A Breadth‐First Introductory Curriculum in Computing

This article identifies strengths and weaknesses in the introductory course sequence in computing, ^{1 1}Read as “computer science,” “computer science and engineering”, or any similar title. View all notes and proposes an alternative sequence using a “breadth‐first” approach. This approach integrates theoretical material, includes scheduled laboratory work, and covers a broad range of subject matter in the discipline of computing. We also summarize our early experience teaching the first course in this sequence.

     

Characteristics of effective interventions in improving young people's sexual health: a review of reviews

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a review of reviews to identify characteristics of effective sex and relationship education (SRE) interventions and/or programmes in young people to improve sexual health and identify barriers and facilitators for implementation. Six bibliographic databases were searched from 1986 to 2006 for systematic reviews that assessed SRE interventions or programmes in participants between 10 and 18 years old and their partners. All outcomes of improvement in sexual health were assessed and 30 systematic reviews were included. Effective interventions and/or programmes tended to be those targeting younger age groups before they become sexually active, focused interventions tailored to the physical and biological development stages, theory based, and abstinence education programmes that incorporate values of relationships and provide skills training and links to contraceptive services. Adequate training of personnel delivering the interventions and culturally sensitive programmes were identified as important facilitators of effectiveness. Future research should explore the appropriate age for initiating sex education and investigate targeting specific behaviour compared with multiple-outcome targeting. Research exploring the reasons for interventions focusing on specific populations (i.e. African and Hispanic origins), even if they were conducted in countries dominated by Caucasians, is warranted.     

Teacher identity construction across the curriculum: promoting cross-curriculum collaboration in English-medium schools

This article reports on a qualitative study that explored the prospects for the promotion of collaborative relationships between English as a Second Language (ESL) and content teachers in Hong Kong. At the time of the study, the eight participants, four content teachers and four ESL teachers, were all teaching in English-medium secondary schools in Hong Kong. The study drew upon interview data to examine how the participants' construction of teacher identities can shape possibilities for collaboration between ESL and content teachers. The paper begins by discussing some of the key issues in promoting collaboration between content and ESL teachers, then draws upon the works of Wenger and Fairclough to describe a framework for understanding the construction of teacher identity in practice and in discourse. The framework is applied to reveal the major challenges facing the promotion of collaboration between content and ESL teachers. Implications for institutional change that might promote these collaborative relations are also discussed.     

Teacher identity construction in school–university partnerships: Discourse and practice

This article reports on a qualitative case study that explored the experiences of two groups of secondary school English language teachers as they participated in school–university partnerships in Hong Kong. Drawing upon theories of identity construction and using in-depth interviews, the case studies highlight how teacher identity formation shaped and was shaped by participation in a school–university partnership. Implications for developing a critical perspective on school–university partnerships and for future research are discussed.     

From rigid dichotomy to measured contingency. Hong Kong preservice teachers' discursive construction of identity

This article reports on a qualitative study into the discursive construction of teacher identities amongst six preservice English language teachers in Hong Kong. While teacher identity construction has been conceptualized as an evolving process of becoming a teacher, some preservice teachers regard their professional identities as rigid, resulting in criticism of teacher education programs that promote a unitary image of ‘good’ teachers and teaching. The results of this study suggest that the participants did hold rigid conceptions about mutually exclusive types of teachers and teaching approaches. These conceptions were challenged as participants reflected on their own enactment of teacher identities.     

Television viewing and physical fitness in adults

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which time spent watching television is associated with cardiovascular fitness among 8,885 adults. Potential confounding effects of age, gender, smoking, length of work week, time reported exercising each week, and obesity were also examined. Subjects who watched TV more than 4 hours per day (frequent viewers) were 0.37 times as likely to be physically fit as those who watched TV less than 1 hour per day (infrequent viewers) with age and gender controlled. Similarly, adults who watched TV 3-4 hours per day (moderately frequent viewers) were 0.45 times as likely to be fit as infrequent watchers. Adjustment for potential confounders, particularly measured body fat and reported exercise duration in combination, weakened the TV viewing/fitness relation moderately. Given the findings of this study and the results of previous research, caution should be exercised regarding excessive television viewing.     

Lung volumes and maximal respiratory pressures in collegiate swimmers and runners

To determine whether respiratory muscle strength is related to pulmonary volume differences in athletes and nonathletes, 11 intercollegiate female swimmers, 11 female cross-country runners, and two nonathletic control groups, matched to the athletes in height and age, were evaluated for pulmonary parameters including maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) and maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax). Swimmers exhibited larger (p less than .05) vital capacities (VC), residual lung volumes (RV), inspiratory capacities (IC), and functional residual capacities (FRC) than both the runners or the controls but no difference (p greater than .05) in either PImax or inspiratory flow (FIV 25%-75%). Timed expiratory volumes (FEV 0.5 and FEV 1.0) were significantly (p less than .05) lower in the swimmers than in the controls. These data suggest that an adaptational growth may be responsible, in part, for the augmented static lung volumes demonstrated in swimmers.