Preparing Teachers to Work with Diversity Issues in Israel: Paradigms,Puzzles, and Praxis

This article presents findings from a qualitative study exploring how Israeli teacher educators prepare candidates to address multicultural issues. Background is presented regarding multicultural education in Israel along with a discussion concerning Israel's unique diversity-related challenges. Findings explore multicultural practices that are used by Israeli teacher educators designed to support development of multicultural sensitivity and create deeper understanding of different groups. Discussion of the data and recommendations for Israeli and American schools are presented.     

Estimation versus falsification approaches in sport and exercise science

There has been a recent resurgence in debate about methods for statistical inference in science. The debate addresses statistical concepts and their impact on the value and meaning of analyses’ outcomes. In contrast, philosophical underpinnings of approaches and the extent to which analytical tools match philosophical goals of the scientific method have received less attention. This short piece considers application of the scientific method to “what-is-the-influence-of x-on-y” type questions characteristic of sport and exercise science. We consider applications and interpretations of estimation versus falsification based statistical approaches and their value in addressing how much x influences y, and in measurement error and method agreement settings. We compare estimation using magnitude based inference (MBI) with falsification using null hypothesis significance testing (NHST), and highlight the limited value both of falsification and NHST to address problems in sport and exercise science. We recommend adopting an estimation approach, expressing the uncertainty of effects of x on y, and their practical/clinical value against pre-determined effect magnitudes using MBI.     

Different Assessments,Common Practice? Mathematics testing and teaching in the USA and England and Wales

Recently, the state has used testing more extensively to influence instructional practice. But how much do assessments actually influence practice? To explore this issue, we observed middle-grade mathematics teachers in England and Wales with their highly aligned curriculum and assessment system and two US states with performance-based assessment systems promoting more thoughtful instruction. Maryland's tests had higher stakes attached to them than Maine's. Our observations suggest that testing policies can influence the content taught and promote certain kinds of teaching to the test but that basic instructional practices, like the kind of explanation teachers offer to students and the intellectual challenge of the work, are more difficult to influence. We suggest three hypotheses for the apparent stability in underlying teaching practice. First, some testing policies do not challenge those practices. Second, assessments that do challenge current practice may not be accompanied by adequate professional development to help teachers change practice. Finally, teachers' knowledge and beliefs about teaching mathematics are so deeply embedded that they are difficult to influence.     

Clap冰刀蹬冰技术动作原理的探讨

通过对第 10届冬季运动会、世界锦标赛的调研以及对 clap冰刀结构和性能的分析 ,探讨了 Clap冰刀蹬冰技术动作原理。认为尽管对 clap冰刀的功效有多种解释 ,但其核心是以提高踝关节的灵活性来达到增大下肢各关节协调作用的目的。在比较传统冰刀和 clap冰刀肌群工作特点后 ,提出 clap冰刀技术动作的训练重点 ,应强化臀大肌、股二头肌、背肌等伸肌群的训练。     

Relational equality in education: what,how, and why?

Relational equality is broadly understood to be about relating to others as moral equals. I consider three questions of relational equality as applied to education: what, how, and why? Relational equality is important on a macro (societal) level, a meso (school) level structuring of relationships, and a micro (interpersonal relationships) level. I focus on micro level relational equality in schools, and connect theoretical perspectives from two neighbouring fields: education and humanistic counselling, suggesting that we might usefully draw on theory from humanistic counselling to inform our understanding of how egalitarian interpersonal relationships might manifest in education. I emphasise the importance of considering what we are trying to communicate through our behaviour and suggest that in order to treat someone as a moral equal, educators should work towards communicating empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence. Such an understanding gives a clearer focus for increasing equality than broader understandings of relational equality, and greater scope for challenging inequality than distributive accounts.