教育中的新制度主义

制度理论一直将教育领域作为一个重要的研究对象。近十几年来,在教育领域出现了三个显著的变化,它们分别是教育服务提供从单一走向多元、教育系统结构从松散变为紧密以及教育制度重要性的增加。这些教育制度变化的新对于以往制度理论的基本命题提出了挑战,要求重新审视一些制度关系,如同形性与多样性、合法性与效率、松散性与紧密性、制度约束与制度创新、政府与市场等。这预示着对于教育领域进行制度研究的广阔前景。     

Old Enemies？

本专栏由英国大使馆文化处供稿,旨在让读者从中学习地道英文,体悟英文百味。本期介绍了英国的四个组成部分——英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰之间的“恩怨”与“宿仇”。由于英格兰地域广,政治、经济实力强,不了解英国的人通常误把英格兰当英国。但是,在体育上,其他几个“兄弟”可是要扳回一城的……     

Action groups as a participative strategy for leading whole-school health promotion: Results on implementation from the INCLUSIVE trial in English secondary schools

Education policy increasingly promotes action groups as a key strategy for student and/or staff participation in school improvement and whole-school health promotion. Such groups can coordinate multi-component interventions, increase participation and engagement, and enable local adaptations, but few process evaluations have assessed this. We evaluated fidelity, feasibility and acceptability of action groups as part of a trial of a whole-school intervention to reduce bullying and aggression and promote health in English secondary schools, which reported multiple health and educational impacts. Action groups involved students and staff, supported by external facilitators, and drew on data on student needs. They aimed to: coordinate implementation of restorative practices and a social and emotional competencies curriculum; review policies and rules; and enact local decisions to modify school environments. Our process evaluation used interviews, focus groups, observations and questionnaires to assess action groups’ fidelity, role in coordination, role in local adaptation, support from external facilitators and data on student needs, and acceptability in engaging members. Fidelity was high in the first two years but lower in the third year when external facilitators withdrew. Student needs data were perceived as useful, but views on external facilitators were mixed. Groups successfully reviewed policies and rules, planned activities and coordinated restorative practices, but were less successful in implementing the curriculum. Success was facilitated by the involvement of school leaders. Members reported high satisfaction and empowerment. Action groups are a promising strategy for leading whole-school health promotion. Implementation is supported by external facilitation, local data and involvement of senior managers.     

Effects of an Educational Film About Body Donors on Students' Empathy and Anxiety Levels in Gross Anatomy

While most German anatomy institutes provide only limited information about body donors and their lives, students have expressed a desire to learn more about these individuals, especially about their motivations to donate their bodies for the sake of medical education. In order to gratify this wish, as well as to further humanize body donors, an educational film was compiled, and a study designed to capture the film's effects on medical students. This is the first study using standardized, validated psychological tools to evaluate the impact of an educational film about body donors on students’ empathy and psychological stress levels. The study followed a longitudinal, controlled, and cluster randomized design, including 77 (48 females/29 males) participants who watched the video either before, midway, or after the dissection course. Questionnaires were completed at four points in time applying the Jefferson Scale for Empathy (JSPE-S) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) to measure empathy. Psychological stress levels were recorded by the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Overall, students recommended the film to be shown to all students (median 6.0; maximum on the six-point Likert scale). Viewing the film revealed no significant changes between study groups or over time in JSPE-S sum scores. All groups demonstrated a significant reduction of BSI values before the dissection course actually started and increased values during the course, but both developments appeared not to be associated with the intervention. Overall, the educational film did not correlate with any negative effects on students’ empathy and psychological stress levels, and it was strongly approved of by students, as it provided more humanizing personal information about body donors without violating their anonymity.     

The performance environment of the England youth soccer teams

In the present study, we examined the performance environment of the England youth soccer teams. Using a semi-structured protocol with a prospective sample, national coaches (n = 6), sport scientists (n = 3), and players (n = 4) were interviewed directly following international tournaments about the factors that positively and negatively influenced performance. Qualitative content analysis revealed the following factors as major positive influences on performance: adhering to a consistent tournament strategy, player understanding, strong team cohesion, organized entertainment activities, detailed knowledge of opposition, an effective physical rest/recovery strategy, and previous tournament experience. Major factors perceived to have negatively influenced performance included: over-coaching, player boredom, player anxiety, physical superiority of the opposition, physical fatigue over the tournament, problems sleeping, and lack of information on the opposition. Eight overall dimensions emerged to describe the performance environment: planning and organization, physical environment, tactical factors, development and performance philosophy, psychological factors, physical factors, social factors, and coaching. The findings support recent work that suggests the performance environment is multifaceted, with performance being contingent upon a broad range of interacting factors that go beyond the traditional psychosocial and physical domains.     

The effect of periodized resistance training on accelerative sprint performance

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of periodized resistance training on accelerative sprint performance. Sixteen physically active men participated in a randomized controlled study. An experimental group (n = 10) completed an 8-week periodized resistance training intervention, while a control group (n = 6) did not train. Pre- and post-training measures of 20-m straight-line sprint time, including a 10-m split, maximum strength, and explosive strength, were recorded. Flight time, stance time, stride length, and stride frequency were quantified from digitized video recordings of the first three strides of the 20-m sprint. Resistance training resulted in significant increases in maximum strength (parallel back squat: 19%) and explosive strength (6-10%). However, both groups increased 0-10 m sprint times (experimental group = 6%; control group = 3%) while 10-20m times were reduced (experimental group = 7%; control group = 4%), highlighting the mechanical differences between the distinct sprint phases. The change during the 0-10m interval was accompanied by a reduction in stride frequency during the first three strides. Strength coaches should be aware that the potential benefits of increased muscular strength during short sprints are likely to be affected by mechanical specificity and that improvements in sprinting performance may not occur immediately after a period of resistance training.     

The assessment of at-risk infants and toddlers with the Bayley Mental Scale and the Battelle Developmental Inventory: Beyond the data

The purpose of this study was to compare the usefulness of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID)-Mental Scales and the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) in assessing the abilities of infants and toddlers from teen-parent families. The 34 children lived with their mothers, who ranged in age from 15 to 21. The results of the study indicate that these two developmental instruments cannot be used interchangeably and that one needs to look beyond the psychometric data in order to understand the results of infant and toddler assessment. The correlation between the BSID-Mental Development Index (MDI) and BDI Total score was −.03.