Part 10: Teacher Behaviors

Effective teachers place learners’ needs at the center of their efforts and find ways to bridge gaps between learning objectives and students’ prior knowledge and interests. Proven techniques to maximize student learning include encouraging questioning, provoking thought, connecting with students’ interests, expecting engagement, and communicating trust that students can succeed. Findings are presented from research on one-on-one instruction, making clear explanations, and giving effective feedback. The column concludes with guidelines for self-assessing librarians’ teaching effectiveness.     

Child care and family processes: Bi-directional relations between child care quality,home environments,and maternal depression

The current study examined whether within-family changes in child care quality and quantity predicted subsequent changes in home environment quality and maternal depression across early childhood (6 to 54 months of age). Data were drawn from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (n = 1239; 77% White; 48% female; data collection from 1991 to 1996), and were analyzed using Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models. Within-family increases in child care quality predicted modest increases in home environment quality (β = .13–.17). These effects were most robust from child age 6 to 15 months. Increases in child care quality produced small, statistically non-significant, reductions in depression. Time-specific increases in child care quantity were not consistently predictive of either outcome.     

探素硅谷创新文化的6个奥秘

硅谷不只是地图上的一点,还是象征创新精神的“极客”圣地。硅谷的“创业血液”源于惠普（HP）的位置——帕罗奥图（PaloAlto）。马克·扎克伯格把脸书（Facebook）从他哈佛大学的宿舍搬到硅谷;史蒂夫·乔布斯在这里长大……那么,硅谷缘何取得如此的成功？它怎样运用外在的因素为其所用？请看关于硅谷的6个文化秘密!     

Determining the Overall Impact of Interruptions During Online Testing

With an increase in the number of online tests, interruptions during testing due to unexpected technical issues seem unavoidable. For example, interruptions occurred during several recent state tests. When interruptions occur, it is important to determine the extent of their impact on the examinees’ scores. There is a lack of research on this topic due to the novelty of the problem. This article is an attempt to fill that void. Several methods, primarily based on propensity score matching, linear regression, and item response theory, were suggested to determine the overall impact of the interruptions on the examinees’ scores. A realistic simulation study shows that the suggested methods have satisfactory Type I error rate and power. Then the methods were applied to data from the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress‐Plus (ISTEP+) test that experienced interruptions in 2013. The results indicate that the interruptions did not have a significant overall impact on the student scores for the ISTEP+ test.     

The associations of selected technical parameters with discus throwing performance: A cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to identify associations between discus throwing performance and the technical parameters of: hip–shoulder and shoulder–arm separation, trunk forward–backward tilt, and throwing-arm elevation angles. Video data of male and female discus throwers' competitive performances were captured during major competitions. Real-life three-dimensional coordinates of 21 body landmarks, and the discus's centre, were obtained for 94 trials using the direct linear transformation procedure. Each technical parameter was reduced at six critical instants. The trend of each parameter across four standards of performance was analysed separately for both sexes. For the female throwers, hip–shoulder and shoulder–arm separations after the flight phase, as well as forward–backward trunk tilts at the beginning and end of the throwing procedure were associated with performance. For male throwers, only the hip–shoulder separation immediately before the flight phase was associated with performance. These findings suggest that the relationships between technical parameters and discus throwing performance are different for males and females. Our results suggest that elite female discus throwers are reliant on effective technique throughout the throwing procedure to achieve long distances, whereas male discus throwers may have a relatively homogeneous technique, and a dependence on physical strength to achieve their long throws.     

Influence of shaft length on golf driving performance

The aim of this study was to determine how shaft length affects golf driving performance. A range of drivers with lengths between 1.168 m and 1.270 m, representing lengths close to the 1.219 m limit imposed by R&;A Rules Limited (2008 R&;A Rules Limited. 2008. Rules of golf, St. Andrews: R&;A Rules Limited, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.  [Google Scholar]), were assembled and evaluated. Clubhead and ball launch conditions and drive distance and accuracy were determined for seven category 1 golfers (handicaps 0.21 ± 2.41) who performed shots on a purpose-built practice hole. As shaft length increased from 1.168 m to 1.270 m, initial ball velocity increased (+1.8 m/s, P < 0.01). Ball carry (+4.3 m, P = 0.152) also increased, although not significantly so. Furthermore, as shaft length increased, for all club comparisons there was no decrease in accuracy. Ball launch conditions of spin components and launch angle remained unaffected by shaft length. Launch angle increased (0.8°, F = 1.074, P = 0.362) as driver shaft length increased. Our results show that clubhead and ball velocity together with ball carry tended to increase with no loss of accuracy.     

Physiological determinants of climbing-specific finger endurance and sport rock climbing performance

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine several physiological responses to a climbing-specific task to identify determinants of endurance in sport rock climbing. Finger strength and endurance of intermediate rock climbers (n = 11) and non-climbers (n = 9) were compared using climbing-specific apparatus. After maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) trials, two isometric endurance tests were performed at 40% (s = 2.5%) MVC until volitional exhaustion (continuous contractions and intermittent contractions of 10 s, with 3 s rest between contractions). Changes in muscle blood oxygenation and muscle blood volume were recorded in the flexor digitorum superficialis using near infra-red spectroscopy. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Climbers had a higher mean MVC (climbers: 485 N, s = 65; non-climbers 375 N, s = 91) (P = 0.009). The group mean endurance test times were similar. The force – time integral, used as a measure of climbing-specific endurance, was greater for climbers in the intermittent test (climbers: 51,769 N · s, s = 12,229; non-climbers: 35,325 N · s, s = 9724) but not in the continuous test (climbers: 21,043 N · s, s = 4474; non-climbers: 15,816 N · s, s = 6263). Recovery of forearm oxygenation during rest phases (intermittent test) explained 41.1% of the variability in the force – time integral. Change in total haemoglobin was significantly greater in non-climbers (continuous test) than climbers (P = 0.023 – 40% test timepoint, P = 0.014 – 60% test timepoint). Pressor responses were similar between groups and not related to the force – time integral for either test. We conclude that muscle re-oxygenation during rest phases is a predictor of endurance performance.     

Achieving both intellectual quality and relevance in classroom learning experiences: some conceptual challenges

The idea that the educational needs of secondary school students are best met by providing them with learning experiences that are both intellectually challenging and connected to the world beyond the classroom underpins several recent pedagogical initiatives in Australia. However, such learning experiences are rarely found in practice. Many reasons for this have already been identified, but we suggest there may be another dimension to this problem. From our experience of trialling a similar pedagogical approach with Years 8 and 10 students, the participating teachers seemed to be struggling with a conceptual dilemma that interfered with creating learning experiences that are both intellectually challenging and relevant. We suggest this dilemma was generated by a dualistic framework of thinking and practice, endemic in education systems, which constructs academic rigour and relevance as incompatible with each other. We conclude that there is a need for more extensive teacher professional development in pedagogies which attempt to integrate intellectual rigour and relevance.