BackgroundThe closing of schools and sports clubs during the COVID-19 lockdown raised questions about the possible impact on children’s motor skill development. Therefore, we compared motor skill development over a one-year period among four different cohorts of primary school children of which two experienced no lockdowns during the study period (control cohorts) and two cohorts experienced one or two lockdowns during the study period (lockdown cohorts).MethodsA total of 992 children from 9 primary schools in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) participated in this study (age 5 – 7; 47.5% boys, 52.5% girls). Their motor skill competence was assessed twice, first in grade 3 (T1) and thereafter in grade 4 (T2). Children in control group 1 and lockdown group 1 were assessed a third time after two years (T3). Motor skill competence was assessed using the 4-Skills Test, which includes 4 components of motor skill: jumping force (locomotion), jumping coordination (coordination), bouncing ball (object control) and standing still (stability). Mixed factorial ANOVA’s were used to analyse our data.ResultsNo significant differences in motor skill development over the study period between the lockdown groups and control groups (p > 0.05) were found, but a difference was found between the two lockdown groups: lockdown group 2 developed significantly better than lockdown group 1 (p = 0.008). While socioeconomic status was an effect modifier, sex and motor ability did not modify the effects of the lockdowns.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 lockdowns in the Netherlands did not negatively affect motor skill development of young children in our study. Due to the complexity of the factors related to the pandemic lockdowns and the dynamic systems involved in motor skill development of children, caution must be taken with drawing general conclusions. Therefore, children’s motor skill development should be closely monitored in the upcoming years and attention should be paid to individual differences.
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The aim of this systematic review was to provide an overview of the effectiveness of fundamental movement skill interventions in young children (2–5 years) and to identify elements that determine the effectiveness of these interventions. A systematic literature search was conducted in four electronic databases (PubMed, Academic Search Complete, Education Resources Information Centre and SPORTDiscus). First, intervention-related data (e.g., intervention length, volume, focus, and content) were extracted. Next, the methodological quality and risk of bias of the selected studies were evaluated using a 10-item checklist. Sixteen studies (13 randomised controlled trials and 3 controlled trials) met the inclusion criteria of which 9 had a high methodological quality. Fourteen studies reported statistically significant intervention effects, ranging from small negative to very strong positive effects. Four studies executed a retention test of which two showed positive effects. Elements that influence the effectiveness are: incorporating all fundamental movement skills in the intervention with a variety of activities; combining deliberate practice and deliberate play; the intervention length; the intervention volume and; providing a training programme with coaching during the intervention for the professional involved in delivering the intervention. However more studies containing retention tests are needed.
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This study examines completion rate for a self-assessment survey designed to assess employees' digital skills levels in the workplace. The aim is to improve data quality by investigating completion of the survey. The study reviews the theoretical background related to self-assessment surveys and completion rate, and explores the influence of survey length and format in survey design on completion rate. The research design and data analysis are described in detail, with a focus on identifying factors that may influence completion rate. Results suggest that survey designers should consider using Likert scales to optimize completion rate and completion time. However, this study did not find a significant increase in completion rate as a result of motivation, which was claimed from the literature. The study concludes with implications for the design and implementation of self-assessment surveys in the workplace, including the importance of reducing length and complexity of survey items and questions.
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This research analyses the current self-reported level of proficiency of environmental skills, the required future level of proficiency, and the gaps between them. Given the increasingly urgent need for the tourism industry to take action to support environmental management practices, this research provides evidence of key environmental skill gaps. Mixed methods research is applied where the sample includes 1404 respondents to a questionnaire and 264 interviewees from senior management of organisations from five tourism sectors (accommodation establishments, food and beverage outlets, destination management organisations, tour operators and travel agents, visitor attractions) in eight European countries. Analysis of variance, t-tests, correlation and cluster analyses, and Pearson Chi-square tests were employed for data analysis. The findings revealed that the country of registration, the size and the tourism sector type influence significantly the current and future proficiency levels of environmental skills, and the gaps between them. Most respondents did not receive environmental skills training. Theoretical, managerial and policy implications are also discussed.
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The closing of schools and sports clubs during theCOVID-19 lockdown raised questions about thepossible impact on children’s motor skilldevelopment. Therefore we compared motorcompetence development over a one-year periodamong four different cohorts of primary schoolchildren. A total of 992 children from 9 primaryschools participated in this study (age 5 – 7; 47,5%boys) and were assessed two times, in grade 3 (T1)and in grade 4 (T2). Children in control group 1 and lockdown group 1 were assessed a third time aftertwo years (T3). Motor competence was measuredusing the 4-Skills Test. The mixed factorial ANOVAwith post hoc tests shows no significant differencesin motor development over the study period betweenthe lockdown groups and control groups (p > 0.05),but does show a difference between the twolockdown groups from T1 to T2 (p = 0.008). Whilesocioeconomic status (SES) was a modifier, sex andmotor ability did not modify the effects of thelockdowns. Our data show that the COVID-19lockdowns in the Netherlands did not generallyaffect motor development of young children. Incontrast, many studies have confirmed clear effectsof the pandemic lockdowns on physicalactivity1,2,3. Our study highlights the complexity ofboth motor skill development and the factors relatedto the pandemic lockdowns. We therefore suggestthat children’s motor skill development should beclosely monitored in the upcoming years.Specifically, we should pay attention to individualdifferences since it is still possible that certainchildren are impacted by the pandemic lockdowns.Moreover, long-term effects might emerge in thefuture.References1. de Sá, C. dos S. C., Pombo, A., Luz, C.,Rodrigues, L. P., & Cordovil, R. (2021). Covid-19social isolation in brazil: effects on the physicalactivity routine of families with children. RevistaPaulista de Pediatria, 39, e2020159.2. Hurter, L., McNarry, M., Stratton, G., &Mackintosh, K. (2022). Back to school afterlockdown: The effect of COVID-19 restrictions onchildren’s device-based physical activity metrics.Journal of Sport and Health Science, 11(4), 530–536.3. Moore, S. A., Faulkner, G., Rhodes, R. E.,Brussoni, M., Chulak-Bozzer, T., Ferguson, L. J.,Mitra, R., O’Reilly, N., Spence, J. C., Vanderloo, L.M., & Tremblay, M. S. (2020). Impact of theCOVID-19 virus outbreak on movement and playbehaviours of Canadian children and youth: Anational survey. International Journal of BehavioralNutrition and Physical Activity, 17(1), 85.
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Objective This study aims to better understand how new future-oriented nursing roles are enacted in a general hospital. Design A learning history, that is, a participatory action-oriented research design to explore and foster organizational learning. Methods Data collection consisted of a (historical) document analysis, the shadowing of differentiated nursing practices (36 h), 22 open interviews, 4 oral history interviews, 2 focus groups and a podcast series (7 h) created with participants. Results The data gathered revealed three important themes regarding enacting new nursing roles: (1) stretching the nature of nursing work, (2) using earlier experiences and (3) collectively tackling taboos. Conclusions Differentiated nursing practices and enacting new nursing roles have long and complex histories. Attempts to differentiate are often met with resistance from within the nursing profession. This study shows how the new role of nurse coordinator was negotiated in nursing teams. With a bottom-up approach focused on collective responsibilities. By acknowledging and reflecting on the past, spaces were enacted in which the role of nurse coordinator became one role, among others, in the delivery of patient care. Impact This study provides an innovative perspective on differentiated nursing practices by focusing on the past, the present and the future. We found that local, situated conditions can be taken as starting points when new nursing roles are enacted. In addition, shifting focus from individual nursing roles to nursing team development, emphasizing collective responsibilities, softens strong (historically) grown emotions and creates spaces in which new roles become negotiable.
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Objective This study aims to better understand how new future-oriented nursing roles are enacted in a general hospital. Design A learning history, that is, a participatory action-oriented research design to explore and foster organizational learning. Methods Data collection consisted of a (historical) document analysis, the shadowing of differentiated nursing practices (36 h), 22 open interviews, 4 oral history interviews, 2 focus groups and a podcast series (7 h) created with participants. Results The data gathered revealed three important themes regarding enacting new nursing roles: (1) stretching the nature of nursing work, (2) using earlier experiences and (3) collectively tackling taboos. Conclusions Differentiated nursing practices and enacting new nursing roles have long and complex histories. Attempts to differentiate are often met with resistance from within the nursing profession. This study shows how the new role of nurse coordinator was negotiated in nursing teams. With a bottom-up approach focused on collective responsibilities. By acknowledging and reflecting on the past, spaces were enacted in which the role of nurse coordinator became one role, among others, in the delivery of patient care. Impact This study provides an innovative perspective on differentiated nursing practices by focusing on the past, the present and the future. We found that local, situated conditions can be taken as starting points when new nursing roles are enacted. In addition, shifting focus from individual nursing roles to nursing team development, emphasizing collective responsibilities, softens strong (historically) grown emotions and creates spaces in which new roles become negotiable. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution.
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There is a wide range of literature suggesting that implicit learning is more effective than explicit learning when acquiring motor skills. However, the acquisition of nursing skills in educational settings continues to rely heavily on detailed protocols and explicit instructions. This study aimed to examine the necessity for comprehensive protocols in the acquisition of nursing skills. In the context of bandaging techniques, three studies were conducted to investigate whether students who practiced with an instruction card containing minimal instructions (implicit group) performed comparably to the students who practiced with a protocol containing step-by-step instructions (explicit group). Study 1 was designed to determine whether both groups performed equally well in applying a bandage during training. Study 2 and 3 were designed to determine if both groups performed equally well during a retention and transfer (multitasking) test, administered after a series of three training sessions. In comparison with the explicit group, the implicit group demonstrated comparable performance with their practice attempts in Study 1 and performed equally well during the retention and transfer test in Study 2. Furthermore, several results from Study 3 indicated better performance of the implicit group. In conclusion, the use of protocols with explicit step-by-step instructions may not be essential for the acquisition of nursing skills. Instead, instructional methods that facilitate implicit learning may be preferable, as students in the implicit group demonstrated at least comparable performance in all studies and tended towards greater consistency when multitasking.
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Purpose As a step toward more firmly establishing factors to promote retention among younger employees in the hospitality industry, this study aims to focuses on fun in the workplace (fun activities, manager support for fun and coworker socializing) and training climate (organizational support, manager support and job support) as potential antecedents of turnover in a European context. Design/methodology/approach Logistic regression was used to analyze the impact of fun and training climate on turnover with a sample of 902 employees from Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands. Data on fun and training climate were obtained through surveys, which were paired with turnover data from organizational records. Findings With respect to fun in the workplace, group-level manager support for fun and coworker socializing were significantly related to turnover, but not fun activities. With respect to training climate, individual-level job support was significantly related to turnover, but not organizational support and manager support. Research limitations/implications As the data were obtained from employees from one organization, further research would be valuable with additional samples to substantiate the generalizability of the results. Practical implications Given the challenge of turnover, organizations should foster informal aspects of fun in the workplace and learning opportunities to promote retention. Originality/value The study examined the fun–turnover relationship in a context outside of the USA where previous fun–turnover research has been conducted, and it examined fun relative to training climate, which has not been studied heretofore. This study also investigated group- and individual-level effects of both fun and training climate on turnover.
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This paper presents a mixed methods study in which 21 first-year student teachers took part that investigated learning outcomes of a modified learning by design task. The study is part of a series of studies that aims to improve student learning, teaching skills and teacher training. Design-based science challenges are reasonably successful project-based approaches for breaking down the boundaries between traditional school subjects. Previous learning outcomes of the extensively studied Learning by Design (LBD) approach demonstrated a strong positive effect on students’ skills. However, compared to traditional classroom settings, LBD provided little or no profit on (scientific) concept learning. For this, according to two preliminary studies, a lack of explicit teaching and scaffolding strategies, both strongly teacher-dependent, bears a share of responsibility. The results of this third study indicate that more emphasis on these strategies indeed strengthens concept learning without reducing positive effects on skill performance.
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