Body Composition Relative to Motor Aptitude for Preadolescent Boys

Abstract

The data for 40 variables were obtained from 81 Purdue University faculty sons between 10 and 12 years of age inclusive. Among the 40 variables, 680 correlation coefficients were obtained. Factor analysis was used to identify the factors which could explain the items measuring body composition and motor aptitude. As a result, eight factors were isolated and given names. The factors underlying the 40 variables seemed to permit the following names: growth and maturity factor, “body fitness” factor, body balance on object factor, coordination of the lower extremities factor, general kinesthetic sense factor, general static balance factor, directionality factor, and laterality factor. Observing the factor loadings in Factor I, it may be concluded that the measurement of lean body weight by liquid scintillation counting technique is significant in the assessment of growth and maturity in preadolescent boys. Furthermore, in the assessment of “body fitness” pertaining to preadolescent boys, it is revealed that the percent lean body weight is the most important item as indicated by the value of factor loading presented in Factor II.     

Optimal control of a distributed parameter system with applications to beam vibrations using piezoelectric actuators

This paper addresses the issue of the active vibration control of the transverse modes in a flexible elastic systems. The control is implemented by discrete sets of piezoelectric actuators that apply the optimal forces. The performance index is a time-dependent quadratic functional of state variables and their time derivatives, and control forces which are determined by minimizing the objective functional subject to a penalty term on the control functions. A combination of Galerkin and variational approaches are employed to determine the control forces in the time domain explicitly in terms of coupled amplitudes and velocities. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by applying it to a physical problem controlled by piezoelectric patch actuators.     

Teachers’ Perceptions of the Use of Computer Assisted Language Learning to Develop Children’s Reading Skills in English as a Second Language in the United Arab Emirates

This study investigated ESL teachers’ perceptions regarding the use of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in teaching reading to children. A random sample of 145 teachers participated in the study by completing a survey developed by the researchers. To explore the situation in depth, 16 teachers were later interviewed. Results indicated that the main purpose of using CALL with children is to help them develop reading strategies and increase their motivation. The most common strategies teachers reported using were computers to: enhance children's reading skills, support children's reading, listen to stories read aloud, recognize letter/sound relationships, and identify letters and beginning sounds of words. Teachers reported that CALL has some benefits, such as providing opportunities for active interaction and differentiated instruction. The main barriers of using CALL are the lack of resources and suitable software and hardware. The study ended with recommendations for further research and instructional improvements.     

Multidimensional model to assess the readiness of Saudi Arabia to implement evidence based child maltreatment prevention programs at a large scale

There has been increased awareness of child maltreatment in Saudi Arabia recently. This study assessed the readiness for implementing large-scale evidence-based child maltreatment prevention programs in Saudi Arabia. Key informants, who were key decision makers and senior managers in the field of child maltreatment, were invited to participate in the study. A multidimensional tool, developed by WHO and collaborators from several middle and low income countries, was used to assess 10 dimensions of readiness. A group of experts also gave an objective assessment of the 10 dimensions and key informants’ and experts’ scores were compared. On a scale of 100, the key informants gave a readiness score of 43% for Saudi Arabia to implement large-scale, evidence-based CM prevention programs, and experts gave an overall readiness score of 40%. Both the key informants and experts agreed that 4 of the dimensions (attitudes toward child maltreatment prevention, institutional links and resources, material resources, and human and technical resources) had low readiness scores (<5) each and three dimensions (knowledge of child maltreatment prevention, scientific data on child maltreatment prevention, and will to address child maltreatment problem) had high readiness scores (≥5) each. There was significant disagreement between key informants and experts on the remaining 3 dimensions. Overall, Saudi Arabia has a moderate/fair readiness to implement large-scale child maltreatment prevention programs. Capacity building; strengthening of material resources; and improving institutional links, collaborations, and attitudes toward the child maltreatment problem are required to improve the country's readiness to implement such programs.     

Emotional correspondence between preschoolers and teachers: what are the effects on child–teacher relationships?

ABSTRACT

The effects of the emotion regulation skills of the children attending preschool education on their interactions with their teachers are emphasised in recent studies. Therefore, in this study, we examined the effects of emotion regulation skills on the quality of the relationship between the teacher and the child. In total, 39 preschool teachers and 119 preschool children (55 girls and 64) boys from 5 public preschools participated in the study. Teachers were asked to fill Student-Teacher Relationship Scale-Short Form regarding three children in their classrooms and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for themselves. We conducted four observations by using MPAC-R/S in order to assess child’s abilities to express and regulate emotions. The results showed that children’s emotional states were effective on teacher’s relationship perception, and that teacher’s emotion regulation skills were also effective on his/her relationship perception. In addition, the cognitive reappraisal strategy used by the teacher in emotion regulation has also been found to have an impact on the negative emotional state of children.     

High School Students’ Perceptions of the Effects of International Science Olympiad on Their STEM Career Aspirations and Twenty-First Century Skill Development

Social cognitive theory guided the design of a survey to investigate high school students’ perceptions of factors affecting their career contemplations and beliefs regarding the influence of their participation in the international Science Olympiad on their subject interests and twenty-first century skills. In addition, gender differences in students’ choice of competition category were studied. Mixed methods analysis of survey returns from 172 Olympiad participants from 31 countries showed that students’ career aspirations were affected most by their teachers, personal interests, and parents, respectively. Students also indicated that they believed that their participation in the Olympiad reinforced their plan to choose a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) major at college and assisted them in developing and improving their twenty-first century skills. Furthermore, female students’ responses indicated that their project choices were less likely to be in the engineering category and more likely to be in the environment or energy categories. Findings are discussed in the light of increasing the awareness of the role and importance of Science Olympiads in STEM career choice and finding ways to attract more female students into engineering careers.     

Rapid multi sample DNA amplification using rotary-linear polymerase chain reaction device (PCRDisc)

Multiple sample DNA amplification was done by using a novel rotary-linear motion polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device. A simple compact disc was used to create the stationary sample chambers which are individually temperature controlled. The PCR was performed by shuttling the samples to different temperature zones by using a combined rotary-linear movement of the disc. The device was successfully used to amplify up to 12 samples in less than 30 min with a sample volume of 5 μl. A simple spring loaded heater mechanism was introduced to enable good thermal contact between the samples and the heaters. Each of the heater temperatures are controlled by using a simple proportional–integral–derivative pulse width modulation control system. The results show a good improvement in the amplification rate and duration of the samples. The reagent volume used was reduced to nearly 25% of that used in conventional method.     

Training teachers to use new technologies impacts multiple ecologies: Evidence from a national initiative

A pair of papers re-examined the evidence from a national initiative to train all teachers in England to bring them up to the level of newly qualified teachers, who are required to know when to use and when not to use information and communication technologies (ICT) in their professional practice. The first paper confirmed that multilevel evaluation of professional development was robust for ICT teacher training. This second paper contrasts the highest and lowest rated designs for ICT teacher training: an 'organic' approach that provided training in schools was highly rated, whereas a centralised computer-assisted learning approach with online access to trainers was the lowest rated design. The study supports an ecological view of the diffusion of ICT innovations in education and recommends that ICT teacher training be designed to support evolution of each teacher's classroom, school and region, as well as the training of the ICT teacher trainers.     

Reaching out to single parent children through filial therapy

Single parenthood as a common psychosocial phenomenon seems to be regarded as one of the most significant issues in the psychological domain and needs to be taken into serious consideration due to emotional, psychological, and social problems created by it. With regard to the rapidly growing population of single parents and their children experiencing relationship-based problems, interventions which deal with relational issues are worth in-depth explorations. This study was primarily concerned with the betterment of single parent-child relationships. For the purpose of this research, a case study was conducted to probe into the impact of filial therapy-a relationship-enhancement family/play therapy--on （1） reducing children＇ problem behaviors, and （2） ameliorating parent-child dysfunctional relationships through improving parenting knowledge and skills. The intended data for the study was gathered through （1） pre-post play observation, （2） parent＇s self-reports, and （3） the reports obtained from a kindergarten trainer. The outcomes of this one-month long case study revealed that filial therapy has the potentiality in enhancing and rebuilding parent-child relationships through teaching single parents the skills necessary for coping with the problems accelerated by the newly developed situation, which might be seen as a result of single parenthood （e.g., childhood problem behaviors, parent-child relational problems, lack of adequate parenting knowledge and skills）. In the end, this article concludes a few suggestions for future studies in this field.