Knowledge and power in research into the politics of urban education

This essay discusses the importance of the relationship between power and knowledge for research into the politics of education. Based on this discussion, the author proposes research questions regarding the poor, effective schools, restructuring, and the influence of business on schools. Of particular concern is the effect of the relationship between power and knowledge on the education of children from poor families, and dominated racial and ethnic groups. In addition, the essay suggests an interrelationship between the political and economic interests of educational researchers and the types of research questions that they ask.     

Physical activity and executive control: implications for increased cognitive health during older adulthood

Electrocortical and behavioral responses of low, moderate, and high physically active older adults were compared with a younger control group on neutral and incompatible conditions of a flankers task. Compared to younger adults, high and moderate active older adults exhibited increased event-related potentials component P3 amplitude for the incompatible condition at the frontal electrode site. For the neutral condition, only low active older adults exhibited decreased amplitude at the central-parietal site, compared to younger adults. P3 latency revealed the longest latencies for low active older adults, followed by moderate active, high active, and younger adults, respectively. Reaction time (RT) data revealed that younger adults exhibited faster RT compared to all three older groups. Results suggest that physical activity may improve executive control function in older adults by affecting the distribution of P3 amplitude, which has been related to memory and attentional processes, and by decreasing P3 latency, which relates to the speed of cognitive processing.     

Postcontraction influences on reaction time

The purpose of this study was to compare reaction time (RT) and fractionated RT components (premotor and motor times) between normal and postcontraction conditions. Twelve participants performed 20 trials each of control and postcontraction RT conditions. For the control condition, participants executed a learned, rapid, knee-extension contraction response to an auditory stimulus. The postcontraction condition was identical to the control condition except that the participants performed a 3-s isometric contraction of the knee extensor muscles prior to an auditory stimulus. Muscle activity was recorded from the quadriceps muscle group. Results indicated that the postcontraction condition was significantly faster than the control condition for the average RT, premotor time, and motor time. It was concluded that reaction time, processing time, and muscle contraction time for a learned task could be significantly reduced following an isometric contraction.     

Dualisms in Higher Education: a Critique of Their Influence and Effect

Dualisms pervade the language of higher education research providing an over‐simplified roadmap to the field. However, the lazy logic of their popular appeal supports the perpetuation of erroneous and often outdated assumptions about the nature of modern higher education. This paper explores nine commonly occurring dualisms: collegiality/managerialism, student‐centred/teacher‐centred, deep learning/surface learning, academics/non‐academics; research/teaching, old universities/new universities, liberal/vocational, public universities/private universities and higher education/further education. Illustrated by reference to a range of international contexts, it is argued that over‐reliance on dualisms among higher education scholars has adverse effects including narrowing the possibilities of research design and inhibiting intellectual advancement within the field.