Questioning questioning with student teachers

Questioning is seen as an essential teaching skill in primary science, but research reveals that many teachers ask too many questions and, particularly, closed questions, which impact negatively on children’s intellectual engagement with scientific ideas. This article reports on research undertaken with final year undergraduate student teachers, in which they adopted elements of an action research methodology to examine their use of questions to promote children’s observation and curiosity in primary science. Student teachers were astonished to discover how over-reliant they were on questions as their default strategy for engaging children in science-related dialogue, and identified specific ways in which their practice of questioning could be improved

Industrial development in Australia 1920-1930

This thesis is a study of industrial development in Australia between 1920 and 1930. The study has been conducted at several levels of analysis. Chapters II to VI examine the growth of some of the leading industries and firms engaged in manufacturing; their selection is based on an assessment - for which support is offered - of the character and conditions of the industrial expansion during this decade. In chapters VII to IX some of the more general problems and processes associated with this growth are examined. The introductory chapter reviews the industrial development of the twenties as a whole

The application of constructivist learning theory to homework practice: a case study of a trial of pencil-free approaches to home-learning in Key Stage Two Science

This case study, based in one primary school in Gloucestershire, explores the experiences and perceptions of children, parents and teachers in relation to homework; innovative, discussion-based science homework tasks are trialled. A review of the existing literature reveals that primary homework is largely ineffective in enhancing children's learning, and can often cause or contribute to stress for children and parents; this stress often contributes to arguments in the home. A review of constructivist learning theory suggests that traditional models of homework take little account of children's learning needs, which can lead to task-oriented rather than learning-oriented approaches being adopted. Semi-structured interviews were utilised in order to explore the perceptions of four individual teachers, and six children and six parents. Each child was interviewed with their parent, creating an ethical, dynamic and revealing research context in which the researcher was able to explore issues in some depth; a diverse range of perceptions were identified, with many participants, including teachers, expressing mixed feelings about homework. 'Pencil-free', discussion-based science homework tasks were trialled for one half-term in two classes in Key Stage Two. The researcher observed two class-based feedback discussions following children's engagement with pencil-free homework tasks. Following the trial of innovative homework tasks, children and parents were once again interviewed to explore their experiences and perceptions of the pencil-free tasks. Analysis of the observation notes and the interview transcripts suggests that, for most but not all children, there were benefits associated with the innovative approaches in relation to learning and stress-levels. The research methods enabled the research objectives to be met. Further research in this area could explore the range of ways in which teachers are making homework more interesting and meaningful for children, whether this is positive in terms of the children's affective responses, and how teachers close the assessment loop on homework to provide meaningful feedback to children on their homework

What’s in a question..? Good question!

“What’s in a question, you ask?” said John Dewey. “Everything. It is evoking stimulating response or stultifying inquiry. It is, in essence, the very core of teaching”. This article outlines research that was undertaken with primary student teachers at the University of Gloucestershire, focusing on the development of their ability to deploy an appropriate number of carefully chosen questions in the teaching of primary science, adopting elements of an action research methodology to enable engagement with evidence-based evaluation of practice

Questioning questioning with student teachers

Questioning is seen as an essential teaching skill in primary science, but research reveals that many teachers ask too many questions and, particularly, closed questions, which impact negatively on children’s intellectual engagement with scientific ideas. This article reports on research undertaken with final year undergraduate student teachers, in which they adopted elements of an action research methodology to examine their use of questions to promote children’s observation and curiosity in primary science. Student teachers were astonished to discover how over-reliant they were on questions as their default strategy for engaging children in science-related dialogue, and identified specific ways in which their practice of questioning could be improved

Structure–Function Relations of the First and Fourth Extracellular Linkers of the Type IIa Na+/Pi Cotransporter: II. Substrate Interaction and Voltage Dependency of Two Functionally Important Sites

Functionally important sites in the predicted first and fourth extracellular linkers of the type IIa Na+/Pi cotransporter (NaPi-IIa) were identified by cysteine scanning mutagenesis (Ehnes et al., 2004). Cysteine substitution or modification with impermeant and permeant methanethiosulfonate (MTS) reagents at certain sites resulted in changes to the steady-state voltage dependency of the cotransport mode (1 mM Pi, 100 mM Na+ at pH 7.4) of the mutants. At Gly-134 (ECL-1) and Met-533 (ECL-4), complementary behavior of the voltage dependency was documented with respect to the effect of cys-substitution and modification. G134C had a weak voltage dependency that became even stronger than that of the wild type (WT) after MTS incubation. M533C showed a WT-like voltage dependency that became markedly weaker after MTS incubation. To elucidate the underlying mechanism, the steady-state and presteady-state kinetics of these mutants were studied in detail. The apparent affinity constants for Pi and Na+ did not show large changes after MTS exposure. However, the dependency on external protons was changed in a complementary manner for each mutant. This suggested that cys substitution at Gly-134 or modification of Cys-533 had induced similar conformational changes to alter the proton modulation of transport kinetics. The changes in steady-state voltage dependency correlated with changes in the kinetics of presteady-state charge movements determined in the absence of Pi, which suggested that voltage-dependent transitions in the transport cycle were altered. The steady-state and presteady-state behavior was simulated using an eight-state kinetic model in which the transition rate constants of the empty carrier and translocation of the fully loaded carrier were found to be critical determinants of the transport kinetics. The simulations predict that cys substitution at Gly-134 or cys modification of Cys-533 alters the preferred orientation of the empty carrier from an inward to outward-facing conformation for hyperpolarizing voltages

Questioning the role of questions: new primary teachers’ realisations of over-reliance on questions in scientific dialogue

This article reports on research undertaken with final year undergraduate student teachers, in which they examined their deployment of questions to promote children’s observation and curiosity in primary science. The study adopted elements of action research methodology to enable student teachers to engage deeply with evidence-based evaluation of their practice. Specific aims of the study were for student teachers to extend their understanding of quality questioning in primary science and its impact on children’s intellectual engagement, examine the detail of their practice of questioning through a supported action research process, and develop their understanding of data analysis for improving practice. Student teachers taught lessons, on the topic of plant growth, to small groups of Year 2 children and evaluated their questioning strategies immediately afterwards and analysed transcript data of their interactions. They identified specific ways in which their practice of questioning could be improved and put these into practice in a follow-up lesson with the same children. Student teachers were astonished to discover how over-reliant they were on questions as their default strategy for engaging children in science-related dialogue. The process of analysing transcripts was deemed to be insightful in helping them to identify ways to develop their practice and to define key characteristics of effective questioning in primary science and to appreciate the power of self-evaluation to enhance the quality of teaching and learning

Structure–Function Relations of the First and Fourth Predicted Extracellular Linkers of the Type IIa Na+/Pi Cotransporter: I. Cysteine Scanning Mutagenesis

The putative first intracellular and third extracellular linkers are known to play important roles in defining the transport properties of the type IIa Na+-coupled phosphate cotransporter (Kohler, K., I.C. Forster, G. Stange, J. Biber, and H. Murer. 2002b. J. Gen. Physiol. 120:693–705). To investigate whether other stretches that link predicted transmembrane domains are also involved, the substituted cysteine accessibility method (SCAM) was applied to sites in the predicted first and fourth extracellular linkers (ECL-1 and ECL-4). Mutants based on the wild-type (WT) backbone, with substituted novel cysteines, were expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and their function was assayed by isotope uptake and electrophysiology. Functionally important sites were identified in both linkers by exposing cells to membrane permeant and impermeant methanethiosulfonate (MTS) reagents. The cysteine modification reaction rates for sites in ECL-1 were faster than those in ECL-4, which suggested that the latter were less accessible from the extracellular medium. Generally, a finite cotransport activity remained at the end of the modification reaction. The change in activity was due to altered voltage-dependent kinetics of the Pi-dependent current. For example, cys substitution at Gly-134 in ECL-1 resulted in rate-limiting, voltage-independent cotransport activity for V ≤ −80 mV, whereas the WT exhibited a linear voltage dependency. After cys modification, this mutant displayed a supralinear voltage dependency in the same voltage range. The opposite behavior was documented for cys substitution at Met-533 in ECL-4. Modification of cysteines at two other sites in ECL-1 (Ile-136 and Phe-137) also resulted in supralinear voltage dependencies for hyperpolarizing potentials. Taken together, these findings suggest that ECL-1 and ECL-4 may not directly form part of the transport pathway, but specific sites in these linkers can interact directly or indirectly with parts of NaPi-IIa that undergo voltage-dependent conformational changes and thereby influence the voltage dependency of cotransport

Extraskeletal osteosarcoma of the thorax in a goat: case report

BACKGROUND: This report describes the results of clinical, ultrasonographic and computed tomographic examination of a 16-year-old goat with extraskeletal osteosarcoma of the thorax. CASE PRESENTATION: The lead clinical signs were abnormal condition and demeanour, fever, tachycardia, tachypnoea, dyspnoea and dilated jugular veins. Ultrasonographic examination of the thorax revealed a precardial mass, measuring 16.4 by 11.4 by 14.2 cm. Computed tomographic examination showed dorsocaudal displacement of the trachea, heart and lungs to the right. A tentative diagnosis of mediastinal or pleural neoplasia was made, and the goat was euthanased and necropsied. A definitive diagnosis was based on histological examination of the mass. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this case report is the first description of extraskeletal osteosarcoma of the thorax in goats and serves to broaden the diagnostic spectrum of thoracic diseases in this species. Extraskeletal osteosarcoma should be part of the differential diagnosis in goats with thoracic tumours