COMPETITIVENESS IN THE LIGHT OF SPORTS HABITS

Munkám során arra voltam kíváncsi, hogy régiónk lakosainak fittségi állapota hogyan viszonyul a magyarországi átlagos értékhez, illetve egy másik, kulturális és történelmi hagyományait tekintve eltérő hazai régióhoz. Annak megértése érdekében, hogy ezen fittségi állapot milyen okok miatt alakul ki, illetve annak milyen felnőtt és időskori következményei lesznek az adott populáció sportolási szokásainak szempontjából, kérdőíves felmérésekben vizsgáltam az Észak-alföldi régió lakosainak ilyen irányú szokásait. Arra kerestem választ, hogy melyek azok a tényezők, amik a sportolás iránti igényt meghatározzák, illetve melyek azok a visszatartó okok, amelyek miatt egyesek keveset, vagy egyáltalán nem sportolnak. Munkám további részében, annak felderítésére, hogy a fiatalkori szervezett sportolás milyen infrastrukturális és anyagi támogatottsággal rendelkezik, Magyarország sportiskolai rendszerét vizsgáltam. Megállapítottam, hogy a fiatalok egészségmagatartásának fejlesztése egyrészt elengedhetetlen a jövő egészséges generációjának felneveléséhez, másrészt, hogy ennek szükséges az országos méretű intézményi kereteit kialakítani.During my research work, I wanted to learn how the fitness status of the inhabitants of the region I live in correlates with the average Hungarian values and also with those of another Hungarian region which is different in terms of cultural and historical traditions. In order to understand the causes of the given fitness status, as well as the resulting consequences in adult and old age from the aspect of the sports habits of the given population, I carried out questionnaire surveys focusing on the respective habits of the inhabitants of the North Great Plain region. I was looking for the factors which determine people’s need to do sports and also the causes which keep certain people from doing enough or any sports. In the rest of my work, I examined the sports school system of Hungary in order to explore the infrastructural and financial background of organised sports at young age. I concluded that the development of the health behaviour of youngsters is indispensable from the aspect of raising a healthy future generation and that it is needed to develop the necessary country-wide institutional framework.d

Perceived Social Support Network and Achievement : Mediation by Motivational Beliefs and Moderation by Gender

Research has shown that perceived social support (PSS) (from parents and teachers) influences achievement. However, little is known about how this relationship operates. This study examines the multiple mediational effects of students’ motivational beliefs in relationship to the association between PSS and mathematics achievement. The sample included the African countries that participated in the TIMSS 2011 (Ghana, Botswana, South Africa, Morocco, and Tunisia). A bootstrap analysis indicated a unique pattern of the role of motivational beliefs in mediating the relationships between PSS and achievement. Moreover, gender was found to moderate the indirect effect in some countries. The findings indicate that total mediation effect of students’ motivational belief on the relationship between PSS and achievement is “culture-fair but not culture-free”Research has shown that perceived social support (PSS) (from parents and teachers) influences achievement. However, little is known about how this relationship operates. This study examines the multiple mediational effects of students’ motivational beliefs in relationship to the association between PSS and mathematics achievement. The sample included the African countries that participated in the TIMSS 2011 (Ghana, Botswana, South Africa, Morocco, and Tunisia). A bootstrap analysis indicated a unique pattern of the role of motivational beliefs in mediating the relationships between PSS and achievement. Moreover, gender was found to moderate the indirect effect in some countries. The findings indicate that total mediation effect of students’ motivational belief on the relationship between PSS and achievement is “culture-fair but not culture-free”.Peer reviewe

Australian and US preservice teachers\u27 perceptions of the gender stereotyping of mathematics

Historically mathematics was considered a pursuit more suited to males than females. Using a new instrument, contemporary high school students\u27 beliefs about the gender stereotyping of mathematics have been measured and an apparent change in beliefs reported. The same instrument was administered to preservice teachers in Australia and the USA. These countries share common social and cultural characteristics and both were active in addressing identified female disadvantage in mathematics education outcomes. The preservice teachers were asked to respond to the survey items as they believed high school students would answer. The Australian and US preservice teachers\u27 responses were compared. The results are reported and discussed in this paper.<br /

Computers for secondary mathematics: who uses them and how?

In the first stage of a three year ARC-funded study in which the effects of using computers for the teaching and learning of mathematics are being explored, a questionnaire has been developed and is being administered to a large number of students in grades 7-10 in a representative sample of co-educational post-primary schools in Victoria. Using open and closed response formats, the information sought includes: background and biographical details; data on computer ownership and use =96 frequency and mode/s =96 for mathematics learning at home and in mathematics classes; and beliefs about mathematics and the use of computers for learning mathematics. In this paper, the focus will be on some of the preliminary findings related to ownership and use of computers for learning mathematics at home and at school. In previous research, factors such as gender, socio-economic background, and ethnicity have been identified as contributors to inequitable mathematics learning outcomes. The questionnaire data will be analysed to examine if these and other factors are related to any inequities identified in student\u27s access to computers and in how they use computers in their learning of mathematics. The results will be presented and pertinent implications discussed.<br /

Matemáticas, ordenadores en matemáticas y género: percepciones públicas en contexto

In Australia, national tests of mathematics achievement continue show-ing small but consistent gender differences in favor of boys. Societal views and pressures are among the factors invoked to explain such subtle but persistent differences. In this paper we focus directly on the beliefs of the general public about students’ learning of mathematics and the role played by computers, and then we compare the findings with data previously gathered from students. Although many considered it inappropriate to differentiate between boys and girls, gender based stereotyping was still evident.En Australia, los test nacionales del logro matemático continúan mos-trando pequeñas pero consistentes diferencias de género en favor de los chicos. Las presiones y visiones sociales están entre los factores invocados para explicar tales diferencias sutiles pero persistentes. En este trabajo nos centramos directamente en las creencias del público en general acerca del aprendizaje matemático de los estudiantes y del papel desempeñado por los ordenadores, y después comparamos las conclusiones con datos previamente obtenidos de los estudiantes. Aunque muchos consideran inapropiado diferenciar entre niños y niñas, todavía son evidentes estereotipos basados en el género

Mathematics, Computers in Mathematics, and Gender: Public Perceptions in Context (Matemáticas, Ordenadores en Matemáticas y Género: Percepciones Públicas en Contexto)

In Australia, national tests of mathematics achievement continue showing small but consistent gender differences in favor of boys. Societal views and pressures are among the factors invoked to explain such subtle but persistent differences. In this paper we focus directly on the beliefs of the general public about students’ learning of mathematics and the role played by computers, and then we compare the findings with data previously gathered from students. Although many considered it inappropriate to differentiate between boys and girls, gender based stereotyping was still evident. En Australia, los test nacionales del logro matemático continúan mostrando pequeñas pero consistentes diferencias de género en favor de los chicos. Las presiones y visiones sociales están entre los factores invocados para explicar tales diferencias sutiles pero persistentes. En este trabajo nos centramos directamente en las creencias del público en general acerca del aprendizaje matemático de los estudiantes y del papel desempeñado por los ordenadores, y después comparamos las conclusiones con datos previamente obtenidos de los estudiantes. Aunque muchos consideran inapropiado diferenciar entre niños y niñas, todavía son evidentes estereotipos basados en el género