Back to the future: A methodology for comparing old A-level and new AS standards

Curriculum 2000 has meant significant change for the post-16 sector. New qualifications have been introduced (e.g. the new Advanced Subsidiary examination) and the number of students involved in education and training post-16 has increased. In this scenario how can the standards of new qualifications, particularly the new Advanced Subsidiary examinations, be compared with those of previous qualifications? One method is to use the prior achievement of candidates (i.e. GCSE results) as a basis for comparison of their results on subsequent qualifications (i.e. A levels and AS). This method of comparability and its limitations will be explored using examples with actual data.     

A preliminary evaluation of the associations among functional performance tasks and quality of life in obese and healthy weight youth

The associations among lower extremity functional performance and quality of life in obese youth are unknown. The aims of this study were to compare lower extremity strength, lower extremity functional performance, and health related quality of life between obese and healthy-weight youth and evaluate the relationships between lower extremity performance and health related quality of life in obese youth. Twenty obese and 20 age and sex matched healthy-weight youth were recruited. Peak torque of the major lower extremity muscles were measured. Functional performance was measured with single leg hop and single leg balance tests. The Paediatric Quality of Life questionnaire's physical and psychosocial health subscales were used. Paired t-tests and multiple regression analyses were performed. Obese youth demonstrated decreased peak torque in all muscles measured (P < 0.05), poorer functional performance (P < 0.05), and worse physical health related quality of life (P < 0.05) compared to healthy-weight youth. Lower extremity functional performance was associated with aspects of quality of life in the obese group (P = 0.002), but not in the healthy-weight group (P < 0.05). These results may assist in encouraging best practices in the promotion of exercise, physical activity, and quality of life in obese youth.     

But I want to fly too!: Girls and superhero play in the infant classroom

This article describes a study which was conducted in an inner-city school in the north of England, in a base which contained 57 children aged 6 and 7 years old. The purpose of the study was to explore the potential role of popular culture in the literacy curriculum. During the project, a socio-dramatic role-play area which was related to a popular superhero icon was set up in the classroom. Children's play in the area was recorded using a variety of methods, including field notes, video recording and photographs. Some of the previous research on superhero play has focused on the attraction the discourse has for boys or suggested that girls take on a non-female persona in such a play. The findings from this study suggest that superhero play is strongly attractive to girls, who explore agency and autonomy through such play and actively position themselves as females within a heroic discourse.