735 research outputs found
Cross-cultural comparison of motor competence in children from Australia and Belgium
Motor competence in childhood is an important determinant of physical activity and physical fitness in later life. However, childhood competence levels in many countries are lower than desired. Due to the many different motor skill instruments in use, childrenâs motor competence across countries is rarely compared. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the motor competence of children from Australia and Belgium using the Körperkoordinationstest fĂŒr Kinder (KTK). The sample consisted of 244 (43.4% boys) Belgian children and 252 (50.0% boys) Australian children, aged 6â8 years. A MANCOVA for the motor scores showed a significant country effect. Belgian children scored higher on jumping sideways, moving sideways and hopping for height but not for balancing backwards. Moreover, a Chi squared test revealed significant differences between the Belgian and Australian score distribution with 21.3% Belgian and 39.3% Australian children scoring âbelow average.â The very low levels reported by Australian children may be the result of cultural differences in physical activity contexts such as physical education and active transport. When compared to normed scores, both samples scored significantly worse than children 40 years ago. The decline in childrenâs motor competence is a global issue, largely influenced by increasing sedentary behavior and a decline in physical activity
Pictorial scale of perceived water competence (PSPWC) testing manual
The Early Years Special Interest Group have completed a technical publication, âPictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence (PSPWC) Testing Manualâ. This publication is the first to specifically focus and develop an assessment tool appropriate for young children aged 4 â 8 years old. It aims to address the following specific needs 1) to be accessible to this young age range, 2) to be suitable for children of different swimming levels, 3) cover all the aquatic fundamentals â water entry, breath control, buoyancy, balance, propulsion, immersion, water exit, gliding and vision.
The idea to develop the PSPWC started during the Early Years Special Interest Group meeting at Laramie 2016 AIESEP, which then developed into a larger group of experts in order to develop and present the assessment tool. A four year process of critical analysis, preliminary face-validity, face-validity and content validity were completed in the development of each version of the PSPWC until the final testing manual was completed. Within the testing manual all aquatic skills and test items are represented through visual methodologies of drawings by a professional illustrator. In order to engage young childrenâs interests and to keep their attention to facilitate their understanding and to obtain more meaningful responses.
The testing manual includes 3 level progressions for each situation, skill or test item, level 1 = ânot able to do the skillâ; level 2 = âskill in progressâ and level 3 = âable to do the skill. The 3 level progression was developed as the expert group considered it more appropriate to have a process orientated scale showing a childâs developmental progression. The PSPWC can be applied for use in children (measurement of their own perceived water competence), in parents (measurements of their perception of childrenâs water competence) and/or in teachers (measurement of their perception of pupilsâ / studentsâ water competence.
The testing manual is accessible to all through open access publication
An evaluation of the reliability of the pictorial scale of perceived water competence and its relationship with actual water competence
In its recent development, the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence (PSPWC) showed good face and construct validity. However, additional reliability and validity research is needed, including test-retest reliability and a demonstration of the relationship between PSPWEC test scores and actual water competence. Toward that aim, we administered the PSPWC to 124 children, aged 5â8 years. We repeated this test administration after one week for a subset of 55 children to determine its test-retest reliability, and the remaining 69 children also performed the fully aligned Actual Aquatic Skills Test (AAST) in an indoor swimming pool to provide data for our investigation of the relationship between PSPWC scores and actual water competence. We found good test-retest reliability, both at the global level (ICC = 0.81, n = 55) and at the level of individual skills (Weighted kappa coefficients from 0.58 to 0.90), with no significant differences between these two test scores. We also found a moderate positive relationship between PSPWC and AAST total scores (r = .64, n = 69), with no significant difference between total scores of actual and perceived water competencies. Children overestimated their competence in three specific skills: the back star, swimming on the front, and diving in deep water. While these results underline specific situations in which childrenâs higher self-perceptions of their water competence are a risk factor for their water safety, these data confirm that the PSPWC is reliable for measuring childrenâs perceived competencies in aquatic education and drowning prevention, and there is further support for its validity through a moderate correlation with actual water competencies
Extracting Br(omega->pi^+ pi^-) from the Time-like Pion Form-factor
We extract the G-parity-violating branching ratio Br(omega->pi^+ pi^-) from
the effective rho-omega mixing matrix element Pi_{rho omega}(s), determined
from e^+e^- -> pi^+ pi^- data. The omega->pi^+ pi^- partial width can be
determined either from the time-like pion form factor or through the constraint
that the mixed physical propagator D_{rho omega}^{mu nu}(s) possesses no poles.
The two procedures are inequivalent in practice, and we show why the first is
preferred, to find finally Br(omega->pi^+ pi^-) = 1.9 +/- 0.3%.Comment: 12 pages (published version
Screening of qubit from zero-temperature reservoir
We suggest an application of dynamical Zeno effect to isolate a qubit in the
quantum memory unit against decoherence caused by coupling with the reservoir
having zero temperature. The method is based on using an auxiliary casing
system that mediate the qubit-reservoir interaction and is simultaneously
frequently erased to ground state. This screening procedure can be implemented
in the cavity QED experiments to store the atomic and photonic qubit states.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Optimal discrimination of mixed quantum states involving inconclusive results
We propose a generalized discrimination scheme for mixed quantum states. In
the present scenario we allow for certain fixed fraction of inconclusive
results and we maximize the success rate of the quantum-state discrimination.
This protocol interpolates between the Ivanovic-Dieks-Peres scheme and the
Helstrom one. We formulate the extremal equations for the optimal positive
operator valued measure describing the discrimination device and establish a
criterion for its optimality. We also devise a numerical method for efficient
solving of these extremal equations.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur
Guidelines for the Selection of Physical Literacy Measures in Physical Education in Australia
Assessment of physical literacy poses a dilemma of what instrument to use. There is currently no guide regarding the suitability of common assessment approaches. The purpose of this brief communication is to provide a user's guide for selecting physical literacy assessment instruments appropriate for use in school physical education and sport settings. While recommendations regarding specific instruments are not provided, the guide offers information about key attributes and considerations for the use. A decision flow chart has been developed to assist teachers and affiliated school practitioners to select appropriate methods of assessing physical literacy. School PE and sport scenarios are presented to illustrate this process. It is important that practitioners are empowered to select the most appropriate instrument/s to suit their needs
Influence of a classical homogeneous gravitational field on dissipative dynamics of the Jaynes-Cummings model with phase damping
In this paper, we study the dissipative dynamics of the Jaynes-Cummings model
with phase damping in the presence of a classical homogeneous gravitational
field. The model consists of a moving two-level atom simultaneously exposed to
the gravitational field and a single-mode traveling radiation field in the
presence of the phase damping. We present a quantum treatment of the internal
and external dynamics of the atom based on an alternative su(2) dynamical
algebraic structure. By making use of the super-operator technique, we obtain
the solution of the master equation for the density operator of the quantum
system, under the Markovian approximation. Assuming that initially the
radiation field is prepared in a Glauber coherent state and the two-level atom
is in the excited state, we investigate the influence of gravity on the
temporal evolution of collapses and revivals of the atomic population
inversion, atomic dipole squeezing, atomic momentum diffusion, photon counting
statistics and quadrature squeezing of the radiation field in the presence of
phase damping.Comment: 25 pages, 15 figure
Defining Physical Literacy for Application in Australia: A Modified Delphi Method
Purpose.
The development of a physical literacy definition and standards framework suitable for implementation in Australia.
Method.
Modified Delphi methodology.
Results
. Consensus was established on four defining statements:
Core â Physical literacy is lifelong holistic learning acquired and applied in movement and physical activity contexts;
Composition â Physical literacy reflects ongoing changes integrating physical, psychological, cognitive and social capabilities;
Importance â Physical literacy is vital in helping us lead healthy and fulfilling lives through movement and physical activity;
Aspiration â A physically literate person is able to draw on their integrated physical, psychological, cognitive, and social capacities to support health promoting and fulfilling movement and physical activity, relative to their situation and context, throughout the lifespan. The standards framework addressed four learning domains (physical, psychological, cognitive, and social), spanning five learning configurations/levels.
Conclusion.
The development of a bespoke program for a new context has important implications for both existing and future program
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