Plemochoe is an open access institutional repository established for the sole purpose of gathering preserving and distributing original research material produced by the EUC faculty and researchers. Plemochoe aims to validate the intellectual life of the University by promoting scientific research to the local and international communities. Plemochoe comprises undergraduate and graduate dissertations, doctoral theses, journal articles, conference papers, working papers, technical reports, and other educational or research documents.

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- PublicationAn Investigation into the Effects of Neurodynamic Techniques on Sympathetic Nervous System Activity(Deparbnent Life Sciences : School: Sciences, 2024-02-07)Introduction: Neurodynamic techniques (NDTs), such as sliders and tensioners, are used in manual therapy to relieve pain and enhance function, however their effects on the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) remain unexplored. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of slider and tensioner NDTs on SNS activity in asymptomatic individuals and assess their effect in modulating autonomic responses. Methods: A double-blind randomized controlled trial with 90 healthy participants randomised into slider, tensioner, or control groups. Skin conductance (SC) was continuously monitored during a 20-minute intervention. Blood pressure, SC, body temperature (BT) and heart rate (HR) were assessed pre- and postintervention. Data were analysed using 2-way ANOVA. Results: Both slider and tensioner NDTs significantly increased SC compared to the control group for the left leg (slider: mean ± standard deviation: 2.34 ± 0.15 μS, tensioner: 2.56 ± 0.12 μS, control: 1.12 ± 0.10 μS; p < 0.001) and the right leg (slider: 2.27 ± 0.18 μS, tensioner: 2.38 ± 0.13 μS, control: 1.08 ± 0.11 μS; p < 0.001). No significant difference in SC was observed between the left and right legs within any group (p > 0.05). HR showed no significant difference between groups during the intervention phase (p = 0.54). BT and systolic blood pressure (SBP) showed no significant difference between groups (p > 0.68). Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was significantly higher in the control group compared to the intervention groups (slider: 72.3 ± 4.5 mmHg; tensioner: 71.9 ± 5.1 mmHg; control: 78.1 ± 3.9 mmHg; p < 0.05). Conclusions: Both slider and tensioner NDTs elicited significant sympathoexcitatory responses, confirming their efficacy in modulating the SNS, with the tensioner NDT showing a greater effect size. BT, HR and SBP showed no change. These findings suggest both techniques may enhance autonomic regulation. Further research is needed to explore biochemical and long-term effects, providing evidence to support clinical decision-making and their application in symptomatic populations.
- Publication«Ο ρόλος του τραύματος, της κακοποίησης και της θέσης ελέγχου στην παιδική ηλικία, στην πρόβλεψη της ψυχικής ανθεκτικότητας σε νεαρούς ενήλικες στην Κύπρο»(Σχολή Επιστημών της Αγωγής, Ανθρωπιστικών και Κοινωνικών Επιστημών : Τμήμα: Ανθρωπιστικών και Κοινωνικών Επιστημών, 2025-02-05)Το παιδικό τραύμα και η κακοποίηση, φαίνεται να αποτελούν μείζονα και ευρέως διαδεδομένα προβλήματα δημόσιας υγείας, τα οποία σχετίζονται με βλάβες και οδυνηρές συνέπειες κατά την παιδική και εφηβική ηλικία, οι οποίες εκτείνονται και στην ενήλικη ζωή. Διάφορες μελέτες δείχνουν να υπάρχει μια αρνητική σχέση μεταξύ του τραύματος και της κακοποίησης στην παιδική ηλικία με τη ψυχική ανθεκτικότητα στην ενήλικη ζωή, με αυτό να αποδεικνύει πως υπάρχουν άτομα που μπορεί να καταστούν ψυχικά μη ανθεκτικά μετά από τέτοιες εμπειρίες. Αντιθέτως, η παρουσία προστατευτικών παραγόντων στη ζωή των ατόμων αυτών μπορεί να λειτουργήσουν προστατευτικά, όπως είναι η θέση ελέγχου. Στην παρούσα Διπλωματική Εργασία, επιχειρήθηκε η διερεύνηση του ρόλου του τραύματος, της κακοποίησης και της θέσης ελέγχου στην παιδική ηλικία, στην πρόβλεψη της ψυχικής ανθεκτικότητας σε νεαρούς ενήλικες στην Κύπρο. Με σκοπό τη διερεύνηση των πιο πάνω, διενεργήθηκε βιβλιογραφική ανασκόπηση με στόχο τον εννοιολογικό προσδιορισμό του παιδικού τραύματος και της κακοποίησης, της θέσης ελέγχου και της ψυχική ανθεκτικότητας. Έπειτα, εφαρμόστηκε ποσοτική εμπειρική έρευνα με συλλογή και επεξεργασία δεδομένων, μέσα από τη χορήγηση εργαλείων αυτό-αναφοράς σε ηλεκτρονική μορφή. Τα ευρήματα οδηγούν στο συμπέρασμα πως άτομα που έχουν βιώσει τραύμα και κακοποίηση κατά την παιδική ηλικία τείνουν να έχουν περιορισμένη αντίληψη εσωτερικής θέσης ελέγχου. Ωστόσο, δεν επιβεβαιώθηκε αν πρώιμες εμπειρίες τραύματος και κακοποίησης οδηγούν σε μειωμένη ψυχική ανθεκτικότητα, ούτε αν τα άτομα με αυξημένη αντίληψη εσωτερικής θέσης ελέγχου καταλήγουν να είναι ψυχικά πιο ανθεκτικά.
- PublicationΔιερεύνηση της σχέσης μεταξύ της γονεϊκότητας και της κοινωνικής συμπεριφοράς σε γονείς παιδιών προσχολικής ηλικίας(Σχολή Επιστημών της Αγωγής, Ανθρωπιστικών και Κοινωνικών Επιστημών : Τμήμα : Κοινωνικών Επιστημών και Επιστημών Συμπεριφοράς, 2024-01)Στην παρούσα έρευνα μελετήθηκε η σχέση μεταξύ της γονεϊκότητας και της κοινωνικής συμπεριφοράς παιδιών προσχολικής ηλικίας μέσα από τις αντιλήψεις των γονέων. Διερευνήθηκε η επίδραση της γονεϊκής ανατροφής σε παράγοντες της κοινωνικής ανάπτυξης των παιδιών, οι οποίοι αφορούσαν την αποκλίνουσα κοινωνική συμπεριφορά, δηλαδή τα προβλήματα εξωτερίκευσης/εσωτερίκευσης και την θετική κοινωνική συμπεριφορά. Στην έρευνα συμμετείχαν 100 γονείς που ζουν στην Ελλάδα και έχουν τουλάχιστον ένα παιδί προσχολικής ηλικίας μεταξύ 3 και 6 ετών. Χρησιμοποιήθηκαν δύο εργαλεία καταγραφής, το πρώτο ήταν το Ερωτηματολόγιο της Γονεϊκότητας Alabama (APQ) για τη διερεύνηση των πρακτικών ανατροφής που επιλέγουν οι γονείς και το δεύτερο ήταν το Ερωτηματολόγιο Δυνατοτήτων και Δυσκολιών (SDQ) για την διερεύνηση της κοινωνικής συμπεριφοράς των παιδιών. Επιπλέον, λήφθηκαν υπόψη το μορφωτικό επίπεδο, η οικογενειακή κατάσταση, το μηνιαίο οικογενειακό εισόδημα, το φύλο του γονέα και του παιδιού. Δε βρέθηκε στατιστικά σημαντική συσχέτιση μεταξύ της θετικής γονεϊκότητας και της θετικής κοινωνικής συμπεριφοράς των παιδιών, όπως και μεταξύ της ασυνεπούς πειθαρχίας με τα προβλήματα εξωτερίκευσης και εσωτερίκευσης. Δε βρέθηκε η μορφή της οικογένειας να επηρεάζει τη γονεϊκότητα. Αντίθετα, αναδείχθηκε στατιστικά σημαντική συσχέτιση μεταξύ του μορφωτικού επιπέδου των γονέων και την θετική κοινωνική συμπεριφορά των παιδιών, όπως και μεταξύ του μηνιαίου οικογενειακού εισοδήματος και των προβλημάτων εσωτερίκευσης. Επιπρόσθετα, βρέθηκαν στατιστικά σημαντικές διαφορές μεταξύ αγοριών και κοριτσιών ως προς τα προβλήματα εξωτερίκευσης, όπως και διαφορές μεταξύ του φύλου των γονέων ως προς την γονεϊκή εμπλοκή και τη θετική γονεϊκότητα. Τα αποτελέσματα της παρούσας έρευνας συνάδουν μερικώς με ευρήματα προγενέστερων ερευνών.
- PublicationInclined distance running at iso-efficient speeds: Effect on joint work(Routledge, 2025)Runners often reduce their pace during inclined running to maintain a constant metabolic workload, known as iso-efficiency speed (a speed-incline combination with the same metabolic intensity as level running). This study investigates changes in lower extremity (LE) joint work profiles when running on an incline at iso-efficiency speed. Eleven collegiate distance runners completed a treadmill running task under three conditions (0%, 4%, and 8% incline). Running velocity was reduced with increasing incline to ensure a consistent metabolic workload across conditions. An 8-camera motion capture system and an instrumented treadmill collected kinematics and ground reaction forces. Visual 3D was used to calculate ankle, knee, and hip joint powers, while custom software (MATLAB) calculated ankle, knee, and hip joint positive and negative work values. A significant increase in LE total positive work was attributed to greater ankle and hip joint positive work with steeper inclines. Reduced LE total negative work resulted from lower knee and hip joint negative work as incline increased. Results suggest that at iso-efficiency speeds, inclined treadmill running increases eccentric demands on the ankle joint and concentric demands on the ankle and hip joints, benefiting training programmes to optimize cardiorespiratory stimuli while reducing mechanical demand on specific extremity structures.
- PublicationSustaining Teacher Professional Learning in STEM: Lessons Learned from an 18-Year-Long Journey into TPACK-Guided Professional Development(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024-04)This article is a self-narrative of our 18-year research into the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)-guided professional development of teachers in ICT-enhanced mathematics learning. Using autoethnography as the methodology to elucidate our transformative personal evolution in implementing the TPACK model, we describe how we conceptualized and enacted the TPACK framework across three distinct phases of our research trajectory. In the first phase, our efforts focused on offering afternoon seminars and workshops on using educational software. Mathematics teachers attended the seminars and workshops voluntarily. In the second phase, we concentrated on designing programs guided by the principles of adult education, which emphasize the importance of learner autonomy and relevance, and socio-constructivist views of teacher professional growth, which stress the role of collaboration and reflection in learning. In the final phase, we adopted a systemic, school-based approach to investigating and expanding TPACK for mathematics and other STEM/STEAM teachers. At the end of each phase’s description, we delve into the profound lessons learned and how these led to a paradigm shift, expanding our perspective on TPACK as practitioners and researchers. Finally, we present a set of recommendations for future research and practice aimed at facilitating the sustainability of STEM/STEAM teacher professional learning initiatives.
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- PersonLouca, Loucas T.Dr. Loucas Louca is an Associate Professor of Science Education at the European University Cyprus. His research interests focus on student abilities for inquiry in science, on modeling-based learning in scinece and on teachers’ instructional strategies for promoting student inquiry in science. He has also a longstanding interest in supporting professional teacher development in science education. He has been involved in several nationally and EU funded projects focusing on student inquiry in science, teacher professional development, professional learning communities, development of curriculum materials, promoting opportunities for gender balance in science education, STEM education, and promoting inquiry-based teaching and learning in science. He has also experiences in the development and enactment of afternoon clubs for young children in Science, and he also has designed various out-of-school STEM activities for students.
- Research ProjectMediterranean practitioners’ network & capacityThe Mediterranean and Black Sea region is an international centre of economic and commercial development and transactions. At the same time, though, it is characterised by a very volatile and dynamically changing security environment that poses severe threats and challenges on the societies and their prosperity. MEDEA aspires to contribute to the establishment of safer and more secure societies throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea region using research and innovation as a catalyst to promote collaboration between practitioners from diverse disciplines and countries. The MEDEA project, during its 60 months of implementation aims to: Establish and Operate the MEDEA network. A multi-disciplinary network of security practitioners, with active links to policy makers and users/providers of security innovations across the M&BS countries focusing on Border Protection and other Security- and Disaster-Related tasks. All MEDEA members will engage in activities towards maintaining its sustainability and longevity even after the end of the project. Engage participants in anticipatory governance on emerging security challenges that the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions would face in the coming years (present until +10 years), based on a threefold structure that forms the backbone of the project: i) understanding the unsatisfactory state of play, ii) design the desirable future and iii) define a resilient pathway on how to achieve this. Push for the “co-creation” of security technology and capabilities innovations between practitioners and innovation. Their evaluation and prioritization will be based on a multi-criteria analysis (technology, operational, cost-benefit, etc.) and it will be linked to Human Development, Policy Making and Organizational Improvements in-terms of facilitating their use by the practitioners. Establish and annually update the Mediterranean Security Research and Innovation Agenda (MSRIA), that identifies areas where security & defence research is needed (including the research needs that are not covered by civilian research) and establishes recommendations for European Security & Defence technology investments. It will constitute the common position of the Mediterranean practitioners’ for future call for proposals from European and National funding mechanisms.
- Research ProjectGlobal Response Against Child ExploitationGRACE aims to equip European law enforcement agencies with advanced analytical and investigative capabilities to respond to the spread of online child sexual exploitation material. The growth in online child sexual exploitation and abuse material is a significant challenge for European law enforcement agencies. Referrals of CSEM exceed the capacity of LEAs to respond in a practical and timely manner. To safeguard victims, prosecute offenders and limit the spread of CSEM, LEAs need a next-generation AI-powered investigative platform. Background The sexual exploitation and abuse of children, the production of CSEM and subsequent distribution of this material via the internet is a shocking crime. Referrals from Online Service Providers (OSPs) are crucial to fighting CSE. Growth in the number of referrals of CSEM to LEAs is driven both by increased availability and distribution of online CSEM and improved detection and reporting processes. The extent of referrals is affecting LEAs' capacity to respond promptly, leading to an inability to prevent harm to infants and children, rescue those in immediate danger, and investigate and prosecute perpetrators. Core concepts Recent improvements to the referral process have improved LEAs capabilities. However, the sheer volume of data obtained in CSE cases stretches human resources, the limits of manual analysis beyond most LEAs reach. Given there has been a 4,000% increase in referrals since 2014, a new approach to managing, processing and analysing this content is necessary. At the heart of the project, GRACE has three core concepts. Adress the volume and analyse the content of online CSEM through technological innovations; Provide genuine operational value to LEAs in their investigation of online CSEM; and Impact at the strategic and policy level in the harmonisation of EU-wide responses to CSE.
- Research ProjectDeveloping Flipped MethodsFlipped classroom (FC) is a pedagogical approach in which the conventional notion of classroom-based learning is inverted, so that students are introduced to the learning material before class, with classroom time then being used to deepen understanding through discussion with peers and problem-solving activities facilitated by teachers. Although using FC methods has multiple benefits and is growing popularity, researchers and practitioners indicate that among impediments of widespread usage of FC methods are the additional time and technological support in relation to development of flipped learning activities. The flipped approach often involves the investment of significant time and energy on the part of instructors (e.g., recording video lectures; designing additional in-class activities). It is therefore recommended for teachers flipping their courses in team. By working in team, teachers can share their experiences of implementing flipped classrooms as well as their teaching resources The “Developing Flipped Methods for Teaching” project aims at developing all the necessary flipped learning pedagogical material (out-of-class tasks, pre-assessment tools, in-class activities) for teaching a discipline (psychology) covering a whole academic year course. The project aims at overcoming the difficulties of elaborating multiple materials for teaching with flipped classroom design. By collaboration of six education institutions an entire discipline will be covered with FC materials in seven languages (English, Romanian, Hungarian, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Slovak and Greek), tackling a gap between educational research and practice. One of the project partners, The Mihai Eminescu National Pedagogical High School (Romania) is a secondary-level educational institute. Due to the particularities of the Romanian education system they offer teacher and kindergarten teacher training program, whereby graduates receive a teacher-kindergarten teacher degree. In Romania psychology is part of the secondary-level school curricula, so high schools can also benefit from educational materials translated to Romanian. Their main role in the project is to translate the developed educational methods by the higher education institutes from the partnership, to test and adapt it to the Romanian requirements. The partnership is composed from other six Higher Education Institutes with Teacher Training Faculties, who have important experience as partners or leaders Strategic Partnership projects and educational innovation. The main intellectual output of the project are the pedagogical materials for teaching an entire course of psychology with flipped classroom (FC) methods (materials for 30 courses), available in seven languages. Each pedagogical material is composed of instructional video, out-of-class work plans (online activities) associated with Low-stakes, formative assignments as well as in-class activities and assessment tools.
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