1,066 research outputs found
The other side of teacher motivation
Purpose This paper examines motivation of four teachers to develop aspects of their instructional practice in an Australian primary school. Perspectives Framed within a sociocultural perspective that positions motivation as social in nature, the paper explores the complex relationships between the social world and the world of the individual (Walker, 2010). Method One teacher developed a collaborative classroom in 2004 using a range of strategies (such as social circle, class agreements, weekly class meeting) to engage students in decision-making about their learning (MacCallum & Morcom, 2008; Morcom & MacCallum, 2009). This paper is based on the teacherâs implementation of a collaborative classroom in a second primary school in 2007, and her subsequent mentoring of three colleagues (two experienced and one second-year teacher) to introduce more interactive elements into their classroom practice. The classes of two teachers included students who had been taught by the teacher mentor in previous years. The study was principally qualitative and data sources included interviews (with the teachers, students and their parents), reflective journals of the teachers and researcher, and classroom observation. Transcripts of dialogue and interview responses were examined for motivation concepts, such as interest, self-efficacy, self-competence and value (Murphy & Alexander, 2000; Watt & Richardson, 2007), and documented in relation to the contexts in which they emerged and changed over time. Rogoffâs (1995, 2003) three planes (personal, interpersonal and community) were used as an interpretative framework. Rogoff (1995) maintains it is incomplete to consider âthe relationship of individual development and social interaction without concern for the cultural activity in which personal and interpersonal actions take placeâ (p. 141). Thus in this kind of analysis, each plane in turn is fore-grounded with the other planes in the background allowing consideration of the contributions from individuals, their social partners, and historical traditions and materials. Thus teacher interactions with each other, with students, parents and colleagues are important at the interpersonal plane, and school and wider educational issues at the community plane. Results The first teacher was interested, self-efficacious and confident to develop her practice, and her motivation was supported by the changing outcomes she observed in the students in the class. While acknowledging the conflicting messages about her instructional approach from the school system and research findings, school principal, some parents and colleagues, she was able to sustain her motivation to continually develop her practice. The three teachers whom she mentored struggled to change aspects of their practice. They were interested in doing so for the benefit of their students and valued the approach modelled, but had difficulty maintaining self-efficacy as they negotiated the expectations of the principal and parents. The paper explores each teacherâs action in turn. The teachersâ motivation to develop their practice in particular ways cannot be explained fully by considering the individuals or the context alone. Significance By using a sociocultural perspective and examining the motivation of more experienced teachers as they act to change their practice, this study contributes to our understanding of the complex and dynamic nature of teacher motivation
Segre Types of Symmetric Two-tensors in n-Dimensional Spacetimes
Three propositions about Jordan matrices are proved and applied to
algebraically classify the Ricci tensor in n-dimensional Kaluza-Klein-type
spacetimes. We show that the possible Segre types are [1,1...1], [21...1],
[31\ldots 1], [z\bar{z}1...1] and degeneracies thereof. A set of canonical
forms for the Segre types is obtained in terms of semi-null bases of vectors.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX, replaced due to a LaTex erro
On limits of spacetimes -- a coordinate-free approach
A coordinate-free approach to limits of spacetimes is developed. The limits
of the Schwarzschild metric as the mass parameter tends to 0 or are
studied, extending previous results. Besides the known Petrov type D and 0
limits, three vacuum plane-wave solutions of Petrov type N are found to be
limits of the Schwarzschild spacetime.Comment: 19 p
Tachyonic potential in Bianchi type-I universe
Motivated from recent string theoretic results, a tachyonic potential is
constructed for a spatially homogeneous and anisotropic background cosmology.Comment: 5 pages,LATEX,Typos in the text corrected, more references adde
Host carbon sources modulate cell wall architecture, drug resistance and virulence in a fungal pathogen
The survival of all microbes depends upon their ability to respond to environmental challenges. To establish infection, pathogens such as Candida albicans must mount effective stress responses to counter host defences while adapting to dynamic changes in nutrient status within host niches. Studies of C.âalbicans stress adaptation have generally been performed on glucose-grown cells, leaving the effects of alternative carbon sources upon stress resistance largely unexplored. We have shown that growth on alternative carbon sources, such as lactate, strongly influence the resistance of C.âalbicans to antifungal drugs, osmotic and cell wall stresses. Similar trends were observed in clinical isolates and other pathogenic Candida species. The increased stress resistance of C.âalbicans was not dependent on key stress (Hog1) and cell integrity (Mkc1) signalling pathways. Instead, increased stress resistance was promoted by major changes in the architecture and biophysical properties of the cell wall. Glucose- and lactate-grown cells displayed significant differences in cell wall mass, ultrastructure, elasticity and adhesion. Changes in carbon source also altered the virulence of C.âalbicans in models of systemic candidiasis and vaginitis, confirming the importance of alternative carbon sources within host niches during C.âalbicans infection
Black Holes in Non-flat Backgrounds: the Schwarzschild Black Hole in the Einstein Universe
As an example of a black hole in a non-flat background a composite static
spacetime is constructed. It comprises a vacuum Schwarzschild spacetime for the
interior of the black hole across whose horizon it is matched on to the
spacetime of Vaidya representing a black hole in the background of the Einstein
universe. The scale length of the exterior sets a maximum to the black hole
mass. To obtain a non-singular exterior, the Vaidya metric is matched to an
Einstein universe. The behaviour of scalar waves is studied in this composite
model.Comment: 8 pages, 3 postscript figures, minor corrections Journal Ref:
accepted for Physical Review
WKB-type Approximation to Noncommutative Quantum Cosmology
In this work, we develop and apply the WKB approximation to several examples
of noncommutative quantum cosmology, obtaining the time evolution of the
noncommutative universe, this is done starting from a noncommutative quantum
formulation of cosmology where the noncommutativity is introduced by a
deformation on the minisuperspace variables. This procedure gives a
straightforward algorithm to incorporate noncommutativity to cosmology and
inflation.Comment: Revtex4, 6 pages, no figure
Integrability of anisotropic and homogeneous Universes in scalar-tensor theory of gravitation
In this paper, we develop a method based on the analysis of the Kovalewski
exponents to study the integrability of anisotropic and homogeneous Universes.
The formalism is developed in scalar-tensor gravity, the general relativistic
case appearing as a special case of this larger framework. Then, depending on
the rationality of the Kovalewski exponents, the different models, both in the
vacuum and in presence of a barotropic matter fluid, are classified, and their
integrability is discussed.Comment: 16 pages, no figure, accepted in CQ
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Dilatometry in the Gleeble: What did you really measure?
The Gleeble is an oft-used tool for welding metallurgy research. Besides producing synthetic weld specimens, it is used to determine phase transformation temperatures and kinetics via dilatometry. Experimental data and an FEM model are used to examine measured dilatation errors because of non-uniform heating of the dilatometer and other sources such as sample elastic and plastic deformation. Both isothermal and constant heating/cooling rate scenarios are considered. Further errors which may be introduced when the dilatation is incorrectly assumed to be linearly related to the volume fraction transformed are also discussed
Collimation of a spherical collisionless particles stream in Kerr space-time
We examine the propagation of collisionless particles emitted from a
spherical shell to infinity. The number distribution at infinity, calculated as
a function of the polar angle, exhibits a small deviation from uniformity. The
number of particles moving from the polar region toward the equatorial plane is
slightly larger than that of particles in the opposite direction, for an
emission radius in extreme Kerr space-time. This means that the black
hole spin exerts an anti-collimation effect on the particles stream propagating
along the rotation axis. We also confirm this property in the weak field limit.
The quadrupole moment of the central object produces a force toward the
equatorial plane. For a smaller emission radius , the absorption of
particles into the black hole, the non-uniformity and/or the anisotropy of the
emission distribution become much more important.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures; accepted for publication in CQ
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