Using Fishery Models to Examine Self- and Co-Regulation Processes Across Multiple Timescales

Differential equation models have intuitively meaningful parameters that can be mapped to developmental theories emphasizing nonlinear multiple timescale processes. Following this tradition, we map theoretical propositions of infant-parent self-/co-regulation to intrinsic and extrinsic dynamics captured by fishery models wherein fish’s reproduction and farmers’ harvesting contribute to population size. Integrated and estimated within a multilevel growth modeling framework, the model captures distinct components of self-/co-regulation and changes with age. We use simulations to examine viability of the model’s application to real-world data and illustrate the model’s utility using exemplar data drawn from a multiple timescale study of infant distress and mother soothing behaviors (N = 144 dyads) as the infant received routine immunizations at ages 2 and 6 months. Results highlight the benefits of articulating theoretical propositions within a differential equations framework, and using multiple timescale study designs with natural or experimentally induced perturbations in the study of self-/co-regulation and its development.     

Exploring Changes in Pre-service Elementary Teachers' Mathematical Beliefs

Research literature (e.g., Thompson, 1992)suggests that teachers' beliefs about thenature of mathematics provide a strongindicator of their future teaching practices. Moreover, current reform efforts (e.g., NCTM,2000) ask teachers to lead mathematicalexplorations that allow their own students toconstruct mathematics. Understandingprospective teachers' mathematical beliefs andthe circumstances under which these beliefsmight be changed is therefore critical toteacher educators. In this paper we describethe culture of a mathematics content course forprospective elementary teachers that isdesigned to provide participants with authenticmathematical experiences and to fosterautonomous mathematical behaviors. Using bothsurvey and interview data, we exploredparticipants' beliefs about the nature ofmathematical behavior both at the commencementand at the completion of the course. We arguethat the participants' beliefs became moresupportive of autonomous behaviors during thecourse. We report that students attributedchanges in beliefs to specific classroom socialnorms and sociomathematical norms that includedfacets of work on ``big' problems withunderlying structures, a broadening in theacceptable methods of solving problems, a focuson explanation and argument, and theopportunity to generate mathematics as aclassroom community.     

How mature-age students succeed in higher education: implications for institutional support

This article draws on stories of success in higher education by mature-age students of diverse backgrounds to highlight some key implications for institutional support. We begin by reviewing the post-World War II background of mature-age study in Australian higher education to provide a context for presenting some major findings from a small, in-depth research project. We examine these findings to focus on the role of institutional support in the success of mature-age students, particularly given recent sectoral factors affecting their access and support. The study findings show students’ primary supports were families and friends. Participants all belonged to equity categories as designated by the Australian government, but many did not use institutional supports. Some lacked the confidence to approach staff; others were unaware support services existed or lacked the time to access them. The participants’ stories demonstrate the complex disadvantages experienced by mature-age students. They highlight universities’ need to ensure support services are ‘student-centred’ in order to ensure improved educational and equity outcomes for their mature-age student populations.     

Enrolment,content and assessment: a review of examinable senior secondary (16–19 year olds) physical education courses: an international perspective

Senior secondary physical education courses for certification continue to attract increasing student enrolments amidst international concerns for the state and status of physical education in schools. Curricula analysis of senior secondary physical education has typically focussed on courses in local contexts. This review aims to contribute to the current discussion around physical education curricula through a document analysis of 15 senior secondary physical education courses for certification. Results from the analysis of curricula documents reveal similarities in subject aims, objectives and rationales, subject specific content and assessment. Senior secondary physical education is firmly based in both the biophysical and sociocultural fields of study and draws on a broad range of disciplines from which to study human movement. The stated rationales of the courses reviewed suggested that an understanding of the complex interrelationships between content areas underpins senior secondary physical education; however content was mostly prescribed in stand-alone units. This review identified more similarities than differences in content and assessment practices in senior secondary physical education, a point of distinction between the courses reviewed was those that assess physical performance and those that do not. Internal assessment provided for a variety of tasks to determine student learning, however, external assessment was dominated by a written examination.     

Running patterns for male and female competitive and recreational runners based on accelerometer data

The purpose of this study was to classify runners in sex-specific groups as either competitive or recreational based on center of mass (CoM) accelerations. Forty-one runners participated in the study (25 male and 16 female), and were labeled as competitive or recreational based on age, sex, and race performance. Three-dimensional acceleration data were collected during a 5-minute treadmill run, and 24 features were extracted. Support vector machine classification models were used to examine the utility of the features in discriminating between competitive and recreational runners within each sex-specific subgroup. Competitive and recreational runners could be classified with 82.63 % and 80.4 % in the male and female models, respectively. Dominant features in both models were related to regularity and variability, with competitive runners exhibiting more consistent running gait patterns, but the specific features were slightly different in each sex-specific model. Therefore, it is important to separate runners into sex-specific competitive and recreational subgroups for future running biomechanical studies. In conclusion, we have demonstrated the ability to analyze running biomechanics in competitive and recreational runners using only CoM acceleration patterns. A runner, clinician, or coach may use this information to monitor how running patterns change as a result of training.     

Physical movement demands of elite-level netball match-play as measured by an indoor positioning system

ABSTRACT

Physical movement demands in elite netball match-play have been limited to notational analysis or accelerometer-derived measures, due in part to the indoor environment in which they are played. Commercially available local positioning systems (LPS) using ultra-wideband communication have been designed to bring similar capabilities as global positioning systems (GPS) to indoor environments. This study aims to quantify both spatiotemporal and traditional accelerometer-derived measures, to assess the movement demands of all playing positions, during Australian national netball league matches. Total distance, metreage per minute, acceleration density, acceleration density index, acceleration load, jumps, velocity bands, acceleration bands and PlayerLoad variables have been presented for each position. Mean total distance-covered in match-play differed substantially between positions. Centre position accumulated the highest mean distance (5462.1 ± 169.4 m), whilst the Goal Shooter consistently covered the lowest mean distance (2134 ± 102.6 m). Change of direction relative to movement area was highest for the two most restricted positions based on average acceleration per 10 m covered during match-play (Goal Shooter; 7.21 ± 0.88 m · s ^{? 2} and Goal Keeper; 6.75 ± 0.37 m · s ^{? 2}, remaining positions; 5.71 ± 0.14 m · s ^{? 2}). The positional profiles outlined in this study can assist skill and conditioning coaches to prescribe training sessions that will optimise the athlete’s physical preparation for the demands of competition.     

Reinforcement schedules,effort vs. Ability attributions,and persistence

Two treatment studies of special education students markedly helpless with regard to arithmetic are reported. The first experiment compared an attribution retraining (Dweck, 1975) treatment to a control treatment matched to it in schedule of successes and failures. Both the attribution retraining and control treatments proved effective in alleviating helplessness, but they were not differentially effective. The second experiment compared the effects of three success-failure schedules (100% success, 76.9% success, and 46.2% success) on attributions and persistence. Only the 76.9% success schedule increased attributions of failures to lack of effort and improved behavioral persistence in the face of failure. The results were interpreted as supporting one aspect of Weiner's (1979) theory, which implies that an infrequently experienced event, i.e., failure, will be attributed to an unstable cause, i.e., lack of effort.