Variations in Primary Teachers’ Responses and Development during Three Major Science In- Service Programmes

This paper reports on how different types of teachers responded to in-service aimed at developing investigative-based science education (IBSE) in primary schools, and the extent to which they applied their new skills in the classroom. Common items from evaluation questionnaires allowed data to be combined from three major in-service programmes. Using complete data sets from 120 teachers, cluster analysis enabled three teacher types to be identified: a small group of ‘science unsures’, with low attitude scores and little confidence, who showed no response to the innovation; ‘holistic improvers’, who showed the largest improvement in science teaching confidence; and ‘high level, positive progressives’, who were very positive to science teaching throughout and showed gains in confidence in teaching physics and chemistry, as well as in demonstrating the relevance of science to their pupils. Taking account of these teacher types alongside interviews and observations, nine developmental stages in how teachers apply their new expertise in the classroom and the whole school are suggested. Major factorsinfluencing application in the classroom are the teachers’ initial science knowledge and pedagogical expertise, and motivating feedback to teachers when pupils responded positively to the innovation. Assessing teachers’ initial level of subject knowledge and science pedagogical expertise to inform the approach and amount of in-service provision is important. Subsequent mentoring as well as support from the school principal when teachers first try IBSE with pupils promotes successful implementation in the classroom

Effects of carbon dioxide on the searching behaviour of the root-feeding clover weevil <i>Sitona lepidus</i> (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The respiratory emission of CO2 from roots is frequently proposed as an attractant that allows soil-dwelling insects to locate host plant roots, but this role has recently become less certain. CO2 is emitted from many sources other than roots, so does not necessarily indicate the presence of host plants, and because of the high density of roots in the upper soil layers, spatial gradients may not always be perceptible by soil-dwelling insects. The role of CO2 in host location was investigated using the clover root weevil Sitona lepidus Gyllenhall and its host plant white clover (Trifolium repens L.) as a model system. Rhizochamber experiments showed that CO2 concentrations were approximately 1000 ppm around the roots of white clover, but significantly decreased with increasing distance from roots. In behavioural experiments, no evidence was found for any attraction by S. lepidus larvae to point emissions of CO2, regardless of emission rates. Fewer than 15% of larvae were attracted to point emissions of CO2, compared with a control response of 17%. However, fractal analysis of movement paths in constant CO2 concentrations demonstrated that searching by S. lepidus larvae significantly intensified when they experienced CO2 concentrations similar to those found around the roots of white clover (i.e. 1000 ppm). It is suggested that respiratory emissions of CO2 may act as a ‘search trigger’ for S. lepidus, whereby it induces larvae to search a smaller area more intensively, in order to detect location cues that are more specific to their host plant.<br/

Measuring the reactivity of a silicon-terminated probe

It is generally accepted that the exposed surfaces of silicon crystals are highly reactive due to the dangling bonds which protrude into the vacuum. However, surface reconstruction can not only modify the reactivity of bulk silicon crystals, but plays a key role in determining the properties of silicon nanocrystals. In this study we probe the reactivity of silicon clusters at the end of a scanning probe tip by examining their interaction with closed shell fullerene molecules. Counter to intuitive expectations, many silicon clusters do not react strongly with the fullerene cage, and we find that only specific highly oriented clusters have sufficient reactivity to break open the existing carbon-carbon bonds

Nurturing Change: Processes and outcomes of workshops using collage and gesture to foster aesthetic qualities and capabilities for distributed leadership

© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)This article reports findings from a study using arts-based and embodied (ABE) approaches to enhancing capacity for distributed leadership and explores the professional learning which took place as a result. The data reported in the article are from the UK research which formed part of the ENABLES (European Arts-Based Development of Distributed Leadership and Innovation in Schools) project led by the University of Hertfordshire, UK, co-funded by an Erasmus+ grant over a two-year period between 2019 and 2021. The article indicates why we see the professional learning as transformative and proposes a concept of aesthetic grounding to express the nature of change arising from the ABE approaches used. Aesthetic grounding has a generative and organic quality that introduces new elements and potential into participants’ future reflexive deliberations concerning their professional practice. Through enrihment of aesthetic grounding, there is potential for, but not certainty of, transformation of practice.Peer reviewe

Measuring the mechanical properties of molecular conformers

Scanning probe-actuated single molecule manipulation has proven to be an exceptionally powerful tool for the systematic atomic-scale interrogation of molecular adsorbates. To date, however, the extent to which molecular conformation affects the force required to push or pull a single molecule has not been explored. Here we probe the mechanochemical response of two tetra(4-bromophenyl)porphyrin conformers using non-contact atomic force microscopy where we find a large difference between the lateral forces required for manipulation. Remarkably, despite sharing very similar adsorption characteristics, variations in the potential energy surface are capable of prohibiting probe-induced positioning of one conformer, while simultaneously permitting manipulation of the alternative conformational form. Our results are interpreted in the context of dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations which reveal significant differences in the diffusion barriers for each conformer. These results demonstrate that conformational variation significantly modifies the mechanical response of even simple porpyhrins, potentially affecting many other flexible molecules

Intermolecular artifacts in probe microscope images of C60 assemblies

Claims that dynamic force microscopy has the capability to resolve intermolecular bonds in real space continue to be vigorously debated. To date, studies have been restricted to planar molecular assemblies with small separations between neighboring molecules. Here we report the observation of intermolecular artifacts over much larger distances in 2D assemblies of C60 molecules, with compelling evidence that in our case the tip apex is terminated by a C60 molecule (rather than the CO termination typically exploited in ultrahigh resolution force microscopy). The complete absence of directional interactions such as hydrogen or halogen bonding, the nonplanar structure of C60, and the fullerene termination of the tip apex in our case highlight that intermolecular artifacts are ubiquitous in dynamic force microscopy

14N overtone NMR under MAS: signal enhancement using symmetry-based sequences and novel simulation strategies

Overtone 14N NMR spectroscopy is a promising route for the direct detection of 14N signals with good spectral resolution. Its application is currently limited, however, by the absence of efficient polarization techniques for overtone signal enhancement and the lack of efficient numerical simulation techniques to aid in both the development of new methods and the analysis and interpretation of experimental data. In this paper we report a novel method for the transfer of polarization from 1H to the 14N overtone using symmetry-based R-sequences that overcome many of the limitations of adiabatic approaches that have worked successfully on static samples. Refinement of these sequences and the analysis of the resulting spectra have been facilitated through the development of an efficient simulation strategy for 14N overtone NMR spectroscopy of spinning samples, using effective Hamiltonians on top of Floquet and Fokker–Planck equation

Origin of C60 surface reconstruction resolved by atomic force microscopy

Surface adsorption of C 60 affects its chemical and electronic properties. Numerous studies have reported observation of bright and dark fullerenes on metal surfaces that suggest extensive surface reconstruction; however, the underpinning mechanism of the reconstruction remains under debate. Here we report tip-functionalized noncontact atomic force microscope measurements which unambiguously reveal that C 60 fullerenes adsorb with three well-defined adsorption heights on the Cu(111) surface, consistent with theoretical reports of top-layer hollow sites, single-atom vacancies, and surface nanopits. Using single-molecule resolution Δ f ( z ) measurements we identify well-defined adsorption heights specific to each site, confirming the presence of a complex vacancy model for C 60 monolayers on metal surfaces

Intramolecular bonds resolved on a semiconductor surface

Noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) is now routinely capable of obtaining submolecular resolution, readily resolving the carbon backbone structure of planar organic molecules adsorbed on metal substrates. Here we show that the same resolution may also be obtained for molecules adsorbed on a reactive semiconducting substrate. Surprisingly, this resolution is routinely obtained without the need for deliberate tip functionalization. Intriguingly, we observe two chemically distinct apex types capable of submolecular imaging. We characterize our tip apices by “inverse imaging” of the silicon adatoms of the Si(111)−7×7 surface and support our findings with detailed density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We also show that intramolecular resolution on individual molecules may be readily obtained at 78 K, rather than solely at 5 K as previously demonstrated. Our results suggest a wide range of tips may be capable of producing intramolecular contrast for molecules adsorbed on semiconductor surfaces, leading to a much broader applicability for submolecular imaging protocols