Zur Rolle der Wissenschaft im nationalen Spitzensportfördersystem

In the 3/2015 edition of the journal Sportwissenschaft (Sport science), Hottenrott and Braumann name many problems, which in their opinion are the reasons for the current tense situation in German elite sport. This article is thought of as the reaction, with which comments, contradictions and underlining of the individual problems from the perspective of the authors are undertaken: but extending beyond Hottenrott and Braumann, statements are also made on the benchmarks of a future research promotion system for German elite sport. These are derived as far as possible from the conceptional requirements of such a system. The final section is programmatically entitled “Critique/problems and sequelae/requirements” and aims to give a constructive opinion on the current discussion about a reform of elite sport in Germany.     

The Zeitschriftendatenbank and the Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek: An Update on Services

The authors discuss the Zeitschriftendatenbank (the German Union Catalog of Serials) and the Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek (the Electronic Journals Library). They then present an overview of the cooperative efforts to integrate the two databases at a functional level, the services that have resulted so far from these efforts, and the prospects for the future.     

Stories of practitioner enquiry: using narrative interviews to explore teachers’ perspectives of learning to learn

The Campaign for Learning’s Learning to Learn Phase 4 was a research project in which teachers undertook practitioner enquiry to explore innovative pedagogies under the umbrella term of learning to learn. In 2008, to gain greater understanding of what this process meant to the participating teachers the research team at Newcastle University undertook narrative interviews which examined three key areas: the motivation for undertaking practitioner enquiry, the experience for both teachers and students, and the support needed to facilitate success. This paper examines how the decision to use narrative interviews in conjunction with an iterative validation process supported a meaningful and ethical exchange between the teachers and researchers, where knowledge generation was foregrounded, and how despite each teacher producing a unique, highly contextual story, cross-narrative themes emerged which have enabled the research team to broaden our understanding of practitioner enquiry.     

What to do when feeling bored?: Students' strategies for coping with boredom

The goal of this study was to explore different strategies for coping with boredom. A questionnaire was developed targeting two dimensions of coping, namely approach versus avoidance oriented coping and cognitive versus behavioral oriented coping. First, based on the responses of 976 students (51% female) from grades 5 to 10, the structure of the coping with boredom scales was verified by confirmatory factor analysis. In a second step, 3 different boredom-coping groups were identified by latent profile analysis. These three groups were named Reappraisers, Criticizers, and Evaders. Third, differences between these groups concerning their frequency of experiencing boredom, their academic achievement, and other emotional, motivational, and cognitive aspects of academic achievement situations were analyzed. Relative to the other 2 groups, Reappraisers preferred cognitive-approach strategies, were less frequently bored, and experienced the most positive pattern of emotional, motivational, and cognitive outcomes. Finally, methodological and educational implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Opting out or opting in? Conscience clauses,minority belief communities and the possibility of inclusive Religious Education in Northern Ireland

A recent research study has examined the role and effectiveness of conscience clauses as a means of protecting the freedom of religion and belief of members of minority faith communities in relation to the teaching of religious education (RE) in schools. While the specific context for this study related to young people from such communities in Northern Ireland, its implications have wider application to other national contexts. In this article, the principal focus is on the significance of the study for the content of, and approach to, RE in schools.     

Anorexia athletica in pre-professional ballet dancers

Abstract

Competitive sport has been under increasing discussion as a possible favourable factor in the development of eating disorders among children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of sport-specific eating disorders, in line with the concept of anorexia athletica. This prospective field study included one experimental group and two control groups (disease and healthy). Fifty-two pre-professional ballet dancers aged 13–20 years were tested for clinical eating disorders, anorexia athletica criteria, eating disorder related psychopathology and self-concept, and were compared with 52 patients with anorexia nervosa and 44 non-athletic controls of the same age. The study was conducted using semi-structured interviews as well as self-report questionnaires. A clinical eating disorder diagnosis was made in 1.9% of the ballet dancers versus 0% of the high school students; anorexia athletica was diagnosed in 5.8% of the dancers versus 2.3% of the students. Ballet dancers scored lower than patients with anorexia nervosa with regard to eating disorder related psychopathology and higher than the patients with regard to self-concept. We conclude that more sensitive tools to differentiate between sport-specific (eating) patterns, anorexia athletica and clinically relevant eating disorders are needed, especially for aesthetic sports such as ballet. It remains an important goal to identify athletes with symptoms of anorexia athletica irrespective of their physique and/or sport.     

Prognostic validity of talent orientation in soccer

Several talent-screening programs conducted within elementary schools have implemented motor diagnostics to introduce children to groups of sports including both game and specific sports, the latter of which includes gymnastics, skiing, and tennis. However, as in most other sports, the predictive value for soccer regarding such early testing is unclear. This prospective cohort study evaluated the mid-term prognostic validity of general motor tests as well as a soccer-specific score calculated from a test battery. The sample consisted of N?=?2965 U9 age group of children from the Fulda Movement Check (FMC). The FMC is a basic check comprised of two anthropometric parameters and eight general items of the German Motor Test 6–18 by Boes and Schlenker with the addition of a ball throw. The test data were collected from the second grade classes of 2011–2014. The soccer competition performance of those children who chose soccer (n?=?316) up to the end of the season 2016/17 (September 30, 2017) was recorded. This group of U12–U15 players was then assigned individually to four different competition levels. The prognostic validity of the motor tests was determined using analysis of variance, odds ratios, and a discriminant analysis. All diagnostic methods exhibited medium to high prognostic validity over the 2? to 6?year time span from the talent screening and talent orientation period to the later soccer competitions in the early adolescent U12–U15 age groups. The prognostic relevance of the nine general motor tests was confirmed.     

Geht’s auch mit der Maus? – Eine Methodenstudie zu Online-Befragungen in der Jugendforschung

While internet based surveys have gained importance in recent years, their use in adolescent related research is rare at best. The present paper offers an overview of advantages and disadvantages of online surveys and discusses their use in regard to the questioning of adolescents. In a comparison between two random samples of 13 to 17 year olds, we examine how differences between a telephone (N?= 1,784) and an online (N?= 1,652) survey materialize in regard to the coverage rate, discontinuation behavior, and item-non-response. The sampling is analyzed further with regard to sociodemographic differences. While there are no expected coverage problems for the adolescent target group, the results show that adolescents from educated families, as well as those with a migration background, took part more often in the online survey as opposed to the telephone survey. Also, a more intensive mobile use of the internet, as well as in part greater sports activity, is connected to a higher willingness to take part in the survey which suggests that the survey topic influences the willingness to participate.     

Der Einfluss von aufmerksamkeitslenkenden Instruktionen auf das Erlernen einer Schlagbewegung im Golf

Among other things instructions serve the purpose of directing the recipient’s attentional focus. Several studies have demonstrated the advantage of an attentional focus away from one’s body (external) and towards the effect of the movement over an attentional focus on the movement itself (internal). In contrast, other studies have shown that the advantage of an external focus cannot be generalized. The present study utilized a golf putting task to investigate the effectiveness of an internal versus an external focus. Furthermore, the present study investigated whether participants complied with the instructions with the respective focus during the learning phase. Moreover, in addition to the performance on the putting task the movement execution was also examined. The results showed that the internal as well as the external group switched between the internal and external focus and additionally modified a neutral focus. There was no correlation between hitting performance and movement variability, but a correlation between the neutral focus and the movement variability was found. The results challenge empirical analysis and the results of research about attentional focus.