Playing for freedom: Sócrates,futebol-arte and democratic struggle in Brazil

Brazilian futebol has provided the world with several first-class players who have left their footprint on football history. However, no player can be compared to Sócrates; Sócrates was not only an icon of futebol-arte who mastered the ‘back heel’ and played for the Brazilian team in two FIFA World Cups (1982 and 1986), he was also a political activist who fought for democracy from inside the football world and who joined the Brazilian struggle for civil liberties during the 1980s. Interviews with sport journalists, an exploration of my personal memories of Brazilian futebol and the political scene, and a revisiting of Sócrates’ chronicles and testimonies together demonstrate Sócrates’ belief that the futebol arena was a privileged place to fight for social change. Sócrates passed away in 2011, leaving an inspiring heritage of joy, futebol-arte and freedom struggle. His libertarian legacy must be acknowledged in a country where, despite being acclaimed as one of the most authentic cultural expressions of the people, futebol is controlled by a corrupted and authoritarian elite.     

Evolution and Creationism: Views of Students in a Colombian University—Findings from 7 Years of Data Using a Three-Question Survey

Research in Science Education - The theory of evolution is the backbone of the biological sciences. Arguably, this is the reason why evolution education is an extensively investigated issue in...     

Teacher salaries in Latin America: A review

In this paper we use data from household surveys of 12 Latin American countries to assess how teacher salaries compare to workers in other occupations. The results show great variability from one country to another, ranging from an apparent underpayment of teachers in Bolivia by 35% relative to the control group, and a respective overpayment of 65% in Colombia. However, when statistical controls are introduced for the differential education, hours worked and gender composition between teachers and the comparison group, much of the earnings differential between the two groups disappears. On the basis of this finding, we cannot support the position that teachers are either overpaid or underpaid.     

Growth influences biomechanical profile of talented swimmers during the summer break

This study aimed to analyse the effect of growth during a summer break on biomechanical profile of talented swimmers. Twenty-five young swimmers (12 boys and 13 girls) undertook several anthropometric and biomechanical tests at the end of the 2011–2012 season (pre-test) and 10 weeks later at the beginning of the 2012–2013 season (post-test). Height, arm span, hand surface area, and foot surface area were collected as anthropometric parameters, while stroke frequency, stroke length, stroke index, propelling efficiency, active drag, and active drag coefficient were considered as biomechanical variables. The mean swimming velocity during an all-out 25 m front crawl effort was used as the performance outcome. After the 10-week break, the swimmers were taller with an increased arm span, hand, and foot areas. Increases in stroke length, stroke index, propelling efficiency, and performance were also observed. Conversely, the stroke frequency, active drag, and drag coefficient remained unchanged. When controlling the effect of growth, no significant variation was determined on the biomechanical variables. The performance presented high associations with biomechanical and anthropometric parameters at pre-test and post-test, respectively. The results show that young talented swimmers still present biomechanical improvements after a 10-week break, which are mainly explained by their normal growth.     

Iberian colonial science

The Portuguese and Spanish empires were both global and long lasting. This essay focuses on colonial Spanish America, particularly on the practices of natural history. It also suggests that chivalric-epic ideologies permeated early modem epistemologies, including those of the French and the British. The essay criticizes the application of nineteenth-century models of empire to the understanding of the early modern composite monarchies in the New World. Finally, it explores the ways metropolitan natural philosophy was transformed in the New World kingdoms to bolster patriotic identities.     

Development and validation of Coaches’ Interpersonal Style Questionnaire

Purpose: The objectives were to develop and validate the Coaches’ Interpersonal Style Questionnaire. The Coaches’ Interpersonal Style Questionnaire analyzes the interpersonal style adopted by coaches when implementing their strategy of supporting or thwarting athletes’ basic psychological needs. Method: In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis was performed with 265 Spanish male athletes, between 11- and 17-years-old, to confirm the internal structure of the questionnaire. Study 2 was conducted with 430 athletes, also between 11- and 17-years-old. Both confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling were used to test a set of alternative models to find the best measurement model. Results: The hierarchical exploratory structural equation modeling model showed the best fit to the data and acceptable standardized factor loadings. Concurrent validity was revealed through correlational analysis of the basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration. Conclusion: This study provides a multi-dimensional questionnaire to assess coaches’ interpersonal style perceived by athletes.