Cultural Exchange,Appropriation and Physical Culture: Strongman Eugen Sandow in Colonial India, 1904–1905

This paper examines the eight-month 1904–1905 Indian tour of world-renowned strongman and physical culture pioneer Eugen Sandow, which occurred as nationalism surged and Japan shockingly defeated Russia during the Russo-Japanese War. Using Sandow’s writings, numerous newspaper accounts and several fascinating Indian texts it penetrates beyond Sandow’s claims that he ‘learnt little’ in the subcontinent to explore processes of cultural exchange despite the power imbalances inherent in the colonial context. The paper provides details about Sandow’s itinerary, shows and reception in key cities such as Calcutta, Bombay and Madras between October 1904 and June 1905, when the strongman headed further east to the Straits Settlements and China, but it also reveals the voices of Indian physical culture practitioners, including wrestlers and pahlwans such as Ramamurti Naidu – the ‘Indian Sandow’ – who repeatedly challenged Sandow. The paper suggests that through the careful reading of a variety of sources it is even possible to glimpse moments of recognition and respect between Sandow and Indian strongmen or physical culturists. In Sandow’s case this was particularly apparent in his use of Indian knowledge to produce a new health product named ‘Sandow’s Concentrated Embrocation’ following his stay in India.     

Simulation Modeling of Lakes in Undergraduate and Graduate Classrooms Increases Comprehension of Climate Change Concepts and Experience with Computational Tools

Ecosystem modeling is a critically important tool for environmental scientists, yet is rarely taught in undergraduate and graduate classrooms. To address this gap, we developed a teaching module that exposes students to a suite of modeling skills and tools (including computer programming, numerical simulation modeling, and distributed computing) that students apply to study how lakes around the globe are experiencing the effects of climate change. In the module, students develop hypotheses about the effects of different climate scenarios on lakes and then test their hypotheses using hundreds of model simulations. We taught the module in a 4-hour workshop and found that participation in the module significantly increased both undergraduate and graduate students’ understanding about climate change effects on lakes. Moreover, participation in the module also significantly increased students’ perceived experience level in using different software, technologies, and modeling tools. By embedding modeling in an environmental science context, non-computer science students were able to successfully use and master technologies that they had previously never been exposed to. Overall, our findings suggest that modeling is a powerful tool for catalyzing student learning on the effects of climate change.     

Mapping the landscapes of bullying

Past bullying research has consistently identified common locations (e.g. bathrooms, hallways, playgrounds) on school campuses where bullying occurs, but not specific locations. This limitation does not allow researchers to take into account the unique geography of individual schools and how it contributes to bullying. A random sample of 741 grade 4–6 students from nine different elementary schools identified where bullying occurs on a campus map and this information was analysed in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). While this study offers preliminary findings (e.g. diffusion of bullying, specific locations for bullying) that increase awareness about bullying, the emphasis in this paper is to present a new methodological tool in the analysis of bullying. The use of GIS mapping to analyse bullying offer researchers an advanced instrument to understand the experience of bullying within the physical context of a school. These preliminary findings focus future research.     

Professional learning communities as drivers of educational change: The case of learning rounds

Many researchers claim that there is a compelling weight of evidence for the effectiveness of PLCs in promoting teachers’ learning and pupil achievement. However, others raise fundamental questions about their nature and purpose. Some of the uncertainties about the nature and purpose of PLCs relate to the ways in which the macro-context of neo-liberalism has shaped the practices of PLCs in particular ways. The fundamental questions raised about PLCs relate to the type of change they are intended to produce, the model of community they are based on and whether the right conditions and skills are in place for them to contribute to change. Some researchers argue that we need to pay more attention to shortcomings within existing PLCs and their internal dynamics. Others argue that little research focuses on the specific interactions of teachers inside PLCs. The research reported here goes ‘inside the teacher community’ of Learning Rounds to explore what the shortcomings of some examples of this model in practice add to what we know about how to assist PLCs to produce change in education.     

Medical models for teachers’ learning: asking for a second opinion

Recently there has been renewed interest in basing teachers’ professional learning on medically derived models. This interest has included clinical practice models and evidence-based teaching as well as the use of various forms of ‘Rounds’ which claim to derive from medical rounds. However, many arguing for these approaches may well not have a detailed knowledge of the actuality of professional learning in medicine but may be basing their ideas on idealised models drawn from popular conceptions. In addition, the model used by some calling for medically derived teacher learning is biomedicine, an area in which parallels with Education are difficult. This paper argues that mental health and public health provide a better analogue for Education than biomedicine. It considers some of the lessons that can be drawn from research on evidence-based practice in these areas. The paper concludes that a way forward is neither uncritically to assume the superiority of medical models of professional learning nor to rely only on empirical evidence from Education, but rather to enter into dialogue with colleagues in mental and public health about shared concerns and experiences in professional learning.     

Alternatives to the Traditional Sixth Form: a Preliminary Report

Recent years have seen the emergence of new types of provision for the 16‐19 age group in both the schools and further education sectors. This paper briefly outlines the various institutions now in operation and the rationale behind each type. A four‐year research project aims to survey and then evaluate the alternative arrangements for this age group. The project's first phase, which concentrated on the collection of background information and the definition of evaluation criteria, is described. Some preliminary findings are presented, together with the major issues arising from meetings and questionnaires.     

Parental relationship and adolescents’ conceptions of their interaction with significant others

Three problems were investigated with a sample of 329 Estonian and 504 Finnish adolescents (aged 14 to 18 years) and their parents. In Estonia, the responses of parents were received from 85% of the families, and in Finland from 55%. The main findings for each problem were as follows: (1) The adolescent’s, especially girl’s, conceptions of the atmosphere of the parent-child interaction and satisfaction with significant others were more strongly related to the adolescent’s perceptions of a harmonious relationship between the parents than to the parent’s satisfaction with the relationship with the spouse. (2) From the point of view of the adolescent’s conception of the atmosphere of the parent-child interaction, joint activities with the parents, and satisfaction with significant others, a harmonious relationship between the parents was most favorable. Lack of the father might be less detrimental to the adolescent’s, especially girl’s, conceptions of these matters than a less harmonious relationship between the parents in intact families. (3) The findings were replicated in two countries which differed in many respects at the time of data collection in 1985–1986.