Responsiveness of the anterior cruciate ligament – Return to Sports after Injury (ACL-RSI) and Injury – Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport (I-PRRS) scales

ABSTRACT

The ACL-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) and Injury-Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport (I-PRRS) scales were developed to assess psychological factors associated with return to sports. Validity and reliability have been determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the responsiveness of the Dutch ACL-RSI and I-PRRS. Seventy patients with ACL reconstruction completed both scales twice 2 months apart, plus a Global Rating of Change (GRC) questionnaire. Distribution and logistic regression-based methods were used to study responsiveness. The Standardized Response Mean (SRM) for the ACL-RSI was 0.3 and for the I-PRRS 0.1, indicating low responsiveness. The minimally important change (MIC) for ACL-RSI was 2.6 and for the I-PRRS 0.9. Since the standard error of measurement (SEM) and smallest detectable change (SDC) were larger than MIC in individual patients, it does not seem possible to distinguish minimally important changes from measurement error in individual patients with either scale. At the group level responsiveness seemed sufficient; hence, both scales can be used to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention at the group level. Both scales can also be used in cross-sectional research and in clinical practice as screening instruments to identify patients at risk of not returning to sports.     

Hyphens for disambiguating phrases: effectiveness for young and older adults

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether hyphens that disambiguate phrasing in ambiguous sentences influence reading rate and reading comprehension for younger and older adults. Moreover, as working memory (WM) has been implicated in age-related changes in sentence comprehension for both auditory and written materials, we asked if it contributed to comprehension of our sentences with hyphenated and non-hyphenated ambiguous noun phrases (NPs), predicting that the hyphens would reduce WM load. Twenty younger (M?=?24?years) and 20 older (M?=?73?years) adults read sentences with either ambiguous or non-ambiguous NPs that were either hyphenated or not. Both reading times for the sentences and accuracy on Yes/No questions were measured. Results indicated that younger adults read sentences more rapidly than the older participants whether sentences were presented word-by-word or as complete sentences. Both younger and older adults read sentences with ambiguous hyphenated NPs faster than sentences with ambiguous non-hyphenated NPs. Yes/No question accuracy distinguished reading of the sentences with ambiguous hyphenated phrases from those with ambiguous non-hyphenated phrases for older, but not for younger adults. Regression analyses showed that age contributed to both accuracy and reading times on this task, whereas WM did not.     

The role of emotions in student teachers’ professional identity

This paper presents findings of a qualitative interview study of the role of emotions in the professional identity of student teachers. Strong positive and negative emotions (mostly related to pupils and supervisors) were expressed about personal teaching experiences. The results confirm that emotions play an important role in social learning and, therefore, influence the development of professional identity. The two most important findings were that negative emotions exercised the strongest influence and that supervisors neglected the role of positive emotions as a support for learning. The study supports the concept that it is important for teacher educators to help student teachers understand their emotional experiences (focusing foremost on positive factors in their experience) and to develop the ability to express their own emotions in addition to understanding the emotions of others.     

Does parental homework involvement mediate the relationship between family background and educational outcomes?

This research examines whether parental homework involvement mediates the relationship between family background and educational outcomes such as academic achievement and academic self-concept. Data from two studies in which grade 8 students (N = 1274 and N = 1911) described their parents’ involvement in the homework process were reanalyzed via structural equation modeling. Perceived parental homework interference and perceived homework-related conflict were negatively related to students’ academic development, whereas perceived parental support and perceived parental competence to help with homework were positively related to academic outcomes. Although there were small associations between some aspects of parental homework involvement and family background variables, parental homework involvement did not mediate the relationship between family background and educational outcomes. Findings highlight the need for differentiated conceptualizations of parental homework involvement as well as detailed analyses of the processes underlying the association between family background and educational outcomes.     

The role of teacher behavior in adolescents’ intrinsic reading motivation

Given the weak intrinsic reading motivation of many adolescents on the one hand and the importance of this type of motivation for reading competence on the other hand, the aim of the present study is to identify the related role of teacher behavior. To pursue this aim, a secondary analysis was carried out on PISA 2009 data. More particularly, data of a subsample of 4,269 Flemish 15-year olds were examined by means of multilevel modeling. In line with self-determination theory, the results provide evidence for the significance of perceived autonomy-supportive, structured, and involved teacher behavior. Teacher involvement was most strongly associated with adolescents’ intrinsic reading motivation. Further, students’ perception of teachers’ autonomy support was particularly related to girls’ intrinsic reading motivation.     

Books of the Month

M. Thomas Inge, Handbook of American Popular Culture (Westport, Ct.: Greenwood Press, 1978—$25.00)

Ray B. Browne and Christopher D. Geist, Popular Abstracts (Bowling Green, Ohio: Popular Press, 1978—S12.95/5.95)     

Becoming a ‘good coach’

The purpose of this paper was to gain insight into how coaches problematized their coaching practices and the process in which they engaged to become what they perceived to be better coaches using a course based on critical reflective practice. We assumed that constant critical self-reflection would enable coaches to move closer to their individual idea of a ‘good coach.’ Scholars and coaches collaborated to develop course content. The course was built on principles of rational-emotive education. We drew on Foucault's conceptualization of self-constitution or modes of subjectivation and confessional practice and Knaus' approach to teaching for our analytical framework. Thirty-five coaches participated in this study. The data consisted of semistructured interviews, field notes, open-ended questionnaires and focus group. The results are presented per mode of change or transformation. We explored how coaches wanted to transform their coaching practice (ethical substance), how they defined a good coach (mode of subjection), how they worked on change (ethical work) and how they transformed themselves (telos). To gain further insight into this process, we also examined narratives of three coaches as they described why and how they changed. The practice of critical reflection seemed to meet the needs of the coaches involved in the study. They used it to continually examine their behavior and their normalized taken-for-granted beliefs and to transform themselves in the direction of their idea of a ‘good coach.’ Ontological reflection was seen as a tool and a process that requires continual practice.     

The unsustainable directionality of innovation - The example of the broadband transition

Information and communication technology (ICT) can be seen as a general-purpose technology with wide-ranging socio-economic and environmental implications across sectors. ICTs also constitute a system of technologies with stronger internal links since the emergence of the Internet and broadband as a new information infrastructure. The new infrastructure has co-evolved with widespread integration of ICTs in everyday life, and consumer demand has been decisive for ICT innovation. This article explores the environmental directionality of ICT innovation and the broadband transition, focusing mainly on energy impacts. It is argued that much innovation tends to develop in an unsustainable direction and that public regulation falls far short of the challenge. Transition theory is applied to analyze the background for the unsustainable development and the reasons why environmental concerns do not figure more prominently in the broadband transition. Finally, it is discussed how the direction of ICT innovation could be influenced in order to realize more of the positive sustainability potential.     

Versions of Vocationalism: an analysis of some social and political influences on curriculum policy and practice

This paper reports a case study which tests and develops further theories which seek to explain the social and political processes which shape curricular definitions. It is grounded in research into a critical phase in the history of careers education. In contrast with other studies of the process of defining curricula, the factors involved are explored both over time and at a number of levels of operationalisation. At these various levels careers education was, for example, successively devocationalised, radicalised, devocationalised and revocationalised. Through comparative analysis of the material, a model is developed which helps to explain the development of these distinctly different versions of vocationalism, drawing on both interactionist and neo‐Marxist perspectives.