The interpersonal dimension of teacher education: Comparing distance education with two other programs in Sri Lanka

This chapter examines a distance education program to train primary schoolteachers in Sri Lanka and looks for evidence of its success. Quasi-longitudinal data on (a) teacher perceptions of the program; (b) teacher knowledge, skill, and attitudes; (c) teacher classroom performance; and (d) pupil achievement are used to compare distance education with two other teacher education programs in Sri Lanka — an institutional inservice program and a preservice approach. More specifically, the interpersonal aspects of this distance education program are examined as a possible explanation of the program's effectiveness when compared with other distance education as well as conventional approaches to educating teachers.     

Reliability of a Cryoscopic Micro-Osmometer Using 15-µL Plasma Samples to Measure Hydration Status in Varied Environmental Conditions

Measurement of plasma osmolality (P_osm) remains popular for assessing hydration status in exercise science. However, a controlled reliability assessment of micro-osmometry using small sample volumes to measure P_osm remains to be performed. This study aimed to examine the reliability of a cryoscopic micro-osmometer requiring 15-μL samples across varied environmental conditions. Thirteen young adults (26.4 ± 5.7 years) completed a 20-min steady-state cycling protocol on separate occasions in cool/dry conditions and hot/humid conditions. P_osm was assessed using fingertip capillary samples taken in duplication prior to and following 20-min acclimatization and recovery periods around the cycling bout. Absolute (typical error of measurement = .62–.83 mOsmol·kg^–1; coefficient of variation = .9% to 1.3%) and relative (intraclass correlation coefficient = .60–.85) reliability of this approach were supported. These findings suggest micro-osmometry requiring small plasma samples (15 μL) can be reliably used by practitioners to assess longitudinal changes and cross-sectional hydration status in varied environmental conditions.     

The evolution of student-coach’s pedagogical content knowledge in a combined use of sport education and the step-game-approach model*

Background: One of the essential elements within Sport Education is the inclusion of student roles and responsibilities. While previous research has examined students’ performance in officiating tasks, the examination of student-coaches’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) within peer-assisted tasks of Sport Education has been scarce. Indeed, the only study to date which has examined student-coach effectiveness was conducted by Wallhead and O’Sullivan [2007. “A Didactic Analysis of Content Development During the Peer Teaching Tasks of a Sport Education Season.”Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 12 (3): 225–243]. In that study, student-coaches struggled to manifest PCK by providing appropriate demonstrations, to diagnose errors, or to modify tasks for higher order content development. The study of PCK may be a useful heuristic to examine instructional effectiveness in physical education.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the evolution of the PCK of a cohort of student-coaches across three hybrid Sport Education-Step Game Approach seasons, and to examine the impact of protocols put in place to specifically enhance coaches’ PCK.

Participants and setting: Twenty-one students and one teacher from a school class in the north of Portugal participated in the present study.

Method: Data from multiple sources were collected: (a) videotape observations of all lessons, (b) field notes, and (c) pre-lesson interviews with the student-coaches. These were then subjected to deductive examination through a process of thematic analysis.

Findings and conclusions: Following a baseline season that identified four key limitations within the student-coaches’ instruction (task presentation, error diagnosis, feedback, and task modification), these students participated in specific coach preparation that involved modelling teacher’s instruction, pre-lesson meetings, and coaches’ corners. While showing marked improvement in their content knowledge across the second season, a second protocol was instigated during the third that involved the student-coaches to participate in stimulated reflections of their instruction and the incorporation of planning sheets to enhance their instruction. It was found that both interventions were efficacious in developing student-coaches’ PCK, which allowed a more complete transfer of the instructional responsibility from the teacher to the students. These results give insight into the importance of including coach education protocols within the design of seasons of Sport Education with respect to student-coaches’ instructional preparation.     

Body composition and nutritional profile of male adolescent tennis players

In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the body composition and dietary intake of 44 adolescent tennis players. After being divided into two groups (age 10-13 years and age 14-18), the players had their weight, height, and sexual maturation assessed. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess body composition. Food intake was obtained from a non-consecutive 4-day food record. The data were analysed using the Virtual Nutri v.1.0 software and compared with the present recommendations for adolescent athletes or dietary reference intakes. Body mass index and body fat for tennis practice were adequate for 89% and 71% of the tennis players respectively, regardless of age group. A calorie deficit greater than 10% of energy expenditure was observed in 32% of the sample. Fifty percent of the athletes consumed carbohydrates in accordance with recommended values. Protein and lipid intakes were above recommended values, while fibre, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and folic acid intakes were below recommendation for 98%, 80%, 100%, 100%, and 98% of the tennis players respectively. The observed nutritional deficiencies represent an additional barrier for adolescents engaged in competitive sports to achieve an optimum nutrition to maintain growth, health, and performance.     

Organizing links with science: Cooperate or contract?: A project-level analysis

Links with science have been argued to improve the (innovation) performance of firms. Yet we still know comparatively little about the project-level characteristics affecting the organization of such links. Our study, based on a sample of 52 projects carried out by a multinational company in the semiconductor industry, reveals that the knowledge attributes of a project help in predicting how the R&D activities will be organized. In particular, basic projects are likely to be developed through formal cooperative agreements with universities. Such projects also tend to be strategically less important. For strategically more important projects, in contrast, and for those where the knowledge to be developed is particularly novel to the firm, the firm is more likely to resort to formal contracting with a university for a specific component of the R&D project, usually early on in the project.     

Learning from Failure: A Cost-Benefit Analysis Study Which Resulted in Unfavorable Financial Outcomes

This article describes a cost-benefit analysis study which resulted in unfavorable financial outcomes and discusses how this result became a learning opportunity for human performance development (HRD) professionals in the organization. Demonstrating the contributions of human performance development/performance improvement (HRD/PI) programs through cost-benefit analysis is a continuing need in organizations. However, most cost-benefit analysis case studies have reported favorable financial results. While these results may help raise the perceived status of the field, in fact, reporting unfavorable results may provide a richer professional learning opportunity than otherwise might be available.