title: Can you feel the pressure? Examining the effects of anxiety in elite netball shooters

authors: Tong, Georgia Terri

abstract: Netball is an increasingly popular sport for women in New Zealand, with the national league competition being fully professional. One important skill within netball is goal shooting, as the goal volume and accuracy ultimately decides the outcome of the game. Therefore, it is critical that shooters are able to perform this task well under pressure. The first part of this thesis reviews the literature on the effects of anxiety on sport performance. The second part of this thesis includes two studies. The first study, Study A (Chapter 2), was an observational, retrospective analysis of performance of 15 shooters in the top New Zealand competition at different score-lines and time points throughout netball games. The analysis showed that when one and two goals ahead, as well as other specific time points such as first shot of the quarter, the shooters shot significantly worse than the individual mean accuracy, but when three or four goals ahead the opposite effect occurred, a performance decrease. The fluctuation in performance demonstrated the possible influence of anxiety and individual differences on performance under pressure, along with the need to examine performance under pressure in a controlled setting in elite netball shooters. The second study, Study B (Chapter 3), was an experimental study designed to investigate the anxiety-performance relationship in elite netball athletes. Eleven elite netball shooters performed 100 shots at goal under four conditions: high-pressure defender present, high-pressure defender absent, low-pressure defender present, and low-pressure defender absent. Increased perceived anxiety, heart rate and task completion time occurred in the high-pressure conditions; however trait anxiety, concentration disruption in particular, predicted performance under low-pressure but not high-pressure conditions. In conclusion, the outcomes of these studies demonstrate that performance fluctuation occurs under pressure and that there may be individual differences in performance under pressure. The need for greater investigation of anxiety induced by high-pressure in elite professional netballers is apparent.

text: Can you feel the pressure? Examining the effects of anxiety in elite netball shooters Netball is an increasingly popular sport for women in New Zealand, with the national league competition being fully professional. One important skill within netball is goal shooting, as the goal volume and accuracy ultimately decides the outcome of the game. Therefore, it is critical that shooters are able to perform this task well under pressure. The first part of this thesis reviews the literature on the effects of anxiety on sport performance. The second part of this thesis includes two studies. The first study, Study A (Chapter 2), was an observational, retrospective analysis of performance of 15 shooters in the top New Zealand competition at different score-lines and time points throughout netball games. The analysis showed that when one and two goals ahead, as well as other specific time points such as first shot of the quarter, the shooters shot significantly worse than the individual mean accuracy, but when three or four goals ahead the opposite effect occurred, a performance decrease. The fluctuation in performance demonstrated the possible influence of anxiety and individual differences on performance under pressure, along with the need to examine performance under pressure in a controlled setting in elite netball shooters. The second study, Study B (Chapter 3), was an experimental study designed to investigate the anxiety-performance relationship in elite netball athletes. Eleven elite netball shooters performed 100 shots at goal under four conditions: high-pressure defender present, high-pressure defender absent, low-pressure defender present, and low-pressure defender absent. Increased perceived anxiety, heart rate and task completion time occurred in the high-pressure conditions; however trait anxiety, concentration disruption in particular, predicted performance under low-pressure but not high-pressure conditions. In conclusion, the outcomes of these studies demonstrate that performance fluctuation occurs under pressure and that there may be individual differences in performance under pressure. The need for greater investigation of anxiety induced by high-pressure in elite professional netballers is apparent.

year: 2019

title: Epilogue: Implications arising from a national research project on higher education science and engineering learning communities

authors: Coll, Richard K.

abstract: This final paper in this special issue of Research in Science & Technological Education on higher education science and engineering learning communities seeks to summarize the key findings from the project. The research reported in this special issue provides insights into the nature of learning communities for science and engineering higher education students and staff. A particular feature of this project was the involvement of lecturers and tutors who were part of the teaching staff in New Zealand’s higher education. As noted earlier (Coll 2008), these staff were an integral part of the study – being members of the learning communities investigated and thus, acting as ‘insiders’, they provide a unique insight into the nature of these learning communities. In brief, the study sought to detail the nature of higher education science and engineering learning communities, and to understand how these communities differ for teachers and learners at different educational levels, all viewed through a sociocultural lens.
Here, we summarise the findings for the study as a whole, and consider the implications of this work for the teaching and learning of science and engineering in higher education.

text: Epilogue: Implications arising from a national research project on higher education science and engineering learning communities This final paper in this special issue of Research in Science & Technological Education on higher education science and engineering learning communities seeks to summarize the key findings from the project. The research reported in this special issue provides insights into the nature of learning communities for science and engineering higher education students and staff. A particular feature of this project was the involvement of lecturers and tutors who were part of the teaching staff in New Zealand’s higher education. As noted earlier (Coll 2008), these staff were an integral part of the study – being members of the learning communities investigated and thus, acting as ‘insiders’, they provide a unique insight into the nature of these learning communities. In brief, the study sought to detail the nature of higher education science and engineering learning communities, and to understand how these communities differ for teachers and learners at different educational levels, all viewed through a sociocultural lens.
Here, we summarise the findings for the study as a whole, and consider the implications of this work for the teaching and learning of science and engineering in higher education.

year: 2008

title: “I learned quite a lot of the Maths stuff now that I think of it”: Māori Medium Students reflecting on their Initial Teacher Education

authors: Hawera, Ngārewa

subjects: initial teacher education

abstract: Research involving preservice or initial teacher education (ITE) indicates that mathematics education is a vital component of study. Little is known however, of indigenous student views of their compulsory mathematics education courses for a teaching degree. This research contributes to that knowledge space as it explores Māori medium ITE students’ perceptions of mathematics education in Aotearoa New Zealand. A thematic and qualitative analysis of a focused group discussion provides insights into key factors that students reported as significant links between their university and practicum experiences (teaching practice in schools). Some suggestions for strengthening that programme were also expressed. Findings indicate that factors linked to teacher ‘cultural competencies’, including an ethic of care, respectful relationships, revision of content knowledge, language learning, assessment practices, exposure to different ideas and planning and pedagogy were important. Navigating student-mentor teacher tensions as well as clarifying the significance of ideas in texts were highlighted as areas for strengthening. Mathematics educators preparing students for indigenous primary school settings may find this study useful.

text: “I learned quite a lot of the Maths stuff now that I think of it”: Māori Medium Students reflecting on their Initial Teacher Education Research involving preservice or initial teacher education (ITE) indicates that mathematics education is a vital component of study. Little is known however, of indigenous student views of their compulsory mathematics education courses for a teaching degree. This research contributes to that knowledge space as it explores Māori medium ITE students’ perceptions of mathematics education in Aotearoa New Zealand. A thematic and qualitative analysis of a focused group discussion provides insights into key factors that students reported as significant links between their university and practicum experiences (teaching practice in schools). Some suggestions for strengthening that programme were also expressed. Findings indicate that factors linked to teacher ‘cultural competencies’, including an ethic of care, respectful relationships, revision of content knowledge, language learning, assessment practices, exposure to different ideas and planning and pedagogy were important. Navigating student-mentor teacher tensions as well as clarifying the significance of ideas in texts were highlighted as areas for strengthening. Mathematics educators preparing students for indigenous primary school settings may find this study useful.

year: 2017