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Then and now: Challenging the Reproduction of Values in the Secondary Curriculum: A Critical, Reflective Commentary on Practitioner Dispositions
Get PDFThis article provides a reflective commentary on the modification of the lead author’s professional practice in a secondary academy in England. The modification of practice has been as a result of work conducted on a postgraduate Masters module, which has focused on practitioner development of an exemplar grammar lesson devised for Year Nine collaborative learning. The motivation to publish this work is in light of a heavily structured, prescriptive and time pressured approach to teacher development which disconnects professionals from more meaningful enquiry into the practice they are engaging with.
The work initially sets the scene for the situated context detailed above, before moving into a reflective commentary that focuses on the lead author’s structurally influenced dispositions to practitioner development. The paper then moves into key conceptual considerations that have underpinned the development of practice, which subsequently leads to details on the implementation and evaluation of the new learning intervention.
With the intervention founded on praxis, it is the critically reflective and reflexive conceptual work completed which is of central interest, and the conclusion that spaces for undertaking a genuine reflective and reflexive approach are diminishing in educational practice. As a result, the authors finish the article with a number of recommendations for practitioners to be given space for authentic reflection focusing on classroom practice, dialectical critical enquiry, theory and reflexivity
“She knows it is all a load of old socks”: Doris Lessing, anti-psychiatry and bodies that matter
Get PDFIn The Golden Notebook (1962), The Four-Gated City (1969) and Briefing for a Descent into Hell (1971), Doris Lessing examines the inadequacies of traditional models of madness and replaces them with an anti-psychiatric model. While ostensibly the three novels strive to conceive of madness in terms of R. D. Laing’s anti-psychiatric theories, this paper will argue that they in fact serve to reveal an impasse between Laing’s “lived body” (but gender neutral) theory of schizophrenia and the discursively constructed, “inscribed” bodies of Lessing’s female characters. Lessing’s madness novels deconstruct Laing’s phallocentric approach to schizophrenia by rewriting his theory of madness as a gendered and embodied experience
The Masters in Teaching and Learning: Lessons to be learnt and key stakeholder perceptions
Get PDFThis research investigates lessons to be learnt from and key stakeholder perceptions of the government-prescribed Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL). Located within the secondary school phase and higher education in the English West Midlands, this article presents findings within a multiple case study from interviews with recently qualified teachers (RQTs) who had started the MTL as newly qualified teachers (NQTs); RQTs who chose not to undertake the MTL; and Deans of Education.
Although the MTL represented a major shift in the professional development of teachers, their perceptions have generally been overlooked in academic literature, despite over 2,000 teachers in England starting the programme in 2010. Overall, respondents perceived the MTL to have its merits, although there were concerns about the programme and its implementation. Several common themes emerged, such as concern regarding the target cohorts; the impact on learning and teaching; and a lack of support/ interest from schools. Although seven of the eight universities within the region have now discarded the MTL and there is no longer any funding available for Masters level professional development for teachers in England, this article provides key messages to inform Masters level professional development for teachers
Methods of monitoring training load and their relationships to changes in fitness and performance in competitive road cyclists
Get PDFPurpose: The aim of this study was to assess the dose-response relationships between different training load methods and aerobic fitness and performance in competitive road cyclists.
Method: Training data from 15 well-trained competitive cyclists were collected during a 10-week (December – March) pre-season training period. Before and after the training period, participants underwent a laboratory incremental exercise test with gas exchange and lactate measures and a performance assessment using an 8-min time trial (8MT). Internal training load was calculated using Banister’s TRIMP (bTRIMP), Edwards’ TRIMP (eTRIMP), individualized TRIMP (iTRIMP), Lucia’s TRIMP (luTRIMP) and session-RPE (sRPE). External load was measured using Training Stress Score™ (TSS).
Results: Large to very large relationships (r = 0.54-0.81) between training load and changes in submaximal fitness variables (power at 2 and 4 mmol·L-1) were observed for all training load calculation methods. The strongest relationships with changes in aerobic fitness variables were observed for iTRIMP (r = 0.81 [95% CI: 0.51 to 0.93, r = 0.77 [95% CI 0.43 to 0.92]) and TSS (r = 0.75 [95% CI 0.31 to 0.93], r = 0.79 [95% CI: 0.40 to 0.94]). The highest dose-response relationships with changes in the 8MT performance test were observed for iTRIMP (r = 0.63 [95% CI 0.17 to 0.86]) and luTRIMP (r = 0.70 [95% CI: 0.29 to 0.89).
Conclusions: The results show that training load quantification methods that integrate individual physiological characteristics have the strongest dose-response relationships, suggesting this to be an essential factor in the quantification of training load in cycling
Community perspectives of mathematics and statistics support in higher education: building the infrastructure
Get PDFOver the last two decades, mathematics support has, increasingly, been seen by higher education institutions as a vital mechanism for helping students enhance their mathematical and statistical skills, particularly as they make the transition to university study. Several studies have shown the growth of mathematics support across the higher education sector within the UK, Ireland and beyond. Others have demonstrated its impact upon learners. However, few have explored the extent to which mathematics support is embedded within institutions or the extent to which it is likely to be sustainable. Such analyses are important for both the institutions themselves and the many colleagues who are working to develop mathematics support into an area of study in its own right. Here we report on a survey of 47 institutions offering mathematics and statistics support within the UK. Findings show that, within many institutions, mathematics support is now embedded as part of student-focused institutional support provision. Further, its impacts are increasingly extending beyond those students who access the support: there is evidence that mechanisms are in place for feeding findings from mathematics and statistics support into mainstream teaching and learning and curriculum development. Significantly, the analysis shows that mathematics support offers good potential for sustainability such that the legacy of national endeavours to establish it more widely will continue to exist into the future
The dose-response relationship between training load and aerobic fitness in academy rugby union players
Get PDFPurpose: The aim of this study was to identify the dose-response relationship between measures of training load (TL) and changes in aerobic fitness in academy rugby union players. Method: Training data from ten academy rugby union players was collected during a six-week in-season period. Participants completed a lactate threshold (LT) test which was used to assess VO2max and velocities at VO2max, 2 mmol·L-1 (vLT) and 4 mmol·L-1 (vOBLA) as measures of aerobic fitness. Internal training load measures calculated were Banister’s TRIMP (bTRIMP), Edward’s TRIMP (eTRIMP), Lucia’s TRIMP (luTRIMP), individualised TRIMP (iTRIMP) and session-RPE (sRPE). External TL measures calculated were; total distance (TD), PlayerLoad™ (PL), high-speed distance >15 km·h-1 (HSD), very high-speed distance >18 km·h-1 (VHSD) and individualized high-speed distance based on each player’s vOBLA (iHSD). Results: A second order regression (quadratic) analysis identified that bTRIMP (R2 = 0.78, P = 0.005) explained 78% of the variance and iTRIMP (R2 = 0.55, P = 0.063) explained 55% of the variance in changes in VO2max. All other HR based internal TL measures and sRPE explained less than 40% of variance with fitness changes. External TL explained less than 42% of variance with fitness changes. Conclusions: In rugby players bTRIMP and iTRIMP display a curvilinear dose-response relationship with changes in maximal aerobic fitness
Training intensity distribution in road cyclists: objective versus subjective measures
Get PDFPurpose: This study aims to evaluate training intensity distribution using different intensity measures based on session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE), heart rate (HR) and power output (PO) in well-trained cyclists. Methods: Fifteen road cyclists participated in the study. Training data was collected during a 10-week training period. Training intensity distribution was quantified using HR, PO and sRPE categorized in a 3-zone training intensity model. Three zones for HR and PO were based around a first and second lactate threshold. The three sRPE zones were defined using a 10-point scale: zone 1, sRPE scores 1-4; zone 2, sRPE scores 5-6; zone 3, sRPE scores 7-10. Results: Training intensity distribution as percentages of time spent in zone 1, zone 2 and zone 3 was moderate to very largely different for sRPE (44.9%, 29.9%, 25.2%) compared to HR (86.8%, 8.8%, 4.4%) and PO (79.5%, 9.0%, 11.5%). Time in zone 1 quantified using sRPE was large to very largely lower for sRPE compared to PO (P < 0.001) and HR (P < 0.001). Time in zone 2 and zone 3 was moderate to very largely higher when quantified using sRPE compared to intensity quantified using HR (P < 0.001) and PO (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Training intensity distribution quantified using sRPE demonstrates moderate to very large differences compared to intensity distributions quantified based on HR and PO. The choice of intensity measure impacts on the intensity distribution and has implications for training load quantification, training prescription and the evaluation of training characteristics
Does it do what it says on the tin? – Evaluation of an established UK University Employability Enhancement Award.
Get PDFUniversity employability awards, in the UK particularly, aim to to assist students to develop career related skills and attributes and thus increase their potential to achieve graduate level employment. Self-report quantitative and qualitative data were collected via questionnaires, interviews and focus groups at intervals from two cohorts (N = 212) of a well-established career development and employability award at a large civic UK university. Findings indicated increases in confidence and aspiration, and in the ability to articulate and apply skills and abilities; also that the award may convey similar benefits to work experience. Survey data from award completers indicated that they had changed their career related behaviour, and students who have completed the award show a consistent small increase in their level of graduate employment when compared to the graduate employment figure for the university as a whole in the UK university destinations data.
Employability related values, attitudes and behaviour may all change as a result of award experience. Reported changes implied a sense of improved resourcefulness. It is hypothesised that the award may enhance student employability somewhat via development of psychosocial resources, producing a shift in the student’s perception of self and identity
‘In the execution of his office’: Lay officials and the exercise of ecclesiastical discipline in Scotland, c. 1600-1660
Get PDFConsistorial discipline was central to the application of Reformed theology in early-modern Scotland. This article argues that both elders and deacons were frequently drawn into personal disputes that were more communal than theological. Neighbours’ complaints served to emphasise Reformed ideals of honesty and good reputation but could also undermine the foundations of Reformed discipline. In response, consistories across Scotland came to identify disputes involving one official as slights on the entire session. While officials were reliant on an increasing sense of corporate identity to protect them, neighbours’ involvement shows the degree of lay support and participation in the Reformed Church
Developing Mental Toughness: Lessons from Paralympians
Get PDFMental toughness (MT) is a key psychological variable related to perseverance and success in performance domains. MT and its development has been explored across a range of contexts and across different sports, but no research to date has examined MT in relation to Paralympic athletes. We sought to understand the lived-experiences of mentally tough Paralympians, aiming to conceptualize MT in a Paralympic context and investigate its development. Ten Paralympic athletes were interviewed using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The verbatim transcripts of the interviews served as the data for an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three broad themes and several subthemes emerged in conceptualizing Paralympian MT: characteristics (determination, defiance, pragmatic, optimistic, resilient, self-belief and independence and autonomy), cognitions (normalization, sense of escape, non-acceptance of constraints, influence perception and connection) and cognitive strategies (rational thinking, goal setting, pain management and control). In understanding MT development, two broad themes and several subthemes emerged: formative experiences (challenge, classification, setbacks, critical incident, trauma and recovery, sustained commitment, development of mind-set and perspective during challenge, failure, and acceptance), and support and coping resources (social support and significant others, external shaping, social support, overcoming problems, social comparison and reflective practice). The findings suggest that Paralympians benefited from exposure to highly demanding situations in a supportive environment and this helped develop mentally tough characteristics and behaviors and individualized cognitive coping strategies. Our findings highlight the association between the adaptive development of personal characteristics by overcoming physical and mental setbacks over a sustained time period. Overall, the findings suggest that to develop mentally tough characteristics and behaviors, athletes in general could benefit from exposure to highly demanding situations in a supportive environment