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This work aims to identify teaching and learning practices in practical classes of Computer Network Technology courses, which promote the use of the Physical Laboratory (PL) as an epistemic tool to improve learning in epistemic terms. Content analysis of Multimodal Narrations (MN) of three classes by two teachers were used. An MN aggregates and organizes the data collected in the PL environment. Based on the results, we infer that the student and the teacher, under certain conditions, use the physical laboratory as an epistemic tool since the physical interactions prove its use and reuse. In addition, this study allows, in the context of work in the physical laboratory of networks, to identify that the orchestrations of mediation patterns adopted by the teacher influence the students' epistemic practices and the use of the laboratory as a tool to produce new knowledge. The following contributions are presented: (1) The quality of the students' epistemic practices is increased if, in the teacher's dynamics of mediation, the control of the students' action is reduced; (2) The orchestration of the teacher's mediation patterns is essential to achieve beneficial results in student learning with the use of artifacts from the physical laboratory of Computer Networks; (3) For the physical laboratory to become an epistemic tool, it is necessary that the mediation standards allow students to develop epistemic practices to a high or very high degree and there is a certain mediation orchestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical study explored high school Economics teachers’ curriculum implementation practices in South Africa. The research focused on a sample of three Economics teachers purposefully selected from three schools in the Northern Cape province. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) and adopting a qualitative approach, the study employed a case study design.To get insight on the Economics teachers’ curriculum practices, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis were used to generate data from the selected high school Economics teachers. Braun and Clarke’s six steps of thematic analysis were followed in analysing the triangulated data. The study findings indicate that some Economics teachers’ practices on instructional planning, selection of resources, feedback, and reflective practices promoted meaningful learning. The study concludes that although there are pockets of effective curriculum implementation practices by Economics teachers, there is a need to continue with in-service teacher training to enhance the teachers’ curriculum implementation practices. The study recommends that Economics teachers should form Professional Learning Communities where they learn and share good practices to provide teachers with continuous in-service training on how to plan lessons that cater for diverse learners’ needs. This study contributes to the scholarship by providing insights into how teachers’ curriculum practices can be enhanced both at pre-service and in-service levels to improve teacher effectiveness and efficiency. Furthermore, the study forms the basis on which further research on Economics teachers’ curriculum implementation practices on a more representative scale can be conducted.

How can we better mediate processes of learning at large institutions? Learning analytics are used primarily in online and blended learning environments to expose patterns in learning behaviour or interaction. They make use of digital traces from virtual learning environments and combine this with other learner data. The goal is to assist both educators and learners in improving their practice. In this work, we apply the concepts of 'psychological tools' and more 'knowledgeable others' from Lev Vygotsky, and Reuven Feuerstein's model of Mediated Learning Experiences to define prerequisites that learning analytics at scale must reach, in order to be a meaningful tool for mediating learning. We present findings from an in-depth qualitative study with educators and learners at a large, online institution of higher education. We then map insights gained from this study to our model of mediated learning. The resulting analysis and recommendations indicate that we need more inclusive and dedicated practices in learning analytics development, as well as institutional will to create more complex and meaningful tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractUnderpinned by constructivist learning theory (Feuerstein’s theory of mediated learning experience) and the cloud computing model, an experiment was conducted to examine the differences between the control and experimental groups regarding the linear combinations of tool mediation on students’ reading comprehension and vocabulary learning skills. The participants of the study were three intact classes of first-year students. A non-equivalent (pretest and posttest) comparison group quasi-experimental design and an explanatory sequential design type of mixed-methods design were employed. Questionnaires, tests, and diaries were used for the data collection procedures. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques were used. After several assumptions were checked, the quantitative analysis contained within mean, standard deviation, t-test, one-way MANOVA, Tukey HSD, Difference in Difference (DD), Propensity Score Matching (PSM), Average Treatment Effect (ATE), and Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET). To explore students’ experiences and support the quantitative data, a latent content analysis was also used. The results from the quantitative data analyses indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the post-tests achievements of the study groups and the control group for reading comprehension and vocabulary learning skills (Wilk’s Λ = 0.7565, p

This study aims to report on the nature of curriculum leadership and support provided to Economics teachers by departmental heads in order to enhance Economics curriculum implementation within Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) theoretical framework. Underpinned by an interpretive paradigm, the study adopted a qualitative case study approach. The study employed purposive sampling to select participants n=6, three departmental heads, and three Economics teachers based on their experience, knowledge, and understanding of the phenomenon under research. Data were generated through semistructured interviews and were analysed using thematic analysis. The study revealed that departmental heads were providing curriculum leadership and support through moderation of assessment tasks, monitoring the assessment feedback provided to learners, observing teachers' lessons and providing feedback to teachers on how to better their lesson delivery, interpreting policy documents, and providing resources. However, the study also revealed that some departmental heads were not providing leadership and support in subject content matter and setting of assessments as they were not competent themselves. The study recommends continuous departmental heads-initiated training so that they are able to provide teachers with meaningful curriculum leadership and support to enhance Economics curriculum implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term dynamic assessment (DA) refers to an assessment, by an active teaching process, of a child's perception, learning, thinking, and problem solving. Dynamic assessment (DA) is a kind of interactive assessment used in education. Dynamic assessment is a product of the research conducted by developmental psychologist Lev Vygotsky. The term dynamic assessment refers to an assessment, by an active teaching process, of a child's perception, learning, thinking, and problem solving. The process is aimed at modifying an individual's cognitive functioning and observing subsequent changes in learning and problem-solving patterns within the testing situation. The goals of the DA are to: (a) assess the capacity of the child to grasp the principle underlying an initial problem and to solve it, (b) assess the nature and amount of investment (teaching) that is required to teach a child a given rule or principle, and (c) identify the specific deficient cognitive functions and non-intellective factors that are responsible for failure in performance and how modifiable they are as a result of teaching. DA is usually administered to children who demonstrate some learning disability, low scores on standardized tests, or some emotional or personality disturbance. The study was conducted based on three stages, inspired by the evident role of Dynamic Evaluation in changing traditional assessment in favor of students. Its goal was to investigate the impact of dynamic assessment on the IELTS writing performance of applicants. To that end, 28 IELTS candidates were selected to undergo the procedure of three Mediated Learning Experience components namely: Intentionality, Reciprocity, and Transcendence. T-test results showed that IELTS candidates who took part in dynamic assessments improved more than those who took part in nondynamic assessments. The Intelligent Essay Assessor TM (IEA) online scoring method was used in the second half of the study. Students were given 40 minutes to complete a writing assignment that appeared in their IEA electronic portfolios. Online feedback can help improve IELTS writing scores by identifying and correcting grammatical faults, but it has little effect on the length or organization of a piece of writing. A structured interview was used to elicit participants' thoughts and feelings about DA and online evaluation as part of the study's third component. Students' attitudes toward DA were very positive, with nearly unanimous agreement that online assessment was superior to the previous method and that it was more time efficient.

This empirical study explored how Economics teachers mediate Economics curriculum implementation through the use of meaningful assessment. Assessment plays a significant role in learner academic achievement, and it is, therefore, imperative that teachers’ practices produce creative learners, problem solvers, and reflective scholars. Despite increasing realization of the importance of assessment, teachers are either not using assessment or failing to use it meaningfully to mediate economics curriculum implementation. Assessment is a process of collecting data to have a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of learners’ learning. If the assessment is used meaningfully, it has the power to inform how teaching and learning can be modified to enhance learners’ understanding of concepts as opposed to being used just for certification and eligibility for further education studies. Effective Economics curriculum implementation is dependent on the teachers’ understanding of the role and use of meaningful assessment. This interpretivist study was couched in Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) theory and made use of a qualitative multiple case study. Three teachers from three different schools in the Northern Cape Province were purposefully selected to generate data through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. Data was analyzed using a constructivist approach of thematic analysis. The findings of this study showed that, although there are pockets of good assessment practices within the research sites, there is still a lack of understanding of the role and use of meaningful assessment in mediating Economics curriculum implementation. In light of the findings, the study suggested the need for training Economics teachers on how to use assessment meaningfully.

The Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE) Program is a process-oriented program based on Structural Cognitive Modifiability and Mediated Learning Experience (SCM-MLE) theory. It is aimed at promoting learning how to learn, development of deficient cognitive functions, problem-solving strategies and metacognitive abilities. The FIE program was developed mainly for students coming from low socioeconomic backgrounds with low academic achievements. The FIE was implemented for one year in three Grade 4 classes (n = 73) in an Israeli-Arab school. Two comparison classes from the same school in Grade 4 (n = 58) learned the regular content-oriented curriculum for the same period. All students were administered the Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices, Numerical Progression Test, and the B8-B12 Set Variation measures before the intervention. Students' grades in English, Arabic, and Mathematics were recorded before and after the intervention. The findings showed that the students receiving the FIE significantly improved their grades from pre- to post-intervention compared with the comparison group, and that students who started the year with lower cognitive scores benefited from the program more than the students with higher scores. The findings indicating a far-transfer effects are discussed in relation to the SCM-MLE theory and previous research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although student engagement with feedback has been discussed in second language writing studies, student engagement with teacher and peer feedback through a sequence of tasks (SOT) remains under-explored. The present study adopted mediated learning experience (MLE) theory to operationalize the sequence within the teacher's intervention and peer collaboration to facilitate Vietnamese secondary students' engagement. The study explores whether there is student engagement with feedback, whether their engagement satisfies the criteria of MLE, and how it is mediated through the SOT. The analysis of data from audio recordings and correcting texts indicated that there was student engagement with feedback that addressed MLE's criteria and was mediated by the teacher's mediational strategies, peer collaboration, first language, and the learning tasks. Although responding to teacher and peer feedback showed an indication of understanding, indirect feedback caused uncertainties in some cases, and responses to the rewriting task were somewhat transcendent. The findings validate a mediated view of language learning from which implications for research and L2 writing are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Feuerstein’s theory of Structural Cognitive Modifiability and Mediated Learning Experience and its applied systems Learning Propensity Assessment and Instrumental Enrichment are already 70 years old, and do not have modern 21st century looks, Feuerstein’s approach remains highly relevant for the needs of teachers and learners in our times: inclusive education, the need to attend to a diversity of pupils at school, increasing numbers of children with learning or behaviour difficulties, ADHD or otherwise, the increasing digitalisation of society, the loss of social cohesion. These are hard challenges for teachers. This article starts making a critical cultural-historical reflection on the so-called “21st century cognitive challenges” and of characteristics of the Feuerstein programme. Then three case studies are presented were LPAD followed by a cognitive-mediational intervention made a turning point in their educational trajectory: a child and an adolescent with Down syndrome, and a recent African immigrant. The case studies underpin a further reflection why the Feuerstein approach offers a suitable answer to the discussed challenges.

The purpose of this literature review is to identify patterns and to discuss key perspectives from empirical studies published from 2000 until 2021 that explore mediated learning strategies in families with children with disabilities. An inductive thematic analysis resulted in four key perspectives: (1) mediator’s gender, attitudes, and knowledge, (2) home environment and cultural considerations, (3) activities and evaluation tools, and (4) mediation with toddlers for enhancing language development. Overall, this study revealed (1) a lack of peer-reviewed articles that discuss, investigate, examine, or debate the Mediated Learning Experience with children with disabilities in home environments; (2) a limited emphasis on the father’s role as mediator; (3) the need for considering cultural aspects, and (4) the importance of using mediation in free play and everyday situations. Based on the findings, new lines of future research are suggested.

This paper proposes the application of mediated learning experience (MLE) as a foundation of the therapeutic process. It brings Feuerstein’s theory of structural cognitive modifiability (SCM) and its application MLE into an integrative model of social cognition that links MLE to the developmental and outcome objectives of a therapeutic interaction. The role of cognitive functions is described, and process concepts are linked to the model, including the nature responses (content and process), the quality of responding (implicit vs. explicit), and a parallel process of development. The application of MLE is linked the developmental phases of a therapeutic relationship.

This study was conducted with the aim to design a parenting training program based on cognitive-emotional mediation and evaluating the effectiveness of this program on increasing mothers' literacy of interaction and children's cognitive modifiability in the field of metacognition and theory of mind. The curriculum was designed with a combination of parenting implications of mediated learning experience theory, developmental, individual differences relationship-based approach, and metacognitive approach. Twenty-five pairs of mother and child participated in the study voluntarily. The children were in the preschool age range (4–6). Mothers learned how to use mediation in daily interactions during 12 sessions of group theoretical training and one session of individual practical training. At the end of the training program, the mothers' literacy of interaction and the children's metacognition and theory of mind were assessed. The results of repeated measures-analysis showed that mothers' participation in the training program increased their literacy of interaction in four dimensions of communication, emotional, cognitive, and sending fundamental love messages. In addition, the implementation of training programs for mothers led to children's cognitive modifiability in the areas of planning, working memory, metacognition, and theory of mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic assessment (DA) of self-regulation and planning behavior are neglected area of research. The objective of this study is to present a novel DA method of executive functions using the Seria-Think Instrument-Revised (STI-R). The reliability and validity the STI-R was examined with children in grades 3–6. Children were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 85) and control (n = 85) groups and administered the STI-R and the Seriation Math Problems Test before and after the STI-R teaching phase. In the teaching phase children in the experimental group were taught problem-solving strategies while children in the control group received a substitute intervention. The STI-R yields four scores: performance, number of insertions (NINS, indicating impulsivity), number of measurements (NMES, indicating planning), and efficiency index (EFFIN). Children in the experimental group showed a significant decrease in NINS and an increase in performance, NMES, and EFFIN from pre- to post-teaching. In the transfer phase they showed higher performance and EFFIN and lower NINS than children in the control group. The findings indicate that NINS is negatively correlated with NMES and that the correlation between the pre- and post-teaching phases in all variables were lower in the experimental than in the control group. The typology of Reflective, Impulsive, Effective, and Non-effective children was also confirmed. Regression analysis showed that NINS significantly predicted math problem-solving score before and after teaching. The findings support the reliability and validity of the STI-R and that cognitive modifiability of executive functions is a promising domain of DA complementing DA of performance scores.

This investigation presents some theoretical and conceptual aspects of Reuven Feuerstein's ideas, exploring the conceptions, definitions and characteristics of Structural Cognitive Modification (SCM) and the Mediated Learning Experience (MLE). We assume a qualitative methodological approach from the perspective of bibliographic research. Feuerstein's theoretical basis consists of SCM, which is based on the belief in the plasticity and modifiability of cognition, assuming that human intelligence is modifiable. This concept depends on MLE, which presupposes the mediation of learning as a type of intentional and planned interaction between the teacher who acts between external sources of stimulus and the student. Thus, human learning is made possible through the action of a mediator, who seeks to cause cognitive changes in students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the theoretical background of Reuven Feuerstein´s Instrumental Enrichment and its application. It discusses Feuerstein´s life, his theory of structural cognitive modifiability, and mediated learning experience. It shows the application of the program in three areas – education, social area, and healthcare. In the area of education, it discusses the application in students with ADHD, specific learning disabilities, social disadvantage, and a teacher´s development. In the social area, it presents the application of the program in seniors, adults, and at the prison. In the area of healthcare, application in people with traumatic brain injury and Parkinson´s disease is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been a great deal of interest surrounding the calibration of quantum sensors using machine learning techniques. This work explores the use of regression to infer a machine-learned point estimate of an unknown parameter. Although the analysis is necessarily frequentist--relying on repeated estimates to build up statistics--the authors clarify that this machine-learned estimator converges to the Bayesian maximum aposteriori estimator (subject to some regularity conditions). When the number of training measurements is large, this is identical to the well-known maximum-likelihood estimator (MLE), and using this fact, the authors argue that the Cramér--Rao sensitivity bound applies to the mean-square error cost function and can therefore be used to select optimal model and training parameters. The machine-learned estimator inherits the desirable asymptotic properties of the MLE, up to a limit imposed by the resolution of the training grid. Furthermore, the authors investigate the role of quantum noise in the training process and show that this noise imposes a fundamental limit on the number of grid points. This manuscript paves the way for machine-learning to assist the calibration of quantum sensors, thereby allowing maximum-likelihood inference to play a more prominent role in the design and operation of the next generation of ultra-precise sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article argues that innovative collaborative and mediated learning practices were developed in the early modern period to allow young people to obtain the skills they needed to participate in cultures and societies that valued practical knowledge.

This case study documents a professional learning community (PLC) comprised of urban elementary educators working toward equitable education for students with dis/abilities. We employ an equity-expansive learning frame to evoke and then examine tensions and contradictions that emerged during the PLC and mediated learning as evidenced by participants' expanded notions of equity. We introduced equity-oriented mathematics education content and tools based on what emerged from the PLC, then utilized an interpretive approach to analyzing data through a multistage process. Results indicate identity and power tensions that worked against equitable practices. However, participants recognized several tensions and proposed to address them as contradictions that mediated learning, thereby expanding notions of equitable education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Feuerstein Method, people can improve their learning, thinking and analyzing skills. In addition, meaningful instruction for all children is the mediated relationship. It is a fact that everyone has the immeasurable ability to enhance their learning aptitude and heighten their intelligence. In this context, thinking, analyzing and thinking works together for a full learning experience. This study aims to investigate the importance and productive influence of the Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) theory within the context of meaningful foreign language instruction. Fundamentally, the study discusses in what manner the enriched learning environment suggested in MLE affects both disadvantaged learners and the language instructor. The study group comprises of the participants selected randomly among the students ranging from 2nd to 8th grades at a secondary school located in a village, Akören, in Konya, Turkey. The data is obtained with the help of the observation forms and semi-structured interview forms developed for this purpose. The findings indicate that MLE has significant impact on and contributions to the meaningful foreign language learning supporting thinking and analyzing skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study demonstrates how blended learning using location-based mobile-learning experiences can be improved when student preparation is enhanced with techniques informed by the theory of Mediated Learning Experience (MLE). Our experiment used a sample of 216 junior-high students within the context of school field trips. Tablet computers were custom configured to implement mobile learning with an application dispensing both contextual content and field navigation assignments. A control group prepped for the field trips used traditional information and discussion while an experimental group prepped based on the principles of MLE. Following the experience, students' subjective perceptions of transactional distance were examined. The findings suggested that those prepared with MLE principles experienced lower transactional distances and, hence, a better outcome. Additionally, gender and thinking style differences were found, highlighting the need to further adapt flexible teaching approaches in mobile-learning environments. Overall, the findings carry significant implications for pedagogic and technological aspects of implementing mobile technologies in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to determine the effect of a virtual forum, as a mediation strategy, on learning differential calculus content associated with limits and continuity of functions among first-semester computer engineering students in a Venezuelan university. The research was quantitative and used a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design with an experimental and a control group. An intra-group analysis based on a Student's t-test found that the forum strategy had an effect on the experimental group's learning, while the traditional strategy based on face-to-face activities had no effect on the control group's learning. However, the intra-group analysis found no significant differences between both groups' posttests, suggesting a need to review the way the forum is implemented to improve learning outcomes in mathematics in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En République Démocratique du Congo, le législateur a retenu l'éducation permanente et l'enseignement à distance parmi les options fondamentales de l'enseignement national. En vue de répondre à cette exigence légale, l'Université Pédagogique Nationale a expérimenté le passage du mode classique d'apprentissage appelé souvent "présentiel" vers celui hybride dit "blended learning" par la mise en ligne du cours de mycologie. Cette expérience a fait l'objet de la présente étude. Il en ressort qu'avec la conception et le développement des ressources numériques, la relation pédagogique décrite par Houssaye (2000) se complexifie en tétraèdre pédagogique. En effet, chaque facette du tétraèdre constitue en elle-même un triangle pédagogique indépendant avec ses acteurs et ses relations. L'adoption du nouveau mode passe obligatoirement par la formation continue des acteurs (enseignants et apprenants) en vue de développer de nouvelles compétences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The main objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of mediation with a puppet on teachers' mediated learning experience (MLE) strategies. The sample was composed of 18 teachers and 145 kindergarten children, selected from special education (n = 68) and regular (n = 77) kindergartens. About half of each group was assigned to a puppet and half to a no-puppet group. Each teacher was assigned to a small group of 3–5 children and asked to teach them a story for 15 min in a puppet and 15 min in no-puppet conditions in a counterbalanced order. The teaching lessons were videotaped and analyzed by the Observation of Mediation Interaction scale. The findings revealed that teachers in the puppet condition used significantly and uniquely higher levels of mediation in all MLE strategies than in the no-puppet condition. A significant Mediation Modality X MLE Strategy interaction indicates that the differences between the two conditions were highest in strategies of Intentionality and Reciprocity and Meaning and lower in strategies of Transcendence, Feelings of Competence and Self-Regulation. Use of a puppet was effective similarly for children in special education as for children in regular group. When mediators accessed the puppet (i.e., in puppet condition) their level of mediation for Meaning was significantly higher than when the puppet was not accessed. When mediators did not access the puppet their level of mediation for Intentionality and Reciprocity, Feelings of Competence, and Self-Regulation was higher than when the puppet was accessed. The findings were discussed in relation to MLE theory and educational implications are provided. Highlights • Teaching with a puppet elicits higher level of mediation strategies than teaching without a puppet. • Highest differences between puppet and no puppet conditions were in Intentionality and Reciprocity and Meaning. • Use of a puppet was effective similarly for children in special education as for children in regular group. • When the puppet was accessed, in puppet condition, mediation for Meaning was significantly higher than when the puppet was not accessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerned about how criteria of mediator applied in role of the teacher in EFL class and what the most dominant criteria of mediator done by the teacher in EFL class. It was limited to analyze the role of teacher as mediator based on Feuerstein’s Mediated Learning Experience criteria (1980) in Xiongyong et al., (2012). The method was qualitative research by using techniques structured observation and questionnaire that the process of teaching and learning was recorded by video then it was transcribed to identify the existence of criteria of mediator in the class. It also used observation worksheet to show the existence of criteria of mediator during three times observation. Based on the findings of the research, the teacher applied all criteria of mediator well which shared intention was the most dominant criteria that was done by the teacher in the class with percentage 87%. It means that the teacher made instructions clearly during the learning so that the students could understand about the lesson and present their tasks well.

Education is conceived as a multifaceted, multidimensional and complex process of social transformation; nevertheless, schools operate within a passive environment that restricts the learning of young people from vulnerable contexts. This qualitative study explores the pedagogical strategies of four educators from one public institution in Valdivia who work with students who have been associated with episodes of law infraction. Analytical procedures rely on content analysis following the logic of grounded theory and In-depth Interviews. From a biographical perspective, the present study identifies the pedagogical strategies of these autonomous and optimistic educators to favor the construction of modifying active environments in this vulnerable context. It also seeks to generate new lines of research on critical pedagogy in vulnerable educational contexts, strengthening and enriching the competencies of educators from Mediated Learning Experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International research has established that student identity, engagement and motivation is strongly determined by the degree to which students feel they belong. This research, conducted in 2014, explores how one cohort of 52 international postgraduate business students were enabled to create a sense of belonging, and the impact that this had on them as individuals and collectively as a group. Using a mixed qualitative methodology, this research explores how creating a learning environment that valued the diversity of the student group, demanded self-reflection and encouraged creative thinking, aided student transition to postgraduate study enhancing their sense of belonging. Central to this was tutor facilitation, experiential learning and formative assessment strategies through which students were challenged to explore their collective and individual belonging. This in turn led to changes in their motivations, engagement, integration and academic identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for assessment procedures that are more fair and useful have led to the investigation of alternatives to traditional forms of intellectual assessment. This study explored an alternative which combined a dynamic assessment approach with the Planning, Attention, Simultaneous and Successive Processing (PASS) model of cognitive processing. The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of a planning intervention programme based on Feuerstein’s criteria for Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) with a group of Grade 4 and 5 remedial school learners who presented with a range of barriers to learning. Twenty six learners were assigned to the experimental group and 25 to the control group. The results showed that there was a significant improvement in the experimental group’s Planning Scale score on the Cognitive Assessment System, following the intervention. These results imply that children often have far greater potential than is realised and that intentional mediation can help to enhance cognitive functioning and assist in further developing children’s learning potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The theoretical framework of the current study is based on mediated learning experience (MLE) theory, which is similar to the scaffolding concept. The main question of the current study was to what extent mother–child MLE strategies affect psychological resilience and cognitive modifiability of boys with learning disability (LD). Secondary questions were to what extent the home environment, severity of boy's LD, and mother's attitude towards her child's LD affect her MLE strategies and consequently the child's psychological resilience and cognitive modifiability. Aims: The main objectives of this study were the following: (a) to investigate the effects of mother–child MLE strategies on psychological resilience and cognitive modifiability among 7‐ to 10‐year‐old boys with LD, (b) to study the causal effects of distal factors (i.e., socio‐economic status [SES], home environment, severity of child's LD, mother's attitude towards LD) and proximal factors (i.e., MLE strategies) on psychological resilience and cognitive modifiability. Methods: A sample of mother–child dyads (n = 100) were videotaped during a short teaching interaction. All children were boys diagnosed as children with LD. The interaction was analysed for MLE strategies by the Observation of Mediation Interaction scale. Children were administered psychological resilience tests and their cognitive modifiability was measured by dynamic assessment using the Analogies subtest from the Cognitive Modifiability Battery. Home environment was rated by the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME), and mothers answered a questionnaire of attitudes towards child's LD. Results: The findings showed that mother–child MLE strategies, HOME, and socio‐economic level contributed significantly to prediction of psychological resilience (78%) and cognitive modifiability (51%). Psychological resilience was positively correlated with cognitive modifiability (Rc = 0.67). Structural equation modelling analysis supported, in general, the hypotheses about the causal effects of distal and proximal factors of psychological resilience and cognitive modifiability. Conclusion: The findings validate and extend the MLE theory by showing that mother–child MLE strategies significantly predict psychological resilience and cognitive modifiability among boys with LD. Significant correlation between psychological resilience and cognitive modifiability calls for further research exploring the role of MLE strategies in development of both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding and accepting diversified musical styles often touches on an ethical need to recognize, respect, and eventually accept people who are different from oneself. Achieving these goals relies on a value-based education. Moreover, research confirms that while values reflect on an individual's character, they can be developed through education and experience, thus placing an added dimension within the responsibility of teachers' training programs. This paper suggests social values that music educators may bring to their profession, and demonstrates pedagogic methods which enable them to function as social agents within formal and informal educational settings, grades 1-12. The paper concludes with a call for further research designed to elucidate the pedagogical methods that impact on fostering the value of belonging and the contribution of belonging to the long-term development of children's musical interests and competence, as well as to their general wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory preconditioning has been used to implicate midbrain dopamine in modelbased learning, contradicting the view that dopamine transients reflect model-free value. However, it has been suggested that model-free value might accrue directly to the preconditioned cue through mediated learning. Here, building on previous work (Sadacca et al., 2016), we address this question by testing whether a preconditioned cue will support conditioned reinforcement in rats. We found that while both directly conditioned and second-order conditioned cues supported robust conditioned reinforcement, a preconditioned cue did not. These data show that the preconditioned cue in our procedure does not directly accrue model-free value and further suggest that the cue may not necessarily access value even indirectly in a model-based manner. If so, then phasic response of dopamine neurons to cues in this setting cannot be described as signaling errors in predicting value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the current study was to investigate cross-generational transmission of mother-child teaching strategies and the moderating role of intervention for peer-mediation. Mother–child interactions were videotaped in a teaching situation and analyzed for mediated learning experience (MLE) strategies and non-scaffolding activation behavior (NSAB) using the Observation of Mediated Interaction (OMI) scale. The children (Grade 3) were assigned to an experimental ( n = 49) and control ( n = 51) groups. The experimental group received a peer-mediation program and the control group an alternative program. All children were assigned to peers (Grade 1) and taught them inferential problems. The interactions were videotaped and analyzed by the OMI. The findings reveal that children's NSAB was predicted significantly by mothers' NSAB. Cross-generational transmission of MLE strategies, however were transmitted only in a group trained for peer-mediation. Cross-generational continuity has emerged as higher for NSAB behavior than for MLE strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mediated learning experience (MLE) stresses that the quality of interaction between the child and the environment via a human mediator plays a pivotal role in the cognitive development of the individual. Feuerstein's theory of structural cognitive modifiability posited that humans have the propensity to change the structure of their cognitive functioning. Therefore, teachers and practitioners can intervene early during early childhood to potentially enhance cognition functions of young children, which will prepare them for successful adaptation to the rapidly changing environment. This article rides on the theoretical underpinnings of Feuerstein's theory of MLE to elaborate appropriate use of questions to enhance cognitive development during early childhood. Essentially, appropriate conditions foster the mediation of intentionality and reciprocity, meaning, and transcendence, the three parameters necessary for mediated interaction to take place and questions are used to mediate the parameters as we scaffold through teacher-student interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]