Factors underlying regular classroom teachers' attitude toward mainstreaming

Nearly 1000 regular classroom teachers were administered a scale designed to assess attitude toward mainstreaming. To determine the underlying dimensions of teacher attitude, a factor analysis of the intercorrelations of the items was conducted. Five dimensions were isolated that accounted for 52.4% of the variance. They were defined as attitude toward: (a) general philosophy of mainstreaming, (b) classroom behavior of special needs children, (c) perceived ability to teach the special needs child, (d) classroom management with special needs children, and (e) academic and social growth of the special needs child.     

Gender,text, and discussion: Examining intellectual safety in the science classroom

It is clear from the extant literature that gender inequities exist in a myriad of ways in science classrooms. Past research, however, has been conducted solely from researchers' observations and has neglected to investigate students' awareness of and reactions to their own experiences. Hence, this study focused on students' perceptions of gender differences in instructional activity and talk about that activity in physics and honors physics classes. Data analysis showed that although teachers may be unaware of gender inequities, students of both sexes are not unaware of such inequities. Females explained their fears of offering their opinions and participating in activities like labs and small-group or whole-class discussions. Differential language patterns were found for males and females, particularly when discussion was structured and rewarded for refutation. Explanations are offered for these disparities and suggestions are given for addressing gender bias in science classrooms. It has been well documented that science classrooms are not gender fair (Bazler & Simonis, 1991; Bianchini, 1993; Tobin, 1988). Teachers, texts, and the forms of instruction they perpetuate contribute to gender inequities in science instruction. For example, research tracing changes in science textbooks over time has shown that current texts have failed to eliminate barriers to women in science (Bianchini, 1993). Science textbooks are criticized for their unequal treatment of genders, with illustrations, photos, and texts of males far outnumbering those of females, despite the approximate 50/50 male/female ratio of our population (Bazler & Simonis, 1991). In addition to the proclivity of science textbooks to favor males, researchers speculate that the tendency for boys to achieve higher than girls in science may be a result of more opportunity to engage in academic tasks (Tobin & Garnett, 1987). Their behavior shows that teachers have differential expectations for students' responses in activities like teacher-led discussion. In teacher-led, whole-class discussion, boys are spoken to more frequently and are asked more higher-order questions (Becker, 1991; Hall & Sadler, 1982). Teachers in science classrooms elaborate more on males' responses than females' responses in large-group discussion of scientific concepts (Jones & Wheatley, 1990). © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Coronavirus disease(COVID-19):The need to maintain regular physical activity while taking precautions

The on-going Coronavirus disease(COVID-19)outbreak in China has become the world's leading health headline and is causing major panic and public concerns.On January 30,2020,the World Health Organization(WHO)declared that the new coronavirus outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern.1 The virus has already had a direct impact on more than 10 million people in the city of Wuhan and has reached other parts of China as well,posing a health threat of unknown magnitude globally.As of February 8,2020,WHO reported 34,886 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally,with 34,589 of them occurring in China(including 6101 severe cases and 723 deaths).A total of 288 other confirmed cases(with 1 death)have been reported in 24 countries,including Japan,Australia,Germany,and United States.2 However,these daily estimates are expected to rise even higher as reports from health authorities in China3 are gathered and near real-time updates of the Johns Hopkins virus dashboard are made 4 The outbreak has caused governments in various countries to take swift and protective measures.In China,these included putting cities on lockdown,5 implementing travel wamings/bans and cancellations,6 extending national holidays,and closing schools and postponing classes7.     

DNA microarray wet lab simulation brings genomics into the high school curriculum

We have developed a wet lab DNA microarray simulation as part of a complete DNA microarray module for high school students. The wet lab simulation has been field tested with high school students in Illinois and Maryland as well as in workshops with high school teachers from across the nation. Instead of using DNA, our simulation is based on pH indicators, which offer many ideal teaching characteristics. The simulation requires no specialized equipment, is very inexpensive, is very reliable, and takes very little preparation time. Student and teacher assessment data indicate the simulation is popular with both groups, and students show significant learning gains. We include many resources with this publication, including all prelab introductory materials (e.g., a paper microarray activity), the student handouts, teachers notes, and pre- and postassessment tools. We did not test the simulation on other student populations, but based on teacher feedback, the simulation also may fit well in community college and in introductory and nonmajors' college biology curricula.     

Desalination of masonry structures: Fine tuning of pore size distribution of poultices to substrate properties

Desalination is a relatively new intervention in the field of conservation of architectural heritage. Especially the desalination of immovable objects, such as masonry structures, is still a trial-error practice. In the field, different desalination materials and methods are used, sometimes with unsatisfactory results. Better understanding of the desalination process is needed in order to support the conservator with clear guidelines for choosing a suitable desalination material and method. The research presented in this paper constitutes the first step towards the development of a modular system of poultices, which can be adapted, i.e. fine-tuned to different types of substrates. Starting point is to make use of advection, i.e. the transport of salt ions with water flow. This transport mechanism is faster than diffusion and the application on immovable objects is relatively easy. In order to optimize salt extraction, a poultice working by advection should have smaller pores than the substrate. Starting from this principle the pore sizes of different desalination materials (sand, cellulose, kaolin and bentonite) mixed in different proportions, have been measured. Interesting results were obtained, showing that the desalination materials commonly used in the field are often not the most suitable ones. On the basis of the results, recipes for poultices, adapted to a specific substrate, can be formulated.     

基于模糊理论和大数据的医学院校学生体质健康测试结果分析

基于2014年国家最新颁布的《学生体质健康标准》和湖南省医学院校体测大数据,运用模糊理论,对其进行研究与分析。研究表明湖南省医学院校学生体质健康测试结果不太理想,主要集中在及格区域,达到优秀和良好的学生比例男生仅为1.68%、女生0.73%,且男生7.54%没有达到及格要求。     

基于学生体质健康的“阳光长跑”干预效果研究

在大学生体质健康现状的视野下,响应国家“阳光长跑”活动的政策,借鉴成功的实践经验,采用实验法,制定“阳光长跑”干预实施方案,开展研究工作.结果显示:1)大学生在4个月的“阳光长跑”活动干预下,有氧耐力、柔韧素质有显著性的变化,而速度素质、平衡能力变化不明显;2)“阳光长跑”活动干预对提高机体有氧代谢酶活性、呼吸机能、刺激腰背部、腿部肌群柔韧性有重要帮助,而对大学生腿部力量、脚踝力量、机体平衡能力的刺激较小,没有显著影响.     

单板滑雪U型场地技巧优秀运动员落地稳定性研究

近年来,随着单板滑雪U型场地技巧项目的快速发展及国际运动成绩的快速提升,我国运动员在训练方面遇到了很多问题,如运动员在完成高难度的空中技术动作后,在落地时总是出现失误,直接影响运动员在比赛中的成绩.本文采用文献资料、专家访谈、录像分析等研究方法,对黑龙江省单板滑雪U型场地技巧优秀运动员的落地稳定性进行了分析,具体涉及运动员成套动作落点分析、滑行路线分析和运动员平衡能力,研究结果认为,运动员的平衡能力差和落点区域的不同选择是导致落地稳定性差的主要原因.为帮助单板滑雪U型场地技巧项目备战2018年平昌冬奥会提供了一定的理论依据.     

A new footwear technology to promote non-heelstrike landing and enhance running performance: Fact or fad?

This study sought to compare the kinetics and kinematics data in a group of habitual shod runners when running in traditional running shoes and newly designed minimalist shoes with lug platform. This novel footwear design claims to simulate barefoot running and reduce energy loss during impact. We compared footstrike angle (FSA), vertical average (VALR) and instantaneous (VILR) loading rates, energy loss and initial vertical stiffness between two shoe conditions. Runners demonstrated a decreased FSA while running in minimalist shoes with lug platform than traditional shoes (P = 0.003; Cohen’s d = 0.918). However, we did not observe a landing pattern transition. VALR and VILR between two footwear conditions showed no significant difference (P = 0.191–0.258; Cohen’s d = 0.304–0.460). Initial vertical stiffness (P = 0.032; Cohen’s d = 0.671) and energy loss (P = 0.044; Cohen’s d = 0.578) were greater when running in minimalist shoes with lug platform. The results show that minimalist shoes with lug platform reduce the FSA but may not lead to a landing pattern switch or lower vertical loading rates. Interestingly, the new shoe design leads to a greater energy loss than traditional running shoes, which could be explained by a higher initial vertical stiffness.     

Editorial statement

Grounded in the interdisciplinary educational work of Cultural Studies, this paper examines the pedagogical potentials of narrative and performance for the teaching of writing as a mode of public discourse. Guided to address a wide readership, students engage in critical communication aimed at linking self inquiry and narrative discourse to the contextual analysis of the social. Drawing on research findings derived from the undergraduate teaching of cultural criticism as a genre of public writing at Lingnan University, Hong Kong, we look at how educational drama mediates the work of narrative and performative acts involving the young learner-writers and contributes to the shaping of a dialogic mode of address and communication, thus articulating the process and impact of writing to the public-oriented discourse in Cultural Studies education. In light of such acts in critical discourse and imagination targeted at the potential reader, we show how the young writers' own engagement with critical thinking and communication are opened up by drama-in-education adopted in the class, and argue how, in this sense, both writing and its learning process become effective stages in the making of the kind of cultural criticism we want to help students to learn.