Do ankle braces provide similar effects on ankle biomechanical variables in subjects with and without chronic ankle instability during landing?

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine effects of a sport version of a semi-rigid ankle brace (Element?) and a soft ankle brace (ASO) on ankle biomechanics and ground reaction forces (GRFs) during a drop landing activity in subjects with chronic ankle instability (CAI) compared to healthy subjects with no history of CAI.MethodsTen healthy subjects and 10 subjects who had multiple ankle sprains participated in the study as the control and unstable subjects, respectively. The CAI subjects were age, body mass index and gender matched with the control subjects. The arch index and ankle functions of the subjects were measured in a subject screening session. During the biomechanical test session, participants performed five trials of drop landing from 0.6 m, wearing no brace (NB), Element? brace and ASO brace. Simultaneous recording of three-dimensional kinematic (240 Hz) and GRF (1200 Hz) data were performed.ResultsThe CAI subjects had lower ankle functional survey scores. The arch index and deformity results showed greater arch deformity of Element? against a static load than in NB and ASO due to greater initial arch position held by the brace. CAI participants had greater eversion velocity than healthy controls. The ASO brace reduced the first peak vertical GRF whereas Element? increased 2nd peak vertical GRF. Element? brace reduced eversion range of motion (ROM) and peak eversion velocity compared to NB and ASO. In addition, Element? reduced dorsiflexion ROM and increased peak plantarflexion moment compared to NB and ASO.ConclusionResults of static arch measurements and dynamic ankle motion suggest that the restrictions offered by both braces are in part due to more dorsiflexed ankle positions at contact, and higher initial arch position and stiffer ankle for Element?.     

Being a protégé: an autoethnographic view of three teacher education doctoral programs

Those in professional and academic fields generally perceive mentoring as a positive relationship that enhances the lives of protégés. Kram (1985 Kram, K.E. 1985. Mentoring at work: Developmental relationships in organizational life, Lanham, MD: University Press of America.  [Google Scholar]) posits that such relationships between dyads in organisational life are an evolutionary, developmental process. The purpose of this article is to explore protégés’ perspectives on their mentoring relationships within doctoral programs. In order to lessen the insurmountable distance between writers and readers that is often associated with a traditional research study, we employ an autoethnographic approach to research writing. We share our journey after having studied the mentoring relationships within our own doctoral programs. Qualitative data collected over a two‐year period consist of journal entries, email correspondence, and phone conversations. This research offers insight into the mentor–protégé relationship and processes, and it provides implications for practice for protégés and mentors, as well as future research directions.     

Reciprocal Negative Affect in Parent-Child Interactions and Children's Peer Competency

The relationship between preschool children's peer competency and the exchange of reciprocal negative affect displays during physical play with parents was examined. Teacher ratings of children's peer competency were obtained from children's preschools. Parents and children (41 families) were observed during a physical play paradigm called "the hand game" which permitted physically stimulating play, yet which also permitted clear recording of participants' facial expressions. Interactions were coded second by second for 8 min using a system of 12 mutually exclusive and exhaustive codes to categorize the affect displayed by participants. Fathers who typically responded to their children's negative affect displays with negative affect of their own had children who shared less, were more aggressive, and avoided others. Implications of the findings for theories of family-peer relationships are discussed.     

Methods of analysis and overall mathematics teaching quality in at-risk prekindergarten classrooms

Research Findings: This study analyzed the quality of teacher–child interactions across 10 videotaped observations drawn from 5 different prekindergarten classrooms delivering the same mathematics curriculum: MyTeachingPartner–Math. Interactions were coded using 2 observational measures: (a) a general measure, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS); and (b) a math-specific measure, the Classroom Observation of Early Mathematics–Environment and Teaching (COEMET). Practice or Policy: High correlations were found between the 2 measures, suggesting that the CLASS may serve as a sufficient metric to determine the quality of mathematics instruction in prekindergarten, though the COEMET may provide finer grained detail about teachers’ practice. Results indicate that the quality of mathematics instruction provided by teachers generally fell in the low- to medium-quality range and did not differ significantly across curriculum-related contextual factors.     

Dialogic spaces: a critical policy development perspective of educational leadership qualifications

The critical exploration of policy development processes employed to construct leadership qualifications is the focus of this inquiry. This exploration is made through specific application of the necessary conditions of Habermasian ‘practical discourse’ to current dialogic procedures used to develop policies for principal, supervisory officer and teacher leadership qualifications. This exploratory inquiry illuminates current means of policy development and the enhancements required for the embodiment of the idealizing conditions of practical discourse. Situating practical discourse within policy development practices for educational leadership also broaches the broader question of establishing a suitable moral epistemology for educational institutions in pluralist societies. As such, the current inquiry represents an important step in the progress of educational governance with relevant implications for all regulatory institutions charged with the task of creating policy guidelines that shape educational leadership practices across highly diverse and culturally rich societies.