A Study of Begliktash Megalithic Complex

Author(s): Diana Kjurkchieva,Evgeni Stoykov,Sabin Ivanov,Borislav Borisov,Hristo Hristov,Pencho Kyurkchiev,Dimitar Vladev,Irina Ivanova / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2017

The article presents the results of interdisciplinary study of megalithic complex Begliktash conducted by a group of researchers from the University of Shumen. The main conclusion is that Begliktash is a natural phenomenon with interesting stone complex morphology that may have been artificially consolidated and used both to perform rituals and for calendar purposes.

Ability, Examination and Inclusive Education: Stretching the Hard Lines of the Educational System

Author(s): Halis Sakiz / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2016

The aim of this paper is to delve into the debate about the epistemological nature of ability and examination, which we have been continuously exposed to, but rarely scrutinized. In the paper, I refer to Turkey as a case and argue that the dominance of ability-based paradigm and its associated assessment and placement systems have created a new educational order which categorizes schools and students based on how they perform at a single point in time. What is more, I critically evaluate the construction of “abilities” and “disabilities” through the means employed in the education system, followed by a discussion of the examination culture as a product of an ability-based system. Finally, I propose inclusive education as a powerful means of transforming the education system to an equitable and educationally effective one in which all students are welcomed and provided with education of good quality that both enriches childhood and maximizes chances of leading a fulfilled adult life.

Adults and old people learning opportunities: case of Lithuania

Author(s): Kestutis Trakšelys / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2016

The article discusses the adult and old people learning opportunities for Lithuania. Adult education is one of the most important factors that determine both the development of the society and the human achievements in modern society. Education is a social practice which includes education and cultural communication in the broadest sense, as well as actions of human reproduction at large. Access to adult education should ensure the justice in the society, although scientists argue that education system is usually powerless to correct other social systems created by inequality and in justice Accessible and quality adult education system ensures better life, social mobility, and provides status. Accessibility of education (particularly adult’s) is unconsciously problem, unequally understandable phenomenon, rarely becoming the object of special investigation. This can be logical: usage of this concept gained a wider scope only in last years, when essential European political educational documents appeared, first of all, Memorandum of life-long learning. In long-life learning ensuring strategy, the analysis of present state is provided. A potential of informal adults education suppliers when integrating groups of social exclusion, consolidating local communities by raising political and civil literacy of society, what is directly related to common welfare of society, are not fully used. Seeking to increase the integration of socially vulnerable society groups, juridical base is constantly improved in recent years. The law of disabled people social integration and the law of social companies are enacted, interinstitutional programs, reflecting the needs of different social separation groups, making assumptions to develop the initiatives directed to education of social separation groups are implemented.

Aistės Valaikienės daktaro disertacijos „Mokinių, turinčių nežymų intelekto sutrikimą, ikiprofesinio ugdymo modeliavimas“ recenzija

Author(s): Vytautas Gudonis,Irena Kaffemaniene / Language(s): Lithuanian / Issue: 2/2016

Review of: Aistės Valaikienė doctoral dissertation "Pupils with slight intellectual impairment, pre-vocational training simulation"

Aktualne problemy edukacji uczniów z niepełnosprawnością w percepcji nauczycieli w różnych formach kształcenia specjalnego

Author(s): Jolanta Lipinska-Loks / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2015

Education of students with disabilities is a challenge for teachers engaged in various forms of special education. Due to recognizing the limitations and problems connected with education of such a diverse group of students, new solutions are sought.This article compares the higher education systems between China and Ukraine.

An Analysis of the Barriers to Inclusion of Children with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (besd) in the Contexts of Greece and England

Author(s): Katerina Lykourgioti / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2017

Children with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD) are at high risk of experiencing exclusion in both England and Greece. However, this particular category of Special Educational Needs (SEN) has so far received relatively little academic or political attention in comparison to other SEN. This paper attempts to point out the barriers that may prevent the inclusion of children with BESD both in terms of the theoretical conceptualisation of the category itself and in terms of the policies and practices that England and Greece may implement. In order to achieve a further yet coherent picture of the current situation, this paper has identified three different types of factors that may negatively influence inclusion. Therefore, by discussing the possible ideological, structural, and practical challenges, the paper aims to highlight the crucial need for further theoretical insight that would be able to inform and promote the establishment of a more cohesive and efficient legislative framework for pupils with BESD in both countries.

Analysis of the Bulgarian National Curriculum on the Subject “Man and Nature” in 4th Grade and the Textbooks in the Context of the TIMSS 2015 Framework: A Comparative Analysis of the Content Area

Author(s): Ivanka Kirilova / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2017

Bulgaria is on the verge of its first 4th graders’ participation in the TIMSS 2015 (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) assessment. That is why the analysis of the Curriculum and the representative textbooks is of extreme significance. It is of utmost importance to identify the areas of coincidence, as well as those, where there is a discrepancy in order to align it with the TIMSS 2015 framework. In an attempt to provide such information, in the current article, a brief content analysis is made, and some problem areas are outlined. This could lead to reconsidering the Bulgarian National Curriculum and the respective textbooks in order to improve children’s performance and to develop their knowledge and practical skills.

Anxiety of Students Preparing for the University Entrance Exam towards Math Lessons

Author(s): Yildirim Bayazit / Language(s): English / Issue: 5/2017

It is known that one of the crucial factors affecting the students’ success at math lessons negatively is math anxiety. In most general meaning, math anxiety may be defined as an anxiety and fear emerging in relation to certain math situations. The aim of this study is to find out the reasons of math anxiety observed among students attending privet courses. To collect the needed data of the study an anxiety scale was administered to 450 students attending different private courses in the city of Kırklareli, Turkey. The obtained data was processed by data processing soft-ware. After the required data interpretation steps were concluded, students’ math anxiety reasons were determined and in relation some solutions were suggested.

Application of action research methodology in the process of developing tools and solutions used in social practice in the field of the social exclusion phenomenan Alicja Barbara Potorska

Author(s): Alicja Potorska / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2017

This aim of this article is to present the research process using the action research method in the project titled“Development of the empowerment of educators and beneficiaries in the field of youth at risk and social exclusion” implemented within the Erasmus Plus programme in which the author of this article participated. The process of operationalisation of the social exclusion category and the characteristics of the methodology of action research were performed in this article. The project objectives were set out and the team appointed to carry out the research on the issue of the development of the empowerment of educators and beneficiaries working with adults at risk of social exclusion was described. The article subjects the research process implemented by the team of investigators to analysis and identifies the turning points in this process. Conclusions concerning the specificity and usefulness of action research in searching for social practice solutions in the field of social exclusion have also been provided on the basis of practical experience.

BILINGUALISM IN A CHILD WITH ASPERGER’S SYNDROME IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONAL CONDITIONS

Author(s): Otilia Velisek-Brasko / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2014

Bilingual children with Asperger’s syndrome and children with other forms of autism are already a recognized fact; however, this still remains an area that is under-researched. Examples of bilingualism in Asperger’s syndrome or autism are reported mostly by parents from bilingual backgrounds. There are data and cases recorded that the children from the autistic spectrum are capable of language change or code switching. This research deals with the schooling conditions and family environment of a bilingual boy with Asperger’s syndrome, as well as his developmental characteristics. As a research method, a case study was used, representing an eight-year-old bilingual boy from Vojvodina with Asperger’s syndrome in a regular elementary school. The boy’s specific trait is that besides noticeable difficulties in speech and communication, he speaks two languages – Hungarian as native, and Serbian as a language of surroundings with a large vocabulary. The study covers the time period of three years during which the development of the child was followed, from preparatory pre-school group, and the first and second grade of elementary school. Classes are held according to the individualized approach in the school where elements of the Step by Step program are part of the teaching method. The results show some very interesting data and links between the child's progress, his academic achievement, and bilingualism.

Boson/Fermion Janus Particles

Author(s): Roumen Tsekov / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2017

Thermodynamically, bosons and fermions differ by their statistics only. A general entropy functional is proposed by superposition of entropic terms, typical for different quantum gases. The statistical properties of the corresponding Janus particles are derived by variation of the weight of the boson/fermion fraction. It is shown that di-bosons and anti-fermions separate in gas and liquid phases, while three-phase equilibrium appears for poly-boson/fermion Janus particles.

Chemometric Assisted Spectrophotometric Estimation of Lansoprazole and Domeperidone in Bulk and Commercial Dosage Form

Author(s): Farheen Sami,Shahnaz Majeed,Tengku Azlan Shah Tengku Mohammed,Noor Fatin Amalina Kamaruddin,Mohammad Zulhimi Atan,Syed Amir Javid Bukhari,. Namra,Bushra Hasan / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2017

Chemometric calibrations namely, Partial least square (PLS), principal component regression (PCR) and classical least square (CLS), were developed for the simultaneous determination of domeperidone and lansoprazole from combined pharmaceutical dosage forms. In these methods with chemometric techniques, the calibrations were constructed by using the absorption data matrix, with measurements in the range of 260-310 nm (Δλ = 1 nm) in their zero order spectra. The chemometric calibrations were realized by using R – software (version 2.1.1). The linearity range was found to be 4-36 µg ml-1 and 2-18 µgml-1 for DOMP and LANS respectively. The lower correlation coefficient values 0.9998, 0.9999 and 0.9992 for DOMP and 0.996, 0.998 and 0.999 for LANS respectively estimated for CLS, PCR and PLS respectively. The validity of the proposed methods was successfully assessed for analysis of both drugs in laboratory prepared mixtures and in commercial formulations.

COLLABORATIVE ACTION RESEARCH AT THE TRAINING CENTER FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY

Author(s): Gilberto Ferreira da Silva,Marta Nornberg,Natacha Scheffer / Language(s): English / Issue: 53/2016

The paper reports on action research conducted with professionals from a training center in inclusive education and accessibility. It presents the empirical context and the theoretical-methodological design that guides the research, then goes on to discuss preliminary data obtained through a questionnaire applied during the diagnostic stage. The study shows the leading role of a group of education professionals committed to building a different model of education and inclusive practices, who created a center for specialized care before the existence of any specific legislation for inclusive education. The structural limitations of the center are not understood as impediments for the professionals to promote actions and pedagogical processes that ensure the right to learning for children and youths with disabilities.

Colloque international “Le cours de linguistique générale et les sciences du langage en Europe orientale”

Author(s): Emilie Wyss,Richard Medlinger,Aude Medico / Language(s): French / Issue: 3/2017

Computer Simulations: Application for Graduates’ Adaptation at Oil and Gas Refineries

Author(s): I.O. Dolganova,Igor M. Dolganov,Kseniya A. Vasyuchka / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2017

The present paper is devoted to analysis of computer simulators efficiency in terms of graduates’ adaptation at oil and gas refineries. The experience of such modeling system implementation shows that through the use of a computer simulator based on interactive simulation system we can reach high levels of enterprise employees professionalism in a short time. This, in turn, reduces the risk of abnormal and emergency situations and can finally reduce the cost of production. It will also be possible to increase the fault tolerance of the equipment by reducing the influence of the human factor and clarify regulatory requirements for the installation, including the start, emergency stop, and regular and emergency situations.

Conservation of the Upstream Open Reading Frames in the Genes for the ERB-B2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase 2 in Vertebrates

Author(s): Luchezar Karagyozov / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2017

In humans a short open reading frame (ORF) precedes the sequence of the erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (erb-b2). It is established that the upstream ORF plays an important role in erb-b2 gene expression. In this report we show that an upstream ORF is present in all vertebrate genes coding for erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2. The position and the structure of erb-b2 upstream ORF is compared between six different vertebrates. Amphibians and all land vertebrates share the same uORF characteristics. In bony fishes, however, the upstream ORF is noticeably different. This suggests that the regulation of erb-b2 gene by uORF originated in its present form with the amphibians

Current Developments with Inclusive Education Policy and Practice in Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author(s): Diana Tsokova,Majda Halilovic / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

This article builds on a previous publication in the European Journal of Special Needs Education (Tsokova & Becirevic (2009) and examines further developments of inclusive education in Bulgaria (BG) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The paper seeks to provide local and cross-national insight into the current state of and influences on developments with inclusive education. The underlying research considers relevant local and international literature and education policies, and explores the perspectives of a small sample of key policy makers’ from both countries. The findings suggest that inclusive education reforms as they relate to children with special educational needs and disabilities in both countries face some unique and other similar challenges associated with external and internal pressures embedded in historical, political, economic and educational circumstances. The authors argue that democratisation of the inclusive education policy making process and bottom-up grass root developments are essential for a sustainable reform that could go beyond integration and policy rhetoric.

Część monograficzna. Kierunki rozwoju etyki pedagogicznej i teorii wychowania moralnego (pod redakcją Alicji Żywczok): Etyka pedagogiczna podstawą edukacji włączającej. Studium przypadku

Author(s): Edyta Widawska / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2016

Pedagogical ethics is the foundation for any discussion of education. Starting from this ethical discourse we can take actions on the basis of teaching. One of the basic concepts within the scope of pedagogical ethics is the dignity. Human dignity, which after World War II was indicated in international documents as the source of human rights. Poland’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities faces our country with the bulk of the commitments, the performance of which is to ensure the full realization of human rights and freedoms of this group of people. One of the commitments is to raise public awareness concerning rights of persons with disabilities. The article is devoted to one of many areas in which this process should take place, namely early childhood education, and exactly content of the free textbooks.

Deinstitucionalizacija osoba sa intelektualnim i mentalnim teškoćama između ljudskih prava i ustanova socijalne zaštite

Author(s): Dragana Stankovic / Language(s): Serbian / Publication Year: 0

Democratic changes at the beginning of new century marked the new reform directions in the social welfare system with aim to overcome the problems inherited from the previous period − the extreme centralization of the system, high rates of institutionalization, lack of community-based services and the passive position of the beneficiaries in the social welfare system. Therefore, the recognition of deinstitutionalization as one of the basic directions of social welfare reform coincided with these changes. EU integration process of the Republic of Serbia has further enforced and accelerated the incorporation of international standards into national legislation, creating a legal framework for combating discrimination and respect for human rights of people with intellectual and mental disabilities. However, as the medical model of disability was the dominant paradigm for a long time and deeply rooted into social protection system, professionals and policy for persons with disabilities, the positioning from institutional toward care and protection in community has been going on very slow. Despite the existence of formal commitment to transform the system, the process of deinstitutionalization of people with intellectual and mental disabilities in Serbia has not been performed in accordance with the basic requirements which are essential for the success of the process and exercise of the rights of these people. This paper analyzes the extent to which current organization of social protection system is in accordance with the basic principles of deinstitutionalization that are prerequisites for the realization of the rights of the people with intellectual and mental disabilities in accordance with international and national standards.

Demografske i profesionalne karakteristike srednjoškolskih učitelja u relaciji sa stavovima prema edukacijskom uključivanju

Author(s): Nataša Vlah,Petra Medimorec Grguric,Ðana Baftiri / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 1/2017

Teachers are key actors in promoting inclusion primarily because of their readiness to accept students with disabilities, and the resulting engagement between student and teacher can strongly influence whether inclusion is successful. The present study explored whether demographic and professional characteristics of vocational school teachers influence their attitudes towards inclusion of students with intellectual disability, specific learning disabilities, behavioral problems and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The following data were collected on 568 teachers (33% male, M = 45 yr) from 25 vocational schools in Zagreb, Croatia: gender, age, qualifications, subject area, overall work experience, work experience with students with disabilities, and self-reported difficulties working with students with disabilities. The occurrence of these factors was analyzed relative to the following four outcomes: teacher’s need for professional assistance in achieving inclusion, pessimistic attitude of the teacher about likelihood of successful inclusion, self-perceived competence in achieving educational inclusion, and problems in collaborating with parents. The results suggest that certain demographic and professional factors in teachers are associated with their attitudes towards inclusion of students with disability. Further research is needed on this issue, which should ultimately lead to the design of lifelong-learning interventions that nurture in teachers greater eagerness to work with students with disability.