Endurance training adherence in elite junior netball athletes: a test of the theory of planned behaviour and a revised theory of planned behaviour

This study examined the utility of Ajzen's (1985) theory of planned behaviour and Maddux's (1993) revised theory of planned behaviour to predict endurance training intentions and adherence of elite junior netball athletes. One hundred and fifteen athletes from the England Netball World Class Start Programme were assessed on constructs central to the predictions of the two theories. Adherence to a recommended endurance training programme was recorded in self-report diaries across a 9-week period. Validity for the diaries was supported by significant correlations (P < 0.001) with recalls across 7 days and 9 weeks. Adherence was moderate and variable between athletes (mean = 66.05, s = 25.75%). Two separate path analyses were conducted to examine the predictions of the theories. Goodness-of-fit indices suggested acceptable fit of the data to the models. Analyses showed that attitude towards the new behaviour, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control predicted training intentions. The relationship between intention and adherence was weak. The present results suggest that the constructs of the theory of planned behaviour offer some insight into the explanation of intentions to follow an endurance training programme. Constructs unique to the revised theory of planned behaviour did not significantly predict training intentions or behaviour. Implications for practitioners working with team sport performers are provided.     

Role of Nitric Oxide in Salmonella Infection

Nitric oxide (NO) derivative of l-arginine is an important signaling molecule that mediates a variety of essential physiological processes including vasodilation neurotransmission, and host cell defense. Many types of cells produce NO e.g., smooth muscle cell, endothelial cell, and leukocytes. Host defense functions are known for many bacterial and parasitic infections. In the present study we estimated the levels of serum NO in cases of salmonellosis and in controls. The nitric oxide was estimated by cadmium reduction method, Griess reaction. We observed that in controls the level of NO was (22 ± 2.06) μmol/l and in cases the level was (137.49 ± 29.84) μmol/l. The level of NO was significantly higher than controls (p < 0.001). The raised level of NO could be accounted for by host response to the infection. The host rapidly expresses iNOS, which in turn produces an excess amount of NO. Its cytotoxic effect is by its reactive nitrogen oxide derivative e.g., peroxynitrite. Apart from this it also has anti apoptotic functions. In future one can do follow up study of typhoid cases by bacterial culture.     

Practices and Innovations in Australian Science Teacher Education Programs

This paper reports part of a larger study which was designed to investigate current practices in initial teacher education programs in Australia. The main data collection was by telephone interviews, which were carried out with science education specialists and program coordinators at all institutions which offer primary teacher education or secondary science teacher education. The interviews focused on practices in relation to program structures, science content studies, science methods studies and links to science-related school projects or to science business/industry. A large number of innovative practices were described. In addition, several case studies were carried out, which focused on particular innovations. The study identified several aspects of science teacher education which were of concern.     

Science education research in Papua New Guinea 1978–1990

This paper presents a science/science education bibliography, to assist science educationalists interested in Papua New Guinea. 392 articles were reviewed. The bibliography was then categorised in a number of ways to indicate patterns of research productivity in various areas of science education, and at different levels of education. A questionnaire was devised to obtain information from former and current researchers in the field about their own contributions. This exercise produced some surprising information about science education research in Papua New Guinea. Specializations: science teacher education, chemical education, science education in developing countries, educational issues.     

The POE in the primary school: An evaluation

The POE (Predict-Observe-Explain) is a technique for identifying students' knowledge and understanding of science concepts. It has mainly been used for physical science topics at secondary and tertiary levels. In the present study, 60 preservice teachers each implemented and evaluated POEs with groups of primary children. The children were studying a range of topics from the NSW Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus and represented a range of year levels. The evaluations were generally positive. The children responded to the technique enthusiastically and the teachers were able to identify both their understandings and their process skills development. The main problems were the difficulty of inventing suitable POEs in some topics, especially topics on communication, and problems caused by the use of oral rather than written responses. The study concluded that it is a suitable technique for primary science.     

Students' application of the concept of interdependence to the issue of preservation of species: Observations on the ability to generalize

One of the aims of science education is that students should be able to apply scientific principles to contemporary issues. Individual interviews were used to investigate the way in which students (63 12-year-olds and 60 16-year-olds) applied the ecological concept of interdependence of species to the issue of preservation of species. Students were shown a list of items representing a range of living things and were asked to select those which they would want to save from extinction and explain their reasoning. Although most students used the concept of interdependence for some items, they did not apply it in a scientifically consistent way to all types of living things. Three probable reasons for this lack of consistency were anthropocentricism, mixed reasons (students appeared to spontaneously choose another type of reason depending on what image the item immediately provoked), and opposite reasons (students interpreted the idea of interdependence as applying to some types of living things but not to others). J Res Sci Teach 34: 837–850, 1997.