Out‐of‐school learning: The uneven distribution of school provision and local authority support

A significant volume of research demonstrates that out‐of‐school learning activities enhance student development in terms of cognitive, affective and social outcomes. However, there is also evidence that the opportunity to engage in these activities has been severely reduced in recent years. This paper explores the extent to which the provision of such opportunities is unevenly distributed—spatially and institutionally. The paper draws on research from two recently completed projects: one charting the distribution, attributes and vulnerability of local authority outdoor education centres across England and the other exploring variations in provision and participation in out‐of‐school learning within secondary schools throughout the UK. The paper highlights the uneven, precarious and uncertain nature of such activities and demonstrates that important regional and structural variations in the support and provision of opportunities for such activities by local authorities appear to have an important role in determining the provision of activities at the level of the schools.     

The PASS-Q: the perceived available support in sport questionnaire

This article provides initial evidence for the construct validity of the Perceived Available Support in Sport Questionnaire (PASS-Q), which assesses emotional, esteem, informational, and tangible support. In Study 1, confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence for a four-dimension factor structure. Correlations supported hypothesized relationships between the PASS-Q dimensions and the Social Support Survey questions (Richman, Rosenfeld, & Hardy, 1993). In Study 2, the four-dimension factor structure was supported in an independent sample. Further, higher levels of perceived available emotional, esteem, informational, and tangible support were associated with higher levels of self-confidence and lower levels of burnout. Researchers are encouraged to use the PASS-Q to examine the effects of perceived available support in sport contexts.     

Devolution and the Restructuring of Participation in Higher Education in Wales

This paper examines patterns of participation in higher education (HE) Wales, in the context of the devolution of powers over HE to the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government. In particular, this democratic devolution has resulted in the introduction of arrangements for student finance which are quite distinctive from those in other parts of the UK. In the event, trends in participation amongst Welsh‐domiciled young people (even when disaggregated by gender and socio‐economic background) show little evidence of impacts from these arrangements. Analysis of the geography of participation within Wales does reveal some evidence of convergence between areas of low and high participation. The picture is further complicated when the flows of students into and out of Wales, which are much larger than for other parts of the UK, are taken into account. This poses major questions for Welsh policy makers, especially because, from 2007–2008, there will be a significant price differential for Welsh‐domiciled students studying in Wales and those who wish to go elsewhere.     

Changing Technologies

SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS: THE FIRST QUARTERCENTURY OF SERVICE by David W.E. Rees (New York: John Wiley, 1990—$44.95, ISBN 0-471-62243-5, 329 pp.)

THE NEW COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES by Michael Mirabito and Barbara Morgenstern (Stoneham, MA: Focal Press, 1990—$24.95, paper, ISBN 0-240-80012-5, 244 pp.)

COMMUNICATION TOMORROW: NEW AUDIENCES, NEW TECHNOLOGIES, NEW MEDIA by E. W. Brody (New York: Praeger, 1990—$45.00/15.95, ISBN 0-275-93280-X hard, 0-275-93281-8 soft, 295 pp.)

HDTV: HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION by Stan Prentiss (Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books, 1990—$16.95, paper, ISBN 0-8306-3272-7, 232 pp.)

FIBER OPTICS AND CATV BUSINESS STRATEGY by Robert K. Yates, Nolwen Mahe, and Jerome Masson (Norwood, MA: Artech House, 1990—price not given, ISBN 0-89006-413-X, 159 pp.)

GLOBAL IMPACT: THE NEW TELECOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES by Loy A. Singleton (New York: Harper & Row, 1989—$26.95, ISBN 0-88730-259-9, 270 pp.)

COMMUNICATION WHEN IT'S NEEDED MOST: HOW NEW TECHNOLOGY COULD HELP IN SUDDENDISASTERS, Report of the International Disaster Communications Project (Annenberg Washington Program, 1455 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington 20004—free on request, paper, no ISBN given, 129 pp.)

THE FUTURE OF TELEVISION (National Cable Television Association, 1724 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036—free, paper, no ISBN given, 42 pp.)

COMPUTER A PPUCA TIONS IN FILM & VIDEO: A NE WSLETTER FOR EDUCATORS AND PROFESSIONALS (David Katz, ed.. Communications Development Center, Univ. of Wisconsin Extension, Radio Hall, Madison, WI—53706 price information not given, ISSN not provided)

SATELLITES & BROADCASTING 1990 by Marcia DeSonne (National Association of Broadcasters, 1771 N St. NW, Washington, DC 20036—price not given, paper, ISBN 0-89324-075-3, 42 pp.)

GENERAL MOBILE RADIO SERVICE NATIONAL REPEATER GUIDE (Personal Radio Steering Group, P.O. Box 2851, Ann Arbor, MI 48106—$10.00, paper, no ISBN given, 80 pp.)     

The effects of perceived and received support on self-confidence

Abstract

A sample of 222 university athletes (mean age 19.8 years, s = 2.0), ranging in standard from university second team to international competitor, completed a measure of perceived support 2 weeks before an important competition or match. On the day before the competition or match, the athletes completed measures of stressors, stress, received support, and self-confidence. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses revealed the following key findings: (i) main effects for both perceived (ΔR ² = 0.11) and received support (ΔR ² = 0.14) upon self-confidence; (ii) stress-buffering effects for both perceived (ΔR ² = 0.02) and received (ΔR ² = 0.07) support upon self-confidence; (iii) when both aspects of support were considered simultaneously, stress-buffering effects were primarily attributable to the influence of received support. These results demonstrate the beneficial impact of social support on self-confidence, both directly and by reducing the negative effect of stress on self-confidence. Our findings emphasize the need to recognize the distinction between perceived and received support, both in terms of theory and the design of social support interventions with athletes.     

Knee joint neuromuscular activation performance during muscle damage and superimposed fatigue

This study examined the concurrent effects of exercise-induced muscle damage and superimposed acute fatigue on the neuromuscular activation performance of the knee flexors of nine males (age: 26.7 ± 6.1 years; height 1.81 ± 0.05 m; body mass 81.2 ± 11.7 kg [mean±s]). Measures were obtained during three experimental conditions: (i) 'fatigue-muscle damage', involving acute fatiguing exercise performed on each assessment occasion plus a single episode of eccentric exercise performed on the first occasion and after the fatigue trial; (ii) 'fatigue', involving the fatiguing exercise only; and (iii) 'control' consisting of no exercise. Assessments were performed prior to (pre) and at 1 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 168 h relative to the muscle damaging eccentric exercise. Repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) showed that muscle damage elicited reductions of up to 38%, 24% and 65% in volitional peak force, electromechanical delay and rate of force development compared to baseline and controls, respectively (F ([10, 80]) = 2.3 to 4.6; P < 0.05) with further impairments (6.2% to 30.7%) following acute fatigue (F ([2, 16]) = 4.3 to 9.1; P < 0.05). By contrast, magnetically-evoked electromechanical delay was not influenced by muscle damage and was improved during the superimposed acute fatigue (～14%; F ([2, 16]) = 3.9; P < 0.05). The safeguarding of evoked muscle activation capability despite compromised volitional performance might reveal aspects of capabilities for emergency and protective responses during episodes of fatigue and antecedent muscle damaging exercise.     

Profesional medical library education in the United States in relation to the qualifications of medical library manpower in Ohio

THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION FOR MEDICAL LIBRARY PRACTICE IN THE UNITED STATES CONSISTS OF FOUR MAJOR COMPONENTS: graduate degree programs in library science with specialization in medical librarianship; graduate degree programs in library science with no such specialization; postgraduate internships in medical libraries; continuing education programs. Data are presented illustrating the flow of graduates along these several educational pathways into medical library practice.The relevance of these educational components to the current medical library work force is discussed with reference to manpower data compiled for Ohio. The total number of medical library personnel in Ohio in 1968 is 316. Of this total, only forty-two (approximately 14 percent) have received any formal library training. Seventy persons have only a high school education. From these figures, it is concluded that there is no standard or essential qualification which is universally accepted as educational preparation for work in medical libraries; that the comparative sophistication of the educational programs in medical librarianship has yet to be reflected widely in general medical library practice; that an increasingly large number of non-professional or ancillary personnel are being, and will continue to be, utilized in medical libraries; that large numbers of untrained persons have sole responsibility for medical libraries; and that appropriate educational programs will have to be designed specifically for this type of personnel.