Physical and sport education testing by quantitative and qualitative tools in assessment in senior school: A proposal

What is commonly referred to as evaluation is the result of two operations, the first of which is represented by the measurement/ evaluation and the other by the assessment. The assessment is a milestone in the teaching-learning process both for the teacher who, thanks to objectives tests, can assess the student’s performance, and for the pupils who, through the data collected by the teacher can achieve a self-assessment of the developed competences and so stimulate the learning process. This study, carried out in lower junior secondary school, points out the improvements obtained by 20 students through quantitative tests in the first term; during the summative evaluation of the first term, the students were submitted to a questionnaire that enables them to self evaluate and assess the importance of the objective tests used by the teacher. The goal is to highlight the importance of self-assessment in the teaching-learning process also as a motivation instrument for the learner. Specifically, the aim of this study is to search a testing model for physical and sport education in senior school students and to verify the relation between quantitative and qualitative aspects for themselves. Method is experimental according to case study theory. The results show improvements in quantitative variables, while the self-perception questionnaire showed that 73% of the students feel more motivated in performing physical activities knowing they are subjected to quantitative tests. In conclusion, the assessment is a milestone in the teaching-learning process as it allows you to analyze the initial situation, check and re-orient the educational choices, make a summative evaluation of the school year

Colony size-frequency distributions among different populations of the scleractinan coral Siderastrea stellata in Southwestern Atlantic: implications for life history patterns

Colony size-frequency distributions of reef corals may be used to infer growth potential and population responses upon environmental changes. The present paper compares the size structure of colonies of Siderastrea stellata Verrill, 1868,among 11 sites, six of them distributed along a gradient of sediment deposition in Abrolhos, Bahia, Brazil (18º S). Results indicated that the population structure is likely to be influenced by local conditions, rather than large scale factors, such as latitude. The 11 distributions, however, showed higher frequencies of small size classes. Class 1 (up to 2.5 cm diameter) was always present and the frequency of colonies from size class 3 (10 cm diameter) tended to decrease in all sites. Comparison among the six Abrolhos sites showed that S. stellata has advantages at sites with intermediate sedimentation, where colonies attain larger sizes, probably, reflecting a higher survivorship over time. The present study showed that, despite the influence of environmental conditions on parameters of the populations such as size of colony, the life history strategy of S. stellata reflects a local adaptation that allows its development and survivorship in shallow waters and horizontal substrates, sites characterized by high mortality rates.<br>Distribuições de freqüências de classes de tamanho de colônias de corais recifais, associadas a dados de fecundidade e crescimento, podem ser utilizadas para inferir o potencial de crescimento e respostas da população frente às variações ambientais. Apresentamos análise da estrutura de tamanho de colônias do coral Siderastrea stellata Verrill, 1868, em 11 locais, seis desses distribuídos ao longo de um gradiente de sedimentação em Abrolhos, Bahia, Brasil (18ºS). Os resultados demonstraram ausência de um padrão latitudinal, indicando maior influência de fatores locais. Em Abrolhos, locais com taxas de deposição de sedimento intermediárias apresentaram os maiores coeficientes de variação e tamanhos médios, indicando condições mais propícias para o desenvolvimento de populações desse coral na região. As 11 distribuições, porém, apresentaram maior freqüência de classes pequenas. A classe 1 (colônias com diâmetro médio de até 2,5cm) ocorreu em todos os locais. A partir da classe 3 (10 cm em diâmetro) as freqüências diminuíram consideravelmente. Esses dados, associados ao fato da espécie se reproduzir cedo e incubar larva, refletem uma estratégia de sobrevivência, em águas rasas e substratos horizontais, caracterizada por alta taxa de mortalidade e tempo de vida curto