Getting the message

Few would doubt the necessity of our previous contributors' questioning of the ‘purposes’ of topic work. Yet Mathematics' strong hold upon the primary school curriculum is rarely questioned! This provocative article tests out our assumptions about the “applications” and the “cultural uses” of the subject and argues for “purpose-driven ways of teaching and learning”.     

Small fish,big pond: The role of health-related fitness and perceived athletic competence in mediating the physical activity-motor competence relationship during the transition from primary to secondary school

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the role of Perceived Athletic Competence (PAC) and Health-Related Fitness (HRF) in mediating the reciprocal relationship between Motor Competence (MC) and Physical Activity (PA) during the transition from primary to secondary school. MC, PA, PAC and HRF were measured in 224 participants (baseline age 12.26 ± .037 years; 51% female) in final year of primary school and one year later in first year of secondary school. Path analysis in AMOS 23 was used to test the mediating influence of PAC and HRF on the MC-PA relationship. Fit indices showed that, in both directions, HRF and PAC mediated the relationship between MC and PA (PA predicting MC; χ2 = 3.91, p = .272, CFI = .99, RMSEA = .04. MC predicting PA: χ2 = 6.46, p = .167, CFI = .99, RMSEA = .04). Pathways were stronger through HRF than through PAC, indicating that HRF is the more substantial mediator of the MC-PA relationship during the school transition. Pathways were stronger in the direction of PA predicting MC than in the reverse direction. Interventions seeking to influence PA and MC across the school transition should focus on HRF as it is a primary mediator of the MC-PA relationship.     

Presenting Workshops on Supervision: A Didactic‐Experiential Format

Given the growing emphasis on supervision in the counseling field, mental health professionals need updated training on the varied and complex issues in supervision and introduction to emerging theoretical models. The authors present a didactic‐theoretical‐experiential model of supervision training to be used in a workshop format. Curriculum information is included, along with ideas for exercises and class discussion. The authors discuss common themes and potential challenges that have emerged from their experiences as well as from feedback from evaluations. Readers are provided with information to help develop and enrich their training skills in supervision.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed: Al Hurwitz and Stanley S. Madeja with Eldon Katter Pathways to Art Appreciation: A Source Book for Media and Methods Brandon Taylor Art Today Candace Jesse Stout The Flower Teachers: Stories for a New Generation Stuart Macdonald The History and Philosophy of Art Education John Swift An Illustrated History of Moseley Art School: Art Education in Birmingham 1800–1975     

The Assessment of GCSE Art: Criterion‐Referencing and Cognitive Abilities

In this paper Cognitive Abilities Test scores are compared directly with moderated GCSE scores awarded to the same group of pupils. For ease of interpretation the comparisons are presented in a graphical form. Whilst some provisional and tentative conclusions are drawn about the reliability of GCSE art, questions are raised about the general validity of criterion‐referenced assessment in this area.     

The accelerated flow method for rapid reactions

A manual syringe drive has been found to fulfil the requirements for a high driving force and a small disturbance to the electro-optical system. A syringe bore has been selected with due regard for the force-speed characteristic of the hand and flow velocities of 25 m./sec. have been obtained in this manner. A direct comparison of a manual and an electric drive has been made and it has been found that the mechanical and electrical effects of the latter upon the photoelectric system greatly reduce the possible range of the electric drive method.     

Composing new understandings of sustainability in the Anthropocene

The relationship between sustainability and the Anthropocene takes on new meaning in a time of unprecedented human impact on Earth systems. This relationship is at times contested and not well researched but critical in considering how we will respond to environmental challenges of today and the future. Elaborating on the need for new perspectives and nuanced understandings of sustainability, the contributors to this volume draw on posthumanist and “new” feminist materialist methodologies and theoretical lenses to engage readers in ways, which often contrast with prevailing thinking and research. From the cosmopolitics of place in urban Berlin to the watery space of urban wetlands they share research and rich narratives, which illustrate how sustainability is theorized and enacted across a range of diverse educational contexts. Moving beyond the rhetoric of sustainability, the authors invite us to explore innovative ways to engage with new concepts and emerging tensions that are now influencing the fields of education and sustainability.