Exploring TPACK among pre-service teachers in Australia and Israel

The ubiquitous nature of technology in the world has not yet translated into the ubiquitous use of technology to transform learning and teaching. Teachers lack the confidence and competence to integrate technology across a broad range of tools within a range of contexts. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) has become a common framework to explore technology within teaching and teacher education. However, little research exists to explore the similarities and differences of TPACK between different teacher education programs, within different countries or even different disciplines, especially in a secondary context. Using a self-report online survey, this study sought to compare and contrast TPACK results from pre-service teachers studying in secondary teacher education programs in Australia and Israel. Findings suggest that TPACK is higher in Australia, and in both countries for those students who were aged over 26. There were no significant differences between gender or disciplines reported. The paper also discusses broad-scale implications for the future of research in TPACK

Population structure, connectivity, and demographic history of an apex marine predator, the bull shark <i>Carcharhinus leucas</i>

Knowledge of population structure, connectivity, and effective population size remains limited for many marine apex predators, including the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas. This large‐bodied coastal shark is distributed worldwide in warm temperate and tropical waters, and uses estuaries and rivers as nurseries. As an apex predator, the bull shark likely plays a vital ecological role within marine food webs, but is at risk due to inshore habitat degradation and various fishing pressures. We investigated the bull shark\u27s global population structure and demographic history by analyzing the genetic diversity of 370 individuals from 11 different locations using 25 microsatellite loci and three mitochondrial genes (CR, nd4, and cytb). Both types of markers revealed clustering between sharks from the Western Atlantic and those from the Western Pacific and the Western Indian Ocean, with no contemporary gene flow. Microsatellite data suggested low differentiation between the Western Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, but substantial differentiation was found using mitochondrial DNA. Integrating information from both types of markers and using Bayesian computation with a random forest procedure (ABC‐RF), this discordance was found to be due to a complete lack of contemporary gene flow. High genetic connectivity was found both within the Western Indian Ocean and within the Western Pacific. In conclusion, these results suggest important structuring of bull shark populations globally with important gene flow occurring along coastlines, highlighting the need for management and conservation plans on regional scales rather than oceanic basin scale

Banks’ Accounting Discretion over Debt Valuation Adjustment for Own Credit Risk on Liabilities

Gains or losses of debt valuation adjustment (DVA) stemming from the change of a firm’s own credit risk have been controversial and since the recent financial crisis, been criticized as accounting abominations. Using European listed banks over the period of 2008-2013, we first investigate the determinants of the non-discretionary part of DVA. Consistent with the DVA definition, our results indicate a positive association between the change in bond yield spread and DVA, implying that when credit risk is higher, banks are more likely to generate a larger positive DVA. After decomposing the total DVA into the discretionary (abnormal) and the nondiscretionary parts, we examine accounting discretions associated with DVA in smoothing earnings, while controlling for abnormal loan loss provision (LLP) and the realization of securities gains or losses (RSGL). We find that pre-managed earnings are negatively associated with abnormal DVA during the financial crisis, that is, when pre-managed earnings are low, banks are likely to report high DVA and vice versa. The interaction model also shows a complementary relationship between the abnormal DVA and abnormal LLP

Measuring technological and content knowledge of undergraduate primary teachers in mathematics

Twenty-five final-year undergraduate students of primary education who were attending a course on mathematics education participated in a research project during the 2009 spring semester. A repeated measures experimental design was used. Quantitative data on students&apos; computer attitudes, self-efficacy in ICT, attitudes toward educational software, and self-efficacy in maths were collected. Data analysis showed a statistically non-significant improvement on participants&apos; computer attitudes and self-efficacy in ICT and ES, but a significant improvement of self-efficacy in mathematics. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Researching technological and mathematical knowledge (TCK) of undergraduate primary teachers

Twenty-five final-year undergraduate students of primary education who were attending a six month course on mathematics education participated in a research project during the 2009 spring semester. A repeated measures experimental design was used. Quantitative data on students&apos; computer attitudes, self-efficacy in ICT, attitudes toward educational software, and self-efficacy in maths were collected. Data analysis showed a statistically non-significant improvement on participants&apos; computer attitudes and self-efficacy in ICT and educational software, but a significant improvement of self-efficacy in mathematics. In addition, it seemed that the crucial factors for the integration of educational software and scenarios into the teaching of mathematics are positive attitudes towards ICT - educational software and self-efficacy in technological tools and mathematics. Copyright © 2010 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd

Diversity and Movement of Reef-Associated Elasmobranchs at a Caribbean Oceanic Atoll (Glover\u27s Reef, Belize): Implications for Marine Reserve Design

Little is known about the sharks and rays of the Mesoamerican Caribbean. Studies of the elasmobranch fauna of Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve (GRMR), Belize, demonstrate its importance for a diversity of elasmobranchs and provide essential information for marine protected area design. A five year survey documents GRMR as a nursery area for four species of elasmobranchs and the use of the atoll by eight other species (6 sharks, 2 batoids), including the Galapagos shark, C. galapagensis, previously known in the Caribbean from only one specimen. Differences exist in elasmobranch abundance, species composition and intraspecific size distribution among shallow lagoon, deep lagoon, ocean reef, and inshore habitats. Telemetry studies of two common sharks illustrate movement within and outside of the atoll and across the boundaries of the no-take zone of the marine reserve. GRMR is an important breeding ground for several species of elasmobranchs and in need of further study and conservation. For effective conservation of elasmobranchs, an ecosystem based approach should be taken in designing marine protected areas. Zoned management plans are needed that incorporate a fairly large no-take reserve that protects diverse habitats and the connections between them, surrounded by a larger area where fishing is regulated

Applying Genetic Techniques to Study Remote Shark Fisheries in Northeastern Madagascar

Background and aims: The shark fisheries of Madagascar remain largely unstudied. Remoteness makes fisheries monitoring challenging while the high value of shark fins combined with the extreme poverty in Madagascar creates intensive pressure on shark resources. Materials and methods: We use DNA barcoding and species-specific PCR assays to characterize shark fisheries in Antongil Bay in northeastern Madagascar. Results: The 239 samples taken from individuals collected in 2001 and 2002 correspond to 19 species. The four most common species were Sphyrna lewini, Rhizoprionodon acutus, Carcharhinus brevipinna, and C. sorrah. Antongil Bay may be a breeding area for C. brevipinna, C. leucas, and S. lewini. Conclusion: Local names are generally not a useful proxy for monitoring the species harvested in the fishery. Conservation efforts should characterize species exploitation at present, create spatial and temporal fishing restrictions to protect endangered species, and restrict large mesh gillnets