Britain and Latin America: 'Hope in a Time of Change?'

In the first section we propose briefly to look at the history of British-Latin American relations since the 1930s to emphasise what is perhaps common knowledge: the steady decline in the relationship, which reached its lowest point during the war in the South Atlantic in 1982. Although this story has already been told elsewhere, we summarise it here both to provide a backdrop and to illustrate the contrasts with the later period. We will then turn to an examination of the recent signs of revival. Using parliamentary records, some official unpublished documents, newspaper publications, and other secondary material, we will look at the evidence that points to a relative renewal of Anglo-Latin American relationship in the past decade. The last section of the paper will consider the limitations of this revival before speculating about the prospects for the long-term strengthening of British ties with Latin America

A time of change

An investigation of classroom environment factors affecting pupil progress in mathematics during the transition from primary to secondary schoolThe study took place in North East Scotland, a rural area with diverse industries. The sample of pupils selected for the study was from a small group of primary schools associated with three secondary schools. A number of quantitative and qualitative measures were developed to collect data for the study: a number of mathematical tests to determine the mathematical progress made by pupils between Primary 7 and Secondary I; pupil and teacher questionnaires and an observer's schedule. Perceptions from each of these measures were used to 'describe' the classroom environment. The measures were tested through a pilot study and adjustments made for their use in main research study. Formal and informal interviews with teachers and pupils were also used to provide additional depth to classroom profiles.The analysis of the quantitative data enabled pupil progress to be confirmed for most sample pupils. It was also possible to identify small groups of pupils who improved and regressed exceptionally. By focusing on these groups, factors affecting exceptional improvement were highlighted. Some of these factors were linked to primary school experience, for example,teacher interest and pupil method of working. The main classroom environment factors affecting pupil progress were pupil perception of performance and a high level of teacher/pupil interaction. Pupil placement in school attainment groupings (sets) was related to pupil progress, mostly regression. No single factor was associated with exceptional regression. The construction of a number of primary and secondary classroom environment profiles showed the strong impact of a highly positive environment on pupil progress

Andean Land Use And Biodiversity: Humanized Landscapes In A Time Of Change

Some landscapes Cannot be understood without reference., to the kinds. degrees, kinds, degrees, and history of human-caused modifications to the Earth's surface. The tropical latitudes of the Andes represent one such place, with agricultural land-use systems appearing in the Early Holocene. Current land use includes both intensive and extensive grazing and crop- or tree-based agricultural systems found across virtually the, entire range of possible elevations and humidity regimes. Biodiversity found in or adjacent to such humanized landscapes will have been altered in abundance. composition, and distribution in relation to the resiliency of the native Species to harvest, hold cover modifications, and other deliberate or inadvertent human land uses. In addition, the geometries of land cover, resulting flout difference among the shapes, sizes, connectivities, and physical structures of the patches, corridors, and matrices that compose landscape mosaics, will constrain biodiversity, often in predictable ways. This article proposes a conceptual model that alter ins that the Continued persistence of native species may depend as much oil the shifting Of Andean landscape mosaics as on species characteristics, themselves. Furthermore, mountains such as the Andes display long gradients of environmental Conditions that after in relation to latitude, soil moisture, aspect, and elevation. Global environmental change will shift these, especially temperature and humidity regimes along elevational gradients, causing Changes outside the historical range of variation for some species. Both land-use systems and Conservation efforts will need to respond spatially to these shifts in the future, at both landscape and regional scales.Geography and the Environmen

Ministries Examined: Laity, Clergy, Women, and Bishops in a Time of Change

Reviewed Book: Reumann, John Henry Paul. Ministries Examined: Laity, Clergy, Women, and Bishops in a Time of Change. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1987