Physical Exercise During the Morning School‐Break Improves Basic Cognitive Functions

Physical activity has not only been associated with increased physical and mental health, but also with beneficial effects on various cognitive and brain functions. This study investigated the effects of a motor and coordination oriented exercise intervention on academic achievements, attention/concentration ability, and on different facets of creative potential in a sample of school‐aged children between 11 and 14 years. The intervention was conducted during the morning school‐break over a time period of 4 weeks (5 units per week). The intervention was associated with beneficial effects on attention/concentration ability, basic arithmetic competence, and the fluency facet of creative potential. The finding that regular physical exercise during the morning break improves some basic academic and cognitive functions may motivate efforts to implement physical activity programs as promising and effective tools in the everyday school‐routine of the children to stimulate basic neurocognitive functions.     

天才筛选与运动导向：德国二年级儿童运动表现能力对青少年足球运动员早期成功的影响

足球是世界第一运动,在德国拥有广泛的群众基础,那么如何有效地对足球运动员进行科学合理的筛选就成为了一项重要的课题。本文由德国拜罗伊特大学体育系运动训练科学小组完成,目的是为了揭示足球人才在一般运动测试中所表现的中期预后有效性以及从实验结果计算出的足球特定表现分数。在此之前已经对包括体操、滑雪和网球在内的几项人才筛选计划实施了运动诊断分析。然而,与大多数其他运动相比,足球运动对这种早期测试的预测价值尚不清楚。测试对象由参与德国富尔达地区运动表现能力测试（FMC）的U9二年级儿童组成（N=2 965）。FMC是一个对测试者基础运动表现能力的筛查,由两个人体测量学特征参数和德国运动能力表现测试（GMT6-18）的8个测试项目组成,并增加了一个投掷球测试。测试数据来自2011-2014年在德国富尔达地区参与测试的所有儿童,并记录了至2016-2017赛季结束时（2017年9月30日）选择足球（N=316）的儿童的足球比赛表现水平。然后依据比赛表现水平的高低将球员分别分配到4个不同的表现级别中,并使用ANOVA,比值比和判别分析法确定运动测试的预后有效性,并将测试结果与测试儿童在U12~U15年龄段所表现出的足球运动表现水平进行分析,最终得出9项基础运动测试的预后相关性。     

Reading competence development of poor readers in a German elementary school sample: an empirical examination of the Matthew effect model

According to the Matthew effect model, interindividual differences in reading competence between poor and normal readers should become wider as students grow older. The second part of the model assumes that these differential pathways are mainly attributable to differential reading activities. The purpose of this study is to examine whether both assumptions can be verified in a sample of German elementary school students. Data from 1,124 students, participating in the BiKS longitudinal study with assessment starting in Grade 3 and two further points of measurement in Grade 4, were available for our analyses. Latent growth curve models showed a significant lower linear and quadratic trend on reading competence development for students with severe reading deficits in comparison with their better classmates. Further analysis indicates that differential reading behaviour seems to be a prominent factor in explaining these differential pathways whereas the students' general cognitive abilities seem to be of less importance.     

The potential of toe flexor muscles to enhance performance

Abstract

The metatarsal phalangeal joint (MPJ) and its crossing toe flexor muscles (TFM) represent the link between the large energy generating leg extensor muscles and the ground. The purpose of this study was to examine the functional adaptability of TFM to increased mechanical stimuli and the effects on walking, running and jumping performance.

Fifteen men performed a heavy resistance TFM strength training with 90% of the maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) for 7 weeks (560 contractions) for the left and right foot. Maximal MPJ and ankle plantar flexion moments during MVICs were measured in dynamometers before and after the intervention. Motion analyses (inverse dynamics) were performed during barefoot walking, running, and vertical and horizontal jumping. Athletic performance was determined by measuring jump height and distance.

Left (0.21 to 0.38 Nm · kg^?1; P < 0.001) and right (0.24 to 0.40 Nm · kg^?1; P < 0.001) MPJ plantar flexion moments in the dynamometer, external MPJ dorsiflexion moments (0.69 to 0.75 Nm · kg^?1; P = 0.012) and jump distance (2.25 to 2.31 m; P = 0.006) in horizontal jumping increased significantly.

TFM responded highly to increased loading within a few weeks. The increased force potential made a contribution to an athlete's performance enhancement.     

Pre-service Biology Teachers’ Responses to First-Hand Anomalous Data During Modelling Processes

Research in Science Education - In this research project we investigate the role of responses to anomalous data during modelling processes. Modelling is seen as a comprehensive practice that...     

Responses of low and high compression during recovery after repeated sprint training in well-trained handball players

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of wearing various levels of compression following repeated and exhausting sprint exercise on variables related to recovery. Twelve well-trained handball players performed three sessions of repeated and exhausting sprint exercise (30?×?30m). Directly after each session the participants wore tights extending from below the hip to the foot with either 0, 10, or 25?mm?Hg of compression onto the thigh and calf muscles. 48?h after the training session all participants performed 5?×?30m sprints and counter movement jumps. Before, directly after, 24?h, and 48?h after the training session venous blood samples were drawn for the determination of creatine kinase (CK), urea, C-reactive protein (CRP). At the same time points, subjective ratings of the Acute Recovery and Stress Scale (ARSS) questionnaires were obtained. The results for plasma concentrations of CK and urea showed ‘likely’ to ‘very, very likely’ beneficial effects for compression garments exerting 10?mm?Hg of compression (p?=?0.06–1.0). With regard to sprint and jump performance no differences were evident between 0, 10, and 25?mm?Hg (p?=?0.07–1.0). In addition, subjective scores from the ARSS did not differ between conditions over time (p?>?0.05). We conclude that the application of 10?mm?Hg leg compression compared to 0 and 25?mm?Hg of compression during 48?h of recovery from repeated and exhausting sprints lowered the plasma concentrations of CK and urea with no improvements in recovery for performance.     

Correction to: Mechanisms mediating the relation between reading self-concept and reading comprehension

European Journal of Psychology of Education - The article Mechanisms mediating the relation between reading self-concept and reading comprehension, written by Franziska Maria Locher, Sarah Becker,...     

Conscientiousness,achievement striving,and intelligence as performance predictors in a sample of German psychology students: Always a linear relationship?

Studies on the interface between cognitive ability (intelligence) and personality in the prediction of academic performance have yielded mixed results so far. Especially an interaction between conscientiousness (and its facet achievement striving) and intelligence has been investigated. The hypothesis is that conscientiousness enhances the impact of intelligence on performance. Based on findings supporting the idea of a non-linear relationship between conscientiousness and performance the present study aimed at a clarification of the mixed results. Given such a non-linear relationship, studies investigating a possible moderating effect should pay attention to the performance level. A sample of N = 271 students completed a conscientiousness and an intelligence measure. Moderated regression analyses revealed a moderation for conscientiousness but not its facet achievement striving in the total sample. However, splitting the sample into a low and a high performer group revealed an enhancing effect of achievement striving for low performers and a buffering effect for high performer. Practical as well as theoretical implications are discussed.     

Gamification of in-class activities in flipped classroom lectures

For higher education, the question of how in-class activities can be supported in large lectures is of great relevance. This paper suggests a gamified flipped classroom approach to address this challenge. In an experimental study, N = 205 educational science students performed either gamified in-class activities using a gamified quiz with points and a team leaderboard, or non-gamified in-class activities using exercise sheets. In line with the theory of gamified learning, the results show a positive indirect effect of gamification on application-oriented knowledge that is mediated by learning process performance. Furthermore, based on a self-determination theory framework, the results show positive effects of gamified in-class activities on intrinsic motivation and social relatedness, but no significant effect on competence need satisfaction. The study provides insights into a particular casual construct of game design elements (points and team leaderboards) triggering specific mechanisms (immediate task-level feedback and team competition) affecting a mediator (learning process performance) that in turn affects a learning outcome (application-oriented knowledge).