Does teacher homework feedback matter to 6th graders’ school engagement?: a mixed methods study

Metacognition and Learning - The effectiveness of homework on improving student academic achievement depends on several factors; for example, feedback provided by the teacher (i.e. grading) and...     

Internal quality assurance: A new culture or added bureaucracy?

This paper analyses teaching and non-teaching staff perceptions on the implementation of internal quality assurance (QA) practices at their higher education institutions. The aim is to understand how far different perspectives on quality – as culture, as compliance or as consistency – are reflected in the views of these two groups on such practices. Data from a survey sent to all Portuguese institutions show that, to some extent, the perspectives of quality as culture and quality as compliance seem to permeate both groups’ views. This is evident in regard to the factors identified as supporting the development of internal QA, the main features underlying the implementation of such practices and their main effects. As the study allows for a better understanding on how these practices are perceived by teaching and non-teaching staff, it can contribute to promoting the critical reflection of institutions about QA and the way it can be both more effective and aligned with academia’s needs and expectations, contributing to influencing institutional practices.     

The impact of programme accreditation on Portuguese higher education provision

The paper analyses the impact of programme accreditation in Portugal further to the operations of the Agency for Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education, which were initiated in 2009. Tracking the evolution of study programmes, the paper found that, out of the initial 5262 programmes on offer in 2009/2010, 40% have been either discontinued or not accredited as of July 2015. The analysis revealed differences between the private and the public sectors, with higher proportions of discontinuations and closures in the former. For the discipline with the highest percentage of non-accredited programmes (Law), the main reasons for denied accreditation were analysed. The identified reasons were related to a lack of academic quality, for example, the programmes’ lack of compliance with legal requirements regarding teaching staff qualifications and full-time employment, the blurred identity of programmes, undifferentiated between university and polytechnic sectors, or curricular inconsistencies. The paper suggests that the identified reasons are likely to be symptomatic of the quality shortcomings in the provision of higher education programmes in Portugal. The data provide evidence that programme accreditation has had a powerful impact, reducing the number of programmes, increasing the number of PhD holders among teaching staff and raising institutional awareness of quality.     

Language Death: A Freirean solution in the heart of the Amazon

‘Language death’ is an undeniable phenomenon of our modern times as languages have started to disappear at an alarming rate. This has led linguists, anthropologists, philosophers and educationists to engage with this issue at various levels in an attempt to try to understand the decline in this rich area of human communication and culture. In this article I refer to some interesting and innovative educational projects in the Amazon region of Brazil, which are revitalizing local languages, cultures and communities. I analyse these projects in the light of some of Paulo Freire’s ideas, particularly his views on conscientization, praxis and contextualization, and will argue that these educational ventures might be viewed as useful templates for other countries and peoples seeking to reverse or avoid ‘language-culture’ death.     

Effects of added elastic tubes on open-chain knee extensor strength training

Attaching elastic tubes (ETs) to resistance training machines can affect the exercise load profile. The purpose of this study was to assess the training effects of added ETs, which were strategically attached to provide additional loads only during the deceleration phase of the knee extension exercise. Twenty-two healthy participants, assigned to either an experimental group (with ETs) or a control group (without ETs), participated in a 12-week strength-training program using a knee extension exercise machine. The acceleration effects were quantified and a method of attaching the ETs to the knee extension machine was developed. The effects of the added ETs were analysed by testing dynamic and isometric maximum contractions at four knee flexion angles (10°, 30°, 50°, and 80°). Analyses of covariance with the initial values as the covariate were used to examine the ET effects. A greater increase in isometric maximum strength was found in the experimental group than in the control group at knee flexion angles of 10° [effect size (ES) = 2.25] and 30° (ES = 1.18). No significant difference in the dynamic maximum strength was found between the groups. The use of ETs increased strength at smaller knee flexion angles with quadriceps that were relatively short.     

The relationship between strength asymmetries and jumping performance in professional volleyball players

Knee peak torque (PT) is associated to jump performance in volleyball players. It is not clear whether muscle strength imbalances of the knee joint can influence jump performance. The purpose of study was to analyse the association between PT and knee muscular imbalances with jump performance in professional volleyball players. Eleven elite male volleyball players (90.3 ± 9.7 kg body mass and 1.94 ± 0.06 m height) were evaluated in an isokinetic dynamometer at speeds of 60, 180 and 300 deg/s. Muscle strength imbalances were obtained through calculation of contralateral deficit between limbs and the conventional ratio (hamstrings/quadriceps). Countermovement jump (CMJ) was performed on a force plate to calculate mechanical power and height. Association was found between knee extensor PT at 180 deg/s with CMJ power (r = 0.610, p = 0.046). Conventional ratio at 300 deg/s showed negative association with CMJ (r = ?0.656, p = 0.029). The optimal ratio between knee extensors PT in relation to the flexors PT is associated with the greater mechanical power in CMJ. Contralateral deficit does not seem to be associated with the CMJ performance. Considering the knee extensor PT is associated with CMJ power, our findings suggest that strength-based training in volleyball athletes should not omit the conventional muscle ratio.     

The peak velocity derived from the Carminatti Test is related to physical match performance in young soccer players

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the peak velocity derived from the Carminatti Test (T-CAR) (PV_T-CAR) and physical match performance in young soccer players. Thirty-three youth soccer players were recruited from 2 non-professional clubs. Friendly matches and small-sided game were performed. Physical match demands were assessed using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. On a separate occasion, the players were submitted to the T-CAR. Players were categorised into 3 groups based on their T-CAR performance: Low (PV_T-CAR ≤ P33), Intermediate (P33 > PV_T-CAR < P66) and High (PV_T-CAR ≥ P66). The PV_T-CAR (15.5 ± 0.7 km·h^?1) was significantly related to high-intensity activities (HIA; r = 0.78, P < 0.001), high-intensity running (HIR; r = 0.66, P < 0.001), sprinting (r = 0.62, P < 0.001) and total distance (TD) covered (r = 0.47, P < 0.01) during friendly matches. The PV_T-CAR was strongly correlated with the amount of HIA (r = 0.81, P < 0.001), HIR (r = 0.85, P < 0.001) and TD covered (r = 0.81, P < 0.001) during small-sided game. No significant correlation was observed between the PV_T-CAR and distance of sprinting (r = 0.49, P = 0.067) during small-side game. Furthermore, players in the High group covered significantly more TD (10%) and did more HIA (42%), sprinting (31%) and HIR (25%) during friendly matches compared to the players classified as having Low performance on the T-CAR. These differences still remained after adjusting for chronological age (CA), maturity and body size. In conclusion, the current study gives empirical support to the ecological and construct validity of this novel field test (T-CAR) as an indicator of match-related physical performance in young soccer players during pubertal years.     

Anthropometric, physiological, performance, and nutritional profile of the Brazil National Canoe Polo Team

The purpose of this study was to determine the physiological, anthropometric, performance, and nutritional characteristics of the Brazil Canoe Polo National Team. Ten male canoe polo athletes (age 26.7 ± 4.1 years) performed a battery of tests including assessments of anthropometric parameters, upper-body anaerobic power (Wingate), muscular strength, aerobic power, and nutritional profile. In addition, we characterized heart rate and plasma lactate responses and the temporal pattern of the effort/recovery during a simulated canoe polo match. The main results are as follows: body fat, 12.3 ± 4.0%; upper-body peak and mean power, 6.8 ± 0.5 and 4.7 ± 0.4 W · kg(-1), respectively; 1-RM bench press, 99.1 ± 11.7 kg; peak oxygen uptake, 44.3 ± 5.8 mL · kg(-1) · min(-1); total energy intake, 42.8 ± 8.6 kcal · kg(-1); protein, carbohydrate, and fat intakes, 1.9 ± 0.1, 5.0 ± 1.5, and 1.7 ± 0.4 g · kg(-1), respectively; mean heart rate, 146 ± 11 beats · min(-1); plasma lactate, 5.7 ± 3.8 mmol · L(-1) at half-time and 4.6 ± 2.2 mmol · L(-1) at the end of the match; effort time (relative to total match time), 93.1 ± 3.0%; number of sprints, 9.6 ± 4.4. The results of this study will assist coaches, trainers, and nutritionists in developing more adequate training programmes and dietary interventions for canoe polo athletes.     

Freire’s philosophical contribution for a theory of intercultural ethics: A deductive analysis of his work

This article claims that Freire’s work offers an important ground for a potential theory of intercultural ethics and, for that purpose, examines his ideas at different levels: (1) the ontological; (2) the ideological; (3) the political; (4) languages and languaging; and (5) cultural identity and diversity. Freire never used the word ‘intercultural’, although it is suggested here that this is due to the fact that terminology related to cultural diversity has changed over time and in his day this term was not yet common currency. Moreover, Freire uses more often the term ‘multiculturalidade’ rather than ‘multiculturalismo’ (multiculturalism) since the former suffix ‘-dad(e)’ has a different meaning which refers to the ontological nature of the condition and is more usual in both Portuguese and Spanish. This article also argues for the relevance of a theory of intercultural ethics in the contemporary world that imprints (inter)cultural flexibility on the current hermeneutics of ethics while preventing excessive abuses on behalf of relativism, dogmatism, essentialism and fundamentalism.     

Equity,Access and Institutional Competition

Tertiary Education and Management - In 1974, when a successful revolution had overthrown a dictatorial regime, Portugal had an elite higher education system with low participation rates. In the...