.
Purpose: Systematic training in physical education plays a pivotal role in promoting physical and psychosocial health resources among adolescents. This study examines the effects of a 7-week fitness training intervention, incorporating reflective-cognitive elements, on the physical and psychosocial health resources and training competence of upper secondary school students. Method: A quasi-experimental design was employed. The sample consisted of 134 students (47 female; Mage =17.7 years) from Grades 11 and 12 in German secondary schools. Results: Findings revealed significant improvements in physical resources (e.g., lower body and core strength). Psychosocial outcomes showed enhanced perceived training competence in load regulation, training control, and diagnostic abilities. However, no significant effects were observed in global psychosocial constructs (e.g., health satisfaction). Discussion/Conclusion: The results highlight the potential of reflective and structured training interventions to enhance students' fitness and training competencies while suggesting that broader psychosocial changes may require more extensive or diverse interventions.
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are globally distributed toxic contaminants. Since 1990, mosses have been used in the UNECE European Moss Survey as cost-effective biomonitors of atmospheric deposition. This study provides the first predictive maps of POP concentrations in mosses, revealing nationwide contamination patterns across Germany. As a case study within the Moss Survey, predictive models were built from POP concentrations measured at 21 sites in 2020 and combined with environmental and land-use data. Random Forest analyses explained more than 20% of the variance for seven of eleven POP groups, yielding robust spatial estimates, particularly for PAH, BDE 209, and DBDPE, despite moderate systematic differences. Explanatory power was limited for PCDD/F, PCDD/F TEQ values, DPTE, and HBBz, while HBCD, PBDE, DP, and PBT showed a moderate performance. A comparison with geostatistical reference maps indicated moderate to good concordance, though regional uncertainties persisted. Industrialized regions such as North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhine Neckar, Halle/Leipzig, and Saarland emerged as consistent hotspots, whereas rural and forested areas showed lower contamination. The findings highlight the value of moss surveys for spatial POP assessment and underscore the need for additional predictors, especially atmospheric deposition, and for integrating Random Forest models with geostatistical approaches such as regression kriging to enhance predictive accuracy.
The continuous professional development (CPD) of teachers builds predominantly on regular participation in in-service teacher training, and this is especially necessary for teachers who regularly teach 'out-of-field'. Out-of-field teachers are those who are certified but regularly teach a subject for which they did not undertake any subject-specific training as part of initial teacher education. In this study, we explore whether there are differences in motivational orientation and frequency of participation in professional training among primary teachers with diverse professional qualifications. We report findings from a questionnaire study with 844 German primary teachers who regularly teach English as a foreign language (EFL) and differ in their professional qualifications for this subject, including a group teaching 'out-of-field'. Our findings show that fully qualified English teachers tend to participate in continued professional development (CPD) courses more frequently; furthermore, fully trained EFL teachers tend to be motivated by more intrinsic motivational orientations such as personal interest as well as a strong desire for professional contacts. Our paper discusses the implications of these findings for teacher education.
Mosses (Bryophyta) are well-established biomonitors of atmospheric deposition, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and microplastics (MPs). Using German Moss Survey 2020 data, this study identified factors influencing POPs and MPs in mosses through correlation and random forest analyses. For 10 of 11 POP groups, the models explained a variance of more than 20%. Key predictors included atmospheric deposition and the density of urban-industrial and agricultural land uses within 100-300 km. Population density and the density of extraction and dump sites within radii of <5 km (PCDD/Fs, PCDD/F TEQ values, HBCD, 23 PBDEs, BDE-209, DBDPE, PBT, and HBBz), as well as distances to residential areas and transport infrastructure (PCDD/Fs, HBCD, PBDEs, DP, and DBDPE), also proved to be highly relevant, although a direct causal relationship seems unlikely for flame retardants. These findings indicate that POP concentrations in mosses are influenced not only by large-scale atmospheric deposition but also by local emission sources near sampling sites. Vegetation parameters, particularly the leaf area index, showed additional effects. For MP, only two polymer groups (SBR and PE) yielded models with sufficient predictive strength, again dominated by proximity to local sources. Minimum sample size analysis demonstrated that a denser sampling network is required to achieve a 20% tolerance error in future monitoring campaigns.
This longitudinal study examined the developmental relations between first-order Theory of Mind (ToM), advanced ToM, and executive function (EF) from ages 4 to 7.5. Two-hundred-three German children were assessed at ages 4, 5.5, and 7.5 on measures of ToM, EF (working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility), general cognition, and language. Using regression, structural equation modeling (SEM), and latent class analysis, we investigated whether early ToM and EF predict advanced ToM performance and how the developmental pathways unfold. We found significant concurrent relations between ToM and EF at all time points, as well as a predictive relation from EF at age 4 to advanced ToM at age 7.5. ToM at age 4 also significantly predicted ToM at age 7.5, suggesting early ToM lays a foundation for later conceptual growth. Cross-lagged SEM revealed that EF at age 4-but not at 5.5-predicted advanced ToM, indicating EF may support ToM development at key transition points. Latent class analysis identified four ToM profiles: consistently high performers, late bloomers, partial achievers, and inconsistent performers. Early language skills and later inhibition differentiated these groups; general cognition played a lesser role. These findings support a hybrid account of ToM development: early conceptual understanding is foundational for later competence, but qualitative shifts are required to master more complex ToM forms. EF and language appear as critical supports for ToM development, especially during periods of conceptual change. This study contributes to a more nuanced view of how domain-general and domain-specific processes interact in the development of complex social cognition.Summary Longitudinal study of Theory of Mind (ToM), advanced ToM, and executive function (EF) from ages 4 to 7.5. ToM and early EF at age 4 significantly predicted advanced ToM performance at age 7.5, independent of general cognitive ability. Latent class analysis identified four distinct developmental ToM pathways, including partial achievers and inconsistent performers. Findings support a hybrid view: early conceptual continuity lays a foundation, but later conceptual change is needed for advanced mental state reasoning.
