Perceptual-cognitive expertise in sport: a meta-analysis

Research focusing on perceptual-cognitive skill in sport is abundant. However, the existing qualitative syntheses of this research lack the quantitative detail necessary to determine the magnitude of differences between groups of varying levels of skills, thereby limiting the theoretical and practical contribution of this body of literature. We present a meta-analytic review focusing on perceptual-cognitive skill in sport (N = 42 studies, 388 effect sizes) with the primary aim of quantifying expertise differences. Effects were calculated for a variety of dependent measures (i.e., response accuracy, response time, number of visual fixations, visual fixation duration, and quiet eye period) using point-biserial correlation. Results indicated that experts are better than nonexperts in picking up perceptual cues, as revealed by measures of response accuracy and response time. Systematic differences in visual search behaviors were also observed, with experts using fewer fixations of longer duration, including prolonged quiet eye periods, compared with non-experts. Several factors (e.g., sport type, research paradigm employed, and stimulus presentation modality) significantly moderated the relationship between level of expertise and perceptual-cognitive skill. Practical and theoretical implications are presented and suggestions for empirical work are provided.     

Organized Non-Activity: A Proposed Solution to Some Common Classroom Problems

The authors recommend practical techniques and resources for teaching at-risk secondary students, who are often nontraditional learners. The article describes tactual and kinesthetic instructional resources that research has shown are effective for typically performing and at-risk students who do not learn conventionally.     

Adapting Self-Regulated Strategy Development in Persuasive Writing for Adolescents Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Within the special education community, research and policy focus on teachers implementing evidence-based instructional practices with fidelity. However, special education teachers may have to adapt evidence-based practices if the research supporting those practices has not yet included studies that represent populations in the classrooms (i.e., students with low-incidence disabilities). That is, there may be a tension for teachers between adopting evidence-based instruction and adapting lessons to meet the needs of students. This article describes one teacher's adaptations to an evidence-based practice in writing to meet the needs of her adolescent students who are deaf. Her experience models ways teachers can use professional wisdom to adapt evidence-based practices to meet the needs of students with disabilities.     

Protégé Growth Themes Emergent in a Holistic,Undergraduate Peer-Mentoring Experience

Two faculty members developed and implemented a successful, holistic, goal-oriented peer-mentoring project for two years at a midsize, urban university to enhance student success and retention. In year one, 12 juniors and seniors mentored 34 freshmen and sophomores; in year two, 14 upperclassmen mentored 40 underclassmen. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze goal-progress tracking data, postintervention survey data self-reported by protégés, and mentor journals. The following six themes emerged from this data analysis: academic skills and knowledge, career decision-making, connectedness to others, maturity, physical well-being, and aspiration. Findings advance our summary understanding of the context in which students may grow and develop because of holistic mentoring, understanding that may have value in informing the intelligent design of future mentoring experiences. Results also support program efficacy, from an overall standpoint as well as regarding improvements from the year one to year two versions of the program.     

Development and use of an instrument for assessing the department-level work environment: The department-level environment questionnaire (DLEQ)

There has been little research into the work environments of teachers at the subject department level. Understanding and investigating the work environment at this level could provide insight into the type of work environment that might lead teachers to remain in the teaching profession. This article reports the development, validation and use of a work environment instrument at the subject department level. The department-level environment questionnaire (DLEQ) was developed using the school-level environment questionnaire as the parent instrument. Both Actual and Preferred Forms of the DLEQ were used. Early-career secondary school science teachers’ perceptions of the actual and preferred science department environment in New Zealand were sought. In addition, interviews with 17 % of the participants were conducted in order to find out why the teachers answered the questionnaire in the way that they did. The findings highlight the needs of this particular group of teachers. Future research opportunities for further instrument development and use of the instrument are suggested.     

Tallebudgera: A First Experience in Environmental Education

Abstract

The environment as an issue has been prominently before the public for almost two decades. Yet the question of how much the public knows about their environment or about environmental issues has seldom been considered in the research literature. Using data from a statewide survey, this paper examines the general level of public environmental knowledge and analyzes the sociodemographic characteristics correlated with such knowledge. The results indicate that public environmental knowledge remains painfully low, and that the major correlates of environmental knowledge are education, income, and sex. The need for the development of environmental knowledge scales that can be applied across a variety of research is discussed.     

Still flies in buttermilk: black male faculty,critical race theory,and composite counterstorytelling

Driven by critical race theory, this essay employs composite counterstorytelling to narrate the experiences of black male faculty on traditionally white campuses. Situated at the intersections of race and gender, our composite counterstory is richly informed by 11 interviews with black male faculty alongside critical race scholarship that documents the omnipresence of black misandric ideology. Through our protagonist Dr Timesnow, a black male Assistant Professor, we reflect on how his daily experiences incite racial battle fatigue, feed into imposter syndrome, and circumvent an inclusive campus community.