Teacher efficacy in primary schools : a survey of three selected schools in the Western Cape, South Africa

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-90).This study investigates the concept of teacher efficacy which has its origin in Bandura's (1977) self efficacy theory, which is examined in his social cognitive theory. Teacher efficacy beliefs (individual) which are hypothesized as the "beliefs in one's capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments" (Bandura, 1997:3) with the different dimensions which underpin this concept are examined. Since this study also wanted to establish the efficacy levels of the schools as a unit, the concept of collective efficacy was explored. The purpose of this research is two-fold. Firstly, the aim is to construct a better understanding of the conceptual underpinnings of teacher efficacy, and secondly, it aims to measure and compare teachers' levels of efficacy in three selected schools. The selection of these schools for this study was based on the results these schools obtained in the Literacy and Numeracy Systemic Evaluations conducted by the Provincial and National Departments of Education. The rationale is to determine whether or not a relation exists between teachers' levels of efficacy, and by extension whether or not it influences what they do in their classrooms and their learners' achievements. Tschannen-Moran et al's (1998) original 31-item instrument probing the aspects of teacher efficacy was used to measure (individual) teacher efficacy, and Tschannen- Moran and Ban's (2004) instrument, The Collective Teacher Belief Scale, was used to measure and determine the schools' collective sense of efficacy. The research showed a relationship between teachers' levels of efficacy, what they do in their classrooms and their schools and by extension their learners' achievement. Although the causal mechanism of this relationship was not established, nor was it part of the study, the research confirms that even though teachers' sense of efficacy is not necessarily homogeneous across the various types of tasks they are asked to perform, each of the aspects of teacher efficacy is positively related to teachers' levels of confidence about their capabilities at each of the three schools. At the schools where teachers seem to be positively inclined and more efficacious, the results are better, while the converse is applicable at the school where the propensity towards negativity is more prevalent. What is also clear is that the beliefs teachers have about their abilities (teacher self efficacy), influences their persistence when things do not go smoothly, and that ultimately this affects the learners

Postnatal development and control of the pulmonary surfactant system in the tammar wallaby Macropus eugenii

© The Company of BiologistsMarsupials are born at an early stage of development and are adapted for future development inside the pouch. Whether the pulmonary surfactant system is fully established at this altricial stage is unknown. This study correlates the presence of surfactant proteins (SP-A, SP-B and SP-D), using immunohistochemistry, with the ex-utero development of the lung in the tammar wallaby Macropus eugenii and also investigates the control of phosphatidylcholine (PC) secretion from developing alveolar type II cells. All three surfactant proteins were found at the site of gas exchange in the lungs of joeys at all ages, even at birth when the lungs are in the early stages of the terminal air-sac phase. Co-cultures of alveolar type II cells and fibroblasts were isolated from the lungs of 30- and 70-day-old joeys and incubated with the hormones dexamethasone (10 µmol l–1), prolactin (1 µmol l–1) or triiodothyronine (100 µmol l–1) or with the autonomic secretagogues isoproterenol (100 µmol l–1) or carbamylcholine chloride (100 µmol l–1). Basal secretion of PC was greater at 30 days of age than at 70 days. Co-cultures responded to all five agonists at 30 days of age, but only the autonomic secretagogues caused a significant increase in PC secretion at 70 days of age. This demonstrates that, as the cells mature, their activity and responsiveness are reduced. The presence of the surfactant proteins at the site of gas exchange at birth suggests that the system is fully functional. It appears that surfactant development is coupled with the terminal air-sac phase of lung development rather than with birth, the length of gestation or the onset of air-breathing.Natalie J. Miller, Sandra Orgeig, Christopher B. Daniels and Russell V. Baudinett

German Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): Reliability, Validity, and Cross-Informant Agreement in a Clinical Sample

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The psychometric properties and cross-informant agreement of a German translation of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) were assessed in a clinical sample</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>102 children and adolescents in outpatient psychotherapy and their parents filled out the SCARED and Youth Self Report/Child Behaviour Checklist (YSR/CBCL).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The German SCARED showed good internal consistency for both parent and self-report version, and proved to be convergently and discriminantly valid when compared with YSR/CBCL scales. Cross-informant agreement was moderate with children reporting both a larger number as well as higher severity of anxiety symptoms than their parents.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In conclusion, the German SCARED is a valid and reliable anxiety scale and may be used in a clinical setting</p

The pulmonary surfactant system matures upon pipping in the freshwater turtle Chelydra serpentina

© The Company of BiologistsPulmonary surfactant (PS), a mixture of phospholipids (PL), neutral lipids and surfactant proteins (SP), lowers surface tension within the lung, which increases lung compliance and improves the removal of fluid at birth. Here, we have examined the expression of thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) and the surfactant protein SP-B, and also the composition of pulmonary surfactant lipids in the developing lung of the turtle Chelydra serpentina. Lavage and lung tissue were collected from late embryonic, pipped and hatchling turtles. TTF-1, a regulator of gene expression of surfactant proteins and cell differentiation in mammals, was detected using immunohistochemistry in epithelia of the gas-exchange area and conducting airways during late development. Expression declined in hatchlings. SP-B was detected in subsets of cells within the respiratory epithelium at all stages sampled. The same cell types also stained for TTF-1. Turtle surfactant lipids matured toward the end of incubation. Maximal secretion of both total phospholipids and disaturated phospholipid (DSP) occurred at the time of pipping, coincident with the onset of breathing. The DSP/PL ratio increased after pipping, whereas cholesterol levels (Chol) increased prior to pipping. This resulted in a decrease in the Chol/PL and Chol/DSP ratios after pipping. Thus, TTF-1 and SP-B appear to be highly conserved within the vertebrates. Maturation of surfactant phospholipid content occurred with the commencement of pulmonary ventilation.Sonya D. Johnston, Christopher B. Daniels, David Cenzato, Jeffrey A. Whitsett and Sandra Orgei

Vegetarian Menu Substitution Practices and Nutrition Professionals' Involvement in the Foodservice Operations of Urban Kansas Childcare Centers

Methods: An online questionnaire was sent to 155 urban Kansas childcare centers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Initial survey distribution occurred on March 7, 2020, and responses were collected through August 2020. Results: Representatives from (N=85) childcare centers answered the survey, resulting in a response rate of 54.8%. When asked how frequently a vegetarian alternative was offered in lieu of the standard meal, 32.9% (n=28) answered “1-2 times/week”, 3.5% (n=3) answered “three times/week”, 15.3% (n=13) answered “four-five times/week”, and 41.2% (n=35) indicated they “never provide a vegetarian alternative”. Multiple centers reported routinely serving a vegetarian meal as the main meal center wide. One in four respondents (n=21) was unsure if vegetarian meals could qualify for CACFP reimbursement. When asked to indicate the credentials of the individuals involved in their centers’ menu process and/or foodservice operations, the most frequently cited credentials were the CACFP Child Nutrition Professional (CCNP), the CACFP Management Professional (CMP), and the School Nutrition Specialist (SNS) credentials which accounted for (n=11), (n=7), and (n=5) responses respectively. Over a third of the centers (36.4%, n=31) reported that their menus were written by the owner or an operations team member, and only 5.9% (n=5) reported menus being written by a dietitian/nutritionist. Application To Child Nutrition Professionals: The majority of the centers provided a vegetarian alternative at least once a week. However, the lack of confidence surrounding CACFP reimbursement for vegetarian meals highlights an important knowledge gap. In addition, many of the centers’ menus were written by the owner or an operations team member suggesting an underutilization of the expertise nutrition professionals have to offer

Antioxidant enzymes in the developing lungs of egg-laying and metamorphosing vertebrates

© The Company of BiologistsThe activities of the pulmonary antioxidant enzymes (AOE), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase, increase in the final 10–20 % of gestation in the mammalian lung, to protect the lung from attack by increasing levels of reactive oxygen species at birth. Whether the increase occurs as a normal ‘preparation for birth’, i.e. by a genetically determined mechanism, or in response to increased levels of oxygen, i.e. in response to the environment, is not completely understood. We examined the activities of catalase, SOD and GPx in the developing lungs of two oviparous vertebrate species, the chicken (Gallus gallus) and an agamid lizard (Pogona vitticeps), and in a metamorphosing vertebrate, the anuran Limnodynastes terraereginae. During in ovo development embryos come into contact with higher levels of environmental oxygen, and at a much earlier stage of development, compared with the intrauterine development of mammals. Furthermore, in metamorphosing frogs, the lungs are inflated at an early stage to aid in buoyancy, although the gas-exchange function only develops much later upon final metamorphosis. Here, we hypothesise that the activity of the AOE will be elevated relatively much earlier during development in both oviparous and metamorphosing vertebrates. We also examined the effect of mild hypoxia (17 % oxygen) on the development of the pulmonary AOE in the chicken, to test the hypothesis that these enzymes are responsive to environmental oxygen. In the normoxic lung of both Gallus gallus and Pogona vitticeps, catalase and GPx activities were significantly increased in late incubation, whereas SOD activity decreased in late incubation. Catalase and SOD activities were virtually identical in hypoxic and normoxic embryos of the chicken, but GPx activity was significantly affected by hypoxia. In the developing frog, the activities of all enzymes were high at stage 30, demonstrating that the system is active before the lung displays any significant gas-exchange function. SOD and GPx activity did not increase further with development. Catalase activity increased after stage 40, presumably correlating with an increase in air-breathing. In summary, catalase expression in the two oviparous vertebrates appears to be completely under genetic control as the activity of this enzyme does not change in response to changes in oxygen tension. However, in tadpoles, catalase may be responsive to environmental oxygen. SOD also appears to follow a largely genetically determined program in all species. Under normoxic conditions, GPx appears to follow a genetically determined developmental pattern, but this enzyme demonstrated the largest capacity to respond to environmental oxygen fluctuations. In conclusion, it appears that the AOE are differentially regulated. Furthermore, the AOE in the different species appear to have evolved different levels of dependency on environmental variables. Finally, the late developmental increase in AOE activity seen in mammals is not as pronounced in oviparous and metamorphosing vertebrates.Adam P. Starrs, Sandra Orgeig, Christopher B. Daniels, Margaret Davies and Olga V. Lopatk

The Nutritional Adequacy and Diet Quality of Vegetarian Menu Substitutions in Urban Kansas Childcare Centers

While plant-based eating has become increasingly popular, little is known of how this trend has impacted childcare center meals. The purpose of this study was to measure the nutrient content and diet quality of vegetarian alternative lunches and compare these measures to those of standard childcare lunches and nutrient benchmarks representing one-third of the Dietary Reference Intake for 3-year-olds and 4–5-year-olds. Menu data were obtained from seven urban Kansas childcare centers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and regularly providing a vegetarian alternative lunch. The centers provided detailed menu information for 27 days’ worth of meals. The most common vegetarian substitution was cheese, which was used to fulfill all or part of the meat/meat alternative requirement in over three-quarters of the vegetarian alternative meals (n = 22). Compared to the standard meals, the vegetarian alternative meals were higher in calories, fat, saturated fat, calcium, and sodium and lower in protein, choline, and diet quality (p = 0.05). Both lunch options met the benchmarks for vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12, calcium, and protein. Iron content for both (95% CI: standard 1.61–2.17 mg; vegetarian 1.37–2.7 mg) was below the benchmark. Although additional research is needed to better understand how vegetarianism has impacted childcare meals in the U.S., important differences in the nutrient contents were observed between the standard and vegetarian alternative meals. In addition, the results suggest vegetarian alternative meals that rely heavily on cheese may be of lower diet quality

The effect of alterations in activity and body temperature on the pulmonary surfactant system in the lesser long-eared bat Nyctophilus geoffroyi

Pulmonary surfactant is a mixture of phospholipids, neutral lipids and proteins that controls the surface tension of the fluid lining the lung. It is critical for lung stability and function. The amount and composition of surfactant are influenced by physiological variables such as metabolic rate, body temperature and ventilation. We investigated the plasticity of the pulmonary surfactant system in the microchiropteran bat Nyctophilus geoffroyi throughout a natural 24 h cycle. Bats were housed at 24 degrees C on a fixed (8 h:16 h) light:dark photoperiod. At 4 h intervals throughout the 24 h period, bats were lavaged and the surfactant analysed for absolute and relative amounts of total phospholipid (PL), disaturated phospholipid (DSP) and cholesterol (Chol). N. geoffroyi experienced two peaks of activity, at 18:00 h and 06:00 h. The amount of surfactant increased 1.5-fold upon arousal from torpor. The proportion of DSP to PL in the surfactant remained constant. Similarly, the Chol/PL and Chol/DSP ratios remained relatively constant. Surfactant cholesterol content did not increase during torpor in N. geoffroyi. Cholesterol does not appear to control surfactant fluidity during torpor in these bats, but instead the cholesterol content exactly mirrored the diurnal changes in body temperature.Nicola C. Slocombe, Jonathan R. Codd, Philip G. Wood, Sandra Orgeig and Christopher B. Daniel

Updating the case studies of the political economy of science granting councils in sub-saharan Africa : national case study report of Senegal

This report highlights issues in Senegal with regard to science granting councils. Policy makers and politicians need to complete the formulation and adoption of the anticipated national science, technology and innovation (STI) policy, and to further emphasise the role of STI for socioeconomic development and transformation. Efforts are needed in articulating specific goals and allocation of funding. As it stands, the majority of funding for research (STI and R&D) is from the government. The number of researchers has increased in 2020 to 22,185 compared to 14,335 in 2017. However, the number of full-time researchers remains small

Updating the case studies of the political economy of science granting councils in sub-saharan Africa : national case study report of Kenya

Government funds are currently directed towards supporting priority sectors: health, food security, housing and manufacturing, with insufficient grants for research. Science, technology and innovation (STI) funding is provided in a patchy manner such that everyone competes for available resources. The absence of strong linkages between learning institutions, research institutions and the industry/private sector has been a recurrent problem in Kenya. This country study finds that private sector funding remains low; a new model for STI funding is called for. Specifically, there is a need to de-link education funding from funding for STI at the Ministry level