Orthographic analogies and early reading: Explorations of performance and variation in two transfer tasks

Two experiments investigated the use of orthographic analogies in 6 year olds. In Experiment 1, 26 children were shown CVC clue and target word pairs sharing either rimes (`fork' – `pork'), heads (`fork' – `ford') or were controls (`fork' – `hurl'). A modest advantage for rime-clued over head-cluedtargets was unreliable over by-subject and by-item analyses. Improvements in target word reading were correlated with pretest scaffolding errors (e.g. `pork' misread as `park'). In Experiment 2, 50 children were pretaught three clue words for each target word before being shown words that shared either rimes (`leak' – `peak'), or medial vowel digraphs (`leak') – `bean'), or were controls (`leak' – `herd'). A modest advantage for rime-clued over vowel digraph-clued targets was again unreliable over by-subject and by-item analyses. Neither rime nor phoneme awareness measures were correlated with rime inference use. Vowel, but not rime inference, was correlated with scaffolding errors. Rime detection was the strongest predictor of reading ability, whereas phoneme segmentation was the strongest predictor of the use of scaffolding errors.     

Increasing the uptake of peer feedback in primary school writing: findings from an action research enquiry

This article reports on how an action research strategy was used to increase children's uptake of feedback during peer assessment in primary school writing. Several different strategies were used in the study that had been successful in increasing students’ uptake of peer feedback in contexts such as higher education. In order to evaluate how successful these actions were, several different data collection methods were drawn upon to triangulate findings including children's work, observations, informal interviews and mind mapping. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data generated. Findings are consistent with those from research in other settings which suggest that pupils make better use of feedback if: it is task-involving and useful; there is sufficient time given for them to act on it and discuss it with their peers; and they are asked to reflect on how it has been used to improve the quality of the assessed work.     

Factors affecting journal submission numbers: Impact factor and peer review reputation

Previous research has found that researchers rank journal reputation and impact factor (IF) amongst the key selection criteria when choosing where to submit. We explored the actual effect upon submission numbers of several possible factors. We retrieved 10 years of submission data from over a thousand journals, as well as data on IF, retractions, and other factors. We performed statistical analysis and identified correlations. We also undertook case study research on the 55 most significant submission decreases. We found a statistically significant correlation between changes in IF, ISI percentage ranking, and changes in submissions numbers in subsequent years. We also found a statistically significant effect on submission numbers in the year following the publication of a retraction. Our case studies identified other factors, including negative feedback on the peer review process. Our findings regarding IF confirm previous indications about the significance of IF on submissions. We explain the correlation with retractions through the concept of ‘peer review reputation’. These results indicate that editors and publishers need to focus on a journal's peer review practices, as well as a journal's IF, if they are to maintain and grow submissions.     

Let's Talk About Maths: The Role of Observed “Maths‐Talk” and Maths Provisions in Preschoolers' Numeracy

Developmental cognitive neuroscience highlights the importance of interactions between children and their environment. As young children spend increasing time in childcare, it is key to investigate the impact of “maths‐talk” and maths provisions in preschools. Qualitative insights from early educators indicate a greater bias toward counting activities than would be expected given the Early Years curriculum. In addition, we quantified the observed breadth of preschool practitioners' maths language (e.g., place‐value language), setting‐based maths provisions (e.g., quality of maths‐related activities), and their relation with children's early numeracy skills. In settings with greater practitioners' breadth of maths language, children display greater cardinality skills although our data call for the further investigation of parental socioeconomic status and education. We conclude with a discussion on the need to operationalize children's maths learning environments as diversely as possible. Enriching practitioners' skill sets may be an effective and needed way of improving early maths outcomes.     

Everyday Scientific Imagination

Science & Education - Imagination is necessary for scientific practice, yet there are no in vivo sociological studies on the ways that imagination is taught, thought of, or...     

Validating the Sedentary Sphere method in children: Does wrist or accelerometer brand matter?

This study aimed to validate the Sedentary Sphere posture classification method from wrist-worn accelerometers in children. Twenty-seven 9–10-year-old children wore ActiGraph GT9X (AG) and GENEActiv (GA) accelerometers on both wrists, and activPAL on the thigh while completing prescribed activities: five sedentary activities, standing with a phone, walking (criterion for all 7: observation) and 10-min free-living play (criterion: activPAL). In an independent sample, 21 children wore AG and GA accelerometers on the non-dominant wrist and activPAL for two days of free-living. Per cent accuracy, pairwise 95% equivalence tests (±10% equivalence zone) and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) analyses were completed. Accuracy was similar, for prescribed activities irrespective of brand (non-dominant wrist: 77–78%; dominant wrist: 79%). Posture estimates were equivalent between wrists within brand (±6%, ICC > 0.81, lower 95% CI ≥ 0.75), between brands worn on the same wrist (±5%, ICC ≥ 0.84, lower 95% CI ≥ 0.80) and between brands worn on opposing wrists (±6%, ICC ≥ 0.78, lower 95% CI ≥ 0.72). Agreement with activPAL during free-living was 77%, but sedentary time was underestimated by 7% (GA) and 10% (AG). The Sedentary Sphere can be used to classify posture from wrist-worn AG and GA accelerometers for group-level estimates in children, but future work is needed to improve the algorithm for better individual-level results.     

Effect of the look-up line on the gaze and head orientation of elite ice hockey players

Abstract

A “look-up line” (LUL) has been proposed for ice hockey, which is an orange 1?m (40′) warning line (WL) painted on the ice at the base of the boards. The LUL purports to provide an early warning to players to keep their head up prior to and as they are being checked. We determined if players looked up more on a rink with the LUL compared to a traditional Control rink. Elite offensive (O) and defensive (D) players competed 1 vs. 1, while wearing an eye tracker that recorded their quiet eye (QE) and fixation and tracking (F-T) and an electrogoniometer that measured head angle. External cameras recorded skate duration during four skate phases: P1 preparation, P2 decision-making, P3 cut to boards, P4 contact. The QE was the final fixation prior to contact between O and D as they skated towards and across the WL during P3 and P4. Skate phase durations (%) did not differ by rink or rink by position. More QE and F-T occurred on the WL on the LUL rink than on the Control. The expected increase in head angle on the LUL rink did not occur during P3 or P4. Post-hoc results also showed O and D skated further from the boards on the LUL rink, suggesting the players preferred to control the puck on white ice, rather than the orange colour of the LUL rink. More research is needed to determine if these results apply to the competitive setting.     

The effects of synchronous music on 400-m sprint performance

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of motivating and oudeterous (neither motivating nor demotivating) synchronous music on 400-m sprint performance while controlling for the potential confound of pre-performance mood. A panel of volunteer Caucasian males (n = 20; mean age = 20.5 years, s = 1.2) rated the motivational qualities of 32 musical selections using the Brunel Music Rating Inventory-2. An experimental group of volunteer Caucasian males (n = 36; mean age = 20.4 years, s = 1.4) completed three 400-m time trials under conditions of motivational music, oudeterous music, and a no-music control. Pre-performance mood was assessed using the Brunel University Mood Scale (BRUMS). A series of repeated-measures analyses of variance with Bonferroni adjustment revealed no differences in the BRUMS subscales. A repeated-measures analysis of variance on the 400-m times showed a significant effect (F1.24, 42.19 = 10.54, P < 0.001, eta 2 = 0.24) and follow-up pair wise comparisons revealed differences between the synchronous music conditions and the control condition. This finding supported the first research hypothesis, that synchronous music would result in better performance than a no-music control, but not the second hypothesis, that performance in the motivational synchronous music condition would be better than that in the oudeterous condition. It appears that synchronous music can be applied to anaerobic endurance performance among non-elite sports persons with a considerable positive effect.