Professionalisierung und Schulentwicklung

In diesem Beitrag wird dargestellt, dass in Schulentwicklungsprozessen Potentiale für eine weitere Professionalisierung des Lehrerberufs liegen. Schulentwicklung generiert einen bestimmten Handlungstyp im Sinne einer Disposition für die kooperative L?sung unvorhersehbare Problem-und Krisenlagen auf der Ebene der einzelnen Schule. Die Autoren beschreiben auf der Grundlage mehrerer von ihnen durchgeführter hermeneutischfallrekonstruktiv vorgehender Begleitforschungsprojekte zur Schulentwicklung, welche Ver?nderungen sich in Schulentwicklungs-als Unterrichtsentwicklungsprozessen für die T?tigkeit der Lehrerinnen und Lehrer ergeben, um zukunftsoffen mit Unsicherheit umgehen zu k?nnen: 1. Es findet mehr Arbeit in sogenannten Praxisgemeinschaften und Entwicklungsgruppen statt. Dieses ist eine Verst?rkung der Kommunikation über Unterricht und Lernprozesse. 2. Die prozessorientierte ziel-und inhaltsbezogene Differenzierung und Variation von Unterrichtsformen wird gesteigert. 3. Schülerrückmeldungen über eigenes Lernen und den Unterricht werden in diesen integriert. Hier bilden sich neue Kompetenzen zur Diagnose heterogener Lernst?nde und zur Differenzierung von Lernformen und Lernwegen heraus, und es kommt dabei zu einer Ausdifferenzierung von Funktionsbereichen in der Lehrert?tigkeit.     

Oxygen uptake during mini trampoline exercise in normal-weight,endurance-trained adults and in overweight-obese,inactive adults: A proof-of-concept study

Objectives: To examine cardiorespiratory exertion during mini trampoline exercises of different intensities in both endurance-trained athletes and overweight-obese adults. Methods: Physically healthy participants (Group A: normal-weight, endurance-trained athletes; Group B: inactive, overweight-obese adults) participated in two measurement appointments and three training sessions in between appointments, in which participants familiarized themselves with the use of the mini trampoline and the execution of the exercises. The primary outcome was the ?O_2peak for each of the six mini trampoline exercises relative to the ?O_2peak as established during an all-out exercise test on a bike ergometer during the first measurement appointment. Secondary outcomes were average ?O₂ as well as maximum and average heart rate. Results: The six mini trampoline exercises generated ?O_2peak values between 42% and 81% in the endurance-trained athletes and between 58% and 87% in the overweight-obese participants, both in relation to the bike ergometer ?O_2peak. Average ?O₂ values ranged from 35% to 69% (endurance-trained athletes) and from 48% to 71% (overweight-obese participants), depending on exercise. Average heart rate likewise lay in a range that can be categorized as moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise for both groups. A moderate-to-strong correlation (0.658 to 0.875, depending on exercise) between bike ergometer ?O_2peak and mini trampoline ?O_2peak was found for all six exercises. Conclusions: Mini trampoline exercise has the potential to produce training intensities that concur with established exercise guidelines. The exercise intensity is self-adjusting and allows for an effective and safe workout for different users with a wide range of fitness levels.     

Students embracing change towards more powerful learning environments in vocational education

Students’ educational engagement is both an important predictor of study success and a key preventive factor for dropout. Vocational tracks in secondary education show high dropout rates. There is strong evidence that the solution to educational disengagement lies in student‐centred, powerful learning environments (PLEs). This study investigates characteristics of PLEs from the perspective of students in vocational secondary education. Students’ perspectives on a learning environment are crucial for their satisfaction and learning engagement. Therefore, we investigated whether the perceived learning environment meets the requirements of PLEs, and to what extent it meets students’ preferences. Additionally, it was investigated whether students who perceive their learning environment as more powerful, are also more engaged for school. Survey data of 532 students showed that student perceptions of their current learning environment were largely discrepant from the characteristics of PLEs. Students strongly asked for more challenging learning pathways, in combination with adaptive learning support. Students who perceived the characteristics of PLEs as being present, reported higher satisfaction and stronger engagement than students who perceived their education to be a less powerful environment. There is a need to redesign curricula in vocational education in such a way that these more intensely implement characteristics of PLEs.     

Marathon performance but not BMI affects post-marathon pro-inflammatory and cartilage biomarkers

We tested the hypothesis that changes in serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) concentration after regular endurance training and running a marathon race depend on body mass index (BMI) and/or on marathon performance. Blood samples were collected from 45 runners of varying BMI and running experience before and after a 10-week marathon training programme and before, immediately and 24 h after a marathon race. Serum biomarker concentrations, BMI and marathon finishing time were measured. The mean (95% confidence interval (CI)) changes from before to immediately after the marathon were COMP: 4.09 U/L (3.39–4.79 U/L); TNF-α: ?1.17 mg/L (?2.58 to 0.25 mg/L); IL-6: 12.0 pg/mL (11.4–12.5 pg/mL); and hsCRP: ?0.08 pg/mL (?0.14 to ?0.3 pg/mL). The mean (95% CI) changes from immediately after to 24 h after the marathon were COMP: 0.35 U/L (?0.88 to 1.57 U/L); TNF-α: ?0.43 mg/L (?0.99 to 0.13 mg/L); IL-6: ?9.9 pg/mL (?10.5 to ?9.4 pg/mL); and hsCRP: 1.52 pg/mL (1.25–1.79 pg/mL). BMI did not affect changes in biomarker concentrations. Differences in marathon finishing time explained 32% of variability in changes in serum hsCRP and 28% of variability in changes in serum COMP during the 24 h recovery after the marathon race (P < 0.001). Slower marathon finishing time but not a higher BMI modulates increases in pro-inflammatory markers or cartilage markers following a marathon race.     

Pharmacogenetics, pharmacogenomics and ecogenetics

Pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics deal with the role of genetic factors in drug effectiveness and adverse drug reactions. The promise of a personalized medicine is beginning to be explored but requires much more clinical and translational research. Specific DNA abnormalities in some cancers already have led to effective targeted treatments. Racially determined frequency differences in pharmacogenetic traits may affect choice of treatment requiring specific testing rather than basing treatments according to racial designation. The role of genes in variable responses to foreign chemicals （xenobiotics） has been termed ecogenetics or toxicogenetics raising problems in public health and occupational medicine. Nutrigenetics refers to genetic variation in response to nutrients and may affect nutritional requirements and predisposition to chronic disease.