International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education

Editorial

Belousova A.

Ред. заметка

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Optimal viewing position of partially connected and unconnected words in Arabic

Deia Ganayim

Статья научная

In order to assess the unique reading processes in Arabic, given its unique orthographic nature of natural inherent variations of inter-letter spacing, the current study examined the extent and influence of connectedness disparity during single word recognition using the optimal viewing position (OVP) paradigm. The initial word viewing position was systematically manipulated by shifting words horizontally relative to an imposed initial viewing position. However, unlike previous research, partially connected/unconnected three-, four- and five-letter Arabic words were displayed in the left and right visual hemifields at all possible locations of letter fixation. It was found that OVP effects occurred during the processing of isolated Arabic words. No OVP was found in three-letter words; for four- and five-letter words, the OVP effect appeared as a U-shaped curve with a minimum towards the second and third letters. Thus, the OVP effects generalize across structurally different alphabetic scripts. Furthermore, a perceptual superiority was found for words with right-positioned unconnected sub-units as compared to left positioned unconnected sub-units because of the differential sensitivity of the hemispheres to the gestalt form of letters. Such findings support the established view that the LH specializes in word recognition for alphabetic languages.

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The effects of the pedagogical experience on the quality of teacher education

Tatjana Koteva-Mojsovska, Suzana Nikodinovska Bancotovska

Статья научная

Faculties should ensure integration of science and teaching: science that constantly evolves following the changes in scientific thought and teaching that incorporates these changes in their own organization. So there is a need of including the students, who are prepare for teachers, in the process of pedagogical experience during their study. Pedagogical experience is a completed with a pedagogical practice and hospitation on one side and theoretical knowledge on the other side. Pedagogical experience is a kind of activities that students are involved in the educational process. Considering the importance of these activities, we made a research to determine the effects of pedagogical experience of students in the fourth year of studies at the Pedagogical Faculty in Skopje. This research is guided by two assumptions: 1. Pedagogical experience as an integral part of studies has positive effects on the quality of initial teacher education and educators; 2. The organization of pedagogical internship does not fully satisfy the educational-applicative needs of students and objectives of the internship. During the survey, we have found that the students have good theoretical knowledge about the educational process and are successful in selecting topics for discussion with the competent persons in institutions. But they are not initiative enough and they are not sufficiently active in the process that have no direct obligation to implement and to record. Because of that, students have to be well prepared and instructed for all activities through the practice that will relate to their overall engagement as teachers.It shows that there is a necessity to redefine the structure, objectives, content and organization of the internship.

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Questioning conventions: are product conventions trading off the usability of products for short term user satisfaction

Bryan Gough Young, Andrew Wodehouse, Marion Sheridan

Статья научная

Mapping conventions are a key aspect of user centered design as they present users with familiar interactions in unfamiliar products. Conventions evolve over time and are slow to be adopted, requiring a high percentage of acceptance within a society, ensuring that conventions exhibit a sufficient level of usability. However this paper argues that while usability is a necessary condition for good interactions it is not a sufficient one. Therefore user centered design which accents individuals bias towards conventions my in fact be hindering the innovation of product interactions. This paper argues that a cognitive approach should be adopted in order understand and reassess product interactions. An experiment was carried out that demonstrates the influence that simple mappings can have on cognitive load. The results showed that basic mappings of the types that are found throughout product conventions can have a substantial impact on mental load and subsequently product interaction.

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Self-image in children of divorced parents

Slagjana Angjelkoska, Gordana Stankovska, Dimitar Dimitrovski

Статья научная

The family and its important role in the development of the child is the inspiration for many types of research that have the intention to emphasize certain aspects of family life and the consequences of the family relations in the development of the children. The issue of this research is to find out if there is a connection between the conflict in the family, the divorce of the parents and self-concept in the children of early school age. The research is conducted on 30 children of single-parent families. The children of these single-parent families are children who have lived in families with conflicts and they have been direct or indirect participants in the conflict of the divorced parents. In the process of research, we applied projective techniques: Machover which consists of drawing a person’s figure, as well as a drawing a house and a tree-HTP (House-Tree-Person).The results are obtained through qualitative analysis and interpretation of each drawing particularly. During the investigation the relation between the variables, it is confirmed that there is a considerable connection between the conflict in the family, the divorce of the parents and the self-concept in children. It is confirmed, during the process that the children of divorced parents from negative self-concept. In children of single-parent families it is indicated that this group of children in relation to the psychological picture for themselves presented the following characteristics: lowered EGO, mechanisms for defense, feeling of insecurity, low self-confidence, aggressiveness, great virility, and caution.

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Enhancing teacher competencies with emotional and ethical capacity

Valentina Gulevska, Tatjana Atanasoska

Статья обзорная

A key element in contemporary qualifications frameworks is the specification of learning outcomes. The learning outcomes usually are described by the use of active verbs expressing knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, etc. All this verbs describe a sphere of cognitive intelligence. But, rationality is only a part of the broad human potentials and powers. From there, affective components of learning can provide a valuable tool that helps teachers to enhance their competencies with emotional and ethical capacity. Those who have authority over others, such as the teachers, should be wary against the misuse of the power of their positions. For this reason, when we talk about the teachers’ competency standards, we must take into account the feelings, reflections, interactions and ethical attitudes in education. This paper focuses on the important emotional and ethical aspects of the relationships that teachers have with their students.

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