Between-school variation in physical activity,aerobic fitness,and organized sports participation: A multi-level analysis

Abstract

A large proportion of a child's day is spent at school interacting with certain physical surroundings, teachers, and school friends. Thus, schools could have a marked impact on establishing physical activity habits. The aim of the present study was to assess between-school variation in physical activity, aerobic fitness, and organized sports participation. Altogether, we tested 1766 nine- and fifteen-year-old children attending 242 school classes at 35 different schools in Denmark in 1997–2003. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for objectively assessed physical activity ranged between 0.06 and 0.18 depending on the dimension of physical activity and the time considered (i.e. school time vs. leisure time). For aerobic fitness, an ICC of 0.10 was observed, whereas that for organized sports participation ranged between 0.01 and 0.10 depending on the age group. Studying between-school variation in physical activity provides information about the extent to which children adjust their physical activity habits according to the social and environmental circumstances that they share, and helps to plan future school-based physical activity studies, especially in terms of sample size and power calculation.     

Intersubjectivity and interpretive background in children’s development and interaction

In this paper I try to show how intersubjectivity is a deeply taken for granted feature of our every day lifeworld in the sense that we, as cultural beings, always assume the pregiveness of other human beings as intentional agents trying to make sense in accordance with pregiven cultural communicative forms and practices, and it is these reciprocally shared assumptions that make intersubjectivity possible. The achievement of momentary situational intersubjectivity interlocutors thus presuppose the sharing of background experiences. The more sharing the less explicit needs the message be. In our cultural everyday practice we have “codes” for sharing of background premises — for what is appropriate discourse and conduct at any social occasion. Some of these codes seem more akin to musical-aesthetical and emotional, rather than logical, metaphors; as indicated by expressions like “finding the right voice, finding the key, feeling right”. Confirmation of identity and group inclusion/exclusion is also part of that. Other codes are more related to situational definitions and projects, which are particularly relevant in an educational context. In any context, an interpretive approach seems necessary in order to uncover the rationality behind collision of codes or non-successful attempts at achieving intersubjectivity — that can easily be mistaken for deficient competence. In its more radical form the intesubjectivity approach assumes that the early interaction between caregiver and child is functioning as a self-organizing preadapted dialogical system that is biologically based. The child is searching for his “virtual other” in the caregiver and so is the caregiver in the child.     

Neoliberal Education Reform in The Netherlands

Until recently the Dutch education system was determined by the historic compromise of 1917, after which private schools were supported by the state on an equal financial footing to state schools. The consequence of this compromise was a mainly privatised and centralised system with a corporatist policy structure. In the mid-1980s The Netherlands, like other countries, came under the spell of the 'neoliberal revolution'. This article explores the extent to which the management reform carried out under a neoliberal flag has brought about radical changes to the Dutch education system. It especially looks at four key issues set out in that reform: increased autonomy, freedom of choice, privatization and quality control.     

Policies for disadvantaged children under scrutiny: the Dutch policy compared with policies in France,England, Flanders and the USA

This article reviews the policies for disadvantaged children in western countries since the mid‐sixties. First, it analyses the design and results of the ‘classic programmes’ of positive discrimination such as the American Title I programme, and the English, Dutch, Flemish and French priority areas policies. It discusses the differences and similarities in approach and the disappointing results. Second, the article explores some of the ‘alternatives’ such as pre‐schooling, reducing class size, restructuring the school year, and teacher incentives.     

Different durations within the method of best practice affect the parameters of the speed–duration relationship

The aim of the study was to determine whether estimates of the speed–duration relationship are affected using different time-trial (TT) field-based testing protocols, where exhaustive times were located within the generally recommended durations of 2–15?min. Ten triathletes (mean?±?SD age: 31.0?±?5.7?years; height: 1.81?±?0.05?m; body mass: 76.5?±?6.8?kg) performed two randomly assigned field tests to determine critical speed (CS) and the total distance covered above CS (D?). CS and D? were obtained using two different protocols comprising three TT that were interspersed by 60?min passive rest. The TTs were 12, 7, and 3?min in Protocol I and 10, 5, and 2?min in Protocol II. A linear relationship of speed vs. the inverse of time (s?=?D??×?1/t?+?CS) was used to determine parameter estimates. Significant differences were found for CS (p?=?0.026), but not for D? (p?=?0.123). The effect size for CS (d?=?0.305) was considered small, while that for D? was considered moderate (d?=?0.742). CS was significantly correlated between protocols (r?=?0.934; p?D? (r?=?0.053; p?=?0.884). The 95% limits of agreement were ±0.28m?s^?1 and ±73.9?m for CS and D?, respectively. These findings demonstrate that the choice of exhaustive times within commonly accepted durations results in different estimates of CS and D?, and thus protocols cannot be used interchangeably. The use of a consistent protocol is therefore recommended, when investigating or monitoring the speed–duration relationship estimates in well-trained athletes.