Leading and managing learning and teaching in higher education

This paper outlines the findings of a study that examined the conceptions of academics regarding the nature of ‘leading’ and ‘managing’ learning and teaching in six Australian universities. These data were considered in the light of institutional systems and documentation regarding the leadership and management of learning and teaching and the contemporary literature on leadership and management, particularly in higher education. The research found that there was congruence between academic conceptions of the roles of leaders and managers in HE and those found in other contexts. In contrast, there was considerable variance and significant gaps between these conceptions and HR and professional development practices. The paper reports findings that have significant implications for more systematic and explicit professional development for University leaders and managers of teaching and learning. In addition, it argues that changes are required to the prevailing approaches in the current HR systems and policies in order to effectively develop, support and recognize effective leadership and management practices as they relate to learning and teaching.     

Relationship between leg stiffness and lower body injuries in professional Australian football

Leg stiffness is a modifiable mechanical property that may be related to soft tissue injury risk. The purpose of this study was to examine mean leg stiffness and bilateral differences in leg stiffness across an entire professional Australian Football League (AFL) season, and determine whether this parameter was related to the incidence of lower body soft tissue injury. The stiffness of the left and right legs of 39 professional AFL players (age 24.4 ± 4.4 years, body mass 87.4 ± 8.1 kg, stature 1.87 ± 0.07 m) was measured using a unilateral hopping test at least once per month throughout the season. Injury data were obtained directly from the head medical officer at the football club. Mean leg stiffness and bilateral differences in leg stiffness were compared between the injured and non-injured players. There was no difference between the season mean leg stiffness values for the injured (219.3 ± 16.1 N x m(-1) x kg(-1)) and non-injured (217.4 ± 14.9 N x m(-1) x kg(-1); P = 0.721) groups. The injured group (7.5 ± 3.0%) recorded a significantly higher season mean bilateral difference in leg stiffness than the non-injured group (5.5 ± 1.3%; P = 0.05). A relatively high bilateral difference in leg stiffness appears to be related to the incidence of soft tissue injury in Australian football players. This information is of particular importance to medical and conditioning staff across a variety of sports.     

Acculturation, well-being and classroom behaviour among white British and British Asian primary-school children in the south–east of England: Validating a child-friendly measure of acculturation attitudes

Using a sample of white British and British Asian primary-school children (N = 386, aged 5–11 years), we measured acculturation attitudes (own and perceived outgroup), correlated constructs (ingroup and outgroup affect and identification) and relevant outcomes (self-esteem, classroom demeanour) in a structured interview to validate a customised, child-friendly measure of acculturation attitudes based on Berry's framework. Scale items measuring desire for culture maintenance and intergroup contact loaded onto the predicted factors, were internally reliable and showed concurrent validity with affect and identification. The predictive utility of measures was demonstrated in associations between children's acculturation attitudes (or perceived discrepancies with those of the outgroup) and outcomes such as self-esteem and teacher ratings of emotional symptoms.     

Book of the Month

Eleanor Blum's Basic Books in the Mass Media. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1972 — $8.00)     

Vendor‐supplied usage data for electronic resources: a survey of academic libraries

A survey was sent to research libraries in the United States and Canada to learn about the level of effort involved in working with vendors' usage reports, how the data are used, and which data are most useful to librarians in managing electronic resources. Ninety‐two responses were received and analyzed. Lack of standards and inconsistencies in the usage data were identified as issues in effectively preparing the data for further analysis. In fact, the results showed that more time was spent acquiring, reformatting, and manipulating the data than on actually analyzing them. The number of full‐text downloads was specified as the most useful statistic for assessing the use of electronic resources.     

Toward an understanding of higher-order thinking among minority students

Recent investigations have established the importance of higher-order thinking in the acquisition and application of learning skills in diverse domains of inquiry. Such findings have implications for enhancing the quality of thinking of all children but have particular significance for those minority students who historically have not performed as well as their more economically advantaged peers. Although much has been written about the construct, research is still needed to identify the specific processes underlying higher-order thinking and to examine its use among minority populations. A principal-factors extraction with varimax rotation analysis was used in the present study to clarify the nature and function of higher-order thinking among minority students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The results allowed for a specification of the mental processes associated with the construct and the extent to which students reported an awareness and use of these processes in academic problem-solving situations.