Psychometric properties of the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire with Chinese talented athletes

The development of talented athletes is a priority for many countries across the world, including China. A validated Chinese 5-factor Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (TDEQ-5) would go some way in helping researchers and practitioners investigate talent development systems within China from an evidence-based perspective. For this purpose, the 25-item English TDEQ-5 was translated to Chinese through a standardised process. The translated scale was then administered to 538 talented Chinese youth athletes. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed adequate model fit of the scale. The internal reliability, concurrent and discriminant validity, and test–retest reliability of the scale were adequately supported. The scale was also invariant across gender. It is recommended that the Chinese TDEQ-5 can be used with confidence in both applied and research settings.     

Executivism and deanship in selected South African universities

It has been argued that traditional governance practices and decision making associated with the collegial model are no longer effective in universities, and business-like management techniques should be adopted. Dwindling resources, external demands for accountability, and increased competition for market share, have resulted in efficiency measures and increased demand for performativity. Executive leadership techniques that crept into universities during the early 1980s, referred to as ‘managerialism’ or ‘executivism’, are now widely practised. The increased focus on managerialism in the last decade has resulted in collegial crises and heightened conflicts between academics and administrators. The emergence of ‘executive deanship’ in South African higher education about a decade ago was in keeping with international trends and local demands for efficiency and performativity. With specific reference to the universities in the Gauteng province, this paper argues that the blanket introduction of executive deanship (referred to as executivism) appears not to have contributed to the envisaged operational efficiency, performance, and effectiveness, as initially claimed. Rather than fostering an enabling and empowering environment, it has added new layers of complexity to deanship pointing to a potential crisis in the advancement of the academic project. The position of dean is now more management oriented and allows little or no room for strategic intellectual and academic leadership.     

Want students to engage? Contextualise graduate learning outcomes and assess for employability

The ability of graduates to proactively develop, adapt and repackage their capabilities (or attributes) is an essential aspect of employability. This study was conducted at Deakin University, where graduate capabilities have been recast as graduate learning outcomes, and employability is frequently referenced. In light of significant curriculum reform to make graduate capabilities prominent, we investigated student perceptions of graduate capabilities and associated learning outcomes, as well as preparation for employment, to better understand how we can engage students in developing and showcasing their employability. We interviewed 45 students across 10 focus groups and qualitatively analysed their responses for commonly recurring themes. Focus groups were completed in two stages with data analysis and adjustment of questions between stages to enable validation and greater depth of understanding. Our analysis suggests that even with capabilities renamed as learning outcomes, students find graduate learning outcomes too generic to be meaningful and are most likely to engage with learning outcomes that are contextualised and assessed. Our case study illustrates ways to combat this – particularly the importance of assessment design and consistent, student-focused communication in engaging students in the development of capabilities and in the curation of evidence for employability. Students also suggest that advice from employers, professionals and recent graduates, and exposure to industry-related experiences could help make graduate capabilities more meaningful.     

Anonymous body or first patient? A status report and needs assessment regarding the personalization of donors in dissection courses in German,Austrian, and Swiss Medical Schools

Many Anglo‐American universities have undertaken a paradigm shift in how the dissection of human material is approached, such that students are encouraged to learn about the lives of body donors, and to respectfully “personalize” them as human beings, rather than treating the specimens as anonymous cadavers. For the purposes of this study, this provision of limited personal information regarding the life of a body donor will be referred to as “personalization” of body donors. At this time, it is unknown whether this paradigm shift in the personalization of body donors can be translated into the German‐speaking world. A shift from donor anonymity to donor personalization could strengthen students' perception of the donor as a “first patient,” and thereby reinforce their ability to empathize with their future patients. Therefore, this study aimed to collect data about the current status of donation practices at German‐speaking anatomy departments (n = 44) and to describe the opinions of anatomy departments, students (n = 366), and donors (n = 227) about possible donor personalization in medical education. Anatomy departments in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland were invited to participate in an online questionnaire. One‐tenth of registered donors at Ulm University were randomly selected and received a questionnaire (20 items, yes‐no questions) by mail. Students at the University of Ulm were also surveyed at the end of the dissection course (31 items, six‐point Likert‐scale). The majority of students were interested in receiving additional information about their donors (78.1%). A majority of donors also supported the anonymous disclosure of information about their medical history (92.5%). However, this information is only available in about 28% of the departments surveyed and is communicated to the students only irregularly. Overall, 78% of anatomy departments were not in favor of undertaking donor personalization. The results appear to reflect traditional attitudes among anatomy departments. However, since students clearly preferred receiving additional donor information, and most donors expressed a willingness to provide this information, one could argue that a change in attitudes is necessary. To do so, official recommendations for a limited, anonymous personalization of donated cadaveric specimens might be necessary. Anat Sci Educ 11: 282–293. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

The ins and outs of US youth soccer: learning about loyalty and success

This paper discusses one aspect of competitive youth team soccer in the US: the tension between loyalty and success. Teams use rituals to encourage parents and players to place loyalty to the team over individual goals and self-interest. But competitive teams value team success over loyalty to its players. And youth learn to place self-interest over loyalty to the team, even at the cost of friendships. This becomes an important lesson for youth in a competitive economic system, where success in adulthood is often defined in economic terms. Thus, competitive youth soccer reproduces an upper-middle-class habitus familiar to many of the families that participate in youth sports in the US. The pursuit of desirable careers typically demands geographic mobility and the routine abandonment of significant others. It is a taken for granted aspect of the upper middle-class worldview, learned at a young age in competitive team sports such as soccer.     

The effects of limb dominance and a short term,high intensity exercise protocol on both landings of the vertical drop jump: implications for the vertical drop jump as a screening tool

The effectiveness of vertical drop jumps (VDJs) to screen for non-contact ACL injuries is unclear. This may be contributed to by discrete point analysis, which does not evaluate patterns of movement. Also, limited research exists on the second landing of VDJs, potential lower limb performance asymmetries and the effect of fatigue. Statistical parametric mapping investigated the main effects of landing, limb dominance and a high intensity, intermittent exercise protocol (HIIP) on VDJ biomechanics. Twenty-two male athletes (21.9 ± 1.1 years, 180.5 ± 5.5 cm, 79.4 ± 7.8 kg) performed VDJs pre- and post-HIIP. Repeated measures ANOVA identified pattern differences during the eccentric phases of the first and second landings bilaterally. The first landing displayed greater (internal) knee flexor (η² = 0.165), external rotator (η² = 0.113) and valgus (η² = 0.126) moments and greater hip (η² = 0.062) and knee (η² = 0.080) flexion. The dominant limb generated greater knee flexor (η² = 0.062), external rotator (η² = 0.110) and valgus (η² = 0.065) moments. The HIIP only had one effect, increased thoracic flexion relative to the pelvis (η² = 0.088). Finally, the dominant limb demonstrated greater knee extensor moments during the second landing (η² = 0.100). ACL injury risk factors were present in both landings of VDJs with the dominant limb at potentially greater injury risk. Therefore, VDJ screenings should analyse both landings bilaterally.     

Ethics and paediatric exercise science: Issues and making a submission to a local ethics and research committee

Research with children presents issues beyond those normally encountered in adult exercise science research. This paper explores the specific ethical issues that are encountered when conducting paediatric research in the exercise sciences. We identify the historical, moral and philosophical underpinnings of ethical conduct. The issue of consent and children's ability to provide informed consent is discussed, as is the nature of therapeutic and non-therapeutic research. Finally, we examine the information that is required by a local ethics and research committee and provide guidance material to help in the formulation of an application to such a committee.     

Parameterising expertise in coaching: Past,present and future

Abstract

Research into expertise is increasing across a number of domains pertinent to sport. Whilst this increase is particularly apparent in coaching, a key question is how to identify an expert coach? Accordingly, this paper draws upon existing studies into expert coaches to address this issue; in particular, the criteria used to select expert coaches for research purposes and the methods used in expert coach research. Based on these data, we contend that the elements of expertise are not fully reflected within currently accepted criteria which, in turn, results in expert coaching research not necessarily identifying the appropriate individuals to study. The paper concludes with recommendations for more rigorous criteria for selecting expert coaches and highlights the associated implications for the future training and development of expert coaches.     

Relationships between talent development environments and mental toughness: The role of basic psychological need satisfaction

ABSTRACT

Although the talent development environment and mental toughness are critical for athletes to realise their athletic potential, there is a dearth of literature on whether the talent development environment can enhance mental toughness among those athletes who are identified with athletic potential (i.e., talented athletes). Drawing on self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), this research examined the relationships between the talent development environment, basic psychological needs satisfaction and mental toughness. Talented athletes (n = 261) completed a survey measuring key features of the talent development environment, needs satisfaction and mental toughness. The results of structural equation modelling indicated that three environmental factors (i.e., long-term development focus, holistic quality preparation and communication) were positive predictors of needs satisfaction, which then positively predicted mental toughness. The talent development environment may be considered for promoting talented athletes’ mental toughness.