Learners＇ and teachers＇ conceptions and dispositions of mathematics from a Middle Eastern perspective

The paper discusses an on-going research project that studies students＇ and teachers＇ conceptions and dispositions of mathematics. Conceptions are the views that students hold on a subject, and what they believe is required in learning and doing the subject. Dispositions are the beliefs or tendencies to exhibit a frequent, conscious and voluntary behavior directed towards learning a subject. The participants are high school students, higher education students and mathematics teachers. The study utilizes self-reporting tools as well as focus groups and interviews in a three-stage research model. This is a work on progress. Results to date are briefly discussed.     

Differing levels of gender salience in preschool classrooms: effects on children's gender attitudes and intergroup bias

Developmental intergroup theory posits that when environments make social-group membership salient, children will be particularly likely to apply categorization processes to social groups, thereby increasing stereotypes and prejudices. To test the predicted impact of environmental gender salience, 3- to 5-year-old children (N = 57) completed gender attitude, intergroup bias, and personal preference measures at the beginning and end of a 2-week period during which teachers either did or did not make gender salient. Observations of peer play were also made at both times. After 2 weeks, children in the high- (but not low-) salience condition showed significantly increased gender stereotypes, less positive ratings of other-sex peers, and decreased play with other-sex peers. Children's own activity and occupational preferences, however, remained unaffected.     

The gown and the korowai: Māori doctoral students and the spatial organisation of academic knowledge

This paper draws on 38 student interviews carried out in the course of the team research project ‘Teaching and Learning in the Supervision of Māori Doctoral Students’. Māori doctoral thesis work takes place in the intersections between the Māori (tribal) world of identifications and obligations, the organisational and epistemological configurations of academia and the bureaucratic requirements of funding or employing bureaucracies. To explore how students accommodate cultural, academic and bureaucratic demands, we develop analytical tools combining three intellectual traditions: Māori educational theory, Bernstein’s sociology of the academy and Lefebvre’s conceptual trilogy of perceived, conceived and lived space. The paper falls into six parts. Section 1 is an overview of the research and is followed in Section 2 by identification of intersecting ‘locations’ in which Māori students’ theses are produced. In Section 3, Henri Lefebvre’s spatial analysis highlights connections between students’ multiple allegiances and affinities. Drawing on Bernstein, Section 4 relates the theses to the organisation of ‘Western’ academic disciplines. Section 5 addresses students’ cultural locations beyond the reach of ‘Western’ disciplines. We conclude with implications for supervision.     

中国“蚁族”获得关注

<正>在政府官员聚会首都出席立法机构年会期间,北京郊区的一些村庄有点出人意料地成了人们在热议年青人就业形势严峻这一话题时的关注点。在北京市北部一些村庄,居住着大批自称为"蚁族"的年青人。由于工作辛苦、居住地拥挤寒酸,他们给自己取了这么个绰号。在北京开会的一些全国人大代表举行了一个新闻发布会,集中介绍了失业大学毕业生的     

Time motion analysis of 2001 and 2002 super 12 rugby

The aim of this study was to quantify movements of Super 12 rugby players in competition because information on elite rugby players' movements is unavailable. Players were categorized into forwards [front (n = 16) and back row (n = 15)] and backs [inside (n = 9) and outside backs (n = 7)] and their movements analysed by video-based time motion analysis. Movements were classified as rest (standing, walking and jogging) and work (striding, sprinting, static exertion, jumping, lifting or tackling). The total time, number and duration of individual activities were assessed, with differences between groups evaluated using independent sample t-tests (unequal variances), while differences between halves were assessed with paired sample t-tests. Forwards had 7:47?min:s (95% confidence limits: 6:39 to 8:55?min:s, P<0.01) more time in static exertion than backs, but backs spent 0:52 (0:34 to 1:09, P = 0.01) min:s more time sprinting than forwards, and had a 0.7 (0.3 to 1.2, P = 0.01) s longer duration of each sprint. Forwards spent 7:31 (5:55 to 9:08) min:s more time in work activities (P = 0.01) and had 2.1 (1.3 to 2.8) s longer work durations (P<0.01) than backs. The results indicate frequent short duration (<4?s) work efforts followed by moderate duration (<20?s) rest for forwards, and extended (>100?s) rest duration for backs. High-intensity efforts involved static exertion for forwards (mean?±?standard deviation frequency = 80?±?17) and sprinting for backs (27?±?9). In conclusion, after nearly a decade since becoming professional, elite rugby union is still characterized by highly intense, intermittent movement patterns and marked differences in the competition demands of forwards and backs.     

Physiological Responses to Maximal Treadmill and Handweighted Exercise

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the peak physiological responses among four protocols that employed different amounts of handweighted exercise in 16 males (aged 26.3 ± 4.1 years). The four protocols were (a) uphill treadmill running (UR; 3.36 m-s¹, 2.5% grade increase-3 min¹); (b) uphill treadmill walking while pumping 1.36kg handweights (HW) (UWHW; 1.79ms¹, 5.0% grade increase-3 min¹; (c) treadmill walking while pumping .91-kg HW (WHW; 1.79 m-s¹, 0% grade, .91kg HW increase-3 min¹); and (d) standing in place and pumping HW (SHW; arm work as described in WHW). It was hypothesized that the peak responses would be inversely proportional to the estimated muscle mass activated (i.e., UR = UWHW > WHW > SHW). Dependent variables included peak oxygen uptake (VO₂ peak), peak heart rate (HRpeak), peak ventilation (V_epeak), and peak respiratory exchange ratio (RERpeak). No differences were noted between UR and UWHW with respect to any of the dependent variables. All variables (except RERpeak) were greater (p < .01) in UR and UWHW than either WHW or SHW. RERpeak was greater (p < .01) in UR and UWHW than in WHW. VO₂peak and HRpeak were greater (p < .01) in WHW when compared to SHW. Mean VO₂peak was 97.5, 69.7, and 60% of UR for UWHW, WHW, and SHW, respectively. Therefore, walking and pumping handweights provides a maximal stimulus to the oxygen transport system.     

The effects of training on performance and performance-related states in individual elite athletes: A dynamic approach

Abstract

There are difficulties undertaking controlled training studies with elite athletes. Thus, data from non-elite performers are often presented in scientific journals and subsequently used to guide general training principles. This information may not be transferable or specific enough to inform training practices in an individual elite athlete. However, the nature of athletic participation at elite levels provides the opportunity to collect training data, performance-related variables, and performance data of elite athletes over long periods. In this paper, we describe how dynamic linear models provide an opportunity to use these data to inform training. Data from an elite female triathlete collected over a 111-day training period were used to model the relationship between training and self-reported fatigue. The dynamic linear model analysis showed the independent effects of the three modes of triathlon training on fatigue, how these can change across time, and the possible influence of other unmeasured variables. This paper shows the potential for the use of dynamic linear models as an aid to planning training in elite athletes.     

Lower limb muscle strength and physical activity in healthy individuals approaching retirement

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine knee extensor/flexor muscle strength and physical activity in healthy males and females approaching retirement. Peak torques of the knee extensor and knee flexor muscle groups were measured bilaterally in 95 individuals (mean age 59.4 years) using an isokinetic dynamometer. Isokinetic concentric contractions were performed at angular velocities of 1.05 and 3.14 rad · s^?1. Physical activity, including household, leisure, and sporting activities, was assessed. The results show that the average peak torques exhibited were lower than previously reported in studies using the same methodology with different populations of similar age and body size. Over one-third of the participants were sedentary, with just 13% being active enough to obtain health benefits. The poor muscle strength and low physical activity of this self selecting group of healthy working adults were surprising, and potentially a cause for concern. The combination of retirement being a potential watershed for a decrease in physical activity and the known age-related decline in physical performance indicates that some of these participants are at risk of losing their functional independence fairly early in the retirement stage. We recommend the introduction of effective health promotion interventions for individuals approaching retirement, encouraging them to become more physically active.