NIE Data Repository (National Institute of Education)
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Related Data for: The role of peer feedback on the quality of students’ computer-supported collaborative argumentation
No full textThe importance of peer feedback in collaborative argumentation has been well-established. However, little is known about the extent to which peer feedback is associated with the quality of collaborative argumentation. Particularly, there is limited evidence for how specific types of feedback is related to argumentation quality. This study investigated peer feedback against four dimensions of collaborative argumentation quality (clarity, multiple perspectives, selection of evidence, and elaboration and depth). Collaborative argumentation quality was also compared against peer feedback types (appropriateness, specificity, and elaboration). In this design-based research (DBR), a class of 40 secondary Grade Three students in Singapore participated in three cycles of argumentation and peer feedback activities using the AppleTree online learning environment, each cycle consisting of five collaborative learning phases scripted by the Spiral Model of Collaborative Knowledge Improvement (SMCKI): Individual ideation, group synergy, peer critique, group refinement, and individual achievement. Scaffolds of sentence openers and reflections were added in Cycles 2 and 3. Quantitative analyses comparisons of argumentation and per feedback quality across three cycles revealed that except for the multiple perspectives dimension of argumentation quality, students performed significantly better in forming their argumentations and giving peer feedback. Additionally, the quality of argumentation improved significantly over the three cycles when accounting for peer feedback types as correlates, and vice versa
Related Data for: LED quality impacts on plant growth and photosynthetic light use efficiency of halophyte vegetable Mesembryanthemum crystallinum grown under two saline conditions
No full textThere is very little study on the effects of LED quality on Mesembryanthemum crystallinum grown under different salinities. In this study, M. crystallinum was grown under red/blue (R/B) LED ratios of 0.9, 1.6. 2.0 and 2.8 with 100 and 500 mM NaCl and exposed to the same level of photosynthetic photon flux density, PPFD (290 µmol m‑2 s‑1, 12 h photoperiod). Fourteen days after transplanting, plants with 100 mM NaCl had significantly higher values of growth parameters including shoot and root fresh weight, total leaf area and specific leaf area than with 500 mM NaCl. Grown with 100 mM NaCl under R/B 0.9, M. crystallinum had significantly lower shoot FW and total leaf area than under other R/B ratios. However, LED quality did not seem to affect the growth parameters of M. crystallinum grown with 500 mM NaCl. All plants had similar higher leaf succulence and water content but lower leaf dry matter content with 100 mM NaCl than with 500 mM NaCl. Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) acidity of plants grown with 500 mM NaCl was about 4-fold higher than with 100 mM NaCl, indicating induction and stimulation of CAM photosynthesis. Chlorophyll fluorescence Fv/Fm ratios were greater than 0.8 for all plants, suggesting that maximum efficiency of PSII was unaffected by LED quality and salinity. M. crystallinum grown with 500 mM NaCl had lower electron transport rate, ETR but higher non-photochemical quenching, NPQ than with 100 mM NaCl, implying that photosynthetic light use efficiency was affected when switching C3 to CAM photosynthesis under high salt stress. M. crystallinum grown with100 mM NaCl had higher photochemical quenching, qP and ETR under R/B 0.9 than under R/B 2.8 and all plants with 500 mM NaCl. In conclusion, LED quality had different impacts on photosynthetic light-use efficiency of M. crystallinum grown under different salinities and thus resulting in different growth and productivity
Related Data for: Do girls read differently from boys? Adolescents and their gendered reading habits and preferences
No full textResearch on the gendered reading habits and preferences of boys and girls presents them as very different. This study focuses on the gendered reading habits and preferences of Singapore adolescent students (aged 12 to 17) to examine if such polarity exists in their reading habits. Drawing on survey data from 4830 adolescents in five secondary schools, the findings show that, while more girls enjoyed reading compared to boys, both boys and girls preferred to read for pleasure. Although there are some gendered differences in reading preferences, adolescents’ preferred reading materials differ less than often portrayed, with convergence in areas such as Adventure and Science Fiction and Fantasy. In the area of reading and technology, the findings suggest that girls read more online, reflecting their tendency to read more in print. More complex understanding of contemporary adolescent reading will allow educators, librarians and parents to better address adolescent reading needs
Related Data for: National survey of literature teachers’ beliefs and practices
No full textThe purpose of the survey was to provide a contextual picture of the beliefs Literature teachers hold about the key objectives of teaching Literature and the desired attributes of the ideal Literature student as well as their practices involving the texts selected for teaching, the instructional strategies employed and how they engage students with values.
The survey was divided into 5 sections comprising 31 questions in total:
I. Objectives of Teaching Literature
II. Selection of Literary Texts
III. Instructional Strategies Employed by Literature Teachers
IV. Cultivating Values through Teaching Literature
V. Survey Demographic</p
Related Data for: Single-leg squat postural sway reliability: How many trials to analyze for chronic low back pain?
No full textWhen examining postural sway measures of single-leg squat (SLS), there is a lack of consensus on how many trials are required to obtain reliable and clinically relevant data. Forty adults with chronic low back pain performed five consecutive trials of SLS for each side on a portable force plate. The left and right sides were categorized into problem and non-problem sides by Clinical Pilates assessment. SLS performance was characterized by terminal knee flexion angle, squat duration, peak vertical force and postural sway parameters. Data across five trials were first examined with repeated measures analysis of variance; variables with significant differences were further analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Using all trials as a reference, the reliability of other trial combinations was assessed to examine the potential effects of learning (2-5 squats, 3-5 squats, 4-5 squats), fatigue (1-2 squats, 1-3 squats, 1-4 squats) and steady-state (2-4 squats). For the non-problem side, postural sway measures were highly reliable (ICC ≥ 0.9) regardless of the number of trials analyzed. For the problem side, analyzing the 1-4 squats combination offered consistently reliable results across all postural measures (ICC ≥ 0.72). Thus, it is recommended to analyze the first four consecutive trials to obtain reliable postural sway measures
Related Data for: Inter-unit consistency and validity of 10-Hz GNSS units in straight-line sprint running
No full textThe present study aimed to investigate the inter-unit consistency and validity of multiple 10-Hz Catapult Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) units in measuring straight-line sprint distances and speeds. A total of 13 participants performed one 45.72-m linear sprint at maximum effort while wearing all eight GNSS units at once. Total run distance and peak speed recorded using GNSS units during the sprint duration were extracted for analysis. Sprint time and peak speed were also obtained from video recordings as reference values. Inter-unit consistency was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and standard errors of measurements (SEM). For a validity test, one-sample t-tests were performed to compare each GNSS unit’s distance with the known distance. Additionally, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed to compare each unit’s peak speed with the reference peak speed measured using video analysis. Results showed poor inter-unit consistency for both distance (ICC = 0.131; SEM = 8.8 m) and speed (ICC = 0.323; SEM 1.3 m/s) measurements. For validity, most units recorded a total distance (44.50 m to 52.69 m) greater than the known distance of 45.72 m and a lower peak speed (7.25 (0.51) m/s) than the video-based reference values (7.78 (0.90) m/s). The present findings demonstrate that there exist variations in distance and speed measurements among different units of the same GNSS system during straight-line sprint running. Practitioners should be aware of the window of errors associated with GNSS measurements and interpret the results with caution. When making comparisons over a season, players should wear the same unit every time if logistically possible
Related Data for: Smaller biceps femoris aponeurosis size in legs with a history of hamstring strain injury
No full textBiceps femoris long head (BFLH) aponeurosis size was compared between legs with and without prior hamstring strain injury (HSI) using within-group (injured vs. uninjured legs of previous unilateral HSI athletes) and between-group (previously injured legs of HSI athletes vs. legs of No prior HSI athletes) approaches. Currently healthy competitive male athletes with Prior HSI history (n=23; ≥1 verified BFLH injury; including a sub-group with unilateral HSI history; most recent HSI 1.6 ± 1.2 years ago) and pair-matched athletes with No prior HSI history (n=23) were MRI scanned. Anonymised axial images were manually segmented to quantify BFLH aponeurosis and muscle size. Prior unilateral HSI athletes’ BFLH aponeurosis maximum width, aponeurosis area, and aponeurosis:muscle area ratio was 14.0-19.6% smaller in previously injured vs. contralateral uninjured legs (paired t-test, 0.008≤p≤0.044). BFLH aponeurosis maximum width and area were also 9.4-16.5% smaller in previously injured legs (n=28) from prior HSI athletes vs. legs (n=46) of No prior HSI athletes (unpaired t-test, 0.001≤p≤0.044). BFLH aponeurosis size was smaller in legs with Prior HSI vs. those without prior HSI. These findings suggest BFLH aponeurosis size, especially maximum width, could be a potential cause or consequence of HSI, with prospective evidence needed to support or refute these possibilities
Related Data for: Hamstrings hypertrophy is specific to the training exercise: Nordic hamstring versus lengthened state eccentric training
No full textIntroduction
The hamstring muscles play a crucial role in sprint running, but are also highly susceptible to strain injuries, particularly within the biceps femoris long head (BFlh). This study compared the adaptations in muscle size and strength of the knee flexors, as well as BFlh muscle and aponeurosis size, after two eccentrically focused knee flexion training regimes: Nordic hamstring training (NHT) or lengthened state eccentric training (LSET, isoinertial weight-stack resistance in an accentuated hip-flexed position), to habitual activity (no training controls: CON).
Methods
42 healthy young males completed 34 sessions of NHT or LSET over 12 weeks or served as CON (n = 14/group). MRI-measured muscle volume of seven individual knee flexors and BFlh aponeurosis area, and maximum knee flexion torque during eccentric, concentric and isometric contractions were assessed pre- and post-training.
Results
LSET induced greater increases in hamstrings (+18% vs +11%) and BFlh (+19% vs +5%) muscle volumes and BFlh aponeurosis area (+9% vs +3%) than NHT (all P ≤ 0.001), with no changes after CON. There were distinctly different patterns of hypertrophy between the two training regimes, largely due to the functional role of the muscles; LSET was more effective for increasing the size of knee flexors that also extend the hip (2.2-fold vs NHT), whereas NHT increased the size of knee flexors that do not extend the hip (1.9-fold vs LSET; both P ≤ 0.001). Changes in maximum eccentric torque differed only between LSET and CON (+17% vs +4%; P = 0.009), with NHT (+11%) in-between.
Conclusions
These results suggest that LSET is superior to NHT in inducing overall hamstrings and BFlh hypertrophy, potentially contributing to better sprint performance improvements and protection against hamstring strain injuries than NHT.</p
Related Data for: Principals and teachers' perspectives of their school libraries and implications for school library policy
No full textResearch has demonstrated that school librarians can make a meaningful contribution to student reading proficiency, learning and academic achievement. This study examines the perspectives of school leaders and teachers in Singapore schools to better understand how they use their school library, their attitudes toward the library collection and environment, and their perception of their library coordinators’ roles. Findings suggest that school leaders and teachers under-utilize the library, perceive it to be mainly a study space for students, feel that the library space and book collection should be improved and were not clear about the roles of their library staff. The study suggests that it is crucial to implement policy and professional development courses to support collaboration between principals, teachers and school librarians
Related Data for: Non-symbolic ratio reasoning in kindergarteners: Underlying unidimensional heuristics and relations with math abilities
No full textAlthough it is thought that young children focus on the magnitude of the target
dimension across ratio sets during binary comparison of ratios, it is unknown whether
this is the default approach to ratio reasoning, or if such approach varies across
representation formats (discrete entities and continuous amounts) that naturally afford
different opportunities to process the dimensions in each ratio set. In the current study,
132 kindergarteners (Mage D 68 months, SD D 3.5, range D 62–75 months) performed
binary comparisons of ratios with discrete and continuous representations. Results
from a linear mixed model revealed that children followed an additive strategy to ratio
reasoning—i.e., they focused on the magnitude of the target dimension across ratio
sets as well as on the absolute magnitude of the ratio set. This approach did not
vary substantially across representation formats. Results also showed an association
between ratio reasoning and children’s math problem-solving abilities; children with
better math abilities performed better on ratio reasoning tasks and processed additional
dimensions across ratio sets. Findings are discussed in terms of the processes that
underlie ratio reasoning and add to the extant debate on whether true ratio reasoning is
observed in young children