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Social sciences combined subjects are currently taught in 13 German federal states at different types of school and in recent years, the scientific discussion commenced about combined courses. There are both terminological inconsistencies and incoherence in the integration of the different disciplinary parts. This article examines the development of Geography as an independent school subject and as part of combined courses. With a qualitative analysis of all curricular reference documents of social sciences combined subjects, the integration structure and the importance of Geography were determined.

This review critically examines 33 studies on students' epistemological beliefs about mathematics. Five categories were identified: beliefs about mathematics, development of beliefs, effects of beliefs on behavior, domain differences, and changing beliefs. Studies examining beliefs about mathematics revealed consistent patterns of nonavailing beliefs at all educational levels. Mathematics instructional environments were inferred to influence the development of beliefs about mathematics. All studies revealed significant relationships between beliefs and cognition, motivation, and academic achievement. Descriptive studies found relationships between beliefs and learning behaviors. Studies examining domain differences found significant variations in beliefs across disciplines. Studies focusing on changing beliefs were successful, which was attributed to appropriate changes in instructional style. The article concludes with suggestions for future research. (DIPF/Orig.).

This article reviews experimental studies comparing bilingual and English-only reading programs for English language learners. The review method is best-evidence synthesis, which uses a systematic literature search, quantification of outcomes as effect sizes, and extensive discussion of individual studies that meet inclusion standards. A total of 17 studies met the inclusion standards. Among 13 studies focusing on elementary reading for Spanish-dominant students, 9 favored bilingual approaches on English reading measures, and 4 found no differences, for a median effect size of +0.45. Weighted by sample size, an effect size of +0.33 was computed, which is significantly different from zero (p (.05). One of two studies of heritage languages (French and Choctaw) and two secondary studies favored bilingual approaches. The review concludes that although the number of high-quality studies is small, existing evidence favors bilingual approaches, especially paired bilingual strategies that teach reading in the native language and English at different times each day. However, further research using longitudinal, randomized designs is needed to determine how best to ensure reading success for all English language learners. (DIPF/Orig.).

Determining the effectiveness of physical education teachers is a difficult process complicated by the expectations of the building principals, the extensiveness of national and state standards, student ability levels, and the severely limited time that the programs are allotted. The dearth of effective, efficient evaluation tools lends itself to program marginalization and continued erosion of time. Increasing research on the benefits of daily physical activity coupled with new \"National Standards in Physical Education\" may help to improve programs and teacher effectiveness. This commentary includes examples of the problems associated with determining teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Verf.-Referat.

This article examines the role of friends in girls' and boys' advanced course taking and explores whether friends' characteristics are particularly important for girls' math and science attainment. With the use of data from Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Heath, the results indicate that same-sex friends' academic performance significantly predicts course taking in all subjects for girls, but not for boys. Furthermore, for math and science only, the effects of friends' performance are greater in the context of a predominantly female friendship group, which suggests that such groups provide a counterpoint to the gendered stereotypes and identities of those subjects.

In our reflection on Rink's (2013), McKenzie and Lounsbery's (2013), and Ward's (2013) characterizations of effective teaching in physical education (PE), 2 themes emerged that permeate these diverse perspectives: policy and accountability. In our commentary, we focus our initial discussion on the implications that policy and accountability have on effective teaching in PE. A thread running through this discussion is the feasibility of promoting effective teaching in the context of current policy and demands for accountability. We provide an argument that school PE is in peril and draw parallels to previous commentaries of research on teaching. We conclude with comments highlighting steps that have the potential to revitalize school PE as a core element in school curricula. We argue that if school PE is to survive, it is critical that we advocate for policies that promote and support quality daily PE. To do that, we must convince decision makers that PE makes a valuable contribution to the school curriculum using data-based evidence. We must also recruit quality students into PE teacher education programs who are dynamic leaders in schools and communities. Finally, researchers in effective teaching in PE must make meaningful contributions to the broader field and work with interdisciplinary research teams to address issues related to promoting physical activity through education. Verf.-Referat.

School subjects are analogous to medieval alchemy. There is a magical change as mathematics, science, and social sciences move from their disciplinary spaces into the classroom. The educational and social psychologies have little or nothing to do with understanding disciplinary practices. They are intellectual inventions for normalizing and governing the child's conduct, relationships, and communications. The author examines the alchemy in standard-based mathematics educational policy and research for K-12 schools. He argues that (a) the emphasis on \"problem solving\", collaborating, and \"communities of learning\" sanctify science and scientists as possessing authoritative knowledge over increasing realms of human phenomena, thus narrowing the boundaries of possible action and critical thought; and (b) while reforms stress the need for educational equity for \"all children\", with \"no child left behind, the pedagogical models divide, demarcate, and exclude particular children from participation. (DIPF/Orig.).

The paper discuss relation of gymnastics and Physical education (PE) in schools in Slovenia in the period 1869-1941 while for the decade after the World War II. (WWII) we only present general situation after the political changes in Yugoslavia. In the period until World War I. (WWI), gymnastics as a new form of physical activity was introduced in schools. With the new school legislation of 1869 it became an obligatory school subject. This called for the establishment of curricula and hiring of professional staff, which was influenced also by the development of gymnastics in the civil society. The school subject was initially named \"gymnastics\" (as translated appropriately to German turnen and Slovenian telovadba). However, the term PE started to be used soon, until it ultimately replaced the previous name after WWI. PE was supposedly a broader expression that covered the educational aspects of this activity as well, while gymnastics was supposedly a narrower term, related solely to the physical aspects. In view of its previous development in the relevant societies as well as schools, gymnastics was the central activity in the context of PE. In the Slovenian case it involved exercises with or without gymnastics equipment, games, as well as certain martial arts elements or disciplines. With the paper we also want to encourage comparative analyses of similar situations especially between regions under former Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslavia as they share the common legislation and school milieu with cultural diversity. (Autor).

This study examines 11 interdisciplinary teams involving 30 teachers and 542 students in New York and California. The teams represented an array of approaches to interdisciplinary curricula, ranging from simple correlation to major reconstrual of the contributing disciplines. Teams that engaged in the most reconstrual of traditional content also tended to use instructional approaches that emphasized cognitively engaging instruction, including an emphasis on envisionment-building activities and extended discussion of significant ideas, but individual members of teaching teams still varied considerably in teaching style. The study concludes that interdisciplinary coursework is neither a problem nor a solution in efforts to increase student achievement; rather, it involves a number of tradeoffs that need to be considered at the school site.

Why do some low-income immigrant and native-born Latino students do well in school while others do not? Why are low-income Latino students less successful in school than their White peers? What are the effects of institutional mechanisms on low-income Latino school engagement? For the past two decades, the most persuasive answers to these questions have been advanced by the cultural-ecologists, who suggest that differences in academic achievement by race result from minority groups' perceptions of the limited opportunity structure. However, variations within the Latino student population remain - some Latino students succeed and some fail. This article ... describes the results of a study that examined how school programs construct school failure and success among low-income immigrants and U. S.- born Latino students. The results ... show that, from students' perspectives, institutional mechanisms have an impact on Latino school engagement, and [the author] links cultural-ecological explanations and institutional explanations. (DIPF/orig.)