Impacts of the National Green Corps Program (Eco‐Clubs) on students in India and their participation in environmental education activities

India’s National Green Corps (NGC) Eco‐Clubs are a unique opportunity to educate youth about environmental issues. NGC objectives include: (1) educate children about their immediate environment by increasing awareness; (2) impart knowledge about eco‐systems, their interdependence and need for survival, through visits and demonstrations; (3) mobilize youth by instilling a spirit of scientific inquiry into environmental problems; and (4) involve youth in active environmental preservation efforts. In 2005–2006, Eco‐Clubs existed in nearly 68,000 schools across India representing 150 Eco‐Clubs per district. During the 2007–2008 school year, the number of Eco‐Clubs increased to approximately 97,000 in 519 districts. The purpose of the study reported here was to document and evaluate the effectiveness of Eco‐Clubs and assess their organizational framework. An extensive document review of secondary data was employed and focus group interviews were conducted in two locations. Findings show that the partnership programs developed by schools with non‐governmental organizations to propel the Eco‐Club concept forward have contributed greatly to their ability to provide ongoing, quality programs for students. Recommendations include directing different agencies to work cohesively towards program success, clarifying the future NGC vision, and addressing existing operational shortcomings.     

Knowing in action: Beyond communities of practice

This paper engages with the recent turn in the social sciences towards communities of practice as a driver of learning and knowledge generation across a variety of different working environments. While agreeing with the broad reinstatement of situated social practice in thinking on the dynamics of knowledge capitalism, the paper takes issue with the increasingly homogeneous and instrumentalist use of the term communities of practice to encapsulate ‘knowing in action’. On the basis of an extensive review of the available literature, the paper argues for the importance of differentiating between different varieties of knowing in action. The paper notes the differences - in organisation, spatial dynamics, innovation outcomes, and knowledge processes - between four modes: craft or task-based knowing; epistemic or high creativity knowing; professional knowing; and virtual knowing. The proposed typology is used to illustrate the insight gained from such analytical precision, through a discussion of the spatial configuration of knowing in action, long assumed to require spatial proximity. It is shown that spatial and relational proximity - which can be struck at a distance - should not be treated as one and the same.     

As Science Students Become Science Teachers: A Perspective on Learning Orientation

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

Teacher ratings of Hispanic,black, and Anglo students' classroom behavior

Teachers rated the behavior of Hispanic (N = 56), black (N = 56), and Anglo (N = 56) elementary students with the Teacher Checklist of School Behavior. The behavior of Hispanic students was rated less favorably than that of either of the other two groups. The Hispanic students were perceived to avoid peer and teacher interaction to a greater extent than Anglo and black students and to exhibit more physical reaction (absenteeism, physical complaints, clinic requests, etc.)     

The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on physical activity in U.S. children

BackgroundDaily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is vital to the physical, mental, and social well-being of children. Early restrictions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic included the closure of schools and physical activity (PA) amenities across the US. This study aimed to examine the impact of the pandemic on the PA and play behavior of U.S. children and to provide evidence-based recommendations to improve their PA.MethodsA cross-sectional, online, parent-reported survey was conducted of children aged 3–18 years between April and June 2020 to assess light PA and MVPA using a modified Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. Additional items included family/child socioeconomic demographics, child adaptability to the pandemic, and community access. The survey was shared through social media and snowball sampling distribution.ResultsAnalysis of 1310 surveys indicated child PA scores declined significantly during the pandemic (from 56.6 to 44.6, max 119, p < 0.001). Specifically, MVPA score decreased (from 46.7 to 34.7, max 98, p < 0.001) while light PA remained the same. Age-based changes were seen in the quantity, variety, and intensity of PA, with the lowest pandemic-related impact seen in preschoolers and the highest in high schoolers (–4.7 vs. –17.2, p < 0.001). Community-based peer PA decreased across all age groups.ConclusionThis study shows decreased PA levels in U.S. children, according to parent reporting, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations for community leaders, educators, and parents to improve PA in children are provided. With continued spread of COVID-19, these results and recommendations may be imperative to the physical well-being of U.S. children.     

Detecting subtle yet fast skeletal muscle contractions with ultrasoft and durable graphene-based cellular materials

Human bodily movements are primarily controlled by the contractions of skeletal muscles. Unlike joint or skeletal movements that are generally performed in the large displacement range, the contractions of the skeletal muscles that underpin these movements are subtle in intensity yet high in frequency. This subtlety of movement makes it a formidable challenge to develop wearable and durable soft materials to electrically monitor such motions with high fidelity for the purpose of, for example, muscle/neuromuscular disease diagnosis. Here we report that an intrinsically fragile ultralow-density graphene-based cellular monolith sandwiched between silicone rubbers can exhibit a highly effective stress and strain transfer mechanism at its interface with the rubber, with a remarkable improvement in stretchability (>100%). In particular, this hybrid also exhibits a highly sensitive, broadband-frequency electrical response (up to 180 Hz) for a wide range of strains. By correlating the mechanical signal of muscle movements obtained from this hybrid material with electromyography, we demonstrate that the strain sensor based on this hybrid material may provide a new, soft and wearable mechanomyography approach for real-time monitoring of complex neuromuscular–skeletal interactions in a broad range of healthcare and human–machine interface applications. This work also provides a new architecture-enabled functional soft material platform for wearable electronics.