Basic skill requirements for selected Army occupational training courses

This study investigated the basic cognitive skills soldiers must possess before entering the Army, skills that are needed for successful completion of entry-level training. Judgments of 126 instructors from 25 military occupational specialties were obtained on 129 candidate skills, which resulted in the identification of 55 basic skills. Factor analysis of these 55 skill items resulted in 11 interpretable factors. Mean scores on the factors were compared across factors and across Army training schools. The results of the study suggest that, for all occupational specialties studied, skills related to the learning process are as crucial as traditional academic skills for successful training course completion. These results have important implications for training for the Army as well as for industry.     

POLITICAL VIEWS OF THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE

The emerging political consciousness of the Russian people isanalyzed against a background of severe constraints in the Sovietera on public opinion formation. Problems in the transitionto democracy and representative government are reflected inheightened interest in politics, volatile levels of confidencein key political institutions, and deep uncertainty about thefuture in both economic and political terms.     

The use of self moderated focus groups to gather exploratory data on information beliefs and their impact on information seeking behaviour

The existence of an information belief system is tested for the first time through innovative use of self moderated focus groups. Initial generation of information beliefs was achieved in an open, unpredicted and unbiased way through focus groups. To remove researcher effect and promote informality in discussion, the researcher experimented with a novel approach - self moderated focus groups. A detailed study of 5 groups evaluates their effectiveness in encouraging free and spontaneous discussion and in eliciting unique information ideas or beliefs. Results show that self moderated focus groups encourage naturalistic discourse, take unpredictable directions and are fertile in uncovering unexpected beliefs. Disadvantages include lack of consistency and leader mirroring, with members adopting the style and tone of volunteer moderators. Consideration should be given to gender balance in group composition. The method is recommended where open and free flowing discussion is sought.     

The relationship between peak height velocity and physical performance in youth soccer players

Longitudinal changes in height, weight and physical performance were studied in 33 Flemish male youth soccer players from the Ghent Youth Soccer Project. The players' ages at the start of the study ranged from 10.4 to 13.7 years, with a mean age of 12.2 +/- 0.7 years. Longitudinal changes were studied over a 5 year period. Peak height velocity and peak weight velocity were determined using non-smoothed polynomials. The estimations of peak height velocity, peak weight velocity and age at peak height velocity were 9.7 +/- 1.5 cm x year-1, 8.4 +/- 3.0 kg x year-1 and 13.8 +/- 0.8 years, respectively. Peak weight velocity occurred, on average, at the same age as peak height velocity. Balance, speed of limb movement, trunk strength, upper-body muscular endurance, explosive strength, running speed and agility, cardiorespiratory endurance and anaerobic capacity showed peak development at peak height velocity. A plateau in the velocity curves was observed after peak height velocity for upper-body muscular endurance, explosive strength and running speed. Flexibility exhibited peak development during the tear after peak height velocity. Trainers and coaches should be aware of the individual characteristics of the adolescent growth spurt and the training load should also be individualized at this time.     

Perceptions of the learning environment and associations with cognitive achievement among gifted biology students

This study assessed the perceptions of 146 gifted and 115 non-gifted high school biology students and investigated associations between student perceptions and cognitive achievement. The What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) was used to assess perceptions of actual and preferred learning environments. Data indicated that all students preferred a more favourable environment than the one that they were currently experiencing, but gifted students perceived their actual environment more positively than non-gifted students. Statistically significant associations between the actual learning environment and achievement on a standardised biology test were found for the majority of scales. Teacher Support, Investigation and Equity were all statistically significant independent predictors of student achievement, while Student Cohesiveness had a negative association with achievement. Interviews revealed that students interpreted some WIHIC items differently from how the developers had intended.     

An Investigation of How Culture Shapes Curriculum in Early Care and Education Programs on a Native American Indian Reservation

This article investigates how culture shapes instruction in three early care and education programs on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Interviews with eight early childhood teachers as well as classroom observations were conducted. The investigation is framed by the following research question: How does the culture of the family and community shape curriculum? Data analysis suggested that ongoing communication with parents and community about teaching within a culturally relevant context, building a sense of belongingness and community through ritual, and respecting children, families, and community were essential to defining the Native American Indian culture within these early learning programs.     

Drug-induced renal Fanconi syndrome: A case report

The renal Fanconi syndrome which results from renal tubular dysfunction can be either associated with various inbom errors of metabolism or acquired from various etiology. We report a case of gentamycin-induced Fanconi syndrome in a 4-month old infant who presented with aminoaciduria, glucosuria, phosphaturia and compensated metabolic acidosis.     

Anorexia and bulimia—the maladjusting coping strategies of the 80s

The purpose of this article is to highlight the complexities of treating eating disorders. It provides a theoretical framework for identification, diagnosis, and treatment of anorexia and bulimia.     

The City of Richgate: A/r/tographic Cartography as Public Pedagogy

The City of Richgate project worked with eight intergenerational immigrant families and examined immigrant experiences and narratives through a community‐engaged process that employed a/r/tography as a methodology. As such, the research also investigated the extent to which a/r/tographical research could visually and narratively portray the analysis of data collected by the co‐a/r/tographers. After interviewing and collecting images from each family, large artistic gates (banners) were created. This first phase of the project revealed the power of images in situ, and thus the power of a/r/tography in situ. For the community members and co‐a/r/tographers meanings were constructed within ongoing a/r/tographic inquiries described as collective artistic and educational praxis. The second phase involved the identification of important places by each family within the City of Richmond. After analysing all of the data, several works of art were created with each family in mind: bus shelter images juxtaposing close‐up and far away geographical images; side‐by‐side images portraying historical and contemporary images of family ideals and/or issues; banners illustrating families in meaningful poses; and archival collections portraying the importance of identity and memory in the transformation of culture. This phase culminated in a citywide exhibition of the artwork performing public pedagogy. The exhibition questioned the idea of a City of Richmond having a community centre, and instead exhibited many Richgates, or conceptions of Richmond. Rather than having a city centre, there are many centres, a Network of Cities of Richgates, where centres are constantly changing and shifting to reflect the narratives of individuals living in a psycho‐geographical region of a city.