‘Samurai’ politics: Japanese cultural identity in global sport – The Olympic Games as a representational strategy

Modern Japan has considered global sport an appropriate forum for not only defining the national cultural identity of Japan but also for conducting its international diplomacy. The recent phenomenon of Japanese baseball athletes ‘defecting’ from Japanese leagues to play for the American baseball leagues has often been described in political terms. This paper argues that the current trend of analysing Japanese nationals playing baseball in America in political terms can be historically contextualized by reviewing the bids by Japanese cities for the 1940, 1964, 1998 and 2016 Olympic Games.     

Efficacy of Fast ForWord training on facilitating acquisition of reading skills by children with reading difficulties—A longitudinal study

We explored the effects of Fast ForWord (FFW) training on reading and spoken language skills in children with difficulties in phonemic awareness and word identification. Gains were examined both immediately after treatment and over a period of two years. In the short term, children who received FFW training were compared to children who received Orton Gillingham (OG) training. The FFW group was also compared to a matched longitudinal control group (LC); all participants in the FFW and LC groups received similar multisensory structured language instruction over two academic years. The FFW and OG groups made similar gains in phonemic awareness. However, the children who received FFW training did not show significant gains in word identification or word attack whereas the children who received OG training made significant gains in word attack. Immediately after treatment, the FFW group showed significant gains in speaking and syntax, but these gains were not maintained over two years. The FFW group did not differ significantly from the LC group in any areas over the two years. Children in both groups made significant progress in phonemic awareness and reading.     

Broadening the Definition of Collaboration in Early Care and Education

ABSTRACT

Research Findings: This article summarizes current peer-reviewed research and conceptualizations of collaboration and presents a new conceptual model. Authors found that the existing peer-reviewed literature does not adequately reflect emerging understandings of the nature of early childhood collaborations or the contributions such collaborations make to outcomes. The paper fills a gap in the literature by presenting a broader conceptualization of collaboration in which stakeholders work together and use data to achieve common goals through engaging in shared activities. Authors provide examples of how collaborations take place within a network of early care and education programs. Practice or Policy: Practitioners can use information presented in this to support collaborations at different levels of an early childhood system. More research needs to be conducted to identify and measure collaborative activities and outcomes across levels of collaboration to align with a broader definition of collaboration.     

When young children are afraid

With panic clearly showing in his eyes, Josh dropped to the floor, locked his dad's leg between both arms, and screamed. It was Josh's first day at school. While young children's fears may not always appear to be rational in the eyes of adults, every child's fearful response deserves to be acknowledged as a genuine reaction to an actual or perceived threat. Because fear has the potential to interfere with the young child's quality of life, it would seem important to understand the nature and normal developmental course of early childhood fears.     

Impact of Adding Internet Technology on Student Performance and Perception of Autonomy in Fundamentals of Electronics Course

The coupling of the traditional classroom instruction and a virtual learning environment (VLE) in an engineering course is critical to stimulating the learning process and to encouraging students to develop competencies outside of the classroom. This can be achieved through planned activities and the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), resources designed to complement students’ autonomous learning needs. A quantitative analysis of students’ academic performance using final course grades was performed for a fundamentals of electronics course and we examine students’ perception of their autonomy using surveys. The students’ progress and attitudes were monitored over four consecutive semesters. The first began with the design of the intervention and the following three consisted in the implementation. The strategy was focused on the development of course competencies through autonomous learning with ICT tools presented in the VLE. Findings indicate that the students who did the activities in the VLE showed an increase in performance scores in comparison with students who did not do them. The strategy used in this study, which enhanced perceived autonomy, was associated with a positive effect on their learning process. This research shows that a technology-enhanced course supported by ICT activities can both improve academic performance and foster autonomy in students.     

Separating the fish from the sharks: a longitudinal study of preschool response inhibition

The development of response inhibition was investigated using a computerized go/no‐go task, in a lagged sequential design where 376 preschool children were assessed repeatedly between 3.0 and 5.25 years of age. Growth curve modeling was used to examine change in performance and predictors of individual differences. The most pronounced change was observed between 3 and 3.75 years. Better working memory and general cognitive ability were related to more accurate performance at all ages, but relations with speed changed with age, where better cognitive skills were initially related to slower responding, but faster responding at later ages. Boys responded more quickly and were more accurate on go trials, whereas girls were better able to withhold responding on no‐go trials.