Developing Young Adolescents’ Psychological Need Satisfaction: A Feasibility Study of a Pupil-Focused Intervention in Secondary Schools

Education-based interventions traditionally focus on the teacher to better support pupils’ motivation. Grounded in self-determination theory, the study investigates the feasibility of a pupil-focused intervention to help pupils become more active in their search for basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS). Focus groups and a two week pupil completed diary-log were administered with 22 UK secondary school pupils from Years 7 and 8 (aged 11-13 years; 45% male, 55% female) and 12 teachers (42% male, 58% female). Despite perceived value from teachers, a written diary-log appeared to be ineffective in engaging pupils. Pupil-focused initiatives may benefit from support sessions to provide guidance on pupils’ reflections, should be incorporated into normal school practices with a showcase event, and be designed in an interactive electronic format. The study offers theoretical considerations regarding pupils’ intrapsychic experience of motivation, and provides teacher and pupil insights into the practicalities of conducting pupil-focused interventions based upon BPNS

Trajectories in cognitive engagement, fatigue, and school achievement: The role of young adolescents' psychological need satisfaction

The study investigates whether between-person differences in school-based psychological need satisfaction may explain trajectories in cognitive engagement, fatigue, and academic attainment over a school year. A sample of 361 young adolescents in the United Kingdom (mean age = 11.89 years; 55 % male, 45 % female) completed self-report measures of psychological need satisfaction, cognitive engagement, and cognitive fatigue on four occasions. Official school grades for English and Maths were collected. Hierarchical growth modelling revealed that pupils higher in psychological need satisfaction reported stable levels of cognitive engagement and lower fatigue. Pupils lower in psychological need satisfaction displayed declining levels of cognitive engagement and consistently higher fatigue. All pupils showed increases in school grades, yet higher psychological need satisfaction was related to greater gains. These trends existed when controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, and learning needs. The findings offer temporal insights into the role of school-based psychological needs in fostering cognitive engagement at school

Autonomy and Competence Frustration in Young Adolescent Classrooms: Different Associations with Active and Passive Disengagement

Few studies have attempted to identify distinct psychological correlates of different forms of classroom disengagement. Drawing from basic psychological needs theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), this study investigated two divergent mechanisms predicting active and passive classroom disengagement. Pupils (N= 647; age = 11–14 years) and their respective teachers completed a questionnaire measuring the study variables. Using structural equation modelling, pupils’ perceptions of teacher psychological control positively predicted pupils’ autonomy and competence frustration in class. Pupils’ competence frustration indirectly and positively associated with teacher-rated passive disengagement (e.g. daydreaming in class), via reduced feelings of vitality. Pupils’ autonomy frustration demonstrated positive associations with both active disengagement (e.g. talking and making noise) and passive disengagement but neither relationship was explained by feelings of vitality. These distinct mechanisms may have implications for educators, identifying potential causes of different forms of pupil disengagement and the importance of avoiding psychological control in classrooms

JPL Space Telecommunications Radio System Operating Environment

A flight-qualified implementation of a Software Defined Radio (SDR) Operating Environment for the JPL-SDR built for the CoNNeCT Project has been developed. It is compliant with the NASA Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) Architecture Standard, and provides the software infrastructure for STRS compliant waveform applications. This software provides a standards-compliant abstracted view of the JPL-SDR hardware platform. It uses industry standard POSIX interfaces for most functions, as well as exposing the STRS API (Application Programming In terface) required by the standard. This software includes a standardized interface for IP components instantiated within a Xilinx FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The software provides a standardized abstracted interface to platform resources such as data converters, file system, etc., which can be used by STRS standards conformant waveform applications. It provides a generic SDR operating environment with a much smaller resource footprint than similar products such as SCA (Software Communications Architecture) compliant implementations, or the DoD Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS)

Hydrodynamic Synchronisation of Model Microswimmers

We define a model microswimmer with a variable cycle time, thus allowing the possibility of phase locking driven by hydrodynamic interactions between swimmers. We find that, for extensile or contractile swimmers, phase locking does occur, with the relative phase of the two swimmers being, in general, close to 0 or pi, depending on their relative position and orientation. We show that, as expected on grounds of symmetry, self T-dual swimmers, which are time-reversal covariant, do not phase-lock. We also discuss the phase behaviour of a line of tethered swimmers, or pumps. These show oscillations in their relative phases reminiscent of the metachronal waves of cilia.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figure

Myopia – A 21st Century Public Health Issue

10.1167/iovs.18-25983Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science603Mi-Mi

Bostonia: The Boston University Alumni Magazine. Volume 10

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs

Hail Suppression: Impacts and Issues: Final Report Technology Assessment of the Suppression of Hail

published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewedOpe