Teacher and Student Roles in Freire’s Critical Pedagogy: A Qualitative Case Study

Research has indicated that many teachers and students lack the critical classroom experience where they play the roles of subjects controlling the educational process and developing knowledge together. With an emphasis on teaching instead of learning, classroom interactions are limited, and creativity and the cultivation of critical thinking skills and critical consciousness are restricted. This qualitative case study explored the instructional delivery methods in a Ghanaian university through the lens of teacher and student roles, a concept of Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy. The study purposefully selected 11 participants (eight students, two teachers, and one administrative staff) who provided substantial data and profound meaning and understanding of the phenomenon. The data analysis revealed that the concept of teacher and student roles informs the institution’s instructional delivery methods through collaborative education (through student-centered learning and group work) and adaptive teaching strategies. The findings of this study indicate that the concept of teacher and student roles develops students’ critical consciousness and ownership of knowledge

Student speed dating as a catalyst for creative idea generation in sport management programs

This article presents a novel approach to addressing the challenges of idea generation among students in higher education, particularly in the field of sport management. Based on research into student engagement and creativity, the authors suggest incorporating speed dating techniques into both in-person and online classes. Speed dating sessions, conducted in breakout rooms via platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, offer students multiple opportunities to engage in brief, structured interactions, thereby enhancing their presentation skills, idea generation, and perspectives through structured, rapid interactions. Additionally, this method encourages greater collaboration and active participation, improving the overall learning environment. This strategy not only fosters theoretical education, but also promotes self-regulated learning and academic motivation. Furthermore, speed dating encourages critical thinking, team-building, and peer evaluation skills, all essential in sport management education. By seamlessly integrating speed dating with instructor-driven tools, educators can optimize the online or hybrid class model, benefiting both instructors and students in sport management programs. Overall, the incorporation of speed dating represents a promising approach to enhancing student idea generation and creativity across diverse educational contexts, providing valuable insights and implications for future practice

The BG News February 19, 2025

The BGSU campus student newspaper. Volume 104, issue 18. February 19, 2025https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/10259/thumbnail.jp

Feel For The Water : What Is It, Really?

The phrase, \u27feel for the water,\u27 is commonly used. But what does it really mean? The traditional idea of this \u27feel\u27 focuses on the sensation of touch and use of the hands to produce propulsion. But what about water resistance? Mastering a feel for how to reduce resistance is equally important as the unique relationship between aquatic propulsion and resistance is of great importance. While being in the water, the effects of gravity and buoyancy also need to be perceived by the learner and taught by the instructor. Reflection on the effects on propulsion-resistance and gravity-buoyancy requires relevant exercises to achieve our goals whatever they might be. Different goals imply different approaches. Sometimes the aim is to reduce resistance in the water; sometimes to increase it. And why should the focus be on the hands only, while the feet are also very important? Understanding how multiple senses and body parts are involved in pursuing the aquatic teaching-learning process or ‘odyssey’ is the goal of this contribution

The BG News February 5, 2025

The BGSU campus student newspaper. Volume 104-issue 16. February 5, 2025https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/10257/thumbnail.jp

#RookieParty: The Intersections of Social Media, Hazing, and Canadian Varsity Sport

Prior to the start of the pandemic in 2020, almost two-thirds of all varsity athletes across gender and sport in Canada had engaged in a sport hazing ritual (Johnson et al., 2018). While hazing in sport has been researched from a variety of perspectives, few studies have examined hazing in the context of varsity athletes\u27 social media use. This is a potential space where Johnson (2017) suggested that technological tools such as cellphones, that provide instant access to social media, have enabled users to more easily capture and post online, potentially exacerbating the trauma inflicted on rookies during team hazing events. This qualitative study engaged semi-structured interviews to examine the intersections of hazing and social media Canadian varsity athletes. The results describe the use of social media by athletes within the context of their sport and their particular team and its relationship to their continued team hazing practices. It also offers a gender-based comparison of the ways in which athletes interpreted both formal and informal messaging they received from their athletic departments and teams about hazing and/or social media. The key determinants for the athletes\u27 use of social media in sport were using their social media platform(s) as a team-focused promotion tool, a communication tool, and a motivator for rivalry. Differences emerged as men athletes used social media for recruitment, mentorship and as a sport promotional tool. With respect to using social media for hazing communications, the women athletes were primarily concerned with protecting their teammates’ well-being and ensuring the goal of hazing on their team was centered on creating stronger bonds, while men engaged in clandestine and self-protecting social media messaging

The BG News January 22, 2025

The BGSU campus student newspaper. Volume 104-issue 14. January 22, 2025https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/10255/thumbnail.jp

The Laughing Buddha: The Education of Compassionate Leaders through Improvisational Play

With an urgency to build a generative future, educational systems do not have a choice but to pay attention to how and what we train our future leaders. Yet there is still a gap as leadership studies are often relegated as a “soft” skill, rather than integrated as technical knowledge critical to the holistic effectiveness of a tertiary education. As a result, there is often a disconnect between students immersed in the idealistic bubble of the academy and graduates navigating life outside. Inquiry- and reflective-based methods of contemplative practices may be critical for leaders to avoid short-term, short-sighted decisions that ill prepare people and communities for continuous change and upheaval. With human, more than human, and planetary health at risk, the need for wise leadership is necessary to discern the paths forward for a more generative future. Fortunately, there has been increased attention of and call for leadership rooted in compassion as a strategic approach to leadership. Research around contemplative practices, such as gratitude and mindful meditation, offer evidence that they help strengthen the capacity to lead with and for compassion. This article explores another, often overlooked, contemplative practice: improvisational play and humor. Indeed, compassion and humor have been inextricably linked across many knowledge traditions. This article examines how the applied contemplative practice of improvisational play and humor offer an untapped opportunity for institutions of higher education to close the gap between theory and practice and to fulfill its responsibility of cultivating wise leaders of tomorrow

A Pilot Study: Effects of 5-week hamstring training on Functional Movement Screen scores.

Introduction. The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) can be used by clinicians to assess movement and asymmetries in their clients. Understanding FMS composite and subtest scores can be a useful way for clinicians to monitor risk of injury. The purpose of this study was to identify if eccentric hamstring stretching and Nordic hamstring curls could improve movement, FMS scores, and active straight leg raise range of motion. Methods. Participants consisted of a convenience sample of high-school athletes. All subjects participated in the intervention, performing the FMS screen pre- and post-Nordic curls and stretching. Results. This pilot study suggests that the intervention may impact both FMS scores and active straight leg raise range of motion. Discussion. Clinicians can use this information to identify and fix these asymmetries in their athletes, minimizing risk of injury, but more research still needs to be done with larger sample sizes