A multivariate multilevel approach to unravel the associations between individual and school factors on children's motor performance in the REACT project.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to (1) estimate the relationship between physical fitness (PF) and object control fundamental movement skills (FMS), (2) identify child characteristics that relate with PF and FMS, and (3) examine associations between the school environment, PF, and FMS. METHODS: The sample included 1014 Portuguese children aged 6-10 years from the REACT project. PF was assessed via running speed, shuttle run, standing long jump, handgrip, and the PACER test. Object control FMS were assessed with stationary dribble, kick, catch, overhand throw, and underhand roll. Test performances were transformed into z-scores, and their sum was expressed as overall PF and FMS. Child-level variables included body mass index (BMI) z-scores, accelerometer-measured sedentary time and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and socioeconomic status (SES). School size, physical education classes, practice areas, and equipment were also assessed. RESULTS: Approximately, 90% of the variance in object control PF and FMS was at the child level, and 10% at the school level. The correlation between PF and object control FMS was .62, which declined to .43 with the inclusion of covariates. Older, more active, and higher SES children had higher object control PF and FMS, and boys outperformed girls. BMI was negatively associated with PF but not with object control FMS. Sedentary time and number of physical education classes were not significant predictors. Most school predictors did not jointly associate with PF and object control FMS. CONCLUSION: PF and object control FMS z-scores were moderately related. Not all child characteristics were associated with both PF and object control FMS, and their effect sizes were different. School characteristics only explained 10% of the total variation in PF and object control FMS.

Is there an association between proficiency in fundamental movement skills and mderate-to-vigorous physical activity in childhood on weekdays and weekends? The REACT project.

OBJECTIVE: The present study probes into the association between children's fundamental movement skills (FMS) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during weekdays and weekends. METHODS: This cross-sectional sample included 1014 children aged 6-10 years from the REACT project. Physical activity was assessed with accelerometry, and five FMS (stationary dribble, kick, catch, overhand throw, and underhand roll) were assessed with the digital platform Meu Educativo®. Three groups were formed based on the frequency of FMS that each child mastered: group 1 (wizard level in four or five FMS); group 2 (wizard level in two or three FMS); and group 3 (wizard level in at most one skill). Multilevel models were used to analyze the data treating children (level-1) nested within schools (level-2). RESULTS: Compared to group 1, groups 2 (-12.9 ± 2.3 min day-1) and 3 (-23.9 ± 2.4 min day-1) were less physically active during weekdays and weekends (group 2: -14.7 ± 2.7 min day-1 and group 3: -22.4 ± 2.9 min day-1), independent of age and sex. There was a decline in MVPA during the weekend. Further, on average, boys were more active than girls, and with increasing age, children were less active. CONCLUSION: On average, children with higher FMS levels are generally more physically active than their peers with lower FMS levels. Even though MVPA tends to decline on weekends, FMS proficiency is a significant factor in maintaining 60 min of MVPA on weekends.

Individual and school correlates of body mass index and cardiorespiratory fitness in primary school children from the REACT project: A multivariate multilevel analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This paper examines the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) using a multivariate multilevel approach and investigates the links between individual and school-related correlates with children's BMI and CRF. METHODS: This cross-sectional sample included 1014 children (6-10 years) from 25 Portuguese primary schools. BMI was calculated, and CRF was assessed with the PACER test. Fundamental movement skills (FMS) included five object control tasks. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sleep, and sedentary time were assessed with the ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer. Socioeconomic status (SES) and school variables were also obtained. A multivariate multilevel model was used, and alpha was set at 5%. RESULTS: BMI and CRF systematically increased with age. Most of the joint variance (94.4%) was explained at the child level, and BMI and CRF were correlated at this level (ρ = -.37). More active children demonstrated higher CRF levels and had lower BMI levels; sedentary and sleep time were not significantly associated with BMI or CRF. FMS were positively associated with CRF but were not significantly associated with BMI. Children at higher SES were more fit and had lower BMI than their peers of lower SES. Finally, school-level variables were not significantly related to BMI and CRF. CONCLUSION: BMI and CRF had a low but statistically significant negative correlation in this sample of children. Most of the variation in BMI and CRF was explained by child-level characteristics.

Statistical analysis of the longitudinal fundamental movement skills data in the REACT project using the multilevel ordinal logistic model.

OBJECTIVES: The REACT project was designed around two main aims: (1) to assess children's growth and motor development after the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) to follow their fundamental movement skills' developmental trajectories over 18 months using a novel technological device (Meu Educativo®) in their physical education classes. In this article, our goal is to describe statistical analysis of the longitudinal ordinal motor development data that was obtained from these children using the multilevel ordinal logistic model. METHODS: Longitudinal ordinal data are often collected in studies on motor development. For example, children or adolescents might be rated as having poor, good, or excellent performance levels in fundamental movement skills, and such ratings may be obtained yearly over time to assess changes in fundamental movement skills levels of performance. However, such longitudinal ordinal data are often analyzed using either methods for continuous outcomes, or by dichotomizing the ordinal outcome and using methods for binary data. These approaches are not optimal, and so we describe in detail the use of the multilevel ordinal logistic model for analysis of such data from the REACT project. Our intent is to provide an accessible description and application of this model for analysis of ordinal motor development data. DISCUSSION: Our analyses show both the between-subjects and within-subjects effects of age on motor development outcomes across three timepoints. The between-subjects effect of age indicate that children that are older have higher motor development ratings, relative to thoese that are younger, whereas the within-subject effect of age indicates higher motor development ratings as a child ages. It is the latter effect that is particularly of interest in longitudinal studies of motor development, and an important advantage of using the multilevel ordinal logistic model relative to more traditional methods.

Sleep and fundamental movement skills in primary schoolchildren: The REACT project.

OBJECTIVE: Whether sleep is related to fundamental movement skills (FMS) in the pediatric population is largely unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the association between sleep characteristics (duration, efficiency, regularity) and FMS proficiency levels in school-aged children. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 996 children (mean age: 8.3 ± 1.2 years) from 25 of the 32 primary schools in Matosinhos, northern Portugal. Data collection occurred between January and June 2022. Sleep was assessed using an ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer worn on the wrist for 7 consecutive days. FMS proficiency levels were assessed in the schools with a new digital platform (Meu Educativo®) that evaluated five object control skills (dribble, kick, catch, throw, and underhand roll), with a total score ranging between 5 and 15. Multilevel ordinal logistic regression was used to test the associations between sleep characteristics and FMS proficiency levels. Covariates included age, sex, body mass index z-score, socioeconomic status, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. RESULTS: The results showed that sleep characteristics (duration, efficiency, and regularity) were not related to FMS proficiency. Being a boy, older age, and higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels were all significantly associated with better FMS proficiency levels. There were no significant sex-by-age interactions. CONCLUSION: Sleep was not found to be related to FMS performance in children. This finding suggests that sleep is not a good correlate of FMS proficiency levels in school-aged children, and attention should be dedicated to other more important factors such as skill-learning-specific physical activity.

Portuguese research on physical education and sport didactics-a critical discussion.

This article presents a discussion of research in Physical Education and Sport Didactics in Portugal. It starts by situating it from an historical perspective, placing the 1980s as the beginning era, mainly based on the studies provided by the two first Physical Education higher education institutes of the country. The initial research, first based on master and doctoral dissertations, progressed to ongoing projects that have been disseminated in international and national journals and books. This development is also reported from the theoretical, conceptual, and methodological perspectives, showing how it has informed the quality of Physical Education and teacher education as the two main research strands to be described, however, acknowledging that a strand on sports coaching and coach education exists. On teaching Physical Education, the article discusses the elements relative to the teacher and to the student, focusing from the immediate and short-term to the distant and long-term events that lead into young adulthood's active lifestyles. In this analysis, research on curriculum and assessment are also reported. On physical education teacher education, the article shows the prevalence of the post-primary Physical Education to argue for the need for more research on primary-level education, and discusses the diverse foci from initial teacher education to in-service education practises. In line with current trends in research, we suggest a set of four features for the future research agenda: (1) addressing short to long-term outcomes of Physical Education; (2) adopting multifactorial and multi-layered perspectives of analysis; (3) embracing inter- and multidisciplinary designs; and (4) taking comparative perspectives within and between European countries, and between Europe and other continents. We conclude that these features need to focus on four levels of integration and cooperation: (a) integration between the research initiatives and the needs of the professional field; (b) integration between research on teaching and learning, teacher education and the curriculum; (c) cooperation between the different national higher education and professional institutions; and (d) integration in the international research agenda by leading and participating in project partnerships which are needed to fully and effectively implement such agenda.

Background, rationale, and methodological overview of the REACT project-return-to-action on growth, motor development, and health after the COVID-19 pandemic in primary school children.

OBJECTIVES: The REACT project was designed around two main aims: (1) to assess children's growth and motor development after the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) to follow their fundamental movement skills' developmental trajectories over 18 months using a novel technological device (Meu Educativo®) in their physical education classes. In this introductory article, the first of the Journal's special issue dedicated to REACT, our goal was to present the project rationale, its methodology, training and certification of the team, statistical approach, quality control, governance, and study management. METHODS: We sampled 1000 children (6-10 years of age) from 25 of the 32 primary schools in Matosinhos, northern Portugal. The protocol included a set of variables clustered around the child (growth, physical fitness, fundamental movement skills, and health behaviors), family (demographics, socioeconomic status, parental support for sports participation and physical activity), school (policies and practices for health behaviors, infrastructure for physical education and sports practices), and neighborhood and home environments (safety, sidewalks, sports facilities, as well as children electronic devices and play equipment at home). A set of standard protocols were implemented in REACT together with a rigorous system of training and certification of all members of the research team. This was complemented with a pilot study to assess, in loco, the quality of data acquisition, data entry, and control. DISCUSSION: Results from REACT will provide school administrators and teachers with novel and far-reaching information related to children's growth and motor development as well as health behaviors after the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also provide city-hall education officials with insight regarding children's physical fitness, fundamental movement skills, and sports practices that will be of great importance in devising novel intervention programs to increase health-enhancing physical activity, and combat sedentariness and obesity. Finally, it will offer parents a wealth of information regarding their children's growth, motor development, and health.

How Can Learner-Oriented Scaffolding Strategies Be Implemented in Coach Education? A Case Study.

Purpose: Although emerging research has explored the development of coach education curricula, coach learning and how a deep learning approach can be made accessible to aspiring coaches, the study of coach educators' scaffolding of micro-pedagogies in action remains a missing link in the field. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore scaffolding strategies adopted by an experienced coach educator to encourage aspiring coaches to adopt an active approach to learning. Method: A case-study was conducted for a full semester of twelve practical lessons in the unit "Sports Methodology I-Volleyball" of a renowned sport sciences coach education program. Multiple data collection sources included participant observation, video and audio recordings, individual interviews with the coach educator and focus group interviews with the aspiring coaches. A thematic analysis was performed, and trustworthiness criteria included data triangulation, crosschecking, and collaborative interpretational analysis. Results: The strategies adopted by the coach educator progressively unfolded throughout three main stages: (i) laying the foundations of a learner-oriented approach; (ii) enhancing personally meaningful learning experiences; and (iii) mediating peer-coaching activities. An intricate interplay was unraveled between the nature and reduction of the support given and the increased responsibility transferred to the aspiring coaches for their active participation in learning experiences. Conclusions: The learner-oriented scaffolding processes employed by the coach educator sought to promote enhanced understanding of game-play problem-solving and the aspiring coaches' development of a deeper sense of what is required to become a coach through engagement in coaching technical activities and peer-coaching interventions.

Treinadores de futsal brasileiros de elite: aspectos influenciadores da escolha da profissão e da construção da competência profissional / Brazilian elite futsal coaches: influencering aspects in the choice of profession and the construction of professional competence / Entrenadores de fútbol sala de élite brasileño: aspectos que influyen en la elección de la profesión y la construcción de la competencia profesional

Resumo A relevância do futsal brasileiro no cenário mundial é reconhecida pela sua prática massiva e conquistas internacionais. Neste contexto, compreender aspectos envoltos de uma função relevante, a de treinador, torna-se fundamental. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar as percepções de treinadores brasileiros de elite sobre os aspectos influenciadores na escolha da profissão e os conhecimentos fundamentais necessários à competência profissional. Realizaram-se entrevistas em profundidade com 10 treinadores de elite. Os resultados sugerem que a influência familiar, a exposição prolongada à prática, à escola e aos seus treinadores enquanto atletas foram fundamentais nas suas trajetórias. O conhecimento específico do futsal, a leitura de jogo e a tomada de decisão parecem ser relevantes para a competência na função. Por fim, a relação aberta, de troca e cobrança com os atletas demonstram ser essenciais no contexto prático e a busca pelo desenvolvimento dos atletas é realizada de maneira global.

Abstract The growing worldwide significance of Brazilian futsal is recognized due to its extensive practice and international achievements. In this context, it becomes essential to further explore the critical aspects associated with the coaching role. The aim of this study was to investigate elite Brazilian coaches' perceptions regarding the factors influencing their decision to pursue this profession and the fundamental aspects related to coaches' professional competence. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 elite coaches. The results suggest that family influence, prolonged exposure to practice, the school, and their coaches were fundamental in shaping the coaches' professional trajectories. Specific futsal knowledge, game reading, and decision making seem to be relevant for competence in the role. Finally, an open, reciprocal, and accountable relationship with athletes is considered essential in the practical context, as well as the pursuit of significantly contributing to athlete development as an integral part of the coaching role.

Resumen La importancia del fútbol sala brasileño es mundialmente reconocida por su práctica masiva y logros internacionales. En este contexto, es fundamental profundizar en la comprensión de los aspectos críticos involucrados en el rol del entrenador. El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar las percepciones de entrenadores de élite brasileños sobre los aspectos que influyen en la elección de la profesión y los conocimientos fundamentales necesarios para la competencia profesional. Se realizaron entrevistas en profundidad a 10 entrenadores de élite. Los resultados sugieren que la influencia familiar, la exposición prolongada a la práctica, la escuela y sus entrenadores como atletas fueron fundamentales en sus trayectorias. El conocimiento específico del fútbol sala, la lectura de juegos y la toma de decisiones parecen ser relevantes para la competencia en el rol. Finalmente, la relación abierta, de intercambio y de rendición de cuentas con los atletas resultan esenciales en la práctica y que la búsqueda del desarrollo de los atletas se realice de manera global.

A Novice Teacher as Facilitator of Learning During a Hybrid Sport Education/Step-Game Approach Volleyball Season.

This study aimed to examine how a novice Physical Education teacher unfolded her pedagogical practice as a facilitator of learning during a hybrid Sport Education/Step-Game-Approach volleyball season; and to investigate students' perceptions about their lived learning experiences and active involvement in building their own learning process. For this purpose, an insider action-research design was implemented throughout one school term (20 lessons of 45 minutes each in total). Twenty-five students (aged between16 and17 years old), enrolled in the 12th grade at a Portuguese high school took part in this investigation. The novice teacher, who held two years of professional experience, assumed the dual role of teacher-researcher, facilitating an in-depth understanding of the complexity featuring of the teaching-learning process. Qualitative data were collected using multiple data sources (i.e., teacher's lesson plans and field diary, and student's focus-group interviews), and analyzed using a hybrid approach of inductive and deductive thematic analysis. The results revealed that the use of this hybrid season helped the teacher to act as facilitator of learning, namely by: (i) using two student-centered models with unique internal structures and functionalities, (ii) increasing the level of responsibility taken by students for their own learning experiences, (iii) adapting the lesson plans to students' individual needs, and (iv) combining a more supportive intervention with the use of more indirect teaching strategies. Together, these strategies seemed to prompt students' autonomy and sense of active control of the class activities, the development of students' abilities and volleyball-based knowledge, leading them to be more interested and engaged in Physical Education. In conclusion, the alliance between the student-centered environment (Sport Education) and the specificity of the content subject-knowledge (Step-Game Approach for non-invasion games) seems to have allow the novice teacher to adjust her pedagogical intervention as facilitator of learning to students' individual learning needs.

Aligning Physical Literacy With Critical Positive Youth Development and Student-Centered Pedagogy: Implications for Today's Youth.

The purpose of this article is three-fold: (1) revisit the concept of life skills to position physical literacy as a social justice life skill; (2) make the argument that physical literacy is particularly relevant within a critical positive youth development perspective; and (3) propose a novel critical praxis for developing physical literacy amongst youth. When considering emergent social issues, youth programming has the potential to integrate concepts from a range of theoretical frameworks, which may help youth transform into social change activists and competent movers. Such critical perspectives may guide sport and physical education programming as contemporary society poses numerous challenges concerning youths' diverse emotional, mental, physical, and social needs. In order to advance knowledge and practice, we urge researchers and practitioners to rethink the way sport and physical education has been traditionally conceptualized. Ultimately, we propose that educating individuals to recognize and then confront neoliberal values within a post-pandemic landscape is critical. These notions may help researchers (re)frame their positionality and readiness to tackle physical literacy through broader theoretical lenses which-as alluded to in this article-may equip practitioners and researchers to meaningfully advance social justice.

A importância do Projeto Terapêutico Singular (PTS) no acompanhamento de usuários de um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Álcool e Outras Drogas (CAPSad): relato de experiência / The importance of the Singular Therapeutic Project (PTS) in monitoring users of a Psychosocial Care Center for Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAPSad): experience report / La importancia del Proyecto Terapéutico Singular (PTS) en el seguimiento de usuarios de un Centro de Atención Psicosocial de Alcohol y Otras Drogas (CAPSad): relato de experiencia

Buscou-se relatar a experiência de um profissional de educação física no desenvolvimento de Projetos Terapêuticos Singulares (PTS) utilizados no acompanhamento de usuários em sofrimento mental de um CAPSad da região metropolitana Fortaleza-CE. Trata-se de uma pesquisa do tipo relato de experiência com abordagem qualitativa realizada de janeiro de 2021 a fevereiro de 2022. Os resultados indicam que a participação do profissional de educação física residente foi de grande importância desde o planejamento do PTS junto às equipes multidisciplinares aos acompanhamentos individuais e/ou coletivos dos usuários e seus familiares no contexto de recuperação. O cuidado integral e participativo contribuiu no desenvolvimento da autonomia dos sujeitos rumo à responsabilização do próprio cuidado.

It was sought to report the experience of a physical education professional in the development of Singular Therapeutic Projects (PTS) used in the follow-up of users in mental suffering of a CAPSad in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza-CE. This is an experience report type research with a qualitative approach carried out from January 2021 to February 2022. The results indicate that the participation of the resident physical education professional was of great importance from the planning of the PTS with the multidisciplinary teams to the individual and/or collective follow-ups of users and their families in the context of recovery. Comprehensive and participatory care contributed to the development of subjects' autonomy towards accountability for their own care.

Buscamos relatar la experiencia de un profesional de educación física en el desarollo de Proyectos Terapéuticos Singulares (PTS) utilizados en el acompañamiento de usuarios en sufrimiento psíquico de un CAPSad en la región metropolitana de Fortaleza-CE. Se trata de una investigación tipo relato de experiencia con abordaje cualitativo realizada de enero de 2021 a febrero de 2022. Los resultados indican que la participación del profesional residente de educación física fue de gran importancia desde la planificación del PTS con los equipos multidisciplinarios hasta el individual y /o seguimientos colectivos de usuarios y sus familias en el contexto de la recuperación. El cuidado integral y participativo contribuyó al desarrollo de la autonomía de los sujetos hacia la responsabilidad por su propio cuidado.

Adolescents' Perspectives on the Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity: An Updated Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.

Listening to adolescents' voices has been important to promote meaningful physical activity (PA) opportunities. Therefore, an updated systematic review of the available qualitative literature on adolescents' perspectives on the barriers and facilitators of PA was conducted, according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies published between 2014 (date of the last systematic review) and 2020 were searched in the Web of Science, EBSCO, and SCOPUS databases. Based on the inclusion criteria applied, 30 out of 8069 studies were included in the review. A thematic analysis was used to inductively and deductively analyze the perspectives of ~1250 adolescents (13-18 years). The studies took place in 13 countries from different continents. The main PA barriers and facilitators of PA were presented and discussed around five higher-order themes: (1) Individual factors (e.g., psychological-motivation, self-efficacy; cognitive-knowledge, understanding; physical-motor skills); (2) social and relational factors (family, friends, significant others); (3) PA nature factors (fun, school-based PA and physical education); (4) life factors (time and competing activities; life-course); and (5) sociocultural and environmental factors (e.g., availability/access to PA facilities, programs; urban/rural zones). By transnationally framing adolescents' voices, this study provides updated evidence and discusses innovative implications for developing tailored interventions and pedagogical strategies aimed at promoting active and healthy lifestyles.

"The Project Changed My Life": Sport Education's Transformative Potential on Student Physical Literacy.

Purpose: This longitudinal study provided a retrospective examination of the impact of student participation in a year-long Sport Education curricular experience on physical literacy development. A focus was placed on students' reported motivation, attitudes and disposition to participate in physical education (PE) and sport, and their re-actualizations of a healthy sport culture in the years following the Sport Education experience. Methods: Three years following the Sport Education experience, a cohort of 24 tenth-grade students (nine girls and 15 boys) were traced back and invited to share their recollected memories and accounts of their PE experience and subsequent attributes of physical literacy. The data collection protocol included augmented memory retrieval techniques and a retrospective survey, which informed semi-structured individual and focus groups interviews. A thematic analysis of data was performed and trustworthiness criteria included data triangulation, crosschecking, and collaborative interpretational analysis. Results: Prolonged participation in a year-long Sport Education curriculum promoted a transformation in students' physical literacy dispositions, both within and outside the school context. Physical literacy attributes included empathetic attitudes toward others, resilience against discriminatory learning activities and a commitment of the participants to actively pursue equitable and meaningful participation in PE and sport. Embodied interpersonal, managerial, and peer-teaching skills sustained the participants' sport culture activism against impoverished instructional practices in PE. Conclusions: Prolonged participation in Sport Education, and consequential development of enthusiasm, competency, and literacy can positively contribute to individuals' lifelong physical literacy journey.

Chances de óbito por Covid-19 entre os trabalhadores formais: evidências do estado do Rio de Janeiro / Nota Técnica n. 76 (Diset) : Chances de obito por Covid-19 entre os trabalhadores formais: evidencias do estado do Rio de Janeiro

Esta nota técnica tem o objetivo de realizar uma análise sobre o perfil socioeconômico da população que teve confirmada a infecção pela Covid-19 no estado do Rio de Janeiro e investigar em que medida determinadas características socioeconômicas afetam as chances de morrer da doença. Para isso, serão utilizadas informações socioeconômicas individualizadas disponíveis para o conjunto dos trabalhadores formais do estado.

Sport Education as a Curriculum Approach to Student Learning of Invasion Games: Effects on Game Performance and Game Involvement.

The teaching and learning of games and sport-based activities has historically been the dominant form of the physical education curricula. With an interest in providing to students meaningful and culturally situated sporting experiences, Sport Education is probably the most implemented and researched pedagogical model worldwide. However, although there is considerable evidence that the model as a curriculum approach can benefit the development of social goals and healthy sport behaviors, not a single study as to date examined students' game-play development beyond participation in single and isolated teaching units. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine students' development of Game Performance and Game Involvement during participation in three consecutive Sport Education seasons of invasion games. The participants were an experienced physical education teacher and one seventh-grade class totaling 26 students (10 girls and 16 boys). Using the Game Performance Assessment Instrument (Oslin et al., 1998), pre-test to post-tests measures of students' Game Performance and Game Involvement were collected during their participation in basketball (20 lessons), handball (16 lessons), and football (18 lessons) units. Inter-group differences and pre-test to post-test improvements within each season were analyzed through 2 (time) x group (sport) repeated measures ANOVA tests. There were found significant pre-test to post-test improvements in Game Performance and Game Involvement in the second (handball) and third (football) seasons, but not in the first season (basketball). Students' Game Performance and Involvement scores of handball and football were significantly higher than their scores while playing basketball. The opportunity for an extended engagement in game-play activities and prolonged membership of students in the same teams throughout three consecutive seasons of Sport Education were key to the outcomes found. The specific configurations of the game forms played by students either inhibited or enabled their game-play development.

Mediating Peer Teaching for Learning Games: An Action Research Intervention Across Three Consecutive Sport Education Seasons.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide an integrated analysis of a teacher's peer-teaching mediation strategies, the student-coaches' instruction, and the students' gameplay development across 3 consecutive seasons of sport education. METHOD: Twenty-six 7th-grade students participated in 3 consecutive sport education seasons of invasion games (basketball, handball, and soccer). The research involved 3 action research cycles, 1 per season, and each cycle included the processes of planning, acting and monitoring, reflecting, and fact finding. Data collection consisted of videotape and audiotape records of all 47 lessons, a reflective field diary kept by the first author in the role of teacher-researcher, and a total of 24 semistructured focus-group interviews. Trustworthiness criteria for assuring the quality of qualitative research included extensive data triangulation, stakeholders' crosschecking, and collaborative interpretational analysis. RESULTS: Through the application of systematic preparation strategies, student-coaches were able to successfully conduct team instruction that resulted in students' tactical development and improved performance. Aspects such as the study of predominant configurations of players' gameplay and similar tactical principles across games within the same category prevented a setback in the complexity of the learning content addressed at the beginning of each season. Players also showed an increasing ability to adapt gameplay to game conditions. CONCLUSIONS: While sport education has the capacity to develop competent players, different levels of teacher guidance and learners' instructional responsibility are necessary when teaching tactics.

Sport Education and Direct Instruction Units: Comparison of Student Knowledge Development in Athletics.

This study conducted a comparative analysis of students' knowledge development on athletics in Sport Education and in a Direct Instruction unit taking into account sex and initial skill level. The participants were an experienced Physical Education teacher and two sixth-grade classes totaling 47 students (25 boys and 22 girls). Each class was randomly placed in either Sport Education or Direct Instruction classes and participated in 20, 45-minutes lessons focused on shot put, hurdles and triple jump. Knowledge on athletics was assessed through a 25-items written and video-based test. The inter-group differences and improvements across time in the knowledge test were analyzed through the Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests, respectively. There were significant knowledge improvements in both instructional approaches irrespective of students' gender and skill level. In Direct Instruction, the type of task organization, the high rates of repetition of movement patterns and feedback by the teacher were beneficial to student learning. In Sport Education, the autonomy granted to students in the control of the pace of task transitions by making on-going judgments on achievement of performance criteria, implicated students affectively and cognitively with the learning content. It was further supported that several models and teaching strategies should be taken into consideration when teaching Physical Education. Different approaches should be perceived as alternatives and teachers should retain the best in each according with the moment in the unit, student developmental stage, and the specific learning objectives in the task.

A comparative study of students' track and field technical performance in sport education and in a direct instruction approach.

This study examined students' technical performances improvements in three track and field events (hurdles, shot put, and long jump) following either a Sport Education season or a Direct Instruction unit. An experienced Physical Education teacher taught two classes totalling 47 sixth-grade students (25 boys and 22 girls, aged between 10 and 13 years old) in 20, 45-minute lessons over 10 weeks. The students' technical performances were analysed and evaluated through systematic observation of videos. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare scores at three time points (pre-test, post-test and retention), and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to examine the differences within each instructional model at each assessment moment, as well as by gender and skill level. The impact of each instructional model in student learning was markedly distinct. While in Sport Education students of both genders and skill levels improved significantly in all events, in Direct Instruction, evidence of significant improvements was limited to boys and students of higher skill level. Key pointsThe impact of each teaching approach in student learning was distinct. While in Sport Education the technical performance improvements spread throughout students of both genders and skill levels, in Direct Instruction significant improvements were exclusive to boys and students of higher skill level.The extended analysis in the current study, taking into account student gender and skill level, permitted a more comprehensive measure of the learning impact of the two approaches. More sophisticated analyses of the tasks and instructional strategies of each approach are encouraged.

The role of education in narrative identity construction of young people: focusing on young adoptees / O papel da educação na construção da identidade narrativa em jovens adultos: focando em jovens adotados

During the period of adolescence, the need arises for the individual construct an identity enabler of a productive interplay with the surrounding world. The process of identity construction embeds the development of a sense of unity and purpose that mediates the equilibrium between the society demands for the individual to fit and the individual's psychological well-being. Throughout this process, the formal school education plays a critical role. The current study examines the role school education held in three adopted youths' construction of narrative identity and search for psychological well-being. Life narratives have been utilized in three case studies with young adopted. The narratives were analysed in reference to the Narrative Matrix Analysis System. All three narratives emphasized the school education period as the chronological benchmark that organized and influenced their identity construction and search for support towards belonging and adapting to the society demands.(AU)

A adolescência é o momento em que surge a necessidade de construção de uma identidade que permita à pessoa uma relação produtiva com o mundo. O processo de construção da identidade está relacionado ao desenvolvimento de um sentido de unidade e de propósito diante das demandas da sociedade e ao sentimento de bem-estar. Neste sentido, a educação formal ocupa um lugar de destaque. O presente estudo examina o papel da educação escolar na construção da identidade narrativa em três jovens adultos com história de adoção. Foram utilizadas narrativas de vida em três estudos de caso com os jovens adotados. As narrativas foram submetidas a uma análise baseada no Sistema de Análise da Matriz Narrativa. As três narrativas enfatizam o papel da escola como referência cronológica, que organiza e influencia a construção das identidades, bem como a busca de pertença a um grupo e adequação às demandas sociais.(AU)