Arizona State University: Prominence Within the University Essential; Prominence Within the Academic Field Is Nice

ABSTRACT

This article posits that each content area that falls under the umbrella of kinesiology must develop a future cadre of professionals who are competent in their content knowledge and are trained as leaders who are able to understand the essential impacts of culture on their work. The intentional development of culturally fluent leaders should be a cornerstone placed at the intersections of the discrete fields contained within kinesiology to collectively and authentically promote excellence in the whole, which is potentially greater than anything possible for the individual parts. Cultural fluency is an on-going process of critical reflection with the intention of accurately interpreting intercultural interactions. Leadership is essential to support cultural fluency, and being culturally fluent may be essential for effective leadership. Both must be explicitly taught to future kinesiology professionals at the undergraduate and graduate levels to collectively move the professions forward to accurately serve the health, wellness, and physical activity needs of all individuals in our dynamic society.     

A fair game – the neoliberal (re)organisation of social and relational practices in local school settings

Abstract

In this article, we use data from ethnography-inspired studies of eight Swedish schools. We describe and analyse how a number of neoliberal-inspired economic and political processes have (re)organised social and relational practices in local school settings. There is an increased focus on individuality in the everyday working lives of teachers, where result-centred practices, relations and professional identities have replaced notions of equality and compensatory interventions. In our study, the teachers describe an increasing focus on performativity, competition and hierarchisation. We use fairness as a lens for illuminating these changes in social relations, changes in the organisation of teachers’ practices, and teachers’ struggles with these changes. The purpose of this study is to analyse how the current reforms are enacted and how they affect the working lives of teachers, and thereby to contribute to the current discussion on how the last decades of political and administrative changes have affected educational practice.     

Emotional labour,teaching and burnout: Investigating complex relationships

ABSTRACT

Background: In common with other service-oriented occupations, teaching is a profession that requires employees to engage in emotional labour. In order to perform their day-to-day roles effectively, teachers are expected to manage and utilise their emotions in nuanced ways, with a high degree of control. As research suggests a complex relationship between emotional labour and occupational burnout, it is essential to examine this further in the context of teaching, so as to better understand the issues associated with teacher burnout.

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the literature on emotional labour and burnout, using the lens of sociological research to examine how multiple contexts shape people’s experiences in occupations. We present a theoretical discussion on how expectations for emotion displays and management, alongside structural factors, may shape the experiences of teachers.

Sources of evidence: We reviewed literature on emotional labour and burnout to examine this relationship within the context of contemporary constraints, including educational policies, accountability and emergent interpersonal dynamics in the everyday lives of school teachers. We focussed mainly on the United States public school system and used search terms including emotional labour, emotion work, emotion management and feeling rules. An inductive analytic strategy was used to identify common themes in the literature.

Findings and Conclusion: The thematic analysis of literature suggested that the intertwining of structural- and interactional-level expectations for emotional labour fosters close yet complicated relationships with teacher burnout. In bringing attention to these relationships, we offer suggestions as to the directions education researchers and administrators might take to better comprehend and address teacher burnout.     

Social Justice and the Future of Higher Education Kinesiology

ABSTRACT

This article presents a rationale for the infusion of social justice into kinesiology programs for the purpose of reducing inequities in society. Specifically, the current climate for social justice is considered and discussed using examples from an university-inspired service-learning initiative, law, and politics. Of note are the following areas of discussion: (a) differentiation between social diversity and social justice, (b) public pedagogy as a means by which to inspire service action, (c) the creation of climates for speech and application of social justice, (d) modeling and socialization for equity, and (e) the neoliberal threat to inclusiveness. The article concludes with suggestions for practice, research, and training to implore kinesiology programs to position movement as an issue of justice.     

Work-related burnout syndrome in special education teachers working with children with developmental disorders – possible correlations with some socio-demographic aspects and assertiveness

ABSTRACT

The aim of this research was to examine the levels of burnout syndrome dimensions in special education teachers and correlations with some socio-demographic characteristics, job characteristics, and levels of assertiveness. The research included 225 special education teachers from Serbia (82% were women, 18% were men, with the average age of 42.51 ± 9.23 years). Research instruments included Maslach Burnout Inventory, Rathus Assertiveness Schedule, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. There were differences in all burnout dimensions in relation to types of students’ special needs. Higher levels of burnout symptoms were observed in teachers working with children with motor skill disorders. The assertiveness scores had a significant negative correlation with emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation, and a positive correlation with a lack of accomplishment. The results obtained may help in the planning of the adequate preventative measures for improving the mental health of those professionals.     

Future Trends in the Kinesiology Sciences

ABSTRACT

Kinesiology emerged from its preventative medicine and education roots to establish itself as a recognized field of inquiry with numerous sub-disciplines. This article presents four trends in modern science that will likely influence the future of kinesiology sciences. Will recent increases in greater scientific specialization be overcome by the need for greater integration and collaborative research? Will recent increases in emphasis on “greater impacts” from funded research continue? Will new kinds of review and journals replace traditional emphases on prestigious, peer-reviewed journals? Will advancements in technology increase complexity and integration of kinesiology sciences? With attention to the dangers and opportunities in these four trends, kinesiology faculty are well positioned to increase the visibility and funding of kinesiology sciences.     

Reflections on residential school and our future: "daylight in our minds"

This testimonio takes up what it means to be an educator of Aboriginal ancestry working within existing school structures for the betterment of Aboriginal children. While the testimonialista does not presume to speak for her people, she contends that her story of growing up and becoming a teacher is not unlike that of other First Nations people in Canada. She examines her life within the continuing colonizing structures of Canada and shows how the struggles for justice and recognition of Aboriginal wisdom within education are making a difference.     

Exploring associations between supervisory support,teacher burnout and classroom emotional climate: the moderating role of pupil teacher ratio

Abstract

In previous studies on classroom emotional climate (CEC), factors related to teacher’s working conditions have rarely been included. Thus, in the current study, we examined associations between supervisory support, teacher burnout and CEC, and whether pupil teacher ratio (PTR) moderated this association, applying a randomised-control trial design. Participants were students from 300 classes at the end of grade 1, and 300 teachers. Structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed significant relations between supervisory support and teacher burnout and between teacher burnout and CEC. Supervisory support was indirectly related to CEC through teacher burnout. Finally, PTR moderated the association between teacher burnout and CEC.     

Urgently needed: Autonomous early childhood teacher educators

Abstract

This article is a call for early childhood teacher educators to take action against increasing national mandates with the potential for negatively impacting young children and early childhood teachers. Voices of teachers, teacher educators, and administrators presented in this article reflect the struggles of being autonomous professionals in a heteronymous educational environment. The authors conclude with several suggestions for early childhood teacher educators to become more involved in advocacy and policy by engaging students in campaigns for important issues, sharing information with policy makers, and networking with other professionals.     

The Professoriate and the Future of Higher Education Kinesiology

ABSTRACT

This article broadly addresses academic freedom and higher education in America, accentuating the viewpoint that change is not new. A historical overview of the state of the professoriate and social contexts are examined to situate the field of kinesiology into the context of the university. Ideas regarding the future of the field are addressed with an emphasis on the conduct of higher education scholars within this context. It is hoped that this article will not become an autopsy documenting the assault on the field, marginalization of the academy, and end of kinesiology in higher education, but will rather be a call to action for moving forward as a profession.     

Career adaptability and entrepreneurial behaviour in the K-12 classroom

ABSTRACT

With data from 311 K-12 public school teachers working in the United States, we tested a predictive model of entrepreneurial behaviour that included demographic characteristics and career adaptability, and identified differences between highly and minimally entrepreneurial teachers on how and why they adapt their teaching practices. Statistical analysis identified education and career adaptability to predict entrepreneurial behaviour. Qualitative analysis revealed that highly entrepreneurial teachers considered their professional development and the broader school system, while teachers scoring low on entrepreneurial behaviour focused on behaviour management and coping with imposed regulations when adapting their practices. The discussion includes theoretical and practical implications.     

Personal and contextual factors related to teachers’ experience with stress and burnout

Teaching has been characterised as a stressful profession that is prone to burnout. Less is known about the specific ways in which teachers experience and navigate stressors associated with their work. This study aimed to qualitatively understand how teachers who perceive high and low levels of burnout characterise their lived experiences in school environments. Data were collected through interviews with 28 inservice teachers (11 male, 17 female) from the US Midwest who reported high- or low-burnout on a psychometric survey. Data were analysed by two experienced qualitative researchers. Results indicated that (a) low-burnout teachers perceived nurturing teaching environments, (b) high-burnout teachers perceived combative and constraining teaching environments, and (c) all teachers had to manage workplace stress. Building from these findings, we present a model for understanding how the school environment influences teacher burnout. This model highlights the importance of developing optimal working conditions that nurture teacher development.

Abbreviation: MBI-ES = Maslach Burnout Iventory-Educators Survey; IEP = Individualized Education Plan     

Problematising the theory–practice terminology: a discourse analysis of students’ statements on Work-integrated Learning

ABSTRACT

This study uses a Foucault-inspired discourse analysis to examine two ideas about learning which reinforce the terminology whereby theory means campus-based training and practice means work placements. The purpose is to problematise this theory–practice terminology and provide scope for a non-dualistic alternative. The ideas examined are the idea of theory vs. practice as the point of departure for learning and the idea of theory and practice as harmonious points of departure for learning. These ideas were voiced by interviewed students who discussed the usual design of Work-integrated Learning (WIL) whereby students go to university to learn ‘theory’ and into working life to learn ‘practice’. The analysis shows how the ideas are formed by different ranking orders between theory and practice which are mutually exclusive, while also working together to reinforce the theory–practice terminology. The discussion on how a non-dualistic terminology can emerge highlights how the usual WIL design forms a dualistic setting where the theory–practice terminology thrives and how designing WIL at a third place between university and working life can provide scope for the terminology we seek.     

Mentoring the Next Generation of Higher Education Professionals

ABSTRACT

The loss of significant faculty members comes at a time when public and community expectations for institutions of higher learning have expanded. Public skepticism and the demands for accountability have resulted in greater attention being given to learning outcomes, subject matter, knowledge, proficiency, and capability. This article adds to our understanding of how graduate school operates as a socialization process for individuals who seek an academic career in higher education. Moreover, this article will focus specifically on the challenge of preparing and socializing doctoral students of color to the academy. New expectations require that substantive changes take place in the socialization process of graduate doctoral students in kinesiology if new faculty are to experience an academic environment that is rewarding.     

Self-made school and the everyday making in Buenos Aires slums

Abstract

A governmentality ethnographic approach is adopted to examine the everyday making of school in Buenos Aires slums. By addressing events at the intersection of the life of school and of the neighborhood, in this article we problematize schooling – how it is put together and the tensions that beset it on a daily basis. The notion of the self-made school is proposed as a way to delve into how management society calls on the population to manage itself. We identify micro-procedures that take the shape of silent struggles to turn the school/neighborhood into a place to live. As a hypothesis, we propose that school is produced at the intersection of everyday struggles and the struggle for the everyday in the context of the precarization of life in the age of management. From a methodological standpoint what are at play are not dichotomies, but rather the stickiness and tension of daily practices.     

Pedagogy,Sport Pedagogy,and the Field of Kinesiology

The term pedagogy has become ubiquitous in the field of kinesiology, and sport pedagogy is now firmly established as a credible academic subdiscipline. Notwithstanding the fact that our European colleagues had been using the terms pedagogy and sport pedagogy for many years (see Crum, 1986; Haag, 2005), the English-speaking world of kinesiology has only relatively recently embraced the terms. Increased use, however, does not necessarily equate with coherent or shared understandings of what the terms mean. Accordingly, the purpose of this article is to do some “languaging” (Kirk, 1991; Postman, 1989) to shed some light on the meanings of pedagogy and sport pedagogy and in so doing perhaps stimulate further consideration of their use in kinesiology. I will argue for a notion of pedagogy that is generative in enabling us to think about the process of knowledge production and reproduction across the many subdisciplines of kinesiology, including, but not limited to, sport pedagogy. Finally I will consider the notion of pedagogical work as providing a useful concept for analyzing the contribution of sport pedagogy to understandings related to how we come to know about physical activity, the body, and health.     

Regional aspirations with a global perspective: developments in East Asian labour studies

Abstract

Workers in East Asia have shown over the past 50?years that they are capable of challenging capital, despite facing vehement opposition by corporations, oftentimes joined by governments and their militaries, and sometimes even armed thugs. They have built some of the most dynamic labour organizations in the world. This article is designed to put these developments into a global and historical perspective. It identifies today’s movements of capital as the continuation of processes that developed to a new level in the 1700s, and which continue today. It also discusses struggles of workers under the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU-May First Movement) Labor Center of the Philippines, and shows how valuable research conducted to date has identified a number of lessons learned from these struggles, and how they have been communicated to workers worldwide.     

The Structural Causes of Teacher Burnout in Hong Kong

Abstract

 Since the mid 1990s, teacher burnout has become a crucial phenomenon in the Hong Kong education system, as increasing numbers of Hong Kong teachers have been reported as stressed, exhausted, and depersonalized in their teaching. In the Hong Kong community, including the academic circle, many people have applied the psychological theory of burnout to study the psychological causes of teacher burnout. However, this article argues that teacher burnout has become a social issue and is not a purely psychological phenomenon. Thus, it is important for us to identify the structural causes rather than the psychological causes of teacher burnout, to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of teacher burnout, and to develop better solutions. This article therefore theoretically analyzes how teacher burnout can be caused by certain structural forces, including structural education reforms, the administrative structure of schools, and the occupational and career structure of teaching, from the perspective of the sociological theory of work alienation. The article also gives recommendations for further studies based on the theoretical analysis.     

The Politics of Maintaining Professional Values in the 21st Century

ABSTRACT

Looking ahead, it seems clear that organizing together the values we espouse as a profession could help us to live and work in a global kinesiology community in the best possible way. It is politic, in that it seems sensible and judicious to act on this principle, to organize and maintain a coherent framework of professional values. In which case, it will require that we be political insofar as we collaboratively engage in the process of making uniform decisions that apply to all the members of our profession now, and in the future. To achieve that goal, an important challenge for the next generation of kinesiology is to develop and deliver a values education product that is efficacious and exciting—together. This means we all take responsibility for the mission of delivering a values-education product to the students that fits the goals of our academic unit and institution. This challenge is not just directed at the philosophers and ethicists in our midst. The need for values education spans the kinesiology alphabet. Values and ethical issues are foundational from A to Z, (anatomy to zip-lining), from the most extensive scholarly study to the most intensive physical activity. Total transformation of the curriculum to embrace new best teaching and learning practices entails a new social contract that involves united faculty input and execution. The goal is to develop a future-oriented curriculum that is premised upon the examination and explication of carefully selected and monitored values. The quandary facing us is which values to select and how to effectively base a curriculum on them. Professionals in our field may resonate with this general call to values, but there might be less agreement on the specifics, particularly which values to choose as the basis of our curricula; even less consensus may occur when answering the swampy question of which policies and procedures we should adopt to implement a values-centered program.