Interrogating Positive Youth Development Through Sport Using Critical Race Theory

ABSTRACT

Sport has the potential to serve as a context in which youth can develop as players and people. Positive youth development (PYD) through sport is a prevalent strength-based approach that aims to promote life skills acquisition in youth participants. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the utility of critically interrogating PYD through sport using critical race theory (CRT). Select key tenets of CRT serve as analytical tools that can highlight potentially problematic assumptions that underline current approaches to PYD through sport. Interrogation of PYD through sport using CRT exposes its limitations in theory, research, and practice. This race-centered perspective can help to reimagine sport coaching for positive development from a more socially responsible, critical praxis.     

Going Forth: Equal Employment Opportunity in a Deregulatory Climate

While previous studies indicate that participation in sport has the potential to facilitate positive developmental outcomes, there is a lack of consensus regarding the possible transfer of these outcomes to other environments (i.e., school or work). An important issue within the positive development literature concerns how sport programs should approach the issue of transfer. This article outlines two distinct approaches to the transfer debate: the explicit approach and the implicit approach. Specifically, this article discusses the relative strengths and limitations of these two approaches with regards to their effectiveness, sustainability, and balance of adult- and youth-driven learning. Recommendations for future research directions are also presented.     

The Reality of Sustaining Community-Based Sport and Physical Activity Programs to Enhance the Development of Underserved Youth: Challenges and Potential Strategies

Many community-based sport and physical activity programs take a positive youth development approach when operating in underserved communities around the world (Forneris, Whitley, & Barker, 2013). However, one of the biggest challenges for these programs is sustainability (Lindsey, 2008). The purpose of this article is to present the 3 authors’ experiences related to program sustainability when working with community-based sport and physical activity programs using a positive youth development approach in underserved communities. The authors describe the challenges faced with program sustainability, including ineffective development approaches, building strong relationships with community partners, knowledge translation, and securing funding. Also described are the strategies used to overcome these challenges, such as planning, capacity building, recruitment, and evaluation. This article is intended to stimulate more open and honest discussions about the realities of positive youth development program sustainability around the world.     

Making Mentoring Work: The Need for Rewiring Epistemology

To help produce more expert coaches at the participation and performance levels, a number of governing bodies have established coach mentoring systems. In light of this trend, against the limited literature on coach mentoring and the risks of superficial treatment by coach education systems, this article critically discusses the role of the mentor in coach development, the nature of the mentor–mentee relationship, and, most specifically, how expertise in the mentee may best be developed. If mentors are to be effective in developing expert coaches, we consequently argue that a focus on personal epistemology is required. On this basis, we present a framework that conceptualizes mentee development on this level through a step by step progression, rather than through an unrealistic and unachievable leap toward expertise. Finally, we consider the resulting implications for practice and research with respect to one-on-one mentoring, communities of practice, and formal coach education.     

Technical Communication Coaching: A Strategy for Instilling Reader Usability Assurance in Online Course Material Development

ABSTRACT

Online course material development requires much writing, often catching faculty by surprise because of either the sheer volume or the specialized role and function of writing in an online only and multimodal environment. technical and professional communication (TPC) faculty are uniquely suited to coach faculty in producing readable writing for online courses. This article explores the professional development strategies and coaching skills necessary for TPC instructors and/or practitioners to serve in this role in online course development training.     

虚拟与真实:网络社会中的人类生存方式

互联网是一种全新的革命性的技术，它在创造着一种新型的化，并在不断地改变着人类的生存状态与生存观念，同时带来了一些新的社会问题困扰着人类。但是，人类最终会理智而又有效地解决已经和将会面临的一切问题，成为自己所创造的工具的主人。     

The Journey Is the Destination: Reconsidering the Expert Sports Coach

This article seeks to critically consider the traditional linear staged model of expertise development commonly employed in the sports coaching literature, which has been principally based upon the accumulation of threshold amounts of hours of experience. Here, we draw upon recent developments in the broader expertise literature, which is starting to represent expertise as complex, dynamic, non-linear, and contingent upon contextual influences. In particular, this article considers the potential utility of Grenier and Kehrhahn's Model of Expertise Redevelopment as a tool to further enhance our critical understanding of expertise in coaching. An example is provided in order to illustrate how the Model of Expertise Redevelopment might be useful for re-conceptualising expertise in coaching. This example not only acknowledges progress towards expertise, but also what happens after initial expertise is achieved, why redevelopment is sometimes required, and how redevelopment occurs in the developmental journey.     

A Rose by Any Other Name

In recent years, underserved communities have received much attention within the field of positive youth development (PYD). While there are an increasing number of opportunities for underserved youth to join PYD-based programs, there is growing concern surrounding the lack of critical evaluation of these programs (Kidd, 2008). Unfortunately, there are numerous challenges related to evaluation within underserved communities and in international settings that often prevent or disrupt the research process. These challenges include difficulty building trust with the target population, power relations, obtaining parental consent, demonstrating cultural competence, and attrition. Moreover, these challenges are rarely discussed in the literature (Knight, Roosa, &; Umaña-Taylor, 2009). The primary goal of this article is to present an open discussion of such challenges using case studies from four distinct programs implemented with four different underserved communities. In addition, the limited empirical evidence regarding these challenges is presented, along with potential solutions for consideration in future research efforts.     

Compromising Talent: Issues in Identifying and Selecting Talent in Sport

The past few decades have seen a significant change in the delivery of sport and in trends related to athlete development. However, the notion of talent continues to play a critical role in most athlete development models. In this brief review, we highlight concerns with the notion of talent and how it is conceptualized in high performance sport systems. These include: the assumption that talent is a fixed capacity that can be identified early, the influence of talent beliefs on athlete development, the different levels of risk for talent selection decisions, biases evident in approaches to athlete selection, the inadequacy of current statistical approaches, the problems with using current performance to predict future outcomes, and how short-term priorities and competition between sports for talented athletes undermine the overall efficiency of athlete development systems. These concerns form the basis for more focused discussion of avenues for future work in this field.     

Evaluating Approaches to Physical Literacy Through the Lens of Positive Youth Development

The potential of physical activity and sport programs to promote positive youth development (PYD) is well-recognized among youth sport researchers and practitioners. More recently, physical literacy has gained traction among sport organizations as an important component of long-term athlete development. With conceptual roots in academic writing, two approaches to physical literacy emerged: a holistic approach, encompassing cohesive developmental processes and outcomes; and a performance-driven approach, focused largely on physical competencies and performance. This article will evaluate the dual approaches to physical literacy through the lens of PYD. By pairing the theoretical foundation of the holistic approach with the attention to measurement in the performance-driven approach, we subsequently propose an integrated approach to physical literacy grounded firmly in sport and physical activity PYD research. Guided by this approach, we offer key insights and practical recommendations for the implementation of programs that seek to foster both physical literacy and PYD.     

Multiple Service Use: The impact of consistency in service quality for vulnerable youth

Little is known about the way in which variations in service quality influence outcomes when youth are clients of more than one service system. This article reports on a study of 1,210 adolescents (aged 13–17 years), half were concurrent clients of two or more services and half were not involved in two or more services. Youth completed a self-report questionnaire administered by a trained interviewer. It was hypothesized that youth reporting two positive service experiences would report lower risks, higher resilience, and better outcomes than youth reporting inconsistent or two negative service experiences and that their resilience, risks, and outcomes would be similar to those of youth not involved in two or more services. MANCOVA was used to determine the relationship among service quality and resilience, risk, and outcomes with four covariates that assessed family and neighborhood environments, history of abuse and neglect, and chronic need. Results indicate that service quality had an effect on resilience, risks, and outcomes. These relationships were mediated quite strongly by the influence of the risks youth faced in their neighborhoods and to a lesser extent by the other three covariates. Of the three dependent variables, risk appeared to be the most consistently influenced by all the covariates, and it also differentiated service experience groups. Results point to the importance of services developing strategies to effectively address risks confronted by youth and also to ensure that when more than one service is involved with youth, consistency in service delivery is achieved.     

Improving Teaching through Continuous Learning: The Inquiry Process John Wooden Used to Become Coach of the Century

Past and contemporary scholars have emphasized the importance of job-embedded, systematic instructional inquiry for educators. A recent review of the literature highlights four key features shared by several well documented inquiry approaches for classroom teachers. Interestingly, another line of research suggests that these key features also characterized the process that UCLA's John Wooden used to systematically improve his teaching of basketball over a period of three decades. As educators and researchers work to build the case for inquiry-based models in classrooms, sports, and physical education, John Wooden's example provides a unifying and compelling illustration of the potential of the inquiry-based approach for any pedagogical context. It also provides an enduring image of the commitment required over time to achieve results.     

Visuospatial Orientation Learning through Virtual Reality for People with Severe Disability

This study aims to test how an intervention based on virtual reality (VR) may enhance visuospatial skills amongst people with disability. A quasi-experimental intra-group study was therefore conducted. Participants were 20 people with severe disability (65% males; 34.35 years, on average, and 84.95% of disability rate according to the Andalusian Government index). Intervention consisted of 15 sessions of active navigation using a VR building similar to the participants’ day rehabilitation centre with the task of locating different rooms and objects. The time spent and errors in route in the virtual and the real environments were measured before and after the intervention. Additionally, participants had to fill out a map location task. As a result, participants showed fewer errors and less time at post-intervention assessments even with non-trained stimuli (p < .05). These results demonstrate the usefulness of VR-based interventions with active navigation to accelerate orientation learning in real-life situations.     

Virtual action learning: a pilot in building leadership capacity

This account of practice encompasses a pilot virtual action learning programme with a small group of learners. This was an 18-month extension to the one-week Leadership Open Programme that the participants had previously completed at the Business School. It includes insights from an evaluation study completed in early 2016. It considers in particular the following issues: the structuring of a virtual event; the significance of maintaining continuity of learning; the need for commonality of reference points about leadership in order to enhance it; the selection of problems by participants; whether leadership development itself is a ‘wicked problem’ and the role and skills required of the tutor to add value to the learning experience. Amongst other benefits, the participants found the chance to build relationships broke down the loneliness of leadership and greatly enhanced their learning. These issues will be explored further in a review planned for early 2017.     

生命在于运动的理性思考

主要从生命的起源与发展,人类生命的可持续发展与运动的辩证关系等方面,探讨生命在于运动的哲理,从而对运动有更客观的认识.     

BOOK REVIEW

The number of positive youth development (PYD) programs focusing on providing opportunities for optimal development has grown tremendously in recent years (Catalano, Berglund, Ryan, Lonczak, &; Hawkins, 2004 Catalano, R. F., Berglund, M. L., Ryan, J. A., Lonczak, H. S. and Hawkins, J. D. 2004. Positive youth development in the United States: Research findings on evaluation of positive youth development programs. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 591: 98–124. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Larson and Walker (2010) Larson, R. W. and Walker, K. C. 2010. Dilemmas of practice: Challenges to program quality encountered by youth program leaders. American Journal of Community Psychology, 45: 338–349. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] assert that it is important to understand challenges program leaders face when implementing programs and strategies they use to overcome such challenges. However, little research or discussion in the literature has focused on the everyday challenges of implementing youth programs. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present four case studies of programs implemented in four different countries designed to enhance the psychosocial development of underserved youth using the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility Model and/or life skills framework. Each case study is presented with a forthright discussion of the challenges faced and the strategies implemented to overcome these challenges. In addition, we offer potential strategies for furthering collaboration with nongovernmental organizations, enhancing program implementation, and transferring program ownership.     

Challenges and Prospects of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Utilization among Primary School Teachers: A Developing Country Perspective

The concepts of virtualization for facilitating learning have become the focus of attention in several countries. Yet, the limited understanding of how technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) can be used to improve the learning and teaching of science makes it difficult for educational policy makers to apply additional measures in order to ensure the availability of equipment and trained staff. A semi-structured interview was used to gather data from primary school teachers about the challenges and prospects of utilizing VR and AR technologies in teaching science subjects. A set of evidence and recommendations on AR and VR utilization for teaching science were provided based on an interview of 29 science teachers. It was determined that lack of competency, limited instructional design, lack of focused attention, lack of time, and limited environmental resources were common challenges in VR and AR utilization. In addition, we found that both technologies can be used to promote exploratory behavior and perceived usefulness and develop a positive attitude. Other findings related to these aspects were identified and described. The outcomes from this study can provide insights for administrators and policy makers to set priorities for using VR and AR in school practice to carry out various reflective and exploration tasks.     

Coaching psychology: an approach to practice for educational psychologists

Coaching psychology is a distinct sub-discipline of academic and applied psychology that focuses on the enhancement of performance, development and well-being in the broader population. Applied in educational contexts, the practice of coaching psychology has the potential to have a positive impact by supporting children and adults to achieve enhanced standards of functioning and well-being. It therefore represents a way in which educational psychologists (EPs) might elect to diversify their practice. However, EPs are disproportionately under-represented in the development of this emerging field. This article charts the birth and evolution of contemporary coaching psychology, and presents a case study illustrating the application of this methodology in a school context. Suggestions are given regarding professional development activities that might be undertaken by EPs seeking to develop coaching psychology as a strand of their practice.