This study provides an overview of the extent, scope and forms of cyberbullying in the EU taking ... more This study provides an overview of the extent, scope and forms of cyberbullying in the EU taking into account the age and gender of victims and perpetrators as well as the medium used. Commissioned by the Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the LIBE Committee, the study illustrates the legal and policy measures on cyberbullying adopted at EU and international levels and delineates the EU role in this area. An analysis of legislation and policies aimed at preventing and fighting this phenomenon across the 28 EU Member States is also presented. The study outlines the variety of definitions of cyberbullying across EU Member States and the similarities and differences between cyberbullying, traditional bullying and cyber aggression. Moreover, it presents successful practices on how to prevent and combat cyberbullying in nine selected EU Member States and puts forward recommendations for improving the response at EU and Member State levels.
Waldorf pedagogy is a form of alternative education that stands out for its philosophical vision ... more Waldorf pedagogy is a form of alternative education that stands out for its philosophical vision and integrative methodology, expecting to entail some physical and psychological advantages. The purpose of this study was to explore the dissimilarities between graduates of Waldorf School, and those of traditional education, regarding impostor phenomenon and test anxiety, while also considering gender. The sample comprised 84 Romanian emerging adults who completed Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (Clance, 1985) and Westside Test Anxiety Scale (Driscoll, 2007). The Waldorf ex-students reported lower levels of impostor phenomenon and test anxiety. The males of traditional education had the highest scores.
Torres-Harding et al. (2012) proposed combining the defining elements of social justice, with the... more Torres-Harding et al. (2012) proposed combining the defining elements of social justice, with the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985) in order to grasp the potential predictors of social justice-related behaviors. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships between the components within this theoretical framework, by testing for a moderated mediation model comprised of attitudes, behavioral control, subjective norms and behavioral intentions, while controlling for social desirability. The sample comprised 194 Romanian participants (Mage = 21.79; SD = 6.01) who completed two self-report questionnaires. The results indicated a significant but somehow counterintuitive conditional indirect effect.
In a rapidly changing world, the mission of education deserves some reflection.
Mutual understand... more In a rapidly changing world, the mission of education deserves some reflection. Mutual understanding and assessment between trainers and trainees offers a way to promote discussion concerning goals, values, and strategies that should be promoted at schools. This study offers the views of 153 pre-service teachers and their respective trainers during their practicum. We aimed to determine if an association exists between the scores of pre-service teachers and teachers regarding behaviors and attitudes shown by the first. We also want to analyze the extent to which pre-service teachers rate the importance of different educational strategies as well as the extent to which teachers use these strategies in their daily work. We also aim to determine to what extent self-rated behaviors and attitudes of pre-service teachers are associated to their ratings on importance and utilization of different educational strategies. Two questionnaires were utilized to gather the data. Results revealed higher scores on self-evaluation than others’ evaluations; utilization of diverse educational strategies was associated to evaluations on pre-service students’ responsibility, ability to detect and meet students’ needs, and final grade in practicum. Association between pre-service teachers’ self-evaluation and evaluation on the importance of different educational strategies revealed large associations between climate for the expression of ideas, teaching methodology, and the importance given to using language appropriate to the level of the students. Average ratings on importance and utilization of different teaching strategies resulted in high scores, with utilization of teaching methodologies obtaining the lowest scores. Gender resulted in significant differences on importance, with women scoring higher than men. Importance scores were significantly higher than utilization scores. High associations were found between self- and others’ evaluations on values related to compliance with rules, as well as on behaviors associated to maintain order and discipline in the classroom. Differences in views of teaching, importance, and utilization of different teaching strategies should be debated in order to advance our understanding of effectiveness of educational practices.
School of Cultural Professional Learning Faculty of Education, May 1, 2013
The field of cyberbullying is relatively new and there is no universal consensus on its definitio... more The field of cyberbullying is relatively new and there is no universal consensus on its definition, measurement and intervention. Authors agree that bullying has entered into the digital domain and professionals require the skills to help identify and prevent these behaviours. Ninety two students were surveyed to determine their experience with different types of bullying behaviors (face-to-face, cyberbullying or both), as bully, victim or witness. Our objective was to explore the association between those types of bullying and anxiety . The results suggest a significant association between face-to-face bullying and anxiety. Similarly, there was significant association between experiencing both types of bullying and anxiety. Further studies are required with larger and more diverse samples in order to verify current fidings and to test for additional associations.
El trabajo que se presenta tiene como objetivo analizar las semejanzas y diferencias en la salud ... more El trabajo que se presenta tiene como objetivo analizar las semejanzas y diferencias en la salud y en la calidad de vida de los cuidadores familiares y profesionales que atienden a personas mayores en situación de dependencia. Concretamente se presentan los resultados obtenidos tras la evaluación de 600 cuidadores de los cuales un 33,83% son familiares y un 66,17% son profesionales, a quienes se evaluó la carga o estrés experimentado, la salud física y psicológica y la calidad de vida general, laboral, familiar y social. Los resultados obtenidos indican que existen diferencias entre ambos grupos de cuidadores. Los familiares dedicados al cuidado presentan mayores niveles de sobrecarga y tienen una peor salud física y psicológica como consecuencia de la atención prestada al dependiente. Los cuidadores profesionales experimentan una mayor satisfacción con la vida en general y con otros factores como el trabajo, la familia y las relaciones sociales. Finalmente se justifica la necesidad...
Se presentan los resultados obtenidos tras evaluar las actitudes hacia la inclusión de alumnos co... more Se presentan los resultados obtenidos tras evaluar las actitudes hacia la inclusión de alumnos con necesidades educativas especiales en aulas ordinarias. En este estudio preliminar la muestra está compuesta por 91 participantes, todos ellos estudiantes del grado de Maestro. , de los cuales un 22% son hombres y un 78% son mujeres, de edades comprendidas entre los 22 y los 45 años (M=28,13; Dt=6,4). Se aplicó el Cuestionario de Opiniones hacia la Integración, que está formado por 30 items con un formato de respuesta tipo Likert de 5 puntos y puntuaciones más altas denotan actitudes más favorables. Los resultados indicaron que las mujeres y quienes tienen contacto con el referente actitudinal consideran que el profesorado está mejor preparado para hacer frente a los retos de la inclusión. Sin embargo, no parece existir una relación lineal entre frecuencia de contacto y actitudes hacia la integración, por lo que es necesario profundizar en el tipo de contacto y en los tipos de necesidad...
Summary.-Children left behind while their parents immigrate or travel for employment are becoming... more Summary.-Children left behind while their parents immigrate or travel for employment are becoming a widespread phenomenon for economic reasons, creating potentially stressful and inadequate developmental support for a substantial portion of some countries' working class populations. This study assessed the emotional status and coping skills of two matched samples of 163 Romanian children left behind and 163 comparable children living with their parents. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, the Anger Expression Scale for Children, the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, and the Children's Coping Strategies Checklist were utilized. Higher anxiety and depression were observed in left-behind children compared to the control group living with parents. Hierarchical multiple regression supported the relevance of coping strategies, controlled for sociodemographic characteristics, to help explain anxiety in left-behind children. Strategies to promote psychological health and general well being are discussed.
Eating disorders adversely affect physical health, eating habits, social and family relationships... more Eating disorders adversely affect physical health, eating habits, social and family relationships, mood, work and school performance. We tested for cross-cultural validity of the Body Image Screening Questionnaire (BISQ), a screening measure validated in Spain, which assesses potential eating disorders related to anorexia, perception of obesity, orthorexia and vigorexia, in a Romanian sample from both clinical and general populations. The measure showed adequate internal consistency and allowed distinguishing clinical vs. general subsamples. Significant differences based on clinical characteristics were obtained. The measure can be utilized as screening tool of individuals who need further assessment and prioritize primary intervention strategies with at risk population.
This study provides an overview of the extent, scope and forms of cyberbullying in the EU taking ... more This study provides an overview of the extent, scope and forms of cyberbullying in the EU taking into account the age and gender of victims and perpetrators as well as the medium used. Commissioned by the Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the LIBE Committee, the study illustrates the legal and policy measures on cyberbullying adopted at EU and international levels and delineates the EU role in this area. An analysis of legislation and policies aimed at preventing and fighting this phenomenon across the 28 EU Member States is also presented. The study outlines the variety of definitions of cyberbullying across EU Member States and the similarities and differences between cyberbullying, traditional bullying and cyber aggression. Moreover, it presents successful practices on how to prevent and combat cyberbullying in nine selected EU Member States and puts forward recommendations for improving the response at EU and Member State levels.
Waldorf pedagogy is a form of alternative education that stands out for its philosophical vision ... more Waldorf pedagogy is a form of alternative education that stands out for its philosophical vision and integrative methodology, expecting to entail some physical and psychological advantages. The purpose of this study was to explore the dissimilarities between graduates of Waldorf School, and those of traditional education, regarding impostor phenomenon and test anxiety, while also considering gender. The sample comprised 84 Romanian emerging adults who completed Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (Clance, 1985) and Westside Test Anxiety Scale (Driscoll, 2007). The Waldorf ex-students reported lower levels of impostor phenomenon and test anxiety. The males of traditional education had the highest scores.
Torres-Harding et al. (2012) proposed combining the defining elements of social justice, with the... more Torres-Harding et al. (2012) proposed combining the defining elements of social justice, with the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985) in order to grasp the potential predictors of social justice-related behaviors. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships between the components within this theoretical framework, by testing for a moderated mediation model comprised of attitudes, behavioral control, subjective norms and behavioral intentions, while controlling for social desirability. The sample comprised 194 Romanian participants (Mage = 21.79; SD = 6.01) who completed two self-report questionnaires. The results indicated a significant but somehow counterintuitive conditional indirect effect.
In a rapidly changing world, the mission of education deserves some reflection.
Mutual understand... more In a rapidly changing world, the mission of education deserves some reflection. Mutual understanding and assessment between trainers and trainees offers a way to promote discussion concerning goals, values, and strategies that should be promoted at schools. This study offers the views of 153 pre-service teachers and their respective trainers during their practicum. We aimed to determine if an association exists between the scores of pre-service teachers and teachers regarding behaviors and attitudes shown by the first. We also want to analyze the extent to which pre-service teachers rate the importance of different educational strategies as well as the extent to which teachers use these strategies in their daily work. We also aim to determine to what extent self-rated behaviors and attitudes of pre-service teachers are associated to their ratings on importance and utilization of different educational strategies. Two questionnaires were utilized to gather the data. Results revealed higher scores on self-evaluation than others’ evaluations; utilization of diverse educational strategies was associated to evaluations on pre-service students’ responsibility, ability to detect and meet students’ needs, and final grade in practicum. Association between pre-service teachers’ self-evaluation and evaluation on the importance of different educational strategies revealed large associations between climate for the expression of ideas, teaching methodology, and the importance given to using language appropriate to the level of the students. Average ratings on importance and utilization of different teaching strategies resulted in high scores, with utilization of teaching methodologies obtaining the lowest scores. Gender resulted in significant differences on importance, with women scoring higher than men. Importance scores were significantly higher than utilization scores. High associations were found between self- and others’ evaluations on values related to compliance with rules, as well as on behaviors associated to maintain order and discipline in the classroom. Differences in views of teaching, importance, and utilization of different teaching strategies should be debated in order to advance our understanding of effectiveness of educational practices.
School of Cultural Professional Learning Faculty of Education, May 1, 2013
The field of cyberbullying is relatively new and there is no universal consensus on its definitio... more The field of cyberbullying is relatively new and there is no universal consensus on its definition, measurement and intervention. Authors agree that bullying has entered into the digital domain and professionals require the skills to help identify and prevent these behaviours. Ninety two students were surveyed to determine their experience with different types of bullying behaviors (face-to-face, cyberbullying or both), as bully, victim or witness. Our objective was to explore the association between those types of bullying and anxiety . The results suggest a significant association between face-to-face bullying and anxiety. Similarly, there was significant association between experiencing both types of bullying and anxiety. Further studies are required with larger and more diverse samples in order to verify current fidings and to test for additional associations.
El trabajo que se presenta tiene como objetivo analizar las semejanzas y diferencias en la salud ... more El trabajo que se presenta tiene como objetivo analizar las semejanzas y diferencias en la salud y en la calidad de vida de los cuidadores familiares y profesionales que atienden a personas mayores en situación de dependencia. Concretamente se presentan los resultados obtenidos tras la evaluación de 600 cuidadores de los cuales un 33,83% son familiares y un 66,17% son profesionales, a quienes se evaluó la carga o estrés experimentado, la salud física y psicológica y la calidad de vida general, laboral, familiar y social. Los resultados obtenidos indican que existen diferencias entre ambos grupos de cuidadores. Los familiares dedicados al cuidado presentan mayores niveles de sobrecarga y tienen una peor salud física y psicológica como consecuencia de la atención prestada al dependiente. Los cuidadores profesionales experimentan una mayor satisfacción con la vida en general y con otros factores como el trabajo, la familia y las relaciones sociales. Finalmente se justifica la necesidad...
Se presentan los resultados obtenidos tras evaluar las actitudes hacia la inclusión de alumnos co... more Se presentan los resultados obtenidos tras evaluar las actitudes hacia la inclusión de alumnos con necesidades educativas especiales en aulas ordinarias. En este estudio preliminar la muestra está compuesta por 91 participantes, todos ellos estudiantes del grado de Maestro. , de los cuales un 22% son hombres y un 78% son mujeres, de edades comprendidas entre los 22 y los 45 años (M=28,13; Dt=6,4). Se aplicó el Cuestionario de Opiniones hacia la Integración, que está formado por 30 items con un formato de respuesta tipo Likert de 5 puntos y puntuaciones más altas denotan actitudes más favorables. Los resultados indicaron que las mujeres y quienes tienen contacto con el referente actitudinal consideran que el profesorado está mejor preparado para hacer frente a los retos de la inclusión. Sin embargo, no parece existir una relación lineal entre frecuencia de contacto y actitudes hacia la integración, por lo que es necesario profundizar en el tipo de contacto y en los tipos de necesidad...
Summary.-Children left behind while their parents immigrate or travel for employment are becoming... more Summary.-Children left behind while their parents immigrate or travel for employment are becoming a widespread phenomenon for economic reasons, creating potentially stressful and inadequate developmental support for a substantial portion of some countries' working class populations. This study assessed the emotional status and coping skills of two matched samples of 163 Romanian children left behind and 163 comparable children living with their parents. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, the Anger Expression Scale for Children, the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, and the Children's Coping Strategies Checklist were utilized. Higher anxiety and depression were observed in left-behind children compared to the control group living with parents. Hierarchical multiple regression supported the relevance of coping strategies, controlled for sociodemographic characteristics, to help explain anxiety in left-behind children. Strategies to promote psychological health and general well being are discussed.
Eating disorders adversely affect physical health, eating habits, social and family relationships... more Eating disorders adversely affect physical health, eating habits, social and family relationships, mood, work and school performance. We tested for cross-cultural validity of the Body Image Screening Questionnaire (BISQ), a screening measure validated in Spain, which assesses potential eating disorders related to anorexia, perception of obesity, orthorexia and vigorexia, in a Romanian sample from both clinical and general populations. The measure showed adequate internal consistency and allowed distinguishing clinical vs. general subsamples. Significant differences based on clinical characteristics were obtained. The measure can be utilized as screening tool of individuals who need further assessment and prioritize primary intervention strategies with at risk population.
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Papers by Raluca Tomsa
Mutual understanding and assessment between trainers and trainees offers a way
to promote discussion concerning goals, values, and strategies that should be
promoted at schools. This study offers the views of 153 pre-service teachers and
their respective trainers during their practicum. We aimed to determine if an
association exists between the scores of pre-service teachers and teachers regarding
behaviors and attitudes shown by the first. We also want to analyze the
extent to which pre-service teachers rate the importance of different educational
strategies as well as the extent to which teachers use these strategies in their
daily work. We also aim to determine to what extent self-rated behaviors and
attitudes of pre-service teachers are associated to their ratings on importance and
utilization of different educational strategies. Two questionnaires were utilized to
gather the data. Results revealed higher scores on self-evaluation than others’
evaluations; utilization of diverse educational strategies was associated to evaluations
on pre-service students’ responsibility, ability to detect and meet students’
needs, and final grade in practicum. Association between pre-service teachers’
self-evaluation and evaluation on the importance of different educational strategies
revealed large associations between climate for the expression of ideas,
teaching methodology, and the importance given to using language appropriate
to the level of the students. Average ratings on importance and utilization of different
teaching strategies resulted in high scores, with utilization of teaching
methodologies obtaining the lowest scores. Gender resulted in significant differences
on importance, with women scoring higher than men. Importance scores were significantly higher than utilization scores. High associations were found between self- and others’ evaluations on values related to compliance with rules, as well as on behaviors associated to maintain order and discipline in the classroom.
Differences in views of teaching, importance, and utilization of different teaching strategies should be debated in order to advance our understanding of effectiveness of educational practices.
Mutual understanding and assessment between trainers and trainees offers a way
to promote discussion concerning goals, values, and strategies that should be
promoted at schools. This study offers the views of 153 pre-service teachers and
their respective trainers during their practicum. We aimed to determine if an
association exists between the scores of pre-service teachers and teachers regarding
behaviors and attitudes shown by the first. We also want to analyze the
extent to which pre-service teachers rate the importance of different educational
strategies as well as the extent to which teachers use these strategies in their
daily work. We also aim to determine to what extent self-rated behaviors and
attitudes of pre-service teachers are associated to their ratings on importance and
utilization of different educational strategies. Two questionnaires were utilized to
gather the data. Results revealed higher scores on self-evaluation than others’
evaluations; utilization of diverse educational strategies was associated to evaluations
on pre-service students’ responsibility, ability to detect and meet students’
needs, and final grade in practicum. Association between pre-service teachers’
self-evaluation and evaluation on the importance of different educational strategies
revealed large associations between climate for the expression of ideas,
teaching methodology, and the importance given to using language appropriate
to the level of the students. Average ratings on importance and utilization of different
teaching strategies resulted in high scores, with utilization of teaching
methodologies obtaining the lowest scores. Gender resulted in significant differences
on importance, with women scoring higher than men. Importance scores were significantly higher than utilization scores. High associations were found between self- and others’ evaluations on values related to compliance with rules, as well as on behaviors associated to maintain order and discipline in the classroom.
Differences in views of teaching, importance, and utilization of different teaching strategies should be debated in order to advance our understanding of effectiveness of educational practices.