ACADEMIC STANDARDS IN THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES: A STUDY OF FACULTY PERCEPTIONS

This study assessed the opinions of faculty concerning academic standards in the classroom. It compared the responses of faculty with experience in the academic senates in 23 community colleges with faculty who had no senate experience. Differences of opinion also were examined based on the demographic variables of gender, age, ethnicity, level of education, years of teaching experience, and subject area taught. While faculty generally agreed with the importance of academic standards and with important considerations for establishing academic standards in the classroom, there were significant differences based on senate membership, gender, ethnicity, age, and subject area taught. Gender and ethnicity displayed the greatest number of differences. Campus‐wide discussions of academic standards, regional subject matter articulation conferences with nearby universities, and explicitly stated goals and objectives in all course syllabi were implications for practice emanating from this study.     

SCAFFOLDING THE INQUIRY CONTINUUM AND THE CONSTITUTION OF IDENTITY

This article considers the impact of scaffolding on pre-service science teachers’ constitution of identities as teachers of inquiry. This scaffolding has consisted of 2 major components, a unit on current electricity which encompasses the inquiry continuum and an open inquiry which is situated in context of classroom practice. Our analysis indicates 2 major themes. The first is the importance of scaffolding inquiry as a strategy for engaging in the discourses, experiences, and emotions that are foundational to the constitution of identity from the post-structural perspective. The second theme is that the opportunity to conduct an open inquiry, while concurrently considering its pedagogical implications, provides our pre-service teachers with an appreciation of the value of inquiry.     

Concentration and content

One of the more frequent activities in health sciences is the measurement of biological quantities. Frequently, when reading biomedical books and journals some confusion on the metrological meaning of biological quantities related to the concepts ‘concentration’ and ‘content’ may be observed. Classically, a concentration is an amount of any type per volume of liquid or gas system, whereas content is an amount of any type per mass of liquid or gas or solid system. However the concepts ‘concentration’ and ‘content’ alone are still ambiguous because, depending on the type of amount of the component (analyte) per volume or mass of a system, there are different types of concentrations and contents. This article attempts to give a clarification of these concepts, mainly based on international recommendations about nomenclature and terminology of metrology, chemistry and clinical laboratory sciences.     

The Determinants of Artistic Innovation: Bringing in the Role of Organizations

This article deals with the determinants of artistic innovation by arts organizations. First, we define artistic innovation. Second, we review the literature on its determinants, identifying some gaps. In particular, we observe that existing research mostly focuses on macro-environmental factors and tends to ignore the role of the organizations themselves. Thus, drawing from the organizational literature on innovation we formulate testable propositions that relate organizational factors to artistic innovation. We hope that our focus on organizational factors contributes to a more comprehensive framework on the determinants of artistic innovation in particular and programming in general.     

Systems-psychodynamics in schools: a framework for EPs undertaking organisational consultancy

This article considers how a framework for understanding group and organisational behaviour, systems-psychodynamics, can be utilised by educational psychologists taking up an organisational consultancy role to work with schools as whole systems. It outlines the three main theories that constitute a systems-psychodynamic perspective and considers how the approach has been used by educational psychologists. Two case studies are presented that explore how psychoanalytic concepts such as splitting, projection, use of counter-transference, social defences and others can be applied. Key themes from the case studies are analysed and salient details discussed. The article then discusses implications for practice and further areas of study.     

The role of universities in making industrial districts more dynamic. A case study in Spain

Through this research we aim to contribute to the debate on the role of universities in industrial districts in the context of the new competitive panorama that they are facing. With this objective in mind, we have carried out a study based on a university located within a Spanish textile district, using Social Network Analysis techniques. Of particular relevance are the relationships between companies, of which there is a dense concentration, and the university, which has an important role as mediator within the network.     

Influence of kick frequency on metabolic efficiency and performance at a severe intensity in international monofin-swimmers

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of kick frequency on metabolic efficiency and performance in elite monofin-swimmers at the surface. Seven participants of international calibre were requested to perform three separate time limit exercises conducted at an intensity corresponding to 97.5% of the velocity at the maximal oxygen uptake. The first Time Limit exercise was systematically conducted at a freely chosen kick frequency (FCK(F)) and the other Time Limit exercises were performed in random order at FCK(F)-10% and FCK(F) + 10%. The slow component of oxygen uptake (VO2sc) was identified independently of the Time Limit exercise (ranging from 180 to 243 ml · min(-1), P < 0.05). No significant change in energy cost of aquatic locomotion (ranging from 565 to (596 J · m(-1)) and [VO2sc) responses was observed between the three Time Limit exercises. An increase or decrease of 10% of the FCK(F) was associated with a significant reduction in Time Limit of -47.3% and -49.1%, respectively (P < 0.05). The analysis of the Time Limit exercise indicates that the selection of kick frequency other than FCK(F) is detrimental to overall monofin-swimming performance. Furthermore, the study results showed that the indicators of metabolic efficiency such as energy cost or [VO2sc) do not determine the performance response in elite monofin-swimmers at a severe intensity.     

Mapping the impact of climate change on biomass accumulation on stone

Several climate parameters affect the growth of organisms and, hence, their capacity to accumulate biomass. In the present research, we analyse the influence of two parameters, temperature and precipitation, on biomass accumulation on stone substrate, and propose a function to estimate it in temperate areas. The expression is subsequently used for the first time to evaluate the impact that climate change would have in biomass accumulation in Europe. The models on climate change predict an increase in temperature and precipitation in northern areas of Europe for the far future (2070–2099), which would lead to a higher accumulation of biomass. Otherwise, a significant reduction in precipitation is expected in southern areas of Europe, associated with a lower biomass accumulation in such areas.     

Variations of stroking parameters associated with 200 m competitive performance improvement in top-standard front crawl swimmers

The aim of this study was to analyse the variations of stroking parameters (speed, stroke length, stroke rate, and stroke index) associated with the 200 m front crawl competitive performance improvement. Two races completed by 17 top swimmers were analysed in the 200 m freestyle final of French or European championships, each final being separated by two years. All the swimmers' performances were bettered in the second race (mean +/- SD: 113.44 +/- 2.50 vs 111.78 +/- 2.71 s; p < 0.01) and were associated with a significant increase of stroke rate without variation of average stroke length and stroke index values (p > 0.05). Swimmers emphasized the first part of the race, with higher speed in the first three lengths, higher stroke rate in the first two lengths and lower stroke length in the first one. Stroke length and stroke rate variations were highly correlated (r = 0.98; p < 0.05). In 11 of the 17 swimmers, the improvement was concomitant with a decrease in stroke length and an increase in stroke rate. Only one swimmer's improvement was associated with a substantial increase in stroke length. These results highlighted that stroke length and stroke index cannot be considered as the only parameters linked to improvement in a 200 m crawl in adult swimmers competing at high standard. Moreover, an increase in stroke rate associated with a slight decrease in stroke length should not be considered as ineffective, especially at top standard.     

DOES THE SCHOOL COMPOSITION EFFECT MATTER? EVIDENCE FROM BELGIAN DATA

ABSTRACT:  Even if the literature on the effects of pupil composition has been extensive, no clear consensus has been reached concerning the significance and magnitude of this effect. The first objective of this article is to estimate the magnitude of the school composition effect in primary schools (6th grade) in French-speaking Belgium. Different indicators of school composition are used: academic, socio-cultural, 'language' and sex composition. Except for sex composition, the results show that the school composition effect explains significant amount of between schools variance even after controlling for pupils' initial performance, socio-cultural background, and non-cognitive dispositions. The second objective is to examine covariance between school composition and several organisational variables and their joint effect on school performance. The second set of analyses is intended to question the conceptual nature of the school composition effect, establishing whether it is direct or indirect.