true nature of handedness is reached.

The thesis is aimed at comparing the systems of education and work with left-handed pupils in Germany and the USA (and some other selected countries if need be) and subsequent comparison with the attitude to left-handed individuals prevailing in our country. The thesis is based on a good orientation in specialized literature, contemporary textbooks and guides. The objective rests in mapping the phenomenon of left-handedness in selected countries and its subsequent comparison with the situation in the Czech Republic. The final part of the thesis contains a comprehensive analysis of left-handedness in our country and in the world. The thesis shall highlight differences in viewing this phenomenon in its complexity and outline feasibilities of enriching our views on laterality not only in education.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:56:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Priscila Lambach Ferreira da Costa.pdf: 1337763 bytes, checksum: fab2c985ec1fc87b4f1676e037283192 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-04-11 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research aimed to understand how people experience the condition of being left-handed, trying to identify the characteristics of manifestation of laterality, understand the relationship of the person with his family, school and work concerning this condition. Thus, it was possible to locate the difficulties faced by this group, the facilities and advantages of being left-handed, discussing the significance of this difference, and the myths and prejudices faced throughout their lives. A theoretical study was conducted to clarify the concept of handedness what causes a person to be left-handed or right-handed, left-handed throughout history and conceptions about this condition. We worked with non-directive interviews, focusing on the life stories in the pursuit of understanding the constitution of the person, as proposed by Ciampa. Five women between 23 and 82 years old, represented different generations, which allowed us to identify changes in how school and society realized and acted in relation to the left-handed. The data demonstrate varied experiences, with cases of repression of handedness by family and school, and others in which there was no objection. Difficulties remained in the material aspect, such as using scissors and desks, for example. Common form, found that this difference reaches a minority group, even if it involves some difficulties, is not a negative experience. We found that the left-handed accepts and is pleased with his condition, he feels that belongs to a group in which people recognize and value, and although throughout history left-handedness has been considered something allied to evil and negative, today there is a new look. The left-handed like to be different, to stand out among the rest / Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo compreender como as pessoas vivenciam a condição de serem canhotas, buscando identificar as características de manifestação da lateralidade, além de compreender a relação do sujeito com sua família, escola e trabalho frente a essa condição. Dessa forma, foi possível localizar as dificuldades enfrentadas por esse grupo, as facilidades e vantagens de ser canhoto, discutindo o significado dessa diferença, e os mitos e preconceitos enfrentados ao longo de suas vidas. Foi realizado um estudo teórico para esclarecer o conceito de lateralidade, o que leva uma pessoa a ser canhota ou destra, o canhoto ao longo da história e concepções sobre essa condição. Foram realizadas entrevistas não diretivas, com foco nas histórias de vida, em busca da compreensão da constituição do sujeito, tal como proposto por Ciampa. Foram entrevistadas cinco mulheres entre 23 e 82 anos, representantes de diferentes gerações, o que permitiu identificar mudanças na maneira como a escola e a sociedade perceberam e agiram em relação ao sujeito canhoto. Os dados demonstram experiências variadas, havendo casos de repressão da lateralidade pela família e pela escola, e outros em que não houve objeção. As dificuldades se mantiveram no aspecto material, como o uso de tesouras e carteiras escolares, por exemplo. De forma comum, constatamos que essa diferença que atinge um grupo minoritário, ainda que implique algumas dificuldades, não é vivenciada negativamente. Verificamos que o canhoto aceita e se compraz com sua condição, sente-se pertencente a um grupo em que as pessoas se reconhecem e se valorizam e, apesar de ao longo da história o canhotismo ter sido considerado algo aliado ao mal e ao negativo, hoje há uma nova postura. O canhoto gosta de ser diferente, de se destacar entre os demais

The topic of this study is left-handedness as a phenomenon in violin playing and classical violin pedagogy. The aim of the study is to investigate what kind of knowledge and approaches are crucial for taking left-handedness into account when teaching left-handed violinists in the normatively right-handed violin pedagogy. The body of knowledge arises from literature on hemispheric lateralization, left-handedness, attributes of violin playing, and earlier studies on hand-preference and musical performance, hemispheric adaptations to musical training, and children’s conceptions of left and right. A background-study was carried out on left-handedness in guitar playing. The study employs abductive reasoning, has an auto-ethnographic thread and draws on the hermeneutical epistemology. The theoretical framework rests on the cultural-psychological perspective on music education. The data was collected in two parts using qualitative ethnography-inspired methods. First qualitative thematic interview was used for gathering strategically sampled data from expert respondents on violin playing, pedagogy and violin-making. Secondly non-participant observation and follow-up interview was used for examining a beginner violin lesson. The findings of the study suggest that violin pedagogues need knowledge of the lateralization effects on violin playing and methodological understanding for pupils’ handedness and maturity of motor development. The data suggests that left-handedness is not a disadvantage in violin playing when provided with education that recognizes it. Reversed violin playing is considered as an alternative for strongly left-handed pupils. The data shows that violin education needs open discussion on left-handedness in terms of prejudices in orchestras, and raised awareness on the availability of left-handed instruments.

TITLE: Left-handedness and its acceptance in contemporary education system and families AUTHOR: Libuše Svobodová DEPARTMENT: Department of Biology and Environmental Studies SUPERVISOR: doc. RNDr. Václav Vančata, CSc. ABSTRACT: The diploma thesis entitled Left-handedness and its acceptance in contemporary education system and families follows up and complements the bachelor thesis entitled The issue of left- handedness in the development of children and youth - history, present and perspectives. The first and second chapters of the theoretical part of the diploma thesis focus more deeply on the characteristics of left-handed writing styles, advantages and disadvantages of left-handed writing, suitable writing aids, classroom order, organization of work environment and writing methodology. The third chapter is devoted to laterality tests with a focus on the upper limb, lower limb, eye and ear, test tasks, their conditions and evaluation. The last fourth chapter of the theoretical part deals with the central nervous system, more precisely the brain and its asymmetric anatomy, function, control of upper limb movements and motor development of the upper limb. The practical part of the diploma thesis consists of five researches. The first research verifies the occurrence of left-handers in primary schools and...

This diploma thesis focuses on the important knowledge related to education and bringing up left-handed children. The theoretical part focuses on the explanation of the term laterality and its diagnostics and also on the methodology of left-handed writing and the preparatory exercises for writing. Furthermore this part points to some various causes and effects suppression of left- handedness, and a brief insight into a former approach and an actual approach. This part offers information to the new trend in writing - Czech school font called Comenia Script. The practical part concentrates on the development of writing for left-handed in the commonly used writing alphabet, and in the font Comenia Script. There is also included a tentative questionnaire for primary school teachers and an observation and teaching of left- handed pupils in four different grades at primary schools. Keywords: laterality, left-handedness, upbringing, education, the commonly used writing alphabet, the font Comenia Script

This thesis deals with the laterality and the ways of diagnosis at children. It is divided into three parts - theoretical, practical and appendixes. The theoretical part deals with laterality, methods of diagnostic and methodology of work with left-handed pupil at the beginning of the school attendance. The aim of research in the practical part of the thesis was to find information about working with left-handed pupils between the students of primary teaching and teachers in practise. The appendixes of this thesis include the questionnaires used for the practical part of the thesis and worksheets for pupils to relax their hand while writing.

The diploma thesis deals with laterality, the research presents analysis of laterality of six adult people with forced changes in laterality. Then it describes the development of laterality and its types, degrees, types and diagnostics. There is also a historical approach to the left-hand side from the Stone Age to the present. The work focuses on forced changes in laterality in childhood and their influence on the overall development of personality. Six adult respondents, three men and three women aged thirty- eight to seventy-two years were tested for qualitative research. The effects of laterality change were observed in speech, psyche, state of laterality, reading and written speech. The aim of the work was to describe the difficulties that may arise as a result of a forced change in laterality, to find out whether the respondents have to face and to discover their possible survival to adulthood. For all respondents, the laterality and type determined by the test was tested, which was a partial goal. For all respondents, during the interviews, problems related to forced changes in laterality in childhood were manifested or discussed.