Student Interest and Teacher Behaviors.

Literature from the fields of educational psychology, instructional communication, and organizational management are reviewed to lend insight into the relationship between interest and empowerment. Theoretical similarities of these two constructs are highlighted in an attempt to argue for concept isomorphism. The discussion of student interest will address (a) how interest has been examined to date, (b) the definition and components of interest, (c) qualitative differences in types of interest, (d) how interest has been manipulated, and (e) measurement and operationalization concerns in interest. This discussion of interest will be followed by a section that looks at how some of the issues raised in the review of the interest literature may be resolved by an examination of learner empowerment and how teacher behavior can impact student attitudes. Finally, method, results, and discussion sections are also included

Learning through experience : an analysis of student leaders' reflections on the 1985-6 revolt in Western Cape schools

Bibliography: pages 304-324.This thesis explores the inter-relationship between theory and practice in a number of ways. I shall mainly be concerned with analysing the effects of participation in the 1985-6 Western Cape struggles upon the political consciousness of former student leaders. A representative, random sample of the 1985 Student Representative Council members of a certain high school in Cape Town was taken and respondents were then interviewed individually during the last quarter of 1990. The subject of the thesis is closely tied to the particular method used to investigate it. I shall argue and present reasons why the ethnographic interviewing commonly used in cultural anthropology is theoretically appropriate as means to collect empirical material for use in the analysis of the topic. Arising from the methodology, a secondary focus of this study concerns the interaction between the biases (or "theory") which social scientists bring to their research and the actual, raw data collected. This variation of the theory-practice nexus is not examined in detail, only when it is directly relevant to the main analysis. How was all of the foregoing arrived at? I shall show that the interplay between action and thought was central to the events which occurred during the 1985-6 rebellion. It is this fact which justifies the study of the above topic and which led to conceptualizing of the research as outlined. In addition, this same feature of the uprising can be used to examine the political consciousness of the ex-students. In other words, their present-day perceptions in regard to past experiences in mass struggle can be analysed in terms of the boycott seen as action (practice) and the boycott seen as symbolising ideas (thought). The main conclusion reached is that there is both a unity and a disjunction of theory and practice in the political outlook of respondents. On the one hand, interviewees understand and evaluated those events in which they directly participated. This was done in contradictory ways and showed a general move away from militancy towards conservatism. On the other hand, the great majority of respondents are still struggling to make sense of the wider social issues produced during the uprising. These aspects of respondent thinking are viewed in relation to one another and I try to give explanations for them. Finally, I suggest what the contemporary significance of the above conclusions for the struggle for socialism could be

Enhanced co-solubilities of Ca and Si in YAG (Y3Al5O12)

General garnet structure (Ia3-d) is a forgiving host and can accommodate cations of varying sizes and valence states. Studies on highly yttrium doped alumina ceramics with Ca and Si contamination indicated that YAG precipitates in the ceramic had a propensity to allow simultaneous incorporation of small amounts of Ca and Si impurities in their structure. In this study, using chemical synthesis techniques it was shown that YAG can accommodate up to approximately 8 cation % Ca+2 and Si+4 (i.e. Ca+2/Y+3 and Si+4/Y+3) if they are incorporated together. Equilibrium conditions are established by calcining samples at 900 C for 2 hours and cooling the samples to room temperature in the furnace. Disappearing-phase method and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to determine solubility and co-solubility limits. Beyond the solubility limit phase separation occurred and three crystalline yttrium aluminate phases (YAG, YAP (yttrium aluminate perovskite, YAlO3), YAM (yttrium aluminate monoclinic, Y4Al2O9)) were observed. It is believed that the excess Ca and Si above co-solubility limit precipitate out in the form of an x-ray amorphous anorthite-like glass in the system

Referential and syntactic approaches to proving: case studies from a transition-to-proof course

The goal of this paper is to increase our understanding of different approaches to proving in advanced mathematics. We present two case studies from an interview-based investigation in which students were asked to complete proof-related tasks. The first student consistently took what we call a referential approach toward these tasks, examining examples of the objects to which the mathematical statements referred, and using these to guide reasoning. The second consistently took what we call a syntactic approach toward these tasks, working logically with definitions and proof structures without reference to examples. Both students made substantial progress on each of the tasks, but they exhibited different strengths and experienced different difficulties. In this paper we: demonstrate consistency in these students' approaches across a range of tasks, examine the different strengths and difficulties associated with their approaches to proving, and consider the pedagogical issues raised by these apparent student preferences for reasoning in certain ways

Undergraduates’ example use in proof construction: purposes and effectiveness

In this paper, we present data from an exploratory study that aimed to investigate the ways in which, and the extent to which, undergraduates enrolled in a transition-to-proof course considered examples in their attempted proof constructions. We illustrate how some undergraduates can and do use examples for specific purposes while successfully constructing proofs, and that these purposes are consistent with those described by mathematicians. We then examine other cases in which students used examples ineffectively. We note that in these cases, the purposes for which the students attempted to use examples are again appropriate, but the implementation of their strategies is inadequate in one of two specific ways. On this basis we identify points that should be borne in mind by a university teacher who wishes to teach students to use examples effectively in proof-based mathematics courses

Assessing the Success of Postfire Reseeding in Semiarid Rangelands Using Terra MODIS

Successful postfire reseeding efforts can aid rangeland ecosystem recovery by rapidly establishing a desired plant community and thereby reducing the likelihood of infestation by invasive plants. Although the success of postfire remediation is critical, few efforts have been made to leverage existing geospatial technologies to develop methodologies to assess reseeding success following a fire. In this study, Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data were used to improve the capacity to assess postfire reseeding rehabilitation efforts, with particular emphasis on the semiarid rangelands of Idaho. Analysis of MODIS data demonstrated a positive effect of reseeding on rangeland ecosystem recovery, as well as differences in vegetation between reseeded areas and burned areas where no reseeding had occurred (P,0.05). We conclude that MODIS provides useful data to assess the success of postfire reseeding

The Power Grid/Wildfire Nexus: Using GIS and Satellite Remote Sensing to Identify Vulnerabilities

The effects of wildfire on the power grid are a recurring concern for utility companies who need reliable information about where to prioritize infrastructure hardening. Though there are existing data layers that provide measures of burn probability, these models predominately consider long-term climate variables, which are not helpful when analyzing current season trends. Utility companies need data that are temporally and locally relevant. To determine the primary drivers of burn probability relative to power grid vulnerability, this study assessed potential wildfire drivers that are both readily accessible and regularly updated. Two study areas in Idaho, USA with contrasting burn probabilities were compared. Wildfire drivers were obtained and differentiated between the study areas across the 2018–2021 growing seasons. This study determined that mean wind speed, cumulative growing season precipitation, and the mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for an area of interest may be reliable indicators of burn probability on a temporally relevant scale. This assessment demonstrates a method and variables that may be utilized by municipal electric utilities, electric cooperatives, and other power utilities to determine where to harden power grid infrastructure within wildfire-prone areas