Crossing borders: Research in comparative and international education

Published articles permit mapping international and comparative education research. We reviewed 605 articles published 2004–2008 in four major journals. Using title, abstract, and entire text we explored thematic focus, geographic focus, level/type of education studied, method, and funding. The economic, political, and social context of education receives far more attention than its content. Comparative and international education research reflects more diversity than convergence in approach, theory, and methodology. The research community moves in multiple directions simultaneously, insisting that understanding education requires studying not only what happens within schools but also where the schools sit and who enters their doors.     

Creationism as a Misconception: Socio-cognitive conflict in the teaching of evolution

This position paper argues that students' understanding and acceptance of evolution may be supported, rather than hindered, by classroom discussion of creationism. Parallels are drawn between creationism and other scientific misconceptions, both of the scientific community in the past and of students in the present. Science teachers frequently handle their students' misconceptions as they arise by offering appropriate socio-cognitive conflict, which highlights reasons to disbelieve one idea and to believe another. It is argued that this way of working, rather than outlawing discussion, is more scientific and more honest. Scientific truth does not win the day by attempting to deny its opponents a voice but by engaging them with evidence. Teachers can be confident that evolution has nothing to fear from a free and frank discussion in which claims can be rebutted with evidence. Such an approach is accessible to children of all ages and is ultimately more likely to drive out pre-scientific superstitions. It also models the scientific process more authentically and develops students' ability to think critically.     

Reinventing Gerocounseling in Counselor Education as a Specialization

Recent trends in counselor education are moving away from a standardized academic track in gerocounseling. We propose three types of academic models (integrated in-house, out-of-house, and combined) that provide greater academic freedom to counselor education faculty who wish to construct a gero-specialization specific in their program.     

Training Responses of Speed Skaters during a Competitive Season

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of a 10-month exercise program on bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral content/bone width (BMC/BW) of postmenopausal women. Thirty-one women (ages 57-83) completed either a general aerobics exercise program (n = 10), a general aerobics plus upper body weight training exercise program (n = 10), or served as nonexercising control subjects (n = 11). Average compliance rates for the exercise subjects ranged from 72 to 80%. All subjects were pre- and posttested for BMC and BMC/BW in the radius of the nondominant forearm. ANOVA results indicated that there were significant differences between the exercise and control subjects in the amount of change in BMC and in BMC/BW (p < .05) during the course of the study. The exercise subjects experienced mean increases of 1.38% and 1.33% in BMC and BMC/BW, respectively, whereas the control group had decreases of 2.50% and 258%. No significant differences were found for subjects in the two types of exercise programs, suggesting that the effects of exercise relative to maintenance of bone density may be general as well as localized.     

Estimates of the number of people in England who attain or exceed vigorous intensity exercise by walking at 3 mph

Abstract

Walking is a safe, accessible and low cost activity, amenable to change and known to have great potential to increase physical activity levels in sedentary individuals. The objective of this study is to estimate the proportion of the 2009 adult population of England who would attain or exceed vigorous intensity activity (>70% maximum heart rate [HR_max]) by walking at 3 mph. We conducted predictive impact modelling using participants' (n = 1741, aged 25–64 years) cardiovascular fitness data from treadmill walking tests. We combined this data with English population estimates adjusted for age and sex to estimate the numbers of individuals that would exceed 70% HR_max (an intensity considered sufficient for fitness gains) when walking at 3 mph (4.8 km · h^?1). We estimate 1.5 million men (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9–2.2 million) (from 13.4 million corresponding to 11.6% (95% CI 7.0–16.2%)) and 3.9 million women (95% CI 3.0–4.8 million) (from 13.6 million corresponding to 28.6% (95% CI 22.0–35.1%)) in England aged 25–64 years would benefit from regularly walking at 3 mph. In total, a projected 5.4 million individuals (95% CI 3.9–6.9 million) aged 25–64 (from 26.97 million corresponding to 20.1% (95% CI 14.6–25.7%)) could benefit from walking at 3 mph. Our estimates suggest a considerable number of individuals in the English population could receive fitness and health benefits by walking regularly at 3 mph. Physical activity messages that promote walking at this speed may therefore have the potential to significantly impact national fitness levels and health in England.     

The off-break and “doosra”: Kinematic variations of elite and sub-elite bowlers in creating ball spin in cricket bowling

This study sought to identify kinematic differences in finger-spin bowling actions required to generate variations in ball speed and spin between different playing groups. A 12-camera Vicon system recorded the off-spin bowling actions of six elite and 13 high-performance spin bowlers, and the “doosra” actions of four elite and two high-performance players. Forearm abduction and fixed elbow flexion in the bowling arm were higher for the elite players compared with the high-performance players. The elite bowlers when compared with the high-performance players delivered the off-break at a statistically significant higher velocity (75.1 and 67.1 km/hr respectively) and with a higher level of spin (26.7 and 22.2 rev/s respectively). Large effect sizes were seen between ball rotation, pelvic and shoulder alignment rotations in the transverse plane. Elbow extension was larger for elite bowlers over the period upper arm horizontal to ball release. Compared to the off-break, larger ranges of shoulder horizontal rotation, elbow and wrist extension were evident for the “doosra”. Furthermore, the “doosra” was bowled with a significantly longer stride length and lower ball release height. Although not significantly different, moderate to high effect size differences were recorded for pelvis rotation, elbow extension and elbow rotation ranges of motion.     

Education as Sustainability

The relation between education and sustainability cannot be an external, still less an instrumental one. Sustainability means humans, as individuals and societies, consciously trying to go with the grain of nature. Learning to understand the natural world and the human place in it can only be an active process through which our sense of what counts as going with the grain of nature is continuously constituted and recreated. This process cannot have its agenda set to subserve sustainability criteria which it actually makes meaningful. The policy discourse, parameters and indices of operational sustainability are heuristics, and the conditions for deploying them intelligently are at one and the same time the conditions for a genuinely learning and for a deeply sustainable society. This suggests, too, a basis for reclaiming education in general from the instrumentalising approaches that currently beset it.