Special Issue Education Psychology and Education

Japanese elementary teachers’ problem-based learning through online professional development on teaching Japanese language learners in physical education  

Public schools in Japan have become increasingly linguistically, ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse (Furuta et al., 2022). In rural regions, the number of Japanese-national students is declining in schools, and education services are shrinking (Mantanle, 2014) because of the aging population and low birth rate. This has led to serious economic concerns such as a smaller workforce and fewer taxpayers. This means that school districts in Japan will need new immigrant residents who can contribute to the sustainable future of education in Japan. However, in order to adequately serve this new population, Japanese teachers will need to receive training and demonstrate pedagogical knowledge and skills in relation to social justice and diversity, and facilitate inclusive and effective learning opportunities for all students. Our research team conducted two exploratory studies focusing on (a) Japanese elementary school teachers’ positioning in teaching physical education to Japanese language learners (Furuta et al., 2022) and (b) Japanese elementary classroom teachers’ experiences with the involvement of immigrant parents regarding physical education (Tomura et al., 2024a). Based on the findings of these studies, our research team developed online professional development modules for teachers using a problem-solving approach as part of a project funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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Special Issue Environmental Sciences Psychology and Education Sociology

The Effects of Positive and Negative Ions on esports Performance and Arousal Levels Part 2 -Testing Higher Ion Density-

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological effects of higher positive and negative ion conditions on the arousal levels of esports players during a racing game. Participants (10 males) from a collegiate esports team were the participants in the study. The effects of higher concentrations of positive and negative ions were evaluated in a randomized crossover. Each participant performed two experiments four weeks apart; two experimental environments were used: positive and negative ions filling the atmosphere (PNI) condition and a control (CON) condition. A car racing game was employed as the performance task. Arousal was measured by the two-dimensional mood scale (TDMS) and electroencephalogram (EEG). EEG was used to measure arousal. The results showed that the level of arousal in the subjective assessment and the level of arousal in the EEG were significantly higher in the CON condition for PNI. In addition, PNI performed significantly better on the game task than in the CON condition. The present study demonstrated in positive and negative ion environments with higher concentrations than in the previous study, and the results showed higher arousal levels in subjective assessments, indicating that higher concentrations of ionic environments are beneficial for esports players.

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Special Issue Psychology and Education

Practical research on the use of digital pens in high school rugby club activities

Tactics play a crucial role in sports; however, coaching presents various challenges. This study examined the impact of utilizing practice notes created with a digital pen capable of simultaneously recording and playing back both audio and texts/drawings on tactical understanding. The participants were high school rugby team members and coaches. The results of a four-month practical investigation revealed that the learning experiences of tactical understanding in high school rugby teams manifested through four categories: awareness of the difficulty of tactical understanding, exploration of experiential facts, contemplation, and integration into practice. It is speculated that the utilization of the digital pen not only encouraged a deeper understanding of tactics through the formation of a meta-perspective but also led to learning strategies aimed at activating knowledge.

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Special Issue Psychology

Transferability of Multiple Object Tracking Skill Training to Professional Baseball Players’ Hitting Performance

This study aimed to determine the effects of multiple object tracking (MOT) skill training on elite baseball players. Baseball demands athletes to exhibit a high level of dynamic movement and quick and accurate situational judgment in multiple situations, including offense, defense, and base running. However, current research has not clarified whether the effects of MOT skills training are transferable to baseball performance. We investigated whether MOT skill training influenced baseball hitting performance before and after the intervention. Twelve players from a Japanese professional baseball team participated, and the intervention spanned approximately five months. The MOT skills of all players significantly improved (n=12). Additionally, we assessed the changes in hitting performance following MOT skill training. The results revealed a significant trend toward an improvement in the zone contact rate, zone swing strike rate, and outside swing strike rate in the breaking ball condition, such as the curveball and slider, indicating a large effect size (n=6). Further research across various competition levels is necessary to explore the transfer effects of MOT training on baseball-specific parameters.

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Special Issue Psychology and Education

Visualization of Motion Image by Humanoid Input Device for Shooting Motion in Basketball and Its Effectiveness

The use of imagery is effective for the acquisition of sports movements. However, the details of recalled images have not yet been clarified. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to visualize the image of a basketball shooting motion using a humanoid input device. We also aimed to clarify the effects of such visualizations on the formation of the players’ movement images and the understanding of their movement skills. Six elite female athletes belonging to a professional team and six high-school female athletes who had participated in national tournaments were selected as participants, and motion images were created using a humanoid input device. The results of the analysis indicated that the detailed reproducibility of the motion images and the relationship between the individual movements and the whole movement differed according to the proficiency level of the shooting movement. In addition, it was suggested that in the acquisition of the shooting motion, the promotion of metacognitive activities for one's own motion enhances the analytical and individual sensory understanding of the motion, as well as the formation of an image that relates the whole motion.

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Technical Article Education Electrical and Electronic Engineering Information Sciences Interdisciplinary Sciences

Possibility of regional revitalization by students’ IT

Recently, the number of students who can develop applications that can actually be used has increased. We thought that this power could be used for regional revitalization, we tried to connect the students and the region. As a result, we were able to create some interesting applications, some of which have become widely used in practice. For students, before going out to society, they can work on practical application development and know what kind of ingenuity is necessary to get them to actually use it. Although quality is not necessarily guaranteed in rural areas, the possibility of using the latest AI technology at a short development time and at a low cost was shown.

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Article Psychology

Changing weight perception using augmented reality

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that renders computer-generated (CG) images onto the physical world in real time. To establish technology to alter weight perception using CG images in an AR environment, we investigated whether the size of virtual objects superimposed on a physical object would affect perceived heaviness. Participants (n = 22) wore a head-mounted display with a stereo camera and observed an object overlaid with a CG image. They lifted the object vertically and rated its subjective heaviness. We found that the virtually smaller object was perceived to be heavier than the virtually larger object among a large share of participants, indicating that a well-known phenomenon, the size-weight illusion (SWI), occurred. The SWI did not occur when the virtual size became larger or smaller after movement to reach the object was initiated. Our results suggest that presenting virtual objects in an AR environment effectively altered weight perception.

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Article Business & Management Economics Education Others Psychology

The Effect of Auditory Stimulation on College Sports Team and University Identification of Media Spectators: Focusing on the Presence or Absence of Live Play-by-Play Announcements and Commentary

This study aimed to determine how college sports team identifications and university identifications of college sports media viewers differ depending on the presence or absence of live play-by-play announcements and commentary. The participants in the experiment were 115 students from University A. A screening survey was conducted to confirm that these were essential attributes, resulting in 58 and 57 participants in the groups with commentary and without commentary, respectively. We conducted an Internet survey with these two groups of experimental participants before and after watching videos of the games. The results showed that only the group with commentary demonstrated improvements in the "public evaluation" of the college sports team and university identification (College sports team: F (1, 113) = 5.28, p < .05; University: F (1, 113) = 5.28, p < .05).

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Secondary Publication Business & Management Economics

Nature Versus Artifact Body II:Sollen, Central Dualism, and Chameleon Criteria

Contrary to Wiener’s work, the subject of Sein and Sollen in “nature versus artifact bodies” was logically re-examined using a white-box (pair-matrix) approach and formalized on pair-map (microcosm) under closed-earth versus smart-world conditions. This body science and Sollen of 3M&I variety (pair-map) would be probably developed at the type of ternary SW, which resembles the Eastern danshari concept, and is likely due to the motion–energy dualism under Newton’s laws (analog type), or equivalently, the amount–value dualism under Matsui’s law and dualism (discrete type). For this body’s central dualism, a pair map (rotational phase) was characterized in 1983 based on the microcosm of cross-ellipse images in a matrix of input–output pairs. At the paper, this field theory is physically formulated, solving the pair matrix, ternary SW and its central dynamism in a body of input-output. The observed underlying condensed structure (time model), and the internalized (embedded) dynamism (fractal and wave motion equations), are numerically clarified based on the expansion of the corporate-producing entity pair maps in Matsui’s theory. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the center of the pair-map hyperplane corresponds to a black hole (manifesting in the form of a conical dip that warps spacetime), collapsing the artifact bodies. Finally, interesting issues and findings are reported regarding the central dualism, progressive physics and chameleon criteria (medium), and are related to pair-map.

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Article Education Psychology

Creating a scale for measuring non-cognitive abilities developed through sports for elementary school students

The purpose of this study was to create a scale to measure non-cognitive skills that can be developed through sport. To begin, a draft of a non-cognitive ability measurement scale was developed based on previous research. A preliminary survey of 346 elementary school students (318 males and 28 females, mean age 8.90 ± 1.76 years) was conducted, and a preliminary scale was created using exploratory factor analysis. A subsequent main survey was conducted with 1171 elementary school students (1025 males and 146 females, mean age 8.77 ± 1.73). In the present study, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability testing using cronbach's alpha, and structural validity of the entire scale were examined using structural analysis of covariance. Furthermore, theoretical interpretations were also taken into account, and finally, a non-cognitive ability measurement scale that can be developed through sports for elementary school students was created, consisting of 50 items with 5 factors: "self-management," "problem-solving," "cooperativeness," "leadership," and "greetings/polite".

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