Changes in teachers' conceptions of critical thinking

This study investigated the changes in teachers' conceptions of critical thinking as they implemented a new curriculum resource that was based on a critical thinking approach. It described the teachers' ideas about the purposes for, benefits of, problems encountered while, and conditions requisite to teaching critical thinking. It also took into account the changes in teachers' conceptions of critical thinking within the unique context of a faith-based independent school. The school was located in a large metropolitan district in British Columbia. Three intermediate teachers (grades five and six) in one elementary school were interviewed at the beginning, middle and end of the implementation period to gather their perceptions about teaching critical thinking while using the new materials. The interview transcripts were analyzed for indicators of change for each teacher's conception of teaching critical thinking, and then analyzed for similarities and differences between the teachers' reported experiences. It was found that the first year teacher, who was very knowledgeable about the new resource through her university training, experienced change by way of disappointment from unmet expectations and struggled to implement the critical thinking pedagogy and curriculum content due to various complexities associated with being a beginning teacher. Another teacher with a dozen years of classroom experience enthusiastically implemented the new unit and was highly focused on the execution of the lessons. She, however, did not invest time in reviewing the introductory information where the critical thinking conception and pedagogical approach were explained. Consequently, her conception of critical thinking and pedagogy did not change significantly. The third participant had twenty-six years of experience in the study school and possessed a basic understanding of critical thinking. She was hesitant to be involved in implementing a new curriculum resource because she anticipated being stretched professionally. Ultimately, she experienced ongoing changes in her conception of critical thinking that affected various aspects of her work as a classroom teacher. All three participants indicated the value of teaching critical thinking in tandem with the faith perspective that is integrated into all aspects of the curriculum at this particular independent school.Education, Faculty ofCurriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department ofGraduat

The Outcomes of Maternal Immune Activation Induced with the Viral Mimetic Poly I:C on Microglia in Exposed Rodent Offspring

Maternal immune activation (MIA) can result from a variety of maternal inflammatory factors, including metabolic disorders, nutritional deficits, infections, and psychosocial stress. MIA has been consistently recognized as a major risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders, and this association seems to be especially important for viral infections as viral exposure during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia. In MIA, the gestational parent's inflammatory response to an immune stimulus alters or interrupts fetal development, triggering neurodevelopmental consequences. As MIA can occur in any pregnancy, it is important to understand the many factors at play that contribute to altered brain development in the offspring, especially considering recent global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The underlying mechanisms by which MIA results in deleterious outcomes are not yet clear, but due to the inflammatory response it initiates, it is becoming apparent that microglia are critically involved. Through investigation of MIA animal models, the role of microglia in this field is becoming more evident. Compelling evidence from animal models indicates that MIA can disrupt synaptic pruning, neuronal progenitor cell proliferation/differentiation, oligodendrogenesis, and more. Microglia appear as an active player, assisting these neural-related functions during healthy development but also mediating MIA-induced disturbances in these critical processes when neurodevelopment is challenged. The present review illustrates this complex web by reviewing recent literature, focusing on the outcomes of MIA resulting from viral mimetic polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid in rodents, to provide a clear description of how MIA impacts microglial functions and what this means for the offspring's neurodevelopment. Moreover, we discuss the possible implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the neurodevelopment of the current and next generations in the frame of MIA models and propose some putative pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to prevent or attenuate MIA consequences.Fil: Loewen, Sophia M.. University of Victoria; CanadáFil: Chavesa, Adriano M.. University of Victoria; CanadáFil: Murray, Colin J.. University of Victoria; CanadáFil: Traetta, Marianela Evelyn. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología. Cátedra de Farmacología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Burns, Sophia E.. University of Victoria; CanadáFil: Pekarik, Keelin H.. University of Victoria; CanadáFil: Tremblay, Marie Ève. University of Victoria; Canad

RdgBα reciprocally transfers PA and PI at ER–PM contact sites to maintain PI(4,5)P2 homoeostasis during phospholipase C signalling in Drosophila photoreceptors

Phosphatidylinositol (PI) is the precursor lipid for the synthesis of PI 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] at the plasma membrane (PM) and is sequentially phosphorylated by the lipid kinases, PI 4-kinase and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P)-5-kinase. Receptor-mediated hydrolysis of PI(4,5)P2 takes place at the PM but PI resynthesis occurs at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Thus PI(4,5)P2 resynthesis requires the reciprocal transport of two key intermediates, phosphatidic acid (PA) and PI between the ER and the PM. PI transfer proteins (PITPs), defined by the presence of the PITP domain, can facilitate lipid transfer between membranes; the PITP domain comprises a hydrophobic cavity with dual specificity but accommodates a single phospholipid molecule. The class II PITP, retinal degeneration type B (RdgB)α is a multi-domain protein and its PITP domain can bind and transfer PI and PA. In Drosophila photoreceptors, a well-defined G-protein-coupled phospholipase Cβ (PLCβ) signalling pathway, phototransduction defects resulting from loss of RdgBα can be rescued by expression of the PITP domain provided it is competent for both PI and PA transfer. We propose that RdgBα proteins maintain PI(4,5)P2 homoeostasis after PLC activation by facilitating the reciprocal transport of PA and PI at ER-PM membrane contact sites