Changing the Name of a Major University: A Case Study and How-To Guide

There is nothing more exciting for a school than taking on a new name that is more reflective of what the institution has become. Many schools have changed names from “College” to “University” or have been renamed for prominent individuals. On August 28, 2005, Southwest Missouri State University officially became Missouri State University. This change was 20 years in the making and did not happen without a tremendous amount of effort on the part of administrators, faculty, students, alumni, and many elected officials at all levels of government. Though seemingly a simple thing, implementing the name change was anything but. This case study explains the steps taken to complete the transition, including the important branding decisions made along the way. It also provides a detailed guideline for other schools facing similar challenges.     

Action research and transformative learning in teaching development

The article reports on an action research project, informed by transformative learning theory. Transformative learning involves individuals gaining an awareness of their current habits of mind, and resulting points of views accompanied by a critique of their assumptions and premises, an assessment of alternative views, a decision to negate an old perspective or view in favour of a new one, or to make a synthesis of old and new, resulting in more justified beliefs to guide action. The action research was designed to change the perspectives and practices of higher education teachers from a teacher-centred to a learning-centred dialogic approach. The research demonstrated that a transformation in teaching perspective could be achieved through action research that involved inquiring and interactive teaching. However, implementing the new perspective required additional sustained support. The research also confirmed that action research is a viable means of exploring transformative learning in educational settings.     

Figure Skating

The purpose of this study was to compare triple (T) and quadruple (Q) toe‐loop figure skating jumps and quantify basic characteristics of these jumps to provide information to coaches that will assist them in teaching quadruple toe‐loops to elite figure skaters. High‐speed video was taken during men's practice and competition sessions at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics; three‐dimensional analyses of selected triple and quadruple jumps were completed. The most significant difference between triple and quadruple toe‐loops was an increase in rotational velocity in the air. Additionally, increased vertical velocity at take‐off and subsequent time in the air were also observed. Three main conclusions were developed: 1) The timing of rotation of the hips and shoulders was different for quadruple toe‐loops compared to triples with the differences being observed before toe‐pick; 2) Increases in rotational velocity occurred primarily as a result of the skaters assuming different body positions from take‐off through landing which resulted in tighter rotating positions for longer durations of the jump; 3) Greater vertical velocity was gained during the propulsive phase due to the extension of the legs during the press off the ice.     

Reflective practice,experience, and the interpretation of anxiety symptoms

Abstract

We offer an examination of the processes athletes undertake following a sporting experience in order to learn how to interpret their anxiety-related symptoms as facilitative to performance. Six experienced, elite athletes were interviewed regarding the reflective practices adopted following both positive and negative critical incidents with a view to generating knowledge about their competitive anxiety symptoms. Composite sequence analysis procedures were employed to allow data to be considered as meaningful sequences for both the positive and negative incidents. Findings showed distinctions between the effects of positive and negative incidents on the reflective and learning processes and how this influenced the further appraisal of competitive anxiety symptoms. Support is provided for the use of reflective practice as a framework for experiential learning within sport.     

Whole-body control of anticipated and unanticipated sidestep manoeuvres in female and male team sport athletes

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of sex and planning time on spatial and temporal aspects of the whole-body centre of mass (CoM) mechanics during sidestepping performance. Seventeen female and 17 male collegiate team sport athletes completed seven anticipated and seven unanticipated sidestep trials during which three-dimensional CoM data were recorded. Female athletes had a reduced ability to reorient their CoM towards the desired direction of travel (lower medio-lateral and anterior-posterior CoM velocity) than their male counterparts, with reduced medial (closer to stance foot) and increased posterior positioning of CoM relative to the stance foot (p < 0.05). When planning time was limited, female and male athletes performed sidestepping with CoM further from the stance foot (more medial) and more anterior than in the anticipated condition (p < 0.05) at reduced medio-lateral velocities. Sex and condition control strategy differences were evident both in the preparatory phase and the stance phase. The current research draws attention to the foreseen benefits of training athletes, with particular emphasis on females, to direct CoM towards the desired direction of travel in the preparatory and stance phases within temporally constrained situations for improved performance.     

Women,Disability, and Sport and Physical Fitness Activity: The Intersection of Gender and Disability Dynamics

Abstract

This study explores the often overlooked experiences of women with physical disabilities in the sport and physical fitness activity domain. Interviews with 16 women with a physical disability (age range of 19–54 years) revealed the following major themes: (a) participation in fitness-related as opposed to sport-related activities, (b) participation to maintain the functional level of the body and preserve existing capabilities, (c) intrinsic nature of gains derived from participation (perceived competence, enhanced view of body, motivational outlet, control in life), and (d) perceived differences in the sport and physical fitness activity experiences of men and women with disabilities. Findings support the notion that gender and disability interact in the sport and physical fitness context for women with physical disabilities.     

The Functional Equivalence Between Movement Imagery,Observation, and Execution Influences Imagery Ability

Abstract

Based on literature identifying movement imagery, observation, and execution to elicit similar areas of neural activity, research has demonstrated that movement imagery and observation successfully prime movement execution. To investigate whether movement and observation could prime ease of imaging from an external visual-imagery perspective, an internal visual-imagery perspective, and kinesthetic modality, 36 participants (M age = 20.58; SD = 3.11; 18 women and 18 men) completed an adapted version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised under four modes of delivery (movement prime, external observation prime, internal observation prime, and image-only). The results revealed that ease of imaging was significantly greater during the movement and observation prime conditions compared to the image-only condition (p < .05). Specifically when priming external visual imagery and internal visual imagery, observation facilitated ease of imaging only when the perspective was congruent with the imagery perspective. The results support the use of movement and observation to facilitate ease of imaging, but highlight the importance of considering the visual perspective when using observation.     

White Blood Cell Counts Mediate the Effects of Physical Activity on Prostate-Specific Antigen Levels

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether white blood cell (WBC) level mediated the relationship between physical activity and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Method: Data from the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used; 1,726 U.S. adult men (aged 40 years or older) provided complete data on the study variables. Participants wore an ActiGraph 7164 accelerometer for a 7-day period to measure their physical activity behavior, and PSA and WBC levels were obtained from a blood sample. Results: After adjustments, results showed that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was inversely associated with WBC count (b = ? .03; 95% CI [ ? 0.04, ? 0.006; p = .01), and WBC count (b = .10; 95% CI [0.009, 0.18; p = .04) was positively associated with PSA. Both the Sobel (coef. = ? .004, SE = .002; z = ? 2.0; p = .03) and the Aroian (coef. = ? .004, SE = .002; z = ? 1.9; p = .03) tests demonstrated that WBC mediated the relationship between physical activity and PSA. Additionally, among 107 participants with prostate cancer, survivors engaging in more MVPA had lower levels of WBC (b = ? .04; 95% CI [ ? 0.09, ? 0.0009; p = .04). Conclusion Physical activity may influence PSA levels through WBC modulation; however, future research is needed to determine the direction of causality. Additionally, prostate cancer survivors engaging in higher levels of MVPA had lower levels of WBC, underscoring the importance of promoting physical activity among prostate cancer survivors.     

Embodied Action Scaffolds Dialogic Reading

Educational Psychology Review - Might dialogic reading require previous or concurrent embodied activities to be effective? Twenty-nine preschool children, ages 3–5 years, were randomly...     

Preparing German pre-service teachers in special needs education for school development—Can we do otherwise?

Although school development can be viewed as an emerging responsibility of teachers, special needs education in Germany does not leave sufficient room for non-teaching tasks, leading to a knowledge gap in the professionalisation of pre-service teachers with regard to school development upon entering the profession. This study focused on the preparedness of pre-service teachers in school development as a professional task at the end of their initial teacher training. The respondents of the interview study are 12 pre-service teachers enrolled at master level in special educational needs at a German university. The findings of the study report on the marginal situatedness of school development in the curriculum, the associated understanding of pre-service teachers of school development and their low assessment of the relevance of school development within special needs education. The study closes with practical recommendations on how to tackle the low level of preparedness for school development tasks in German teacher education.