A Journey towards Collaborative Culture Development: How to Be Weightless Despite Academic Gravity

In science, gravity refers to the universal force of attraction acting on and between all matter. No one on earth can escape the force of gravity. In a similar vein, the stringent requirements of publications, research grants, and research output in the academic world can be metaphorically described as “academic gravity,” the force of which pushes university academics to struggle and strive in pursuit of excellence just to survive in the changing landscape of higher education governed by neo-liberalism and managerialism. This article describes the journey of a junior academic staff member in an Asian university as he coped with various difficulties in establishing a collaborative culture in his department (i.e., the Faculty of Education). Working with a senior colleague (Sunshine-mother hereafter) in the same department, Author 1 began to recognize the importance of collegial collaboration in teacher education generally and in his academic life specifically. However, although he tried his utmost to develop a culture of collaboration amongst his colleagues, he struggled to cope with the tension and stress exerted by academic gravity (i.e., publication production and the pursuit of tenure). Drawing on data collected from a teaching development project and adopting a reflective autobiographic approach, this article delineates the collaborative relationship between Author 1 and Sunshine-mother, exemplifying the important roles that coaching and a free rein (i.e., weightlessness) play in the development of junior teacher-educators under the strong pressure of academic gravity.     

Using Quality Systems to Improve Performance

Many organizations have adopted a wide variety of approaches in introducing selected practices for achieving control of the quality of their products and services. Some of these piecemeal applications of the Quality Sciences have been successful–to varying degrees and for a time. However, the only approach that achieves long-term success is that requiring a complete cultural change in most organizations– involving a refocusing of all activities performed by everyone toward mutually intersupportive efforts to reach a common objective. In a word, a Quality System is required. In this paper, I have attempted to portray the basic considerations involved in developing and installing such a system. This is accomplished by describing some of the background of the system concept, certain of the internal and external features of a Quality System, and, to complete the picture, a semi-fictitious recital of the experiences of a company that has decided to embark on the Quality System journey.     

Behavior problems of children as perceived by teachers,mental health professionals,and children

The objective of this study was to examine current teacher and mental health professional ratings regarding the relative seriousness of 50 specific children's behavior problems and to compare the results to those found by Wickman (1928). Wickman's questionnaire and procedures were replicated to insure comparability. A second objective was to extend Wickman's work so that children's ratings of their own behavior problems may be ascertained. An increase in the similarity between teachers' and mental health professionals' judgements concerning the seriousness of specific children's behavior problems was found. These findings were attributable to a more pragmatic approach taken by mental health professionals. A very high agreement on the seriousness of specific behavior problem ratings was demonstrated by children and teachers. This similarity may be the result of proximity of effects.     

Keep calm and carry on: moral panic,predatory publishers,peer review,and the emperor's new clothes

The moral panic over the impact of so-called predatory publishers continues unabated. It is important, however, to resist the urge to simply join in this crusade without pausing to examine the assumptions upon which such concerns are based. It is often assumed that established journals are almost sacrosanct, and that their quality, secured by peer review, is established. It is also routinely presumed that such journals are immune to the lure of easy money in return for publication. Rather than looking at the deficits that may be apparent in the practices and products of predatory publishers, this commentary invites you to explore the weaknesses that have been exposed in traditional academic journals but are seldom discussed in the context of predatory publishing. The inherent message for health and medical services staff, researchers, academics, and students is, as always, to critically evaluate all sources of information, whatever their provenance.     

Regression Analysis for Prediction: Understanding the Process

Research related to cardiorespiratory fitness often uses regression analysis in order to predict cardiorespiratory status or future outcomes. Reading these studies can be tedious and difficult unless the reader has a thorough understanding of the processes used in the analysis. This feature seeks to “simplify” the process of regression analysis for prediction in order to help readers understand this type of study more easily. Examples of the use of this statistical technique are provided in order to facilitate better understanding.     

Effects of a motivational climate inntervention for coaches on young athletes' sport performance anxiety

The mastery approach to coaching is a cognitive-behavioral intervention designed to promote a mastery-involving motivational climate, shown in previous research to be related to lower anxiety in athletes. We tested the effects of this intervention on motivational climate and on changes in male and female athletes'cognitive and somatic performance anxiety over the course of a basketball season. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses revealed that the athletes in the intervention condition perceived their coaches as being more mastery-involving on the Motivational Climate Scale for Youth Sports when compared to athletes in an untreated control condition. Relative to athletes who played for untrained coaches, those who played for the trained coaches exhibited decreases on all subscales of the Sport Anxiety Scale-2 and on total anxiety score from preseason to late season. Control group athletes reported increases in anxiety over the season. The intervention had equally positive effects on boys and girls teams.