Beyond Discourse to Emancipatory Action: Lessons From an Undergraduate

One undergraduate's transformational story of self‐discovery and personal development frames this discussion of the importance of undergraduate involvement in social justice research.     

Book reviews

Women, sport and performance, C.L. Wells, Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois, 1985. xi+333 pp, $24.00 (hb), ISBN 0 931250 87 0

Research designs and statistics for physical education, Anne L. Rothstein, Prentice Hall, New York, 1985. xiii + 353 pp, £31 (hb), ISBN 0 13 774142 1

Limits of human performance, American Academy of Physical Education Papers No. 18, D.H. Clarke and H.M. Eckert (eds), Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois, 1985. 144 pp, £14.50 (pb), ISBN 0 931250 99 4

Sports physiology, (2nd edn) E.L. Fox, Holt Saunders, Eastbourne, 1984. xii+418 pp, £18.95 (hb), ISBN 0 03 063771 6

Sport management ‐ macro perspectives, P. Chelladurai, Sports Dynamics, London, Ontario, 1985. 191 pp, $11.95 (pb), ISBN 0 9691619 0 5

Microelectronics in the sport sciences, Charles F. Cicciarella, Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois (distributed in the UK by Eddington Hook & Co.), 1986. 105 pp, $12.00 (pb), ISBN 0 87322 056 0

The biomechanics of sports techniques, (3rd edn) J.G. Hay, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1985. xvii+539 pp, £15.95 (pb), ISBN 0 13 078304 8     

Obama's American Graduation Initiative: Race,Conservative Modernization,and a Logic of Abstraction

The American Graduation Initiative stands as the cornerstone of the Obama administration's higher education agenda. To investigate the state of the politics of education in the Age of Obama, this article employs critical discourse analysis to unveil the hidden meanings and ideological commitments inherent in Obama's policy discourse. Read within and against the backdrop of what Apple (2006 Apple, M. W. 2006. Educating the “right” way: Markets, standards, God, and inequality , 2nd ed., New York, NY: Routledge.  [Google Scholar]) called the era of conservative modernization, Obama's policy discourse relies on a logic of abstraction that serves to promote a falsely “postracial” society in which hegemonic notions of education are perpetuated.     

The center for global futures: Meeting the needs of gifted students in a laboratory school

The curriculum at the Center focuses on the exploration of alternative futures from a global perspective and provides differentiated experiences for the gifted through a comprehensive program which extends beyond local efforts.     

Cross-sectional comparison of body composition and resting metabolic rate in Premier League academy soccer players: Implications for growth and maturation

ABSTRACT

For the first time we aimed to: (1) assess fat-free mass (FFM) and RMR in youth soccer players, (2) compare measured RMR to estimated RMR using previously published prediction equations, and (3) develop a novel population-specific prediction equation. In a cross-sectional design, 99 males from a Premier League academy underwent assessments of body composition (DXA) and RMR (indirect-calorimetry). Measured RMR was compared to estimated values from five prediction equations. A novel RMR prediction equation was developed using stepwise multiple regression. FFM increased (P<0.05) between U12 (31.6±4.2 kg) and U16 (56.3±5.3 kg) after which no further increases occurred (P>0.05). RMR in the U12s (1655±195 kcal.day^?1), U13s (1720±205 kcal.day^?1) and U14s (1846±218kcal.day^?1) was significantly lower than the U15s (1957±128 kcal.day^?1), U16s (2042±155 kcal.day^?1), U18s (1875±180 kcal.day^?1) and U23s (1941±197 kcal.day^?1) squads (P>0.05). FFM was the single best predictor of RMR (r²=0.43; P<0.01) and was subsequently included in the novel prediction equation: RMR (kcal.day^?1) = 1315 + (11.1 x FFM in kg). Both FFM and RMR increase from 12-16 years old, thus highlighting the requirement to adjust daily energy intake to support growth and maturation. The novel prediction RMR equation developed may help to inform daily energy requirements.     

The Effect of Age and Employment on Students’ Perceptions of Online Course Quality

ABSTRACT

Three thousand, one hundred sixty students involved in online instruction at 31 colleges and universities across the United States completed a survey designed to probe into whether statements derived from 8 standards in the Quality Matters^TM (QM) rubric contributed to their success. The 43-item survey instrument measured students’ perceptions of online course quality. The effect of age and employment status on their perceptions was measured. Based on a series of ANOVA (analysis of variance)s, it was found that the highest rated standard was QM3 on Assessment and Measurement. There were significant differences between age groups. Students under 45, contrasted to those over 45, highly valued clarity and appropriateness of assessments and clear criteria for grading. For students above the age of 45, QM6 on Course Technology was valued highest. They placed a high value on the tools and media that support learning objectives and classmate interactivity. QM3 was rated highest across all employment groups—those employed part-time, full-time, and those who were unemployed. Standards 1 (Course Overview and Introduction), 2 (Learning Objectives), 4 (Resources and Materials), and 7 (Learner Support) were valued higher by students working full-time and those who were unemployed compared with those working part-time. It is likely that students who work part-time are not as focused on academics as are those who do not work. They may not be as motivated to perform well as students who work full-time. Implications for course designers and instructors are discussed.     

Quantifying the long-term impact of zoological education: a study of learning in a zoo and an aquarium

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that zoos and aquariums do, as intended, educate their visitors. However, even though most zoos offer a wide array of educational experiences, few studies have considered if the duration of an educational experience affects learning or whether learning lasts beyond the immediate visit. The current study used matched-pairs surveys to investigate children’s knowledge, attitude and knowledge of positive behavior during both a five-day zoo camp and six months after an aquarium visit. The participants of the study included children aged 9–12?years some of whom had participated in a purposefully designed educational intervention. First, the impact of a five-day zoo camp experience on children’s learning was investigated. Second, learning retention was investigated six months after a school tour at an aquarium. Results showed that during the camp learning was positively affected by participation in the educational intervention and by previous zoo experience. Girls were more likely than boys to have an increase in learning six months after an aquarium visit. The study demonstrates that learning persists, but that education can be enhanced with longer programs. Thus, zoos can play an increasingly important role in igniting pro-environmental behavior.     

Men accessing education: Masculinities, class and choice

This paper draws on an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded research project on men (aged 18–54) participating in pre-university access and foundation programs in four London further and higher education colleges. Men’s educational choices and decisions are analysed and discussed within current policy debates about widening participation and lifelong learning. These choices are placed within a framework which focuses on masculinity in terms of classed and racialised identifications. For working class and ethnic minority students choices tend to be constrained by mix of material, institutional and emotional forces. For middle class ethnic minority students these factors are only partially alleviated.     

Comparison of athletic movement between elite junior and senior Australian football players

This study compared the athletic movement skill between elite Under-18 (U18) Australian football (AF) and senior Australian Football League (AFL) players. The U18 sample (n = 13; 17.7 ± 0.6 years) were representatives of an elite talent development programme. The AFL players were classified accordingly; Group 1 (1–4 AFL seasons; n = 20; 21.2 ± 1.9 years) and Group 2 (>5 AFL seasons; n = 14; 26.3 ± 2.6 years). Participants performed an athletic movement skill assessment, inclusive of five foundational movements. Each movement was scored across three assessment points using a three-point scale. Total score for each movement (maximum of nine) and overall score (maximum of 63) were used as criteria. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to test the effect of developmental group (three levels) on the criteria. Receiver operating curves were built to examine the discriminant capability of the overall score. A significant effect of developmental group was noted, with the U18 sample having a lower mean total score for four of the five movements. Overall scores of 49/63 and 50/63 discriminated the elite U18 sample from Group 1 and Group 2, respectively. U18 players may have less developed athletic movement skills when compared to their senior AFL counterparts.