Assessment for learning: a critical review of a contested territory

The aim of this research seminar is to engage in a critical exploration of Assessment for Learning (AfL), situated within the higher education research literature. This is timely because AfL is generating significant interest as a way to improve student learning

Science practical work: what types of knowledge do secondary science teachers use?

Includes bibliographical references.The prominence of practical work in science curricula today infers that these activities offer unique learning experiences for achieving specific goals. Yet, but for a few exceptions, practical work in school science is often neglected and has not been effective in achieving the goals normally associated with it. The rationale behind this study was that an understanding of the bases for decisions made as teachers plan, enact and assess practical work in Grade 8 and 9 natural sciences, may reveal the nature of the knowledge base required for effective practical work. It was thought that such insight might also shed light on some of the reasons for the apparent lack of effective practical work in South African schools. Furthermore it could inform the design of those aspects of pre - service and in - service teacher professional learning programmes aimed at developing the knowledge and skills required for effective practical work. There is a paucity of research on the knowledge base required for science practical work and no instruments designed to measure, capture or describe such a knowledge base, were found. The aim of this study was firstly to develop a valid and reliable instrument to facilitate the analysis of what teacher s say and do with respect to practical work, and secondly to get a feel for using this instrument for the purpose it was intended. Informed by literature, and using Shulman’s notion of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) as the theoretical lens, the analytical instrument, called the practical work PCK table (PPCK T able), consisting of different categories and sub - categories of knowledge, was developed. A number of strategies were used to improve the validity and reliability of the instrument. These strategies included: i) using the instrument to analyse interviews and lessons of three natural sciences teachers working in three different educational settings, ii) soliciting the input from experts in the field of PCK, and iii) determining the inter - rater agreement in the interpretation of the categories or sub - categories among four raters by calculating the percentage agreement and the Fleiss’ kappa statistic. Addressing the shortcomings revealed by these measures culminated in the final version of the instrument, the practical work knowledge table (PracK Table) and its accompanying codebook. The second aim was addressed by conducting a pilot case study to explore the usefulness of the PracK Table as a heuristic device. A series of eight Grade 9 lessons taught by one teacher were observed. Data sources included lesson observations, teacher and learner interviews, worksheets and samples of learners’ work. The PracK Table was used to identify and describe the knowledge the teacher drew on when he engaged his learners in practical work. This study has shown the construct, ‘PCK for practical work’, to be invalid. It also revealed that a useful, valid and reliable instrument could be developed, if it is informed by authoritative literature, and if its validity and reliability are empirically tested in real contexts. In the case study the strengths and weaknesses in a teacher’s knowledge and practice could readily be identified using PracK Table as the analytical tool. The findings of the case study indicate that a broad knowledge base and access to laboratory resources, although necessary, does not always translate into effective practical work. Furthermore, it suggests that for well - qualified, experienced natural sciences teachers, teaching in fairly well - resourced schools, it is their theories about teaching and learning in general that is the main factor that determines the effectiveness of the practical work they engage in. These findings could have significant implications for the development of teacher professional learning programmes

An exploration of physical activity and wellbeing in university employees.

Aims: The aim was to explore levels of physical activity (PA) and mental wellbeing in university employees, as well as barriers to and incentives for workplace PA. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to all staff at one UK university. The survey consisted of a PA stages of change questionnaire, an international PA questionnaire (short-form), the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), questions on perceived barriers to and incentives for workplace PA, questions on methods of enhancing employee wellbeing and demographics. A self-selected sample participated in two focus groups to explore key themes arising from the survey. Descriptive statistics were reported for survey data; associations between PA and wellbeing were tested for using Kruskal-Wallis with post hoc Mann-Whitney. Descriptive, thematic analysis was performed on focus group transcripts. Results: A total of 502 surveys were completed (34% response rate); 13 staff participated in focus groups. In all, 42% of the sample reported PA below the recommended guideline amount. Females were less active than males (p < 0.005). The mean WEMWBS was 49.2 (95% confidence interval (CI): 48.3-49.9). Low PA levels were related to lower WEMWBS scores, with statistically significant differences in WEMWBS demonstrated between low and moderate PA (p = 0.05) and low and high PA (p = 0.001). Lack of time and perceived expense of facilities were common barriers to workplace PA. The main focus group finding was the impact of university culture on workplace PA and wellbeing. Conclusion: University staff demonstrate PA levels and a relationship between PA and wellbeing similar to the general population. Carefully designed strategies aimed at enhancing PA and wellbeing in university staff are required. The specific cultural and other barriers to workplace PA that exist in this setting should be considered. These results are being used to inform PA and wellbeing interventions whose effectiveness will be evaluated in future research

Atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2 controls branching morphogenesis in the developing mammary gland

Macrophages are important regulators of branching morphogenesis during development and postnatally in the mammary gland. Regulation of macrophage dynamics during these processes can therefore have a profound impact on development. We demonstrate here that the developing mammary gland expresses high levels of inflammatory CC-chemokines, which are essential in vivo regulators of macrophage migration. We further demonstrate that the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2, which scavenges inflammatory CC-chemokines, is differentially expressed during mammary gland development. We have previously shown that ACKR2 regulates macrophage dynamics during lymphatic vessel development. Here, we extend these observations to reveal a novel role for ACKR2 in regulating the postnatal development of the mammary gland. Specifically, we show that Ackr2−/− mice display precocious mammary gland development. This is associated with increased macrophage recruitment to the developing gland and increased density of the ductal epithelial network. These data demonstrate that ACKR2 is an important regulator of branching morphogenesis in diverse biological contexts and provide the first evidence of a role for chemokines and their receptors in postnatal development processes

Tissue Origins and Interactions in the Mammalian Skull Vault

AbstractDuring mammalian evolution, expansion of the cerebral hemispheres was accompanied by expansion of the frontal and parietal bones of the skull vault and deployment of the coronal (fronto-parietal) and sagittal (parietal–parietal) sutures as major growth centres. Using a transgenic mouse with a permanent neural crest cell lineage marker, Wnt1-Cre/R26R, we show that both sutures are formed at a neural crest–mesoderm interface: the frontal bones are neural crest-derived and the parietal bones mesodermal, with a tongue of neural crest between the two parietal bones. By detailed analysis of neural crest migration pathways using X-gal staining, and mesodermal tracing by DiI labelling, we show that the neural crest–mesodermal tissue juxtaposition that later forms the coronal suture is established at E9.5 as the caudal boundary of the frontonasal mesenchyme. As the cerebral hemispheres expand, they extend caudally, passing beneath the neural crest–mesodermal interface within the dermis, carrying with them a layer of neural crest cells that forms their meningeal covering. Exposure of embryos to retinoic acid at E10.0 reduces this meningeal neural crest and inhibits parietal ossification, suggesting that intramembranous ossification of this mesodermal bone requires interaction with neural crest-derived meninges, whereas ossification of the neural crest-derived frontal bone is autonomous. These observations provide new perspectives on skull evolution and on human genetic abnormalities of skull growth and ossification