Active relaxation counteracts the effects of ego depletion on performance under evaluative pressure in a state of ego depletion

We tested the assumption that active relaxation following an ego-depletion task counteracts the negative effects of ego depletion on subsequent performance under evaluative pressure. N?=?39 experienced basketball players were randomly assigned to a relaxation condition or to a control condition, and then performed a series of free-throws at two points of measurement (T1: baseline vs. T2: after working on a depleting task and either receiving active relaxation or a simple break). The results demonstrated that performance remained constant in the relaxation condition, whereas it significantly decreased in the control condition. The findings are in line with the notion that active relaxation leads to a quicker recovery from ego depletion.     

Hammerhead Shark Research Immersion Program: Experiential Learning Leads to Lasting Educational Benefits

High school students (n=45) participated in a 5-day research immersion study on juvenile scalloped hammerhead sharks in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. Self-surveys were used to evaluate scientific concepts and skills taught during the program. There was a significant shift in students' perceived level of understanding for all categories of concepts and skills. A month following the immersion, a subset of participants (n=9) was given the opportunity to communicate what they had learned to a small group of professional science teachers. A second set of surveys were used to evaluate whether the students had retained knowledge from the 5-day immersion well enough to communicate information to others. During this follow-up, students were able to recall knowledge and demonstrate skills even without a review session. Students reported that they had a good understanding of what they were teaching and were able to teach effectively 79% of the time. Independently, the teachers also rated the students' effectiveness at 79%. The similarity between the teacher and student responses is evidence that the high school students were capable of accurate self-evaluations, validating the positive shift in concepts and skills documented by self-surveys. The lasting impact of the 5-day immersion provides support for experiential and constructivist teaching.     

Discussing education by means of metaphors

Abstract

Metaphors help us understand a concept by resorting to the imaginary because it is sometimes difficult to do so through the use of words alone. Thinkers have made use of metaphors to not only describe ‘falling in love’, ‘the pain of losing someone dear to us’, but also to describe particular concepts both in arts and sciences. In fact, the use of metaphors in some disciplines, particularly the sciences, is now regarded as something essential for the development of the field. We note that influential philosophers of education, such as Martin Buber, Paulo Freire, Michael Apple, Gert Biesta and Ilan Gur-Ze’ev have also made use of metaphors to discuss education and specific issues in educational contexts. In this article, we do two things: (i) we discuss the methodological importance of metaphors in helping us make better sense of concepts and particular problems; (ii) building on this methodological discussion, we critically discuss the problems posed by the current processes of ‘marketisation’ and ‘learnification’ in education. We conclude by arguing that metaphors do not provide us with ultimate answers to the problems we face; rather, they help us unveil a diversity of novel perspectives and a world of new possibilities.     

Teaching under Lockdown: the experiences of London English teachers

ABSTRACT

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, on 18 March 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the immediate closure of schools in England. (The closure was not absolute: schools would remain open for vulnerable children and the children of key workers. In practice, though, very few children have continued to attend.) In what follows, nine English teachers reflect on their experience of teaching under lockdown.     

The only way is ethics: methodological considerations for a working-class academic

ABSTRACT

Ethnography as a methodological approach presents the fieldworker with many ethical crossroads throughout the research process. This is because of the unique position that ethnographers find themselves in, the environments that they research and the relationships which are formed. This paper presents four confessional vignettes from a broader ethnographic research project that illuminate the underside of fieldwork, and how the author dealt with a number of difficulties and dilemmas in the field as a working-class academic. Fieldwork was undertaken in a Welsh (UK) secondary school for one full academic year, and the paper argues that researcher identity must be remain fluid so that successful field relations are established and maintained. The paper concludes that researchers must think intersectionally about their endeavours and to also consider how one’s own social baggage might impact upon the research process.