Exploring the out-of-school writing practices of three children aged 9 - 10 years old and how these practices travel across and within the domains of home and school

This study explores the writing practices of children aged 9-10 years across the settings of home and school. It examines the nature of the out-of-school writing practices of three case study children, within and across these domains. Additionally, it seeks to understand the children’s relationship with writing and considers if and how their writing practices travel across both domains. In examining home and school writing practices, the study took a sociocultural perspective underpinned by Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory framework. A review of the relevant literature led to the utilisation of a multimodal definition of writing and the framing of the research as a qualitative, bounded case study within an interpretive, iterative enquiry. The principal research methods were the collation of the children’s writing artefacts, together with video and photographic footage of in-action practices in home settings, school observations and writing conversations. The findings reveal the ways in which these developing young writers engaged and interacted with writing differently in both settings. The trajectory of writing practices across home and school are seen to be in a recursive relationship through the transformation of writing events from one setting to another. Three key themes developed and are presented as metaphors of travel: Places, spaces and local customs; Text souvenirs and local decisions; and Domain exchange and transaction. These themes indicate the range and versatility of the children’s home writing practices. They highlight the complexity in characterising a shared definition of writing across domains. On the basis of the data, the study argues for teachers to be more aware and welcoming of children’s home writing practices in classroom activities. In so doing, teachers would be better able to build on these experiences, leading to new and shared ways of conceptualising writing in English primary classrooms. Finally, the study considers avenues for future research

Roles of Peroxisomes and Peroxisome-Derived Products in Controlling Plant Growth and Stress Responses

The peroxisome is a vital organelle conserved through the entire eukaryotic lineage. In all examined species, peroxisomes are responsible for such essential processes as fatty acid beta-oxidation and metabolism of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In plants, peroxisomes have taken on additional specialized roles, such as production of some plant hormones and vitamins. In this work, I have uncovered novel factors regulating peroxisome number in model species Arabidopsis thaliana, and novel mechanisms governing how peroxisomes respond to salt stress. I discovered a role for Arabidopsis MAP KINASE17 (MPK17) as a negative regulator of peroxisome division that acts in the salt-stress response pathway of peroxisome division. Additionally, I uncovered a novel role for the known peroxisome division factor PEROXISOME AND MITOCHONDRIAL DIVISION FACTOR 1 (PMD1) as another regulator of salt-induced peroxisome division and as the first known plant peroxisome division factor to bind to actin. A forward genetics approach was undertaken to attempt to isolate peroxisome-deficient mutants in the genetically tractable crop species Solanum lycopersicum, screening mutagenized tomato seeds on the auxin precursor indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Although no peroxisome mutants were isolated by this method, several mutants impaired in various other aspects of auxin homeostasis were isolated and used to make new discoveries regarding the contributions of IBA to vegetative and reproductive tomato development

Health and the nature of urban green spaces

Recognition that city-dwelling people can benefit from contact with nature is not new. The urban open air movement of the 19th century advised retention of greenways and development of urban parks and gardens to stop disease spread through lack of fresh air, poor sanitation and overcrowding. Now, in the early 21st century, urban green spaces are under threat from inner city infill projects and clearing of remnant vegetation to accommodate suburban sprawl. While much literature discusses positive health benefits of contact with nature, few studies explore explicit pathways between urban green space and health, despite mounting concern that disassociation between people and nature in urban communities may be detrimental to physical and mental health. This study explored how people’s attitudes toward nature might influence perceptions of nearby green spaces and feelings of attachment to living in their neighbourhood, and in turn, whether people with positive attitudes towards nature and positive perceptions of nearby green space would report better health. A mixed method research design was adopted in this study. Exploration of research questions required objective measurement of relationships between different aspects of health and nature, and interpretation of the subjective meanings people attach to those relationships. Study design involved distribution of a cross-sectional survey to residents in four neighbourhoods in Perth, Western Australia with respondents invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Neighbourhoods were selected based on location (either an inner or outer suburban area), age of neighbourhood (established or new), diversity of nearby green space, and socio-demographic characteristics. Data from 440 surveys and 25 interviews were analysed. Attitudes towards urban nature were diverse and it was clear that feelings about natural environments strongly influenced preference and perceptions of useable green spaces, and for some people, their choice of neighbourhood. In essence, people who enjoyed spending time in nature were more inclined to seek green spaces within their neighbourhood environment that provided complexity and opportunities for exploration or escape. Those who professed little connection to nature and saw bushland areas as untidy, uninviting or unsafe, tended to be more concerned about aesthetic and functional aspects of green space design and preferred to visit ‘civilised’ parks and gardens with manicured lawns, formal paths and playgrounds. Green spaces were important sites for physical activity, relaxation and social interaction and proximity to useable green space was a significant factor in predicting better selfreported health. In addition, neighbourhoods with trees and greenways were described as healthier places to live. People who lived in close proximity to parks and green spaces where social interaction regularly occurred, who reported that diverse green spaces and bushland areas were being retained in their neighbourhood, who cared about environmental issues and were interested in being involved in conservation activities, were more likely to report better physical function, general health, mental health and feelings of vitality. People who regularly visited nearby green spaces described feeling happier and more satisfied with living in their neighbourhood. Encouraging people to regularly visit and become actively involved in caring for local nature reserves and parklands can play an important role in health promotion and preventive health strategies. Conservation, useability and management of diverse green spaces must be considered as a critical element of urban planning. This will only occur with continuing recognition of the health benefits that can be achieved by retaining diverse, quality green spaces within suburban neighbourhoods

An Investigation of Diabetes Mellitus in Postmortem Human Remains

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most prevalent and significant metabolic diseases impacting modern human populations. The goal of this research is to explore several analytical methods to better appreciate how diabetes impacts the skeleton, and to determine if this effect can be recognized in postmortem remains. Anthropologists are tasked with elucidating the relationship between nutrition, metabolism, growth, development, and skeletal health. Diabetes represents a crucial point of interface between these factors. Furthermore, as the percentage of diabetics increases in the general population, so will their representation in forensic cases. This study will provide tools for identifying characteristics of diabetes in the postmortem material available to anthropologists. Diabetes is a disease process that can alter the function of many tissues and systems. For these reasons, three analytical approaches were conducted including: blood serum protein analysis using ELISA, bone mineral density (BMD) scans with a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanner, and macroscopic osteological analysis. This study was completed employing a sample of 80 known skeletal donations and 20 blood samples from the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Results indicated that pro-inflammatory biomarkers may be quantified in postmortem blood samples, and that diabetics showed slightly higher average concentrations of cytokines associated with diabetes and lower concentrations of those related to insulin sensitivity. Bone density analysis revealed that diabetics and non-diabetics significantly differ in BMD, but this relationship varies between the sexes. Female diabetics had consistently denser bones in all measured variables of the lower limb, and one-third of forearm variables. Results based on male data did not display a similar outcome, with little difference observed between male diabetics and non-diabetics. Analysis of skeletal pathologies identified a set of three osteological variables, concentrated in the feet, as having the highest discriminatory potential. An accuracy rate of 83% was achieved in classifying individuals into diabetic versus non-diabetic categories

Trainee Teachers' Experience of Reflection: Personal and social constructions of experience

The research on which this thesis draws investigated trainee teachers' experience of reflection whilst undertaking Certificate in Education or Post-graduate Certificate in Education programmes for the Post-Compulsory sector. It was based on a sequential, mixed methods design, employing a structured questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. During the first stage of data collection, a sample of 127 trainee teachers completed a questionnaire about their experience of reflection and keeping a reflective journal. Findings indicated that the majority of trainees had a clear understanding of reflection and how it contributed to the development of their professional practice. A minority were less certain about the nature of reflective learning and its application to professional development. Most expressed agreement that keeping a reflective journal supported their professional learning. However, a substantial minority indicated difficulties with journal writing. In the second stage of data collection, interview findings of 15 trainee teachers broadly supported the questionnaire findings about trainees' understanding of the purpose of reflection and its perceived value. However, analysis of the interview data indicated that there were individual differences in engagement with reflection, leading to some trainees experiencing difficulties, particularly with journal writing. The thesis argues that reflective learning for professional development involves a personal-social dimension in trainees' mode of engagement and this is related to personal and social constructions of experience. The thesis questions the use of the metaphor of 'reflection', arguing that the multiple reflections and changing images in a kaleidoscope offer a better analogy. The thesis proposes a theoretical model to integrate the content and process aspects of reflection, evident in previous models and typologies. This re-conceptualisation forms the basis for a practical application, the PERHAPS? model, which incorporates process and content and acknowledges different modes of engagement with reflection

The spores of Lycopodium, Phylloglossium, Selaginella and Isoetes and their value in the study of microfossils of Palaeozoic age

The LYCOPODIINAE are a ubiquitous race of plants: members are found in many different parts of the world from the tropics to the polar regions, and tinder a great variety of habitat conditions.The families with living representatives afford ample evidence of antiquity; and their fossil relatives indicate the abundance of the group during Palaeozoic times. The coals of the Carboniferous Age are to a large extent composed of the carbonised remains of these plants; their spores are found in vast numbers in most coal seams.The study of fossil spores within the last 25 years has led to their being used as an aid in the correlation of coal seams. Up to the present, the classification of fossil spores has been an arbitrary one; with the increasing use of spores as zonal indices in coalfield work, a more scientific system of nomenclature has been found necessary. A binomial system has been promulgated in America which in all probability will form the basis of future work on classification. Although a general review of the spores of modern Pteridophyta has already been published by the author (Knox, 1938), the lack of any comprehensive survey of the spore morphology of living species of Vascular Cryptogams has proved a considerable handicap in framing a classification of fossil spores; the present study of the spores of modern species of the LYCOPODIINAE has been undertaken with a view to gaining more exact knowledge of spore morphology in this large and important group, both generic and specific, in order to make possible an assessment of relative values for purposes of palaeobotanical taxonomy.The basis of the following work is furnished by a detailed account of the morphology of the spores of Lycopodium, Phylloglossum, Selaginella and Isoetes, derived from as many of the living species as it has been possible to obtain samples

A Comparative Study of Critical Thinking Skills, Dogmatism and American College Testing Program Scores of Seventh-day Adventist College Freshmen Graduated from Church Related and Public Secondary Schools

Problem. Development of critical thinking skills is commonly accepted as a desirable outcome of secondary education. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has also accepted this as one of the goals for its educational system. It was the purpose of the present study to compare critical thinking skills developed in Seventh-day Adventist young people in Seventh-day Adventist boarding academies, Seventh-day Adventist day academies, and public high schools. Since earlier studies have shown critical thinking to be negatively correlated with dogmatism and positively correlated with intelligence, both dogmatism and intelligence were included as variables in the study. Method. Three hundred and twelve subjects were chosen by a stratified random method from among all Seventh-day Adventist college freshmen in attendance at any of three Seventh-day Adventist institutions of higher learning during the fall of 1977. In order to qualify for the study, subjects had to have attended one type of secondary school for at least three years and have graduated from secondary school in 1977. Each subject was asked to fill in the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale and to take the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal. American College Testing Program scores were gleaned from school records to serve as an indication of intelligence. Sixty-six percent (207) of the stratified random sample selected for the study actually completed both instruments. Two statistical methods were used in analyzing the data. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to test hypotheses dealing with differences between subject groups. The Kendall rank correlation coefficient (tau) was used to test hypotheses dealing with relationships between variables. Results. None of the between-group comparisons of critical thinking, dogmatism, or American College Testing Program scores were statistically significant. Analysis of relationships between critical thinking scores an dogmatism scores yielded statistically significant negative correlations for two of the three groups tested: Seventh-day Adventist graduates of public high schools (tau = - .19, significant at the .01 level) and Seventh-day Adventist graduates of Seventh-day Adventist day academies (tau = -.17, significant at the .05 level). The correlation (tau) for Seventh-day Adventist graduates of Seventh-day Adventist boarding academies was -.01, with an associated probability of .44. Correlations between critical thinking scores and American College Testing Program scores for all three groups yielded positive results, significant at the .001 level. Correlations range from .52 for Seventh-day Adventist graduates of Seventh-day Adventist boarding academies to .61 for Seventh-day Adventist graduates of public high schools. Conclusions. The findings of this study do not suggest that Seventh-day Adventist graduates of any of the three types of secondary school studied are either more or less skilled in critical thinking than their counterparts from the other types of schools. Similarly, the study does not provide support for any conclusions that graduates of one type of secondary school are either more or less dogmatic or score higher or lower on the American College Testing Program tests than do graduates of wither of the other two types of secondary schools studied