Student-directed fresh tissue anatomy course for physician assistants

Healthcare providers in all areas and levels of education depend on their knowledge of anatomy for daily practice. As educators, we are challenged with teaching the anatomical sciences in creative, integrated ways and often within a condensed time frame. This article describes the organization of a clinical anatomy course with a peer taught unembalmed (fresh-tissue) cadaver laboratory in the 2010 summer term of a new physician assistant program. To fit within the allotted 12 week time frame, students meet every Monday for both the classroom and laboratory component of the course. Students prepare for these sessions by reviewing a list of learning objectives and completing assigned textbook readings. Classroom sessions involve faculty presentations and are facilitated with the use of self-assessment questions and accompanying images. The afternoon laboratory sessions which follow the classroom sessions are comprised of four to five stations presented by first- and second-year medical students and a resident radiologist. End of course evaluations indicate that students felt that the course objectives were clear, achievable, and taught effectively with relevant clinical correlates.     

A Case for Coach Garfinkel: Decision Making and What We Already Know

The purpose of this article is to deconstruct the decision-making processes of sports coaches through the writings of the sociologist Harold Garfinkel. Specifically, the authors draw upon Garfinkel’s (1967) writings on jurors’ decision making to challenge current cognitivist bound conceptualization to better interpret coaches’ sense-making–why and how they make their decisions. The significance of the work lies in further deciphering the meaningful structures of daily coaching lives; within whose limits coaching decisions unfold. Following a brief review of literature related to coaches’ decision making, the principal tenets of Garfinkel’s work are outlined. This gives way to an examination of Erving Goffman’s (1974) work of “frames of reference” in terms of how coaches’ decision making can be developed and improved before a reflective conclusion summarizes the main points made and their implications for future coach education.     

Italian signposts for a sociologically and critically engaged pedagogy. Don Lorenzo Milani (1923–1967) and the schools of San Donato and Barbiana revisited

This paper provides a critical exposition and analysis of the work of an acclaimed Italian educator, Lorenzo Milani, and ideas that emerged from his experiences in two Tuscan localities. His work is well known in Italy and many parts of southern Europe. Despite the translations of his works into English and Spanish, in the early 1970s, and their use in sociology of education classes in the United Kingdom, he seems to have had a very limited impact on the Anglo-North American-dominated critical education field. The paper revisits his ideas, in this 90th anniversary year, indicating their contemporary relevance and the signposts they provide for a critically and sociologically engaged pedagogy.     

Comprehensive support for peer relationships at secondary transition

Peer relationships represent a major source of concern to children transitioning to secondary school. They also offer a potentially important source of support to adjustment and academic progress. However, strategies to support peer relationships at secondary transition have received little attention in previous research. This semi-structured interview study obtained accounts of current practice from staff in a small but nationally representative sample of English secondary schools. A theoretical approach to thematic analysis indicated substantial use of evidence-based strategy types, while a complementary inductive analysis highlighted issues in work with parents. There were many similarities across schools in the content of their support for peer relations at transition, however important process differences were found between high and low support schools in the quality of strategy implementation. A framework is presented to support this aspect of educational psychologists’ work with schools in promoting successful transition to secondary school.     

Toddlers' use of peer rituals at mealtime: symbols of togetherness and otherness

Mealtimes and their associated rituals are recognised as important aspects of human socialisation; however, much of the research about mealtimes in early childhood education settings has focused on health or on adult–child discursive exchanges. The present study aimed to investigate children's interactions with each other and their influence on the structural aspects of mealtime. The participants were four toddlers and their teachers at one community-based childcare in New Zealand. Narrative data were interpreted from video observations and discussions with teachers. Findings showed that the toddlers playfully cooperated with each other in order to develop their own ritual. This ritual subverted the routine, communicated togetherness and reinforced the toddlers’ identity as separate to that of the adults. This article posits that teachers should seek to understand and respond sensitively to toddlers’ peer rituals, where such rituals engender positive effects on the children's sense of togetherness.     

Multidimensional Classroom Support to Inclusive Education Teachers in Beijing,China

Classroom support plays a salient role in successful inclusive education, hence it has been widely debated in the literature. Much extant work has only focused on a particular aspect of classroom support. A comprehensive, systematic discussion of classroom support is sporadic in the literature. Relevant research concerning the Chinese context is even more limited. To address this gap, our study developed and validated a multidimensional classroom support model conducive to teachers’ inclusive education practices. Data were drawn from our large-scale survey with inclusive education teachers in Beijing. Further analyses were conducted to compare different dimensions within the classroom support model. Drawing insights from the results, we provide some recommendations for practice and research.     

A cross-cultural study of possible iatrogenic effects of gifted education programs: tenth graders’ perceptions of academically high performing classmates

Previous empirical studies have yielded inconclusive results about peer perceptions of academically high performing students. The purpose of this study was to investigate students’ perceptions of the intellectual ability, positive social qualities, and popularity of a hypothetical new high performing classmate. Participants were 1060 Vietnamese, South Korean, British, Australian, Peruvian, and Spanish boys and girls in 10th grade. The results revealed that the perceptions of academically high performing classmates differed by country group. Positive perceptions of intellectual ability and social qualities were commonly found in all countries except the two Asian countries (Vietnam and South Korea), where the students reported more neutral views of high performers. In conclusion, it is argued that there is no evidence for possible iatrogenic effects of gifted education programs aiming at high achievements     

Bully/victim problems among Greek pupils with special educational needs: associations with loneliness and self‐efficacy for peer interactions

This study explores the prevalence of different types of bullying and victimisation among Greek pupils receiving special education support provision. Associations of these types with feelings of loneliness and perceived social efficacy for peer interactions are also examined. The sample consisted of 178 students of fifth and sixth primary school grades who participated in pull‐out special education delivery programmes. Participants were found to be actively involved in both bullying and victimisation, with higher rates in victimisation. Statistically significant gender and disability differences in bullying and loneliness were identified. Both bullying and victimisation were associated with loneliness/social dissatisfaction, and self‐efficacy for peer interactions. Moreover, our data provided evidence that bully/victims may be a distinct group in terms of their increased levels of loneliness. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for promoting children with special educational needs and disabilities social inclusion.     

A kinematic comparison of the overhand throw and tennis serve in tennis players: How similar are they really?

Tennis coaches often use the fundamental throwing skill as a training tool to develop the service action. However, recent skill acquisition literature questions the efficacy of non-specific training drills for developing complex sporting movements. Thus, this study examined the mechanical analogy of the throw and the tennis serve at three different levels of development. A 500 Hz, 22-camera VICON MX motion capture system recorded 28 elite female tennis players (prepubescent (n = 10), pubescent (n = 10), adult (n = 8)) as they performed flat serves and overhand throws. Two-way ANOVAs with repeated measures and partial correlations (controlling for group) assessed the strength and nature of the mechanical associations between the tasks. Preparatory mechanics were similar between the two tasks, while during propulsion, peak trunk twist and elbow extension velocities were significantly higher in the throw, yet the peak shoulder internal rotation and wrist flexion angular velocities were significantly greater in the serve. Furthermore, all of these peak angular velocities occurred significantly earlier in the serve. Ultimately, although the throw may help to prime transverse trunk kinematics in the serve, mechanics in the two skills appear less similar than many coaches seem to believe. Practitioners should, therefore, be aware that the throw appears less useful for priming the specific arm kinematics and temporal phasing that typifies the tennis serve.     

科学基金同行评议中的利益冲突管理——基于美国国立卫生研究院的经验

从法律制度体系、对利益冲突的界定、利益冲突类型及处理措施、豁免规定等方面,深入剖析了美国国立卫生研究院同行评议活动中的利益冲突管理体制机制及其规律,总结了其利益冲突管理方面的经验,以期对促进我国科学基金同行评议制度建设提供借鉴参考。