School choice and the social market in New Zealand: Education reform in an era of increasing inequality

This article argues that the growing social and economic inequalities of New Zealand society have their echoes in growing educational gaps. This does not mean that one directly determines the other, but that social and economic changes impinge both directly, through such things as housing patterns and community resources, and indirectly, through perceptions of aspiration and opportunity, on schooling systems and on students. For the period under review here, income inequalities have continued to rise in New Zealand, and for most of that time real incomes for the majority have fallen. Wealth and poverty, at least within the larger cities, have become more concentrated. Patterns of wealth and deprivation have reinforced processes of school segregation that have occurred under policies of school choice. Over the last few years, a range of social and educational policies have been developed to mitigate the worst effects of market policies. However, it is argued that until the earnings gap is closed, and in particular until child poverty is addressed through increases in social security, there is little chance that educational outcomes for deprived young people will improve significantly.     

Motivation in group assessment: a phenomenological approach to post-graduate group assessment

Whilst group work has many benefits for enhancing collaborative learning, it can cause anxiety in summative assessments when group members do not contribute equal effort. Increasing understanding of student perceptions of group assessment, and in particular their motivation to persevere to overcome the challenges, has the potential to lead to better assessment design and reduce dysfunctional behaviour. This exploratory study borrows from phenomenology to investigate the lived experience of a cohort of post-graduate journalism students at a UK university, who were required to work in small groups to produce a web-based, multimedia journal for a final summative assessment. Using the expectancy-value theory of motivation, this study examines whether students were motivated by the task, and how this might influence their perception of the group assessment experience. The study found that not only was the group motivated by this assessment design, but also, in contrast to much of the literature on group assessment, their experience of group work was defined by harmony, loyalty and an ‘all for one, one for all’ attitude. It is therefore proposed that student groups are less likely to be dysfunctional or dissatisfied with group assessment if the group expects to do well and values the task.     

The UK's SMARTAL Project: St MARTin's College health students Access to Learning resources whilst on placement

BACKGROUND: St Martin's College pre-registration health students spend up to half their course on periods of placement, during which times they need to be able to access learning resources. The project aimed to replicate the Health and Education Northumbria Students Access to Learning resources (HENSAL) project. OBJECTIVE: To look at patterns of use and access to learning resources for health students on placement. METHODS: Questionnaires were distributed to students who had recently returned from a placement. Five Practice Placement Facilitators were interviewed to gain their views. RESULTS: There was a 60% return rate (n = 268) for the questionnaire. Most students thought access to learning resources was important yet these were not always available and varied according to placement type. Students still made regular use of the College library while they were on placement but had some difficulties. Students used electronic resources, tending to access them from home. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that there were issues which needed to be addressed by the College's Faculty of Health and Social Care, Library and IT services, the local NHS Trust libraries and the local Strategic Health Authority to improve access to and use of learning resources. The findings proved to be very similar to those of the HENSAL project.     

Classroom teachers and physical activity integration

This project examined 23 teachers’ involvement in a curricular project to integrate physical activity into the school day. The teachers represented all grade levels and worked in schools that served Native American students in the United States. Interviews occurred twice during the year-long project. Data were analyzed via constant comparison. Teachers’ willingness to engage was influenced positively by caring about students and their own personal wellness history. Their engagement was impeded by institutional factors of scheduling and assessment pressures. The results provide insights into how teachers might be persuaded to and prepared for the implementation of similar programs in new locations.     

The performance of the ice hockey slap and wrist shots: the effects of stick construction and player skill

The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction of players’ skill level, body strength, and sticks of various construction and stiffness on the performance of the slap and wrist shots in ice hockey. Twenty male and twenty female subjects were tested. Ten of each gender group were considered skilled and ten unskilled. In addition to general strength tests, each subject performed the slap and wrist shots with three stick shafts of different construction and stiffness. Shot mechanics were evaluated by simultaneously recording ground reaction forces from a force plate, stick movement and bending from high speed filming and peak puck velocity from a radar gun. Data were analysed with a 4-way repeated measures ANOVA for several dependent variables including peak puck velocity, peak Z (vertical) force, peak bending and stick to ground angles, peak angular deflection of the shaft, and hand placement on the stick. The results indicated that: 1) the slap shot was much faster than the wrist shot corresponding to greater vertical loading force, stick bending, and greater width of the hand placement; 2) the puck velocity was influenced by skill level and body strength but not stick type; and, 3) that skilled players were able to generate more vertical force and bend of the stick, in part, by adjusting their hand positions on the stick. Further studies are needed to address the specific influence of body strength and skill on the techniques of these shots and in relation to stick material and construction properties.