Secondary science and mathematics teachers and gender equity: Attitudes and attempted interventions

Although the literature documents the potential impact of teachers on the achievement of young women in science and math, few studies investigate teacher attitudes and the use of teacher interventions. A survey containing both fixed-response and open-ended questions was administered to 56 teachers from eight high schools. Open-ended questions were content analyzed, and log-linear modeling and chi-square tests of independence were used to analyze relationships between categorical variables representing demographic characteristics, teacher attitudes, and teacher use of interventions. Results provide evidence that teachers, regardless of demographic characteristics, are concerned about gender inequity in their classrooms, although they are generally not familiar with the wide range of possible causes (including their own actions). Reported interventions are consistent with those recommended in the literature, although teachers are not familiar with the effectiveness of their interventions, and numerous teachers feel that attempting interventions is a form of reverse discrimination. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effect of environmental constraints on multi-segment coordination patterns during the tennis service in expert performers

The aims of this study were to examine the effect of different environmental constraints on kinematic multi-segment coordination patterns during the service and its coordination with service time variability. Ten expert tennis players (Age: 34.1 ± 5.3) volunteered to take part in this study. Participants served 30 times in 3 different conditions: control, target and opposition. The order of conditions was counterbalanced between participants. A wireless 3D motion capture system (STT Co, Spain) was used to measure 7 joint motions, with a 17 degrees of freedom biomechanical model created to capture the entire service action. Results of the principal component analysis showed that 4 synergies were created; however, their roles were changed relative to the perception of the environment. The results of repeated-measures analysis of variance did not show any significant difference on total variance and individual principal components between conditions; however, one synergy pattern significantly predicted the service time variability in both control and opposition conditions. In conclusion, the findings demonstrated that expert performers reduce the joint dimensionality by creating functional synergies in different phases of service and adapt the service action according to the perception of the environment.     

Conditioning exercises in ski jumping: biomechanical relationship of squat jumps,imitation jumps,and hill jumps

As hill jumps are very time-consuming, ski jumping athletes often perform various imitation jumps during training. The performed jumps should be similar to hill jumps, but a direct comparison of the kinetic and kinematic parameters has not been performed yet. Therefore, this study aimed to correlate 11 common parameters during hill jumps (Oberstdorf Germany), squat jumps (wearing indoor shoes), and various imitation jumps (rolling 4°, rolling flat, static; jumping equipment or indoor shoes) on a custom-built instrumented vehicle with a catch by the coach. During the performed jumps, force and video data of the take-off of 10 athletes were measured. The imitation and squat jumps were then ranked. The main difference between the hill jumps and the imitation and squat jumps is the higher maximal force loading rate during the hill jumps. Imitation jumps performed on a rolling platform, on flat ground were the most similar to hill jumps in terms of the force–time, and leg joint kinematic properties. Thus, non-hill jumps with a technical focus should be performed from a rolling platform with a flat inrun with normal indoor shoes or jumping equipment, and high normal force loading rates should be the main focus of imitation training.     

Shirt sponsorship by gambling companies in the English and Scottish Premier Leagues: global reach and public health concerns

While the nature of gambling practices is contested, a strong evidence base demonstrates that gambling can become a serious disorder and have a range of detrimental effects for individuals, communities and societies. Over the last decade, football in the UK has become visibly entwined with gambling marketing. To explore this apparent trend, we tracked shirt sponsors in both the English and Scottish Premier Leagues since 1992 and found a pronounced increase in the presence of sponsorship by gambling companies. This increase occurred at the same time the Gambling Act 2005, which liberalized rules, was introduced. We argue that current levels of gambling sponsorship in UK football, and the global visibility it provides to gambling brands, is a public health concern that needs to be debated and addressed. We recommend that legislators revisit the relationship between football in the UK and the sponsorship it receives from the gambling industry.     

Reliability and validity of two tests of soccer skill

Twenty-four players from the 1st/2nd (elite) and 24 players from the 3rd/4th (non-elite) university football teams were recruited to evaluate the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT) and Loughborough Soccer Shooting Test (LSST) as tools to assess soccer skill. The LSPT requires players to complete 16 passes as quickly as possible. The LSST requires players to pass, control, and shoot the ball to targets on a full-sized goal. Participants completed two main trials each separated by at least one day. During both trials, the participants were given practice efforts before recording the mean of the next two (LSPT) or 10 (LSST) attempts as the performance score. For the LSPT, the mean time taken, added penalty time, and overall performance time were less in the elite players (elite: 43.6 s, s = 3.8; non-elite: 52.5 s, s= 7.4; P= 0.0001). For the LSST, there was no difference in the mean points scored per shot between groups (elite: 1.34, s = 0.46; non-elite: 1.28, s = 0.53). However, the elite players had higher mean shot speed (elite: 80 km h(-1), s = 4.5; non-elite: 74 km h(-1), s = 4.2; P < 0.0001) and performed each shot sequence faster (elite: 7.87 s, s= 0.29; non-elite: 8.07 s, s= 0.35; P= 0.037) than the non-elite players. Performance on both tests was more repeatable in elite players. In conclusion, the LSPT and LSST are valid and reliable protocols to assess differences in soccer skill performance.     

Transient analysis of three-phase power systems,part I

The application of symmetrical components to the solution of steady state problems in power systems engineering suggests the application of the same or similar components in the study of transient phenomena on the network calculating board by means of oscilloscope and synchronous switch. However, it is found upon rigorous examination that symmetrical components are applicable to such problems in but a few types of switching. Part II of this paper will deal with a system of components which serve well in all cases of transient phenomena produced by short circuits, the operation of circuit breakers or other apparatus.