Psychometric properties of child- and teacher-reported curl-up scores in children ages 10-12 years

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of child- and teacher-reported curl-up (CU) scores in children ages 10-12 years in both a norm-referenced (NR) and criterion-referenced (CR) framework. Eighty-four children, 36 boys and 48 girls, performed the FITNESSGRAM (Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research, 1992) CU test on 2 days separated by 48-72 hr. Two video cameras were used to record students' CU performances. Two students performed the CU at the same time, with each child's performance recorded by one camera. The test was terminated when the child stopped due to fatigue or after two form errors occurred. Teacher-reported scores were the average of two independent ratings of each video performance, while child-reported scores came from data collected and recorded by the children. Single trial norm-referenced reliability was R = .75 for girls and R = .80 for boys for teacher-reported CU and R = .69 and R = .70 for child-reported CU for girls and boys, respectively. CR reliability was examined using P, proportion of students who consistently passed or failed the test across 2 days, and km, defined as reliability with chance removed. For teacher-reported scores, P = .89 and km = .78 for boys and P = .81 and km = .62 for girls. For child-reported scores, P = .86 and km = .72 for boys, while P = .79 and km = .58 for girls. For teacher-reported data, 39% of boys passed and 50% failed the test on both days, while for girls the percentages were 27% pass and 54% fail. For child-reported data, 64% of boys passed and 22% failed on both days, while 54% of girls passed and 25% failed. NR validity was examined by correlating teacher and child-reported scores. The resultant coefficient was r = .42 (95% CI = .11-.66) for boys and r = .67 (95% CI = .58-.74) for girls. Additionally, child-reported scores were significantly higher than teacher-reported scores. CR validity was examined with a contingency coefficient, and results indicated C = .55 with 44% false master errors for boys and C = .65 with 29% false master errors for girls. The findings of this study suggest that while NR reliability estimates were moderate for teacher-reported scores, single trial estimates suggest that child-reported CU should be viewed with caution. In regard to CR reliability, both teacher-reported and child-reported reliability were moderate. However, there were marked differences between teacher- and child-reported scores, with children reporting higher percentages of students passing and lower percentage of student failing the test when compared with scores reported by teachers. Validity was rather moderate when viewed in either a NR and CR framework. It is suggested that problems with child-reported scores may be due to the need for additional practice or simplification of the testing protocol.     

Exploring the Role of Trust in Scientists to Explain Health-Related Behaviors in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The devastating COVID-19 pandemic has cast a light on the question of why trust in scientists is important. This mixed-method study aimed to explore the study participants’ trust in scientists about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. It also aimed to reveal which key sources of information participants followed about the pandemic. Participants’ health-related behaviors and justifications for their behaviors as a response to the pandemic were also explored to understand how trust in scientists and sources of information played a role in the fight against COVID-19. The responses of 1233 participants across Turkey were analyzed. The findings indicated that trust in scientists and compliance with the scientists’ suggested behaviors among the participants were quite high. It was also revealed that, for both trust and non-trust groups, participants questioned the reliability of information and the sources. Participants justified their behaviors mainly by referring to policies, e.g., masks, distance, and hygiene, developed and implemented with the collaboration of government, scientists, and the World Health Organization. Moreover, trust issues regarding scientists, government authorities, or other citizens were mentioned in participants’ justifications. The current study also shed light on the importance of building trust through an open and healthy dialogue among scientists, government authorities, and the public to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. The study highlighted the need for scientifically informed citizens to deal with the problems, i.e., misinformation and disinformation, in the post-truth era such as not jeopardizing effective solutions to eliminate the pandemic, e.g., taking the vaccine.

     

融合教育课程调整的基本原则、策略及要点

让有特殊教育需要的学生全面融入普通教育,课程调整是关键。整体性原则、个性化原则与必要性原则是当前融合教育课程调整要遵循的基本原则。基于这三条基本原则,可以架构起融合教育课程调整四个层次的基本策略或思路。融合教育的课程调整是一个关涉如何对普通教育课程内容、课程目标要求等要素进行调整与改变的具体实践,涉及一系列要点与环节。它需要以有效的教育评估为前提,形成适合其发展的目标体系,同时要注重课程评价,以评价作为监控课程调整效果的有效机制。     

Building Strong Community Partnerships: Equal Voice and Mutual Benefits

This article explores an urban partnership and service-learning project deliberately created to improve literacy and strengthen learning communities in an urban, Latino neighborhood of Chicago. The project aligns activities and objectives with resources and needs of university participants, a Latino community organization, and local public schools. The needs addressed include (a) improving literacy achievement in Latino students, (b) improving literacy instruction, (c) expanding students’ awareness and engagement with social injustices, and (d) exploring barriers to literacy access in students’ homes and community. This project serves as a model for developing partnerships and outreach between higher education institutions and the community.     

Perception of the cursive handwriting movement in writers and pre-writers

The objective of this study was to confirm the existence of knowledge relating to the cursive writing movement for French pupils in 3rd year of kindergarten, 2nd grade and 5th grade of elementary school. 141 pupils were asked to watch a visual presentation of cursive handwriting to determine whether they were able to detect violations of two rules of handwriting: continuity and sequentiality of the cursive handwriting movement. Our results showed progressive development of the understanding of characteristics of the cursive handwriting movement, with different developmental trajectories of knowledge for the different rules. The ability to detect continuity of the cursive writing movement developed earlier than the ability to detect sequentiality. Correct decisions were not always accompanied by correct justifications, which developed more slowly than detection of rule violations.     

The physical profile of adult male basketball players: Differences between competitive levels and playing positions

This study examined the physical differences in adult male basketball players of different competitive level and playing position using a large cohort. In the middle of the regular season, 129 players from four different Divisions completed a Yo-YoIR1 and, after 3-to-8 days, they performed a 6-min continuous running test (Mognoni’s test), a counter-movement jump (CMJ) test and a 5-min High-intensity Intermittent running test (HIT). Magnitude-based inferences revealed that differences in HIT were very likely moderate between Division I and II and likely small between Division II and III. The differences in absolute peak power and force produced during CMJs between Division I and II and between Division II and III were possibly small. Differences in Yo-YoIR1 and Mognoni’s test were very likely-to-almost certain moderate/large between Division III and VI. We observed possibly-to-likely small differences in HIT and Mognoni’s test between guards and forwards and almost certainly moderate differences in absolute peak power and force during CMJs between guards and centres. The ability to sustain high-intensity intermittent efforts (i.e. HIT) and strength/power characteristics can differentiate between competitive level, while strength/power characteristics discriminate guards from forwards/centres. These findings inform practitioners on the development of identification programs and training activities in basketball.