Motivation,Confidence, and Control; Unraveling Active Learning for Nutrition and Food Undergraduates

Abstract: Nutrition and food students at Sheffield Hallam University completed an “active learning” assessment as part of a final year module, Applied Nutrition 2. The purpose of the “active learning” assessment was to encourage and enhance learner autonomy. The assessment consisted of 5 main stages: a briefing, thought shower, oral business proposal presentation, a feedback stage, and Nutrition Fair. To assess learner autonomy, levels of motivation, confidence, and control were quantitatively and qualitatively monitored throughout the learning journey. The results showed that levels of confidence, motivation, and control increased following each stage and significantly across the learning journey. However, there were significant gender differences in terms of achievement of marks and in levels of motivation at various stages. On average, females achieved higher marks in certain assessments and they demonstrated higher levels of motivation after the initial briefing. Further, significant differences were also reported between different degree routes in terms of achievement of marks and levels of confidence, motivation, and control. “Active learning” has been shown to foster improved levels of confidence, motivation, and control in a cohort of nutrition and food students, contributing to overall learner autonomy. Graduates able to demonstrate such qualities will undoubtedly be welcomed by employers in the relevant sectors.     

Discourse Analysis and Multimodal Meaning Making in a Science Classroom: Meta-Methodological Insights from Three Theoretical Perspectives

Research in Science Education - This article provides rich insights into the process of data generation for discourse analysis from three separate studies of the video recordings of a single...     

Shifting positionalities across international locations: Embodied knowledge,time‐geography,and the polyvalence of privilege

Despite a robust body of scholarship on positionality, the practice of international Higher Education research often neglects engagement with the varied, fluid and complex positionalities of researchers across national boundaries. Through a series of vignettes, the authors argue for reflexivity that extends beyond rigid social identities and towards embodied knowledge, or self‐understanding that is mutable and context responsive. For international mobile researchers especially, new affinities can evolve through propinquity and social custom, and gradually become incorporated into self‐knowledge with the passing of time. Beyond mere cultural competency, this article raises the importance of symbolic competency that simultaneously negotiates the multiple dimensions of language, various forms of capital, as well as evolving social identities in conducting research in different contexts.     

Comment on “Football-specific fitness testing: adding value or confirming the evidence?”

Abstract

The recent point–counter-point exchange arising from the article by Mendez-Villanueva and Buchheit (2013) (Football-specific fitness testing: Adding value or confirming the evidence? Journal of Sports Sciences, 31, 1503–1508) has generated an interesting debate on the real-world utility of fitness testing in professional association football (soccer). In the present authors’ opinion, this exchange could also have been placed more in the context of the physical testing and subsequent benchmark profiling of the youth player within elite academy talent identification and development processes. This point is further strengthened by the current media debate at the time of writing on the development of elite youth football players in England and the Elite Player Performance Plan or EPPP (The Premier League. (2011). Elite Player Performance Plan. London: Author) published by the English Premier League as part of a vision for the future development of youth football in the League and throughout the English professional game. The EPPP recommends the implementation of a national database to enable comparison of Academy player performances against national physical testing “benchmark” profiles. In continuing the above debate, this letter questions the real-world utility and potential pitfalls of nationwide athletic benchmark profiling programmes for elite youth football.     

The emergence of unique elective identities in the professional identity development research in the counseling profession

In this study, a qualitative content analysis of the professional identity development research in counseling was conducted to describe elements of the development of “elective identities” of leader, research, counselor educator, and social justice practitioner. Predisposing, process, and outcome codes reveal experiences and contexts that influence this development in students, educators, and counselors.     

Helping parents to read with their children: evaluation of an individual and group reading motivation programme

Twenty‐two primary school children, aged 6–12 years, who were experiencing significant reading difficulties, were allocated to one of two parent‐instruction treatment conditions according to the parent’s preference. The treatments were based upon learning‐theory principles, and were aimed at teaching the parents optimal ways of helping their child learn to read. One condition involved the parent and child being seen individually by the therapist twice a week over five weeks. The other condition involved the parents meeting as a group for three weekly sessions, and then as a group with their children for the final two sessions. The same learning‐theory principles were taught in both treatment conditions. Seven children who were awaiting treatment provided waiting‐list control data over a five‐week period. Outcome measures of the children’s reading level and reading self‐concept, and the parents’ stress levels during reading‐time showed significant improvements for those in the individual treatment condition, and this improvement was maintained at a follow‐up after two months. While there were some gains for those in the group treatment condition, these were not maintained by the two‐month follow‐up.     

Evidence-Based Reviews: How Evidence-Based Practices are Systematically Identified

Evidence-based reviews are a type of systematic literature review used to identify evidence-based practices. When conducting an evidence-based review, researchers apply predetermined standards to identify evidence-based practices—practices that have been shown to reliably improve an outcome for a population of learners, according to evidence from a body of rigorous, experimental studies. In this article, we describe evidence-based reviews, provide an overview of one set of evidence standards used in special education, and describe important caveats and considerations related to evidence-based reviews. We conclude with two examples of evidence-based reviews in the field of learning disabilities. Our take-home message is that evidence-based reviews are a trustworthy approach for identifying generally effective instructional practices—but no practices, not even evidence-based practices, are effective for all learners.     

Start hard,finish better: further evidence for the reversal of the RAE advantage

The relative age effect (RAE) has been highlighted extensively within literature as influencing selection and identification within sports. However, this initial bias appears to not be systemic in some talent development systems. Accordingly, we report an investigation into the initial identification, selection and conversion of academy players from professional Rugby Union and Cricket at national level. Reflecting previous studies, data again demonstrated a reversal of RAE advantage whereby relatively young players from both sports were less likely to be selected into their respective national academy systems but were more likely to transition into senior national squads. On the basis of our observations, we further propose a psychological explanation for the mechanism of such a reversal, based on the influence of additional challenge experienced throughout the development journey. As such, we also highlight the need for further qualitative investigation to explore this phenomenon in greater depth.     

Bringing Guidance Research and Practice Closer Together: The UK National Guidance Research Forum Website

This article outlines the development of a website in the UK that seeks to bring guidance research and practice closer together. The shared knowledge base underpinning the website was created from the contextualised problems faced by potential user groups (policy makers, managers, practitioners, students, trainees, researchers and trainers). Six expert groups, drawn from these user groups, looked at key issues related to their expertise and provided an on-line commentary on relevant documents and research findings. This developmental process represented a major contribution to research capacity building within the UK guidance community.

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Zusammenfassung. Forschung und Praxis der Berufsberatung näher zusammenbringen: Das Internet-Forum Berufsberatungsforschung in England Dieser Artikel stellt die Entwicklung eines Internetangebots in England vor, dessen Ziel es ist, die Forschung auf dem Gebiet der Berufsberatung und die Berufsberatungspraxis näher zueinander zu bringen. Die vereinigte Wissensbasis, auf der dieses Internetangebot beruht, wurde auf der Grundlage von kontextbezogenen Fragestellungen zusammengetragen, denen potenzielle Benutzergruppen (politische Entscheidungsträger, Führungskräfte von Beratungsdiensten, Berater, Studenten, Wissenschaftler, Lehrende und Lernende) gegenüberstehen. Sechs Expertengruppen, die diesen Benutzergruppen entsprechen, bewerteten zentrale Aspekte und erstellten einen Online-Kommentar zu wichtigen Dokumenten und Forschungsergebnissen. Dieser Entwicklungsprozess lieferte einen wesentlichen Beitrag zur Weiterentwicklung der Leistungsfähigkeit der Forschung innerhalb des Berufsberatungsfeldes in England.

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Resumen. Acercando la Investigación y la Práctica de la Orientación: la Página Web del Foro Nacional de Investigación sobre Orientación del Reino Unido Este artículo describe el proceso de desarrollo de una página Web en el Reino Unido que busca un mayor acercamiento entre la investigación y la práctica de la orientación. La base de conocimientos que fundamenta los contenidos de la página se ha creado a partir de la contextualización de los problemas a los que se enfrentan diversos grupos de usuarios potenciales (responsables de las políticas, gestores, orientadores en ejercicio, estudiantes, orientadores en formación, investigadores, y formadores). Seis grupos de expertos, provenientes de estos grupos de usuarios, examinaron algunas cuestiones fundamentales relacionadas con su campo de experiencia, e hicieron comentarios on-line sobre documentos relevantes y resultados de investigación. Este proceso de desarrollo ha supuesto una gran contribución y un importante avance en la construcción de la capacidad investigadora dentro de la comunidad orientadora del Reino Unido.

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Résumé. Approcher la recherche et la pratique en orientation: le site Web du forum de la recherche nationale britannique en orientation Cet article décrit le développement d’un site Web au R-U qui cherche à rapprocher la recherche et la pratique en orientation. La base de connaissances partagées qui sous-tend le site Web a été créée à partir de problèmes contextualisés face auxquels des groupes d’utilisateurs potentiels (décideurs, directeurs, praticiens, étudiants, stagiaires, chercheurs et formateurs) peuvent se trouver. Six groupes d’experts, tirés de ces groupes d’utilisateurs, ont examiné les questions clés liées à leur expertise et fourni un commentaire en ligne sur la documentation pertinente et les résultats de la recherche. La mise en oeuvre de ce processus représente une contribution importante à l’élaboration d’un potentiel de recherche au sein de la communauté britannique de l’orientation.

     

Peer assessment among first year medical students in anatomy

Peer assessment has been shown to be an effective tool to promote professionalism in medical students. Peer assessment may be particularly useful in anatomy dissection laboratory as the required close collaboration and long hours of anatomy laboratory provide students insights into their peers' work habits and interpersonal skills. The objective of this study was to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the use of a validated peer assessment tool in Gross Anatomy. Students in a first year medical school class evaluated three members of their dissection group using an online survey tool. The mid‐course and end‐of‐course evaluation included open‐ended comments, as well as a five‐point scale that measured three work habits, two interpersonal attributes and one overall score. All 267 students completed the assignment. The overall score and four of the five other assessed categories showed significant improvement from the mid‐ to end‐of‐course evaluations. Quantitative and qualitative data also revealed significant improvement among the students who received the lowest mid‐course assessments. Seventy‐six percent of the class agreed with the statement: “Based on the feedback I received, I made a change in how I worked with or taught my peers.” The use of this peer assessment tool used by students in anatomy was associated with improvements in work habits and interpersonal attributes, particularly by the cohort of students who received the lowest mid‐course feedback. Peer assessment offers students an opportunity to improve their interpersonal skills and work habits. Anat Sci Educ 7: 144–152. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.