29 research outputs found

    Effects of group work training on science attainment in rural and urban schools

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    This study investigated the effects of collaborative group work skills training on pupil attainment in science. Twenty-four experimental classes were drawn from schools in rural and urban settings. Pupils in experimental classrooms engaged in general group work skills training and two structured group work activities in science. Attainment was assessed using the Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) instrument. Significant gains in science attainment were observed in the experimental urban and rural classes. Significant changes in observed group work behaviours were observed in both urban and rural classes. Changes in group work behaviour were correlated to increased science attainment. The implications for practice, policy and future research are explored

    Measurement of the duration of X-ray lasing pumped by an optical laser pulse of picosecond duration

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    Measurements of the duration of X-ray lasing pumped with picosecond pulses from the VULCAN optical laser are obtained using a streak camera with 700 fs temporal resolution. Combined with a temporal smearing due to the spectrometer employed, we have measured X-ray laser pulse durations for Ni-like silver at 13.9 nm with a total time resolution of 1.1 ps. For Ni-like silver, the X-ray laser output has a steep rise followed by an approximately exponential temporal decay with measured full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 3.7 (±0.5) ps. For Ne-like nickel lasing at 23.1 nm, the measured duration of lasing is ≈10.7 (±1) ps (FWHM). An estimate of the duration of the X-ray laser gain has been obtained by temporally resolving spectrally integrated continuum and resonance line emission. For Ni-like silver, this time of emission is ≈22 (±2) ps (FWHM), while for Ne-like nickel we measure ≈35 (±2) ps (FWHM). Assuming that these times of emission correspond to the gain duration, we show that a simple model consistently relates the gain durations to the measured durations of X-ray lasing
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