`Alternative' Universities Revisited: A Study of the Distinctiveness of Universities Established in the Spirit of 1968

In the late 60s and early 70s,several universities were set up in variousEuropean countries with the intention ofproviding an alternative to establishedinstitutions of higher education. The newuniversities were expected, amongst otherthings, to experiment with new forms ofleadership and management internally, giveteaching and learning higher priority, and tobe regional relevant institutions for the areain which they were located. The paper analysesto what extent three such universityestablishments: Aalborg University in Denmark,Maastricht University in the Netherlands andTromsø University in Norway have managed tomaintain and develop their alternative profileduring the last thirty years. The studysuggests that even though the universities insome areas have adapted to environmentalpressure, they have managed to keep theirprofile as innovative and alternative.     

Decrease in pulmonary diffusion capacity after maximal exercise

Oppression of the chest, cough and orthopnea are well known to occur in some athletes after competitions, maybe reflecting an increase in lung water. In order to indicate if lung water increases after maximal exercise we measured pulmonary diffusion capacity before and 2.1 h after a short maximal arm exercise bout in 11 canoeists and showed a decrease of 6.7%. The result may be explained by a calculated 17% increase in alveolar interstitial volume.     

Reading Literacy Performance in Norway: current practice and critical factors

This qualitative study explored reading literacy performance of Norwegian students (Grades 1–10). Semistandardised interviews were conducted with 36 academics, school administrators, and teachers to investigate reading literacy development, factors associated with literacy performance, and recommendations for improvement. Reading literacy lessons were also observed in 10 classrooms to determine how reading literacy is developed. Data from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement study ( Elley, 1994 ) and the Programme for International Student Achievement study ( OECD, 2001 ) were analysed to enrich understanding of the Norwegian literacy situation. Recommendations include greater reading education for teachers, communication and collaboration between stakeholders, engagement and interest in reading, balanced reading instruction, development of linguistic awareness, use of early intervention programmes, explicit strategy instruction, and use of bilingual education.     

School Leadership Team Competence for Implementing Equity Systems Change: An Exploratory Study

The Urban Review - Operationalizing practices for equity has eluded the educational community for some time. This exploratory, mixed methods study examined the practices, operationalized by 29...     

Explaining parental coviewing: The role of social facilitation and arousal

This study explores the relationship between parental coviewing and children’s psychophysiological responses to television exposure within a framework of social facilitation. A total of 88 children aged 6–13 years and one of each of their parents participated in a 2 (presence or absence of the parent)?×?2 (exciting or non-exciting TV content) between-subjects experiment. Results indicated that the presence of a coviewing parent was associated with an increase in children’s arousal (higher skin conductance levels) and cognitive resource allocation (lower heart rate), especially for younger children who came from homes where parental coviewing was a relatively frequent activity. These findings suggest that the mere presence of a coviewing parent is sufficient to alter children’s processing of television messages.     

Foundations of Science Literacy: Efficacy of a Preschool Professional Development Program in Science on Classroom Instruction,Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge,and Children’s Observations and Predictions

Young children are able to benefit from early science teaching but many preschool teachers have not had opportunities to deepen their own understanding of science or to develop their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in relation to specific science topics and concepts. This study presents the results of efficacy research on Foundations of Science Literacy (FSL), a comprehensive professional development program designed to support teachers’ knowledge of early childhood science; their PCK around 2 physical science topics (water, and balls and ramps); and their abilities to plan, facilitate, and assess young children’s learning during inquiry-based science explorations. Research Findings: In a randomized trial with 142 preschool teachers and 1,004 4-year-old children, FSL teachers demonstrated significantly higher quality science teaching in general and greater PCK in the 2 physical science topics than did teachers in comparison classrooms. Furthermore, children in FSL classrooms performed significantly better than children in comparison classrooms on tasks involving floating and sinking, and an instrumental variable analysis suggests that the quality of classroom science instruction mediated the relationship between teacher participation in FSL and student outcomes. Practice or Policy: Findings support the use of comprehensive early science professional development programs designed to bolster teacher knowledge and PCK.     

Lesson study in prospective mathematics teacher education: didactic and paradidactic technology in the post-lesson reflection

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the post-lesson reflection, carried out in the context of eight cases of lesson study conducted by teams of Danish, lower secondary prospective teachers and their supervisors. The participants, representing different institutions, were all new to the lesson study format. Nevertheless, it is demonstrated how their interaction shape the development of discourse about mathematical learning. The anthropological theory of the didactic is employed as the theoretical approach to analyse the mathematical and primarily didactical praxeologies developed and discussed during the meetings. The study investigates what happens when lesson study, a well-established Japanese “system” for professional teacher development, is transposed to another educational and cultural context, with the aim of enhancing prospective teacher learning during the practicum of a teacher education programme. The findings highlight significant different positions in the discourse during the post-lesson reflection. Specific practice-related knowledge is developed, to the benefit of prospective teachers, educators and researchers alike. This kind of knowledge is of interest and concern to the whole profession of mathematics teachers and the analysis adds to our insight into the potential of lesson study in prospective education as a meeting place where pertinent actors contribute to the expansion and dissemination of shared professional knowledge.     

It's a New World: Multiculturalism in a virtual environment

The notion of multiculturalism is vital in our global society. The emergence of efficient and effective distance learning technologies has permitted the integration of innovative techniques in the delivery of multicultural content to individuals who need flexible and convenient education and training opportunities. Strategies form the instructional foundation that promotes engagement of learners. Integral to these strategies are those that relate to personal belief systems and extension of those belief systems to behaviors. This article will add new ways of teaching and learning in the areas of diversity and multiculturalism by offering a model for building highly supportive, engaging online environments, where instructors, trainers, and instructional designers use multiple strategies to build virtual environments that foster a sense of dignity, respect, and understanding: all critical elements in a global environment.     

High intensity and reduced volume training attenuates stress and recovery levels in elite swimmers

This study investigated the effect of increased high-intensity interval training (HIT) at the expense of total training volume on the stress and recovery levels of elite swimmers. Forty-one elite swimmers participated in the study and were randomly assigned to either a HIT or a control group (CON). Eleven swimmers did not complete the questionnaires. For 12 weeks both groups trained ~12 h per week. The amount of HIT was ~5 h vs. 1 h, and total distance was ~17 km vs. ~35 km per week for HIT and CON, respectively. HIT was performed as 6–10 × 10–30 s maximal effort interspersed by 2–4 min of rest. The Recovery Stress Questionnaire – Sport was used to measure the swimmers’ stress and recovery levels. After the 12 week intervention, the general stress level was 16.6% (2.6–30.7%; mean and 95% CI) lower and the general recovery level was 6.5% (0.7–12.4%) higher in HIT compared to the CON, after adjusting for baseline values. No significant effects could be observed in sports-specific stress or sports-specific recovery. The results indicate that increasing training intensity and reducing training volume for 12 weeks can reduce general stress and increase general recovery levels in competitive swimmers.