Teacher unions’ participation in policy making: a South African case study

This article contends that teacher unions’ participation in policy making during South Africa’s political transition was characterised by assertion of ideological identity (unionism and professionalism) and the cultivation of policy networks and alliances. It is argued that, historically, while teacher unions were divided along political and ideological lines, they have demonstrated flexibility in contesting for influence in the policy arena. In this regard, teacher unions’ agency plays an important part and is reflected in changes in organisational strategies to ensure their independence or prevent marginalisation. The article highlights the threat of state co-optation for teacher unions and suggests that a framework for managing teacher union–state relations based on ‘professional unionism’ could potentially contribute to more effective education service provision. Comparisons with teacher unions’ experiences elsewhere in the world are also made, while recognising the specificity of the South African situation.     

INFLUENCE OF PERCEIVED CONTROL OVER TIME ON COLLEGE STUDENTS' STRESS AND STRESS-RELATED OUTCOMES

Assertions that time management results in less stress, healthier employees, and more effective organizations have received little empirical examination. This study investigates the influence of perceived time management (operationalized as perceived control over time) as a stress coping strategy among college students. Also, the influence of perceived time management on valued student outcomes such as academic performance, problem-solving ability, and health are also investigated. Results from a sample of 164 college students found low levels of stress and high levels of academic performance, problem-solving ability, and health for students that perceived high levels of perceived control over time compared to students who perceived low control over time. Discussion of the study findings, implications, and direction for future research is presented.     

科学传播与互联网——美国R2委员会调查成果

这篇论文探讨了 8个问题 :互联网的发展与使用、互联网受众与其他媒介受众的比较、受众对互联网作为科学传播媒介的态度、对互联网作为大众传播渠道的宏观定性评价、正在消失的互联网模板、创建模板及评估高级网站的标准、在线科学传播记者的准备、五个未回应的挑战。     

Comparison of motor competence levels on two assessments across childhood

This study compared performances and motor delay classifications for the Test of Gross Motor Development-2nd edition (TGMD-2) and the Körperkoordinationstest Für Kinder (KTK) in a sample of 424 healthy children (47% girls) between 5 and 10 years of age. Low-to-moderate correlations (r range = 0.34–0.52) were found between assessments across age. In general, both boys and girls demonstrated higher raw scores across age groups. However, percentile scores indicated younger children outperformed older children, denoting a normative percentile-based decrease in motor competence (MC) in the older age groups. In total, the TGMD-2 and KTK classified 39.4% and 18.4% children, respectively, as demonstrating very low MC (percentile ≤5). In conclusion, the TGMD-2 classified significantly more children with motor delays than the KTK and the differences between children’s motor skill classification levels by these assessments became greater as the age groups increased. Therefore, the TGMD-2 may demonstrate more susceptibility to sociocultural influences and be more influenced by cumulative motor experiences throughout childhood. Low-to-moderate correlations between assessments also suggest the TGMD-2 and KTK may measure different aspects of MC. As such, it may be important to use multiple assessments to comprehensively assess motor competence.     

A comparison of the physiological response to simulated altitude exposure and r-HuEpo administration

Concerns have been raised about the morality of using simulated altitude facilities in an attempt to improve athletic performance. One assumption that has been influential in this debate is the belief that altitude houses simply mimic the physiological effects of illegal recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEpo) doping. To test the validity of this assumption, the haematological and physiological responses of 23 well-trained athletes exposed to a simulated altitude of 2650-3000 m for 11-23 nights were contrasted with those of healthy volunteers receiving a low dose (150 IU·kg^-1 per week) of r-HuEpo for 25 days. Serial blood samples were analysed for serum erythropoietin and percent reticulocytes; maximal oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O_2max) was assessed before and after r-HuEpo administration or simulated altitude exposure. The group mean increase in serum erythropoietin (422% for r-HuEpo vs 59% for simulated altitude), percent reticulocytes (89% vs 30%) and [Vdot]O_2max (6.6% vs -2.0%) indicated that simulated altitude did not induce the changes obtained with r-HuEpo administration. Based on the disparity of these responses, we conclude that simulated altitude facilities should not be considered unethical based solely on the tenet that they provide an alternative means of obtaining the benefits sought by illegal r-HuEpo doping.     

Behavioral inhibition induced by ingestion in sea anemones (Anthopleura elegantissima)

Following tests for initial responsiveness, the suppressive effect of ingestion ofArtemia salina on the contraction response of the sea anemone,Anthopleura elegantissima, was assessed. During testing, repeated presentations of a water-stream stimulus occurred over a period of 70 min. All subjects also underwent control testing in which the water-stream sequence was presented in the absence of priorArtemia ingestion. Significant suppression of oral disk contraction to the water stream was observed followingArtemia ingestion with and without water exchange during testing. The relationship of this finding to similar results obtained withHydra is discussed.