Women academics and research productivity: an international comparison

In the prestige economy of higher education, research productivity is highly prized. Previous research indicates, however, a gender gap with respect to research output. This gap is often explained by reference to familial status and responsibilities. In this article, we examine the research productivity gender gap from an international perspective by undertaking a gendered analysis of the Changing Academic Profession Survey. We suggest that family is not, in all cases, operating as a form of negative equity in the prestige economy of higher education. In addition, we argue that an over-reliance on an explanatory framework that positions family-related variables as central to the research productivity gender gap might well be drawing our attention from significant structural and systemic discriminatory practices within the profession.     

Science and its 'Other': Looking underneath 'woman' and 'science' for new directions in research on gender and science education

In this article, the author argues that, despite recent increases in the participation and achievement of girls in school science programmes, the problem of gender and science education has not been solved, but is simply re-emerging at other sites. The author argues that much of the published research on gender and science education reproduces, rather than solves, the problem, through the way in which it assumes, rather than examines, the two central terms of the problem. The author argues that, if the problem of gender and science education is produced via certain of the assumptions which underlie its two central terms - that is, 'gender' and 'science' - then its solution must involve the deconstruction of those terms. Part of the article begins this deconstruction. This is followed by an account of how this material might be used to design school science programmes which are capable of allowing young women to participate in science as women, rather than as 'substitute' men.     

The Relation of Gender Understanding to Children''s Sex-typed Preferences and Gender Stereotypes

Our goal was to explore how children's understanding of gender as a social category relates to their acquisition of sex-typed knowledge and preferences. Children's gender concepts, sex-typed preferences, and stereotyped knowledge were measured in 61 boys and girls (3-5 years). Gender concept measures included ability to identify and to discriminate the sexes, understanding gender group membership, temporal stability of gender, and gender consistency over situational changes. Children improved with age on most of the measures except gender consistency. With the exception of consistency, measures of gender concept understanding were found to be related to children's stereotyped toy and clothing knowledge and/or to their sex-typed toy preferences (with age controlled). It was shown that only rudimentary gender understanding is needed prior to children learning about sex stereotypes and prior to showing strong sex-typed preferences for peers or toys. The roles of gender identity, stability, consistency, and group membership in the sex-typing process are discussed.     

Decreasing Child Defiance: Is Inquiry Indispensable?

Teachers report that teaching young children who exhibit defiant and challenging behavior is the most difficult component of their work. This article explores four decades of textbook and research literature recommendations and 4 years of teacher reflections. Common themes of control, power, and anger were identified. A significant finding was that systematic teacher inquiry fostered teacher development of ability to decrease child defiance while fostering children’s emotional self-regulation.     

The Beginning of Statistical Inference: Comparing two Data Sets

The development of school students' understanding of comparing two data sets is explored through responses of students in individual interview settings. Eighty-eight students in grades 3 to 9 were presented with data sets in graphical form for comparison. Student responses were analysed according to a developmental cycle which was repeated in two contexts: one where the numbers of values in the data sets were the same and the other where they were different. Strategies observed within the developmental cycles were visual, numerical, or a combination of the two. The correctness of outcomes associated with using and combining these strategies varied depending upon the task and the developmental level of the response. Implications for teachers, educational planners and researchers are discussed in relation to the beginning of statistical inference during the school years. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Collective team behaviour of Australian Rules football during phases of match play

Using the spatiotemporal characteristics of players, the primary aim of this study was to determine whether differences in collective team behaviour exist in Australian Rules football during different phases of match play. The secondary aim was to determine the extent to which collective team behaviour differed between competing teams and match half. Data was collected via 10 Hz global positioning system devices from a professional club during a 2 × 20 min, 15-v-15-match simulation drill. Five spatiotemporal variables from each team (x centroid, y centroid, length, width, and surface area) were collected and analysed during offensive, defensive, and contested phases. A multivariate analysis of variance comparing phase of match play (offensive, defensive, contested), Team (A & B), and Half (1 & 2) revealed that x-axis centroid and y-axis centroid showed considerable variation during all phases of match play. Length, width, and surface area were typically greater during the offensive phase comparative to defensive and contested phases. Clear differences were observed between teams with large differences recorded for length, width, and surface area during all phases of match play. Spatiotemporal variables that describe collective team behaviour may be used to understand team tactics and styles of play.     

The influence of match phase and field position on collective team behaviour in Australian Rules football

This study investigated the influence of match phase and field position on collective team behaviour in Australian Rules football (AF). Data from professional male athletes (years 24.4 ± 3.7; cm 185.9 ± 7.1; kg 85.4 ± 7.1), were collected via 10 Hz global positioning system (GPS) during a competitive AFL match. Five spatiotemporal metrics (x-axis centroid, y–axis centroid, length, width, and surface area), occupancy maps, and Shannon Entropy (ShannEn) were analysed by match phase (offensive, defensive, and contested) and field position (defensive 50, defensive midfield, forward midfield, and forward 50). A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that field position had a greater influence on the x-axis centroid comparative to match phase. Conversely, match phase had a greater influence on length, width, and surface area comparative to field position. Occupancy maps revealed that players repositioned behind centre when the ball was in their defensive half and moved forward of centre when the ball was in their forward half. Shannon Entropy revealed that player movement was more variable during offence and defence (ShannEn = 0.82–0.93) compared to contest (ShannEn = 0.68–0.79). Spatiotemporal metrics, occupancy maps, and Shannon Entropy may assist in understanding the game style of AF teams.     

Needs Assessment Across Disciplines

The needs assessment process, as a tool for decision making, continues to enjoy high visibility in the professional literature, especially in the area of training and human resource development. This literature review explores needs assessment in selected disciplines and provides generalizations about its application. Five needs assessment variables guided our survey of the purposes and methods of the needs assessments described in 106 articles in five general areas (applied sciences, education/technology, medicine/allied health, business/information sciences, and human/public services).