A preliminary evaluation of the associations among functional performance tasks and quality of life in obese and healthy weight youth

The associations among lower extremity functional performance and quality of life in obese youth are unknown. The aims of this study were to compare lower extremity strength, lower extremity functional performance, and health related quality of life between obese and healthy-weight youth and evaluate the relationships between lower extremity performance and health related quality of life in obese youth. Twenty obese and 20 age and sex matched healthy-weight youth were recruited. Peak torque of the major lower extremity muscles were measured. Functional performance was measured with single leg hop and single leg balance tests. The Paediatric Quality of Life questionnaire's physical and psychosocial health subscales were used. Paired t-tests and multiple regression analyses were performed. Obese youth demonstrated decreased peak torque in all muscles measured (P < 0.05), poorer functional performance (P < 0.05), and worse physical health related quality of life (P < 0.05) compared to healthy-weight youth. Lower extremity functional performance was associated with aspects of quality of life in the obese group (P = 0.002), but not in the healthy-weight group (P < 0.05). These results may assist in encouraging best practices in the promotion of exercise, physical activity, and quality of life in obese youth.     

Self-belief does make a difference: a reciprocal effects model of the causal ordering of physical self-concept and gymnastics performance

A large body of research in support of the reciprocal effects model of causal ordering demonstrates that prior academic self-concept predicts subsequent academic achievement beyond what can be explained in terms of prior achievement. Here we evaluate the generalizability of this support for the reciprocal effects model to a physical activity context in which achievement is reflected in gymnastics skills on a standardized gymnastics performance test evaluated by expert judges. Based on the responses of 376 adolescents collected at the start (T1) and end (T2) of a gymnastics training programme, there is support for a reciprocal effects model in which there are significant paths leading from both T1 gymnastics self-concept to T2 gymnastics skills and from T1 gymnastics skills to T2 self-concept. Although there were gender and age effects (girls and older participants had better gymnastics skills, boys had higher self-concepts), multiple group structural equation models indicated that support for the reciprocal effects model generalized over responses by boys and girls. In summary, self-concept and performance are both determinants and consequences of each other.     

Poetry and Assessment: An Investigation into Teachers' Perceptions of the Impact of Closed Book Examinations on Teaching and Learning at GCSE

In 2015 the government initiated reforms to GCSE English Literature which included a shift from open book to closed book examinations. This change, now being implemented in schools, has been overlooked in research and policy discourse. This study compares government intentions for the reforms with teachers’ experiences of teaching poetry, using data drawn from interviews with seven teachers. Teachers felt the demands of closed book examinations affected their autonomy, distribution of classroom time and students’ creative relationship with poetry. This study raises questions as to whether closed book examinations are appropriate for assessing poetry and are conducive to a fulfilling poetry education.     

Using Scopus to Study Researchers’ Citing Behavior for Local Collection Decisions: A Focus on Psychology

In recent years, the University of Houston has engaged in a campus-wide effort to raise the university to Tier-One status. The initiative has led to a significant increase in faculty's research output in the field of psychology. This dynamic change inspired the Psychology Librarian and Collection Coordinator to embark on a citation analysis to investigate two questions: how has faculty been using information for their research and how does the library's collection meet the research needs of faculty? In addition to reporting these findings, the article also describes how to use features in Scopus to simplify the data collection process.