Vol. 10 No. 2 (2024)

Published June 25, 2024

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Articles

Empirical and Essay Studies

  • The Discourse on Hygiene in Relation to the Role of Public Teachers in the ’Néptanítók Lap’ between 1922–1924
    7-17
    Views:
    62

    The Covid epidemic has highlighted that the health care system alone is not enough to tackle a pandemic affecting a large population. In addition to medical and public health activities, there is also a need for educational activities in the education subsystem, involving the professionals involved. This is why it is important to look at the issue of health education in schools from a historical perspective, given the epidemics of our time. In the turbulent social and political environment following the First World War, public health was a less favoured area for policy-makers, while the physical and psychological trauma of soldiers returning from the war and the health of those left behind was a serious problem. The virulent Spanish flu, which affected millions of families across Europe, the devastating tuberculosis in our country, but especially the diphtheria and influenza, which were dangerous for children, posed a serious challenge to the scientific and educational scene in Hungary. The spread of a healthy lifestyle and education was not helped by the environment of schools (attitude of the maintenance staff, quality of the built environment, sociocultural tradition of the rural population, rapid spread of urban life). The alternative health approach and the life reform movement, although sporadically emerging in the period, did not appear in the mainstream of pedagogy, and health education progressed slowly, while, for example, child mortality, which is also linked to the health-conscious behaviour of parents, was blatantly high. The appointment of Kuno Klebelsberg as minister (1922) can be seen as a paradigm shift, as he is not only exposed as a minister with considerable experience in state administration, but also as a conceptual cultural politician who understood the challenges of education and popular education at the micro and macro levels. In our research, we analysed the relevant issues of the People's Teachers' Journal - a standard-setting publication of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, which serves as a guide for teachers in practice - using qualitative thematic content analysis. The selected period: 1922–1924. Our questions are: how is the situation of school health reflected in the journal? What roles and tasks do and would policy-makers delegate to the folk teachers? What extracurricular tasks do they assign to teachers in the field of health education? Are there any patterns in the discourse in relation to school leaders? How have the teachers' organisations received it and what suggestions have they made to policy-makers and practitioners?

  • Experiences of School Social Work in the Light of Research
    19-30
    Views:
    82

    In the last twenty years, school social work has received increasing attention both in Hungary and internationally, and there is a growing need for the presence of a social professional in educational institutions. Since the mandatory introduction of the service, several empirical and theoretical studies have been published on the subject, which report on the practical experience and the insights of the professionals. In our research question, we looked for the answer to the experiences of the operation of school social work, in studies that were born in the first three years of the mandatory introduction. The selected six studies were analyzed on the basis of three aspects which is the integration of the social worker in the institution, the number of hours spent by the social worker at the school and the characteristics of the development of professional collaborations. The document analysis reveals that the social worker's personality, clear competence boundaries, the number of hours spent in the institution and the level of interprofessional cooperation have great importance for the integration of professionals into educational institutions. The present study aims to contribute to the theoretical foundations of a comprehensive empirical study of the current functioning of Hungarian school social work.

  • Abduction in the Assessment of Special Educational Needs - Learning Disability
    31-44
    Views:
    91

    The diagnostic categories used to define learning disability are not standardized, and categorization systems are vague. This study aimed to explore the diagnostic methodology and strategies used to identify learning disabilities. The aim is to identify abductions in diagnostics in the field of special education. Interpreting diagnostics in remedial education using abduction can help identify learning disabilities more accurately. In the previous research phase, we conducted a meta-analysis of 11 expert reviews to identify abduction using fuzzy logic, fsQCA, and Boolean algebra. This study allowed for the creation of a new abductive diagnostic model. Based on these results, the reliability of the diagnostic process can be increased, and the diagnostic model can be used to detect learning disabilities or other types of problems and to identify sufficient conditions underlying a given phenomenon. Neither qualitative content analysis nor fsQCA revealed a relationship between all variables at a sufficient depth. Thus, in the present study, we moved on to Bayesian meshes, which shift and attempt to reorder previously identified variables based on conditional probability. We hypothesized that the Bayesian mesh and abduction application together may already be an efficient tool, which also anticipates the possibility of automation.

Methodological Studies

  • Improving the Movement of SEN Children with the Help of a Therapy Dog
    47-54
    Views:
    113

    The therapeutic relationship with animals is crucial for psychological, somatic and social health, as it enriches the well-being of the functional whole (Bánszky et al., 2012). Regular contact with animals strengthens people's experience of responsibility, attachment, unconditional acceptance and love, and also creates a sense of security, as the very existence of an animal reduces anxiety symptoms, loneliness and social isolation. In addition spending time with animals helps to optimise different movements. This paper presents of an ongoing research project. The main aim of our research is to highlight the importance of canine-assisted therapy in refining the movement of children with special educational needs by having them participate in canine-assisted therapy sessions on a weekly basis, during which, in addition to anamnesis and observations, we measure the children's development using a scale (Portage scale) that is accepted in special education. It is hypothesised that the animal-assisted therapy will have a significant positive impact on the large and fine motor skills of children with special educational needs. Our chosen research methods are case study and observation. Data processing requires both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

  • Data-Driven Music Therapy: Application of the Model in the Development of Children with Special Educational Needs
    55-66
    Views:
    69

    Data-based music therapy is associated with the name of Suzanne B. Hanser (1999), a music therapist from California, who supported the developmental effect of music with the results of her clinical research. Her publication entitled The New Music Therapist's Handbook is a guide to the organization, planning, implementation, and evaluation of this music therapy model. Since data-based music therapy is an objective, clear and goal-oriented model. There is an indispensable part of this model and basic conditions in the application of it in the precisely defined preparation, intervention and measurement moments. However, strict planning and organization become the main virtue of the model when evaluating the results achieved, as it provides accurate and irrefutable results. The data obtained this way, represent the totality of the results of observations and experiments.The main pillars of the model are the following: observation, goal-oriented planning, implementation, and objective measurement. An objective and completely clear evaluation of music therapy is provided by the measurements specified in the model. The calculation of the reliability rate and its expression as a percentage, as well as the baseline observation, are complemented by the narrative report of the music therapy supervisor with a description and evaluation of the achieved musical and non-musical therapeutic goals. This article  to present describes the application of data-based music therapy in the case of a juvenile with special educational needs studying in special educational institutions.

  • Theory of the Diversity of Alternative Music Pedagogy Methods
    67-75
    Views:
    82

    Our music education is based on the concept of Zoltán Kodály and the methodological guidance of Katalin Forrai in early childhood, which is an indispensable foundation and support for Hungarian music education. The method uses fundamental values to develop children's musical skills and abilities. At about the same time, music teachers throughout Europe were engaged in reforming the structure and methodological tools of music teaching. Among these music teachers, I would like to highlight the pedagogy of Dalcrose, Orff, Willems and Freinet, who successfully applied early childhood music education and the development of children with special educational needs in their programmes. Based on their pedagogy and methods, they agreed on the following principles: musical education should start as early as possible, continuous musical activity (singing, rhythm, listening, movement, improvisation, instrument, listening) should be given priority, and in addition to age-specific characteristics, adequate emphasis should be given to individual talents, since the uneven development of psychic abilities can lead to differences in levels within a single age group over several years. Music can develop empathy and social skills. Through rhythms and harmonies, the development of large and fine movements can be achieved. It is beneficial for thinking, creativity, self-expression and the development of the sense of self. Music improves well-being, concentration and actively helps to develop attention. It leads to openness and flexibility. It also has a powerful effect on speech, imagination and improvisation skills. That is why we can use music for healing and developmental purposes. There is a long line of research that proves that the earlier in life you start to develop, develop or correct your personality through music, the earlier you should start.

  • Exploring the Efficacy of Student Community Service Programs (KKN) in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study in Indonesia
    77-89
    Views:
    77

    Every university student in higher education is required to take part in Kuliah Kerja Nyata, what is a study service program, according to the curriculum in higher education in Indonesia. Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) was appeared in a decree from the Department of Higher Education for the first time in 1973 (Kisnawat, 2009). In this study we present the origin of Kuliah Kerja Nyata and its policies implemented in the university, a description of Kuliah Kerja Nyata appeared on the universities’s websites, such as the University of Gajah Mada and Bandung Institute of Technology's website, and the benefits of its implementation for the stakeholders. This publication aims to review community service programs and promote community service in higher education. We present a synthetic literature review related to student community service. This publication offer how the Kuliah Kerja Nyata program has been effectively implemented in indonesian universities for students and lecturers.

  • Juggling for Effective Learning - Methods to Encourage the Acquisition of New Skills in an Optional Course at Óbuda University
    91-101
    Views:
    93

    Play and learn, or learn while having fun. Unfortunately, in today's achievement-oriented society, education is all about getting a student to complete a predetermined task on time. This pressure can be very stressful for students, especially if they themselves are perfectionists and want to do their best, and fear failure (repeating a term) and the feeling of underachievement when compared to the abilities of their peers. The "Juggling for Effective Learning" course has already been offered six times to students at Óbuda University. The primary reason for the course was to help students who have a disability, primarily a learning disability (dyslexia or dysgraphia). However, students who are curious about the course are also welcome to attend.

Book Reviews