Motivation to Learn: The pedagogical nexus in the Russian school: Some implications for transnational research and policy borrowing

Earlier research had shown that in some Russian schools, pupils were significantly more highly motivated to learn in school than in some American and English schools. Further inquiry was conducted to ascertain to what extent such high motivation might be attributed to schooling-related factors. It is suggested that Russian schools exhibit a 'pedagogical nexus' - a set of linked, interactive and mutually reinforcing influences on pupils' motivation to learn within and because of the schooling process- in which continuity of school, class and teacher - inter-generational continuity; closeness of home-school relations; readiness and preparation for schooling; the articulation of a national curriculum in school texts and in a critical pedagogics; the extent and character of inter-relation between lesson, textbook, homework and assessment; and the role of memorisation in learning - play highly inter-related and mutually attuned roles. It is argued that the terms of explanation of an unfamiliar education system cannot be reliably used for the identification of isolable practices for transnational export to other systems. Explanations of unfamiliar systems can, however, raise powerful and pointed evaluative questions of general interest.     

Coordination and variability in the elite female tennis serve

Enhancing the understanding of coordination and variability in the tennis serve may be of interest to coaches as they work with players to improve performance. The current study examined coordinated joint rotations and variability in the lower limbs, trunk, serving arm and ball location in the elite female tennis serve. Pre-pubescent, pubescent and adult players performed maximal effort flat serves while a 22-camera 500 Hz motion analysis system captured three-dimensional body kinematics. Coordinated joint rotations in the lower limbs and trunk appeared most consistent at the time players left the ground, suggesting that they coordinate the proximal elements of the kinematic chain to ensure that they leave the ground at a consistent time, in a consistent posture. Variability in the two degrees of freedom at the elbow became significantly greater closer to impact in adults, possibly illustrating the mechanical adjustments (compensation) these players employed to manage the changing impact location from serve to serve. Despite the variable ball toss, the temporal composition of the serve was highly consistent and supports previous assertions that players use the location of the ball to regulate their movement. Future work should consider these associations in other populations, while coaches may use the current findings to improve female serve performance.     

Serving to different locations: set-up, toss, and racket kinematics of the professional tennis serve

The serve, as the most important stroke in tennis, has attracted considerable biomechanical interest. Of its component parts, the swing has received disproportionate research attention and consequently, little is known regarding toss kinematics. Indeed, the age-old question of whether players serve to different parts of the court from the same toss remains unanswered. Six right-handed professionally ranked players hit first serves (FSs) and second serves (SSs) to three 2 x 1 m target areas reflecting the landing locations of T, body and wide serves, respectively, on the deuce court. A 22 camera, 250 Hz VICON MX motion analysis system captured racket, ball, foot, and h and kinematics. Repeated measures ANOVAs assessed within-player differences in foot, racket, and ball kinematics within the FS and SS as a function of landing location. The positions of the front foot, ball zenith, and ball impact were significantly different in the FS, while kinematics across all SS were consistent. Front foot position was closer to the centre mark in the T FS and players impacted the ball further left in the wide FS compared to the T FS. This study discusses the findings in the context of the development of the serve as well as potential implications for the return.     

Clarifying Values in Schools

This article defends an approach to the clarification of values by schools which involves ‘reflexive evaluative enquiry or action research’ rather than an abstract or ‘armchair’ approach. An analysis is offered of the implications for this activity of the context of ‘market choice’ in which it must now be undertaken.     

Fine body movements and the cardiac cycle in archery

This study examined the relationships between postural sway, aiming time, the cardiac cycle time and the placement of the first finger movement within the electrocardiac cycle, with the quality of the arrow shot. A small group of elite male and female archers who shot either the recurve or the compound bow, freestyle or bare bow was used in this study. A total of 240 arrows were shot, classified as being of good, average or bad quality and analysed in detail. The analyses were undertaken over two occasions up to 100 days apart. The area of postural sway, as measured by the movement of the centre of pressure coordinates, varied significantly (P less than 0.05-0.001) both within and between trials for all archers and for all quality of arrows shot. There was a tendency for the area of postural sway to increase as the quality of the arrow shot decreased. This increase in postural sway exceeded, for arrows of bad quality, that exhibited as normal postural sway when standing relaxed and addressing the target with the hands at the side. Aiming time was variable within the quality of arrow shot, although it was consistent for each archer. In some cases the aiming time increased as the quality of the arrow decreased, whereas in the case of bare bow archery the aiming time tended to decrease as the quality of the arrow deteriorated. The cardiac cycle time increased significantly (P less than 0.05-0.01) as the archers approached the loose of the good quality arrows but there was no significant increase in cardiac cycle time when arrows of average or bad quality were shot. The most consistent parameter related to the quality of the shot was the placement of the first finger movement within the ST phase or the mid-cycle phase of the electrocardiogram for arrows of good quality (P less than 0.0001).