Early childhood teachers' beliefs and practices related to peer learning : a mixed methods study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

This study investigated New Zealand early childhood teachers’ beliefs and practices related to peer learning, as little is known about how teachers support peer learning in play based settings. A mixed methods exploratory sequential research design was used. The first phase of the study consisted of case studies, which comprised interviews and observations of teachers in three early childhood centres. Filmed observations of teachers’ practices as they supported opportunities for peer learning were undertaken. Stimulated recall interviews were then completed to gain a deeper understanding of teachers’ intentions about this aspect of their practice. Constant comparative analysis was used to analyse the case studies, including the use of the NVivo programme for content analysis. The second phase of the study was a nationwide survey sent to early childhood teachers. The questions for the survey were derived from analyses of the case studies and extant literature. Survey data was interpreted using descriptive statistics and coding of open ended questions. Findings from both phases were used to answer the research questions. The study revealed teachers’ beliefs about peer learning recognised the social, participatory nature of learning, alongside provision of opportunities for individual exploration and discovery. Balancing these beliefs created a tension for teachers and at times they struggled to express their role in supporting peer learning. The need for teachers to better articulate and deepen their understanding of their role in this type of learning is implicated in these findings. This study found the early childhood setting played a critical role in mediating teachers’ practices and beliefs about peer learning. Therefore children had varied experiences of peer learning as teachers supported children’s agency amongst their peers in different ways. This finding was of concern, as teachers who work in settings that do not actively promote peer learning may not effectively support children’s potential as teachers of their peers. Participants espoused beliefs about child-led learning, however observations revealed teachers’ intentional support of peer learning. This finding highlighted a major contradiction between teachers’ beliefs and practices whilst revealing teachers’ inability to take ownership of their intentional teaching practices. Teachers used the curriculum guidelines from Te Whāriki related to wellbeing and a sense of belonging to support peer learning; the role of children as knowledge constructors was less closely aligned with teachers’ beliefs and practices. This finding draws into question teachers’ understandings of how to implement peer learning across the curriculum strands whilst implying the need for further investigation about how young children’s learning is assessed

Terms of Trade Shocks: What are They and What Do They Do?

This paper describes and quantifies the macroeconomic effects of different types of terms of trade shocks and their propagation in the Australian economy. Three types of shocks are identified based on their impact on commodity prices, global manufactured prices, and global economic activity. The first two shocks, a world demand shock and a commodity-market specific shock are fairly standard. The third shock, a globalisation shock that may result, for instance, from the increasing importance of China, India and eastern Europe in the global economy is more novel. The globalisation shock is associated with a decline in manufactured prices, a rise in commodity prices, and an increase in global economic activity. Determining the underlying source of variation in the terms of trade is shown to be important for understanding the impact on the Australian economy as all three shocks propagate through the economy in different ways. The relative contribution of each shock to inflation, output, interest rates, and the exchange rate has also varied over time. The main conclusion of the paper is that a higher terms of trade tends to be expansionary but is not always inflationary. A key result is that the floating exchange rate has provided an important buffer to the external shocks that move the terms of trade.terms of trade; sign-restricted VAR

The molecular content of star-forming galaxies

An exciting development in observational astronomy over the last 15 years has been the opening up of the submillimetre and millimetre atmospheric windows, to the extent that observations of external galaxies are now possible. This thesis presents the results of a millimetre/submillimetre-wave study of several nearby, infrared-bright, vigorously star-forming galaxies, in an attempt to investigate their molecular hydrogen content. In particular, it seeks to evaluate the relative merits of the two most commonly adopted molecular hydrogen ‘tracers’ - millimetre-wave transitions of the CO molecule and its isotopes, and submillimetre continuum emission from warm dust grains. Observational and theoretical evidence suggests that the effects of active star formation (in the form of intense UV fields, supernovae, etc.) on the CO emission may render it unreliable as a tracer of H2 in such galaxies. Dust continuum emission offers the potential for an independent probe of the interstellar molecular gas in starburst systems.The first part of the thesis concerns 450 /¿m mapping of the nearby starburst galaxy M82. In contrast to what might be expected if the CO and dust were both reliably tracing molecular hydrogen, the 450 gm map shows striking spatial dissimilarities to 12CO line maps of the same region. Consideration of isotopic CO data suggests that optical depth effects may in part explain the discrepancy, while the effect of the vigorous nuclear star formation on the excitation state of the CO may also be an important factor. The optically thin 450 gm continuum emission shows no strong evidence for dust temperature gradients across the galaxy and appears to trace reliably the distribution of the grains and hence the gas with which they are associated.As a follow-up to the M82 observations, 800 /¿m dust continuum maps were made of three more nearby star-forming galaxies, Maffei 2, M83 and IC342. Together with 450- 1100 /¿m photometry, these data fill an important gap in the long-wavelength spectra of such galaxies, enabling a study of the molecular material with which the dust is mixed. It is found that a single-temperature, modified blackbody dust spectrum cannot fit the observed submillimetre fluxes, unless the emissivity spectral index P = 1all the way to 1100//m, with corresponding dust temperatures ~45 K. While this scenario cannot be ruled out by current grain models, a multitemperature dust grain population seems more plausible for a composite object such as a galaxy. A two-temperature spectral fit suggests that ~90% of the dust may be cool (~20-25 K), somewhat surprising in a galaxy exhibiting observational evidence of vigorous nuclear star formation. Possible reasons for this, as well as the effect of a large cool-dust fraction on the derived gas column densities and masses, are discussed.In the final section of the thesis, 12C 0 and 13CO observations are presented of the infrared-bright, gas-rich galaxy Maffei 2. The CO emission from this galaxy is char­acterized by high main-beam brightness temperatures 2 K) and very wide lines (approaching 160 km s-1 FWHM at the centre). A simple rotating disc model shows that beam smearing of a steeply rising rotation curve fails to reproduce the observed linewidths, and that cloud velocity dispersions of ~100 km s“ 1 may be present in the central regions. Possible energy sources behind such large velocity dispersions are dis­cussed. The 12CO and 13CO J = 2 -l and 1-0 antenna temperature ratios are compared point by point to investigate any large-scale variation of cloud excitation across the starburst region. It is found that a simplistic, single-temperature LTE analysis cannot reconcile the high observed 2- 1/1 -0 ratios with the low values of Tmb(12C O )/Tmb(13CO) that imply optically thick gas in the nuclear region. Non-LTE excitation effects in a multicomponent interstellar medium may conspire to make reliable interpretation of CO line data very difficult without detailed modelling

Relationship Between Child Survival and Malaria Transmission: An Analysis of the Malaria Transmission Intensity and Mortality Burden Across Africa (MTIMBA) Project Data in Rufiji Demographic Surveillance System, Tanzania.

The precise nature of the relationship between malaria mortality and levels of transmission is unclear. Due to methodological limitations, earlier efforts to assess the linkage have lead to inconclusive results. The malaria transmission intensity and mortality burden across Africa (MTIMBA) project initiated by the INDEPTH Network collected longitudinally entomological data within a number of sites in sub-Saharan Africa to study this relationship. This work linked the MTIMBA entomology database with the routinely collected vital events within the Rufiji Demographic Surveillance System to analyse the transmission-mortality relation in the region. Bayesian Bernoulli spatio-temporal Cox proportional hazards models with village clustering, adjusted for age and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), were fitted to assess the relation between mortality and malaria transmission measured by entomology inoculation rate (EIR). EIR was predicted at household locations using transmission models and it was incorporated in the model as a covariate with measure of uncertainty. Effects of covariates estimated by the model are reported as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% Bayesian confidence interval (BCI) and spatial and temporal parameters are presented. Separate analysis was carried out for neonates, infants and children 1-4 years of age. No significant relation between all-cause mortality and intensity of malaria transmission was indicated at any age in childhood. However, a strong age effect was shown. Comparing effects of ITN and EIR on mortality at different age categories, a decrease in protective efficacy of ITN was observed (i.e. neonates: HR = 0.65; 95% BCI: 0.39-1.05; infants: HR = 0.72; 95% BCI:0.48-1.07; children 1-4 years: HR = 0.88; 95% BCI: 0.62-1.23) and reduction on the effect of malaria transmission exposure was detected (i.e. neonates: HR = 1.15; 95% BCI:0.95-1.36; infants: HR = 1.13; 95% BCI:0.98-1.25; children 1-4 years: HR = 1.04; 95% BCI:0.89-1.18). A very strong spatial correlation was also observed. These results imply that assessing the malaria transmission-mortality relation involves more than the knowledge on the performance of interventions and control measures. This relation depends on the levels of malaria endemicity and transmission intensity, which varies significantly between different settings. Thus, sub-regions analyses are necessary to validate and assess reproducibility of findings

Ca2+ leak, what is it? Why should we care? Can it be managed?

For arrhythmia triggers that are secondary to dysfunctional intracellular Ca2+ cycling, there are few if any specific agents that target exactly the Ca2+ handling machinery. However, in the literature to date, several candidates have been proposed. We review here these agents with the idea that in the future these agents or those derived thereof will prove invaluable in clinical application

Relationship between the entomologic inoculation rate and the force of infection for Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

We propose a stochastic model for the relationship between the entomologic inoculation rate (EIR) for Plasmodium falciparum malaria and the force of infection in endemic areas. The model incorporates effects of increased exposure to mosquito bites as a result of the growth in body surface area with the age of the host, naturally acquired pre-erythrocytic immunity, and the reduction in the proportion of entomologically assessed inoculations leading to infection, as the EIR increases. It is fitted to multiple datasets from field studies of the relationship between malaria infection and the EIR. We propose that this model can account for non-monotonic relationships between the age of the host and the parasite prevalence and incidence of disease. It provides a parsimonious explanation for the faster acquisition of natural immunity in adults than in children exposed to high EIRs. This forms one component of a new stochastic model for the entire transmission cycle of P. falciparum that we have derived to estimate the potential epidemiologic impact of malaria vaccines and other malaria control interventions

Modelling Enterprise for a Disability Charity

Work can allow people to express themselves and develop skills and abilities, create social bonds, and receive appreciation both symbolic and economic but what if you cannot access employment? How can the principles of enterprise be applied to create opportunities for greater self-development and social inclusion for people with a spectrum of impairments that currently utilise day services? This research focuses on defining a model of enterprise for the Percy Hedley Foundation. Using a mixed-method approach, case study and co-creative design-led innovation practice, the research reviews sector exemplars and produced propositional materials for critique and debate. Through synthesis and evaluation the research presents a model of enterprise that explores the flexibility of the concept ‘meaningful employment’. The research aims to contribute to understanding about how disability support organisations can shift from a model of social care to a model of endeavour in order to increase social impact on investment. The paper suggests organisational conditions to enable people with a range of impairments to meaningfully engage in enterprise activity and be enterprising