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Demonstrating the differential effectiveness of instructional approaches for learners is difficult because learners differ on multiple dimensions. The present study tests a person-centered approach to investigating differential effectiveness, in this case of reading instruction. In N = 517 German third-grade students, latent profile analysis identified four subgroups that differed across multiple characteristics consistent with the "simple view of reading": poor decoders, poor comprehenders, poor readers, and good readers. Over a school year, different instructional foci showed differential effectiveness for students in these different profiles. An instructional focus on vocabulary primarily benefited good readers at the expense of poor decoders and poor comprehenders, while a focus on advanced reading abilities benefitted poor comprehenders at the expense of poor decoders and good readers. These findings are in contrast to those obtained by multiple regression, which, focusing on only one learner characteristic at a time, would have suggested different and potentially misleading implications for instruction. This study provides initial evidence for the advantages of a person-centered approach to examining differential effectiveness.

In recent years, teachers around the world have been increasingly confronted with various expectations concerning the improvement of their classroom practices and school activities. One factor widely acknowledged to facilitate school and classroom improvement is a strong collaborative culture among teachers. As such, teachers are expected to work in teacher teams, to collaborate closely with colleagues, to co-construct classroom practices, and thus to strengthen trust relationships within the team. A growing number of researchers has analyzed how teachers address these expectations. They suggest that there is a link between teachers' embeddedness in collaboration networks and teachers' trust relationships. The present study seeks to contribute to the research literature by presenting results of Social Network Analyses (SNA) and exponential random graph models (ERGMs) on teacher collaboration in nine secondary schools in Germany (N = 366 teachers). We investigate how the involvement of teachers in co-constructive collaboration in schools, measured by the amount of team teaching (TT), relates to teachers' trust levels. Results of our analyses suggest that a high amount of TT is not necessarily related to a higher degree of trust among teachers at the school level. However, a high involvement of teachers in TT is related positively to their being perceived as trustworthy. Furthermore, the emergence of trust relations in teacher networks depends on general network characteristics, such as homophily, reciprocity and transitivity.

This study addresses preschool teachers' self-efficacy beliefs in assessment and promotion of children's early language, social-emotional, and mathematical skills. The aim of the study was to find out to what extent preschool teachers believe to be able to assess and promote those skills, respectively. In a sample of 368 German preschool teachers, average scores in all scales were quite homogenously high. However, average scores of self-efficacy beliefs between the domains differed, with self-efficacy beliefs regarding language skills being the strongest. Self-efficacy beliefs regarding assessment were stronger than in promotion in the social-emotional and the mathematical domain, but not in language. Yet, confirmatory factor analyses indicate that self-efficacy beliefs regarding assessment were highly correlated with self-efficacy beliefs regarding promotion of skills in all three domains. Possible explanations for these results and ideas for further research are discussed.

Background: In times of accelerating changes, teachers who proactively engage in activities towards school improvement and innovation are increasingly needed. Still, studies on factors that affect teachers' proactive behaviour are rare. Aims: Integrating previous research on proactive behaviour within the Job Demand–Resources (JD‐R) Model, this paper investigates how job characteristics (time pressure, bureaucratic structures, participative climate, personal initiative of the team) and aspects of teachers' professional competence (self‐efficacy, self‐regulation skills and knowledge) contribute to and interact with their proactive behaviour. Sample: A total of 130 German secondary school teachers (M(SD)age = 44.05 (11.36), 65% female) participated in this study. Methods: We employed a full two‐wave panel design, with measurement points 5 months apart. The data were analysed with (moderated) single indicator modelling and a cross‐lagged panel model. Results: While teachers' self‐efficacy in implementing change and self‐regulation skills predicted their concurrent proactive behaviour, job characteristics and teachers' knowledge had no such cross‐sectional effects. In addition, we found an interaction effect of time pressure and teachers' self‐efficacy on proactive behaviour. Including the second measurement point, data indicated no cross‐lagged effects of the job and personal factors on proactive behaviour. However, cross‐lagged analysis revealed that teachers' proactive behaviour predicted their later self‐efficacy in implementing change and the time pressure they perceive. Conclusions: Examining both cross‐sectional and longitudinal effects, this study highlights the importance of measurements over time when analysing factors that influence teachers' proactive behaviour: While aspects of professional competence appear to be trainable concurrent resources, time pressure can limit their effect. Finally, cross‐lagged effects of teachers' proactive behaviour on their later self‐efficacy and time pressure appear as influential in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social perspective taking (SPT) and the coordination of subjective and alternative perspectives are paramount to social behavior. Scholars tend to agree that approaches to conceptualizing SPT relate to interpersonal understanding and to language skills. The aim of this study was to determine whether interrelations exist between children’s SPT and experience in reading because reading requires the reader to take various perspectives. Additionally, receptive vocabulary and reading fluency of 2,105 children were assessed and they completed a questionnaire at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of fifth grade. Results indicated that the students’ SPT was determined by gender and reading experience with books and newspapers. We conclude that this reading experience affects students’ SPT levels positively; that finding can contribute to the development of school-based activities to enhance SPT levels.

Introduction and study purpose: Research indicate that prospective physical education teachers experience stress. To address this, the stress lab was developed to prepare physical education students to handle stressful teaching situations. The tool comprises an e-learning unit for acquiring knowledge on stress-related topics and a practical unit for hands-on experience in handling stressful teaching situations demonstrated through videos. This paper aims to introduce the stress lab as an interactive tool for physical education students and outlines three evaluation studies. Method: The initial study sought to confirm whether, upon completing the e-learning unit, participating physical education students accepted the tool and experienced positive outcomes, as demonstrated through knowledge about stress. The second study aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of the videos used in the practical unit. The third study aimed to verify whether, upon completing the practical unit, the participating physical education students accepted the unit and experienced positive outcomes, presented in the form of stress-related practical competences. Results: The results of the first study showed high levels of acceptance and stress-related knowledge after physical education students participated in the e-learning unit. Following an assessment of the appropriateness of the videos in the second study, six videos were selected for the practical unit. In the third study, physical education students reported a high level of acceptance and a high level of competence after participating in the practical unit. Conclusion: From this, various implications in terms of content and didactics can be deduced for the stress lab. In the future, the stress lab will be integrated into university training of prospective physical education teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Researchers widely agree that learning history should involve more than learning historical facts and should include competencies of historical thinking. Various models of historical thinking view students' competency to take historical perspectives as a standard in history education. In this study we introduce a standardized measure for historical perspective taking (HPT) consisting of a short scenario set in the German Weimar Republic. We assessed students' HPT by using rating scales; our data were obtained in grammar schools from 170 German 10th graders. Latent class analyses identified three types of students with similar profiles of HPT. One was present-oriented and two showed more or less contextualized historical thinking. Students' history grades were connected to their HPT competency. We discuss limitations of the study and argue for further research on measures assessing students' historical thinking.

Objective: Hypotonic fluids are commonly used in pediatric oncology despite evidence that these fluids can lead to hospital-acquired hyponatremia. This practice is most likely due to lack of data evaluating risks and benefits of isotonic fluids in pediatric oncology. To address this issue, our study investigates the effects of exchanging hypotonic fluids with isotonic fluids in a large pediatric oncology unit. Study Design: Prevalence of laboratory disorders before and after the change to balanced, isotonic fluids for all patients are compared in this retrospective analysis. Disturbances in electrolyte levels, fluid-, acid-base balance and kidney function were examined. Results: The rate of hyponatremia was reduced using isotonic fluids. There were no hypernatremic events. Volume overload might increase the use of furosemide when using isotonic fluids. Potassium and bivalent cation levels increased. The risk of acidosis is greatly reduced, whereas alkalosis was more frequent due to furosemide use. The rate of acute kidney injury did not increase. Conclusion: Using isotonic fluids for hyper-hydration in pediatric oncology lead to a modest reduction of hospital-acquired hyponatremia without causing hypernatremia, but the effects on fluid balance need further investigation. The additional intake of bivalent cations and buffering anions in balanced fluids has measurable effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]