What Performance Analysts Need to Know About Research Trends in Association Football (2012–2016): A Systematic Review

Evolving patterns of match analysis research need to be systematically reviewed regularly since this area of work is burgeoning rapidly and studies can offer new insights to performance analysts if theoretically and coherently organized

Learning to Be. Development of practices and methodologies for assessing social, emotional and health skills within education systems

La scuola è da tempo chiamata a promuovere negli studenti lo sviluppo di competenze che trascendono i tradizionali apprendimenti scolastici, ad esempio quelle personali ed interpersonali. Le Raccomandazioni del Parlamento Europeo (2006) sottolineano come la scuola debba infatti contribuire allo sviluppo di capacità che promuovono la partecipazione alla vita sociale da parte degli studenti. Recentemente, a partire da un vasto corpus di studi sperimentali e interventi educativi, è stato introdotto il costrutto di ”Apprendimento Socio-emotivo”, che definisce il processo mediante il quale i bambini divengono consapevoli delle proprie emozioni imparando a gestirle, a riconoscere quelle altrui, a sviluppare empatia, prendere buone decisioni, costruire amicizie e gestirle in modo efficace (Zins et al., 2004). Tale costrutto sottolinea come lo sviluppo emotivo e sociale necessiti di apprendimenti veicolati in modo esplicito al fine di rendere più competenti gli studenti e permettere loro di acquisire un maggiore successo sociale. Gli individui più abili dal punto di vista socio-emotivo sono infatti maggiormente in grado di affrontare con successo le difficoltà in differenti contesti di vita mostrando un migliore adattamento e benessere psicologico (OECD, 2015). Nonostante le ricerche enfatizzino l’importanza di includere specifici curriculum socio-emotivi a partire dai primi anni di scolarizzazione, pochi studi hanno indicato come queste abilità possano essere valutate e integrate all’interno dei sistemi di valutazione già presenti in ambito educativo. Il progetto europeo “Learning to Be” è finalizzato sia alla creazione di un modello per la valutazione dell’apprendimento socio-emotivo applicabile in ambito educativo per docenti, educatori e policy makers sia alla sperimentazione e alla valutazione dell’efficacia di un training rivolto a docenti di scuola primaria e secondaria di primo livello. Il training includerà una formazione teorico-pratica sui costrutti di apprendimento socio-emotivo (CASEL, 2017) e valutazione formativa (Wiliam, 2011) al fine di innalzare le competenze socio-emotive dei docenti durante i processi di insegnamento promuovendo l’apprendimento socio-emotivo negli studenti. La sperimentazione di tale training, della durata di 5 mesi, avverrà coinvolgendo le scuole in 5 paesi europei (Lituania, Lettonia, Italia, Slovenia e Spagna) utilizzando un disegno di ricerca pre-post test. Il gruppo di ricerca include le seguenti istituzioni: Lithuanian Children and Youth Centre (Lituania); Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania (Lituania); University of Helsinki, Department of Teacher Education (Finlandia); National Education Centre (Lettonia); Institut „Utrip“ (Slovenia); University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Human Sciences for Education (Italia); University Loyola Andalucia (Spagna); Universitas cooperativa de ensino superior e investigacao cientifica (Portogallo); Social and Emotional Learning Institute (Lituania)

A short version of the state shame and guilt scale (SSGS-8).

Shame and guilt are crucial emotions regulating individuals’ interactions with the surrounding environment as well as social relations and the development of the self. However, regardless of their im- portance, the debate about the selection of quantitative empirical measures in contexts requiring an assessment of both emotions remains still open. The present study examines the reliability and validity of the Italian short version of the State Shame and Guilt Scale (SSGS-8) in a sample of undergraduate students. Confirmatory factor analyses suggested a robust model of measurement with good psycho- metric properties, and it confirmed the two-factor structure composed by Shame and Guilt. The results of the study supported the adoption of the Italian version of the SSGS-8 scale as a reliable tool to assess shame and guilt in Italian-speaking populations. In this perspective, SSGS-8 could be adopted in train- ing programs and clinical contexts

Deceptive behavior in doping related interviews: The case of Lance Armstrong

Objectives: The aim of the present study is to investigate the organization of Armstrong’s nonverbal behavior in deceptive statements and in those statements in which deception is not proven. The final aim of this study is to show that T-pattern methodology can be a useful tool in research about doping behavior. Design: In this observational study we focused on Armstrong’s micro-expressions (action units, gaze movements, head movements) drawing observational material from different videos excerpts where Armstrong made doping-related statements. A baseline of Armstrong’s deceptive behavior was established by selecting three video samples from 2005 in which he fully denied ever having taken performance-enhancing drugs. They were compared to the interview conducted by Oprah Winfrey in January 2013, in which he admitted doping but denied the specific charges of bullying and corruption. Method: Our approach is based on the detection of statistically significant hierarchical sequences of behaviors in time, called T-patterns (temporal patterns). The algorithm, implemented in Theme software, determines whether apparently arbitrary events sequentially repeat, within a specified time interval, at a rate greater than that expected by chance. Results: Data analyses allowed identifying distinctive patterns for each of the two conditions. The baseline showed a very limited number of patterns, highlighting low level of complexity and the presence of stereotyped behaviors. In the Oprah video samples, the number and complexity of distinctive patterns was significantly higher, and most of them included gaze shifting behaviors. Conclusions: T-pattern methodology might be an effective strategy to detect nonverbal features of deception, integrated with more traditional and established practice, in order to improve anti-doping measures and fight this spreading phenomenon

Episode of situated learning to enhance student engagement and promote deep learning: Preliminary results in a high school classroom

Teaching is now experiencing a new centrality due to the fast socio-cultural transformations, the vertical growth of digital media and, therefore, the new ways children and young people learn. New paradigms and teaching methodologies are emerging to meet the new educational needs; among them, the "Episodes of Situated Learning" approach (EAS in Italian) was chosen for this study. This approach broadly refers to the "Flipped Class" model, in which the lesson structure reverses the traditional teaching/learning cycle with a positive outcome on engagement and learning. The present study aims to explore whether the EAS teaching methodology, according to literature about the Flipped Class model, has a positive outcome on student engagement, focusing on its emotional, cognitive and behavioral components. In particular, we hypothesize that the EAS teaching methodology changes teachers' behavior in classroom, increasing their movements and body expression during the lesson. Moreover, we expect higher levels of self-efficacy and positive emotions and lower levels of perceived anxiety in teachers, thus improving students' level of engagement. The research was conducted in a secondary school, in Milan, and includes a classroom of sixteen students and three teachers. We chose a quasi-experimental nested design, a mixed-method approach that combines the qualitative and quantitative collection and analysis of data, in order to reach, as far as possible, a holistic, effective and exhaustive representation of the studied phenomenon. Pre-post measures, including video-recording, systematic observation and questionnaires, of both students and teachers were collected during the 8 months of experimentation. This research project could foster positive outcomes for participants as well as the broader society, in which school dropout is increasing. Many authors positively associate low levels of students' engagement to high rates of school dropout; for this reason, working on improving teaching methodologies and students' engagement measurement, could be an effective way to enhance learning and opposing school dropout