Formative Assessment in Physical Education: An analysis of teaching and mentoring in preservice training practice

This study investigates the prevalence and quality of formative assessment in Physical Education pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) teaching lessons. Moreover, we draw attention to how mentor teachers emphasise formative assessment in mentoring sessions. Data collection was conducted during the PSTs’ field practice. A multi-case design was chosen and the study included 15 PSTs and 4 mentors. The PSTs were in their second year (fourth semester) of the ITE-program. The participants were in four different groups (School 1, 2, 3 and 4) each consisting of three/four PSTs and one mentor. Results revealed brief instances of formative assessment in PSTs’ teaching and in mentors’ comments during mentoring sessions. The findings indicated PSTs’ limited capability to identify critical elements in an exercise, and partly a lack of ability to differentiate their teaching. Furthermore, we found little evidence of feedback loops between PSTs and students that stimulated learning, and/or promoted students’ understanding and participation. The mentoring sessions had a strong focus on organising the lessons and effective time utilisation. There were no discussions of how the PSTs could maximise students’ engagement for learning. A possible explanation for the PSTs’ modest use of formative assessment may be that campus teaching has failed to introduce the topic in a proper way. Moreover, there appears to be a need to strengthen cooperation between campus and partner schools to stimulate the importance of formative assessment.publishedVersio

Formative Assessment in Physical Education: An analysis of teaching and mentoring in preservice training practice

This study investigates the prevalence and quality of formative assessment in Physical Education pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) teaching lessons. Moreover, we draw attention to how mentor teachers emphasise formative assessment in mentoring sessions. Data collection was conducted during the PSTs’ field practice. A multi-case design was chosen and the study included 15 PSTs and 4 mentors. The PSTs were in their second year (fourth semester) of the ITE-program. The participants were in four different groups (School 1, 2, 3 and 4) each consisting of three/four PSTs and one mentor. Results revealed brief instances of formative assessment in PSTs’ teaching and in mentors’ comments during mentoring sessions. The findings indicated PSTs’ limited capability to identify critical elements in an exercise, and partly a lack of ability to differentiate their teaching. Furthermore, we found little evidence of feedback loops between PSTs and students that stimulated learning, and/or promoted students’ understanding and participation. The mentoring sessions had a strong focus on organising the lessons and effective time utilisation. There were no discussions of how the PSTs could maximise students’ engagement for learning. A possible explanation for the PSTs’ modest use of formative assessment may be that campus teaching has failed to introduce the topic in a proper way. Moreover, there appears to be a need to strengthen cooperation between campus and partner schools to stimulate the importance of formative assessment.publishedVersio

Shared Mental Models: National Representative Coaches’ Thinking on Importance, Characteristics, and Development

The aims of the study were to explore how national representative handball coaches reflect on the cognitive properties of the team and how these attributes are developed through team practice. A theoretical (shared mental models) thematic analysis was conducted, and five coaches with extensive experience from the national team and elite clubs participated. The data were analyzed with regard to three overarching topics: importance, characteristics, and development of shared mental models. The interviews revealed that measures intended to influence a shared mental model permeate team practice and underpin the assumption of opponent-specific shared mental models. Alignment between briefings and debriefings as well as field practice were emphasized and used to enhance a shared mental model and understood as measures that facilitate pattern recognition and primed decisions. Single-loop as well as double-loop learning were identified as coaching initiatives to promote the development of shared mental models. Systematic practice with the goal of promoting coordination through repetition of the coordinative patterns in critical game situations was emphasized. Implicit communication is a characteristic of teams sharing a mental model, and distinct proactive bodily movements were emphasized as a crucial requirement for coordination. A model was elaborated to show how the categories can be understood in the cyclic relation between matches and the development of shared mental models.publishedVersio

Shared Mental Models: National Representative Coaches’ Thinking on Importance, Characteristics, and Development

The aims of the study were to explore how national representative handball coaches reflect on the cognitive properties of the team and how these attributes are developed through team practice. A theoretical (shared mental models) thematic analysis was conducted, and five coaches with extensive experience from the national team and elite clubs participated. The data were analyzed with regard to three overarching topics: importance, characteristics, and development of shared mental models. The interviews revealed that measures intended to influence a shared mental model permeate team practice and underpin the assumption of opponent-specific shared mental models. Alignment between briefings and debriefings as well as field practice were emphasized and used to enhance a shared mental model and understood as measures that facilitate pattern recognition and primed decisions. Single-loop as well as double-loop learning were identified as coaching initiatives to promote the development of shared mental models. Systematic practice with the goal of promoting coordination through repetition of the coordinative patterns in critical game situations was emphasized. Implicit communication is a characteristic of teams sharing a mental model, and distinct proactive bodily movements were emphasized as a crucial requirement for coordination. A model was elaborated to show how the categories can be understood in the cyclic relation between matches and the development of shared mental models.publishedVersio

Mental toughness in elite and sub-elite female soccer players

Mental toughness (MT) is seen as an important psychological factor in the athletic success of elite athletes. Research on the subject has usually concerned male athletes. Our purpose was to investigate whether there are differences in mental toughness between female players who compete in an elite league and those who play at lower levels. In total, 298 female soccer players (M = 20.7 years, SD = 3.7 years) from three levels of Norwegian soccer responded to the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire. The MT Constancy subscale was removed from analysis due to an unacceptable Cronbach alpha (0.57). The results revealed that elite league players had significantly higher MT Global scores than those in lower leagues. The elite players had higher scores than the third league players on the MT Confidence subscale. For MT Control, the elite league players had a significantly higher score than the second league players, but the elite players did not differ significantly from the third league players on this subscale. These results partially confirm a relationship between mental toughness and playing level among female soccer players.publishedVersio

Self-reported playing time and justice as predictors of coach satisfaction : An analysis of elite ice-hockey and handball players

Intrateam competition for specific roles and playing time is a continuous imperative process in elite sport teams. The assessment of this competition is done by the coach and the outcome of this process has a significant impact on the team and the players. The following hypothesis was put forward for testing: Self-reported playing time and perceptions of justice among elite ice-hockey and handball players predict their satisfaction with the coach. Elite ice-hockey and handball players (N = 231) reported playing time and completed the Perceived Justice and Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses show that self-reported playing time, distributive justice, and procedural justice explains 41% to 45% of the variance in the dependent variable of satisfaction with a coach, thereby confirming the hypothesis. Self-reported playing time does not explain as much as the justice variables. The results complement earlier research showing that training and instructions as well as positive feedback were strong determinants of satisfaction with leadership. In an elite team setting perceived justice emerges as an important predictor coach satisfaction and the management of intrateam positional competition is therefore an important leadership task to consider. Moreover, coaches allocating limited resources among players should reflect on the justice criteria these decisions are based on if satisfaction with the coach is at stake.publishedVersio

The Role of Perceived Competence in Determining Teacher Support in Upper Secondary School Physical Education

Physical education remains one of the most liked school subjects, irrespective of grade level or geography. Nevertheless, sections of the student body dislike the subject immensely and even more think it should be organized differently. Students who are less competent have long claimed that physical education teachers and the curriculum favor the competent. Despite clear refusals of any conscious favoritism from the teachers, perceived competence is one of the premier predictors of students liking and being motivated to participate in the subject, the other being participation in organized sport. The purpose of this study was therefore to refute or confirm the veracity of the aforementioned claims through an investigation of the relationship between perceived competence and teacher-dependent support in upper secondary school physical education. One thousand one hundred thirty-three upper secondary school students (Mage = 17.2, SD = 0.86) from Norway (n = 554) and Iceland (n = 579) participated in a cross-sectional survey. Four teacher-dependent support variables were measured via self-reporting: perceived competence support, perceived relatedness support, perceived autonomy support, and perceived teacher learning support. To simplify comparison between groups, we divided the sample into three units: highly competent students, moderately competent students, and less competent students. A one-way multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), with gender as a covariate, found indications of biased teacher behavior, thus supporting the aforementioned accusations. Even though some discrepancies may exist between the reported and actual support levels, students respond and react in accordance with their perceptions, which is why their perceptions are of concern. These findings are incongruent with the aims of the subject and indicate that modified practices are needed if a more equal learning environment for all students is desired. To reverse the current trend, we provide three measures that we believe can reduce the aforementioned discrepancy. First, PE teachers must become more aware of their own biases, recognizing their tendency to treat the competent more favorably. Second, challenges related to the students who show less appreciation for the subject should become more prominent in physical education teacher education. Finally, the advantage of those who participate in leisuretime sporting activities, over those who do not, should be reduced through a reevaluation of the current curricular implementation.acceptedVersio

Modellering av fordeling, vekst og overlevelse av fisk i Barentshavet

Ved hjelp av modeller for strøm, temperatur, plankton og fisk i Barentshavet skal fiskenes fordeling, vekst og overlevelse beregnes fra biologiske (evolusjonære, økologiske) og fysiske drivkrefter. Målet er å utvikle modeller der forståelse (teori) danner grunnlaget for prediksjonene. Klassiske forvaltningsmodeller er basert på observasjoner og statistikk, som gjør dem i stand til å håndtere konstante situasjoner, men svakere under variable forhold. Prosjektet har tre stadier: (1) utvikle modeller for vandring, vekst og overlevelse, (2) teste modellene på historiske data og (3) evaluere deres nytte i forvaltning og diskutere sammenkoplinger med eksisterende forvaltningsmodeller

Muscle dysmorphia in Norwegian gym-going men: an initial investigation

The aims of the present study were to validate the Norwegian translated Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (MDDI) and explore the presence of muscle dysmorphia (MD) symptomatology in Norwegian gym-going men. A secondary aim was to examine differences in MD symptomatology and weekly training duration (WTD) according to the participants’ body mass index (BMI), and further investigate relationships between all measured variables. Participants (N = 124; Mage = 24.8, SD = 6.7 years) completed the translated MDDI, and according to BMI, 65 participants were of normal weight and 59 were overweight. A good fit from the confirmatory factor analysis, the results from the construct validity from the principal components analysis, and the detected good internal consistency indicate that the Norwegian translated MDDI is a valid and reliable measure for MD symptomatology. Moreover, MD symptomatology was present with mean scores of 33.7 (SD = 6.6), 15.2 (SD = 3.9), 10.4 (SD = 3.5), and 8.1 (SD = 2.6) for the MDDI total, and for the subscales drive for size (DFS), functional impairment (FI), and appearance intolerance (AI), respectively. Statistical significant differences were detected between the normal weight and overweight participants in DFS, AI, FI (d≤.4, p.05). Lastly, WTD had a statistically significant correlation with FI and BMI (p<.01); whereas BMI had a statistical significant correlation with DFS, FI, and AI (p<.05). In conclusion, the translated Norwegian MDDI was found to be valid, but additional validations are needed with larger sample sizes. The presence of MD symptomatology and WTD was higher in the overweight compared to the normal weight participants. The findings further suggest that the subscale scores might better assist practitioners in evaluating MD concerns and offer appropriate care, as a MDDI cut-off score have yet to be validated

Chapter 8 Felles mentale modeller i elitelagballspill

"The purpose of this inquiry is to explore team member knowledge among elite players in team ballgames – theoretically anchored in shared mental models. Team member knowledge is team specific and not a type of knowledge that players can transport from team to team. Current research literature has only to a limited extent been concerned about team member knowledge and the importance of this in team ball games. The following research questions will therefore be addressed in the present study: How do elite players describe their knowledge of co-players? How do players experience the knowledge development of co-players? The inquiry follows an ideographic research design, and the empirical material consists of interviews with four elite players in football and team handball. The analysis reveals that the following themes elaborate team member knowledge: Strengths and weaknesses, preferences and predictions, compensatory behavior and co-players’ value. The players’ experience of the development of team member knowledge indicates primarily implicit learning trajectories. The findings from the present study support the idea that team member knowledge is an important feature in handball and soccer elite teams. Coaches and players should therefore reflect on how this knowledge should be promoted.""Hensikten med denne undersøkelsen er å utforske medspillerkunnskap (team member knowledge) på elitenivå i lagballspill – teoretisk forankret i felles mentale modeller. Medspillerkunnskapen er teamspesifikk og ikke en type kunnskap som spilleren kan transportere med seg fra lag til lag. Eksisterende forskningslitteratur forteller svært lite om spillernes kunnskap om medspillere og betydningen av denne i spillet. Følgende forskningsspørsmål skal derfor belyses: Hvordan beskriver elitespillere sin kjennskap til medspillere? Hvordan opplever spillerne at kunnskap om medspillere utvikles? Undersøkelsen følger et ideografisk forskningsdesign, og det empiriske materialet består av intervjuer med fire elitespillere i fotball og håndball. Analysen viser at sterke og svake sider, preferanser og prediksjon, kompenserende atferd samt medspillers valør fremstår som tema som utdyper medspillerkunnskapen. Spillernes opplevelse av utvikling av medspillerkunnskap indikerer at dette følger implisitte læringsbaner. Resultatene fra den foreliggende spillerundersøkelsen understøtter betydningen av medspillerkunnskap i håndball og fotball på elitenivå. Trenere og spillere bør derfor reflektere over hvordan den skal fremmes.