Research Study on an Applied Interdisciplinary Product Development Course for College Sophomores

This research compares the industry readiness, product development skill level, and overall knowledge gains of students taking an undergraduate research course (treatment) to those who did not (control). This 2‐semester Applied Interdisciplinary Product Development (AIPD) course for sophomores brought together interdisciplinary teams of food science, nutrition, and packaging science students in a hands‐on setting to create healthy food products for children, complete with retail packaging. A Subject Knowledge Assessment (SKA) was used to evaluate the mean percent difference value (MPDV) of food science, nutrition, packaging science, and general product development knowledge gained through the course. SKA results indicated that the MPDV were significantly different (α = 0.05) between the treatment and comparison groups in the overall score and in every subject area score except packaging science. Data from an Exit Questionnaire (EQ) was used for evaluation of attitudes pertaining to product development knowledge and skills, department engagement, and pedagogy. EQ results indicated that mean scores between the treatment and comparison groups were significantly different (α = 0.05) in 7 of the 9 statements on product development knowledge and skills, both statements pertaining to pedagogy, and the statement pertaining to department engagement. Overall, the research project was considered a successful intervention for educating sophomores at the University. Overall, the research project was considered a successful intervention for educating sophomores in the Food, Nutrition and Packaging Science department at Clemson University. The student‐lead teams were held to a greater degree of accountability for their success in terms of education gleaned and value of experience gained as metric for the University and other IFT Accredited programs.     

The biggest extension of rights in Europe? Needs,rights and children with additional support needs in Scotland

ABSTRACT

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 boosted the rights of parents of children with additional support needs (ASN) by improving access to information, instituting a Code of Practice and establishing new redress mechanisms such as the ASN Tribunal and independent mediation. More than a decade later, Scottish legislation enacted in 2016 and implemented in 2018 attempted to increase children’s rights, broadly placing them on a par with those of parents and young people. This paper draws on data from an ESRC project entitled Autonomy, Rights and Children with Special Needs: A New Paradigm? (ES/P002641/1). Analysis of Scottish Government policy and legislation, key informant interviews and official statistics are used to examine the extent to which the new rights are likely to be realised in practice, given the complexity of the legislation and competition between discourses of needs, broadly synonymous with the wellbeing agenda and rights. The paper concludes with a discussion of the lessons which may be learnt from the Scottish experience, which will be of interest to an international audience.     

The Structure of Achievement and Behavior across Middle Childhood

This research used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to describe and model developmental trajectories across middle childhood. Our sample consisted of approximately 1,000 children of NLSY women who were aged 6 to 7 years in either 1986 or 1988. Assessments of PIAT math and reading scores and the mother-reported Behavior Problem Index in 1986, 1988, 1990, and 1992 provided data for middle-child trajectories of children aged 6 to 7 in 1986. Assessments in 1988, 1990, 1992, and 1994 provided data for children aged 6 to 7 in 1988. We used the raw score form of these data to estimate LISREL-based models of their autoregressive structure. As with other samples, average math and reading achievement trajectories were parabolic for NLSY children, with scores increasing at a decreasing rate over this period. Average behavior-problem trajectories were flat. Behind these average shapes was extreme diversity in level (and in some cases, slopes), of individual trajectories and a pronounced tendency for above average changes between two adjacent assessments to be followed by opposite-signed changes in the subsequent period. Estimates from our structural models showed great heterogeneity in the average level of achievement and behavior for all three outcomes and heterogeneous slopes for reading scores as well. Boys but not girls were found to have heterogeneous slopes for math and behavior problems, whereas girls but not boys showed a significantly higher degree of persistence if "shocked" off of their expected trajectories.     

Education,gender and Islam in China: The place of religious education in challenging and sustaining ‘undisputed traditions’ among Chinese Muslim women

The essay investigates the place of religious and secular education in the lives of Chinese Muslim women. Education is treated as a site where state and society are reproduced and/or challenged, where tensions arise over control of minds and bodies, and over interpretations and uses of religion and culture. Specifically, the essay compares contrastive situations of female religious education within a matrix of inter-dependent issues such as the diversity of Muslim contexts in China, state treatment of minorities’ rights to religious practice and to education, organisation and implementation of religious education, and relations between secular education and Islamic education.     

Homework involvement among Hong Kong primary school students

One component of the curriculum reform in Hong Kong focuses on the use of homework in consolidating learning, deepening understanding and constructing knowledge. This study examines the profile of Hong Kong primary school students' homework involvement, and investigates the relationships between time involvement and academic attributes, namely interest in homework, interest in academic subjects, academic efficacy, and efficacy for self-regulated learning. The sample comprised 2,361 primary school students representing all six grade levels in Hong Kong. Data was collected using questionnaires and homework diaries. Results showed heavy homework involvement among primary school students in Hong Kong, especially at the senior primary level. Differential patterns across levels were observed for the relationship between homework involvement and academic attributes. Specifically, junior primary students' study-related interests and efficacies were found to decline with increasing time involvement, whereas inverted U-shape relationships were observed among senior primary students. There was concern for students with high time involvement as they received more homework and they worked slower. They were less likely to perceive the positive functions of homework, and showed poorer study-related interests and efficacy beliefs. The findings of this study provide crucial information for school personnel and educators in Hong Kong in developing homework strategies and policies that enhance teaching and learning.     

How Student‐teachers Approach the Teaching of Reading: At the Interface Between Personal History,Theory and Practice

This article charts the progress of one cohort of student‐teachers (variously known as beginning teachers and pre‐service teachers) training to teach English in London secondary schools during 2008–9. The research focuses specifically on the experiences which facilitate their development as confident and creative teachers and assessors of reading at Key Stage 3 (11–14 years). Findings indicate that it is the interaction – and tensions – between their personal reading histories, engagement in theory, and practice within the social environment of the classroom which shape their burgeoning identities as teachers of literature and reading. This year‐long study demonstrates that for some a growing confidence has enabled them to look beyond approaches advocated by statutory curriculum frameworks to develop their own view of innovative practice in the teaching of reading.     

Building a Community of Transformation and a Social Network Analysis of the POGIL Project

Communities of transformation work to achieve deep, transformational change in higher education teaching practice. This case study of The POGIL Project follows the development of a community of transformation principally focused on the propagation of effective teaching in STEM. We describe the origin of the community, elucidate the emergent decisions that shaped its growth, and offer a social network analysis of the connections between change agents that have been deeply engaged in the growth and development of the POGIL community. The case provides concrete examples of how the features of a community of transformation, most particularly the community network, can be intentionally fostered. We discuss the implications for STEM education reform in light of the case analysis.     

Lower leg and foot contributions to turnout in female pre-professional dancers: A 3D kinematic analysis

Turnout is a central element of classical ballet which involves sustained external rotation of the lower limbs during dance movements. Lower leg and foot compensation mechanisms which are often used to increase turnout have been attributed to the high incidence of lower limb injury in dancers. Evaluation of dancers’ leg posture is needed to provide insight into the lower limb kinematic strategies used to achieve turnout. The primary purpose of this study was to use 3D kinematic analyses to determine the lower leg and foot compensations that are incorporated by female university dancers to accentuate their turnout. Active and passive external tibiofemoral rotation (TFR) was also measured. A moderate-strong negative relationship was observed between hip external rotation (HER) and foot abduction in the three first position conditions. A moderate negative relationship was found between passive TFR and foot abduction in all first position conditions. Our findings suggest dancers are more likely to pronate, than rotate the knee to compensate for limited HER. Dancers with a limited capacity to pronate may force additional rotation via the knee. Ongoing research would benefit from more in-depth analyses of the foot/ankle complex using a multi-segment foot model.     

The one-week and six-month reliability and variability of three-dimensional tibial acceleration in runners*

Tibial acceleration is a surrogate measure for impact loading and lower limb fatigue injury in runners. Triaxial accelerometers may offer reliable and practical measurement of resultant peak tibial acceleration (PTA). With such potential in mind, this study examined variability and measurement reliability of tibial acceleration in 14 runners at baseline at one week, and eight of the runners again at six months. Triaxial accelerometers were attached to the distal tibiae of runners before they ran on a treadmill for two minutes each, at speeds of 2.7, 3.0, 3.3 and 3.7 m/s in standardised shoes. Resultant PTAs were calculated for each speed and session. Reliability outcomes were presented as percentage change and effect sizes. Variability outcomes included intraclass correlation coefficients and the typical error of the measurement. Smallest worthwhile change and performance/noise ratio were also calculated. While runners demonstrated marginally lower reliability and higher variability over six months, compared to one week, in all cases the measures of reliability and variability were of ‘good’ to ‘moderate’ reliability, and ‘small’ to ‘moderate’ variability using magnitude-based inferences. We can be confident that resultant PTA can be used with runners to assess and monitor their impacts throughout a six-month intervention.     

The relationship between torque and joint angle during knee extension in boys and men

The length-tension relationship of muscle contraction is well documented in adults. However, research on this relationship in children has been limited. The aim of this study was to compare differences in the torque-joint angle relationship of the quadriceps muscle in children and adults. Eight boys aged 8-10 years and eight men aged 20-26 years performed two maximal voluntary isometric contractions at six knee joint angles (20°, 40°, 60°, 80°, 90°, 100°). The mean of the two trials was used as the performance measure. Both groups demonstrated an expected increase in relative torque as the joint angle increased (P ? 0.05). The men produced significantly greater relative torque at 20°, 40° and 60° knee flexion (P ? 0.05). The percentage of maximal torque at these angles for the men and boys respectively were: 35.2 - 4.3 vs 15.2 - 12%, 63.6 - 9.1 vs 51.8 - 16.8% and 93.6 - 6.5 vs 84.4 - 14.4%. There were no group differences at 80° or 90°. Peak torque was attained at 80° in men, but decreased significantly (P ? 0.05) at 90° and 100°. For boys, peak torque was attained at joint angles of 80° and 90°. The reduction in peak torque at 100° was not statistically significant, but the relative torque at this angle was lower in men than in boys (77.9 - 13.7 vs 87.1 - 10.4%; P ? 0.05). In conclusion, the relationship between torque and joint angle appears to be affected by age.