From Pleasure Rows and Plashing Sculls to Amateur Oarswomanship: The Evolution of Women’s Amateur Rowing in Britain

Abstract

This paper considers the emergence of amateur women’s rowing between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, in light of contemporaneous social norms relating to gender and sport. It does not seek to identify a foundational point for women’s rowing, nor does it offer a comprehensive survey of the development of the sport over this period. Instead, it considers women’s rowing in three key contexts: women’s university colleges, at the end of the nineteenth century; the first women-only rowing club on the Thames, established in 1896 by Dr Frederick Furnivall; and the formation of a governing body for the women’s sport in 1923. Analysis of the conditions within the sport in these environments, and their implications, leads to more nuanced consideration of the women’s sport, and of gender as a normative social construct more widely. Discussion focuses on gendered influences on sporting behaviour, manifested in institutional regulation and hegemonic authority, and the intersection of class and gender.     

An investigation into the complex process of facilitating effective professional learning: CPD tutors’ practices under the microscope

Background: Research evidence on what makes CPD effective is accumulating. Yet, fundamental questions about the specific features that lead to programme success. Furthermore, very little research investigates the nature and quality of CPD providers’ (tutors) practices. Taking a closer look at how CPD providers support teachers to learn is therefore an important direction for research in order to offer specific guidance on how to design and deliver future CPD programmes for maximum impact.

Purpose: The present study aimed to advance this line of inquiry by seeking to examine tutors’ perceptions and practices in the context of a short course on Inclusive Physical Education. Two research questions were addressed: (1) What were the tutors’ perceptions of effective CPD delivery? And (2) How were these interpretations evidenced in practice? The short course, delivered by 40 different tutors across the country, was part of a National CPD programme which reached and educated over 5000 school staff in England. The scale of this programme thus offered an ideal setting in which to address the research questions.

Participants and setting: A case study design was adopted where the case was identified at the level of individual courses. A cluster sampling procedure was adopted (one cluster for each of the nine geographical areas in England). Where possible, systematic sampling within the nine clusters was employed (i.e. collect evidence from the first two courses delivered in each cluster each year). A total of 27 courses, delivered by 20 tutors across eight geographical areas in England, were selected as cases and all tutors involved in their delivery were invited to participate in the study.

Data collection: To explore tutors’ perceptions of effective CPD delivery (research question 1), qualitative data were collected via an online questionnaire and individual interviews. To examine how these interpretations were evidenced in practice (research question 2), both quantitative and qualitative data were collected via systematic observations and ethnographic field notes.

Data analysis: Qualitative data were analysed using a constructivist approach to grounded theory. Quantitative data from the observations were entered into SPSS version 21 (IBM Statistics) for analysis.

Findings: Findings indicate that tutors’ perceptions and beliefs did not always materialise. Data from the observations suggest variation in the ways tutors structured, supported and facilitated professional learning. This variation was evident not only in the actual time dedicated to practical vs. theoretical activities and active vs. passive learning opportunities but also in tutors’ ability to facilitate professional learning. This finding suggests that there is a significant set of skills involved in supporting, nurturing and challenging professional learning in CPD contexts. It is therefore important to consider how tutors can be best supported to develop and implement these skills effectively.

Conclusion: The results consolidate existing understandings about the importance of (inter)active and practical learning opportunities in CPD; but also add nuance and detail on the diverse ways in which tutors engaged participants in the learning process. Findings draw our attention to the important issue of the selection and continuing education of CPD tutors.     

Japan’s educational practices for mathematically gifted students

This study documents the inclusive, deliberate, and unintended educational practices in Japan for mathematically gifted students. It also aims to identify various schools’ strengths and challenges in improving the mathematics education of these students. Case studies with multisite designs were undertaken in five middle schools selected using purposive sampling. Mathematics education practices – assessed in terms of assessment, mathematics instruction, support and interventions, and teachers’ collaboration – guided the data collection and analysis. The primary goal of this study was to describe current school practices and identify common strengths and challenges (including outlier practices across schools) which were valuable in generating conclusion regarding how certain practices might lead to different student and/or teacher outcomes.     

Differences in novice and experienced teachers’ perceptions of planning activities in terms of primary instructional tasks

This study was aimed at investigating differences between novice and experienced teachers’ perceptions of planning activities for developing teacher education students’ professional skills by focusing on promoting of identified ill-developed skills. The teachers’ thinking about instructional planning was conceived as teachers’ decision-making for implementing primary teaching tasks in the planning, delivery, and reflective phases of instruction. This model served as a basis (or framework) for the identification of potential variables of planning skills and developing of items for a teachers’ questionnaire. Fifty-eight experienced and 55 novice teachers from Estonian schools of general education were surveyed. It was revealed that novice teachers did not apprehend events that may undermine reaching long-term instructional objectives and they focused more on the achievement of immediate objectives and the teaching of obligatory content in comparison with experienced teachers.     

Learning opportunities in the outdoor school–empirical findings on outdoor school in Germany from the children’s perspective

This article examines learning processes and learning opportunities in the outdoor school based on 13 focus-group interviews with children (ages 8–9) at three German elementary schools. For 1 year, cross-curricular teaching had taken place once a week outside the classroom—in natural settings, at cultural sites or on school grounds. The article discusses the learning potential of the outdoor school in terms of activities that the children perceive as dominant, i.e. playing, moving and social cooperation. It will discuss and reflect upon the learning opportunities that arise as well as on the limitations of learning in out-of-school settings and the role of learning in the children’s perception. The study reveals that the outdoor school as a place of teaching, play, exploration and experience offers formal and informal learning opportunities and encourages children to engage among themselves and within their social and inanimate surroundings by challenging them physically, cognitively, perceptually and socially. Learning processes initiated through play, activity and social cooperation are often not perceived by the children as ‘learning’ in the formal sense. Apparently, a significant proportion of the outdoor school’s potential lies in the combination of teacher-structured and informal learning processes that arise spontaneously.     

从《至正条格》看元代急递铺与档案文书的递送

元代急递铺是专门传递档案文书的机构.2002年发现的元后期法典《至正条格》为进一步研究急递铺提供了新的史料.元政府针对档案文书递送出现的稽迟、损坏、沉匿等问题,因时因事立法,保证急递铺的人员和设施完备,规范递送行为,对违反法律者予以处罚,形成了一个有效的递送系统.     

英汉书面翻译技巧探究

在英汉翻译中,译文既要忠实于原文,又要符合译语语言表达习惯。翻译时不能逐字翻译,也不能一味追求词类的对应,而应根据具体的语言环境和搭配习惯进行不同的翻译搭配来选择和确定词义。对于英语长句的处理,可以采取葡萄型向竹竿型转换。对于很难译成汉语对应形式的句子,在尽量保持原意的前提下可以采取变通手段,诸如:词性转换、肯定和否定互换、正说反译和反说正译等翻译技巧。翻译出来的词句既要传意,又要使人容易接受,这样才能体现翻译的艺术美。     

网络环境下e-first、e-only模式的思考与探索

主要从文献资源采购角度进行调查分析。针对读者需求发生的变化,图书馆文献资源建设的重心已由纸本文献资源向电子资源转移。通过对国内外图书馆外文期刊采购情况和电子资源经费情况的调查分析,深层次了解外文期刊采购现状,论证在网络环境下实施电子先行政策的可行性,并提出对e-only文献的未来趋势的若干思考和建议。     

玄学派诗人乔治·赫伯特的《美德》的艺术魅力

17世纪玄学派诗人乔治赫伯特的《美德》是一首短小但极具哲理的好诗,以其简洁生动的语言和丰富的修辞手法感召着世人,诗人在诗中所使用的拟人、明喻、暗喻、通感等修辞手法与诗的意境的巧妙结合,形成该诗的独特艺术魅力。     

东汉至三国赋风转变中蔡邕赋的过渡特征

汉魏交替期间,作为当时文学主要形式的赋之风格特征的转变是文学史上的一个重要现象,蔡邕赋作是这个转变中具有典型代表性的关节点。全面、深入分析蔡邕赋作承上启下的过渡特征有助于人们对汉魏赋风、乃至整个汉魏文风转变的正确、深刻的理解和把握。