Cognitive Development in Gifted Children: Toward a More Precise Understanding of Emerging Differences in Intelligence

To truly understand gifted performance, it is necessary to merge research on giftedness with current thinking in cognitive development and intelligence. This article presents traditional research on gifted children's cognitive development then considers how the application of newer models and theories from the field of cognitive development can be combined with research on giftedness to change the way people think about gifted performance. First four factors that have often been associated with giftedness are discussed from the perspectives of cognitive developmental psychology and gifted education. Next, emphasis is placed on investigating the strategic development of gifted children. Specifically, R. S. Siegler's (Emerging Minds: The Process of Change in Children's Thinking, Oxford University Press, New York, 1996) model of strategy development is addressed in terms of what it may contribute to understanding gifted cognition. Finally, future lines of research using models from cognitive development and complex systems models of development are recommended.     

The effects of localised fatigue on upper extremity jump shot kinematics and kinetics in team handball

Team handball is a popular sport worldwide that requires numerous throws to be made throughout the course of a game. Because of the upper extremity demands of repetitive throwing, it is possible that fatigue can alter the mechanics of a shot. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of localised fatigue on jump shot kinematics and kinetics. Eleven male team handball players (23.1 ± 3.1 years; 185.1 ± 8.3 cm; 89.7 ± 12.2 kg) volunteered. An electromagnetic tracking system was used to examine the jump shot prior to and following localised fatigue. The fatiguing protocol consisted of throwing a 2.2 kg medicine ball into a rebounder until volitional fatigue. No significant kinematic or kinetic differences were observed following fatigue. Shoulder external rotation was ?74.8 ± 14.9° prior to and ?79.0 ± 14.7° following fatigue at MER. Scapula, external rotation at ball release (BR) prior to fatigue was ?2.2 ± 7.0° and ?3.2 ± 11.1° following fatigue. Scapular internal rotation, at maximum shoulder internal rotation (MIR), changed from 18.4 ± 11.2° to 20.4 ± 11.8°. Ball velocity decreased from19.8 m · s^–1 to 18.8 m · s^–1 (P = 0.12). Accuracy percentage in the pre-fatigue trials was 60.8 ± 14.1% and 52.8 ± 12.7% following fatigue (P = 0.20). While no significant changes were observed, it is possible that other fatiguing protocols that more closely represent the aerobic and throwing demands of the sport may have a greater effect on the kinematics and kinetics of the jump shot.     

Bivariate grid-connection speed control of hydraulic wind turbines

The requirement for An electrical grid-connected wind turbine is that the synchronous generator speed is stable within a required speed range for the electrical grid. In this paper, a hydraulic wind turbine (HWT) system is considered, and the working principle and working conditions of the HWT are introduced. A novel speed control method is proposed in this paper, using both a proportional flow control valve and a variable displacement motor, which are adjusted in combination to control the speed of the HWT. By establishing a state space model of the HWT and solving the nonlinear system with a feedback linearization method, a bivariate tracking controller is constructed to realize accurate speed control under fluctuating wind speed and the load disturbance conditions. The effectiveness of the control method is verified by simulation, but experimental results highlight problems with the method. The theoretical controller is simplified to reduce sensitivity to measurement noise and modeling error. The control effect has been improved to some extent, but it is limited. Based on these results, combined with the sliding mode variable structure control method and the feedback linearization method to solve the problem of measurement noise and modeling error, and the effectiveness of the control law is finally verified experimentally. It lays a theoretical foundation for the practical application of HWT.     

A Behind‐the‐Scenes Guide to School‐Based Research

Schools are an important context for both basic and applied scientific research. Unlike the laboratory, however, the physical and social conditions of schools are not under the exclusive control of scientists. In this article, we liken collecting data in schools to putting on a theatrical production. We begin by describing the large cast of characters whose collaborative efforts make school‐based research possible. Next, we address the critics, including the university Institutional Review Board (IRB) and school administrators, whose feedback often improves the final study design. We then turn our attention to set building, stage directions, and rehearsals—key steps in the iterative process of refining study procedures. We end with a discussion of the day of data collection itself and activities that take place after the curtain drops. Throughout, we make recommendations based on our recent experience collecting data at several high schools.     

Stepping out of rhythm: an embodied artifact for noticing rate of change

Educational technology research and development - Making sense of data is fundamental to science. Yet, the form in which data are represented can make their interpretation challenging for students....     

Inquiry and Astronomy: Preservice Teachers’ Investigations of Celestial Motion

This study investigated the impact of an open inquiry experience on elementary science methods students’ understanding of celestial motion as well as the methods developed by students to answer their own research questions. Pre/post interviews and assessments were used to measure change in participants’ understanding (N = 18). A qualitative approach was used to describe the nature of each participant’s investigation through an analysis of their science journal and poster presentations. A comparison of participants’ inquiry projects with the change in their understanding revealed that while most participants improved in both their area of inquiry and beyond, elementary science methods students may need more guidance to reach a full scientific understanding across all aspects of celestial motion.     

Beyond the doorstep. Arabian (k)nights and personal nightmares: a working life in Oman

Working in a country where the work culture is unknown to you—Oman in the Middle East—you are faced with yourself. What you need is a profound knowledge of the cultural, social and educational surroundings you are working in, which I did not have. Coming from a working‐class background, I was not unfamiliar with adjusting to cultural differences, but here I was the ‘advantaged’. I was the ‘expert’, with western knowledge: highly valued by some, feared by others. Living up to your expert role in unknown territory is a daunting process, as this article highlights.     

Development of a Learning Progression for the Formation of the Solar System

This study describes the process of defining a hypothetical learning progression (LP) for astronomy around the big idea of Solar System formation. At the most sophisticated level, students can explain how the formation process led to the current Solar System by considering how the planets formed from the collapse of a rotating cloud of gas and dust. Development of this LP was conducted in 2 phases. First, we interviewed middle school, high school, and college students (N?=?44), asking them to describe properties of the current Solar System and to explain how the Solar System was formed. Second, we interviewed 6th-grade students (N?=?24) before and after a 15-week astronomy curriculum designed around the big idea. Our analysis provides evidence for potential levels of sophistication within the hypothetical LP, while also revealing common alternative conceptions or areas of limited understanding that could form barriers to progress if not addressed by instruction. For example, many students' understanding of Solar System phenomena was limited by either alternative ideas about gravity or limited application of momentum in their explanations. Few students approached a scientific-level explanation, but their responses revealed possible stepping stones that could be built upon with appropriate instruction.