Leadership coaching for principals: a national study

Surveys were sent to a large representative sample of public school principals in the United States asking if they had received leadership coaching. Comparison of responses to actual numbers of principals indicates that the sample represents the first national study of principal leadership coaching. Results indicate that approximately 50% of all principals have received or currently receive coaching. In general, this same percentage applies to most demographic categories. Respondents also rated components found to be of consequence to coaching success and these were compared with characteristics of the coaching relationship. Respondents overwhelmingly found coaching to be supportive and beneficial to them and believed it contributed to increasing student achievement. Recommendations include the expansion of leadership coaching programs and further study into specifics of the coaching relationship.     

Interrogating Positive Youth Development Through Sport Using Critical Race Theory

ABSTRACT

Sport has the potential to serve as a context in which youth can develop as players and people. Positive youth development (PYD) through sport is a prevalent strength-based approach that aims to promote life skills acquisition in youth participants. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the utility of critically interrogating PYD through sport using critical race theory (CRT). Select key tenets of CRT serve as analytical tools that can highlight potentially problematic assumptions that underline current approaches to PYD through sport. Interrogation of PYD through sport using CRT exposes its limitations in theory, research, and practice. This race-centered perspective can help to reimagine sport coaching for positive development from a more socially responsible, critical praxis.     

管理教练行为与员工创新的关系研究

领导教练行为被视为决定员工创新行为的重要前因变量，但尚未出现关于这种关系及作用机理的系统研究。采用282份领导-下属配对调查数据，基于社会认知理论构建并检验了一个被调节的中介效应模型。研究结果显示：（1）领导教练行为与员工创新行为显著正相关；（2）批判性反思在两者关系中起部分中介作用；（3）感知到的领导对创新支持在批判性反思与员工创新行为之间起调节作用；进一步，（4）批判性反思的中介作用受到了感知到的领导对创新支持的调节，感知到的领导对创新支持程度越高，领导教练行为通过批判性反思对员工创新行为的间接作用越强。研究结论丰富了教练行为与创新行为关系理论，同时有助于企业深入理解领导教练行为的重要性及其如何通过批判性反思对创新行为发挥效力。     

The contribution of extracurricular coaching on high school teachers’ job satisfaction

The purpose of the present study was to explore the contribution of extracurricular coaching on high school teachers’ job satisfaction. Specifically, the study looked at how perceptions of the coaching environment (athlete relationships, colleague relationships and opportunities through coaching) influenced teachers’ perceptions of stressors (athlete-related and workload-related) and coaching efficacy, and how this in-turn influenced teachers’ job satisfaction. The sample examined 2949 teachers from across Canada who volunteered as high school sport coaches, above and beyond their regular teaching load. The results supported that the data fit the model well (SBχ²₍₂₆₄₎ = 973.36, p < .001, SRMR = .08, CFI = .91, TLI = .90, RMSEA = .055 CI₉₅ [.052, .059]) and that teachers who reported a positive coaching environment had increased coaching efficacy and decreased perceptions of athlete-related and workload-related stressors. Increased coaching efficacy predicted higher job satisfaction, while increased perceptions of stressors predicted lower job satisfaction.     

平衡轮在大学生职业目标确立中的应用研究

大学生就业难是当今社会关注的一大焦点,其中缺乏清晰的职业目标定位是造成这种情况的一个重要原因。平衡轮是应用教练技术用来帮助被教练者分析现状、明确未来的一个重要工具。它的最大意义在于将大目标细化,有利于大学生针对自己的实际情况确定职业目标,对未来进行一个详细的规划,找到自己的不足和奋斗的方向,早日实现自己的职业目标。     

Physical Activity Performance of Focal Middle School Students

Histograms of push-ups and curl-ups from a sample of more than 9,000 students show periodic spikes at five and 10 unit intervals. This article argues that these spikes are related to focal points, a game theoretic concept popularized by Nobel Laureate Thomas Schelling. Being focal on one test makes one more likely to be focal on the other. Focal students (whose push-up score is a multiple of 5 and whose curl-up score is a multiple of 10) behave differently from their non-focal peers. They are more likely athletic, older, and male. Focal students, on average, did 2.2 more push-ups, 1.7 more curl-ups, and ran the mile 15 seconds faster than non-focal students, even controlling for these covariates of performance. By contrast, being focal on a single activity did not produce a statistically significant mile time difference. Students who systematically stop at focal outcomes appear differentially motivated toward physical activity performance.     

Biomechanics teachers can be animals

The aim of this study was to determine whether a constructivist approach, in particular a visit to a zoo, could be effective in consolidating mechanical concepts and applying those concepts to coaching and teaching. Ten students in their final year of their Bachelor of Physical Education at the University of Edinburgh participated in a visit to Edinburgh Zoo. During the visit students completed a worksheet of questions and engaged interactively in discussing how various animals are adapted mechanically to survive in their environments. Immediately after the visit they completed a questionnaire with four sections. The first section assessed whether they could apply the mechanical concepts discussed during the visit to human sports performance. The second canvassed their opinions on whether the visit was effective in reinforcing mechanical concepts, in developing ‘lateral thinking’ about mechanical concepts, and in improving their ability to apply mechanical concepts to coaching and teaching. The third canvassed their opinions on whether the visit would be effective for senior high school Physical Education and Sports Science students for developing mechanical concepts and applying them to coaching. The fourth section canvassed their opinions on when the visit should be conducted for Physical Education and Sports Science students in universities and in senior high schools. The results indicated that the visit was effective in reinforcing mechanical concepts and in applying them laterally to improve understanding of human sports performance. Participants believed that the visit would also be effective for senior high school students. All participants believed that the visit would be most beneficial after at least one course in biomechanics that covers the basic biomechanical principles.     

Strategies to improve impact efficiency in football kicking

In football, kicking with high ball velocity can increase scoring opportunities and reduce the likelihood of interception. Efficient energy transfer from foot to ball during impact is important to attain a high ball velocity. It is considered impact efficiency can be increased by reducing the change in ankle plantarflexion during foot–ball impact. However, conflicting evidence exists, questioning its effectiveness as a coaching cue. The aim of the present study was to systematically analyse joint stiffness, foot velocity and impact location with a mechanical kicking machine to determine if change in ankle plantarflexion during foot–ball impact and ball velocity are influenced. Sagittal plane data of the shank, foot and ball were measured using high-speed video (4,000 Hz). Increasing joint stiffness reduced change in ankle plantarflexion and increased ball velocity from a greater effective mass. Increasing foot velocity increased change in ankle plantarflexion and increased ball velocity. Distal impact locations increased change in ankle plantarflexion and reduced ball velocity as coefficient of restitution decreased. These results identify that change in ankle plantarflexion is a dependent variable during foot–ball impact and does not directly influence ball velocity. Coaches can assess ankle motion during impact to provide feedback to athletes on their impact efficiency.     

班主任心理辅导模式的理论研究

学校心理辅导包括发展性心理辅导与矫治性心理辅导,班主任心理辅导属于发展性心理辅导模式。发展性心理辅导有三个要点:面向全体学生;促进学生的人格健全发展;促进学生的个体潜能发挥。学校心理辅导是德育的组成部分和现代教育的重要内容。与理论内涵对应,班主任在涉入心理辅导领域时,也要涉入德育领域和教育领域。因此,班主任应具备三种角色的品质:教育内涵的教师、德育内涵的班主任、心理辅导内涵的心理辅导员。     

Design of an integrated team project as bachelor thesis in bioscience engineering

Following the decision at the KU Leuven to implement the educational concept of guided independent learning and to encourage students to participate in scientific research, the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering decided to introduce a bachelor thesis. Competencies, such as communication, scientific research and teamwork, need to be present in the design of this thesis. Because of the high number of students and the multidisciplinary nature of the graduates, all research divisions of the faculty are asked to participate. The yearly surveys and hearings were used for further optimisation. The actual design of this bachelor thesis is presented and discussed in this paper.