Weekday and weekend physical activity patterns of French and Spanish adolescents

Abstract

Adolescents' objectively assessed physical activity (PA) patterns during specific segments of the day remain unclear. In order to develop a clearer understanding this study examined country and gender differences in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels during specific segments of weekdays and weekend days, and explored the contribution of each segment to PA guidelines. Morpho-demographic, socio-economic and PA data were collected from a sample of 829 French and Spanish adolescents (45.0% Spanish; 55.2% females; 14.33±.73 years). Actigraph GT3X accelerometers were worn for seven days to assess adolescents' MVPA for three segments of weekdays (school-travel-time, school-time, and non-school-time), and weekend days (morning-time, afternoon-time and night-time). Data were analysed using multilevel modelling. The most active segments were non-school-time (29.2±17.5 min) and school-time (25.8±14.2 min) during weekdays, and morning-time (28.2±25.8 min) on weekend days. Except for school-time, Spanish adolescents were more significantly active than French adolescents during all segments. Significant gender differences were found in all segments. Country differences highlight the need to recognise cultural contexts that influence adolescents' PA. Common European-wide strategies may be insufficient to increase MVPA levels if cultural variability is not considered. Spanish and French PA intervention programmes should target girls and low-active boys during non-school-time and weekends.     

青春期青少年休闲语言研究

处于青春期的青少年,其休闲语言的表达有其特殊性,性别角色明显,成人意识增强,他们热衷于校园流行语,较频繁地使用网络语言,并存在一定的语言暴力倾向。鉴于其语言表达的特殊生理和心理原因,对青少年的休闲语言要给以全面的评价,并对其语言表达进行科学合理的引导。     

关于学生"四项"教育的思考

以思想观念改革作先导、以素质教育为核心、以培养具有良好职业道德的高素质技能型人才为目标。加强对学生的创新教育、诚信教育、养成教育、青春期教育,使学生成为社会主义事业的合格建设者和接班人。     

Student gender stereotypes: contrasting the perceived maleness and femaleness of mathematics and language

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the gender stereotypes endorsed by elementary and high school students regarding mathematics and language. We developed a questionnaire allowing students to rate mathematics and language as either male or female domains and administered it to a sample of 984 elementary and high school French‐speaking Canadian students (Grades 6, 8, and 10). Results showed that, with the exception of Grade 6 boys, students did not believe that mathematics was a male domain, or even conceived of mathematics as a predominantly female domain, suggesting that the traditional stereotype favouring boys in mathematics might have changed over the past few years. Moreover, language was clearly viewed as a female domain. Overall, our findings suggest that boys seem to be in need of encouragement in school, especially regarding language, where the advantage given to girls is particularly salient.     

The family,key agent in youth empowerment in ICT society / La familia,agente clave de empoderamiento juvenil en la sociedad TIC

The purpose of this article is to analyse the role of the family in youth empowerment via information and communication technologies (ICTs). For this study, the discussion group technique was used with teachers, along with interviews of students as well as a qualitative data analysis. In the interviews, the parents’ relationship took on a central role with regard to ICTs. Likewise, the students seemed to understand the conditions placed by their parents on their use of ICTs. What stood out in the discussion groups is the need for parental training and involvement. Despite the initial technical divide, the family will always play an essential role in overcoming the ethical divide, which is the key to understanding empowerment.     

Girls’ educational aspirations and agency: imagining alternative futures through schooling in a low-resourced Tanzanian community

The chance of a secondary education for young girls who might have otherwise been among many out-of-school youth cultivates aspirations for their future. While aspirations to be educated expand the possibilities of opportunities, they also go unfulfilled in an environment of low achievement rates, high unemployment and constraining gender norms that can leave many secondary graduates disempowered. This study examines how aspirations, agency and future well-being are linked through 4 years of longitudinal data from interviews with girls in a technical and vocational school in rural Tanzania. Conceptually, the paper puts forward a framework within a capability approach to consider how aspirations and agency are oriented toward valued well-being. It also draws inspiration from Appadurai’s use of aspirations as a cultural concept that is future and change oriented and socially embedded. Finally, the body of scholarship that frames Bourdieu’s notion of agency as productive is drawn upon to illuminate whether and how girls are agentic in acting toward their aspirations. Bringing these conceptualizations together, the empirical analysis shows how aspirations and agency are dialectically related and socially situated, allowing for openings in agency to occur even when faced with gendered constraints to aspirations.     

Disturbing the Peace: The Function of Young Adult Literature and the Case of Catherine Atkins' When Jeff Comes Home

Our criticism and evaluation of young adult literature is tempered not only by the scope of our knowledge of adolescent literature in general, but also by our notions of adolescence, itself. Adolescent literature that, in Michael Cart's terminology, shatters the shibboleths of adolescence and adolescent culture, has the potential to re-shape the paradigms that delineate teen culture. Catherine Atkins' When Jeff Comes Home is an example of such revolutionary YA fiction. With When Jeff Comes Home, Atkins not only re-writes and redefines the rape novel for young people, she re-casts the victim role with society's anti-victim—the able-bodied, athletic, upper middle class white male.     

Educator–student communication in sex & relationship education: a comparison of teacher and peer-led interventions

This paper presents findings from a comparative study of peer- and teacher-led Sex and Relationship Education (SRE). One lesson delivered by a peer educator, and one lesson delivered by a teacher was observed with the aim of exploring the communicative process between educators and students within SRE. It is claimed that open communication between students and peer educators promotes the adoption of positive attitudes to sexual health, making it a potential alternative to teacher-led provision. Yet to our knowledge, no studies have investigated the communicative process within peer-led adolescent health interventions to examine factors underpinning its potential efficacy. The development of a coding scheme to measure the extent to which educators and students are communicating openly within SRE is used to describe the communicative process between sex educators and students, characterise differences in communication within peer- and teacher-led conditions and discuss how these differences affect student participation in SRE. Results suggest interaction of students in the peer-led condition was different to that of students receiving teacher-led SRE; and provide valuable insight into educator–student communication in the context of classroom-based SRE.     

Gender differences in adolescents’ academic motivation and classroom behaviour

The present study investigated gender differences in adolescents’ academic motivation and classroom behaviour and gender differences in the extent to which motivation was associated with, and predicted, classroom behaviour. Seven hundred and fifty students (384 boys and 366 girls) aged 11–16 (M age?=?14.0, 1.59 SD) completed a questionnaire examining academic motivation and teachers completed assessments of their classroom behaviour. Girls generally reported higher levels of academic motivation, whilst teacher reports of behaviour were poorer for boys. Interestingly, boys’ reported levels of academic motivation were significantly more closely associated with teacher reports of their classroom behaviour. Furthermore, cognitive aspects of boys’ motivation were better predictors of their classroom behaviour than behavioural aspects. On the other hand, behavioural aspects of girls’ motivation were better predictors of their behaviour. Implications for understanding the relationship between motivation and behaviour among adolescent boys and girls are discussed, in addition to interventions aimed at improving adolescents’ classroom behaviour.     

“What Works”: systematic review of the “FRIENDS for Life” programme as a universal school-based intervention programme for the prevention of child and youth anxiety

Mental health disorders are currently the leading cause of disability among young people, internalising disorders such as anxiety and depression representing the most predominant mental health problems experienced. Given the high prevalence rates, low rates of treatment and associated adverse effects on social, emotional and academic functioning, the need to prevent the development of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents is paramount. The FRIENDS for Life intervention programme has been endorsed by the World Health Organisation as an evidence based programme effective for the prevention of child and youth anxiety. The purpose of this article is to systematically review the research base surrounding the FRIENDS for Life programme. All reviewed studies found that the programme had a positive impact on primary anxiety outcome measures compared to control groups, with small to medium effect sizes reported. However, a number of methodological and design concerns were identified across studies. Further quality school-based research is needed to ameliorate these challenges.