Motor Behavior: From Telegraph Keys and Twins to Linear Slides and Stepping

Motor behavior is a significant area of scholarship with 64 Fellows from the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education engaged in that work since 1930. This paper provides a brief overview of the history of research in motor development and motor control/learning, particularly noting the contributions to scholarship of Academy Fellows. Specifi cally, Academy Fellows who are frequently cited are highlighted as are the highly cited papers. In addition, significant books authored and edited by Academy Fellows from motor behavior are listed.     

Renewal of Educational Systems Through Organizational Strategies

In this article, the author examines the role that teachers play in the moral development of American students. Historically, one of public education's purposes in America has been the development of moral citizens. However, educators currently face more academic accountability due to No Child Left Behind. Consequently, teachers must strike a balance between achieving quantifiable academic standards and assisting with students' character development.     

Elements of Elaboration in Working Class Writing

In an attempt to define the concepts ‘elaborate’ and ‘restricted code’ by which the language of middle‐class and working‐class people has been said to be distinguishable, the authors conducted an experiment in which a small group of public school sixth‐formers and a small group of young car‐workers of similar age and poor educational record wrote essays on a variety of themes. These were closely analyzed for characteristics of verbal usage. It was found that when essays on technical topics were considered alone, the general linguistic disadvantage of the working‐class groups was wiped out. This suggests that areas of working‐class language may, after all, be ‘elaborate’ and complex rather than ‘restricted’.     

Political aspects of innovation

“Political aspects” that enhance, but also undermine, the positive transformational power of public innovation policies are examined. As such, this paper follows Micha? Kalecki in his 1943 paper that identifies the “political aspects” which enhance and undermine the positive transformational power of Keynesian full employment policies. Similarly, this paper provides a policy framework that identifies what government and business support as innovation policies. The role of innovation stems from Schumpeter's long-run perspective, but incorporates the more dynamic cyclical short-term and trend perspectives of Kalecki. This paper critiques the strategy of public innovation policy in general and derives policy implications.     

Considered evaluation of clinical placements in a new medical school

This article suggests that quality assessment in the UK has been largely set apart from learning and teaching and reports on a pilot project at the Hull York Medical School which attempted to integrate students’ evaluation of their clinical placements into the curriculum. It outlines the operational demands of this integrated method and compares the student experience of different evaluation methods. It argues that, when properly prepared and considered, evaluation can help students to practise useful skills and suggests that integrating this type of evaluation into the curriculum could be a step towards encouraging academic staff to engage with quality processes.     

Grip and Forearm Position Effects on Tests of Static and Dynamic Upper Body Endurance

Abstract

The effects of grip and forearm position on two tests of upper body muscular endurance were investigated in 109 male subjects 18–21 years of age. Subjects were systematically presented 12 tasks: six pull-up and six straight-arm hang grip and forearm variations. Each of the six tasks for both endurance tests represented a different combination of grip (thumb over bar and thumb under bar) and forearm position (pronated, supinated and semi-pronated). Task results were analyzed utilizing 2 × 3 (grip × forearm) ANOVA with repeated measures on the two factors. Analysis of pull-up data revealed that the semi-pronated and supinated forearm positions were not statistically different from each other, but superior to the pronated condition. Results of straight-arm hang performance revealed a significant difference between grips at the semi-pronated position, with the “thumb under bar” being superior. Results for forearm positions at grips indicated a significant difference for the “thumb under bar,” with the pronated and semi-pronated positions being superior to the supinated position. For forearm positions at “thumb over bar,” the pronated condition was significantly different from the semi-pronated and supinated positions. Thumb position trends and kinesiological mechanical analysis did foster general recommendations for use of the “thumb over bar” for pull-ups and the “thumb under bar” position for the straight-arm hang.