What is science in preschool and what do teachers have to know to empower children?

In this article we problematize the purpose of teaching science in preschool and the competences preschool teachers need in order to conduct science activities in the classroom. The empirical data were collected through an action research project with five preschool and primary school teachers (K-6). In the first section of this paper we use one situation, a floating–sinking experiment, as an illustration of how two different epistemological perspectives generate different foci on which kind of science teaching competences can be fruitful in preschool settings. In the first perspective, the central goal of science teaching is the development of the children’s conceptual understanding. With this perspective, we found that the science activities with children were unsuccessful, because their thoughts about concepts did not develop as expected, the situation even enhanced a “misconception” concerning density. Moreover, the teacher was unsuccessful in supporting the children’s conceptual learning. The second perspective uses a feminist approach that scrutinizes science, where we investigate if the floating–sinking activity contributes to a feeling of participation in a scientific context for the children and if so how the teacher promotes this inclusion. This second perspective showed that the children’s scientific proficiency benefited from the situation; they had a positive experience with density which was reinforced by the teacher. The children discovered that they had power over their own learning by using an experimental approach. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that there are competences other than subject matter knowledge that are also important when preschool teachers engage children in scientific activities. Through process-oriented work with the teacher group, we identified four concrete skills: paying attention to and using children’s previous experiences; capturing unexpected things that happen at the moment they occur; asking questions that challenge the children and that stimulate further investigation; creating a situated presence, that is, “remaining” in the situation and listening to the children and their explanations. We discuss possible ways to move preschool teachers away from their feelings of inadequacy and poor self-confidence in teaching science by reinforcing this kind of pedagogical content knowledge.     

Biomechanische Grundlagen des Startsprungs im Schwimmen

Starting block performance in swimming is of crucial importance in the individual competitions for the shorter swimming distances as well as for the relay events. The significance of this swim start performance will increase with the introduction of a new starting block with a longer and slightly steeper surface in conjunction with a push-off support for the feet and laterally adjustable handles. As grab starts and track starts were equally observed in international swimming competitions there are good reasons to assume that only the latter will remain the dominant starting technique. This report aims to summarize existing knowledge on the biomechanics of the swim start performed on a traditional starting block as a new starting block is introduced and new starting techniques are going to be developed. Following some introductory remarks on the assessment of the swim start performance, results will be discussed on the merit of different take-off techniques, on the entry behaviour, and on the force development profiles on the starting block. In conclusion, a tendency in favour of the rear-weighted track start was found in conjunction with a flat entry. In addition, it could be shown that an angular momentum around the transverse body axis combined with a dolphin kick (and a previously hyperextended hip joint) may provide hydrodynamic conditions to enter the water with a rather steep centre of mass trajectory. Finally, existing biomechanical knowledge will be presented on the relay start as well as on a possible change in the starting technique using the new block.     

Cross-language transfer in English immersion programs in Germany: Reading comprehension and reading fluency

Cross-language effects on reading skills are of particular interest in the context of foreign language immersion programs. Although there is an extensive literature on cross-language effects on reading in general, research focusing on immersion students and including different dimensions of reading acquisition such as reading fluency and reading comprehension is scarce. This study therefore investigated cross-language transfer between first-language (L1) and second-language (L2) reading fluency and reading comprehension in a group of 220 German elementary school students who were enrolled in English partial immersion programs. Students were tested in grades 3 and 4. Structural equation modeling was used to examine cross-language transfer in a cross-lagged panel design. Results showed moderate cross-language paths when controlling for autoregressive effects. These findings are in line with previous results showing reciprocal transfer effects between L1 and L2 reading comprehension and reading fluency. In addition, the overall dominance of paths from L2 to L1 over paths from L1 to L2 suggests immersion-specific relations that may be attributable to the plentiful opportunities for academic reading in the L2 at school. Hence, skills necessary for successful reading can evidently be acquired in an L2 context and transferred to the L1. These findings underline the importance of cross-language transfer between reading skills in immersion programs.     

Unfulfilled: A Story of Users and Library Request Services

The current technology models for library request services present significant challenges for the user’s experience from discovery to delivery. Applying user-centered design and e-commerce modalities may allow libraries to create more engaging and useful request services for all users. The authors suggest six design principles to improve user’s experience with library request systems and offer practical applications of these principles based upon two case studies at The New School Libraries and New York University Libraries. Both cases utilize APIs currently available, suggesting that libraries may leverage current models to create a better experience for their users.     

Circulating resistin protein and mRNA concentrations and clinical severity of coronary artery disease

Introduction

Previous studies have implicated a strong link between circulating plasma resistin and coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) resistin mRNA and its plasma protein concentrations between the patients with CAD of different clinical severity.

Material and methods

This study included 33 healthy subjects as the control group (CG) and 77 patients requiring coronary angiography. Of the latter 30 was CAD negative whereas 47 were CAD positive [18 with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and 29 with acute coronary syndrome (ACS)]. Circulating resistin was measured by ELISA; PBMC resistin mRNA was determined by real-time PCR.

Results

Resistin protein was significantly higher in the ACS group compared to the CG (P = 0.001) and the CAD negative group (P = 0.018). Resistin mRNA expression did not vary across the study groups, despite the positive correlation seen with plasma resistin (ρ = 0.305, P = 0.008). In patients, plasma resistin and PBMC resistin mRNA negatively correlated with HDL-C (ρ = -0.404, P < 0.001 and ρ = -0.257, P = 0.032, respectively). Furthermore, the highest plasma resistin tertile showed the lowest HDL-C (P = 0.006). Plasma resistin was positively associated with serum creatinine (ρ = 0.353, P = 0.002).

Conclusion

Significant increase of plasma resistin in patients with ACS compared to CG and CAD negative patients was observed. Despite no change in PBMC resistin mRNA in different disease conditions a positive association between resistin mRNA and resistin plasma protein was evident. Both plasma resistin and PBMC resistin mRNA were negatively associated with plasma HDL-C, and plasma resistin positively with serum creatinine.Key words: resistin, human; gene expression; coronary artery disease; acute coronary syndrome     

Revved up or turned off? How domain knowledge changes the relationship between perceived task complexity and task interest

This correlational study examined the relationship between perceived task complexity and task interest for individuals with varying levels of domain knowledge and/or individual interest. Forty-five college student participants (46% women) reported their knowledge and individual interest in biology before learning about the biology of fungus. Following the task, participants rated the complexity and their understanding of the material. Participants took a quiz on the material and reported their interest in fungus and willingness to return for another session. A significant Biology Knowledge × Perceived Complexity interaction emerged on task interest and willingness to return for another session, ps < .05. Perceived complexity predicted positive task outcomes for high-domain-knowledge individuals but negative task outcomes for low-domain-knowledge individuals, suggesting that domain knowledge and individual interest can help explain individuals' diverse responses to learning activities.     

Subjectivation by video—ethnographic explorations on practices of video analysis in high-performance youth football

This paper deals with video-based match and performance analysis in high-performance youth football. It draws on empirical material gathered during ethnographic research conducted with two teams organized within the framework of the youth academy of a German First Division football club. The material is analysed from a perspective inspired by sociological practice theories as well as the theoretical concept of subjectivation. The paper investigates the different contexts and practices of training in which videos occur and sheds light on their implications for the organization of play as well as for the development of players and coaches. Using long-term participatory observations and narratively designed qualitative interviews, it is revealed that videos serve different and heterogeneous purposes within different practices. Thus, this paper details not only the intended and obvious effects of video analysis, such as the optimization of play and training, but also its unintended and widely ignored side effects.     

The vocational–academic divide in neoliberal upper secondary curricula: the Swedish case

A historical tension between a more general and a more specific focus in post-compulsory education is made visible in some educational systems by the division into more academic and more vocational programmes. Embedded in this tension are questions of social justice and the purposes of education. In addition, division into academic and vocational programmes has class dimensions since youth with working class backgrounds are often over-represented in vocational programmes. This study investigates how this tension is handled in the Swedish upper secondary curriculum, which reflects an international neoliberal policy trend in promoting competition, employability and employer influence over the curriculum. By analysing how the educational content of vocational educational and training (VET) programmes and higher educational preparatory (HEP) programmes is contextualised, we found that the two programme types were based on very different logics. In VET programmes, knowledge is strongly context-bound and often related to regulating behaviours. This contrasts sharply with the way knowledge is contextualised in HEP programmes in which less context-bound knowledge and skills such as using concepts, models and critical thinking are dominant. Students in VET programmes are trained to ‘do’ and to ‘adapt’, while the students in HEP programmes are trained to ‘think’ and to ‘imagine possibilities’. Thus, students from different social classes are prepared for very different roles in society.