Development of the social network b-learning in the University of Alicante

This work describes the genesis, articulation and consolidation from 2007 of a social network of b-learning （blended learning） in the UA （University of Alicante） （Spain）, with the institutional backing of the Office of the Vice President for Education Technology and Innovation, and the momentum and advice of professor Angel Fidalgo （UNESCO （United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization） chair for University of Management and Policy）. The social network currently has more than 25 teachers, working on different work linkages with the university, implementing or intending to apply the teaching methodologyb-learning during the course 2007-2008 in a variety of courses and degrees. To do so, several resource centers （blogs, wikis, Wimba Create （before CourseGenie）, etc.）, and digital platforms （Virtual Campus of the UA, Moodle, etc.） are used.     

山西健身健美操教练员综合素养的调查与研究

采用文献法、问卷法、实地观察及访谈法,对山西省健身健美操教练员应具备的指导技巧和综合素养进行了调查与研究,归纳整合出一名优秀的健身健美操教练员应具备的基本素质,从而为健身健美操教练员的培养提供一定的理论参考依据,促使健身健美操教练员队伍更加专业化。     

Peer coaching and pre-service teachers: Examining an underutilised concept

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of peer coaching on the classroom practices of pre-service teachers. Four teacher interns learned peer coaching functions and techniques before participating in coaching cycles with their peers. Pairs of participants reciprocally observed classes, collected data, and held conferences. Multiple forms of data were collected and analyses reveal that training was adequate. Findings show that peer coaching altered current teaching practices, but a trend of making suggestions for improvement without affirming strengths was also evident. Recommendations for integrating peer coaching in the pre-service curriculum are provided.     

Research on peer coaching in preservice teacher education – A review of literature

This study reviewed eight studies selected from the ERIC and Education Complete databases covering the years 1997 through 2007. The goals of this study were to identify similarities and differences of peer coaching and to examine its feasibility and challenges in preservice teacher education. The four similarities among the studies identified are (i) study participants, (ii) coaching relationships, (iii) coaching duration, and (iv) coaching strategies. The differences identified were in relation to the following four areas: (i) the purposes of peer coaching, (ii) the nature of the field-based experiences of the programmes, (iii) the training for peer coaching, and (iv) the effects of peer coaching. Peer coaching appears to possess unique advantages and have much value for preservice teacher education. How barriers to the comprehensive recognition of peer coaching could be eliminated in preservice teacher education is also discussed.     

Altitude training in endurance running: perceptions of elite athletes and support staff

This study sought to establish perceptions of elite endurance athletes on the role and worth of altitude training. Elite British endurance runners were surveyed to identify the altitude and hypoxic training methods utilised, along with reasons for use, and any situational, cultural and behaviour factors influencing these. Prior to the 2012 Olympics Games, 39 athletes and 20 support staff (coaches/practitioners) completed an internet-based survey to establish differences between current practices and the accepted “best-practice”. Almost all of the athletes (98%) and support staff (95%) surveyed had utilised altitude and hypoxic training, or had advised it to athletes. 75% of athletes believed altitude and hypoxia to be a “very important” factor in their training regime, with 50% of support staff believing the same. Athletes and support staff were in agreement of the methods of altitude training utilised (i.e. 'hypoxic dose’ and strategy), with camps lasting 3–4 weeks at 1,500–2,500 m being the most popular. Athletes and support staff are utilising altitude and hypoxic training methods in a manner agreeing with research-based suggestions. The survey identified a number of specific challenges and priorities, which could provide scope to optimise future altitude training methods for endurance performance in these elite groups.     

Can losing teams cope with destructive voice behaviour? The role of game results and athletes’ perceived motivational climate

This study examined the relation between losing a game and players’ destructive voice about the coach. As team performances would suffer when such behaviours are not managed properly, we tested the motivational climate as a potential mechanism by which coaches can manage these destructive behaviours. Twelve volleyball and basketball teams (N = 136) were weekly assessed during eight weeks using questionnaires. Players rated the extent to which their teammates expressed destructive voice about their coach. Each player’s indegree centrality (i.e. the average score received from all teammates) functioned as measurement of his/her destructive voice about the coach. As hypothesized, losing a game increased players’ expression of destructive voice about the coach. At both the within- and between-person level, perceived mastery (performance) climate negatively (positively) predicted players’ destructive voice about the coach. When players perceived a more salient performance climate than usual after a loss, their increase in destructive voice about the coach was magnified. These results highlight the dynamics of players’ destructive voice about the coach and how a single loss can start the utterance of such voice. A coach would be able to counter this process by increasing the focus on a mastery rather than a performance climate.     

Professional coach educators in-situ: a social analysis of practice

Professional coach educators are key to the success of coach education and play a crucial role in developing coaching practice. However, coach education research remains remarkably coach centric with little attention paid to the coach educator or the broader role of the socio-cultural context that frames the learning process. Four professional coach educators working for a Sport Governing Body in-situ with twenty five professional clubs took part in interviews and focus groups over the course of a year. In addition, interviews were undertaken with nine academy managers and thirty two coaches as well as observations in eight of the clubs. This paper focuses on the coach educators specifically and aims to understand the nature of coach educators' social reality and practice by examining something of the relational nature of the coach educators and their practice in context. Using the work of Bourdieu the paper engages in epistemic reflexivity and attempts to uncover coach educators' social and intellectual unconscious embedded in and reflected through their social practice. Findings show the operation of a number of socially constructed legitimating principles where the success or failure of the coach educator's practice and learning was inextricably linked to power. Each club (field) was a field of struggles, and coach educators had to play a symbolic and relational game being defined by and, at the same time, struggling to define these relations. Hence practice for the coach educators was both social and embodied.     

Examining the relationships between challenge and threat cognitive appraisals and coaching behaviours in football coaches

Previous research demonstrates that sports coaching is a stressful activity. This article investigates coaches’ challenge and threat cognitive appraisals of stressful situations and their impact on coaching behaviour, using Blascovich and Mendes’ (2000) biopsychosocial model as a theoretical framework. A cross-sectional correlational design was utilised to examine the relationships between irrational beliefs (Shortened general attitude and belief scale), challenge and threat appraisals (Appraisal of life events scale), and coaching behaviours (Leadership scale for sports) of 105 professional football academy coaches. Findings reveal significant positive associations between challenge appraisals and social support, and between threat appraisals and autocratic behaviour, and a significant negative association between threat appraisals and positive feedback. Results also show that higher irrational beliefs are associated with greater threat, and lesser challenge cognitive appraisals. However, no associations were revealed between irrational beliefs and challenge cognitive appraisals. Additionally, findings demonstrate a positive relationship between age and training and instruction. Results suggest that practitioners should help coaches to appraise stressful situations as a challenge to promote positive coaching behaviours.     

我国优秀竞走运动员2007-2008奥运备战年度训练特征研究

以2008年北京奥运会竞走比赛第4名王浩、刘虹为例,通过对教练员访谈、相关文献分析、训练计划及训练笔记整理,得出我国优秀男、女竞走运动员大赛备战年度训练安排特征。研究发现:年度不同数量的训练阶段按其内容属性仍遵循一般准备阶段、专门准备阶段、赛前阶段及比赛阶段规律。训练内容、训练量与训练强度规划与不同训练阶段性质、阶段任务、运动员现实状态密切相关,呈现阶段性特点,强度变化主要通过训练环境来调整。在年度训练的不同阶段,训练方法、手段较为稳定,所不同的只是实施时的强度或难度不同。     

The impact of congruence between perceived and preferred leadership on satisfaction among college student-athletes in Singapore

Chelladurai developed the Multidimensional Model of Leadership, which was designed to be situation-specific to examine leadership behaviour and effectiveness in sporting contexts. Applying Chelladurai's concept to the Singapore sporting context, this study aimed to assess the impact of congruence between perceived and preferred leadership behaviours on satisfaction with leadership among college student-athletes in Singapore. Data were collected from 185 college student-athletes enrolled in the five local tertiary institutes. The questionnaire utilized in this study consisted of the perception and preference versions of the Revised Leadership Scale for Sports and seven items measuring satisfaction with coaching leadership. Confirmatory factor analysis and a series of hierarchical multiple regression procedures were carried out to test the psychometric properties of the leadership scale and the hypothesized relationship between congruence levels and satisfaction. Results revealed congruence of perceived and preferred behaviour in social support was a significant indicator of athletes' satisfaction. Possible implications from the findings were discussed in an effort to better understand coaching effectiveness in Singapore.