Changes in kinematics and arm–leg coordination during a 100-m breaststroke swim

The purpose of this study was to compare arm–leg coordination and kinematics during 100 m breaststroke in 26 (8 female; 18 male) specialist breaststroke swimmers. Laps were recorded using three 50-Hz underwater cameras. Heart rate and blood lactate were measured pre- and post-swim. Arm–leg coordination was defined using coordination phases describing continuity between recovery and propulsive phases of upper and lower limbs: coordination phase 1 (time between end of leg kick and start of the arm pull phases); and coordination phase 2 (time between end of arm pull and start of leg kick phases). Duration of stroke phases, coordination phases, swim velocity, stroke length (SL), stroke rate (SR) and stroke index (SI) were analysed during the last three strokes of each lap that were unaffected by turning or finishing. Significant changes in velocity, SI and SL (P < 0.05) were found between laps. Both sexes showed significant increase (P < 0.05) in heart rate and blood lactate pre- to post-swim. Males had significantly (P < 0.01) faster swim velocities resulting from longer SLs (P = 0.016) with no difference in SR (P = 0.064). Sex differences in kinematic parameters can be explained by anthropometric differences providing males with increased propelling efficiency.     

Transforming communities through sport? critical pedagogy and sport for development

The value of sport as a vehicle for social development and progressive social change has been much debated, yet what tends to get missed in this debate is the way education may foster, enable or impede the transformative action that underpins the social outcomes to which the ‘sport for development and peace’ (SDP) sector aspires. This article draws on the critical pedagogy of Paulo Freire and his contemporaries to examine the nature of transformative action and how it may be fostered within SDP programs. Insights from critical pedagogy are applied to, and illustrated through, qualitative research undertaken with SDP programs located in Cameroon and Kenya. The findings show the complexities of designing and implementing critical pedagogy in a SDP context and, in particular, the challenges of creating and mobilizing for transformative action. Opportunities and lessons for embedding critical pedagogy within SDP programs are also presented.     

Language Learning Strategies

Introduction This chapter reviews theory and research in the realm of language learning strategies and provides implications for teaching and future research. Learning strategies are ＇operations employed by the learner to aid the acquisition, storage, retrieval and use of information, specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective and more transferable to new situations＇.     

‘You look like a machito!’: a decolonial analysis of the social in/exclusion of female participants in a Colombian sport for development and peace organization

Abstract

This article critically explores the relationship between the gendered nature of sport in Colombia and girls and young women’s social in/exclusion in football (soccer) through the lived experiences of female participants involved in a local Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) organization. Building on 6 months of ethnographic fieldwork and Lave and Wenger’s theory of Community of Practice (CoP), I explore the complex and connected gendered social elements that constrain girls and young women’s participation. Analyzing these processes and mechanisms through a decolonial lens, I reveal the existence of colonial residues that perpetuate and reinforce females positioning as peripheral actors in sport. The findings demonstrate how female participants are required to negotiate spaces with contradictory gendered meanings and confirm that social transformation within masculine structures is difficult to achieve. This research encourages SDP researchers to further engage with decolonial theory.     

MEDIA USE AND INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCIENCE COURSES AND RELATED AREAS

Using the data collected by Arthur Cohen in a national study on curriculum, instructional, and course practices in science courses in community colleges, this study explored instructional methods and media use. Several areas were investigated. These included (1) media use and attrition, (2) media production facilities and assistance used, and (3) media development locally. The results indicate that lecture is the most predominate method, that media have little effect on attrition, and that geographic region has little effect on media use.     

Engaged Scholarship in the Academy: Reflections from the Margins

This paper represents a series of reflections on collective and individual efforts of diverse women scholars to reconcile alternative views of scholarship within the academy. We document our collective experience with embedding the concept of the “scholarship of engagement” in our practice of research, teaching, and service through a process of collaborative inquiry. In addition, we discuss individual efforts to challenge university colleagues and students (many of whom are teachers in training) to interrogate issues of social justice, diversity, and marginalization in their academic environments. Our experiences provide a critical examination of the supports needed for diverse women faculty who engage in critical dialogues that challenge traditional institutional structures while on the tenure path.     

COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS’ PERCEPTIONS OF NEED OF EDUCATIONAL MEDIA PERSONNEL: A NATIONAL STUDY

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceptions held by community college administrators concerning the types of personnel needed and the academic degrees held by these individuals in the field of educational media. The administrators were asked to respond to a prepared survey instrument designed to obtain information on the degree levels and on the number of librarians, educational technologists, combination librarians‐educational technologists, and paraprofessionals presently employed. In addition the respondents were asked to project future personnel needs and degree levels sought. A third section attempted to identify additional competencies that would be desirable for those presently on the staff and for future employees. The last section tried to determine the attitudes of the respondents toward the importance of educational media. From a population of 164 administrators nationwide, 117 survey instruments were returned. Results showed (1) there is little demand for doctorates in media at the community college level, (2) professional training in media production is more important than instructional development, (3) in the next 5 years there will be approximately a 10% increase in demand for media professionals with a B.S. and above.     

Participatory research in sport-for-development: Complexities,experiences and (missed) opportunities

In this paper, the authors examine how participatory research can be conceptualized and fostered in sport-for-development (SfD). The authors offer a conceptualization of participatory research that centers on the interplay between three dimensions: participation, power, and reflexivity. Drawing on variegated experiences with SfD research across different geographical locations, the authors scrutinize the conceptual and empirical linkages between these dimensions, and how these linkages are influenced by structures of authority. Findings suggest that most SfD research falls short with regard to the critical challenge of embracing and delivering high degrees of participation, power shifting, and reflexivity. More specifically, SfD researchers typically fail to relinquish power and control over the research process. The SfD research community would likely benefit from greater inclusivity and collaboration when designing creative ways to improve this state of affairs. The authors conclude by reflecting on the implications and by suggesting ways to promote participatory and activist research in SfD contexts.     

基于标准的评核：教育领域人力资本和能力提升的工具与方法

本文概述了一种评核概念和理论，即基于标准的评核。这种评核模式通过把学生的成绩和他们的知识、课程标准联系起来，给学生的学习成绩赋予意义。它有效地将评核的焦点从对成绩排名的关注（仅仅把学生的表现与同学相比较）转移到了对学生学习进步的关注上来。本文关注这一转变过程，并为这一评核方式的实施提供可能的策略。同时，本文认为这一评核体系将会对教育中人力资本和能力提升产生深远的影响。