Physics and society : the medical physics profession and its contribution to healthcare

Physicists have been actively involved in the development of healthcare for over a hundred years. However the medical physics profession as an organized profession is relatively young and less familiar than the other healthcare professions. Even among university and pre-university mainstream physics educators little is known about the precise responsibilities of the role. We describe and discuss the function of the profession based on a review of the literature and a document analysis of the policy statements of the European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics. We hope that in this way physics educators would be in a better position to encourage more young physicists to grasp the opportunities offered by this highly challenging and rapidly expanding profession.peer-reviewe

Physically fit or physically literate? Children with special educational needs understanding of physical education

The role of physical literacy within physical education (PE) has become a widely debated topic in recent years. Its role in educating children about physicality through embodiment, skill acquisition and reading the environment is argued to be of great benefit to children. However, whether children understand the role of PE in the development of these competencies is not clear, and this is even truer for children who have special educational needs (SEN). Drawing on qualitative phenomenological data from 30 children in key stages 2 and three (7 to 14 years of age) who have SEN, this paper explores notions of physical fitness and physical literacy as understood by children in PE lessons. It aims to gain insight into the ways that children understand the purpose of PE, and places these perceptions within a physical literacy framework, using the National Curriculum for PE (NCPE) as a foundation. Findings demonstrate that children with SEN perceive PE as a means for improving physical fitness, whereas concepts surrounding physical literacy appear to be lost. The paper concludes by making recommendations for factoring physical literacy components more forcibly into the PE curriculum, and through initial teacher training and continued professional development

School Centres for Teaching Excellence (SCTE): understanding new directions for schools and universities in Health and Physical Education

This paper critically analyzes a community collaborative approach for implementing Health and Physical Education (HPE) lessons within Gippsland primary schools (Victoria, Australia). The rural community collaborations reflected upon are embedded within the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) ‘School Centres for Teaching Excellence’ (SCTE) initiative and are timely with the current curriculum reform in Health and Physical Education. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on and share the experiential learning offered where the curriculum is relevant, engaging, contemporary, physically active, enjoyable and developmentally appropriate for all stakeholders; namely university pre-service teachers, primary school children and primary teachers. It is envisaged that through sharing the various dynamics involved in a SCTE program, educators may benefit and subsequently consider the suitability and possibility of establishing similar collaborations within their context

Civilising the natives? Liberal studies in further education revisited

This paper uses Basil Bernstein’s work on pedagogic discourses to examine a largely neglected facet of the history of vocational education – the liberal studies movement in English further education (FE) colleges. Initially, the paper discusses some of the competing conceptions of education, work and society which underpinned the rise and fall of the liberal studies movement – if indeed it can be described as such. It then draws on data from interviews with former liberal and general studies (LS/GS) lecturers to focus on the ways in which different variants of liberal studies were, over time, implicated in inculcating certain forms of knowledge in vocational learners. Whilst it is acknowledged that LS/GS always represented contested territory and that it was highly variable both in terms of content and quality, the paper argues that, at least and under certain circumstances, liberal studies provided young working-class people with the opportunity to locate their experiences of vocational learning within a critical framework which is largely absent from FE today. This, it is argued, can be conceptualised as an engagement with what Bernstein described as ‘powerful knowledge’

A comprehensive view of Brazil

Until recent years, Brazil\u27s image was associated with the exotic Amazon forest, Rio\u27s carnival, soccer, and coffee exportation. However, these simplified generalizations lend themselves to misunderstandings about Brazil, its people, and their culture. This publication is designed to give up-to-date information on modern Brazil. It was written by Albenides Ramos of Rio de Janeiro who, during the 1978-79 school year, served as a foreign curriculum consultant for the Texas Education Agency under Public Law 87-256, the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961. One of Mr. Ramos\u27 duties while at the Texas Education Agency was to develop A Comprehensive View of Brazil. The publication is intended to complement textbooks and other teaching materials and to serve as a resource for teachers, administrators, and students dealing with subjects relative to Latin America, especially studies in world history and in world geography. It also includes a suggested list of additional readings on Brazil, maps, charts, and suggestions on instructional materials for the classroom.CUO 842 04

Selected Abstracts: from The Latin American Research Consortium

CONTENIDO: Welcoming remarks / John Trapani A. B. Freeman (Tulane University, New Orleans, LA) -- Note from the Dean of the School of Business and Economic Studies at Universidad Icesi / Héctor Ochoa (Universidad Icesi, Colombia) -- Mensaje del Decano de la Facultad de Ciencias Administrativas y Económicas de la Universidad Icesi / Héctor Ochoa (Universidad Icesi, Colombia) -- Dean's presentation. An American Academic Perspective on Latin America Business Schools / Angelo Denisi (Dean, A. B. Freeman Tulane University, New Orleans, LA) -- Internationalization of Business Schools in Latin America / Maria Lorena Gutiérrez (Dean, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia) -- Internationalization of Business Schools in Latin America: Implications for Faculty and Students / Carlos Alcérreca, (Dean, ITAM, Mexico City, Mexico) -- Internationalization of Business Schools in Latin America: Implications for Faculty and Students / Irineu Gianesi (Dean, Insper, Sao Paolo, Brazil) -- Internationalization of Business Schools in Latin America: Implications for Program Development / Sonia Zurita (Program Coordinator, Espae-Espol, Guayaquil, Ecuador) -- Internationalization of Business Schools in Latin America: Implications for Program Development / Diego Cardona (Dean, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia) -- Internationalizing Management Education in Latin America / Henry Gómez (Dean, Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia) -- Selected abstracts. Retributive Justice through Decision Making / Carlos Rodeiro (IESA, Bloomington, IL) -- Developing Trust and Commitment among Non-profit companies: The Case of the Food Bank in Cali, Colombia (José Roberto Concha (Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia) -- The Balanced Model of Exercise Introduction: Persuading Young Adults to Practice a Sport Through a Balanced Pursuit of Meaningful Goals / Silvio Borrero (Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia) continuación del CONTENIDO: Achieving and Maintaining Optimal Body Weight by Savoring, not just Coping: A Preliminary Study / Germán Castellanos Ordóñez (Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia) -- Antecedents and Consequences of Social Capital for Agro-Business in Conflicted Rural Colombia / Eduardo Wills y Luz Orozco (UniAndes, Bogotá, Colombia) -- Developing Intercultural Competence in Undergraduate Students / Carlos Ramírez (Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia) -- Perception of justice as an Antecedent of Consumers, Attitudes and Purchases Behaviors / Ana María Arboleda (Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia) -- Financial Performance and Ownership Structure in Mexican Public Companies / Luis Eugenio de Gárate Pérez, Diana María Bustani García y Leticia Morales (EGADE, Monterrey, Mexico) -- Cross-Country Diversification through M&A Transactions in Emerging Markets: Evidence in America Latina / Eduardo Pablo (IESA, Caracas, Venezuela) -- Dividend Policy and Ownership Structure in Latin America / Maximiliano González (UniAndes, Bogotá, Colombia), Carlos Molina y Eduardo Pablo (IESA, Caracas, Venezuela) -- Momentum and Size Effects in the Colombian Stock Market / Luis Preciado Berggrun, Oliver Rausch (Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia) -- A re-evaluation of the Impact of Financial Development on Economic Growth and its Sources by Region / Marcelo Dabos (Belgrano), Tomas Williams -- Annexes. Program of the Latin American Research Consortium and Dean's Workshop 2010

Selected Abstracts: from The Latin American Research Consortium

Welcoming Remarks / John Trapani A. B. Freeman (Tulane University, New Orleans, LA) -- Note from the Dean of the School of Business and Economic Studies at Icesi University / Héctor Ochoa (ICESI, Colombia) -- Mensaje del decano de la Facultad de Ciencias Administrativas y Económicas de la Universidad Icesi / Héctor Ochoa (ICESI, Colombia) – Article. Deans Workshop: Leveraging Technology for Distance Learning at ITESM / Antonio J. Dieck-Assad (ITESM, México) -- Selected abstracts. Educational Innovation: The IESA San Bernardino Project Henry Gómez (IESA, Venezuela) -- Business Engineering at ITAM: A Joint Venture of the Business School with the Division of Engineering / C arlos Alcérreca J. (ITAM, México) -- Team Learning and Regulation: evidence from an aviation disaster / Michael J. Burke & Wendy S. Becker (Tulane University, SUNY at Albany) -- Strong Social Ties, Culture, and Employment Practices in Mexico / Anabella Dávila & Jorge M. Rocha (ITESM, México) -- Cross-Border Shopping: Family Narratives / Raquel Castaño, María Eugenia Pérez & Claudia Quintanilla (ITESM, México) -- Impact of Country of Origin Effects on Consumer Purchase Decisions / José Roberto Concha Velásquez, Esteban Gómez & Paola Valencia (ICESI, Colombia) -- Mutual Fund Performance in México / Miguel Moreno Tripp (ITESM, México) -- Impact of Futures Contracts on Volatility of IPC Stock Index: The Case of México /María Concepción del Alto Hernández (ITESM, México) -- The Information Content of Earnings, Cash-Flow and Earnings Management: An Empirical Analysis for Mexican Companies / Luis H. Santacruz Medina (ITESM, México) -- Drawing a New Geopolitical Map for the World / Flory Anetttte Dieck-Assad (ITESM, México) --Family ties, do they matter? Family Ownership and Firm Performance in Perú / Samuel Mongrut (ITESM, México), Julián Benavides & Mónica González (ICESI, Colombia) -- Annexes. Program of the 8th Latin american Research Consortium (ITESM, Mexico)

Investigating teacher learning supports in high school biology curricular programs to inform the design of educative curriculum materials

Reform efforts have emphasized the need to support teachers' learning about reform-oriented practices. Educative curriculum materials are one potential vehicle for promoting teacher learning about these practices. Educative curriculum materials include supports that are intended to promote both student and teacher learning. However, little is known about the extent to which existing curriculum materials provide support for teachers and the ways they can be improved. In this study, eight sets of high school biology curriculum materials were reviewed to determine their potential for promoting teacher learning. Design heuristics for educative curriculum materials were adapted for use as evaluation criteria. From this analysis, several themes emerged. First, the materials tended to provide support for teachers' subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge for students' ideas (e.g., misconceptions) but rarely for their pedagogical content knowledge of scientific inquiry. Second, the materials contained several implementation guidance supports but far fewer rationales for instructional decisions, which are an important feature of educative curriculum materials. Finally, the quality of support varied widely, differing in its degree of relevance, pedagogical helpfulness, and depth. The article concludes with recommendations for the redesign of existing curriculum materials. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 46: 977–998, 2009Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64326/1/20293_ftp.pd

Trilingual education in Hong Kong primary schools: an overview

Hong Kong is linguistically complex and diverse with three principal languages: Cantonese, English and Putonghua. A substantial debate on the language policies governing the three principal languages has continued for more than two decades among policy-makers and educators. The political transition in 1997 has greatly affected Hong Kong society, including language education. Since then, the HKSAR government has made a series of language policy reforms trying to create a reasonable balance among the three languages in Hong Kong. The policies of ‘biliteracy and trilingualism’ and ‘mother-tongue teaching’ are two of the most significant in terms of controversy and impact. They are now guiding the curriculum design in Hong Kong language education. The goal of the former policy is to train Hong Kong people to be truly biliterate (written English and Chinese) and trilingual (spoken English, Cantonese and Putonghua). However, Hong Kong primary schools presently do not have an agreed method for the implementation of trilingual education. After a comprehensive historical review of the development of language education in Hong Kong schools, this study aims to find out how the ‘biliterate’ and ‘trilingual’ language policy is currently implemented in Hong Kong primary schools. 155 Hong Kong primary schools participated in a questionnaire survey on how trilingual education is implemented in the schools. The findings suggest that the implementation of trilingual education varied significantly from school to school, and the effectiveness of the trilingual education models varied as well. It is hoped that the findings will help us to gain a better understanding of trilingual education in Hong Kong, and the study could lead to some insightful and theoretical contributions to multilingual education in general.Full Tex