Effect of Including Parents in a School-Based Exercise and Nutrition Program for Children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of parental involvement in a school-based program about exercise and nutrition. One fifth grade and one sixth grade class were randomly assigned to each of the three different treatment conditions, a school-and-home condition (n = 45), a school-only condition (n = 43), and a control condition (n = 44). In the school-and-home condition, the children's parents were also asked to participate in nutritional and exercise activities at home as a family “home team.” A multivariate analysis of variance on change scores was completed on the following variables: height, weight, skinfold, sit-and-reach, sit-ups, mile run, exercise knowledge, saturated fat, cholesterol, percent calories from fat, percent calories from carbohydrates, and nutrition knowledge. There was a significant difference among groups. The school-and-home and school-only groups showed significantly greater improvement than the control group but were not significantly different from each other. Univariate analyses on posttest scores indicated that the school-and-home children scored significantly higher than the control group on sit-and-reach flexibility and nutrition knowledge. The results indicate that including the family was primarily effective in facilitating children's improvements in flexibility and nutrition knowledge rather than in diet and exercise behaviors.     

Estimated maturity status and perceptions of adult autonomy support in youth soccer players

Abstract

In this study, we examined the relations between biological maturity status, body mass index, age, and perceptions of adult autonomy support in the context of youth soccer. A total of 70 female and 43 male soccer players, aged 9 – 15 years, completed three adult-specific versions (i.e. mother, father, coach) of the perceived autonomy support subscale from the Interpersonal Style Scale. The participants' percent predicted adult stature was used as an estimate of biological maturity status. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that advanced maturity status in male players predicted lower perceptions of autonomy support from the coach. Maturity status was unrelated to perceptions of autonomy support from the coach in female soccer players, and paternal and maternal autonomy support in male and female players. Age and body mass index were unrelated to perceptions of adult (i.e. coach, mother, father) autonomy support in male and female players.     

青春期儿童父母性教育状况调查研究

青春期儿童的性教育是家庭性教育中的重要组成部分.青春期是儿童身体快速成熟的时期,生理和心理上发生的新变化会在生活和学习等方面给儿童带来一定的挑战.家庭性教育对于帮助他们顺利度过青春期,获得身心全面健康发展具有积极的促进作用.本文通过对处于青春期的儿童的父母进行性教育知识、性教育态度及家庭性教育开展状况调查,发现受访父母...     

今日加拿大小学教育的特点

今日加拿大小学教育有其鲜明的特点：学校教育以学生发展为重；家长与教师密切合作；课程设置多样综合。而正是这些鲜明的特点每年吸引着来自世界各国人们的参观与访问。本文通过介绍当代加拿大小学教育的几个主要特点，以期更多的人对加拿大小学教育有所了解，并且也希望对我国正在进行的基础教育改革有所启发。     

Gifted Adolescents' Perceptions of Their Roles in Nation-Building

Young people in Singapore have been urged to take an active interest in politics and nation-building. A survey was carried out on a sample of gifted adolescents to find out their perceptions of the expectations from self, parents, classmates, school and society in nation-building. The results show that the gifted adolescents wanted and were quite sure that their parents, school and socity expect them to excel in academic studies and eventually to have a comfortable professional practice. They showed reluctance in taking on a political career but showed interest in social issues, national and international affairs.     

The role of parents and peers in understanding female adolescent sexuality – testing perceived peer norms as mediators between some parental variables and sexuality

Previous research has confirmed peers and parents as significant agents of socialisation with respect to young people’s sexuality. The aim of this cross-sectional cohort study was to examine how parental and peer variables predict young women’s sexual behaviour and sexuality-related thoughts and emotions, and whether perceived peer influences mediate the relationship between parental variables and young person sexuality. A total of 560 female high school students of 1st (mean age 15.56 years) and 3rd grade (mean age 17.55 years), selected by means of two-stage stratified probability sampling participated in the research. Results confirmed that peer variables explained considerably more variance in participant sexuality than parental variables. Indirect parental communication about sexuality was a significant positive predictor of sexual behaviour and sexuality-related thoughts and emotions in both subsamples. The strength of direct and indirect influences of parents and peers on young people’s sexuality is determined by the age of the young person and specific aspects of adolescent sexuality. Perceived percentage of sexually active peers was the only mediator in older participants, while in the younger subsample, additional peer variables mediated the association between some parental and sexuality variables. In the discussion, special attention is given to implications of these results for planning future forms of comprehensive sexual education.     

从美育的性质和特点看当前美育中的几个问题

美育是情感教育，它具有感性形象、方式自由、潜移默化和注重实践的特点。理解美育的性质和特点，对转变教育理念和进行美育实践，具有重要意义。在当前的美育实践中，尤其要注意家庭美育中的亲职教育、学校美育中的艺术教育和社会美育中的人文环境创造。     

The Concordance between Teachers’ and Parents’ Perceptions of School Transition Practices: A Solid Base for the Future

This study focuses on parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of practices aimed at easing the transition to formal schooling (e.g., familiarization with the school, discussions about the school entrants). A total of 230 preschool teachers, 131 elementary school teachers, and 2,662 mothers and fathers filled in a questionnaire containing items on how important they considered different preschool-school transition practices. The participants considered the various transition practices to be at least somewhat important. On average, familiarization with the school was considered to be most important, whereas teacher co-operation and joint writing of curricula were considered to be least important. The perceptions of the participant groups differed from each other significantly in almost all practices. We suggest that the information on school entrants should be transferred within joint meetings between transition partners and other professionals whenever possible.     

Overcoming mistrusted masculinity: contesting ethnic minority fathers’ involvement in home–school cooperation in Denmark

This ethnographic study investigates cooperation between homes and schools in a Danish context from the perspective of ‘ethnic minority fathers’. I analyse how experiences of an ‘implicit’ mistrust can make ethnic minority fathers reluctant to cooperate with child institutions such as schools. It is argued that this mistrust is related to a hegemonic negative image of these fathers as oppressive, aggressive, and/or absent and careless. To conceptualize this mistrust, I argue for the concept of ‘mistrusted masculinity’. The analysis directs attention to the rhythms of the fathers’ everyday lives, offering examples of how the absence of some ethnic minority fathers in home–school cooperation may be explained by long working hours and ‘constraining jobs’. The research found that a ‘new role of the father’ is evident in the behaviours and attitudes of both ‘native Danish fathers’ and ethnic minority fathers.     

Intercultural advising for Chinese international students: a reflective inquiry

In the past decade, there has been a rapid increase in the number of Chinese international students studying overseas. There has also been a corresponding increase in the media stories about their cross-cultural difficulties. Reported in this study is a reflective inquiry into my work as an international student advisor with a large number of Chinese students in a top Canadian university. Through five composite stories, I hope to present a few areas of challenges Chinese students experience and reflect on how advisors can better support them from the intercultural perspective. I also hope to engage other advisors through this study in exploring ways to contribute to the field of international education as frontline practitioners.