Tackling reliability and construct validity: the systematic development of a qualitative protocol for skill and incident analysis

It is important to understand factors contributing to and directly causing sports injuries to improve the effectiveness and safety of sports skills. The characteristics of injury events must be evaluated and described meaningfully and reliably. However, many complex skills cannot be effectively investigated quantitatively because of ethical, technological and validity considerations. Increasingly, qualitative methods are being used to investigate human movement for research purposes, but there are concerns about reliability and measurement bias of such methods. Using the tackle in Rugby union as an example, we outline a systematic approach for developing a skill analysis protocol with a focus on improving objectivity, validity and reliability. Characteristics for analysis were selected using qualitative analysis and biomechanical theoretical models and epidemiological and coaching literature. An expert panel comprising subject matter experts provided feedback and the inter-rater reliability of the protocol was assessed using ten trained raters. The inter-rater reliability results were reviewed by the expert panel and the protocol was revised and assessed in a second inter-rater reliability study. Mean agreement in the second study improved and was comparable (52–90% agreement and ICC between 0.6 and 0.9) with other studies that have reported inter-rater reliability of qualitative analysis of human movement.     

Predicting growth of nonword reading and letter‐sound knowledge following rime‐ and phoneme‐based teaching

The present study sought to extend a recent study by Savage, Carless and Stuart , by looking at the pre‐test phonological skills that predicted improvements in letter‐sound knowledge and nonword reading. Results showed overall that phoneme manipulation predicted improvements in nonword reading and letter‐sound knowledge even when pre‐test scores on the respective dependent variables were controlled. Pre‐test letter‐sound knowledge was an independent predictor of nonsense word reading. Overall, onset‐rime manipulation did not add to the prediction of outcome. Onset‐rime manipulation predicted decoding improvements in a subgroup where children were exposed to both rime and phoneme‐based teaching.     

Oral health beliefs and behavior among young adults in Appalachian Kentucky

We used communication infrastructure theory to investigate oral health beliefs and behavior among young adults in Appalachian Kentucky. We conducted 7 focus groups with 67 participants who reported poor oral health behavior, but this was not necessarily the result of poor oral health knowledge. Participants identified several sociocultural factors affecting their oral health, including lack of oral health prioritization among older generations, and risky health behaviors that competed with good oral health. These sociocultural factors create a context in which standard oral health recommendations are commonly seen as excessive. Participants described various responses to the poor oral health in the region, including fatalism and a distrust of dentists, and that oral healthcare professionals may be using potentially problematic communication tactics. Practical implications for designing effective oral health promotion campaigns in the region and theoretical implications for developing social-contextual frameworks of oral health promotion are discussed.     

Interlibrary Loan's Efficacy in Meeting Students’ Expectations to Acquire Textbooks: Results From a Study Conducted in a Large Research Library

Students look to interlibrary loan (ILL) as a mechanism for acquiring textbooks. What are the students’ expectations of ILL and can ILL meet those expectations, especially given that textbooks are perceived as difficult to borrow? This article reports the findings of a survey designed to determine the expectations of students who had placed ILL requests for textbooks. By analyzing the records for those students’ requests using data from ILLiad, the degree to which students’ expectations can be met was determined. Students’ flexibility with editions provides ILL staff methods to increase fill rates and improve service.     

Flexible phonics: a complementary ‘next generation’ approach for teaching early reading

We describe the rationale for- and content of- a freely available, novel, theoretically driven and evidence-based approach to improving the teaching of word reading in reception classrooms called ‘Flexible Phonics’. Flexible Phonics (FP) adds measurable value to-, rather than wholly replacing, existing synthetic phonics programmes. The rationale underpinning the FP approach concerns the need for multi-componential, maximally efficient, and truly generative approaches to allow early independence in reading for all children that apply to all words in the opaque spelling system of English. Building from these three principles, contemporary reading theory and evidence from cognitive science, linguistics and scaled educational implementation research, FP embodies a 5-element intervention differentiated to children's current attainment levels. FP augments mandated synthetic phonics through use of quality real books allowing ‘Direct Mapping’ of taught grapheme-phoneme correspondences, targeted oral vocabulary teaching, strategy-instruction on ‘Set-for-Variability’ and targeted preventative intervention for the most at-risk readers to then access wider FP content. Implications for policy and enhanced professional practice in English schools are considered.     

Evidence for a simplicity principle: teaching common complex grapheme‐to‐phonemes improves reading and motivation in at‐risk readers

This study examines the effects of teaching common complex grapheme‐to‐phoneme correspondences (GPCs) on reading and reading motivation for at‐risk readers using a randomised control trial design with taught intervention and control conditions. One reading programme taught children complex GPCs ordered by their frequency of occurrence in children's texts (a ‘simplicity principle’). The other reading programme taught children word usage. Thirty‐eight students participated in the 9‐week programme of 30 supplemental small group sessions. Participants in the complex GPC group performed significantly better at post‐tests with generally large value‐added effect sizes (Cohen's d) at both by‐participant and by‐item for spelling, d = 1.85, d = 1.16; word recognition with words containing taught GPCs, d = 0.96, d = 0.95; word recognition, d = 0.79, d = 0.61, and reading motivation, d = 0.34, d = 0.56. These findings suggest that the simplicity principle aids in structuring maximally effective supplemental phonic interventions.     

The Impact of Motivational Reading Instruction on the Reading Achievement and Motivation of Students: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Educational Psychology Review - This systematic review and meta-analysis explores the impact of motivational reading interventions on the reading achievement and reading motivation of school-age...     

Working Memory and Reading Difficulties: What We Know and What We Don’t Know About the Relationship

This paper examines the role of Working Memory (WM) in developmental reading problems, considering: 1) The operationalization of WM; 2) The unique contribution of WM to reading; 3) Domain-general or -specific explanations of decoding and reading comprehension deficits; and 4) The capacity of WM constructs to distinguish between reading disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is concluded that: 1) Significant problems operationalizing working memory measures remain; 2) No clear unique role for WM is evident in longitudinal studies of reading acquisition; 3) Existing evidence concerning the domain-specificity or generality of WM problems is hard to interpret given problems in identification and sampling of poor readers and operationalization of WM constructs; 4) Further work is required to specify the nature of WM problems in samples of poor readers, as distinct from other co-occurring problems such as ADHD. Additional research is suggested to address these issues more fully.     

Motor skills, automaticity and developmental dyslexia: A review of the research literature

This paper reviews a body of prominent theoriesof automaticity in developmental dyslexia. Thefirst part of the review considers therelationship between dyslexia and rapidautomatic naming and fluency. Additionaltheoretical and empirical advances aresuggested to this already strong research base.In particular, there is a need is forexperimental work elucidating the nature ofnaming speed deficits and providing independentevidence of the automaticity of rapid naming.The second part of the review considersevidence for deficits in motor automaticity indyslexic children. Here, a more mixed patternof results is evident. It is concluded thatthere is currently clearer evidence forlanguage-based than motor-based automaticitydeficits. Future motor automaticity research islikely to require the routine screening of poorreaders for common co-occurring developmentaldifficulties, improved sampling and prospectivelongitudinal studies.