OBE,RPL and adult education: good bedfellows in higher education in South Africa?

As its title suggests, this paper explores the compatibility of outcomes-based education (OBE), the recognition of prior learning (RPL) and adult education in higher education in South Africa. OBE and RPL entered the consciousness of South African educators in the 1990s, when policymakers, responding to economic and political imperatives to develop a more skilled and flexible workforce, turned to overseas models of integrated education and training systems. OBE and RPL are often described as ‘learner-centred practices’, meaning that learning goals, teaching and assessment processes, content and pace of learning are mutually determined by the tutor and student. Such practices are grounded in a humanistic approach to adult education which places emphasis on the person as a holistic being and allows for considerable differences which characterize mature adult learners. The paper explores the relationship between OBE, RPL and the andragogical model of adult education proposed by Malcolm Knowles, whose theories have acquired the status of established doctrine in South Africa. The paper points to areas of compatibility and difference between OBE, RPL and adult education, and concludes that problems which arise in introducing OBE and RPL in higher education have more to do with features of the context, and the processes of design and implementation, than with inherent defects in the theories underpinning them.     

Heat acclimation improves intermittent sprinting in the heat but additional pre-cooling offers no further ergogenic effect

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 10 days of heat acclimation with and without pre-cooling on intermittent sprint exercise performance in the heat. Eight males completed three intermittent cycling sprint protocols before and after 10 days of heat acclimation. Before acclimation, one sprint protocol was conducted in control conditions (21.8 ± 2.2°C, 42.8 ± 6.7% relative humidity) and two sprint protocols in hot, humid conditions (33.3 ± 0.6°C, 52.2 ± 6.8% relative humidity) in a randomized order. One hot, humid condition was preceded by 20 min of thigh pre-cooling with ice packs (-16.2 ± 4.5°C). After heat acclimation, the two hot, humid sprint protocols were repeated. Before heat acclimation, peak power output declined in the heat (P < 0.05) but pre-cooling prevented this. Ten days of heat acclimation reduced resting rectal temperature from 37.8 ± 0.3°C to 37.4 ± 0.3°C (P < 0.01). When acclimated, peak power output increased by ～2% (P < 0.05, main effect) and no reductions in individual sprint peak power output were observed. Additional pre-cooling offered no further ergogenic effect. Unacclimated athletes competing in the heat should pre-cool to prevent reductions in peak power output, but heat acclimate for an increased peak power output.     

DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR AND EXCLUSIONS FROM SCHOOLS: REDEFINING AND RESPONDING TO THE PROBLEM

Behaviourally challenging pupils are a permanent feature of the education culture in the United Kingdom. The realisation that this is not a temporary phenomenon is an important ‘re‐definition’. The problem should be seen as part of normal provision.

Permanent exclusions from school are rising. Causes of behaviour leading to exclusion should not be assumed to originate within the child. Re‐definition requires recognition of their difficulties.

’Market economy’ and stretched resources militate against the ability of schools to implement recommended measures. There are issues for decision‐makers at all levels including targeting resources. Projects show exclusion is costly and damaging. The funding of preventative schemes would enable teachers to teach and not deny pupils their educational rights.     

Advocacy for school-based sexuality education: lessons from India and Nigeria

Drawing on evidence from a wider study on the cost and cost-effectiveness of sexuality education programmes in six countries, and focusing on the examples of India and Nigeria, this paper argues that advocacy is a key, yet often neglected component of school-based sexuality education programmes, especially where sex and sexuality are politically or culturally sensitive issues. It also suggests that advocacy is not a one-off activity but needs to be carried out continuously and adapted as contexts and needs change. Overall, this piece recommends that advocacy should be a key component of sexuality education work, and needs to be planned and budgeted for. Without such investment, country-level sexuality education programmes are likely to fail.     

Peak power output provides the most reliable measure of performance in prolonged intermittent-sprint cycling

Abstract

The aims of this study were to determine the reliability of an intermittent-sprint cycling protocol and to determine the efficacy of one practice session on main trials. Eleven men, moderately trained team-sport athletes, completed three visits to the laboratory involving a graded-exercise test and practice session and two trials of a Cycling Intermittent-Sprint Protocol separated by three days. Data for practice and main trials were analysed using typical error of measurement, intra-class correlation and least-products regression to determine reliability. Typical error of measurement (expressed as a coefficient of variation) and intra-class correlation for peak power output from all 20 sprints for trial 1 and trial 2 were 2.9 ± 12.8% (95% confidence interval: 2.0–5.0%) and 0.96 (95% confidence interval: 0.85–0.99), respectively. Typical errors of measurement and intra-class correlation for mean power output for all 20 sprints for trials 1 and 2 were 4.2 ± 11.9% (95% confidence interval: 2.9–7.4%) and 0.90 (95% confidence interval: 0.66–0.97), respectively. The results suggest that peak power output provides a more reliable measure than mean power output. The Cycling Intermittent-Sprint Protocol provides reliable measures of intermittent-sprint performance.     

Facing our Heuristic Limits: Expanding the Terminology for Types of Positive Face

This article adds to Lim and Bowers’ (1991) framework featuring two types of positive face: competence and fellowship face. We propose the addition of three types of positive face: character, social, and status face. We differentiate between each new type of face by examining: (a) protective strategies adopted, (b) types of face threats, (c) corrective strategies, and (d) pejorative labels threatening/attacking each type of face. The heuristic value for the positive face terms proposed is also explored through re-visiting a scholarly article in which positive face is analyzed. Data presented in that article are examined through the lens of the three proposed positive face terms. Finally, broader implications of theorizing are discussed, particularly with respect to politeness.     

Teacher–Child Interactions and the Development of Executive Function in Preschool-Age Children Attending Head Start

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine the potential contribution of teacher–child interactions to residualized Inhibitory Control (IC) gains over approximately a six-month period for preschoolers from predominantly low-income households. The study also explored whether the association between quality of teacher–child interactions and IC gains depends on children’s IC skills upon classroom entry and their household income-to-needs ratio. The study included 169 preschoolers from 51 classrooms in a Head Start program run by an agency in a large city in Oklahoma. Children’s IC skills were assessed in fall (time 1) and spring (time 2), and teacher–child interaction quality was observed at fall (i.e., September through November). Results from Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) did not show significant effects of high-quality teacher–child interactions on residualized IC gains over six months. However, results showed that children who initially presented poor IC skills displayed higher gains in their IC skills at spring when they were in classrooms practicing high-quality teacher–child interactions, as defined by emotional support and classroom organization. Practice or Policy: Emotionally supportive and well-organized classrooms in Head Start programs may benefit early IC development, especially for children presenting poor IC skills at classroom entry.