The Development of Peer Support in Secondary Schools

There is now a heightened awareness of the need for schools to provide a safe environment in which children can learn. However, issues and incidents of bullying are still high on most school agendas. The pastoral care of children during school hours includes an emphasis on loco parentis and within this brief anti-bullying strategies have to be seen to work. Peer support is one such strategy that is becoming increasingly prevalent as schools attempt to create a safer and supportive environment for their pupils. This paper records the development and progress of this type of peer intervention scheme.     

Sex difference in muscle cross-sectional area of athletes and non-athletes

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether there is a sex difference in limb muscle cross-sectional area by comparing upper- and lower-body limb fat-free cross-sectional areas (FFCSAs) adjusted for differences in fat-free weight (FFW), in male and female athletes with similar histories of upper-body physical conditioning and in non-athletes. Limb FFCSAs were calculated from circumferences corrected for subcutaneous fat thickness and FFW was estimated from body density measured by underwater weighing in 24 male and 25 female swimmers and 23 male and 25 female non-athletes, 15 to 28 years of age. The male swimmers had 32% larger FFWs and 49% larger upper-arm, similar forearm and 23% larger thigh FFCSAs compared to the female swimmers. The male non-athletes had 34% larger FFWs, 61% larger upper-arms, 54% larger forearms and 35% larger thighs than female non-athletes. To adjust for differences in body size, analysis of covariance was performed on the FFCSAs using FFW as the covariate. For the swimmers there were no significant differences (P greater than 0.05) in the adjusted FFCSAs. For the non-athletes, males had significantly larger adjusted upper-arm and forearm FFCSAs than the females but thigh FFCSAs were not significantly different (P greater than 0.05). These results suggest that sex differences in muscle area of the arms, may be partially attributed to long-term activity differences between sexes. Possible long-term differences in activity between sexes should be considered in comparisons of functional or performance measures between sexes.     

Time-motion analysis of elite field hockey, with special reference to repeated-sprint activity

Limited information exists about the movement patterns of field-hockey players, especially during elite competition. Time-motion analysis was used to document the movement patterns during an international field-hockey game. In addition, the movement patterns of repeated-sprint activity were investigated, as repeated-sprint ability is considered to be an important fitness component of team-sport performance. Fourteen members of the Australian men's field-hockey team (age 26+/-3 years, body mass 76.7+/-5.6 kg, VO2max 57.9+/-3.6 ml.kg(-1).min(-1); mean+/-s) were filmed during an international game and their movement patterns were analysed. The majority of the total player game time was spent in the low-intensity motions of walking, jogging and standing (46.5+/-8.1, 40.5+/-7.0 and 7.4+/-0.9%, respectively). In comparison, the proportions of time spent in striding and sprinting were 4.1+/-1.1 and 1.5+/-0.6%, respectively. Our criteria for 'repeated-sprint' activity (defined as a minimum of three sprints, with mean recovery duration between sprints of less than 21 s) was met on 17 occasions during the game (total for all players), with a mean 4+/-1 sprints per bout. On average, 95% of the recovery during the repeated-sprint bouts was of an active nature. In summary, the results suggest that the motion activities of an elite field-hockey competition are similar to those of elite soccer, rugby and Australian Rules football. In addition, the investigation of repeated-sprint activity during competition has provided additional information about the unique physiological demands of elite field-hockey performance.     

Activities for a Regional Medical Library: a view of priorities by users and librarians.

Priorities are given for five major categories of regional medical library activities, with further ordering of some fifty specific activities, as determined through discussion with, and a questionnaire survey of, the advisory committee of the Midcontinental Regional Medical Library. These activity priorities are considered a working tool for formulation of objectives and development of plans, and do not include a consideration of methodologies for implementation. User and librarian responses are noted and some interpretive comments are made.     

Learning from Coursework in English and Geography

As an element of high stakes assessment, coursework was originally intended to raise the validity of the assessment process and to enhance the learning of students. In recent years, this purpose has been distorted by the increasing requirements for educational institutions to demonstrate standards and to be accountable. This small, ESRC-funded study used in-depth qualitative approaches to explore the nature and processes of learning from coursework in national examinations undertaken by 16 year-old students. Among other things, it probed the extent to which qualities such as independent learning, critical thinking and creativity were developed through coursework. The research found that, while the practice underpinning coursework had the capacity to support deeper and more independent learning, the pressures of achieving good grades mediated against all pupils reaching the optimum level of higher order thinking.