Predicting Faculty Integration of Faith and Learning

Concern regarding the secularization of Christian higher education has prompted researchers to investigate the extent that faith and learning is integrated at a faculty level and what factors might predict faculty integration (Lyon, Beaty, Parker, &; Mencken, 2005 Lyon, L., Beaty, M., Parker, J., &; Mencken, C. (2005). Faculty attitudes on integrating faith and learning at religious colleges and universities: A research note. Sociology of Religion, 66, 61–69.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). This research attempted to replicate Lyon et al.’s (2005 Lyon, L., Beaty, M., Parker, J., &; Mencken, C. (2005). Faculty attitudes on integrating faith and learning at religious colleges and universities: A research note. Sociology of Religion, 66, 61–69.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) logistic regression model predicting faculty integration of faith using survey responses gathered as part of Phase II of the Council for Christian Colleges &; Universities (CCCU) Denominational Study (Rine, Glanzer, &; Davignon, 2013 Davignon, P., Glanzer, P., &; Rine, P. J. (2013). Assessing the denominational identity of American evangelical colleges and universities: Part III. The student experience. Christian Higher Education, 12, 315–330. doi:10.1080/15363759.2013.825127[Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). Respondents included 2,074 faculty from 55 institutions. The first model used in this study suggested that the most powerful predictors of faculty integration are full-time employment status, earning a degree from an institution that shares the same denominational affiliation, and a match between the faculty member's religious denominational affiliation and the institutional affiliation. A second logistic regression model added faculty academic specialization as a predictor of integration to investigate if that model was a better fit. Results suggested that religion and philosophy instructors are the most likely to integrate faith into their teaching, and professors specializing in computer science, math, and engineering were the least likely. As faculty are considered the primary influence on the integration of faith and learning, existing faculty and institutional administrators concerned with maintaining faith in the classroom may want to consider the contributing factors discussed.     

Reliability of Selected Swimming Endurance Tests for Laboratory Rats

Abstract

Endurance testing of small animals has been evident in the physical education literature in recent years (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). Probably there will be an increase in the use of the laboratory rat in exercise testing, as the animal lends itself well to experimentations involving the effects of exercise during the formative periods on the adult, the effects of exercise on food consumption or voluntary exercise, the effects of radiation on endurance, and environmental effects on exercise.

It is felt that standard methods of endurance testing with the laboratory rat should be developed to aid the investigator undertaking a study using the rat as an experimental animal.

This study was an attempt to determine the reliability of some of the better known methods of measuring the swimming endurance of the laboratory rat.

One of the following four tests was given to each group of 20 albino rats, trained for 5 weeks with a swimming regimen which progressed until each animal could swim for a period of 2 hr. without removal from the swimming tank. The water temperature was held at 30 C (± 2 degrees C). The tank used for the training was a circular one, 30 in. in diameter. After the 5-week conditioning period the rats were given the appropriate test, then retested after a one day rest, and then destroyed. A new group of animals was used for each endurance test.     

Investigating Parent and Professional Perspectives Concerning Special Education Services for Preschool Latino Children

Population changes in the US have created new challenges for service providers responsible for screening, determining eligibility, and providing appropriate educational services to young English Language Learners (ELLs). Six focus groups (two each) with administrators, teachers, and parents were conducted in two different locations to investigate the referral, diagnostic evaluation, and placement of prekindergarten Latino children who are ELLs and their families. The purpose of this study was to: (a) identify effective practices that differentiate between cultural/linguistic differences and learning differences; (b) identify the gaps in the current special education services; and (c) make recommendations to reduce the disproportionate representation of young ELL children based on these data. The results revealed a number of factors contributing to the disproportionality of young ELL children in special services such as: inconsistent screening and evaluation methods; insufficient numbers of bilingual professionals and trained interpreters; communication barriers and contradictory procedures that undermine meaningful partnerships with parents of ELLs; the need for professional development on the purposes and administration procedures of screening and evaluation tools; and a need for policy and regulation changes pertaining to ELL children such as the timing of screenings and evaluations.     

The influence of midsole cushioning on mechanical and hematological responses during a prolonged downhill run

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of midsole durometer on mechanical and hematological responses during a prolonged downhill run. Twenty-four men completed a 30-min downhill run (-12% grade) wearing either soft, medium, or hard midsole shoes. Data describing mean peak tibial acceleration (PTA), stride frequency, plasma free hemoglobin, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, and creatine kinase (CK) were collected. While there were no significant differences in PTA among midsole durometer shoes, PTA increased by 20% after the first 5 min of the run over all other time intervals during the run (p < .05). Hemolysis showed a 50.2% increase from prerun to postrun values (p <.05). CK increased from the prerun state to 24 hr after the run (p <. 05). Downhill running, irrespective of midsole durometer, showed increased levels of legshock, hemolysis, and muscle damage over values that are present in the literature for a level running protocol.