Motivation and attitude of preservice elementary teachers toward mathematics : is rural revevant?

This dissertation was a quantitative study with a sample of preservice elementary teachers from four universities in Kentucky. The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice elementary teachers\u27 achievement goal orientations for learning mathematics and the relationship of those goals and their attitudes toward mathematics. A second goal of this study was to explore differences in the types of achievement goals and attitudes between rural preservice elementary teachers and their nonrural counterparts. Self-report instruments were administered to assess the level of three achievement goals – mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoid, and three constructs of attitude – confidence in learning mathematics, usefulness of mathematics, and mathematics as a male domain. The participants also completed a questionnaire designed to determine their rural/nonrural educational background. The sample was divided into four subgroups based on locale: Appalachian rural, other rural, urban, and other nonrural. Results indicated that preservice elementary teachers were significantly higher in mastery goals than in performance goals, and that performance-avoid goals were significantly higher than performance-approach goals. These preservice teachers were also less confident in learning mathematics than a sample of female students pursuing a variety of majors (Eckard, 1995). Mastery goals were weakly to moderately correlated to all three constructs of attitude. A statistically significant difference between the Appalachian rural group and the other nonrural group for confidence in learning mathematics was also found, with the Appalachian rural group displaying less confidence. Furthermore, rural preservice teachers had less confidence and were more likely to view mathematics as a male domain than nonrural preservice elementary teachers. Since mathematics classes are traditionally performance-oriented, the result that preservice elementary teachers are high in mastery goals suggests a mismatch between personal and classroom goals that could result in negative attitudes toward mathematics and the adoption of maladaptive performance-avoid goals. The findings of this study suggest that mathematics educators teaching mathematics content courses for preservice elementary teachers from all locales should create a classroom climate that supports and encourages mastery goals. The characteristic of such a classroom align with the practices suggested by the NTCM Standards (1989, 1991, 2000)

Size and Weight Relationships for the Golden Crab, Chaceon fenneri, and the Red Crab, Chaceon quinquedens, from the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

Carapace length, carapace width, and weight relationships are discussed for the golden crab, Chaceon fenneri, and the red crab, Chaceon quinquedens, from the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Males of both species were significantly larger than females in comparisons of means of all measured parameters. Relationships between carapace length and carapace width, carapace length and weight, and carapace width and weight were similar between Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico populations for both species

Size and Weight Relationships for the Golden Crab, Chaceon fenneri, and the Red Crab, Chaceon quinquedens, from the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

Carapace length, carapace width, and weight relationships are discussed for the golden crab, Chaceon fenneri, and the red crab, Chaceon quinquedens, from the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Males of both species were significantly larger than females in comparisons of means of all measured parameters. Relationships between carapace length and carapace width, carapace length and weight, and carapace width and weight were similar between Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico populations for both species

The health and health behaviours of Australian metropolitan nurses: An exploratory study

Background: Nurses make up the largest component of the health workforce and provide the majority of patient care. Most health education is delivered by nurses, who also serve as healthy living and behavioural role models. Anything that diminishes their health status can impact their credibility as role models, their availability and ability to deliver quality care, and is potentially disadvantageous for the health of the population. Study aims were to investigate nurses\u27 overall health and the presence of chronic disease; to describe nurses\u27 health-related behaviours and to compare them to those of the general population, with both groups matched by age and gender. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive paper-based survey of nurses from two Sydney metropolitan hospitals using established instruments and questions and measurements taken with standardised methods. Results: This nursing sample (n = 381) had a mean age of 39.9 (SD 11.7, range 20-67) years, Most (n = 315; 82.7 %) were female, worked full-time (80.0 %), and were shift workers (93.0 %). The majority (94.0 %) indicated good, very good or excellent health, despite 42.8 % indicating they had chronic disease. The most common risk factors for chronic disease were inadequate vegetable (92.6 %) and fruit intake (80.1 %), overweight and obesity (44.0 %) and risky alcohol intake (34.7 %); health screening behaviours were not ideal. Aside from overweight and obesity, these risk factors were more prevalent in nurses than the equivalent group of the New South Wales population, particularly for risky alcohol intake which was much more common in female nurses and most marked in those aged under 35 years. However, 80 % met the guidelines for physical activity, more than the equivalent group of the New South Wales population. Conclusion: There are early \u27warning signs\u27 concerning the health status of nurses. Despite perceiving current good health, support is required for nurses to prevent future chronic disease, particularly in the areas of nutrition and alcohol intake. With these concerns, the nursing workforce ageing and demands for care increasing, it is now time to implement health enhancing strategies for nurses

Tumors in von Hippel–Lindau Syndrome: From Head to Toe—Comprehensive State-of-the-Art Review

Von Hippel–Lindau syndrome (VHL) is an autosomal-dominant hereditary tumor disease that arises owing to germline mutations in the VHL gene, located on the short arm of chromosome 3. Patients with VHL may develop multiple benign and malignant tumors involving various organ systems, including retinal hemangioblastomas (HBs), central nervous system (CNS) HBs, endolymphatic sac tumors, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, pancreatic cystadenomas, pancreatic cysts, clear cell renal cell carcinomas, renal cysts, pheochromocytomas, paragangliomas, and epididymal and broad ligament cystadenomas. The VHL/hypoxia-inducible factor pathway is believed to play a key role in the pathogenesis of VHL-related tumors. The diagnosis of VHL can be made clinically when the characteristic clinical history and findings have manifested, such as the presence of two or more CNS HBs. Genetic testing for heterozygous germline VHL mutation may also be used to confirm the diagnosis of VHL. Imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and surveillance of patients with VHL. Familiarity with the clinical and imaging manifestations of the various VHL-related tumors is important for early detection and guiding appropriate management. The purpose of this article is to discuss the molecular cytogenetics and clinical manifestations of VHL, review the characteristic multimodality imaging features of the various VHL-related tumors affecting multiple organ systems, and discuss the latest advances in management of VHL, including current recommendations for surveillance and screening

Website management: A course of study for strategic communication students

Strategic communicators are increasingly called upon to evaluate, maintain, and improve websites. Yet, journalism and mass communication schools are not adequately preparing students to assume the role of website manager. This thesis presents evidence of the need for a website management course and offers a solution for professional graduate and upper-level undergraduate students studying public relations, advertising, or marketing.Master of Art

How to Lose a Reader in 10 Pages

Whether you\u27re submitting to an agent, editor, or elf-publishing, no one has to read your writing. The panelists discuss surefire ways to make readers stop reading

Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics in a Therapeutic Preschool: Implications for Work with Children with Complex Neuropsychiatric Problems

The two studies presented examine the use of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics on the social-emotional development and behavior of 28 children participating in a therapeutic preschool program. Results from these studies indicate that the use of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics approach to determine the nature, timing, and “dose” of developmentally appropriate activities and interventions within the context of a therapeutic preschool did improve the social-emotional development of the participating children. Interventions and activities were provided in the context of Filial Play Therapy as part of the therapeutic preschool environment. Six-month and 12-month follow-ups suggest gains in social-emotional development and behavior were retained. Implications for future use are discussed

The mental health of nurses in acute teaching hospital settings: A cross-sectional survey

Background: Nursing is an emotionally demanding profession and deficiencies in nurses\u27 mental wellbeing, characterised by low vitality and common mental disorders, have been linked to low productivity, absenteeism and presenteeism. Part of a larger study of nurses\u27 health, the aim of this paper was to describe the mental health status and related characteristics of nurses working in two acute metropolitan teaching hospitals. Methods: A cross sectional survey design was used. Results: A total of 1215 surveys were distributed with a usable response rate of 382 (31.4%). Altogether 53 nurses (14%) reported a history of mental health disorders, of which n=49 (13%) listed diagnoses of anxiety and/or depression; 22 (6%) were currently taking psychoactive medication. Symptoms that could potentially indicate a mental health issue were more common, with 248 (65.1%) reporting they had experienced symptoms sometimes or often in the last 12month. Conclusion: Nurses and their managers should strive to create workplaces where working practices promote nurses\u27 health and wellbeing, or at least are configured to minimise deleterious effects; where both nurses and their managers are aware of the potential for negative effects on the mental health of the workforce; where cultures are such that this can be discussed openly without fear of stigma or denigration