Theoretical Development,Factorial Validity,and Reliability of the Online Graduate Mentoring Scale

In this study, we sought to confirm the theoretical framework underlying an Online Graduate Mentoring Scale by establishing the scale’s factorial validity and reliability. Analysis of data received from doctoral students and alumni/ae of the College of Education of one large, online, accredited university reduced the initial theoretical framework from seven to six attributes, and resulted in a revision of the scale. Further research is needed to test the theoretical framework with other relevant populations and to refine the scale itself by reducing skewness and attaining item balance.     

Chinese Tourists Become Top Shoppers

每当感恩节、圣诞节来临之际,许多西方国家的购物季便纷纷开始,人们的热情程度堪比中国春节的"赶集".面对疯狂打折的商场、眼花缭乱的促销商品,有人会通宵排队,甚至全家出动"扫货",但你会一口气买下五年需要使用的商品吗?     

The impact of political factors on international student mobility

International student mobility contributes to a knowledge-based economy and forms an important component of a highly educated migration. This paper aims to identify how far political factors—including political discrimination, restrictions, freedom, UK migration policies and social cultural norms and policies—enhance or inhibit individuals' capabilities to become mobile. It offers a novel conceptualisation of mobility, drawing on structuration theory and the capability approach, to reveal the link between structure, capability and agency in the mobility process. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 40 PhD students, two professors from Turkey in the United Kingdom and three international education experts. A capability list established shows how mobility occurs when students' capabilities (freedoms) fail to flourish and they lose their power (capacity) to influence society due to the political environment in the home country. ‘Impo-mobility’, derived from the word ‘imposed’, is proposed to refer to highly educated people having to become mobile as a result of impositions placed upon them by home and host-government political practices. An appealing political environment is necessary if Turkey is not to lose highly educated individuals and the United Kingdom is to remain a global player in international higher education.     

Parents’ perceptions of secondary school students’ motivation and well-being before and during the COVID-19 lockdown: the moderating role of student characteristics

During the COVID-19 lockdown of spring 2020, Dutch children were being homeschooled. We examined how parents’ (n = 470) perceptions of secondary school students’ (M_age = 14.23 years) need satisfaction, academic motivation and well-being differed before the lockdown (assessed retrospectively) and during the lockdown. Furthermore, we examined the differential impact of the lockdown for different groups of children based on parental educational level, academic track, gender and special educational needs (SEN). Results indicated that students’ motivation and well-being as perceived by parents decreased during the lockdown and this could be explained by decreases in need satisfaction. Most student characteristics did not moderate the effects of the lockdown, except for SEN. The lockdown effects were less negative for children with SEN, especially gifted children and children with behavioural disabilities, than for children without SEN. Results are discussed with regard to their practical implications after the lockdown and for future lockdowns.     

The effects of frequency of encouragement on performance during maximal exercise testing

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of frequency of verbal encouragement during maximal exercise testing. Twenty-eight participants (12 males, 16 females) aged 20.9 - 1.5 years (mean - s ) performed a maximal exercise test ( V O 2max ) on a treadmill without any verbal encouragement. The participants were matched according to their pre-test V O 2max and placed into either a control group or one of three experimental groups. They performed a second exercise test (post-test) 1 week later. During the second test, the control group received no verbal encouragement; the 20 s (20E), 60 s (60E) and 180 s (180E) encouragement groups received verbal encouragement every 20, 60 and 180 s, respectively, beginning with stage 3 of the exercise test. Relative V O 2max , exercise time, blood lactate concentration, respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were not significantly different from the first test to the second test for the control group without verbal encouragement and the 180E group that received infrequent encouragement. Post-test values were significantly higher than pre-test values for the 20E and 60E groups. The post-test values of the 20E group were significantly higher than their pre-test values for relative V O 2max ( P ? 0.001), exercise time ( P ? 0.0001), blood lactate concentr . ation ( P ? 0.05), RER ( P ? 0.01) and RPE ( P ? 0.0001); this was also the case for the 60E group for relative V O 2max ( P ? 0.01), blood lactate concentration ( P ? 0.05), RER ( P ? 0.05) and RPE ( P ? 0.05). The results suggest that frequent verbal encouragement (every 20 s and 60 s in the present study) leads to significantly greater maximum effort in a treadmill test than when no encouragement is given or when the encouragement is infrequent (i.e. every 180 s).     

The effect of attentional focus on running economy

Abstract

In research on motor control, the detrimental effect of an internal focus of attention on movement execution of well-learned motor skills is a frequently replicated finding. This experimental study was designed to determine whether this effect is observed with physiological variables during endurance exercise. We examined whether the focus of attention can influence running economy (oxygen consumption at a set running speed). Trained runners had to focus their attention on three different aspects while running on a treadmill. For three consecutive 10-min periods, runners concentrated on the running movement, on their breathing, and on their surroundings. Results showed an increased running economy in the external focus condition. In line with research on motor control, endurance sport also shows that an external focus of attention is better than an internal focus in terms of the physiological performance measure of oxygen consumption.     

The Devil is in the Detail Regarding the Efficacy of Reading Recovery: A rejoinder to Schwartz,Hobsbaum, Briggs,and Scull

This rejoinder provides comment on issues raised by Schwartz, Hobsbaum, Briggs and Scull (2009 Schwartz, R. M., Hobsbaum, A., Briggs, C. and Scull, J. 2009. Reading Recovery and evidence‐based practice: A response to Reynolds and Wheldall (2007). International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 56(1): 5–15. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]) in their article about evidence‐based practice and Reading Recovery (RR), written in response to Reynolds and Wheldall (2007 Reynolds, M. and Wheldall, K. 2007. Reading Recovery twenty years down the track: Looking forward, looking back. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 54: 199–223. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]). Particular attention is paid to the processes and findings of the What Works Clearinghouse evaluation of RR. The suggestion that this evaluation is flawed casts doubt about some of its findings. The authors maintain their earlier stance that RR is effective for many students but do not accept that there is evidence that initial gains are sustained through the primary grades, that RR is an efficient tier two intervention in a response to intervention approach and that significant cost benefits have been demonstrated in education systems. It is concluded that research into alternative interventions that could be implemented at lower cost is warranted.     

A case study: planning a statewide information resource for health professionals: an evidence-based approach

Question:

What is the best approach for implementing a statewide electronic health library (eHL) to serve all health professionals in Minnesota?

Setting:

The research took place at the University of Minnesota Health Sciences Libraries.

Methods:

In January 2008, the authors began planning a statewide eHL for health professionals following the five-step process for evidence-based librarianship: formulating the question, finding the best evidence, appraising the evidence, assessing costs and benefits, and evaluating the effectiveness of resulting actions.

Main Results:

The authors identified best practices for developing a statewide eHL for health professionals relating to audience or population served, information resources, technology and access, funding model, and implementation and sustainability. They were compared to the mission of the eHL project to drive strategic directions by developing recommendations.

Conclusion:

EBL can guide the planning process for a statewide eHL, but findings must be tailored to the local environment to address information needs and ensure long-term sustainability.