Geographic Literacy and Young Learners

A survey study examined how attitudes about professional development (PD) vary among teachers of different subjects. Elementary teachers were more supportive of PD than health and physical education, social studies, and science teachers; special education teachers were more supportive of PD than social studies and science teachers; and five teacher groups (elementary, special education, math, English, and art and music) were more supportive of PD than science teachers. The results show the need for the design, implementation, and evaluation of program innovations aimed to improve both program effectiveness and teachers’ attitudes about PD.     

“Profound Levels of Learning” Through Brain-Based Teaching: A Tribute to Roland Barth

This article is a tribute to the writings of Dr. Roland Barth through a personal story spanning over two decades. It explores Dr. Barth's personal vision of an effective school through recent brain-based principles. It revisits Barth's axioms and uses recent implications from the neurosciences as new supporting evidence for their success in helping students and their teachers reach profound levels of learning in the classroom and in staff development experiences.     

Gifted Students From Low-Education Backgrounds

Gifted children from low-education backgrounds often experience barriers to educational and career success. This article reviews the growing body of literature regarding gifted students from low-education backgrounds and the related literature on the challenges and characteristics of first-generation college students. A mother and daughter interview provides a contextual example of the issues identified in the literature review. Implications for educators and practitioners are suggested, including ways in which elementary and middle schools can proactively address the issues facing low-education background students in gifted programs.     

Mentors’ contributions to gifted adolescents’ affective,social, and vocational development

Research on mentorships for gifted adolescents primarily has focused on the role mentors play in students’ academic success. Mentors’ contribution to gifted adolescents’ affective, social, and vocational development rarely has been addressed. This article identifies special needs and characteristics of gifted adolescents in these latter areas, and suggests how mentors can play a significant role in each, including the particular value of mentoring relationships for gifted adolescent females. Finally, educational implications are explored, as well as the need for empirical studies which examine the benefits derived by gifted and nongifted mentees from mentoring relationships.     

PERSPECTIVE TAKING IN HIGH AND ABOVE AVERAGE IQ PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

This study compared 13 high (mean = 132.5) and 13 above average IQ (mean = 111.8) children aged 44 to 63 months on a spatial perspective taking task. The high group made significantly fewer egocentric errors and more correct responses. This may be a useful indication of high ability from an early age. All subjects made a relatively large number of adjacent errors, selecting a perspective between one's own and another viewer's, but the total score was uncorrelated with egocentric errors. Adjacent errors may provide more clues than egocentric errors to understanding the specific skills that need to be learned to overcome egocentrism, notably distinguishing the common features shared by the viewers in addition to recognizing the view of each. Possible relations to metacognition and flexibility are discussed. The results warrant continued exploration of perspective taking and its relationship to the development of thinking.

     

The effect of low back pain on trunk muscle size/function and hip strength in elite football (soccer) players

ABSTRACT

Low back pain (LBP) is a common problem in football (soccer) players. The effect of LBP on the trunk and hip muscles in this group is unknown. The relationship between LBP and trunk muscle size and function in football players across the preseason was examined. A secondary aim was to assess hip muscle strength. Twenty-five elite soccer players participated in the study, with assessments conducted on 23 players at both the start and end of the preseason. LBP was assessed with questionnaires and ultrasound imaging was used to assess size and function of trunk muscles at the start and end of preseason. Dynamometry was used to assess hip muscle strength at the start of the preseason. At the start of the preseason, 28% of players reported the presence of LBP and this was associated with reduced size of the multifidus, increased contraction of the transversus abdominis and multifidus muscles. LBP decreased across the preseason, and size of the multifidus muscle improved over the preseason. Ability to contract the abdominal and multifidus muscles did not alter across the preseason. Asymmetry in hip adductor and abductor muscle strength was found between players with and without LBP. Identifying modifiable factors in players with LBP may allow development of more targeted preseason rehabilitation programmes.     

CONCEPT MAPPING OF HIGH AND AVERAGE ACHIEVING STUDENTS AND EXPERTS

Concept mapping has been used effectively to represent understanding of afield of knowledge. The maps are highly individualistic and idiosyncratic. Three high‐performing junior college students, three average performing junior college students and two university physics teachers constructed maps using 22 electricity concepts. In this study several previously used and newly developed measures were applied to the maps in an attempt to gain further insight into differences in the quality of understanding of the three groups. It was found that the concept maps constructed by high performing students differed from those of average performing students and closely resembled the concept maps of physics experts, especially when the quality of the links between concepts was taken into account.