Characterizing the human experience of reform in an urban middle-school context

This narrative inquiry portrays the human experience of change by way of a situated account of a reform event. Three conceptualizations ground storied the analysis: the metaphor of the 'professional knowledge landscape' of schools; the 'narrative authority' of teacher knowledge; and the notion that teachers have knowledge communities with whom they make sense of their teaching experiences. The paper shows how past and present forces conspired together in perplexing ways to shape the contours of what the teachers--and the researcher--came to know of the reform event.     

Forthcoming events

The aim of this study was to examine mental imagery within the context of the deliberate practice framework. Altogether, 159 athletes from one of three different competitive standards (recreational, provincial and national) completed the Deliberate Imagery Practice Questionnaire, which was designed for the present study to assess the athletes' perceptions of the importance of imagery along the three deliberate practice dimensions of relevancy, concentration and enjoyment. The results indicated that national athletes perceived imagery to be more relevant to performing than recreational athletes. In addition, athletes of a higher standard (i.e. provincial and national) reported using more imagery in a recent typical week and they had accumulated significantly more hours of imagery practice across their athletic career than recreational athletes. Finally, the relationships among the dimensions of deliberate practice did not lend conclusive support to either the original conception of deliberate practice or a sports-specific framework of deliberate practice.     

Fatigue Effects on the Timing Performance of Well-Practiced Subjects

Abstract

In an attempt to extend the laws of fatigue to the performance of highly practiced subjects, 24 college males were trained for four days (50 trials/day) on a coincident timing task prior to manipulation of the fatigue variable. On day 5, motor performance was immediately preceded by either local fatigue (static exercise), general fatigue (treadmill running), or no fatigue. Increased variable error was found for both local and general fatigue subjects as compared with controls on the first block of five trials following fatigue. However, by block 2 this difference had diminished. A constant error analysis on the first and second postfatigue trials revealed transitory overshooting of the criterion timing response for local fatigue subjects and undershooting for general fatigue subjects. The results suggested that local and general fatigue may alter the timing mechanism in different ways and that both are sources of at least transient decrements in the performance of well-practiced subjects.     

Urinary creatine and methylamine excretion following 4 × 5 g · day−1 or 20 × 1 g · day−1 of creatine monohydrate for 5 days

Abstract

In this study, we examined the effect of two creatine monohydrate supplementation regimes on 24-h urinary creatine and methylamine excretion. Nine male participants completed two trials, separated by 6 weeks. Participants ingested 4 × 5 g · day^?1 creatine monohydrate for 5 days in one trial and 20 × 1 g · day^?1 for 5 days in the other. We collected 24-h urine samples on 2 baseline days (days 1–2), during 5 days of supplementation (days 3–7), and for 2 days post-supplementation (days 8–9). Urine was assayed for creatine using high-performance liquid chromatography and methylamine using gas chromatography. Less creatine was excreted following the 20 × 1 g · day^?1 regime (49.25 ± 10.53 g) than the 4 × 5 g · day^?1 regime (62.32 ± 9.36 g) (mean ± s; P < 0.05). Mean total excretion of methylamine (n = 6) over days 3–7 was 8.61 ± 7.58 mg and 24.81 ± 25.76 mg on the 20 × 1 g · day^?1 and 4 × 5 g · day^?1 regimes, respectively (P < 0.05). The lower excretion of creatine using 20 × 1 g · day^?1 doses suggests a greater retention in the body and most probably in the muscle. Lower and more frequent doses of creatine monohydrate appear to further attenuate formation of methylamine.     

The relationship between bowling action classification and three-dimensional lower trunk motion in fast bowlers in cricket

Abstract

Lower back injuries, specifically lumbar stress fractures, account for the most lost playing time in professional cricket. The aims of this study were to quantify the proportion of lower trunk motion used during the delivery stride of fast bowling and to examine the relationship between the current fast bowling action classification system and potentially injurious kinematics of the lower trunk. Three-dimensional kinematic data were collected from 50 male professional fast bowlers during a standing active range of motion trial and three fast bowling trials. A high percentage of the fast bowlers used a mixed bowling action attributable to having shoulder counter-rotation greater than 30°. The greatest proportion of lower trunk extension (26%), contralateral side-flexion (129%), and ipsilateral rotation (79%) was used during the front foot contact phase of the fast bowling delivery stride. There was no significant difference in the proportions of available lower trunk extension, contralateral side-flexion, and ipsilateral rotation range of motion used during fast bowling by mixed and non-mixed action bowlers. Motion of the lower trunk, particularly side-flexion, during front foot contact, in addition to variables previously known to be related to back injury (e.g. shoulder counter-rotation), should be examined in future cross-sectional and prospective studies examining the fast bowling action and low back injury.     

Neuromuscular,biochemical and perceptual post-match fatigue in professional rugby league forwards and backs

Abstract

In this study, we investigated changes in creatine kinase, perceptual and neuromuscular fatigue of professional rugby league players after match-play. Twenty-three male rugby league players (10 backs, 13 forwards) had their creatine kinase, perceptual ratings of fatigue, attitude to training, muscle soreness, and flight time in a countermovement jump measured before and 1 and 2 days after (day 1 and day 2 respectively) league matches. Total playing time, offensive and defensive contacts were also recorded for each player. Creatine kinase was higher both 1 and 2 days after than before matches (P < 0.05) in forwards and backs. Similarly, perceived fatigue and muscle soreness were higher than pre-match on both days 1 and 2 (P < 0.05), but did not differ between groups (P > 0.05). Jump performance was lower on day 1 but not day 2 for both groups (P < 0.05). While total playing time was longer in backs (P < 0.05), relative frequencies for all contacts were greater in forwards (P < 0.05). Contacts for forwards were correlated with all markers of fatigue (P < 0.05), but only flight time was correlated with offensive contacts in backs (P < 0.05). Despite the mechanisms of fatigue being different between forwards and backs, our results highlight the multidimensional nature of fatigue after a rugby league match and that these markers do not differ between positions.     

Comment on ‘Performance analysis in football: A critical review and implications for future research’

Abstract

MacKenzie and Cushion (2013) recently reviewed performance analysis research in association football (soccer). Their critical review focused on several themes related to methodological approaches such as sample size, match context and operational definitions and the implications of research findings to professional practice. In this response letter, we comment on additional pragmatic concerns regarding these key themes as well as some of the difficulties commonly faced when conducting performance analysis research.     

Developing Coincident Timing Skill in Children: A Comparison of Training Methods

Abstract

The present study attempted to determine whether the nature of training experiences influences the development of coincident timing skill in young children. The task involved visual tracking of a moving light sequence and a 43 cm arm movement to a padded target. Subjects attempted to tap the target coincident with the completion of the light sequence. Sixty first grade children were randomly assigned to one of five groups, with an equal number of males and females in each group. Subjects assigned to the training groups received 48 trials on each of two days, with stimulus speeds that were either slow (179 cm/sec or 4 mph), fast (313 cm/sec or 7 mph), varied-random (179, 224, 268, 313 cm/sec or 4, 5, 6, 7 mph), or varied-blocked (i.e., 6 consecutive trials with one speed before changing to another). Control subjects performed a neutral coloring activity during the training phase of the experiment. All subjects were then given 10 trials on a third day with each of two stimulus speeds not experienced previously; one slow (134 cm/sec or 3 mph) and one fast (358 cm/sec or 8 mph). During transfer trials all groups were more accurate with the fast than with the slow speed stimulus. Training method mattered most during slow speed transfer trials, with the most accurate performance demonstrated by the group receiving varied-blocked speeds during training. The least effective methods were fast speed training, especially for males, and varied-random speed training. It was concluded that training sessions for the development of coincident timing skill in young children should emphasize slower speed stimuli and blocking of additional speeds which are more rapid.     

Yearly Changes in the Body Composition and Muscular Strength of High School Wrestlers

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the yearly changes in body composition as well as absolute and relative isokinetic forearm flexion and extension strength of high school wrestlers. Evaluations of body composition (underwater weighing) were performed on 27 high school wrestlers prior to three consecutive seasons. In addition, isokinetic forearm flexion and extension strength values at 180°/s (Cybex II) were available for 20 of the subjects. The mean ages at the times of laboratory testing were 15.5 (± .5), 16.5 (± .5), and 17.5 (± .5) years. Repeated measures ANOVA or ANCOVA with Tukey post-hoc comparisons were used to locate significant (p<.05) differences across age for height, body weight, relative fat, body density, fat weight, fat-free weight, absolute muscular strength, and muscular strength covaried for body weight and fat-free weight. There were yearly increases in all variables except fat weight, forearm flexion covaried for fat-free weight and forearm extension covaried for fat-free weight. The results of this study indicated that the improved wrestling performance and the increase in weight classification which normally occurs during high school are, in part, a function of yearly changes in body composition and muscular strength.