Abstracts - Earli

Teachers’ beliefs about the nature of accounting and its influence in teaching practices – Findingsfrom a survey and a video-studyJürgen Seifrid, University of Bamberg, GermanyDetlef Sembill, University of Bamberg, GermanyThe study investigated teachers’ belief systems and everyday practices with a special focus onteaching accounting. First the results of a survey with 500 (prospective) teachers of business andhuman resource management are presented. For a partial sample the reports of the teachers arethen contrasted with the perspective of the learners. Furthermore teaching observations are added.The results indicate that the "typical" teaching of bookkeeping is primarily teacher-oriented.According to the interviewees time constraints are one of the drawbacks for a more open way ofteaching.Preschool children and their emotional understanding: effects of age and cognitive factorsSimona De Stasio, University of Movement and Sport Sciences, Roma, ItalyCarlo Di Chiacchio, University of Rome La Sapienza, ItalyCaterina Fiorilli, University of Milano Bicocca, ItalyOttavia Albanese, University of Milano Bicocca, ItalyA substantial body of research has established that emotion understanding develops acrosschildhood between the ages of 18 months and 12 years (Brown and Dunn, 1996; Ruffman, Sladeand Crowe, 2002; de Rosnay, Pons, Harris and Morrell, 2004). Several studies have specificallyaddressed the issue about causal variables that influence development of children’s emotioncomprehension. In this study we analyze the roles played by language and the nonverbalintellectual dimension in predicting emotion comprehension. Emotion comprehension andcognitive aspects were examined in 103 preschoolers balanced for sex with mean age of 4.27 years. Children were individually tested at: Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC) (Pons e Harris,2000), Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) (Raven, 1968) and the Test for the Reception ofGrammar (TROG) (Bishop, 1989).Several hierarchical regressions analyses were performed toanalyze the influence of linguistic abilities, intellectual component and age on emotionalunderstanding. Main results found that in each model tested non-verbal cognition became notsignificant, after having entered age in the equation. The findings suggest that emotioncomprehension and its components are mainly explained by language ability and age.Examination of persistence among American Indian University Students: The roles of cognitiveengagement and beliefsBarbara Greene, University of Oklahoma, USATeresa DeBacker, University of Oklahoma, USARobert Mansell, University of Oklahoma, USARockey Robbins, University of Oklahoma, USAData from 88 participants were examined for correlates of persistence among American Indianuniversity students. Potential correlates were meaningful strategy use, belief in one’s potential forsuccess in college (self-efficacy); beliefs that learning is knowledge construction; and beliefs thatschooling is for the empowerment and/or subjugation of one’s culture of origin. Subjugation beliefwas negatively correlated with persistence. All other correlations were positive. Persistence waspredicted by meaningful cognitive engagement, positive beliefs about the self, and negative beliefsabout the role of schooling.– 467 –