Changing Perspectives in the History of Education

Abstract

This articles identifies four issues whose resolution will shape the future of American elementary and secondary education. These are as follows. (1) Will the principle of decentralised control prevail over the seemingly inexorable tendency to consolidate power at the centre? (2) Will continuing emphasis on mass education obscure increasing demands to improve quality and raise achievement levels? (3) Will schools advance equality of educational opportunity, or reproduce inequalities inherent in the society? (4) Will schools integrate culturally heterogeneous populations at the expense of legitimate expressions of ethnic cultures? This article shows how these issues mirror ambiguities underlying American democratic principles, and offers some comparisons to conditions of education in Europe.     

The Impending Revolution in Undergraduate Science Education

There is substantial evidence that scientific teaching in the sciences, i.e. teaching that employs instructional strategies that encourage undergraduates to become actively engaged in their own learning, can produce levels of understanding, retention and transfer of knowledge that are greater than those resulting from traditional lecture/lab classes. But widespread acceptance by university faculty of new pedagogies and curricular materials still lies in the future. In this essay we review recent literature that sheds light on the following questions:

• What has evidence from education research and the cognitive sciences told us about undergraduate instruction and student learning in the sciences?
• What role can undergraduate student research play in a science curriculum?
• What benefits does information technology have to offer?
• What changes are needed in institutions of higher learning to improve science teaching?

We conclude that widespread promotion and adoption of the elements of scientific teaching by university science departments could have profound effects in promoting a scientifically literate society and a reinvigorated research enterprise.     

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.     

Examining the Connections between the Work We Do and Our Mental Health

ABSTRACT

Solving the issues brought forward in previous Hanna lectures and current discussion requires serious amounts of energy. This energy comes from individuals, working together, while also simultaneously working through internal struggles and challenges. Although small group and individual discussion can focus on mental health and burnout, these discussions have not been presented in public. There is little that kinesiology professionals do to discuss how self-care is approached, how to maintain or improve emotional well-being, and what happens when professionals burnout. A combination of personal experiences, research literature, and recommendations are discussed as a way to highlight the internal struggles that kinesiology professionals face while pursuing their work.     

Achieving Inclusive Excellence in Kinesiology: Insights,Strategies, and Perspectives

ABSTRACT

Inclusive Excellence (IE) serves as the central topic of the 28th annual Delphine Hanna Commemorative Lecture. Moreover, the professional accomplishments of Delphine Hanna, a kinesiology trailblazer, are explored. I present the concept of Inclusive Excellence and articulate its applicability to academic leadership in the field of kinesiology. Particularly, I provide a definition of Inclusive Excellence, guiding principles, an overview of the history of Inclusive Excellence, and examples of promising strategic practices. Lastly, I present a case-study outlining Auburn University’s integration of Inclusive Excellence principles and implementation of practices. Recommendations for the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE) organization are presented.     

Testing Predictive Models of Technology Integration in Mexico and the United States

ABSTRACT

Data from Mexico City, Mexico (N = 978) and from Texas, USA (N = 932) were used to test the predictive validity of the teacher professional development component of the Will, Skill, Tool Model of Technology Integration in a cross-cultural context. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the model. Analyses of these data yielded positive results for the model's validity and reliability, with more than 90% of the variance in classroom technology integration found to be attributable to a linear combination of a teacher's attitude or Will, technology proficiency or Skill, and access to technology Tools. Results also showed a differential effect of predictors on integration, depending on the teacher's stage of technology adoption: At lower stages Tool access appears to be the best predictor; whereas, at higher stages Skill appears to be the best predictor. At the highest stage of adoption Will may replace Skill as the best technology integration predictor. Collective findings regarding the orderings of integration predictors shed light on alternative theoretical views of technology integration. Findings tend to support the view of technology integration as a step-wise, sequential, developmental process, rather than the process of eliminating external and internal barriers that impede the full integration of technology into a classroom teaching/learning environment.     

Kinesiology Faculty Citations Across Academic Rank

Citations to research reports are used as a measure for the influence of a scholar’s research line when seeking promotion, grants, and awards. The current study documented the distributions of citations to kinesiology scholars of various academic ranks. Google Scholar Citations was searched for user profiles using five research interest areas related to kinesiology. Total Google Scholar Citations, rank, and country were collected for 741 scholars from 68 countries. Citation data for all ranks had large positive skews and wide variation, so percentile data were reported for scholars from four English-speaking countries with large numbers of Google Scholar Citations profiles (n = 233). There was a significant difference in the distribution of citations across the top three academic ranks. The current data provide confirmatory information on kinesiology scholar research influence from English-speaking countries, which can be used to supplement peer-evaluation of the research reports themselves.     

The practical legacy of the educational administration field: probing into authors’ implications for policy-makers,leaders and trainers

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the current paper was to trace the practical contribution of empirical papers appeared in the field’s major journals. More specifically, the review posed two questions: (1) what kinds of practical messages are provided in the field’s empirical works? (2) Who are the practitioners that EA field researchers address in their practical implications? For this review, I read and analyzed empirical articles published between 2011 and 2016 in four refereed journals pertaining to the field of educational administration. The reviewing methodology was Qualitative Content Analysis because a journal paper is considered as a document susceptible to textual analysis. This analysis yielded four themes of practical recommendations: suggestions for policy-makers and reformers, suggestions for pre-service and in-service trainings for principals and even for teachers, suggestions for principals and stakeholders and broad educational suggestions in the areas of higher education and teaching. Understanding the practical contribution of the research on educational administration and leadership may shed light on the applied knowledge base in the field and its empirical orientations.     

What does technology integration research tell us about the leadership of technology?

Abstract

This systematic review of the literature focuses on the empirical research conducted between 1998 and 2018 at the intersection of leaders, teachers, and technology in K-12 schools. The question guiding this review was “what does the technology integration literature identify as key leadership practices that support teachers’ technology integration efforts?” Findings are presented in terms of the larger body of knowledge about effective leadership practices that are empirically shown to influence teaching and learning by applying a conceptual framework of empirically derived leadership practices. The researchers analyzed, deductively coded, and categorized findings from 34 relevant articles in peer-reviewed journals. Findings emphasized leadership practices for building professional capacity including providing teachers with opportunities to learn, creating communities of practice for them, considering their individualized needs, and addressing issues of access and support. In this article, domains of the conceptual framework are described and convey the findings about leadership practices in terms of IT and offer suggestions for further synthesizing the currently siloed work on technology integration in the leadership, teacher, and technology literature.     

The Four Marks of Holistic Kinesiology

What, to borrow a theological phrase, are the marks of a truly holistic kinesiology department? In Kinesis and the Nature of the Human Person (2010), I examined the theoretical impact of Aristotle's definition of kinesis and Polanyi's theory of tacit knowledge on kinesiology. The intention here, however, is practical rather than theoretical. How would a holistic philosophy impact the day-to-day activities within the discipline of kinesiology? What tenets would a holistic department of kinesiology hold? What direction and aims would such a department have? Four areas of impact and reform are offered. First, kinesiologists should engage the humanities. A vibrant humanistic presence in the field will not only make kinesiology more holistic; it will give kinesiologists the tools to articulate a holistic understanding of the nature of the human person. Second, kinesiologists should recognize the importance of experience, practice, and apprenticeship within the field. Third, departments should embrace rather than shun specificity. Finally, kinesiologists are encouraged to acknowledge that a field dedicated to “physical activity” must require, engage in, and passionately profess the actual practice of “moving well.”     

Ethics From the Viewpoint of Organized Agencies: A Reaction

A collection of information about kinesiology around the world is given in this article. Institutions, societies, and journals that have contributed to the emergence of the field are indicated to illustrate the richness of current places where research on movement is conducted. The particular case of kinesiology in the European Union is detailed.     

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.     

Kinesiology’s Tower of Babel: Advancing the Field with Consistent Nomenclature

The knowledge base of kinesiology can be compared to the construction of a fragmented, diffuse tower. Much of the lack of identity and progress of kinesiology as the leader in the study of human physical activity may result from inconsistent nomenclature. Several examples of improper and inconsistent use of kinesiology nomenclature are noted and three solutions are proposed. A call to action for kinesiology organizations, editorial boards of kinesiology journals, and individual scholars on standardizing kinesiology terminology is presented to advance kinesiology knowledge and recognition of the field, and to support integrated, interdisciplinary scholarship.     

Consequences of Project Organisation in Graduate Education

It is a common assumption that disciplinary differences in the organisation of research and knowledge structure have implications for graduate students' learning processes. The present study indicates, however, that even though the inclusion of master's degree students in faculty member's research projects are much more common in the natural sciences than in the humanities and the social sciences, such projects improve quality and effectiveness of graduate education in all fields of learning. Disciplinary differences imply, nevertheless, that projects should be organised differently. Graduate education in the humanities and the social sciences should be organised as research seminars and umbrella projects of individual student theses to a greater extent, rather than trying to apply a research organisation model developed in laboratory fields.     

Current State and Development Trends of Education Policy Research in China in the Last Decade (2004–2013): A Statistical Analysis of Papers from Eight Core Chinese Journals

Abstract

The author conducted sampling and statistical analysis of papers on education policy research collected by the China National Knowledge Infrastructure in the period from the years 2004–2013. Under the current state of education policy research in China, the number of papers correlates positively with the year; the papers are concentrated in education journals; the researchers are primarily associated with institutions of higher education; and the studies cover a broad range of topics, while emphasizing the practice of education policy. The development trends of education policy research in China include a general rising trend for research on education policy; in the future, researchers from institutions of higher education will continue to be a dominant force in education policy research, and the authors’ regional distribution will continue to be imbalanced; education policy research will focus more on educational equity and improved quality, and studies of foreign education policies will continue to be a topic of interest.     

Cognition Research in Practice: Engineering and Evaluating a Middle School Math Curriculum

Abstract

How can research findings from cognitive and learning sciences be meaningfully applied in authentic settings to improve student learning outcomes in mathematics? Decades of basic research on how people learn has implications for the design of curriculum, instruction, and assessment. However, bringing research to practice involves simultaneously applying multiple design principles and raises pragmatic challenges of classroom contexts. Our project used research-based recommendations to systematically revise a widely used middle school mathematics curriculum and investigated whether the revised curriculum improved student learning in mathematics. In this article, we detail a replicable process for operationalizing and implementing multiple research-based principles and report findings from a large-scale experimental evaluation of this approach to estimate the potential impact on student learning.     

The Evolution of Leadership Research in Higher Education for Two Decades (1995-2014): A Bibliometric and Content Analysis

ABSTRACT

The present study aims to examine the leadership research in higher education in order to shed light on its development during the last two decades by revealing the evolving trends in research on leadership in higher education, the most prominent scholars working on related research, the most popular topics in related research, and the countries in which the related studies are based. Bibliometric method was employed in the analysis of the original research and review papers published in five prominent higher education journals between 1995 and 2014: Higher Education, Research in Higher Education, Studies in Higher Education, The Journal of Higher Education and The Review of Higher Education. The results of this bibliometric analysis show that the majority of the related articles come from three countries: the U.S.A., the UK and Australia. It is also found that the leadership research in higher education is still very scarce and has not shown any meaningful increase during the last two decades. In addition, content analysis is used to provide more in-depth information about the topical focus, purpose and methodology of the selected articles. The results of content analyses are discussed in detail, and suggestions for the future research are provided.     

A Kinesiology Conundrum: Physical Activity Requirements in Kinesiology Degree Programs

One of the most long-standing controversies in kinesiology has been that of physical activity requirements (PARs) in corresponding degree programs. Despite a recommendation from the American Kinesiology Association to include “the practice of physical activity” in undergraduate kinesiology degree programs, some programs have PARs, while others do not. The question still remains: should physical activity be required for all kinesiology students? In this article, we build a case for PARs in kinesiology degree programs. First, we highlight the most common theoretical and practical objections to such requirements. The theoretical objections are namely dualism, materialism, and utilitarian pragmatism; the practical objections are cost, the credit crunch, and public perception. Second, and most importantly, we describe why these theoretical and practical objections fail. As unapologetic partisans on this issue, our primary aim is to highlight why PARs belong in every kinesiology degree program, regardless of concentration or area of emphasis.