‘My colleagues wear blinkers . . . If they were trained,they would understand better’. Reflections on teacher education on inclusion in Cyprus

This paper discusses fundamental theoretical issues in relation to education on inclusion. These issues inform core decisions about initial teacher education courses and in‐service teacher‐training programmes on inclusion. International and local discussions and research in this area formed the background for the design and implementation of a 2‐year funded research project whose aim was to record teachers' knowledge, attitudes and skills in relation to inclusion before developing an in‐service training programme that suited their profiles. The paper focuses on Greek‐Cypriot teachers' perceptions of their initial and in‐service teacher education on inclusion in Cyprus, as revealed by survey and interview findings. The findings are discussed with reference to relevant literature from Cyprus and other countries in an attempt to draw connections between teacher education, local culture and international practice. The paper concludes with a discussion of the argument that in‐service training programmes on inclusion are of central importance, not only for Cyprus but also for other countries. We argue that teachers' initial education does not guarantee a shared understanding of inclusive education; therefore, in‐service teacher‐training programmes need to be carefully planned and delivered to all schoolteachers to address both theoretical and practical aspects of inclusive education effectively.     

On criollos and capoeiras: notes on soccer and national identity in Argentina and in Brazil

In the twentieth century, sport, and especially soccer, was turned into a kind of universal modern language and was simultaneously transformed into a repository for constructing specificities (continental, national, regional, local). In the last two decades, this process has become a theme of reflection for anthropologists, sociologists and historians. In Brazil and Argentina, certain authors have been debating how, by using soccer, the nation is represented in its specificity, thus generating enough academic analyses to be able to compare certain results. The objective of this essay is to compare the construction of a national identity through soccer, in Brazil and in Argentina, by using some of these analyses. Certain interfaces will be explored, including, for example, the value attributed to individual players considered exceptionally talented, as well as certain peculiarities, such as distinct traditions invoked in constructing these individuals.     

The Hare and the Tortoise: a comparative review of the drive towards inclusive education policies in England and Cyprus

This paper explores the process of policy formulation and implementation in relation to children commonly described as having ‘special educational needs’ and disability (SEND), in Cyprus and in England. Drawing on qualitative research evidence from key primary documentary sources including legislation, statutory and non-statutory guidance and reports, it provides a comparative analysis of the content and the spirit of policy in both countries over the cycle of a century. The findings indicate that Cypriot policymakers have engaged in a process of ‘policy snatching’ from England, following four phases: charitable segregation and categorisation; enlightened legitimisation and categorisation; integration, ‘special educational needs’ and categorisation; inclusion, SEND and categorisation. Using the analogy of Aesop’s well-known fable ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’, the paper concludes that England, symbolically characterised as the hare, appears, overtly at least, to have moved ahead; while Cyprus, characterised as the tortoise, has been following slowly behind. However, progress has been slow in both countries, and the hare may well have fallen asleep. It is argued that whilst some common ground exists between the two countries, there is an inherent danger in transplanting selected elements of policy texts from one socio-cultural historical context to another.     

Disability,the arts and the curriculum: Is there common ground?

This paper reports on the findings of a study that sought to examine firstly, the themes expressed in the art of disabled people in Greece and Cyprus and in interviews with these artists, and secondly, the ways that such art can serve the school curriculum. To this end, an electronic archive of the life stories and art of interest was analysed. The findings suggest that both the art and the interviews cover issues that are directly related to disability, and issues of general interest. A detailed analysis of two cases seeks to provide an in-depth understanding of the relevance of disabled artists and their work within the curriculum. The discussion focuses on issues emerging from the analysis, such as the potential of this art to enrich the school curriculum and promote inclusive education, and identifies the study’s contribution to the international literature about disability, the arts and the curriculum.     

Serving science while paying the bills: the history of the Journal of Biological Chemistry Online

Recent developments in the publication of the Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC) are discussed, particularly the development of the electronic version of the Journal, JBC Online, and the opportunities and challenges that this mode of publication has presented to its publisher, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) and its mission of service.     

Enriching the subject of Greek Literature with the experience of the ‘other’: an approach that fosters citizenship education in Cyprus

This article reports on a research project that explored the potential to integrate autobiographical work emphasising personal experiences of exclusion and marginalisation into the Greek Literature curriculum followed in Greek-Cypriot schools. Given the difficulties encountered in Cyprus in promoting changes in attitudes towards diversity, we discuss the autobiographical poems of the disabled Turkish-Cypriot poet Orkun Bozkurt with the aim of strengthening efforts to foster citizenship education in Cyprus. One aspect of the study involved the analysis and comparison of Bozkurt's poems with those traditionally employed in the Greek Literature curriculum. By taking this analysis as a baseline, we designed and implemented an intervention programme that aimed at changing the attitudes of adult students towards the ‘Other’. Our findings suggest that changes in attitudes are possible, provided that traditional teaching methods and materials are enriched with alternative materials that represent typically underrepresented groups of people, and also that the teaching methods adopted encourage active involvement and critical thinking among students.     

Employing the principles of universal design for learning to deconstruct the Greek-Cypriot new national curriculum

The present paper discusses issues related to inclusive education and curricula development based on the principles of universal design for learning (UDL), and it reports on the results of a qualitative content analysis of the new national curriculum (NNC) developed for the public Greek-Cypriot schools in Cyprus. According to the findings, the NNC does not accommodate the principles of the UDL to an extent that would enable teachers differentiate their teaching. The argument is advanced that the UDL principles could act as a starting point in developing a more inclusive curriculum; a curriculum that reflects the expressed political commitment to inclusive education and is based on research findings that inform the way curriculum components are addressed.     

Time-course of running treadmill adaptation in novice treadmill runners

ABSTRACT

Studies on running biomechanics and energetics are usually conducted on a treadmill. To ensure that locomotion on a treadmill is comparable to locomotion overground, participants need to be expert in the use of the device. This study aimed to identify the number and duration of sessions needed to obtain stable measurements for spatiotemporal and metabolic parameters in unexperienced treadmill runners. Fourteen male recreational runners performed three 15-min treadmill running trials in different days at a submaximal speed. Spatiotemporal and metabolic parameters were registered at minutes: 5, 10, 15 and their within-trial and between-trial changes were analysed using a two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test. Within-trial differences were found in step frequency (decreased over time), Step Length and Contact Time (increased), reaching stability at different time points. Ventilator parameters increased, reaching stability after 5–10 min, while heart rate increased progressively over time. The only between-trial differences were an increase in step length and a decrease in step frequency at min 1, between trials 1 and 3. In conclusion, at least three running trials of 15 min are required to familiarize with the device. The last 5 min of the third trial can be regarded as stable measurements.