The evolving role of the science department chair

Working from a historical perspective indicates that there are four periods over the last 170 years through which the role of the science chair has developed. This evolution has progressed from the administrative need to implement the agenda of the newly professionalised science of the nineteenth century, to a greater emphasis on the role of the chair as an instructional leader in the latter half of the twentieth century. The growing complexity of the role has also resulted in chairs becoming conflicted between their roles as specialist teachers and middle-level school administrators. From the earliest days of school science departments, the role of the chair has been heavily invested in two main areas. The first of these is a fealty to the discipline. The second is the need to attempt to balance the competing demands of the discipline, science education and educational reforms. Given the ongoing pressure for the reform of science education, the evolution of the role highlights the potential need for chairs to become actively engaged in maintaining links to the academic, professional, and school communities in which they serve.     

The impact phase of drop punt kicking for maximal distance and accuracy

Impact is an important aspect of the kicking skill. This study examined foot and ball motion during impact and compared distance and accuracy punt kicks. Two-dimensional high-speed video (4000 Hz) captured data of the shank, foot and ball through impact of 11 elite performers kicking for maximal distance and towards a target 20 m in distance. Four phases were identified during impact, with an overall reduction in foot velocity of 5.0 m · s^?1 (± 1.1 m · s^?1) and increase in ball velocity of 22.7 m · s^?1 (± 2.3 m · s^?1) from the start to end of contact. Higher foot velocity was found in distance compared to accuracy kicks (22.1 ± 1.6 m · s^?1 vs. 17.7 ± 0.9 m · s^?1, P < 0.05), and was considered to produce the significant differences in all impact characteristics excluding foot-to-ball speed ratio. Ankle motion differed between the kicking tasks; distance kicks were characterised by greater rigidity compared to accuracy kicks evident by larger force (834 ± 107 N vs. 588 ± 64 N) and smaller change in ankle angle (2.2 ± 3.3° vs. 7.2 ± 6.4°). Greater rigidity was obtained by altering the position of the ankle at impact start; distance kicks were characterised by greater plantarflexion (130.1 ± 5.8° vs. 123.0 ± 7.9°, P < 0.05), indicating rigidity maybe actively controlled for specific tasks.     

Variable versus constant power strategies during cycling time-trials: prediction of time savings using an up-to-date mathematical model

Swain (1997) employed the mathematical model of Di Prampero et al. (1979) to predict that, for cycling time-trials, the optimal pacing strategy is to vary power in parallel with the changes experienced in gradient and wind speed. We used a more up-to-date mathematical model with validated coefficients (Martin et al., 1998) to quantify the time savings that would result from such optimization of pacing strategy. A hypothetical cyclist (mass = 70 kg) and bicycle (mass = 10 kg) were studied under varying hypothetical wind velocities (-10 to 10 m x s(-1)), gradients (-10 to 10%), and pacing strategies. Mean rider power outputs of 164, 289, and 394 W were chosen to mirror baseline performances studied previously. The three race scenarios were: (i) a 10-km time-trial with alternating 1-km sections of 10% and -10% gradient; (ii) a 40-km time-trial with alternating 5-km sections of 4.4 and -4.4 m x s(-1) wind (Swain, 1997); and (iii) the 40-km time-trial delimited by Jeukendrup and Martin (2001). Varying a mean power of 289 W by +/- 10% during Swain's (1997) hilly and windy courses resulted in time savings of 126 and 51 s, respectively. Time savings for most race scenarios were greater than those suggested by Swain (1997). For a mean power of 289 W over the "standard" 40-km time-trial, a time saving of 26 s was observed with a power variability of 10%. The largest time savings were found for the hypothetical riders with the lowest mean power output who could vary power to the greatest extent. Our findings confirm that time savings are possible in cycling time-trials if the rider varies power in parallel with hill gradient and wind direction. With a more recent mathematical model, we found slightly greater time savings than those reported by Swain (1997). These time savings compared favourably with the predicted benefits of interventions such as altitude training or ingestion of carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks. Nevertheless, the extent to which such power output variations can be tolerated by a cyclist during a time-trial is still unclear.     

An Evaluation of the Progress,Experience and Employability of Mature Students on the BEd Course at Westminster College,Oxford

There are many adults who left school without A levels who wish to further their education as mature students. Because many of these adults are being accepted by colleges without traditional A levels, and with very few GCSE/O level subject passes, it has been suggested that their acceptance as students may lower the standard of the college courses. This paper evaluates the qualities which mature and non‐traditional entry students bring to college courses, and concludes that their results compare favourably with those of traditional entry students. Many mature students appear to have needs in common with other students and meeting these needs would result in better practice within institutions of higher education (HE). However, mature students also have specific needs which are evaluated in this paper. Most require little additional expenditure, but are rather a matter of will and organisation on the part of the institution and tutors. Entry as mature students onto BEd courses seems to be particularly attractive to women but some of them experience difficulty in finding employment. The data collected demonstrate that maturity is likely to be a positive attribute and the mature applicant for a post to be a ‘quality product’.     

Defensive burying in the rat: A behavioral field analysis

Time spent in various behaviors by the rat was recorded in a defensive burying paradigm. Experiment 1 revealed that rats spent more time burying the shock prod than a control prod and that doubling the size of the test chamber did not have a significant effect on the time spent in any behavior. In Experiment 2, the location of bedding material in a two-compartment test chamber was found to affect the occurrence of burying (both the shock and control prods) and burrowing behavior. Burying did not occur when bedding was not available in the shock compartment but was located in the escape compartment. Burrowing was more likely to occur when bedding was in both compartments than when it was in only one compartment. Immobility and escape latencies were shorter than burying latencies in all subjects. Burying was viewed as belonging to a second stage of defensive behavior.     

DEVELOPING LEISURE COMPETENCE: A GOAL FOR LATE ADULTHOOD

Leisure is a term that can be defined in many ways—from job substitution, to entertainment, to a sense of freedom to do nothing. The authors, looking at this term in a broad sense, review different facets of leisure and suggest that learning leisure competence is of concern to individuals of all age groups, particularly for those in the pre‐ and post‐retirement years. They advocate a policy or policies that foster the creative use of leisure time throughout the life span and an increased awareness of individual power, resourcefulness, and responsibility. Some pragmatic emphases to be considered in the development of leisure competence include also the role of the professional in educating the public to accept and recognize leisure as something other than entertainment, societal and individual responsibility in furthering leisure competence in the later years, and the understanding that there is no “them” and “us;” these considerations affect us all. Leisure competence may, for many of us, have to be learned. It is both a challenge and an opportunity.