Gendered practices in the education of gifted girls and boys

Gifted girls and gifted boys are more alike than they are different, although researchers remain fascinated with sex differences. Small differences between gifted boys and girls in achievements, interests, careers, and relationships can become exaggerated through gendered educational practices. Kindergarten “red‐shirting'' of boys and the denial of early admission to girls can cause gifted children to be out of step throughout their academic careers. When gifted children are not actively encouraged to participate in talent searches and after‐school and summer programs, whether because of overprotection of girls or the insistence on athletic activities at the expense of academic activities for boys, they lose the opportunity for challenge, friendships, and community. When boys are not supported in their interests in creative careers and girls are not supported in their interests in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers, they may enter occupations that will not offer them the sense of purpose and meaning they might have otherwise had. It is in the area of gender relations, however, that long‐term consequences of gendered practices are most apparent for gifted individuals because both gifted boys and girls need to plan for balancing family and career. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Physiological responses to 1000-m ergometer time-trial performance in outrigger canoeing

Graded exercise tests are commonly used to assess peak physiological capacities of athletes. However, unlike time trials, these tests do not provide performance information. The aim of this study was to examine the peak physiological responses of female outrigger canoeists to a 1000-m ergometer time trial and compare the time-trial performance to two graded exercise tests performed at increments of 7.5 W each minute and 15 W each two minutes respectively. 17 trained female outrigger canoeists completed the time trial on an outrigger canoe ergometer with heart rate (HR), stroke rate, power output, and oxygen consumption (VO2) determined every 15 s. The mean (+/- s) time-trial time was 359 +/- 33 s, with a mean power output of 65 +/- 16 W and mean stroke rate of 56 +/- 4 strokes min(-1). Mean values for peak VO2, peak heart rate, and mean heart rate were 3.17 +/- 0.67 litres min(-1), 177 +/- 11 beats min(-1), and 164 +/- 12 beats min(-1) respectively. Compared with the graded exercise tests, the time-trial elicited similar values for peak heart rate, peak power output, peak blood lactate concentration, and peak VO2. As a time trial is sport-specific and can simultaneously quantify sprint performance and peak physiological responses in outrigger canoeing, it is suggested that a time trial be used by coaches for crew selection as it doubles as a reliable performance measure and a protocol for monitoring peak aerobic capacity of female outrigger canoeists.     

Associations between prolonged sedentary time and breaks in sedentary time with cardiometabolic risk in 10–14-year-old children: The HAPPY study

This study examines the association between prolonged sedentary time and breaks in sedentary time with cardiometabolic risk in 10–14-year-old children. This cross-sectional design study analysed accelerometry-determined sedentary behaviour and physical activity collected over 7 days from 111 (66 girls) UK schoolchildren. Objective outcome measures included waist circumference, fasting lipids, fasting glucose, blood pressure, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Logistic regression was used for the main data analysis. After adjustment for confounders, the odds of having hypertriglyceridaemia (P = 0.03) and an increased clustered cardiometabolic risk score (P = 0.05) were significantly higher in children who engaged in more prolonged sedentary bouts per day. The number of breaks in sedentary time per day was not associated with any cardiometabolic risk factor, but longer mean duration of daily breaks in sedentary time were associated with a lower odds of having abdominal adiposity (P = 0.04) and elevated diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.01). These associations may be mediated by engagement in light activity. This study provides evidence that avoiding periods of prolonged uninterrupted sedentary time may be important for reducing cardiometabolic disease risk in children.     

Changes in organisation of instep kicking as a function of wearing compression and textured materials

This study investigated effects of wearing compression garments and textured insoles on modes of movement organisation emerging during performance of lower limb interceptive actions in association football. Participants were six skilled (age?=?15.67?±?0.74 years) and six less-skilled (age?=?15.17?±?1.1 years) football players. All participants performed 20 instep kicks with maximum velocity in four randomly organised insoles and socks conditions, (a) Smooth Socks with Smooth Insoles (SSSI); (b) Smooth Socks with Textured Insoles (SSTI); (c) Compression Socks with Smooth Insoles (CSSI); and (d), Compression Socks with Textured Insoles (CSTI). Results showed that, when wearing textured and compression materials (CSSI condition), less-skilled participants displayed significantly greater hip extension and flexion towards the ball contact phase, indicating larger ranges of motion in the kicking limb than in other conditions. Less-skilled participants also demonstrated greater variability in knee–ankle intralimb (angle–angle plots) coordination modes in the CSTI condition. Findings suggested that use of textured and compression materials increased attunement to somatosensory information from lower limb movement, to regulate performance of dynamic interceptive actions like kicking, especially in less-skilled individuals.     

The Privileged Status of Knowing Mechanistic Information: An Early Epistemic Bias

Four studies with 180 5–7 year olds, 165 8–11 year olds and 199 adults show that young children appreciate the distinctive role played by mechanistic explanations in tracking causal patterns. Young children attributed greater knowledge to individuals offering mechanistic reasons for a claim than others who provide equally detailed nonmechanistic reasons. In Study 1, 5–7 year olds attributed greater knowledge to those offering mechanistic reasons. In Studies 2 and 3, all ages (5–7 and adults for Study 2; 5–7, 8–11 and adults for Study 3) assigned greater knowledge to those offering mechanistic reasons about causally central features than those offering nonmechanistic reasons. In Study 4, all ages (5–7, 8–11, adults) modulated the epistemic bias as a function of embedding goals.     

Relationships between self-concept and directly observed behaviors in kindergarten children

Twenty kindergarten children who were nominated by teachers as not being socially and academically competent (low-rated) and 36 kindergarten children who were nominated by teachers as competent (high-rated) participated in this study. Self-concept and academic achievement data were gathered on each subject. In addition, all children were observed in class, with particular attention to compliance/non-compliance with adult requests, on-task/off-task behavior, and positive/negative social behaviors with peers. The results indicate that: (a) The factor structure of the self-concept instrument (Primary Self-concept Inventory) was replicated in both groups of children. (b) There were no significant differences in self-concept scores among high- vs. low-rated children. (c) There were profound differences in academic and social behaviors that were found to covary with positive self-evaluations within the two study groups. In general, high-rated children who felt best about themselves were higher achievers and more compliant than were their study group cohorts. Low-rated children who felt best about themselves were, on the contrary, more off-task, more negative in their peer contacts, and inferior academically to their study group cohorts.     

Stability of Inhibition in a Swedish Longitudinal Sample

2 of the major questions prompted by recent research on inhibition are: (1) Should inhibition be considered a trait dimension, or do those who manifest extreme inhibition constitute a discrete personality type? (2) Are there sex differences in stability of inhibition? We addressed these questions using mothers' ratings over 16 years and psychologists' ratings over 6 years of a Swedish longitudinal sample. From the mean of mothers' 18- and 24-month ratings and the mean of psychologists' 18- and 24-month ratings, we predicted later ratings through 16 years. We performed these analyses for children constituting the extreme 10%–15% from each end of the distribution and then for children not rated as extreme. Ratings were more stable for children in the extreme groups than for those in the nonextreme groups through 6 years; however, only for the inhibited girls did early inhibition predict inhibition into adolescence. We conclude that culturally shared notions of gender-appropriate behavior influence the stability of inhibition.     

Teaching Philosophy of Education: The Value of Questions

The teaching of foundations courses, and in particular philosophy of education, is frequently under siege in teacher education programs across Canada, as these programs struggle to meet other demands on student teachers. This article results from a panel discussion addressing the context of a variety of undergraduate philosophy of education courses across the country, and the principles and practices instructors take in teaching their discipline. The result of the discussion is a strong argument in favour of teaching philosophy of education as an important means of achieving many of the other aims Faculties of Education and teacher education programs have for their teacher education students, in an atmosphere of reflective thought about the profession and its challenges.     

Children's perceptions of primary science assessment in England and Wales

This study builds on and contributes to work on assessment of children in primary school, particularly in science. Previous research has examined primary science assessment from different standpoints, but no studies have specifically addressed children's perspectives. This article provides additional insight into issues surrounding children's assessment in primary school and how the assessment of science might develop in England after the science SATs (Standard Assessment Tests) were abolished in 2009. Some research suggests that primary science assessment via SATs is a major reason for the observed decline in children's engagement with science in upper primary and lower secondary school. The analytic focus on engaging children as coresearchers to assist in the process of gathering informed views and interpreting findings from a large sample of children's views enables another contribution. The study, based on a survey of 1000 children in primary and secondary schools in England and Wales, reveals that despite being assessed under two different regimes (high‐stakes national tests in England and moderated teacher assessment in Wales), children's views of science assessment are remarkably consistent. Most appreciate the usefulness of science assessment and value frequent, non‐SATs testing for monitoring/improving science progress. There was a largely negative impact, however, of science assessment on children's well‐being, particularly due to stress. The paper demonstrates that children provide an important perspective on assessment and that including their views can improve policy‐making in relation to primary science assessment.