S This study investigated the trajectories of preschool and first‐grade children's development of reading skills, as well as the cognitive and social antecedents of that development. One‐hundred and ninety‐six 5‐ to 6‐year‐old children were tested in October and April of their preschool year and again in the first grade. Data included measures of reading ability and its cognitive and social antecedents, which were analyzed using Simplex and Piecewise Growth Curve Modeling. The results showed that during the preschool year individual differences in reading grew larger and that this growth was faster among those who entered preschool with well‐developed skills. However, during the first grade individual differences in reading diminished. The results suggest that systematic reading instruction in primary school education is more beneficial for children with less developed literacy skills, whereas children with more developed reading skills gain relatively less from reading instruction in the first grade. ESTE ESTUDIO investigó el curso evolutivo de las habilidades de lectura en niños de pre‐escolar y escuela primaria, así como los antecedentes cognitivos y sociales de dicho desarrollo. Ciento noventa y seis niños de 5 a 6 años fueron evaluados en octubre y abril en pre‐escolar y nuevamente en primer grado. Los datos incluyeron medidas de habilidad de lectura y sus antecedentes cognitivos y sociales y fueron analizados usando el método “Simplex and Piecewise Growth Curve Modeling.” Los resultados mostraron que, durante el año de pre‐escolar las diferencias individuales en lectura aumentaron y que este crecimiento fue más rápido entre aquellos que entraron a preescolar con habilidades bien desarrolladas. Sin embargo, durante el primer grado, las diferencias individuales en lectura disminuyeron. Los resultados sugieren que la enseñanza sistemática de la lectura en la educación primaria es más beneficiosa para los niños con habilidades de lectoescritura menos desarrolladas; en tanto que los niños con habilidades de lectura más desarrolladas obtienen relativamente menos beneficios de la enseñanza de la lectura en primer grado. DIESE STUDIE untersuchte die Gedankenbahnen bei der Entwicklung von Leseleistungen von Kindern in der Vorschule und der ersten Klasse, sowie die kognitiven und sozialen Antezedentien dieser Entwicklung. Einhundertsechsundneunzig fünf bis sechs Jahre alte Kinder wurden im Oktober und im April während ihres Vorschuljahres und dann nochmals in der ersten Klasse geprüft. Die Daten umfassten das Ermessen der Lesefähigkeit und deren kognitiven und sozialen Antezedentien, die mittels Nutzung der “Simplex‐ und Piecewise” Wachstumsmodellkurven analysiert wurden. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, daß sich während des Vorschuljahres individuelle Differenzen im Lesen verbesserten und daß dieser Zuwachs bei jenen, die mit bereits gut entwickelten Leistungen in der Vorschule begannen, schneller vonstatten ging. Jedoch verringerten sich individuelle Differenzen während der ersten Klasse. Die Ergebnisse empfehlen, d...

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This study investigated the prospective relationships between reading performance and reading habits among Finnish children during the first and second grades of primary school. One hundred and ninety-five children were examined twice during their first primary school year and once during the spring term of Grade 2. The results showed, first, that children's reading skills predicted their reading habits: the more competent in reading children were at the end of Grade 1, the more likely they were to engage in out-of-school reading one year later. Second, reading habits also predicted reading skills: the amount of out-of-school reading at the end of Grade 1 contributed to the development of word recognition skills.

The present study is an extension of studies that measure pre-service teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) confidence. It provides new perspectives on pre-service teachers' TPACK by shifting the focus to concrete concerns and strengths indicated by pre-service teachers. The target group consists of a cohort of firstyear pre-service teachers (N = 86) from a Finnish university. The data used in this study were 86 lesson plans with integrated technology written by first-year pre-service teachers, with a specific section where students outlined their confident and challenging areas in the lesson plan. These sections were analysed quantitatively through the theoretical lens of TPACK. Four TPACK areas were found confident, challenging or both confident and challenging for students. For these first-year pre-service teachers, pedagogical knowledge played the most important role, and the outcomes concretize specific aspects of pedagogical knowledge that can be addressed to develop TPACK in teacher education. The results provide important perspectives on pre-service-teachers' development of TPACK, revealing the important position of pedagogical knowledge and detailed perspectives on how pre-service teachers view their readiness to use ICT in education.

Universities are facing new challenges that pose various demands for developing learning environments. These challenges are related to different pedagogical approaches, the use of information and communications technology (ICT), the diversification of student populations, and new expectations related to working life. This study focused on university students’ perceptions of preferred learning environments and their thoughts about the best learning environments for the higher-education level. The main data consisted of answers to open questions from 230 students. Additionally, a questionnaire was used to gain an overall picture of students’ experiences in the current learning environment. Five main themes emerged: characteristics of the campus; available resources; flexibility of learning opportunities; pedagogy; and implementation of ICT in education. Further, two larger perspectives were highlighted. One was the need for informal learning environments (where students can study alone or with peers or just hang out). The second perspective pertains to the flexibility of learning, demonstrating the need for learning environments that allow participation without the need to come to the campus for face-to-face meetings. The need for resources (particularly ICT and the support and availability of teaching personnel) was also highlighted. The study provides important perspectives for developing appropriate learning environments for higher education.