Respect in Education

This article discusses the educational significance of the moral demand for respect. In Ethics and Education, Richard Peters presents a conception of educational respect that was recently taken up by Krassimir Stojanov. This article responds to both Peters' and Stojanov's contributions and proposes another understanding of educational respect: to respect children is to treat them in a way that enables them to see themselves as persons endowed with dignity; that is, as having the equal standing to make claims on others.     

Spannungsfeld Polyvalenz in der Lehrerbildung

The Bologna Process of higher education reform has led to a vast array of different programs of study in German teacher training. In this article, we firstly analyze the implementation of Bachelor programs in teacher training, comparing profession-oriented programs (i.e. those aiming to train students for the teaching profession from the beginning of studies) to polyvalent programs (i.e. those aiming at broad qualifications and including a late decision to become a teacher). Secondly, we investigate whether students enrolled in these study programs differ systematically in their subjective certainty about their career choice. To answer these questions, we analyze portfolios of documents related to teacher training programs from nine German universities that prepare students for teaching in the academic track. Additionally, we analyze data from N?=?2585 Bachelor and N?=?928 Master degree students. We found that most programs, even when they espouse polyvalence, require an early decision to become a teacher. Moreover, our data confirm findings from earlier studies indicating that student teachers are highly certain about their career choice from the very beginning, with students in polyvalent programs being slightly less certain than those in profession-oriented programs (d?=?0.32).     

School transition from elementary to secondary school: changes in psychological adjustment

School transition is a critical life event for many children. However, the effects of school transition on children's stress experiences reported in the literature have been inconsistent. The present study with 564 third- to sixth-graders compared the changes in experienced stress level and in somatic and psychological symptoms during the transition from elementary to secondary schools (from grade 4 to grade 5) to the changes of two control groups (experiencing changes from grades 3 to 4 and from grades 5 to 6, but without school transition). The results show decreases in experienced stress levels and somatic and psychological symptoms after school transition. However, these decreases reflect mainly recovery effects after the school summer break, as comparisons with the control groups indicate.     

Sport-specific functional movement can simulate aspects of neuromuscular fatigue occurring in team sports

Fatigue protocols have been used over the years to examine muscular exhaustion. As an alternative to approaches in laboratory settings, functional agility protocols claiming to mimic the multifaceted loads of athletic activity have been proposed. This study aimed to examine the effects of a functional agility short-term fatigue protocol (FAST-FP) on neuromuscular function. Twenty-eight healthy sports students (15 males, aged 24.3 ± 2.4 years) completed the FAST-FP, which consists of four components: three counter-movement jumps (90% of individual maximum), a 20-s bout of step-ups, three bodyweight squats and an agility run. Tasks were repeated until the participants no longer achieved the required jump height in two consecutive sets. Outcomes (pre-post) encompassed subjective exhaustion (visual analogue scale [VAS]), maximum isometric voluntary force of the knee extensors (MIVF), reactive strength index (RSI), mean power frequency (MPF, measured using surface electromyography) and maximum knee range of motion (ROM). Post-intervention, VAS (+54 mm) increased significantly, while MIVF (–6.1%), RSI (–10.7%) and MPF (–4.1%) were reduced (p < 0.05). No changes were observed for ROM (p > 0.05). The FAST-FP induces small-to-moderate impairments in neuromuscular function and considerable self-perceived fatigue. Current evidence on exhaustion developing in team sports suggests that this magnitude of fatigue is similar. The protocol might thus be valuable in the evaluation of treatments counteracting post-match fatigue in team sports.     

Usages and impacts of the integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in elementary classrooms: case study of Swedish municipality schools

During recent years, many schools have started to implement information and communication technologies (ICTs)-based learning devices (such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and active boards) in the classroom settings in order to increase learning outcomes. The aim of this study is to find which activities and outcomes are evident in the usages of computing devices and how those devices aid elementary-level students in their learning activities. The study includes five overt participant observations at some schools in a Swedish municipality including unstructured interviews and explains the findings through activity theory and the Alberta Education Framework for Student Learning . The major activities found were dealing with the (1) educational application assignments, (2) storytelling, (3) report writing and (4) practical interaction assignments. We concluded that ICTs aid students in becoming more concentrated, focus driven, engaged and amused, thus learning becomes more interesting.     

Attentional Mechanisms in Sports Via Brain-Electrical Event-Related Potentials

In this study, we examined attention processes in complex, sport-specific decision-making tasks without interdependencies from anticipation. Psychophysiological and performance data recorded from advanced and intermediate level basketball referees were compared. Event-related potentials obtained while judging game situations in foul recognition and a control task provided insight into focus of attention, selective attention, and processing strategy (top-down vs. bottom-up). Results showed task-specific effects for advanced referees in components influenced by attentional focus and selective attention. Experts also seemed to profit from superior top-down strategy and were able to evaluate the stimuli more rapidly. These findings are discussed in connection with current models in neurosciences and theories of referee research.     

高等教育全球化的挑战——学术研究者视野中的德国博洛尼亚进程

"博洛尼亚进程"是29个欧洲国家的教育部长于1999年在意大利博洛尼亚提出的欧洲高等教育改革计划,旨在保证欧洲高等教育的质量,建立统一的欧洲高等教育体系。为了应对高等教育全球化的挑战以及适应工业社会向知识社会转变的形势,德国大学围绕提高高等教育的质量推行了一系列改革措施,建立了新的质量保证和质量管理体系,调整了新的公共管理策略;重组了整个课程体系,革新教学观念和教学方式,实现了从以教师为中心到以学生为中心的教学方式和学习方式的转变;开展大学教师教学发展项目,提升大学教师的教学能力。     

The adolescent motor performance development of elite female soccer players: A study of prognostic relevance for future success in adulthood using multilevel modelling

ABSTRACT

Considering the scarce empirical evidence regarding talent predictors in female youth soccer, the present study aimed to investigate the long-term prognostic validity of elite female soccer players’ adolescent motor performance for future success in adulthood. Additionally, the three-year development of highly talented girls’ motor performance and the predictive value of this motor development for reaching a professional adult performance level (APL) was analysed.

Overall, N = 737 female players participated in nationwide motor diagnostics (sprinting, agility, dribbling, ball control, shooting) within the German Soccer Association’s talent identification and development programme at least twice between the age groups Under-12 (U12) and U15. Based on their APL at least four years later, participants were assigned to a professional (first German division, 6.2%) or non-professional group (lower divisions, 93.8%).

Multilevel regression analyses revealed a general prognostic relevance for the investigated parameters with respect to players’ APL. In addition, there was a non-linear improvement in participants’ motor performance across all variables from U12 to U15. However, non-significant interactions between APL and these improvements indicate motor performance development itself cannot adequately predict players’ future success in adulthood. Findings provide insightful information that can help coaches foster optimal support for young female soccer players’ development.     

EDUCATION,FAIR COMPETITION,AND CONCERN FOR THE WORST OFF

In this essay, Johannes Giesinger comments on the current philosophical debate on educational justice. He observes that while authors like Elizabeth Anderson and Debra Satz develop a so‐called adequacy view of educational justice, Harry Brighouse and Adam Swift defend an egalitarian principle. Giesinger focuses his analysis on the main objection that is formulated, from an egalitarian perspective, against the adequacy view: that it neglects the problem of securing fair opportunities in the competition for social rewards. Giesinger meets this objection by expressing two basic theses: First, he argues that Brighouse and Swift themselves fail to give an adequate account of fair competition; and, second, he shows that the adequacy view provides the theoretical resources to face this problem.     

Can information ethics be conceptualized by using the core/periphery model?

The term ‘information ethics’ (IE) is rapidly diversifying as new technologies enter the milieu and add to already existing ‘entanglements’. Unsurprisingly, the term lacks a universally accepted definition, although there is some common ground as to its constitution. This paper explores the term using the most commonly co-occurring terms in IE literature as indexed in nine databases, namely the EBSCO-hosted Academic Search Premier (ASP); Communication and Mass Media Complete; ERIC; Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA); Newspaper Complete; Business Premier; and Master File Premier, and Wilson's Library Literature and Information Science (LLIS) Full Text. Core/periphery analysis, the co-occurrence of words as subject terms, and social network techniques were applied using UCINET for Windows, text STAT and Bibexcel computer-aided software to analyze data. The paper identifies the most common terms used to describe IE and the core terms with which IE can be defined. Other than informing LIS research and education, the results could potentially assist with the development of IE taxonomy and definitions (e.g. in understanding IE content and development) that may apply to the intercultural and global understanding of IE.