Problems Faced by Secondary Technology Education Novice and Veteran Teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges faced by secondary technology education (TE) teachers in Illinois. Specifically, the study sought to identify and categorize a list of challenges encountered during their first years in the TE profession as well as challenges that veteran TE teachers are facing in their current teaching assignment. Seventy-three TE teachers completed an online questionnaire. Twenty-six challenges were identified and of the top five challenges, only three, equipment, funding, and understanding what TE is were identified as a continuous challenge at each career stage. Knowing the challenges identified by TE teachers at different career stages can assist school administration and TE professionals in providing specific support to address these problematic areas in efforts to improve retention rates among TE teachers

Challenges for Beginning Secondary Technology Education Teachers

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe challenges faced by beginning technology education (TE) teachers in [state]. Background: The highest attrition rates are among beginning teachers and with a continued shortage of TE teachers, identifying the problems new teachers encounter need to be identified for retention and the sustainability of the TE profession. Method: A qualitative research design using an online questionnaire was completed by 27 [state] TE teachers who had taught four or fewer years. Results: Qualitative analysis revealed four themes: facility management, student management, external relations, and instruction management. Each theme contained subthemes; the predominant subthemes were equipment and funding. Conclusions: By adequately preparing TE teachers at the pre-service and entry levels to handle potential problems, the profession can increase job satisfaction and reduce teacher attrition in efforts to eradicate the TE teacher national shortage. Application: Implications for TE teacher education programs, administration, and professional development are discussed

Experiential Learning Curricular Development Model for Stimulating Student Interest in Green Collar Careers

Green jobs are in high demand, yet there is lack of a trained workforce for the green industries. Early exposure to green careers can stimulate future employment interest among students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an experiential learning unit of instruction designed to expose students to and develop knowledge about the green collar workforce. The study used a mixed method research design. A purposive sample of 101 (n=101) secondary students in career development type classes were given a pre-test, treatment, and post-test that involved both quantitative and qualitative responses. The findings revealed that the developed curriculum did increase student awareness of, and knowledge about the green collar workforce. Educators interested in career guidance and work force preparation may adopt the curriculum examined, or choose to develop their own based off the same experiential learning theory principles used in the development of the green collar workforce curriculum

Retrotransposition-Competent Human LINE-1 Induces Apoptosis in Cancer Cells With Intact p53

Retrotransposition of human LINE-1 (L1) element, a major representative non-LTR retrotransposon in the human genome, is known to be a source of insertional mutagenesis. However, nothing is known about effects of L1 retrotransposition on cell growth and differentiation. To investigate the potential for such biological effects and the impact that human L1 retrotransposition has upon cancer cell growth, we examined a panel of human L1 transformed cell lines following a complete retrotransposition process. The results demonstrated that transposition of L1 leads to the activation of the p53-mediated apoptotic pathway in human cancer cells that possess a wild-type p53. In addition, we found that inactivation of p53 in cells, where L1 was undergoing retrotransposition, inhibited the induction of apoptosis. This suggests an association between active retrotransposition and a competent p53 response in which induction of apoptosis is a major outcome. These data are consistent with a model in which human retrotransposition is sensed by the cell as a “genetic damaging event” and that massive retrotransposition triggers signaling pathways resulting in apoptosis

A Sr-Rich Star on the Main Sequence of Omega Centauri

Abundance ratios relative to iron for carbon, nitrogen, strontium and barium are presented for a metal-rich main sequence star ([Fe/H]=--0.74) in the globular cluster omega Centauri. This star, designated 2015448, shows depleted carbon and solar nitrogen, but more interestingly, shows an enhanced abundance ratio of strontium [Sr/Fe] ~ 1.6 dex, while the barium abundance ratio is [Ba/Fe]<0.6 dex. At this metallicity one usually sees strontium and barium abundance ratios that are roughly equal. Possible formation scenarios of this peculiar object are considered.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. Accepted to ApJ