Pupil-athletes’ Learning Dispositions and Their Potential Effects in School Sports-situated Talent Development Programs

There is a worldwide increase in efforts to support talents’ development towards elite athletes. The focus of the study was the learning processes among athletes that facilitate this development. Drawing on the learning dispositions concept (Carr & Claxton, 2002), the aim was to create knowledge on the prevalence and possible consequences of variability in learning patterns among pupils enrolled in Nationell Idrottsutbildning Fotboll (NIUF)—a highly selective soccer talent development programme within upper secondary schools in Sweden. In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with a total of 13 pupils in their first or second year of NIUF. The data analysis benefited from iterative movement between the data and key learning dispositions: resilience, reciprocity, and playfulness. The findings show a variation in the strength of these dispositions between pupils, particularly with regard to the reciprocity and playfulness dispositions. We propose that individuals who display a comparably stronger manifestation of learning dispositions are better equipped to benefit from the learning opportunities of such programmes. This implies that there is a key role for coaches/educators to play in constructing an environment in which participants may ‘learn to learn’

Private football academies—friend or foe? An analysis of Norwegian media's framing of arguments about private football academies and the monopoly of organized sport

Private football academies challenge the monopoly of Norwegian voluntary and democratic sport. Using field theory and framing approach as analytical perspectives, this article presents a media analysis that reveals that, first, association football and private academies agree on the fact that Norwegian football is not good enough and must improve. Second, they disagree on whether to improve it within association football exclusively or supplemented by private actors that are inspired by the international football field. Third, there is a negative popular view of private academies as too expensive, unconcerned with children's best interests, in violation of Norwegian sport's regulations for children's sport, and—in sum—thus being accused of destroying ‘sport for all’. However, by employing the analytical concepts of habitus and fields, the article also shows how actors partake in several subfields—often on both sides of the private—association border.publishedVersio

The meaning of democracy in an era of good governance: Views of representation and their implications for board composition

Contemporary sport governance contexts are marked by a trend towards efficiency-based board composition and an increasing use of instruments aimed to (re)shape boards. Yet, democratic governance is integral to many countries’ sport systems, and research tells us that representation still matters in sport governance. Considering this, the aim with this paper is to provide researchers and practitioners with a vocabulary to understand and address issues of representation in board composition. The paper builds on interviews with nomination committee representatives of 62 Swedish national sport federations (NSFs). The analysis provides insights into the meaning and implications of four distinct views of representation, along with an interpretation of potential responses to board-shaping instruments engendered by these views.The meaning of democracy in an era of good governance: Views of representation and their implications for board compositionpublishedVersio

Cost effectiveness of adding budesonide/formoterol to tiotropium in COPD in four Nordic countries

Objective: Assess the cost effectiveness of budesonide/formoterol (BUD/FORM) Turbuhaler®+tiotropium (TIO) HandiHaler® vs. placebo (PBO)+TIO in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) eligible for inhaled corticosteroids/long-acting β2-agonists (ICS/LABA). Methods: The cost-effectiveness analysis was based on the 12-week, randomised, double-blind CLIMB trial. The study included 659 patients with pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s ≤ 50% and ≥1 exacerbation requiring systemic glucocorticosteroids or antibiotics the preceding year. Patients received BUD/FORM 320/9 μg bid + TIO 18 μg qd or PBO bid + TIO 18 μg qd. Effectiveness was defined as the number of severe exacerbations (hospitalisation/emergency room visit/systemic glucocorticosteroids) avoided. A sub-analysis included antibiotics in the definition of an exacerbation. Resource use from CLIMB was combined with Danish (DKK), Finnish (€), Norwegian (NOK) and Swedish (SEK) unit costs (2010). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for BUD/FORM + TIO vs. PBO + TIO were estimated using descriptive statistics and uncertainty around estimates using bootstrapping. Analyses were conducted from the societal and healthcare perspectives in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Results: From a societal perspective, the ICER was estimated at €174/severe exacerbation avoided in Finland while BUD/FORM + TIO was dominant in the other countries. From the healthcare perspective, ICERs were DKK 1580 (€212), €307 and SEK 1573 (€165) per severe exacerbation avoided for Denmark, Finland and Sweden, respectively, while BUD/FORM + TIO was dominant in Norway. Including antibiotics decreased ICERs by 8–15%. Sensitivity analyses showed that results were overall robust. Conclusion: BUD/FORM + TIO represents a clinical and economic benefit to health systems and society for the treatment of COPD in the Nordic countries.publishedVersio

Pupil-athletes' Learning Dispositions and Their Potential Effects in School Sports-situated Talent Development Programs

There is a worldwide increase in efforts to support talents' development towards elite athletes. The focus of the study was the learning processes among athletes that facilitate this development. Drawing on the learning dispositions concept (Carr & Claxton, 2002), the aim was to create knowledge on the prevalence and possible consequences of variability in learning patterns among pupils enrolled in Nationell Idrottsutbildning Fotboll (NIUF)—a highly selective soccer talent development programme within upper secondary schools in Sweden. In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with a total of 13 pupils in their first or second year of NIUF. The data analysis benefited from iterative movement between the data and key learning dispositions: resilience, reciprocity, and playfulness. The findings show a variation in the strength of these dispositions between pupils, particularly with regard to the reciprocity and playfulness dispositions. We propose that individuals who display a comparably stronger manifestation of learning dispositions are better equipped to benefit from the learning opportunities of such programmes. This implies that there is a key role for coaches/educators to play in constructing an environment in which participants may ‘learn to learn'

Pupil-athletes' Learning Dispositions and Their Potential Effects in School Sports-situated Talent Development Programs

There is a worldwide increase in efforts to support talents' development towards elite athletes. The focus of the study was the learning processes among athletes that facilitate this development. Drawing on the learning dispositions concept (Carr & Claxton, 2002), the aim was to create knowledge on the prevalence and possible consequences of variability in learning patterns among pupils enrolled in Nationell Idrottsutbildning Fotboll (NIUF)—a highly selective soccer talent development programme within upper secondary schools in Sweden. In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with a total of 13 pupils in their first or second year of NIUF. The data analysis benefited from iterative movement between the data and key learning dispositions: resilience, reciprocity, and playfulness. The findings show a variation in the strength of these dispositions between pupils, particularly with regard to the reciprocity and playfulness dispositions. We propose that individuals who display a comparably stronger manifestation of learning dispositions are better equipped to benefit from the learning opportunities of such programmes. This implies that there is a key role for coaches/educators to play in constructing an environment in which participants may ‘learn to learn'

Pupil-athletes' Learning Dispositions and Their Potential Effects in School Sports-situated Talent Development Programs

There is a worldwide increase in efforts to support talents' development towards elite athletes. The focus of the study was the learning processes among athletes that facilitate this development. Drawing on the learning dispositions concept (Carr & Claxton, 2002), the aim was to create knowledge on the prevalence and possible consequences of variability in learning patterns among pupils enrolled in Nationell Idrottsutbildning Fotboll (NIUF)—a highly selective soccer talent development programme within upper secondary schools in Sweden. In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with a total of 13 pupils in their first or second year of NIUF. The data analysis benefited from iterative movement between the data and key learning dispositions: resilience, reciprocity, and playfulness. The findings show a variation in the strength of these dispositions between pupils, particularly with regard to the reciprocity and playfulness dispositions. We propose that individuals who display a comparably stronger manifestation of learning dispositions are better equipped to benefit from the learning opportunities of such programmes. This implies that there is a key role for coaches/educators to play in constructing an environment in which participants may ‘learn to learn'

Developing athletes into cooperative learners : the potential in viewing coaches as educators and coaching as teaching

Talent development environments are usually group-based, meaning athletes comprise each other’s learning context. Consequently, athletes’ ability to learn with and from each other is essential. This implies that there is a key role for coaches to play in cultivating reciprocal, cooperative athletes and creating talent environments in which participants can ‘learn to learn’. The aim of this study was to create knowledge on day-to-day coaching conduct that supports the development of athletes’ reciprocal abilities. Observations of 75 h of football (soccer) lessons within the Swedish Football Association’s school sports programme – a cornerstone of the FA’s talent development system, located in upper secondary schools – were carried out over the course of three school semesters, and included in-depth interviews with the teacher-coaches. Data were analysed using the five key teaching pillars within a cooperative learning approach: positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction, interpersonal skills and group processing. Findings show how teacher-coaches engage in activities that focus on organization of lessons and structuring of group work to create situations where individuals are motivated to learn, but also motivated to support other group members’ learning. Thereby, teacher-coaches place more emphasis on positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction. In contrast, findings also show how teacher-coaches to a lesser extent perform coaching conduct associated with lesson content that has the potential to develop the skills and abilities required to participate in and benefit from group work – interpersonal skills, and group processing. This means that while teacher-coaches seem well-equipped to create learning environments that support reciprocal learning, they may benefit from challenging the role of the coach as an expert and tackle the preconceptions around cooperative behaviours that athletes bring from club football contexts. Taken together, these findings point to the need for a better understanding of overlapping learning sites within talent systems

Lifetime risk predictions for cardiovascular diseases : competing risks analyses on a population-based cohort in Sweden

Background and aims: There are guideline discussions on a lifetime approach to cardiovascular risk. Many of the available risk models estimate the short-term, usually 10-year risk of non-fatal and fatal cardiovascular diseases (CVD) grouped together. We aimed to develop lifetime risk models for non-fatal coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure and death from CVD and non-CVD. Methods: We included 92,915 individuals who had participated in a community-based lifestyle intervention programme at 40, 50 and/or 60 years of age. Their collected data on selected risk factors were linked to register data on hospitalizations and death. Parametric multivariable survival regression with a competing risks approach was employed to model cause-specific hazards, which were translated into cumulative incidence functions to provide the risk of experiencing each event separately. All analyses were performed gender-age wise. For illustrative purposes, "better" and "worse" risk profiles were created by setting three modifiable risk factors to the best and worst levels, respectively. Results: Most of the risk factors qualified for inclusion in the regressions. Men had a higher risk of cardiovascular events and the events occurred at a younger age than women. In the created risk profiles, where serum total cholesterol, smoking status and blood pressure were modified, an excessive number of CVD events were observed in the worse profiles. Conclusions: Using these models, the lifetime risk of each of the first CVD events can be estimated for different risk factor profiles. Since the predictions are diagnosis specific, the estimates are more accurate

Sport policy analysis revisited: the sport policy process as an interlinked chain of legitimating acts

By providing an analytical framework that draws on a conceptualisation of legitimacy in organisation studies, this paper demonstrates that the sport policy process can be understood as an interlinked chain of legitimating acts. Based on recent suggestions in organisation theory literature on how to approach legitimacy and legitimation, we applied the framework on a small sample of published sport policy studies to demonstrate its utility. By applying the framework, six interweaved and interweaving elements of the legitimating act within sport policy processes were identified: legitimacy-seeking organisation, subject, source(s), strategy, bases and scenario. The analysis shows that each of the six elements works by intersecting within each phase of the policy process. The main conclusion is that consequences – often unintended – resulting from legitimating acts in one phase have legitimacy-related implications for the other phases of the policy process. As pressing as pinpointing the use of all elements of the framework is, it is equally important to distinguish each of the elements in order to fulfil the analytical potential of the proposed framework. Since sport policy processes in practice rely primarily on organisations and organisational action, future sport policy research would benefit from this type of framework connecting organisations and organising to policy processes