Purpose: To explore the relationship between social support and adherence to a peer-based program among adolescent girls using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and to explore barriers and facilitators related to physical activity. Methods: Participants (N=13) completed self-reported measures of social support, TPB constructs, adherence to the program, and physical activity behaviour. A one-month follow-up was conducted on all baseline measures. Open-ended questions were used to determine facilitators and barriers to physical activity. Results: At baseline, social support was a significant correlate of subjective norm (r=0.58, p<.05). At post-program, frequency of attending the program with friends (r=0.97, p<.01) was a significant correlate of attendance in the program. Also, social support was a significant correlate of PBC at post-program (r=-0.82, p<.01). Conclusions: A physical activity program targeting peer social support may serve as a viable mechanism for increasing physical activity levels in adolescent girls.

This study examines the relationship between self-efficacy for group work and collective efficacy in terms of participation within a computer supported collaborative environment across two collaborative conditions: (a) structured chat, and (b) unstructured chat. The purpose of this study was (a) to examine the relationship between self and collective efficacy and student participation, and (b) to examine the structure of reciprocal teaching roles, scripts and prompts in moderating the relationship between self-efficacy for group work and collaborative chat participation. Data were collected from 62 grade 10 students assigned to one of the two conditions: (a) structured chat enhanced with specific cognitive roles, scripts and prompts, or (b) unstructured chat enhanced by only a text based chat tool. The participants collaboratively discussed a challenging text in groups of 4 using a text-based chat tool. A relationship was found between self-efficacy and participation where collaborative condition moderated the relationship between efficacy and participation.

Research has established that there are important psychological and educational consequences to the goal orientations that students adopt (Harackiewicz, Barron, Tauer, Carter, & Elliot, 2000). Therefore, it is important to understand the antecedents of such goal orientations, an area that has received little empirical work (Braten & Stromso, 2006; Pintrich & Schunk, 2002). Given this need, and the relevance of depression and anxiety to student learning and well being (Pekrun, Elliot, & Maier, 2006), this study provides important information by examining the relationship between these two domains. Multiple-regression analyses conducted on data collected from 196 post secondary students revealed performance avoid and mastery orientation were significantly predicted by measures of depressive symptoms and perceived academic competence. Different affect and goal patterns were found for males and females, with trait anxiety being a strong predictor of performance avoid orientation for females but not males. There were different affect and goal patterns for students in their first semester and second semester. Predictor variables accounted for significant variance for the spring semester cohort for mastery, performance approach, and performance avoid orientation, but only for mastery orientation with the fall semester cohort. Consilience for the goal orientation constructs, and the suitability of trait versus state anxiety measures are also discussed.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that caffeine ingestion (mostly in the forms of coffee and tea consumption) is prevalent amongst firefighters and yet there is no data on whether this behaviour should be identified, measured, or monitored. PURPOSE: The purpose of this experiment was to determine the physiological and psychophysical effects of caffeine ingestion during repeated bouts of simulated firefighter work. In a randomized, double blind, crossover design, ten healthy males (age 36 ± 9.8 yr, body mass 88.3 ± 5.7 kg, height 182.78 ± 3.9 cm, approximate caffeine use 492.8 ± 318.2 mg/day) completed three 10 min work bouts (WB) at an intensity one work load below ventilatory threshold wearing full Firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) and breathing through a self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) on two different occasions. One hour before exercise each subject ingested either a 6 mg•kg-1 of caffeine (CAFF) or dextrose placebo (PLA), as well as, 500 ml of water. During the work trials, expired gases were sampled for oxygen consumption ( O2), carbon dioxide production ( CO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), minute ventilation ( E), respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume (Vt), and total air consumed (AcVE). Core temperature (Tc), heart rate (HR), oxyhemoglobin saturation (% O2 sat), capillarized blood lactate (BLa), rating of perceived exertion (RPE) (10pt Borg), perceived thermal distress (PTD), and sweat loss were also measured. Physiological strain index (PSI) was calculated from HR and Tc values. Tc was significantly higher in all CAFF WB compared to PLA (37.83 ± 0.08 oC vs. 37.61 ±0.12 oC) (p ≤ 0.05). E and Vt were also significantly increased in CAFF whereas, RPE was significantly decreased (p ≤ 0.05). The elevated Tc values caused an increase in calculated PSI in the CAFF condition during exercise (p ≤ 0.01). CAFF increases in E and Vt also increased AcVE. In conclusion, a caffeine induced elevation in Tc caused increased strain as indicated by calculated PSI during repeated work bouts during exercise below ventilatory threshold wearing full PPE and breathing through an SCBA. Elevated Tc in the CAFF condition likely caused increases in E, Vt and AcVE. Thus, caffeine ingestion may have to be monitored in firefighters during work days.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether recreation is a context for fostering resilience in at risk youth. Five at risk youth were recruited from past relationships with the researcher and with the help of local child-serving agencies. The researcher was also a participant in the inquiry. The youth were selected because they had experienced significant life adversity in their past but were deemed resilient because they had exhibited positive outcomes over a period of time. The research was guided by a Phenomenological paradigm. Two qualitative and one quantitative data collection methods were used. Data collection consisted of the completion of the Protective Factors Scale (PFS) questionnaire, email questionnaire/journaling and personal interview. These were used to capture the full, lived experience of the participants. Results were analyzed using the measurement tool provided with the PFS and NVivo qualitative software. Axial coding was used to identify higher order themes and synthesizing was used to merge stories and experiences. The data revealed five higher order themes that are discussed in detail. Recommendations for future research are presented and implications for practice are discussed.

This study examined the metabolic and thermal responses of 14 firefighters during four repeated work bouts of treadmill exercise in a thermoneutral laboratory, working at an intensity similar to typical firefighting tasks (30-34 ml·kg-1·min-1), while wearing firefighting protective equipment and breathing from a self-contained breathing apparatus. Each work bout consisted of treadmill walking at 93.8 m·min-1 and 8% grade for 8 min followed by 4 min of passive rest. Oxygen consumption remained unchanged between all four work bouts (p>0.05). Ventilation increased significantly (p<0.05) during the first three work bouts from 57.1 (±3.1) to 68.7 (±2.7) L·min-1. Percent heart rate reserve increased significantly (p<0.05) during each work bout, from 76.0 (±1.8) % HRR during the first to 97.2 (±1.1) % HRR during the fourth work bout. Core temperature increased significantly (p<0.05) during each work bout from 36.87 (±0.07) to 38.87 (±0.10) °C from the first to the fourth work bout, as did some of the psychophysiological measures.

The purpose of the study was to observe and document the manner through which eight students from two separate Grade 2 classes combined both syllabic (musical) and prosodic (word) rhythmic composing strategies during an eight week composing unit. Through the triangulation of data collected in the form of a research journal, student compositions, videotapes of composing behaviour, and transcriptions of group student interviews, integrated and music dominated group composing processes emerged, as well as four dominant trends of composing behaviour. First, a dialectical relationship between phrasal development and conception of meter was observed to exist depending upon student choice of composing strategy. Second, the influence of leadership roles was observed to play a dominant role in the determination of group composing process. Third, students exhibited differing modes of rhythmic perception during the assembly and performance stages of composition. Fourth and finally, an ambiguity regarding future preferred composing strategy was noted by students. Implications for education include the integration of cross-curricular (music and language) composing units. Further study of the influence of cooperative learning and student perception of meter within the domain of composition is recommended as children were capable of generating linguistic and musical learning opportunities “from the inside-out.”

This study compared the effects of a non-traditional and a traditional strength training program for adolescents on measures of health-related fitness and physical activity enjoyment (PACES). Male (n = 7) and female (n = 12) adolescents between the ages of 15 and 18 years registered for a community based program and volunteered to participate in the study component. Participants were assigned to a non-traditional training group (n = 10) utilizing kettlebells or a traditional training group (n = 9) utilizing dumbbells. Health-related fitness and PACES were measured at baseline and post-training, with an additional PACES measure at mid-training. Both training groups significantly improved several health-related fitness measures, with the only significant difference between groups being seen in KB swing squats. PACES significantly decreased from baseline to mid-training, and stayed constant from mid- to post-training, for both training groups. There was no significant difference between training groups on physical activity enjoyment.

People with an intellectual disability have high levels of sedentary behaviour (Temple, Frey, & Stanish, 2006) and health conditions associated with inactivity such as cardiovascular disease (Draheim, 2006) and obesity (Rimmer & Yamaki, 2006). Physical activity has been identified as one of the most successful strategies used to decrease these health risks. Four participants with an intellectual disability were recruited from the Special Olympics Athletic Club and participated in a 9-week strength and aerobic exercise program which consisted of a face-to-face program and an at-home component. During the face-to-face program participants took part in an aerobic warm up, strength training using exercise bands, skill development, and games. The strength skills were introduced progressively over the 9-weeks and were analyzed for mastery at the end of each face-to-face session using a procedural task analysis check list. Mastery was reached if participants completed a skill three consecutive times with no prompting. However, once a skill was completed with no more then visual prompting it was added to the at-home component of the program. At the end of each face-to-face session participants planned two additional days per week to exercise in their homes. The at-home component included an interactive exercise DVD that mirrored the strength and aerobics exercises introduced at the face-to-face program. Completion of the planned exercises was confirmed by self-report in log books and conversation with the researcher during prompting telephone calls. Pre and post tests for self-efficacy and a program satisfaction questionnaire were also conducted. Three participants reached mastery for biceps curls and one participant reached mastery for triceps extensions and back leg raises. Three participants completed all six strength exercises and one participant completed four exercise skills with no more than visual prompting. Participants required less prompting as the weeks progressed even with an increase in the number of skill components being tested. Adherence to the at-home component of the program for each participant was: 100%, 94%, 94%, and 28%. A dependent t-test revealed that self-efficacy toward exercise did not significantly increase from pre-test (M = 12.1) to post-test (M = 13.3) t (3) = 2.03, p = .14. These findings suggest that adults with an intellectual disability can acquire exercise band strength skills in a relatively short period of time and some participants are able to utilize these skills consistently at home. Participants in the current study failed to improve their self-efficacy toward exercise; however pre-test self-efficacy scores were quite high.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of selected warm-up protocols (WUP) on forward ice-skating and perception of readiness to perform (RTP). Twenty male Jr. A hockey players (age = 18.7 ± 0.9 yrs; experience = 1.6 ± 1.0 seasons) participated in the study. Participants completed five different conditions: one with no warm-up (NO) performed on the first day and four WUP sessions administered in random order. WUP included: a) complete Hockey Canada WUP (HC), b) Hockey Canada off-ice only WUP (OFF), c) Hockey Canada on-ice only WUP (ON), d) on and off-ice explosive specific WUP (ES). Testing sessions consisted of the WUP followed by 15 minutes of rest after each on and/or off-ice portion. Skating performance (SP) was measured with infra-red timing gates (Brower Timing Systems, Utah, USA) at 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 m. Three maximal trials with three minutes rest between trials were performed and averaged for statistical comparison. Significant SP differences occurred between ES vs. NO and OFF at all distances. Significant SP differences occurred between HC and ON vs. NO and OFF at 4 m and between HC and NO from 2 to 16 m. RTP was determined through a visual analogue scale question posed immediately pre and post- WUP and pre-SP. RTP increased significantly with each WUP while pre-WUP and pre- SP RTP scores were not significantly different across WUP. No correlation between RTP and SP was found.