Avian piscivores: basis for policy.

In Britain, many birds eat fish in fresh waters but only three species, cormorant, red-breasted merganser and goosander, are commonly perceived to present serious problems for freshwater fisheries. Complaints are mainly that cormorants eat large fish and that all three bird species eat so many juvenile fish, that there are subsequently fewer fish to be harvested or angled, but also that persistent predation by birds changes fish behaviour so that they are less 'catchable'. To this end, this report reviews existing information on the current status, foraging ecology, and population biology of the three bird species as background to their potential impact on fisheries. Discusses fish population dynamics within the context of predation effects. Reviews existing experimental evidence for impacts on fish populations and fisheries; and describes current legislation, discusses potential criteria for serious damage to a fishery, and suggests ways forward for NRA policy and research

A small scale study into the effect that text & background colour has on processing and self-correction rates for childrens’ on-screen reading

Pedagogical practices in formal educational settings together with the nature of communication technologies in the media and elsewhere mean that children will encounter on-screen typography and screen-based learning opportunities in both formal school settings and during their daily recreational pursuits. Internationally, there is a lack of research informing what good reading practice might look like when teachers use reading material in a screen-based environment. More specifically, there is a lack of research around best practices for the design of this material for children. Greater understanding of how the colour of text and the colour of background influences the “readability” of these reading materials is required. This research sets out to determine the readability of text and background colours in on-screen books for young readers through discussion of the literature to date, as well as discussion of a small scale study which includes a rate-of-error experiment as well as qualitative feedback to provide greater knowledge of the most positive reading environments for children

High-resolution NMR studies of solid halogenated organic compounds

This thesis is a study of solid halogenated organic compounds by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) in an attempt to extract previously inaccessible information. The first part of the thesis is concerned with three fluorinated steroids, studied by observing (^1)H, (^13)C and (^19)F nuclei. A number of experimental techniques are employed to verify solution-state and solid-state spectral assignments, and spectral anomalies are discussed. Both proton-coupled and proton-decoupled (^19)F solid-state spectra, recorded using specially designed spectrometer hardware, are presented. The huge gain in resolution afforded by the implementation of proton decoupling allows static and MAS spectra to yield previously inaccessible information pertaining to various NMR parameters of the fluorine nuclei. Advantages of (^1)H→(^19)F cross-polarisation experiments over single-pulse experiments are explained and rotational resonance, dipolar dephasing, T(_1), measurement and spin-exchange experiments are presented from which information regarding phenomena such as spin diffusion and polymorphism is gleaned. The second part of the thesis focusses on the topic of residual dipolar coupling, the transfer of quadrupolar effects to spin-1/2 nuclei via dipolar coupling and/or anisotropy m indhect coupling. Unexpected, field-dependent, multiplicities for signals in spectra of spin-1/2 nuclei are observed, which can be used to evaluate certain fundamental NMR parameters including the quadrupolar coupling constant and, m favourable cases, anisotropy in indirect coupling. The phenomenon is comprehensively studied for the (^13)C, (^35,37)Cl and (^13)C, (^79,81)Br spin-pairs in a range of solid halogenated compounds. Coupling to more than one halogen nucleus and long- range (non-bonded) coupling are considered. First-order perturbation, inverse first- order and "exact" theories, that allow the multiplet line positions to be predicted, are introduced and their results are subsequently compared to the experimentally observed the positions. Rapid molecular motion is shown to negate the effects of residual dipolar coupling and the phenomenon is analysed with the aid of NQR measurements

The Effects of using Think-Pair-Share during Guided Reading Lessons

The aim of this research was to describe the effects of Think-Pair-Share strategies, used during Guided Reading lessons, on reading achievement. Think-Pair-Share is a co-operative teaching strategy that includes three components; time for thinking, time for sharing with a partner and time for each pair to share back to a larger group. The use of Think-Pair-Share unites the cognitive and social aspects of learning, promoting the development of thinking and the construction of knowledge. The strategy lends itself to inclusion within Guided Reading lessons, where the focus is on meaningful discussion around text and promotion of the use of comprehension skills and strategies to foster comprehension. The literature review describes the effectiveness of explicit comprehension strategy instruction within the context of small group discussion. Strategies that foster cooperative learning have been successful in developing interpersonal skills, cognitive skills and metacognitive awareness. There is very little research documenting the effects of the use of the Think-Pair-Share strategy. The study took place in a Year 6 classroom with two intervention groups, each containing six children. One group was reading above their chronological age and the other below. Control groups reading at these levels were also used. Three variations of Think-Pair-Share were utilised during the eight week intervention period; Predict-Pair-Share, Image-Pair-Share and Summarise-Pair-Share, and the research centred on the effects of the intervention on reading comprehension. A quasi-experimental design was employed using a pre-test, post-test format and a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures to ascertain the effects. The results confirmed the positive effects of the strategy on reading achievement, especially for those students reading above their chronological age, although an extended period of intervention may have had more significant effects on those reading below. Positive effects on aspects of oral language use, thinking, metacognitive awareness, and the development of reading comprehension strategies were noted with both of the intervention groups. Results have significance for those concerned with implementing effective literacy practice. They demonstrate the versatility of the Think-Pair-Share strategy as a tool to foster conversation, and one that can be adapted to suit the learning focus and the needs of particular groups of students

Exploring the front end of New Zealand curriculum in student teacher education: an example from language and mathematics education.

This paper reports on two components of a collaborative project conducted by members of the language and literacy education, mathematics education and social studies teaching teams at the Faculty of Education, The University of Waikato. The teams decided to research the implications of the front end of The New Zealand Curriculum document [NZC] (Ministry of Education, 2007). The front end of the document includes key competencies and a statement describing each learning area. The language and literacy team chose to explore student teacher understandings of the English essence statement and the way in which that learning area is structured. The mathematics education team explored student teacher understandings of and implications for the "thinking" key competency for the teaching and learning of mathematics. Data were collected through in-class observations and tasks, and the analysis of aspects of student assessment work. The findings highlighted the value of an explicit focus on a particular facet of the NZC along with the challenges student teachers experience in envisaging how this might play out in practice

Grappling with the complexity of the New Zealand Curriculum: Next steps in exploring the NZC in initial teacher education.

Teacher educators in New Zealand are charged with supporting student teachers' understandings of the New Zealand Curriculum document (Ministry of Education, 2007). Integral to this challenge is the need to provide relevant knowledge and understandings that are contextually and pedagogically appropriate (Fullan, 2007; Jasman, 2003). Aspects of the "front end" of the New Zealand Curriculum document such as the vision, principles, values and key competencies along with the learning area statements need to be understood by newly graduated teachers who will be applying this curriculum in their own classrooms. This paper reports on ongoing research investigating and reflecting on student-teacher understandings of these components of the New Zealand curriculum, on completion of three different compulsory papers within the Bachelor of Teaching degree and Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary). Implications for pre-service teacher education and for supporters of provisionally registered teachers are considered

Exploring the beliefs and practices of first year teachers of literacy in New Zealand primary schools

The teaching of literacy presents ongoing and complex challenges for first-year teachers at the primary level as they strive to address the diverse social and cultural backgrounds of their students, the requirements of educational policy and the demands of national assessment regimes. This journey is further complicated by the need to develop pedagogy that promotes discerning use of complex multimodal texts, both print and digital, in order to prepare students for the multiliterate demands of current and future societies. This doctoral thesis provides an in-depth exploration of the journeys of nine beginning teachers as they develop and establish their teaching of literacy practices during their first year of teaching in New Zealand primary classrooms. The participants had all completed the same three-year Bachelor of Teaching degree and secured positions in a diverse range of New Zealand schools. They were fully responsible for the literacy learning of their students in relation to planning, teaching and assessment, while working towards full registration. The study sought to explore how the beliefs and practices of these beginning teachers of literacy changed over the year, and how these were influenced by their initial teacher education programme and the support they received from within the school community. Using interpretive case-study methodology, qualitative data were collected throughout the year, using a combination of semi-structured interviews, digital surveys and observations of guided reading. Video footage from the observations provided the foundation for subsequent participant theorising of their teaching. Participants discussed their beliefs and evolving literacy practices in relation to a range of factors including their pre-service preparation, the mentoring support provided within their schools, the demands of national standards assessment, the socio-cultural backgrounds of their students and the integration of digital technologies. Based on an analysis of the data, involving a co-construction of meaning between the words of the participants and researcher interpretation, I was able to gain an in-depth understanding of the beliefs and practices of each participant as these developed within his/her individual school context. My interpretation of these data was informed by my own background as an initial teacher education and former classroom teacher. Findings suggest that an effective theory-practice balance within initial teacher education programmes, and alignment between literacy education papers and classroom practice, eases the transition into the classroom and enables the successful establishment of initial literacy programmes. As the year progressed, participants’ teaching became more attuned to student needs and more explicit in nature. Professional conversations with more experienced others were found to be essential to facilitate a reflective stance and further developments in teaching. Findings also revealed that while participants were aware of the broad nature of literacy, their reflections on teaching focused predominantly on the teaching of reading and writing. There were strong indications that this was in part conditioned by the national assessment policy mandated at the time of the study. This study has implications for schools in relation to their selection of mentors for beginning teachers and their organisation of ongoing professional learning. The study recommends that both pre-service educators and schools place greater emphasis on literacy across the curriculum, and provide more support for working with the increasingly diverse range of text forms and using of critical literacy approaches

Catering for cultural and linguistic diversity: using teacher created information texts

Teachers in the Pacific region have often signalled the need for more locally produced information texts in both the vernacular and English, to engage their readers with local content and to support literacy development across the curriculum. The Information Text Awareness Project (ITAP), initially informed by the work of Nea Stewart-Dore, has provided a means to address this need through supporting local teachers to write their own information texts. This article reports on the impact of an ITAP workshop carried out in Nadi, Fiji, in 2012. Nine teacher volunteers from the project trialled the use of the texts in their classrooms with positive results in relation to student learning and belief in themselves as writers