Rankings in professional men’s tennis: a rich but underutilized source of information

Abstract

Success in professional tennis is measured, at least in part, by rankings. However, there is little quantitative evidence to inform stakeholders regarding what represents the typical ranking progress of top-ranked players. The objective of this study was therefore to compare the ranking trajectories of male players whom achieved peak professional rankings in the Top 250, 175, 100, 50, 20 and 10. The 11,396 birthdates and weekly professional rankings of all players between 27 August 1973 and 31 October 2011 were collated. The peak ranks for each athlete according to their both chronological age and number of years on tour were identified and athletes were categorised into one of six career–peak ranking bands. One-way analysis of variance tests confirmed distinctive ranking trajectories, which were most pronounced among Top 10 players. The rankings of these players were statistically distinguishable following players’ second year on tour or by 17 years of age. The ranking signature of all Top 100 players emerged as significantly different to players that failed to enter the Top 100 by their fourth year on the tour. Indeed, the representation of ranking as a function of years on tour should be considered for use by tennis policy-makers in the future.     

Intelligence,Global Terrorism and Higher Education: Neutralising Threats or Alienating Allies?

The British Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 appears to have drawn universities into the security apparatus of the state. Academics and administrators have been compelled to comply with measures aimed at monitoring the activities of mostly Islamic student societies. While it is not inconceivable that universities are exploited as sites for extremist propagandising or even as recruiting grounds for extremist causes, do the new counterterrorism measures suffice to reduce the threat; and if so, even in a small measure, does it outweigh the risks of alienating the many to defeat the few? This article draws on narratives of Muslim students, their experiences of existing counterterrorism policies, to examine the effects of the new security framework and asks whether there is another way – a broader framework in which intelligence agencies and academic institutions can pool resources, not to improve statecraft, but to respond more effectively to threats, both known and unknown.     

Gender and sexuality diversity and schooling: progressive mothers speak out

Abstract

Although social acceptance of gender and sexuality diversity is growing in Australian society, in schools, visibility and inclusion of knowledge pertaining to those who are gender- and/or sexuality-diverse, such as lesbians, gay men and transgender people, remain marginalised. This may be due, in part, to a belief that parents are opposed to such content inclusions in their children’s education; yet, virtually no Australian research supports this belief nor have parental perspectives on gender and sexuality diversity inclusion been specifically examined. This paper draws on a broader research study that examined New South Wales parents’ perceptions about the visibility of gender and sexuality diversity and the inclusion or exclusion of related content in school curriculum. It focuses on one particular focus group comprised of only mothers who lived in a specific enclave of Sydney known for its gender and sexuality diversity. The discussion highlights their awareness of gender and sexuality diversity and the dynamics surrounding it; and their perceptions of local school approaches to, and limitations around, gender and sexuality diversity in school curricula, policy and practices, despite potential support for it.     

Integrating Undergraduate Peer Mentors into Liberal Arts Courses: A Pilot Study

This article presents research and narratives on the integration of course-based peer learning assistants into seven courses. A new curricular peer mentoring program was piloted in the 2005–2006 academic year in an interdisciplinary liberal arts college at a large Canadian research university. Undergraduate students enrolled in a practicum course which supported their learning while they collaborated with the “host instructor” of the course in which they served as peer mentor. Assistants’ roles varied and included individual tutoring, help via email, online discussion facilitation, small group facilitation, in-class presentation and discussion facilitation, and extracurricular study groups. Their integration into scheduled class activities resulted in participating students’ perception of enhanced learning. Data included peer mentors’ assignments, host instructor feedback, and student surveys.

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN THE STATE UNIVERSITY

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview and analysis of attitudes of Israeli K-12 educators and bible teachers toward religious studies. Teachers attitudes toward bible teaching as a mandatory subject are, on the whole, positive throughout the country. The present study addresses the absence of systematic research into the opinions of bible teachers, their worldviews and critical thinking, and how these impact their teaching in practice. The author s findings were integrated within the formulation of a theoretical framework that examined the mainstreams in the cultural-religious structure of Israeli society. Bible studies appear to serve functional needs, and their presence in the Israeli school curriculum is motivated by pragmatic values, not necessarily by religious passion.     

Learning through transitions: The role of institutions

In this paper two models are proposed for analysing transitions in education. Firstly, transitions are the processes that follow ruptures perceived by people. They include learning, identity change, and meaning making processes. Secondly, processes of change are observed through a semiotic prism, articulating self-other-object-sense of the object for self, and located in a specific social frame. Transitions are thus analysed as reconfigurations of such semiotic prism. The paper proposes to highlight the role of institutions as social frames likely to facilitate, or constrain, such reconfigurations. The role of institutions in transitions is discussed through three case studies: the transition to vocational training, the transition out of a religious school, and the transition to work at war-time.     

Relative age effect: implications for effective practice

Physical and psychological differences related to birthdate amongst athletes of the same selection year have been characterised as the “relative age effects” (RAEs). RAEs have been identified in a variety of sports, both at youth and adult level, and are linked with dropout of athletes and a reduction of the talent pool. This study examined the existence, mechanisms and possible solutions to RAEs using qualitative methodology. Seven experts in the field of talent identification and development were interviewed. Inductive analysis of the data showed that, while there was mixed evidence for the existence of RAEs across sports, the eradication of RAEs was attributed to controllable features of the development environment. The factors reported included the structure of “categories” used to group athletes within the sport (e.g. age, weight, size, skills), recognition and prioritisation of long-term development over “short term win focus.” Education of relevant parties (e.g. coaches, scouts, clubs) about RAEs and the nature of “talent” within a long-term context was suggested, along with careful consideration of the structure of the development environment (e.g. delayed selection, provision for late developers, focus on skills not results, use of challenge). Implications for research and practice are discussed.