Why young elite athletes fear failure: consequences of failure

Fear of failure can have negative effects on children in achievement settings, affecting many aspects of their lives. Perceiving the consequences of failure to be aversive provides the basis for fear of failure, and the anticipation of a threatening outcome elicits fear. Problems attributed to fear of failure in achievement settings are prevalent. Sport is a popular and significant achievement domain for children and adolescents and there is a lack of research on fear of failure in sport among this age group. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate fear of failure in the sport domain among young elite athletes, and to explore their perceptions of the consequences of failure. Interviews were conducted individually with nine athletes aged 14 - 17 years (5 males, 4 females). Analysis identified and organized perceived consequences of failure into themes and categories. Results revealed that the most commonly perceived aversive consequences of failure were diminished perception of self, no sense of achievement, and the emotional cost of failure. These findings are consistent with those reported in adult population, suggesting the potential for generalizing existing results to young elite athletes.     

Why Measure Behaviour?

The upsurge in the use of behavioural change techniques with children in education and residential settings has not always involved an equally strong commitment to behavioural measurement (by which is meant quantitative data collection relating to latency, duration or, most often, frequency of the target behaviour in question). This paper outlines several advantages, other than effectiveness evaluation, which accrue from behavioural measurement; in relation to (a) deciding whether to change behaviour, (b) deciding the type of intervention required, (c) assessment of caregiver skills and commitment, (d) therapeutic effects, (e) reinforcement, (f) analysis of critical variables and (g) analysis of caregiver attitudes and behaviour. Case examples are included throughout.     

Emotional duplex in the nation (de-)branding: a case study of China and Shen Yun Performing Arts

The intricate connection between nation branding efforts and the emotions they evoke has been inadequately addressed in existing branding and international relations literature. I propose a heuristic account that theorizes this relationship. By tracing the branding efforts made by China and the de-branding efforts made by Shen Yun Performing Arts (a troupe established by Falun Gong practitioners), I argue that these “authentic” Chinese cultural presentations elicit certain emotions. The emotional works are different for Chinese domestic audiences and for international audiences. I propose a duplex model to account for the emotional processes in these two groups of audiences. Four operating emotions—pride, guilt, admiration, and anger—solidify into various political attitudes toward China. Finally, I discuss the contributions of this duplex model and its further complications.     

Modelling the relationships between teacher working conditions,job satisfaction and workplace mobility

Teacher shortages are a recurring problem in publicly funded schools, in part because of poor retention. Working conditions in schools are an important predictor of teacher job satisfaction and retention, yet research has so far made limited headway in identifying the specific aspects of the working environment which matter. This research uses representative data on state secondary school teachers in England in 2013 to derive an unusually rich set of working conditions variables. Regression analysis is used to model the relationships between working conditions, teacher job satisfaction and turnover intentions. The results show strong associations with the nature of school leadership, whether teachers have received training in the specific subjects they are assigned to teach and scope for career progression within the school. These results are robust to checks for common source bias. The study identifies ways in which schools can improve retention.     

Does Increasing Biology Teacher Knowledge of Evolution and the Nature of Science Lead to Greater Preference for the Teaching of Evolution in Schools?

This study investigated whether or not an increase in secondary science teacher knowledge about evolution and the nature of science gained from completing a graduate-level evolution course was associated with greater preference for the teaching of evolution in schools. Forty-four precertified secondary biology teachers participated in a 14-week intervention designed to address documented misconceptions identified by a precourse instrument. The course produced statistically significant gains in teacher knowledge of evolution and the nature of science and a significant decrease in misconceptions about evolution and natural selection. Nevertheless, teachers’ postcourse preference positions remained unchanged; the majority of science teachers still preferred that antievolutionary ideas be taught in school.     

Equity and marketisation: emerging policies and practices in Australian education

The conjunction of equity and market logics in contemporary education has created new and different conditions of possibility for equity, both as conceived in policy discourses and as a related set of educational practices. In this editorial introduction, we examine how equity is being drawn into new policy assemblages and how, in the context of marketisation, equity is evolving and being enacted in new ways across education sectors. Different conceptions of equity are considered, including the increasingly influential human capital perspective promoted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We argue that, separate from critiques of neoliberalism and its deleterious effects on equity in education, it is necessary to analyse carefully the increasing rationalisation of equity agendas in economic terms, the associated effects on education governance and policy-making, as well as on the work of educational institutions and educators. Providing an overview of the contributions to this Special Issue, we direct particular attention to the multiple, complex and often contradictory effects of the current education reform agenda in Australia, which has prioritised equity objectives and intensified performance measurement, comparison and accountability as means to drive educational improvement and reduce disadvantage.     

Developing a Multi-Dimensional Early Elementary Mathematics Screener and Diagnostic Tool: The Primary Mathematics Assessment

There is a critical need to identify primary level students experiencing difficulties in mathematics to provide immediate and targeted instruction that remediates their deficits. However, most early math screening instruments focus only on the concept of number, resulting in inadequate and incomplete information for teachers to design intervention efforts. We propose a mathematics assessment that screens and provides diagnostic information in six domains that are important to building a strong foundation in mathematics. This article describes the conceptual framework and psychometric qualities of a web-based assessment tool, the Primary Math Assessment (PMA). The PMA includes a screener to identify students at risk for poor math outcomes and a diagnostic tool to provide a more in-depth profile of children’s specific strengths and weaknesses in mathematics. The PMA allows teachers and school personnel to make better instructional decisions by providing more targeted analyses.     

Study Skills at a Distance—ten years on

How to Study Effectively was probably the first distance learning course in the UK to help students to acquire learning skills. It has consistently attracted large numbers of students. Sam Rouse has tutored the course for the whole of its life and this paper reports the result of an evaluation he recently carried out. Samples of three student groups, all enrolled in 1972, were asked for their views on the course after a ten year gap. A group of'normal'enrollers is compared with two more special groups, one of TUC sponsored students and one of intending ordinands in the Church of England. Why did they enrol? How many assignments did they complete? What did they think of the course? What differences if any has it made to their lives? The paper concludes with three case studies of students, one from each group. The full report, And Having Studied Effectively , is published by the National Extension College.     

Extralocating Faculty in Technical Communication

Tenure-line faculty—teaching onsite or online—are typically perceived as resident scholars and instructors who live local to their institutions. A geographically diversified tenure-line faculty, however, could also serve the education of students by bringing a wider array of influences and opportunities to the online classroom. Programs in technical communication must examine how to incorporate extralocated faculty and how to prepare willing and eligible faculty for extralocated teaching, research, and service.