The Crisis of Relativism: Helping Counselors Cope with Diversity

Counselors are sometimes disoriented by the massive variety of approaches to the helping process. This plurality of counseling methods often pushes both students and practitioners toward an epistemological crisis—“the crisis of relativism.” A developmental scheme outlined by William Perry in 1970 is employed to interpret some of the typical cognitive transitions that can occur among counselor trainees who struggle with diversity. Also, the authors offer suggestions that may meet the particular needs of counselors coping with this multitude of therapy options.     

Chilli anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum species

Anthracnose disease is one of the major economic constraints to chilli production worldwide, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Accurate taxonomic information is necessary for effective disease control management. In the Colletotrichum patho-system, different Colletotrichum species can be associated with anthracnose of the same host. Little information is known concerning the interactions of the species associated with the chilli anthracnose although several Colletotrichum species have been reported as causal agents of chilli anthracnose disease worldwide. The ambiguous taxonomic status of Colletotrichum species has resulted in inaccurate identification which may cause practical problems in plant breeding and disease management. Although the management and control of anthracnose disease are still being extensively researched, commercial eultivars of Capsicum annuum that are resistant to the pathogens that cause chilli anthracnose have not yet been developed. This paper reviews the causal agents of chilli anthracnose, the disease cycle, conventional methods in identification of the pathogen and molecular approaches that have been used for the identification of Colletotrichum species. Pathogenetic variation and population structure of the causal agents of chilli anthracnose along with the current taxonomic status of Colletotrichum species are discussed. Future developments leading to the disease management strategies are suggested.     

Three-dimensional kinematic comparison of treadmill and overground running

The treadmill is an attractive device for the investigation of human locomotion, yet the extent to which lower limb kinematics differ from overground running remains a controversial topic. This study aimed to provide an extensive three-dimensional kinematic comparison of the lower extremities during overground and treadmill running. Twelve participants ran at 4.0 m/s ( ± 5%) in both treadmill and overground conditions. Angular kinematic parameters of the lower extremities during the stance phase were collected at 250 Hz using an eight-camera motion analysis system. Hip, knee, and ankle joint kinematics were quantified in the sagittal, coronal, and transverse planes, and contrasted using paired t-tests. Of the analysed parameters hip flexion at footstrike and ankle excursion to peak angle were found to be significantly reduced during treadmill running by 12° (p = 0.001) and 6.6° (p = 0.010), respectively. Treadmill running was found to be associated with significantly greater peak ankle eversion (by 6.3°, p = 0.006). It was concluded that the mechanics of treadmill running cannot be generalized to overground running.     

Exercise,plasma catecholamine concentrations and decision-making performance of soccer players on a soccer-specific test

The main aim of this study was to compare the decision-making performance of college soccer players on a soccer-specific, tachistoscopically presented test, at rest and while exercising at their adrenaline threshold and at their maximum power output. These were determined following an incremental test to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer. After the initial maximum power test, participants (n= 9) were allowed 10 habituation trials on the soccer decision-making test. Participants' decision-making performance was tested at rest, while cycling at a power output that had previously been determined to elicit their adrenaline threshold and while cycling at maximum power output. Accuracy and speed of decision were the dependent variables. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance showed no significant effect of exercise on accuracy, and showed speed of decision to be significantly affected by exercise. Tukey post-hoc tests showed that speed of decision at rest was significantly slower than in the other two conditions, which did not differ significantly from one another. Based on allocatable resources theories of arousal and performance, we conclude that the adrenaline threshold may be indicative of increases in the resources available to the individual. Furthermore, we considered that exercise at maximum power output may only induce a moderate rather than a high level of arousal.     

Assuring the Quality of Engineering Education: issues of effectiveness and the ethos of excellence

This paper examines the possibility of applying industrial principles of quality assurance within the sphere of engineering education. In view of the impending ‘one market Europe’ and the envisaged transnational mobility of professionals, it is important for educators to demonstrate their commitment to quality. It is suggested that to teach about quality within engineering courses is insufficient: it is time to prove the benefits of these concepts through personal commitment and action. The industrial Quality Assurance model, ISO9000 is considered in the context of education and is proposed as a suitable vehicle for the implementation of the requisite attitudinal and cultural changes embodied in Total Quality Management. The possible conflict between the industrial view of quality as fitness for purpose and the educational ethos of striving for excellence is discussed. It is concluded that there is an urgent need for engineering educators to practise what they preach and move towards a customer centred, market driven education system dedicated to continuous self-improvement.     

The Collaborative Team as a Training and Therapeutic Tool

Within the field of systemic family therapy, the collaborative team is emerging as a powerful training approach as well as a valuable therapeutic tool. This article presents the collaborative team as a method of counselor supervision and training. Issues around the developing team process and potential pitfalls are elaborated. Finally, examples, which serve to integrate discussion of training and clinical applications, are presented.     

THE EFFECT OF SERIAL RETESTING ON THE RELATIVE PERFORMANCE OF HIGH- AND LOW-TEST ANXIOUS SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS1

Serial retesting was investigated as a means of improving the test performance of high-anxious students relative to that of their low-anxious peers. The Test Anxiety Scale for Children was given to about 300 seventh grade students in a suburban school; the middle 50% were eliminated to maximize experimental variance. Six groups were established for high and low anxiety levels and for three ability levels. The Academic Promise Tests (except for the Abstract Reasoning Test) were then given four times at 1-week intervals in the fall of the school year. All groups continued to improve significantly in a monotonic, linear fashion, with the greatest improvement occurring on the Numerical Test. Contrary to expectation, there were no significant interactions among previous achievement levels, predispositional test anxiety levels, and test trials. The greatest change on the Numerical Test occurred between the first test trial and the second test trial.     

Indoctrination and Social Context: A System‐based Approach to Identifying the Threat of Indoctrination and the Responsibilities of Educators

Debates about indoctrination raise fundamental questions about the ethics of teaching. This paper presents a philosophical analysis of indoctrination, including 1) an account of what indoctrination is and why it is harmful, and 2) a framework for understanding the responsibilities of teachers and other educational actors to avoid its negative outcomes. I respond to prominent outcomes‐based accounts of indoctrination, which I argue share two limiting features—a narrow focus on the threat indoctrination poses to knowledge and on the dyadic relationship between indoctrinator and indoctrinated person. I propose a system‐based account of indoctrination in which actors with authority contribute to the production or reinforcement of closed‐mindedness, which threatens both knowledge and understanding. By taking a system‐based approach, my account is better equipped to identify the implications of indoctrination for educational policy and practice.