The relationship between qualified personnel and self-reported implementation of recommended physical education practices and programs in U.S. schools

The authors analyzed data from the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2000 to assess the associations between the presence of a district physical education coordinator and district-level physical education policies and practices recommended by federal government agencies and national organizations. The authors also examined the relationship between teacher qualifications and staff development related to physical education and self-reported implementation of recommended teachingpractices. District-level data were collected by self-administered mail questionnaires from a nationally representative sample of school districts. Classroom-level data were collected by computer-assisted personal interviews with teachers of randomly selected classes in elementary schools and randomly selected required physical education courses in middle/junior high and senior high schools. Nearly two thirds (62.2%) of districts had a physical education coordinator, and those were generally more likely than other districts to report having policies and practices that corresponded with national recommendations for high-quality physical education programs. More than two thirds of teachers (66.9%) met the criteria for teacher qualifications based on their education and certification. These teachers were more likely than others to report use of certain recommended physical education teaching practices. Teachers who participated in staff development also were more likely to use recommended teaching practices in their classrooms. Using a district physical education coordinator and teachers with appropriate qualifications as well as offering staff development opportunities on physical education may enhance school physical education programs.     

Perceptions of African American faculty in kinesiology-based programs at predominantly White American institutions of higher education

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of African American faculty on their organizational socialization in kinesiology-based (i.e., sport pedagogy, exercise physiology, motor behavior, sport management/history) programs at predominantly White American institutions of higher education (PW-IHE). Participants were 9 African American tenure-track faculty members from various kinesiology-based programs at PW-IHE. Data were gathered via interviewing and analyzed within the framework of critical race theory (Ladson-Billings, 2000). Findings are presented using storytelling and thematic narratives. Interviews with the participants revealed four major recurring themes with regard to: (a) resources, opportunities, and power structures; (b) programmatic neglects and faculty mentoring needs; (c) social isolation, disengagement, and intellectual inferiority issues; and (d) double standards, marginalization, and scholarship biases. This study suggests that faculty and administrators at PW-IHE should develop sensitivity toward organizational socialization issues relevant to faculty of color.     

Stability of pedalling mechanics during a prolonged cycling exercise performed at different cadences

The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of pedalling rate on the pattern of mechanical torque application and on neuromuscular fatigue during prolonged cycling exercise. Eleven well-trained individuals performed three 1-h pedalling sessions, at 50 rev.min-1, 110 rev.min-1 and a freely chosen cadence, at an intensity corresponding to 65% of their maximal aerobic power. The mechanical torque applied on the right pedal was recorded for 30 s every 5 min while pedalling. Contractile and neural properties of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles were analysed before and immediately after each of the three pedalling sessions. The post-exercise reduction in knee extensors maximal voluntary contraction was significant (P<0.01) irrespective of the cadence, but no difference was found between cadences. The use of a particular cadence did not lead to preferentially central or peripheral fatigue. An increase in cadence resulted in greater positive and negative work generated during pedalling. The mechanical pattern was not altered during the exercise, whatever the selected cadence. The present study demonstrates that despite the occurrence of neuromuscular fatigue, trained individuals maintained a stable pedalling pattern throughout an endurance cycling exercise for cadences ranging from 50 to 110 rev.min-1.     

On repeated measures designs: hierarchical structures and time trends

The basic anatomy of an experimental design is used as an expository introduction to the examination of several repeated measures experiments described in recent pages of this and other journals. This examination reveals problematic issues concerning some common design and analysis features of such experimental designs. In particular, the hierarchical structures and/or presence of time trends is highlighted. These issues are discussed in an attempt to assist researchers to recognize such problems, to avoid the associated difficulties in the future, and to exploit the advantages of sound design with appropriate, efficient and informative analysis. While alternate reanalyses of the data of these experiments might reveal the conclusions to be unaffected by such issues, researchers should still be cautious. In retrospect, such occurrences should be seen as fortuitous, not as justification for inefficient or less informative analyses. More importantly, such reanalyses could reveal more enlightening information, and I argue that if a design permits such information to be discovered, then it behoves researchers to perform such analyses and to make such discoveries.     

Effects of adding a preceding run-up on performance, blood lactate concentration and heart rate during maximal intermittent vertical jumping

In this study, we examined the effects of a prior run-up on intermittent maximal vertical jump performance. Seven regionally ranked male volleyball players volunteered to participate in the study. They performed three randomized tests: (1) six repeated intermittent maximal jumps (jump condition), (2) six repeated intermittent run-ups (run-up condition), and (3) six repeated run-ups followed by maximal jumps (run-up plus jump condition). All performances were assessed and blood lactate concentration and heart rate were measured before and after each of the tests. Mean ( +/- ) jump performance (64.7 +/- 2.3 cm) increased significantly (P = 0.02) over the course of the jump condition and was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than for the run-up plus jump condition (58.0 +/- 3.2 cm), which tended to decrease with repetition. Blood lactate concentration was significantly higher in the run-up plus jump condition (3.73 +/- 0.24 mmol . l(-1)) than in the jump (2.61 +/- 0.26 mmol . l(-1), P = 0.02) and run-up (2.86 +/- 0.18 mmol . l(-1), P = 0.03) conditions. The increase in heart rate was significantly higher both in the run-up plus jump condition (33 +/- 6 beats . min(-1), P = 0.05) and run-up condition (33 +/- 4 beats . min(-1), P = 0.02) than in the jump condition (21 +/- 3 beats . min(-1)). The results indicate that the addition of run-ups probably impeded performance in the repetition of vertical jumps.     

Heart rates of high school physical education students during team sports, individual sports, and fitness activities

This study examined how activity type influenced heart rates and time spent in target heart rate zones of high school students participating in physical education classes. Significantly higher average heart rates existed for fitness (142 +/- 24 beats per minute [bpm]) compared to team (118 +/- 24 bpm) or individual (114 +/- 18) activities. Similar results occurred for the percentage of activity time spent within a target heart rate zone (fitness 81.7 +/- 15.9%, individual 68.4 +/- 30.5%, and team 60.6 +/- 30.5%). Boys attained higher heart rates during team activities, while female students had higher rates during individual activities indicating male and female adolescents respond differently to activity types. The highest mean heart rates were observed during fitness activities.     

An Informed Look at Doctoral Vivas (Oral Examinations) in the Preparation of Counselor Educators

Viva voce is the Latin expression traditionally used to refer to doctoral oral examinations. Viva voce, or simply viva, examinations are a standard requirement for doctoral candidacy and degree completion in many counselor education programs. Despite the prevalent use of vivas as an assessment and learning tool, the counselor education literature is scant on information about their rationale, method, and impact. Current trends toward transparency and accountability in higher education now require that counselor educators and researchers take steps to ensure that the use of vivas is justified beyond tradition alone.     

Los retos de la educación bilingüe en inglés y español en las escuelas públicas de Nueva York: objetivos, modelos y currículos

The challenges of bilingual education in English and Spanish in public schools of New York: Objectives, models and curricula – The first section of this article describes the conceptual differences between educational objectives, educational model (context and structures) and curriculum (units of study or sequential study guides). The second section analyses how these three concepts were put into practice in five bilingual elementary schools serving immigrant students in New York City. The educational objectives reflect the leadership and work expectations which the principal establishes within the school and with the community. The educational model is translated into a clear language allocation policy that is reached by consensus between the principal and the teachers. The curriculum adaptations reflect the context and culture of the students, but without neglecting the educational objectives. The development of academic language (the language based on academic texts) is an element that attracts vast interest in American schools, but is ignored in many bilingual ones. The development of academic language occupies a central role in the curriculum of these five schools. This is, to a great extent, the result of the limited exposure to literacy that many students have had outside of the school environment. The final section of this article describes how these schools disregard the antagonism towards immigrants and bilingual education that is currently characteristic of the United States and focus on the quality of their programmes.     

The influence of anxiety on visual attention in climbing

The object of the current study was to investigate anxiety-induced changes in movement and gaze behavior in novices on a climbing wall. Identical traverses were situated at high and low levels on a climbing wall to manipulate anxiety. In line with earlier studies, climbing times and movement times increased under anxiety. These changes were accompanied by similar changes in total and average fixation duration and the number of fixations, which were primarily aimed at the holds used for climbing. In combination with these findings, a decrease in search rate provided evidence for a decrease in processing efficiency as anxiety increased.