Performing under pressure in private : Activation of self-focus traits
- Authors: Geukes, Katharina , Mesagno, Christopher , Hanrahan, Stephanie , Kellmann, Michael
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology Vol. 11, no. 1 (2013), p. 11-23
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Self-focus and self-presentation traits have been found to predict performance under pressure. The interactionist principle of trait activation indicates that situational demands encourage different traits to be relevant to performance in high-pressure situations. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship of self-focus and self-presentation traits with performance in a private high-pressure setting. Because the private high-pressure situation offered motivational incentives but only minimal self-presentation cues, only a self-focus trait (private self-consciousness), but not self-presentation traits (public self-consciousness and narcissism), was hypothesized to predict performance under pressure in a private setting. After completing personality questionnaires, future physical education university students (N = 59) with experience in sport competitions performed eight throws at a target in low-pressure and high-pressure conditions. The conditions were identical with the exception that the high-pressure condition involved a monetary incentive and a cover story. Participants' state anxiety increased from low to high pressure. Neither self-focus nor self-presentation traits predicted performance under low pressure. Only the self-focus trait, but not self-presentation traits, negatively contributed to the prediction of high-pressure performance. Hence, findings support the applicability of the trait activation principle and underline that the situational demands of private high-pressure situations activate self-focus personality traits. © 2013 Copyright International Society of Sport Psychology.
- Description: 2003010822
Pre-apprenticeships in Australia : Differing orientations and their policy implications
- Authors: Dumbrell, Tom , Smith, Erica
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Vocational Education and Training Vol. 65, no. 2 (2013), p. 161-176
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Little has been published in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) literature on the topic of pre-apprenticeships, which are a loose type of preparatory courses for apprenticeships available in some trades. Nevertheless, pre-apprenticeships have been in existence for several decades. With continuing concern over skill shortages in Australia, the research study on which this paper is based investigated the role of pre-apprenticeship courses in addressing skill shortages in the electrotechnology, automotive and engineering trades, some of the largest 'traditional trades' in Australia, and those with sizeable numbers in pre-apprenticeships. The principal objective of the overall study was to determine whether the use of pre-apprenticeships increased the size and suitability of the supply of entrants to the traditional apprenticeships and whether pre-apprenticeships do or might increase completion rates in apprenticeships. The paper uses findings from the study to develop a typology of pre-apprenticeship courses, proposing two fundamental orientations and discussing whether different orientations towards pre-apprenticeships are compatible with one another. © 2013 Copyright The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.
- Description: 2003011101
The Development of the Lunchtime Enjoyment of Activity and Play Questionnaire
- Authors: Hyndman, Brendon , Telford, Amanda , Finch, Caroline , Ullah, Shahid , Benson, Amanda
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of School Health Vol. 83, no. 4 (2013), p. 256-264
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: Enjoyment of physical activity is as an important determinant of children's participation in physical activity. Despite this, there is an absence of reliable measures for assessing children's enjoyment of play activities during school lunchtime. The purpose of this study was to develop and assess the reliability of the Lunchtime Enjoyment of Activity and Play (LEAP) Questionnaire. Methods: Questionnaire items were categorized employing a social-ecological framework including intrapersonal (20 items), interpersonal (2 items), and physical environment/policy (17 items) components to identify the broader influences on children's enjoyment. An identical questionnaire was administered on 2 occasions, 10days apart, to 176 children aged 8-12years, attending a government elementary school in regional Victoria, Australia. RESULTS: Test-retest reliability confirmed that 35 of 39 LEAP Questionnaire items had at least moderate kappa agreement ranging from .44 to .78. Although 4 individual kappa values were low, median kappa scores for each aggregated social-ecological component reached at least moderate agreement (.44-.60). Conclusions: This study confirms the LEAP Questionnaire to be a reliable, context-specific instrument with sound content, and face validity that employs a social-ecological framework to assess children's enjoyment of school play and lunchtime activities. © 2013, American School Health Association.
- Description: 2003010857
Understanding the contexts of adolescent female participation in sport and physical activity
- Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , Sawyer, Neroli , Craike, Melinda , Symons, Caroline , Polman, Remco , Payne, Warren
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Research quarterly for exercise and sport Vol. 84, no. 2 (2013), p. 157-166
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Purpose: Participation in physical activity (PA) is reported to decline in adolescence, particularly for girls. However, we do not know if this decline in PA is consistent across modes and settings or whether there are transfers of participation between modes and settings. Nor do we understand the changes in specific types of PA or the interaction between types of participation and different modes/settings. This study investigated contexts of PA participation for female adolescents at two life transition points. Method: A survey of 489 Year 7 and 243 Year 11 adolescent girls was conducted, incorporating a measure of overall PA level and participation rates in seven modes/settings and in specific types of sport and PA. Results: Less than half of the respondents met or exceeded the recommended level of moderate or vigorous PA-60 min or more-on the previous day, and there was no statistically significant difference in the proportions in Years 7 and 11 (39.5% vs. 45.9%; p > .05). However, older adolescents shifted their participation away from organized, competitive modes and settings toward nonorganized and noncompetitive modes and settings and individual types of PA. Conclusions: An understanding of the changes in PA modes and settings identified here can inform the planning of policies and implementation of programs for the promotion of PA by adolescent girls.
Why children join and stay in sports clubs : Case studies in Australian, French and German swimming clubs
- Authors: Light, Richard , Harvey, Stephen , Memmert, Daniel
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sport, Education and Society Vol. 18, no. 4 (2013), p. 550-566
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This article builds upon research on youth sport clubs conducted from a socio-cultural perspective by reporting on a study that inquired into the reasons why children aged 9-12 joined swimming clubs in France, Germany and Australia. Comprising three case studies it employed a mixed method approach with results considered within the framework of Côté and colleagues' Development Model of Sport Participation (DMSP). It identifies the importance of parents, the social dimensions of experience in the clubs and of appropriate competition in attracting the children to the clubs and keeping them there. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
- Description: 2003011094
Creating an Australian Curriculum for English
- Authors: McGraw, Amanda
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: English in Australia Vol. 47, no. 2 (2012), p. 103-104
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
Narrative pedagogies in Science, Mathematics and Technology
- Authors: Hobbs, Linda , Davis, Robert
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Research in Science Education Vol. , no. (2012), p. 1-17
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Despite years of research, there remains serious concern regarding the engagement of students in science, mathematics and technology education. In this paper, the authors explore how narrative pedagogies are used in science, mathematics and technology in order to make the subjects meaningful. The paper focuses specifically on the role and aesthetic nature of narrative as a pedagogical approach in these school subjects and between school sectors. Case study methodology was used to compare the findings of two independent studies investigating the role of narrative-based pedagogies in mathematics and science (first author) and technology (second author). Based on this comparison, this paper proposes two perspectives on narrative-based pedagogies that deal with the connection of students with the subject: inward-looking that situated the learner within the story generated around artefact creation, and outward-looking that situated the stories of the content into students' lifeworlds. The use of this comparative lens enabled a higher level of analysis that could not have been achieved by each research programme, generating a broader narrative that provided deeper insight into the teaching and learning experience. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Providing a flexible learning environment: are on-line lectures the answer?
- Authors: Panther, Barbara , Wright, Wendy , Mosse, Jennifer
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education in participatory sensing systems Vol. 20, no. 1 (2012), p. 71-82
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: As universities embrace new technologies to enhance students’ learning experiences and increase flexibility for student learning, tertiary students are increasingly presented with a wider range of learning resources to support their studies. This study investigates ways in which a diverse group of undergraduate science students use the resources that are provided to them. The majority of these students favoured face-to-face lectures due to the ability to interact with lecturers and other students and the ability to ask questions in real time. Recorded lectures were seen to be useful for clarification and revision, largely because they can be paused and rewound, facilitating review of difficult material. Text-based resources such as study guides remain highly valued and highly used, especially for students working in off-campus mode. On-line discussion forums are not seen as a substitute for face to face interaction; a need for active facilitation of such forums is highlighted.
Swim instructor beliefs about toddler and preschool swimming and water safety education
- Authors: Blitvich, Jennifer , Moran, Kevin , Petrass, Lauren , McElroy, G. Keith , Stanley, Teresa
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education Vol. 6, no. 2 (2012), p. 110-121
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: To study the teacher component of the parent-teacher-learner triad in preschool aquatics and explore compatibility of instructor messages with current drowning prevention beliefs, 133 preschool aquatics instructors were surveyed. Instructors with basic swim teacher accreditation and those with a preschool/infant instructor extension ("Extension") were compared. More Extension instructors selected "safety" as an important outcome (
- Description: 2003010690
What does a role model Australian primary school health and physical education program look like?
- Authors: Lynch, Timothy
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: ICHPER-SD 53rd Anniversary World Congress & Exposition p. 150-161
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
Combining epidemiology and biomechanics in sports injury prevention research : A new approach for selecting suitable controls
- Authors: Finch, Caroline , Ullah, Shahid , McIntosh, Andrew
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sports Medicine Vol. 41, no. 1 (2011), p. 59-72
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Several important methodological issues need to be considered when designing sports injury case-control studies. Major design goals for case-control studies include the accounting for prior injury risk exposure, and optimal definitions of both cases and suitable controls are needed to ensure this. This article reviews methodological aspects of published sports injury case-control studies, particularly with regard to the selection of controls. It argues for a new approach towards selecting controls for case-control studies that draws on an interface between epidemiological and biomechanical concepts. A review was conducted to identify sport injury case-control studies published in the peer-review literature during 1985-2008. Overall, 32 articles were identified, of which the majority related to upper or lower extremity injuries. Matching considerations were used for control selection in 16 studies. Specific mention of application of biomechanical principles in the selection of appropriate controls was absent from all studies, including those purporting to evaluate the benefits of personal protective equipment to protect against impact injury. This is a problem because it could lead to biased conclusions, as cases and controls are not fully comparable in terms of similar biomechanical impact profiles relating to the injury incident, such as site of the impact on the body. The strength of the conclusions drawn from case-control studies, and the extent to which results can be generalized, is directly influenced by the definition and recruitment of cases and appropriate controls. Future studies should consider the interface between epidemiological and biomechanical concepts when choosing appropriate controls to ensure that proper adjustment of prior exposure to injury risk is made. To provide necessary guidance for the optimal selection of controls in case-control studies of interventions to prevent sports-related impact injury, this review outlines a new case-control selection strategy that reflects the importance of biomechanical considerations, which ensures that controls are selected based on the presence of the same global injury mechanism as the cases. To summarize, the general biomechanical principles that should apply to the selection of controls in future case-control studies are as follows: (i) each control must have been exposed to the same global injury mechanism as the case, (e.g. head impact, fall onto outstretched arm); and (ii) intrinsic (individual) factors (e.g. age, sex, skill level) that might modify the person's response to the relevant biomechanical loads are adjusted when either selecting the controls or are in the analysis phase. The same considerations for control selection apply to other study designs such as matched cohort studies or case-crossover studies. © 2011 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved.
Reaching out to the west : An assessment of Chinese students' views regarding foreign-delivered university programs in China
- Authors: Willis, Mike
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Teaching in International Business Vol. 21, no. 1 (2010), p. 53-68
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This article identifies the views and expectations of Chinese students located in nine cities in China and Hong Kong in regard to the delivery of foreign degree programs within China. This delivery mode is becoming a common form of educational delivery and augments other modes of international activity such as study abroad and distance education. The research has found that students wanted a relatively unadapted course, delivered in English by foreign academics, with a high level of academic and administrative servicing in China. They did not like subjects which had been overly adapted for the Chinese market, since these were viewed to be somewhat lacking in authenticity. However, some very minor areas of adaptation were required to meet some specific local requirements, but in essence students wanted courses which were a close replication of what it would be like to study in the foreign university location, whether it be in America, Australia, or Europe. The value of this research is that it identifies the desire of students for relatively unadapted foreign programs in China. This finding is of use to foreign universities planning courses and programs in China and also adds to the debate about the adaptation or standardization of services in a Chinese context. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Learning in place: Pedagogical pathways for place-making
- Authors: Green, Monica
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: AARE 2008 p. 1-19
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Abstract: This paper examines the position and role of 'place' in primary school curriculum. Drawing on the research literature and preliminary data the paper analyses a re-imagined environmental education program at a primary school. Innovative and collaborative processes that depict children as integral designers of a new garden place are discussed. Focus is given to the school ground as an important site for teaching and learning. The role of an ecological centre designed to teach children about sustainable building principles is discussed. Attention is drawn to the importance of children as place makers via endeavours that encourage and support children's fascination and affinity with outdoor places in the school ground. Tending a food garden is proposed as a significant pedagogical pathway for nurturing children's sense of wonder and enabling familiarity and a love of the natural world. Keywords: place, place makers, children, school ground, natural world, gardening
Listening to teachers, learning about teaching
- Authors: Brown, Maryann
- Date: 2009
- Type: Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Curriculum Studies Vol. 41, no. 1 (2009), p. 131-144
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
Auto/ethnography : a journey of self/indulgence
- Authors: Manning, Debra
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: AARE Conference 2007 p. 16p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Abstract: Research aspires to be objective and purposeful, and keen to improve my own teaching, I began a phenomenographic exploration of lecturers’ experiences teaching in multi-cultural classrooms. Disparities between the participants’ perspectives and my expectations, however, found me caught between my purposefulness and my passion for the topic. Seeking a way forward I was drawn to explore my own assumptions about research and my role as the researcher. The emerging insights create a compelling, and at times shocking, account of my pervasive influence on this purportedly, objective research project. Searching for theoretical reflections of my experiences I discovered auto/ethnography. My initial delight turned into distaste at the degree of self disclosure I encountered in the writings. I rejected auto/ethnography as self indulgent and un-academic, yet as I wrote, I could not stem the flow of revelations about the centrality of my values and beliefs in this research project. This paper offers some thoughts on my research journey and concludes by reframing the pejorative ‘self-indulgent’ to assert that to give oneself up to contemplation of the diverse influences of the researcher’s self on her research is enlightening and essential for ethical research….indeed self/indulgent. Key words: research; auto/ethnography; reflexivity; higher education
Food gardens : Cultivating a pedagogy of place
- Authors: Green, Monica
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings
- Full Text:
- Description: Place-based education attempts to position the individual in relationship with the human and non-human elements of the life-world, at a place that is welcoming of educational experience and a knowledge base from which to construct a more ecologically sustainable culture. Food gardens, along with ecological restoration projects within schools are experiencing a significant renaissance and are important sites for place-based education. Many of these places are located in and around the immediate environment of a school ground and become significant educational portals through which children explore their world. This paper reports on the literature reviewed for a study on how a pedagogy of place is cultivated within garden experiences. There is limited research about the use of school gardens as an educational tool and the specific pedagogies that support learning in this context. A number of themes emerge from various bodies of literature that provide a conceptual framework for the study of food garden pedagogies. These themes include placebased education, ecological literary, and nature as teacher. It is useful to think about primary school gardens in the light of this literature because it helps frame a research question for a study into how pedagogies of place can be cultivated within food gardens. [Author abstract, ed]
Participation and equity : a review of the participation in higher education of people from low socioeconomic backgrounds and Indigenous people.
- Authors: James, Richard , Bexley, E. , Anderson, A. , Devlin, Marcia , Garnett, R. , Marginson, S. , Maxwell, L.
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Book
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
Research challenges inherent in determining improvement in University teaching
- Authors: Devlin, Marcia
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Issues in Educational Research Vol. 18, no. n1 (2008), p. 12-25
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Using a recent study that examined the effectiveness of a particular approach to improving individual university teaching as a case study, this paper examines some of the challenges inherent in educational research, particularly research examining the effects of interventions to improve teaching. Aspects of the research design and methodology and of the analysis of results are discussed and recommendations for improvements for future research are made. (Contains 1 table.)
A scale for monitoring students' attitudes to learning mathematics with technology
- Authors: Pierce, Robyn , Stacey, Kaye , Barkatsas, Anastasios
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computers and Education Vol. 48, no. 2 (2007), p. 285-300
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Mathematics and Technology Attitudes Scale (MTAS) is a simple scale for middle secondary years students that monitors five affective variables relevant to learning mathematics with technology. The subscales measure mathematics confidence, confidence with technology, attitude to learning mathematics with technology and two aspects of engagement in learning mathematics. The paper presents a model of how technology use can enhance mathematics achievement, a review of other instruments and a psychometric analysis of the MTAS. It also reports the responses of 350 students from 6 schools to demonstrate the power of the MTAS to provide useful insights for teachers and researchers. 'Attitude to learning mathematics with technology' had a wider range of scores than other variables studied. For boys, this attitude is correlated only with confidence in using technology, but for girls the only relationship found was a negative correlation with mathematics confidence. These differences need to be taken into account when planning instruction. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003004898
Can twenty years of technology education assist "grass roots" syllabus implementation?
- Authors: Ginns, Ian , Norton, Stephen , McRobbie, Campbell , Davis, Robert
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Technology & Design Education Vol. 17, no. 2 (2007), p. 197-215
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Teachers' informed acceptance of challenges associated with teaching technology might ensure the successful implementation of a Technology syllabus in primary schools. They must be prepared to analyse their own understandings of technology concepts and processes, teaching and resource needs, and engage in professional development activities designed to meet their needs. This paper investigates the introduction of a new Technology syllabus into a school and draws on a number of data sources, for example, surveys, interviews with individual teachers, classroom observations, and field notes. It was evident that very specific personal and classroom related issues (e.g., content and pedagogy), and broader issues related to the school and wider communities (e.g., resources and networking), impacted on teachers' acceptance of the syllabus. Based on these findings, the influence of 20 years of technology education and associated research on the essentials of classroom syllabus implementation by teachers is evaluated. Ways of making this store of knowledge and expertise more meaningful and accessible for teachers are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Technology & Design Education is the property of Springer Science & Business Media B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)