Gendered communities of practice and the construction of masculinities in Turkish physical education

This paper analyses the construction of masculinities in Turkish physical education through Carrie Paechter's conceptualisation of gendered communities of practice. According to Paechter, educational communities of practice operate as sites of gendered activity. Membership within these communities contributes to the construction of a gendered identity. We suggest that this model is useful for conceptualising how Turkish young men come to engage with physical education classes which can be considered as masculine communities of practice. In one Turkish secondary class, we found that football was the most valued practice, determining boundaries of participation and differentiating levels of participation in the learning community. Young men who were immersed and excelled in football took up ‘full’ learning trajectories and became accepted as ‘fully masculine’ while those who were uninterested or non‐competitive in football took up marginalised learning trajectories. We suggest that these diverse learning trajectories came to reflect differentiated versions of masculinity.     

Student Conceptions of Ionic Bonding: Patterns of thinking across three European contexts

Previous research has reported that students commonly develop alternative conceptions in the core topic of chemical bonding. Research in England has reported that students there commonly demonstrate an alternative ‘molecular’ conceptual framework for thinking about ionic bonding: in terms of the formation of molecule-like ions pairs through electron transfer, which are internally bonded, but not bonded to other ions. The present study reports the use of translated versions of a diagnostic instrument to elicit the conceptions of bonding in NaCl (commonly used as the teaching example of an ionic compound) from two samples of students setting out on university courses in Greece and Turkey. The study reports that students in these two contexts displayed high levels of support for statements based upon the alternative conceptual framework identified in the English context. Students commonly develop similar alternative conceptions of ionic bonding in these three different educational contexts. The study also found some quite large differences in the specific response patterns across these three contexts, some of which could reflect specific features of the different curriculum contexts. The study reinforces the cross-national nature of the challenge of effectively teaching the abstract models of chemistry at the submicroscopic level. It also provides intriguing suggestions that a close study of the interactions between specific curriculum contexts and specific patterns in students' thinking offers much potential for identifying particular aspects of subject pedagogy that either support or impede the learning of accepted scientific models.     

Respiratory and Hemodynamic Responses to Mobilization of Critically Ill Obese Patients

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of mobilization on respiratory and hemodynamic parameters in critically ill obese patients.

Methods

Critically ill obese patients (n = 31) were included in this retrospective study. Data were collected from patients’ files and physiotherapy records of mobilization sessions. Heart rate (HR), systolic/diastolic/mean blood pressure, respiratory rate (RR), and percutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO₂) were recorded. Cardiorespiratory parameters were collected just prior to the mobilization, just after the completion of the mobilization and after 5 minutes recovery period. Respiratory reserve was calculated before and after the mobilization.

Results

A total of 37 mobilization sessions in 31 obese patients (mean age: 63.3 years, mean BMI: 32.2 kg/m²) who received physiotherapy were analyzed. Respiratory rate increased significantly after the completion of the mobilization compared to initial values (p < 0.05). SpO₂ significantly increased (p < 0.05) and all other parameters remained similar (p > 0.05) compared to initial values after the recovery period. Mobilization resulted in a significant increase in respiratory reserve (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Early mobilization in intensive care unit promotes respiratory reserve in obese patients. We found that mobilization can be performed safely in critically ill obese patients if cardiorespiratory parameters are continuously monitored.Key Words: obesity, mobilization, critically ill patients, physiotherapy     

Exploring the Role of Trust in Scientists to Explain Health-Related Behaviors in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The devastating COVID-19 pandemic has cast a light on the question of why trust in scientists is important. This mixed-method study aimed to explore the study participants’ trust in scientists about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. It also aimed to reveal which key sources of information participants followed about the pandemic. Participants’ health-related behaviors and justifications for their behaviors as a response to the pandemic were also explored to understand how trust in scientists and sources of information played a role in the fight against COVID-19. The responses of 1233 participants across Turkey were analyzed. The findings indicated that trust in scientists and compliance with the scientists’ suggested behaviors among the participants were quite high. It was also revealed that, for both trust and non-trust groups, participants questioned the reliability of information and the sources. Participants justified their behaviors mainly by referring to policies, e.g., masks, distance, and hygiene, developed and implemented with the collaboration of government, scientists, and the World Health Organization. Moreover, trust issues regarding scientists, government authorities, or other citizens were mentioned in participants’ justifications. The current study also shed light on the importance of building trust through an open and healthy dialogue among scientists, government authorities, and the public to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. The study highlighted the need for scientifically informed citizens to deal with the problems, i.e., misinformation and disinformation, in the post-truth era such as not jeopardizing effective solutions to eliminate the pandemic, e.g., taking the vaccine.