Competences in demand within the Spanish agricultural engineering sector

The Rural Engineering Department (Technical University of Madrid) ran three competence surveys during the 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 academic years and evaluated: (1) the competences gained by agricultural engineer's degree and agricultural technical engineer's degree students (360 respondents); (2) the competences demanded by agricultural employers (50 farming sector employers); (3) competences required by farming sector professionals and former students (70 professionals). The surveys show significant differences between what competences agricultural employers require of graduates and the competences they acquire during their agricultural engineering degree courses. Recruiters are looking for generic competences such as the ability to coordinate groups and place less importance on knowledge of engineering, biology, applied economics and legislation. Of the computer-related competences, those most in demand by sector professionals were related to the use of Microsoft Office/Excel (used by 79% of professionals). Surveys were used to redesign some subjects of the degrees.     

Correction to: Neglected Elements of a High-Quality Early Childhood Workforce: Whole Teacher Well-Being and Working Conditions

Early Childhood Education Journal - The original version of this article unfortunately contains some typo in Table 1.     

The influence of upper-body pre-cooling on repeated sprint performance in moderate ambient temperatures

In this study, we examined the effects of upper-body pre-cooling before intermittent sprinting exercise in a moderate environment. Seven male and three female trained cyclists (age 26.8±5.5 years, body mass 68.5±9.5?kg, height 1.76±0.13?m, [Vdot]O_2peak 59.0±11.4?mL?·?kg^?1?·?min^?1; mean±s) performed 30?min of cycling at 50% [Vdot]O_2peak interspersed with a 10-s Wingate cycling sprint test at 5?min intervals. The exercise was performed in a room controlled at 22^oC and 40% relative humidity. In the control session, the participants rested for 30?min before exercise. In the pre-cooling session, the participants wore the upper segment of a liquid conditioning garment circulating 5^oC coolant until rectal temperature decreased by 0.5^oC. Rectal temperature at the start of exercise was significantly lower in the pre-cooling (36.5±0.3^oC) than in the control condition (37.0±0.5^oC), but this difference was reduced to a non-significant 0.4^oC throughout exercise. Mean skin temperature was significantly lower in the pre-cooling (30.7±2.3^oC) than in the control condition (32.5±1.6^oC) throughout exercise. Heart rate during submaximal exercise was similar between the two conditions, although peak heart rate after the Wingate sprints was significantly lower in the pre-cooling condition. With pre-cooling, mean peak power (909±161?W) and mean overall power output (797±154?W) were similar to those in the control condition (peak 921±163?W, mean 806±156?W), with no differences in the subjective ratings of perceived exertion. These results suggest that upper-body pre-cooling does not provide any benefit to intermittent sprinting exercise in a moderate environment.     

The Science of a Sundae: Using the Principle of Colligative Properties in Food Science Outreach Activities for Middle and High School Students

The opportunities for outreach activities for professionals and academics in food science are extensive, as too are the range of participants’ experience levels and platforms for delivery. Here, we present a set of activities that are readily adaptable for a range of students (ages 10 to 18) in multiple platforms (demonstration table and hands‐on workshop). Our activity, collectively called “The Science of a Sundae,” has three units, one for each of the three parts of a sundae: the caramel sauce, the cherry, and the ice cream. In each unit we use these familiar food items to illustrate how colligative properties (or, simply, “solutions” for younger students) impact the chemical, microbiological, and sensorial properties of food. We have used these activities to present to over 1000 students and their parents/chaperones. Grade levels of student participants have ranged from 5th grade through high school, and these activities have been presented in the form of a demonstration table at science events as well as a set of three 45‐minute workshops in a classroom setting. Educational impact of these activities was evaluated with 7th grade students (n = 77) who participated in the 3‐phase workshop. On average, students who took the posttest (after participation in the workshop) scored 36% higher than students who took the pretest (prior to participation in the workshop). These results and instructor observations suggest the merit of this lesson and its adaptability among ages and platforms.     

PREDICTORS OF ACHIEVEMENT IN AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS AT RISK FOR ACADEMIC FAILURE: THE ROLES OF ACHIEVEMENT VALUES AND BEHAVIORAL ENGAGEMENT

The achievement gap between African American and European American youth is a pervasive problem in the United States. This study explored how achievement values and behavioral engagement affect the academic attainment of an academically at‐risk sample of 167 African American youth in late elementary school. Results indicate that achievement values do not have a significant influence on engagement or achievement in late elementary school. However, behavioral engagement significantly influenced math achievement from Grades 4 to 5. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Developmental changes and socioeconomic differences in mother-infant picturebook reading

Picturebook reading is a common form of interaction between parents and young children. This study examined developmental changes and socioeconomic differences in picturebook interactions of motherinfant Argentine dyads. 21 middle and 18 low SES mothers with their 12 to 24 months-old infants interacting with two different books, were observed. It was found that mothers of both SES groups adjusted the level of their demands not only to the task requirements (books) but also to the age of the infant. However, it was also found that the style of the interaction was different depending on the SES of the mother-infant pair. A more demanding and elaborated maternal language along with a linguistically more competent child were found in the middle SES group.     

African-American early childhood teachers' decisions to refer African-American students

Existing literature regarding European-American teachers' referrals of African-American students for special education programs is abundant. However, literature that explains African-American teachers' referrals of African-American students, in their own voices, is limited. This qualitative study examines the influences guiding African-American teachers' decisions to refer African-American students for special education programs. It uses, as a conceptual framework, several researchers' investigations of influences guiding teacher praxis. From these collective works, a conceptual model was developed as a ''teachers' decisions to refer'' perspective that served as a framework for examining influences that may have guided the participants' referral decisions. Findings revealed that African-American teachers have a collective teacher way of knowing and that socially constructed images of race and gender influenced their referral decisions. Additionally, participant interviews revealed that African-American teachers tended to refer based on the need to find assistance for students with special needs.     

Data-mining techniques in detecting factors linked to academic achievement

In light of the emergence of statistical analysis techniques based on data mining in education sciences, and the potential they offer to detect non-trivial information in large databases, this paper presents a procedure used to detect factors linked to academic achievement in large-scale assessments. The study is based on a non-experimental, cross-sectional design and a sample of 18,935 high school students from 99 educational institutions in Baja California state (Mexico). The information was collected from ENLACE tests and context surveys given to students in Baja Caclifornia. Decision trees were used to apply classification techniques, and the results indicate that personal factors are most indicative of academic performance, followed by school-related and social factors. In conclusion, the paper discusses the similarities between the results obtained and those shown in literature, highlighting how simple decision trees allow a greater explanation and interpretation than other models and techniques.     

Academic-Based and Aerobic-Only Movement Breaks: Are There Differential Effects on Physical Activity and Achievement?

Purpose: This study investigated the academic achievement and physical activity differences between types of activity breaks implemented in elementary school classrooms. This study evaluated whether there was a difference between the impact of purely aerobic-based movement breaks and the impact of academic-based breaks on children’s academic achievement outcomes. Method: Participants included 460 children in 3rd grade through 5th grade at 4 elementary schools. There were 176 children in the schools that engaged in academic-based breaks and 284 in the schools that engaged in aerobic-only breaks. Schools were randomly assigned at the school level to implement either aerobic movement breaks with academic content infused within the breaks (“academic-based breaks”) or aerobic-only movement breaks without the addition of academic material (“aerobic-only breaks”) for approximately 10 min of activity per day. Math and reading achievement as well as children’s step counts were measured before and after the intervention. A mixed-effects (multilevel-growth) model, in which the repeated measures of individuals nested within a classroom are analyzed, was used to answer all posited research questions. Results: Small to moderate effect sizes (ES) indicating gains in reading achievement (ES = .13) and steps (ES = .33) were found for classrooms that used aerobic-only movement breaks compared with those that used academic-based breaks. Conclusions: The type of movement breaks that are implemented in classrooms may have differential outcomes for children’s achievement and activity levels. Results from the present study indicate that children who were given aerobic-only movement breaks had slightly larger gains in reading achievement and physical activity levels than children who were given academic-based breaks.     

Traumatic and stressful events in early childhood: can treatment help those at highest risk?

Objective

This study involves a reanalysis of data from a randomized controlled trial to examine whether child-parent psychotherapy (CPP), an empirically based treatment focusing on the parent-child relationship as the vehicle for child improvement, is efficacious for children who experienced multiple traumatic and stressful life events (TSEs).

Methods

Participants comprised 75 preschool-aged children and their mothers referred to treatment following the child's exposure to domestic violence. Dyads were randomly assigned to CPP or to a comparison group that received monthly case management plus referrals to community services and were assessed at intake, posttest, and 6-month follow-up. Treatment effectiveness was examined by level of child TSE risk exposure (<4 risks versus 4+ TSEs).

Results

For children in the 4+ risk group, those who received CPP showed significantly greater improvements in PTSD and depression symptoms, PTSD diagnosis, number of co-occurring diagnoses, and behavior problems compared to those in the comparison group. CPP children with <4 risks showed greater improvements in symptoms of PTSD than those in the comparison group. Mothers of children with 4+ TSEs in the CPP group showed greater reductions in symptoms of PTSD and depression than those randomized to the comparison condition. Analyses of 6-month follow-up data suggest improvements were maintained for the high risk group.

Conclusions

The data provide evidence that CPP is effective in improving outcomes for children who experienced four or more TSEs and had positive effects for their mothers as well.

Practice implications

Numerous studies show that exposure to childhood trauma and adversity has negative consequences for later physical and mental health, but few interventions have been specifically evaluated to determine their effectiveness for children who experienced multiple TSEs. The findings suggest that including the parent as an integral participant in the child's treatment may be particularly effective in the treatment of young children exposed to multiple risks.