Relation of High Stakes Teacher Evaluation Implementation in Hawaiʻi to Teacher Satisfaction

High-stakes teacher evaluations (HSTEs) in public education influence millions of students and teachers across the U.S. Currently, there is a dearth of published quantitative research that shows the relation of HSTEs to teacher job satisfaction. The purpose of this quasiexperimental quantitative study was to determine if implementation of HSTEs in state of Hawaiʻi as part of the U.S. Department of Education\u27s Race to the Top program initiative was related to teacher job satisfaction in public schools over time. A repeated measures analyses was conducted using archived teacher job satisfaction data from over 200 public schools in Hawaiʻi from 2009 to 2014, including data collected from 2 years before until 2 years after implementation of HSTEs. The theoretical framework used for the study was grounded in Herzberg\u27s 2-factor theory of motivation. It was hypothesized that the implementation of HSTEs may have affected extrinsic hygiene factors such as wages, supervisory practices, and organizational policy relative to intrinsic motivational factors such as work achievement, recognition, and personal growth of teachers working in schools implementing the federal initiative. The most significant study finding was that both overall satisfaction and satisfaction with student achievement increased during the 2011-2012 implementation year and then fell below pre-implementation levels in the 2 years subsequent to implementation of HSTEs. This finding is discussed in the context of an increase in pay for public school teachers in Hawai\u27i during the post-implementation period. The results of this research may promote positive social change by highlighting the need for a focus on potential unintended consequences (i.e., possible negative effects on teacher job satisfaction) of federal education policies associated with HSTE systems

Pengaruh Metode Demonstrasi Terhadap Hasil Belajar Siswa Pada Materi Sistem Koloid

The demonstration method is a method that can make students' attention more focused on what is being taught so that students are more active and do not feel bored in learning. This study aims to see the effect of the demonstration method on student chemistry learning outcomes on colloidal system material at SMA Negeri 1 Tutuyan in the 2020/2021 academic year. This research is a pre-experimental research with one group pretest-posttest design. The population in the study were all students of class XI IPA and the sample taken was class XI IPA MIA 1, totaling 30 people. Testing the hypothesis using the t-test formula at the significant level = 0.05. Based on the data analysis, the value of tcount = 23.90 and ttable = 2.045. The value of tcount > ttable then H1 is accepted and H0 is rejected, so it can be concluded that H1 is accepted, which means there is a significant difference between student learning outcomes on colloidal system material before and after using the demonstration method because there are differences. student learning outcomes. To find out how much the effectiveness of using the demonstration method is continued with the N-Gain test and obtained is 0.76 with high criteria.Metode demonstrasi merupakan metode yang dapat membuat perhatian siswa lebih terfokuskan kepada apa yang diajarkan sehingga siswa lebih aktiv dan tidak merasa bosan dalam belajar. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat pengaruh metode demonstrasi terhadap hasil belajar kimia siswa pada materi sistem koloid di SMA Negeri 1 Tutuyan pada tahun ajaran 2020/2021. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian Pra-eksperimen dengan rancangan penelitian one group pretest-posttest design. Populasi dalam peneitian adalah seluruh siswa kelas XI IPA dan sampel yang diambil yaitu kelas XI IPA MIA 1 yang berjumlah 30 orang. Instrumen penelitian yang digunakan berupa tes pada siswa diawal  dan  diakhir  pembelajaran. Data dianalisis dengan menggunakan rumus t-test untuk menguji hipotesis penelitian, analisis N-Gain untuk  melihat peningkatan dari hasil belajar siswa. Berdasarkan analisis data diperoleh dari nilai pretest rata-rata 49,47 dan posttest rata-rata 87,67. Analisis hasil belajar menunjukkan bahwa hasil belajar kimia siswa pada materi sistem koloid mengalami peningkatan, analisis N-Gain diperoleh yaitu 0,76 dengan kriteria tinggi. Pengujian hipotesis yang menunjukkan bahwa thitung > ttabel , yang berarti bahwa metode demonstrasi dapat memberikan pengaruh terhadap  hasil belajar siswa

Lack of diversity at innate immunity Toll-like receptor genes in the Critically Endangered White winged Flufftail (Sarothrura ayresi)

The White-winged Flufftail (Sarothrura ayresi) population is listed as globally Critically Endangered. White-winged Flufftails are only known to occur, with any regularity, in the high-altitude wetlands of South Africa and Ethiopia. Threats to the species include the limited number of suitable breeding sites in Ethiopia and severe habitat degradation and loss both in Ethiopia and South Africa. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are increasingly being studied in a variety of taxa as a broader approach to determine functional genetic diversity. In this study, we confirm low genetic diversity in the innate immune regions of the White-winged Flufftail similar to that observed in other bird species that have undergone population bottlenecks. Low TLR diversity in White-winged Flufftail indicates that this species is more likely to be threatened by changes to the environment that would potentially expose the species to new diseases. Thus, conservation efforts should be directed towards maintaining pristine habitat for White-winged Flufftail in its current distribution range. To date, no studies on immunogenetic variation in White-winged Flufftail have been conducted and to our knowledge, this is the first study of TLR genetic diversity in a critically endangered species

ANTI-OBESITY EFFECTS OF THE METHANOL EXTRACT OF MOMORDICA FOETIDA (CUCURBITACEAE) IN MALE WISTAR RATS

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of the methanol extract of M. foetida (MEMf) on high fat diet-induced obese male rats. Results: HFD induced an increase (P<0.05) in the body and liver weights and the relative abdominal fat pad of the animals in the experimental groups as compared to those in the normal diet group. Also, HFD in the experimental groups reduced (P<0.05) superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, glutathione levels and increased lipid peroxidation in the liver, heart and kidney as well as altered lipid profile (increased serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDL-C), very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL-C), decreased high-density lipoproteins (HDL-C), increased atherogenic index and coronary risk index), when compared to the normal diet animals. All altered parameters were subsequently normalized when obese rats received either MEMf (50 or100 mg/kg) or the reference drug Atorvastatin. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the potential of MEMf to normalize hyperlipidemia, oxidative stress and animal visceral organ weights increased by HFD in rats. Thus, M. foetida is an interesting medicinal plant that could be exploited as sources of anti-obesity agents