Special education classification and program success: Is there a relationship?

This study analyzed the relationship between students' pre- and postprogram special education classification status and success in a level-system program. Records of students identified as Severe Behavior Handicapped (the Ohio equivalent of Seriously Emotionally Disturbed) enrolled in a special school over an 11-year entrance period were reviewed. Findings indicate no significant relationship between student outcomes and pre- or postclassification status. However, a relationship approaching significance was found between pre- and postprogram labeling. These results suggest that, at most, program outcomes had minimal influence on postprogram special education classification decisions. In addition, the seemingly unsystematic distribution of postprogram classification labels suggests that exit placements were largely a function of availability. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

To what extent does sexual dimorphism exist in competitive powerlifters?

We examined sexual dimorphism in the anthropometry of 68 Australasian and Pacific powerlifters (14 females, 54 males) who were competing in one of two national or international powerlifting competitions held in New Zealand. All powerlifters were assessed for 37 anthropometric dimensions by ISAK (International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry) Level II and III accredited anthropometrists. While the powerlifters were highly mesomorphic and possessed large girths and bone breadths, both in absolute terms and when expressed as Z(p)-scores compared through the Phantom (Ross & Wilson, 1974), these characteristics were often more pronounced in male than female lifters. No significant inter-gender differences in any of the measures of adiposity were observed. When normalized through the Phantom, the female and male powerlifters had relatively similar segment lengths and bone breadths, indicating that regardless of gender, competitive powerlifters possess comparable skeletal proportions. These results indicate that although competitive powerlifters exhibit sexual dimorphism for many absolute anthropometric measures, little dimorphism is found for measures of adiposity and for proportional segment lengths and bone breadths. These results further support the importance of anthropometric profiling for powerlifting, and suggest that successful male and female powerlifters will possess similar proportional characteristics.     

No effect of glutamine supplementation and hyperoxia on oxidative metabolism and performance during high-intensity exercise

Glutamine enhances the exercise-induced expansion of the tricarboxylic acid intermediate pool. The aim of the present study was to determine whether oral glutamine, alone or in combination with hyperoxia, influenced oxidative metabolism and cycle time-trial performance. Eight participants consumed either placebo or 0.125 g kg body mass(-1) of glutamine in 5 ml kg body mass(-1) placebo 1 h before exercise in normoxic (control and glutamine respectively) or hyperoxic (FiO(2) = 50%; hyperoxia and hyperoxia + glutamine respectively) conditions. Participants then cycled for 6 min at 70% maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2max)) immediately before completing a brief high-intensity time-trial (approximately 4 min) during which a pre-determined volume of work was completed as fast as possible. The increment in pulmonary oxygen uptake during the performance test (DeltaVO(2max), P = 0.02) and exercise performance (control: 243 s, s(x) = 7; glutamine: 242 s, s(x) = 3; hyperoxia: 231 s, s(x) = 3; hyperoxia + glutamine: 228 s, s(x) = 5; P < 0.01) were significantly improved in hyperoxic conditions. There was some evidence that glutamine ingestion increased DeltaVO(2max) in normoxia, but not hyperoxia (interaction drink/FiO(2), P = 0.04), but there was no main effect or impact on performance. Overall, the data show no effect of glutamine ingestion either alone or in combination with hyperoxia, and thus no limiting effect of the tricarboxylic acid intermediate pool size, on oxidative metabolism and performance during maximal exercise.     

Impact of a Content Selection Framework on Portfolio Assessment at the Classroom Level

Among the various alternative approaches to student evaluation, portfolio assessment has been shown to have considerable potential in terms of its use in the evaluation of higher-order, cross-curricular skills. Despite this favourable outlook, it may nevertheless remain a passing fad due to the lack of a conceptual content selection framework and difficulties surrounding its implementation within the classroom setting. The present study reports on the conceptual issues that arose when a generic content framework was used to guide the selection of entries for assessment purposes. The framework proposed the systematic collection of evidence of the cognitive, affective, behavioural, metacognitive and developmental dimensions of students' mastery of a specific competency. Data were drawn from 11 case-studies of portfolio applications by teachers from eastern Ontario, Canada. It was found that the effective integration of the portfolio into teaching and assessment practices depended largely on the flexibility of the framework and, to some extent, on the type of training or support provided to the teachers.     

Planning introductory college courses: Content, context and form

Course planning is an important faculty role requiring expertise and effective decision-making. Despite the centrality of planning activities in the teaching-learning process, relatively little research has explored the process by which instructors in higher education plan their classes. Thus, the author and colleagues pursued a three-year series of studies of college instructors in the US who were teaching introductory classes. The study explored faculty members' underlying assumptions about planning and their decision-making processes. This chapter summarizes these empirical studies that inform us about the general and discipline-specific purposes faculty express for their classes, the contextual influences that modify their intentions, and the way they arrange discipline content for teaching. A key finding was that differences in course planning reflect varied assumptions about students and about their discipline that faculty in different fields bring to the planning process and which strongly influence them.     

Learning Style,Academic Belief Systems,Self-report Student Proficiency and Academic Achievement in Higher Education

Both learning style and academic belief systems have been identified as significant factors contributing to academic achievement. This paper evaluates the efficacy of teaching and learning in higher education by investigating the relationship between students assessment of their own academic proficiency (in this case Research Methods Proficiency [RMP]), learning style, academic locus of control, academic self-efficacy and academic achievement. First and second year undergraduate students' RMP was measured before and after completing modules in Research Methods. Students also completed measures of approaches to learning, academic self-efficacy and academic locus of control. Academic achievement (module mark) was also recorded. Results showed that perceived proficiency increased after completing the taught modules and that perceived proficiency was positively correlated with academic performance. Level 1 students, taught under the recently modified programme, reported significantly higher perceived proficiency than Level 2 students taught under the previous programme. Perceived proficiency was positively correlated with a strategic learning approach and negatively correlated with a surface learning approach and external locus of control beliefs. Academic achievement was also positively correlated with a strategic learning approach and negatively correlated with an apathetic learning approach. A deep learning approach failed to be associated with either RMP or academic achievement. It is suggested that: (i) these findings confirm, to some degree, the suggestion that there is an emphasis in later education on performance rather than learning (Lyddy, 1998); and (ii) perceived proficiency is a useful evaluation measure and is likely to contribute to effective and productive teaching and learning within higher education.     

Cooperative Learning in Dutch Primary Classrooms

This study examines teachers' use and evaluation of cooperative learning along with pupils' reactions to cooperative grouping and the quality of the group cooperation in a sample of Dutch primary school teachers who implemented cooperative learning methods. Teachers reported that cooperative learning occurred in their classrooms about four times a week. Teachers reported social skills, on-task behaviour and pupil self-esteem to improve as a result of having pupils work in groups. The pupils reported a positive attitude towards cooperative group learning and rated their work in groups as effective. About half of the teachers reported problems with the monitoring of the cooperative groups. Observations showed the time-on-task levels of the pupils working in groups to be high, but effective learning and cooperation not to be promoted. The teachers devoted little time to the teaching of groupwork skills. In general, the implementation of cooperative grouping was found to lack the features recommended in the literature for effective cooperative learning.     

Attitudes and values in sexual behaviour and sex education: A cross-cultural study among University students in Greece and Scotland

This article describes a survey comparing university students in Greece and Scotland with regard to their attitudes to sexual development and sex education. A questionnaire was constructed in Greek and English and was completed by 436 university students in Greece and an equivalent number in Scotland. Comparative results show a tendency for students' attitudes to converge with regard to gender identity, inter-sexual relations, appropriate forms of sexual behaviour and the factors that shape it. Differences exist regarding the aims of sex education, the concept of a sexually mature person, and the moral principles that should govern inter-sexual relations.     

Students' motivational processes and their relationship to teacher ratings in school physical education: a self-determination theory approach

In the present study, we used a model of motivation grounded in self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 1991; Ryan & Deci, 2000a, 2000b, 2002) to examine the relationship between physical education (PE) students' motivational processes and ratings of their effort and persistence as provided by their PE teacher. Data were obtained from 394 British secondary school students (204 boys, 189 girls, 1 gender not specified; M age = 11.97 years; SD = .89; range = 11-14 years) who responded to a multisection inventory (tapping autonomy-support, autonomy, competence, relatedness, and self-determined motivation). The students' respective PE teachers subsequently provided ratings reflecting the effort and persistence each student exhibited in their PE classes. The hypothesized relationships among the study variables were examined via structural equation modeling analysis using latent factors. Results of maximum likelihood analysis using the bootstrapping method revealed the proposed model demonstrated a good fit to the data, chi-squared (292) = 632.68, p < .001; comparative fit index = .95; incremental fit index = .95, standardized root mean square residual = .077; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = .054 (90% confidence interval of RMSEA = .049 -.060). Specifically, the model showed that students who perceived an autonomy supportive environment experienced greater levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness and had higher scores on an index of self-determination. Student-reported levels of self-determined motivation positively predicted teacher ratings of effort and persistence in PE. The findings are discussed with regard to enhancing student motivation in PE settings.