Illuminating the (in)visibility of female scholars: a gendered analysis of publishing rates within educational technology journals from 2004 to 2015

This research study utilized bibliometric methods to analyze publication rates among female and male lead authors in six prominent, peer-reviewed journals in Educational Technology (ET) fields over the past 12 years. The aim of the inquiry was to determine if differences or trends exist in the number of articles published by each gender. Data analysis revealed notable differences in publication rates between genders, and key findings indicate that while women overall published less than half of the articles from all journals sampled, two journals with a focus on primary and secondary (P-12) educational contexts have consistently published more articles written by female lead authors than male authors. The findings of this study hold practical relevance in terms of addressing the (in)visibility of female scholars in ET fields and may be used to promote discussions and actions related to the intersections between gender, equity, and the culture of scholarly publishing.     

A new device for evaluating distance and directional performance of golf putters

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to construct and evaluate the reliability of an apparatus for testing golf putters with respect to distance and direction deviation at different impact points on the clubface. An apparatus was constructed based on the pendulum principle that allowed putter golf clubs to swing at different speeds. The mean speed of the club head before ball impact, and of the ball after impact, was calculated from time measurements with photocells. A pin profile rig was used to determine the directional deviation of the golf ball. Three different putters were used in the study, two that are commercially available (toe-heel weighted and mallet types) and one specially made (wing-type) putter. The points of impact were the sweet spot (as indicated by the manufacturer's aim line), and 1, 2 and 3 cm to the left and right of the sweet spot. Calculation of club head speed before impact, and of ball speed after impact (proportional to distance), showed errors ≤ 0.5% of interval duration. The variability in ball impacts was tested by measuring time and direction deviations during 50 impacts on the same ball. The mean duration (± s) after ball impact in the test interval (1.16 m long) was 206 (0.8) ms and the standard deviation in the perpendicular spreading of the balls in relation to the direction of the test interval was 0.005 m. A test – retest of one putter on two consecutive days after remounting of the putter on the test apparatus showed less than 1% difference in distance deviation. We conclude that the test apparatus enables a precise recording of distance and direction deviation in golf putters as well as comparisons between different putters. The apparatus and set-up can be used in the laboratory as well as outdoors on the putting green.     

The inadequacy of ADHD: a philosophical contribution

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a widely spread diagnosis. The dominant paradigm of ADHD is biomedical where ADHD is defined as a brain disorder. At the same time, the legitimacy of the diagnosis is being questioned since it is unclear whether or not ADHD can be deemed a medical disorder in itself. The aim of this article is to critically assess the merits of understanding the diagnosis of ADHD as a medical condition defined as a brain disorder. This is being done using the seventeenth century philosopher Benedict Spinoza’s (1632–1677) notions of adequate and inadequate knowledge and his counterintuitive theory of mental health. Doing so it becomes clear that ADHD, however adequate it may seem, is founded on inadequate knowledge and that the legitimacy of the individual diagnosis should therefore be questioned on the grounds that on a long term scale it is passivizing and stigmatizing rather that liberating.     

When being able is not enough. The combined value of positive affect and self-efficacy for job satisfaction in teaching

This study examines how good strategies and praxis interplay with positive affect and self-efficacy to determine a teacher's job satisfaction, in the hypothesis that teaching effectively does not in itself guarantee satisfaction: positive affect and self-efficacy beliefs are needed. Self-assessment scales, designed to assess the use of efficient teaching strategies and praxes, self-efficacy in teaching, positive affect and job satisfaction, were completed by 399 teachers. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis revealed the mediating role of both positive affect and self-efficacy beliefs in the relationship between teaching strategies/praxes and job satisfaction.     

Are males always better than females in mental rotation? Exploring a gender belief explanation

Males outperform females in the Mental Rotation Test (MRT) for biological, strategic and cultural reasons. The present research tested a motivational explanation with the hypothesis that females could do better when induced to have positive beliefs and expectations. All-female and all-male samples were divided into six groups, each having listened to different instructions: 1. men are better than women at this task; 2. women are better than men; 3. control instructions with no gender reference. Each group was further allocated to either the easy or the difficult task expectations condition. Experimental manipulation affected performance differently in relation to gender. Women's performance was affected by positive instructions about gender. Men were affected by instructions about the task difficulty. Women improved performance and reached men's scores in the MRT when they were led to believe they were better than men.     

Examining TMZ: What traditional digital journalism can learn from celebrity news

TMZ remains one of the most popular destinations for people searching for news on the Web. Even though the site publishes celebrity news, traditional news organizations may be able to learn something from how TMZ caters to its audience. This study, using textual analysis, examines all stories published on the site during a one-month period (N = 1,002). We illustrate the types of content the site publishes (paparazzi-based content; document-based reporting; sports-themed material; and reader polls), and the results are interpreted through the lens of market theory for news production.     

Reading Skill and the Processing of Text Structure

Backman, J., Lundberg, I., Nilsson, L.‐G. & Ohlsson, K. 1984. Reading Skill and the Processing of Text Structure. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 29, 113‐128. Oral reading speed, free recall and summarization of narrative stories presented on videotex were studied as a function of reading skill, text structure and physical factors such as paragraphing and color cueing of clauses on various levels of importance. A total of 144 subjects (13‐14 years old) participated in the experiment, half of them being rated as poor readers and half as good readers. Good readers outperformed poor readers on all dependent variables. Important propositions were better recalled and were more often included in summaries than less important parts of the texts, especially if they were signalled by a different color. However, the impact of graphical cueing depended on reading skill, text type and task. The interactions were discussed in terms of differences in processing strategies and prior knowledge.     

Analyzing effective communication in mathematics group work: The role of visual mediators and technical terms

Analyzing and designing productive group work and effective communication constitute ongoing research interests in mathematics education. In this article we contribute to this research by using and developing a newly introduced analytical approach for examining effective communication within group work in mathematics education. By using data from 12 to 13-year old students playing a dice game as well as from a group of university students working with a proof by induction, the article shows how the link between visual mediators and technical terms is crucial in students’ attempts to communicate effectively. The critical evaluation of visual mediators and technical terms, and of links between them, is useful for researchers interested in analyzing effective communication and designing environments providing opportunities for students to learn mathematics.     

Practices Regarding Reporting of Reliability Coefficients: A Review of Three Journals

Practices regarding the reporting of reliability coefficients in 3 journals from 1990 to 1997 were examined. Given that scores, not tests, are reliable or unreliable, particular attention was paid to the provision of reliability coefficients computed for the data actually being analyzed in substantive studies. One third of the articles reviewed made no mention of reliability. Almost 36% of the articles provided reliability coefficients for the data being analyzed. Examples of good reporting practices are provided. In 2 of the 3 journals reviewed, there was little change in the frequency and style of reliability reporting in the period covered. The authors suggest a modification in editorial journal policies to bring about a change in reliability-coefficient reporting practices.     

Pole length and ground reaction forces during maximal double poling in skiing

The purpose of the investigation was to study the relationship between thrust phase duration, ground reaction force, velocity increase after pole thrust and pole angles versus pole length during double poling in roller skiing. Seven male regional elite cross-country skiers volunteered as subjects for the study. The subjects performed a maximal double pole thrust on roller skis with each of the three different pole lengths: 'short', self-selected (normal) and 'long'. The short and long poles were 7.5 cm shorter and 7.5 cm longer than the self-selected pole length. The subjects made seven maximal pole thrusts with each pole length, which were randomly selected during 21 trials. For each trial the subjects accelerated from a 1.2 m high downhill slope attaining a speed of 3.92 m.s-1 before making a maximal double pole thrust on a force plate placed at the bottom of the slope. The vertical (F2), anterior-posterior (Fy) and mediolateral (Fx) reaction forces of the left pole were measured by the force plate. The positions of the pole were recorded in 3-D by an opto-electronic system. Thrust phase duration, impulse, mean force, velocity increase after pole thrust and pole angles were calculated from the recorded data. Double poling with long poles produced a significantly larger propulsive anterior-posterior reaction force impulse and velocity increase than normal (p < .05) and short poles (p < .05). This was in spite of a larger mean anterior-posterior reaction force being produced with short poles. Thus, thrust phase duration was a primary factor in determining propulsive anterior-posterior impulse. For the practitioner, the results can be useful in the selection of pole length when the aim is to increase thrust phase duration, anterior-posterior force impulse and velocity.