The Validity of the Tritrac-R3D Activity Monitor for the Assessment of Physical Activity in Children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of the Tritrac-R3D Activity Monitor, a new instrument designed to improve assessments of physical activity. Comparisons were made with a heart rate monitor and with a Caltrac Activity Monitor. Thirty-five children (ages 9–11 years) were monitored on 3 different school days with all 3 instruments. The Tritrac was moderately correlated with the heart rate monitor (r =.58) and highly correlated with the Caltrac monitor (r =.88). By taking advantage of the minute-by-minute timing capability of the Tritrac and the heart rate monitors, it was discovered, that the correlations between these instruments were highest during free play situations (lunch/recess, recess, after school) and were lower when activity was more limited (class time) or structured (physical education). The ability of the Tritrac to assess activity on a minute-by-minute basis may greatly enhance its overall utility.     

Teaching within a Curricular Zone of Safety: School Culture and the Situated Nature of Student Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to continue the theoretical delineation of the nature of pedagogical content knowledge. Two student teachers were observed teaching an elementary games and high school sport unit and interviewed in depth about their lessons, biography, pedagogical content knowledge, and aspects of the school culture. Data were analyzed by constant comparison and analytic induction. Trustworthiness was established through member checks and triangulation. In the high school, both student teachers tried to use extending and refining tasks, as they had in the elementary school. But, when confronted with aspects of the high school culture, both retreated to a curricular zone of safety relying on application tasks. This zone, the defining aspect of their pedagogical content knowledge of teaching sports, emerged from and was constituted by the relations among goals, capabilities, teaching, inadequate pedagogical content knowledge, and aspects of the school culture. It is argued that situated and cultural orientations contribute to psychological orientations currently used to delineate pedagogical content knowledge. A curricular zone of safety is offered as a concept that helped account for the emergence and persistence of particular ways of knowing content.     

Physiological Effects of Deep Water Running following a Land-Based Training Program

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in knowledge representation and problem solutions in expert and novice youth baseball players. Ninety-four players in two age divisions, 7–8 years of age and 9–10 years of age, were assigned to three levels of expertise: high; average; and low skilled. Each subject participated in an interview session to elicit knowledge representation and solutions to five different defensive game situations. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for content, solution to the problem, errors in problem solution, and qualitative trends. The frequency of advanced solutions to each of the five situations were analyzed in separate chi-square tests for age and expertise. Differences among the levels of expertise were found for the accuracy of solutions to three complex situations. Age was significant for only one situation. Patterns of knowledge content accessed during advanced and less advanced responses indicated both experts and novices were in a beginning stage of developing baseball knowledge structures. Errors in problem solutions indicated children had difficulty monitoring critical conditions and making correct inferences. Players' and teammates' ability to execute baseball skills seemed to influence the content and structure of tactical knowledge accessed during problem solution.     

Response to a Cold Pressor Test during Physical Training

Abstract

Members of the 1958–59 varsity basketball team at Santa Barbara and a control group of physical education majors not in training were tested each three weeks during a 17-week season of basketball competition on their response to a step test and to a cold pressor test. The results indicated that significant step test recovery pulse rate changes were made by the basketball players after three weeks of training. Maximum changes were found to occur after 17 weeks of training. The diastolic pressure response to the cold pressor test increased significantly (7 mmHg.) after six weeks of training and this was maintained for 17 weeks. The results indicated that a possible increased sensitivity or tone of the peripheral vessels resulted from physical training.     

Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of a 10-Item Decisional Balance Scale: Longitudinal and Subgroup Examination Within an Adult Diabetic Sample

This study explores the longitudinal and subgroup measurement properties of a 10-item, physical activity decisional balance scale, previously published by Plotnikoff, Blanchard, Hotz, and Rhodes (2001 Plotnikoff, R. C., Blanchard, C., Hotz, S. B. and Rhodes, R. 2001. Validation of the decisional balance scales in the exercise domain from the Transtheoretical Model: A longitudinal test. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 5: 191–206. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]), within a diabetic sample of Canadian adults. Results indicated that a three-factor measurement model consistently improved model fit compared to the previously published two-factor model. Evidence of configural, metric, and scalar measurement invariance across time and among subgroups suggests that the 10-item decisional balance scale is appropriate for investigating associative relationships with other constructs and for comparing group means of the pros and cons subscales among a variety of diabetic population subgroups.     

eHPE: a history of the future

A grand convergence looms. It seems at least plausible that health and physical education may soon be lived by students in ways that are radically different from the past and sharply at odds with the imaginings of its founders and generations of academic aficionados. Perhaps in some respects, the differences will be superficial and less important than the continuities. Nonetheless, I draw connections between some recent futurist literature, developments in social theory and trends in health education, physical education and school-based health intervention—fields that I collectively call ‘HPE’—in order to imagine their digital futures. I contend that there is much for these fields to consider as developments in digital technology, the commercialisation of education, the spread of surveillance culture and medicalisation reshape how people think about HPE and its reason for being. But rather than an apocalyptic warning, this is an invitation to others to engage with some important questions that, although already urgent, have gone largely unnoticed. For example, what kind of thing will eHPE be if/when it exists primarily to generate profits and monitor and measure the minutiae of everyday life? At the very least, my argument here is that if it is not already the case, questions of pedagogical process and effectiveness may soon struggle for relevance in HPE's digital future.     

Techniques and considerations for determining isoinertial upper‐body power

Power is an integral aspect of many sports. Although power output of the lower body is often measured during jumping and cycling movements, much less is known about power as pertains to the upper body musculature. Recently, isoinertial methods ‐ with constant gravitational load ‐ of power testing have become common, but little is known of the reliability and criterion validity of these tests as they pertain to sport performance. In addition, the varied methodology makes a lucid model more evasive. The aims of this review are to examine the various methods of assessing upper body power, to establish its role in predicting athletic performance, and to assess the body of literature that has assessed power output of the upper extremities by isoinertial methods. To our knowledge, only two studies on isoinertial upper‐body power have shown a direct correlation to sporting ability (Baker, 2001; Baker et al., 2001); therefore, many unanswered questions exist as to the efficacy of these tests as predictors of athletic ability or as a method to track athletes’ training over time. From this review we hope to allow the sport coach to assess the overall utility of these tests in terms of availability, safety and external validity.     

Optimization of the felge on parallel bars

The felge, or undersomersault, on parallel bars has become an important skill in men's artistic gymnastics as it forms the basis of many complex variations. To receive no deductions from the judges, the felge must be performed without demonstrating the use of strength to achieve the final handstand position. Two male gymnasts each performed nine trials of the felge from handstand to handstand while data were recorded using an automatic motion capture system. The highest and lowest scoring trials of each gymnast, as determined by four international judges, were chosen for further analysis. The technique used by each gymnast was optimized using a computer simulation model so that the final handstand position could be achieved with straight arms. Two separate optimizations found different techniques identified in the coaching literature that are used by gymnasts. Optimum simulations resulted in improved performances through a combination of increased vertical velocity and height of the mass centre at release. Although the optimum technique found close to the gymnasts' own technique was more demanding in terms of the strength required, it offered the potential for more consistent performance and future developments in skill complexity.     

Relative shank to thigh length is associated with different mechanisms of power production during elite male ergometer rowing

The effect of anthropometric differences in shank to thigh length ratio upon timing and magnitude of joint power production during the drive phase of the rowing stroke was investigated in 14 elite male rowers. Rowers were tested on the RowPerfect ergometer which was instrumented at the handle and foot stretcher to measure force generation, and a nine segment inverse dynamics model used to calculate the rower's joint and overall power production. Rowers were divided into two groups according to relative shank thigh ratio. Time to half lumbar power generation was significantly earlier in shorter shank rowers (p = 0.028) compared to longer shank rowers, who showed no lumbar power generation during the same period of the drive phase. Rowers with a relatively shorter shank demonstrated earlier lumbar power generation during the drive phase resulting from restricted rotation of the pelvic segment requiring increased lumbar extension in these rowers. Earlier lumbar power generation and extension did not appear to directly affect performance measures of the short shank group, and so can be attributed to a technical adaptation developed to maximise rowing performance.     

Major League Baseball and the Dominican Republic: What is in the best interest of the players?

This case is about Major League Baseball and the Dominican Republic. We explore how Major League Baseball has used this Caribbean island as an inexpensive labor market and the social problems of the situation. Specifically, we examine Corporate Social Responsibility, the leadership of Sandy Alderson, ethics and the various stakeholders involved. We also look into possible reform alternatives while addressing the central question: What is in the best interest of the players?