Anatomical Sciences in Chiropractic Education: A Survey of Chiropractic Programs in Australia

Human anatomy knowledge is a core requirement for all health care clinicians. There is a paucity of information relating to anatomy content and delivery in Australian chiropractic programs. The aim of this study was to describe anatomy teaching in Australian chiropractic programs, utilizing a survey which was distributed to all four programs, requesting information on: anatomy program structure, delivery methods, assessment, teaching resources, and academic staff profile at their institution. The survey was undertaken in 2016 and documented practices in that academic year. All four institutions responded. There was a reported difference in the teaching hours, content, delivery and assessment of anatomy utilized in Australian chiropractic programs. Anatomy was compulsory at all four institutions with the mean total of 214 (SD ± 100.2) teaching hours. Teaching was undertaken by permanent ongoing (30%) and sessional academic staff, and student to teacher ratio varied from 15:1 to 12:1. A variety of teaching resources were utilized, including human tissue access, either as prosected cadavers or plastinated body parts. The results of this survey confirm that anatomy has an established place in chiropractic education programs in Australia and while curricular variations exist, all programs had similar course design, delivery, and assessment methods. This study confirmed the provision of a strong foundation in topographical anatomy and neuroanatomy, while other anatomical sciences, such as histology and embryology were not consistently delivered. Formalization of a core anatomy curriculum together with competency standards is needed to assist program evaluation and development, and for accreditation purposes.     

Children's Attitudes toward Females in Sports: Their Relationship with Sex,Grade, and Sports Participation

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to measure grade school children's attitudes toward female involvement in sports and their relationship with participation, sex, and grade level. A Likert-type questionnaire (CATFIS) was administered to 106 girls and 264 boys in grades 3–6 at the beginning of their participation (P) in a YMCA-sponsored sports program. Similarly, 344 girls and 287 boys in grades 3–9 who did not participate (NP) in this sports program were administered the questionnaire in their school classrooms. Five months later the P group and the NP group (only grades 3–6) were retested to investigate whether attitude change occurred. The results of the study indicated that females at all grade and participation levels had significantly more favorable attitudes than the males. At grades 3 and 4 male P and NP were quite similar in their attitudes, as were female P and NP, but at grades 5 and 6 the attitudes of each sex group diverged. Male NP were more positive than male P, while female NP were less positive than female P. The significant three-way interaction between participation, sex, and grade was explained in terms of a psychological contrast effect and sex roles. Overall, the groups became more positive toward female involvement in sports from the time of the pretest to the posttest.     

Organisational perspectives on the local management of schools: Papua New Guinean case studies

Associated with the economic adjustments of recent years, there is a trend in many countries for governments to devolve responsibility for logistical support to schools. This paper is a study of factors that can influence the local management necessary for the provision of this support. Drawing from two, largely rural, studies in Papua New Guinea (a national survey and a detailed analysis of community management of 13 schools in a single area), the paper describes the school, its Board of Management and the community as a trio of organisations with theoretically complementary objectives. It points to the inadequacy of general cultural explanations for Board inability to sustain operations over time. It claims that Board members, people in the communities they represent and teachers all have private expectations of their association with schools, which if not met, will undermine commitment. Ensuring these are met, with secondary regulatory action, can reduce the frequency of organisational troughs of apathy. As it is, in Papua New Guinea and elsewhere, the prospect of expectation fulfilment associated with socio-economic advantage means that those with least to gain may refuse to become involved with education systems.