Ability as an additional support need: Scotland’s inclusive approach to gifted education

No abstract available

Teacher 2020. On the Road to Entrepreneurial Fluency in Teacher Education

No abstract available

Molecular and ontogenic analysis of the mammalian GABA_A receptor

γ-aminobutyric acid is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) and may also play a neurotrophic role during CNS development. Diversification of GABAA receptor mediated responses are in part a result ofvariation in subunit composition in the receptor complex. This variation arises both from the number of different subtypes of GABAA receptor subunits (α1-6, β1-4, γ1-3, δ1, ρ1-3, ε, ρ), as well as from post-transcriptional processes such as RNA splicing. In this thesis, I have investigated the developmental onset of GABAA receptor gene expression and the distribution and temporal expression of GABAA receptor subunit mRNAs and 12 splice variants within the developing and adult murine CNS.Preliminary studies using S 1 nuclease protection analysis demonstrated that α1, β3 and γ2 were the predominant subtypes of GABAA receptor subunits expressed at embryonic day 14 and in the adult murine CNS. In situ hybridisation analysis demonstrated overlapping but distinct spatial and temporal patterns of GABAA subunit mRNA expression during postnatal development and in the adult murine CNS. Analysis of γ2 mRNA splice variants demonstrated that the γ2S transcript is the predominant γ2 mRNA expressed during latter stages of embryo genesis, while the γ2L transcript is the predominant γ2 isoform present inthe adult CNS.Since there is a 29 to 47 percent amino acid identity among the various GABAA receptor subunits, I have also demonstrated through site-directed mutagenesis studies, that changes in a conserved amino acid in the cysteine loop of the bovine a 1 GABAA receptor subunit resulted in a loss of agonist and antagonist binding (DI49N), while a change in a conserved amino acid in the M1 transmembrane domain of the bovine α1 GABAA receptor subunit resulted in loss of agonist binding and reduction in the Bmax and Kd for antagonist binding (P243A). 'These results are in contrast to the effect of identical mutations in the bovine β1 subunit and suggest that if the pentameric GABAA receptor assembly is composed of (α1)2(β1)1(γ2)2, then changes in highly conserved amino acids in the α1 receptor subunit would have a greater distortion on the structure of the receptor complex

Alien Registration- Waddell, Margaret (Bangor, Penobscot County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/13962/thumbnail.jp

Flandrian sea-level changes on the south coast of England

The South Coast of England is one of the few remaining areas in the British Isles where there is a relatively United knowledge of past sea levels. Five sites were investigated in the present study for evidence of past sea-level movements. These were at The Moors in Dorset, Studland Heath in Dorset, Browndown in Hampshire, Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight and Pett Level in East Sussex. Indications of sea-level movement were gained from the stratigraphic, pollen and diatom analyses at the sites. A series of phases of positive and negative sea-level tendencies, over the last 10,000 years, are presented at each site. These are correlated, within a regional setting, with other sites from the South Coast of England

Ability as an additional support need: Scotland’s inclusive approach to gifted education

No abstract available

Building educational bridges: the importance of interconnections in contemporary education research, policy and practice

The arguments presented in this thesis extend the existing discourse in the field of educational research. With support from empirical evidence and conceptual argument I will contend that the role of the teacher, and teacher beliefs, are central to changing practice and that a fine-grained understanding of teachers’ attitudes is crucial if we are to bridge the disjunction between research, policy and practice. The papers presented in this submission make a significant contribution to our understanding of the complex nature of learning and teaching. Empirical research to date has tended to be carried out in discrete disciplines within education such as psychology, sociology or early years. In contrast the portfolio of work presented here extends this knowledge by innovatively synthesising different fields of research and knowledge and challenges traditional practices where evidence was often restricted within a distinct field of study. There are increasingly nuanced debates in the academic literature about interconnectedness and the research/policy/practice nexus. The work presented here is located within this nexus. This portfolio of publications brings together work I have completed in the field since 2000. The publications are empirical and conceptual and progress knowledge related to teacher beliefs, classroom organisation, curriculum, early years and gifted and talented education. This submission provides a unique contribution to understanding the complex processes of learning and teaching by means of synthesising existing evidence and generating new evidence that not only contributes to the discourse but crucially is disseminated in a way that is accessible and practical in nature. The central claim underlying the work in this research portfolio is that providing for children can best be understood as resulting from three connected perspectives: 1. The complex interactions between teachers’ universal understandings about learning, teaching and ability; 2. The synthesis of previously discrete fields of research; 3. The policy context teachers find themselves working in and practical application in the classroom. This submission includes four jointly authored and four single authored peer-reviewed published papers together with two systematic reviews of literature. A range of work will be presented as evidence of knowledge exchange outputs emanating from the empirical and conceptual work. The submission will be organised under three key themes, each of which contributes to the intellectual development of knowledge and understanding about learning and teaching. Theme 1: Teachers, Learning and Learners The three papers presented in this theme directly address the teachers’ role and interrogate through: a literature review; the development of a model and an empirical study; how teachers might understand their role within the process. The first paper (1) reports the findings of a systematic review of literature about motivation to learn. Paper two (2) reports on a two-dimensional model for motivation. Paper (3) presents findings from a study carried out with teachers undertaking postgraduate qualifications in Special Educational Needs. Synthesising the findings from these papers contributes to discourse in the field by generating overarching patterns that relate to learners and effective learning regardless of their age. Theme 2: Classroom Organisation The four papers in this theme focus on curriculum and the mediation of the curriculum for learners. They demonstrate how the research undertaken reveals similar concerns within the field of gifted education and education generally, thus strengthening the thesis that greater synthesis of discrete fields of research is required. Paper four (4) critiques the current curricular framework being implemented in Scottish schools in relation to pupils who demonstrate high ability. Paper five (5) examines findings from a pilot study in one Education Authority in Scotland. Papers six (6) and seven (7) present findings from a study that examined classroom organisation from the perspectives of both teachers and pupils. Evidence is presented through knowledge exchange outputs in the form of a national staff development pack. Intellectually the papers contribute to the theoretical debates that exist around the organisation of pupils for learning and teaching. The findings corroborate the thesis that no one approach will meet the needs of all pupils. Theme 3: High ability Each of the three papers in this theme provides a unique contribution to the contentious debate around the most appropriate way to educate gifted and talented learners. The field is dominated by arguments for the need for specialised education for this cohort. The papers in this submission challenge this position arguing for the benefits of a more inclusive approach. Paper eight (8) is a literature review of interventions aimed at improving the educational achievement of gifted and talented pupils. Paper nine (9) explores parents’ views about high ability. Paper ten (10) presents initial findings from a study of staff working in one Education Authority in Scotland. Further evidence will be presented indicating how my empirical and conceptual work translates into accessible books and reports for use by teachers, students and Education Authorities, thus demonstrating impact “on the ground” and extending my work to include both an academic and practitioner audience. Conceptually the work submitted in this section evidences the central thesis that it is the implementation of a variety of methodological and pedagogical approaches by a knowledgeable educator that will best support gifted and talented learners. Conclusion It is important that the individuality, personal knowledge, beliefs and understanding teachers bring to the learning and teaching processes are explored, challenged and enhanced from a theoretical and methodological base. The syntheses of findings that are presented in this portfolio provide a critical and fine-grained understanding of teaching and learning across rarely connected disparate and discrete elements within education. It is this critical interrogation of existing practice that offers a unique contribution to the field. Explicitly such insights have yet to pass down into educational practice to produce more critically informed forms of educational praxis. The work presented in this submission offers a distinctive empirical and conceptual base from which to move forward

La certification dans le second degré au Royaume-Uni

De récents changements dans la certification au Royaume-Uni ont eu pour objectifs de mieux adapter les cours de l’école secondaire aux compétences des élèves, d’encourager l’accès du plus grand nombre possible à l’éducation secondaire et supérieure, et de favoriser l’intégration des voies d’enseignement général et d’enseignement professionnel. L’analyse des changements effectués en matière de certification à 16 ans et à 18 ans, en Angleterre et en Écosse, montre que des progrès ont été effectués, mais aussi que des problèmes demeurent non encore résolus. Une commission de réforme publiera prochainement de nouvelles propositions.Recent changes in certification in the United Kingdom have aimed at improving the adaptation of secondary school courses to the abilities of the pupils, at encouraging access of the greatest possible number to secondary and higher education, and at facilitating the integration of provision of general and vocational education. Analysis of changes made in certification at 16 and 18 years in England and in Scotland shows some progress has been made but also that some problems are not yet solved. New proposals for reform are due to be considered.Recientes cambios en la certificación en el Reino Unido han renido como objetivo adaptar mejor los cursos de la enseñanza secundaria a las competencias de los alumnos, lograr el acceso del mayor mímero posible de estudiantes a la educación media y superior así como favoricer la intégración de las vías de enseñanza general y de enseñanza profesional. El análisis de los cambios efectuados en cuanto a la certificación de 16 a 18 años, tanto en Ingleterra como en Escocia, demuestra que han habido progresas, pero al mismo tiempo quedan aún problemas no resueltos. Una comisión de reforma publicará próximamente nuevas propuestas

The function of fantasy in Victorian literature, art and architecture

In this thesis I examine the ways in which the Victorians used fantasy in literature, art, and architecture to explore the main areas of debate and key issues which were giving rise to anxiety in their society, in some cases upholding the status quo, but in others questioning accepted social mores. In particular, I consider the ways in which fantasy was used to examine what happens in a society when its traditional religious beliefs are challenged, either by commercialism as an economic creed, or by the acquisition of new knowledge, be this in the realm of science (theories of evolution) or the humanities (the new biblical criticism from Germany). Following on from this, I look at the possible alternatives to traditional religious belief which fantasy seemed able to offer to an age which appeared to need spirituality without dogma. I argue that one of the strategies most commonly adopted by the Victorians in the creation of fantasy is the disruption of time, and I consider the part played in literature and art by medievalism, and in architecture by the Gothic style and the Gothic Revival movement. This is followed by an examination of the role of Classicism in architecture, and ancient mythologies, such as Greek, Hebraic, or Babylonian, in literature and art. Finally, I consider the use of geological time as a point of departure in creating scientific fantasies. Given the very close links between the arts until the advent of aesthetic criticism at the end of the nineteenth century, I have drawn freely upon the visual and the literary arts. The main emphasis is, however, on literature and painting, with architecture playing a lesser, though still important, part in this thesis

Gametocyte carriage in Plasmodium falciparum-infected travellers.

BACKGROUND: Gametocytes are the sexual stage of Plasmodium parasites. The determinants of gametocyte carriage have been studied extensively in endemic areas, but have rarely been explored in travellers with malaria. The incidence of gametocytaemia, and factors associated with gametocyte emergence in adult travellers with Plasmodium falciparum malaria was investigated at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London. METHODS: Clinical, parasitological and demographic data for all patients presenting with P. falciparum malaria between January 2001 and December 2011 were extracted from a prospective database. These data were supplemented by manual searches of laboratory records and patient case notes. RESULTS: Seven hundred and seventy three adult patients with laboratory-confirmed P. falciparum malaria were identified. Four hundred and sixty five (60%) were born in a country where malaria is endemic. Patients presented to hospital a median of four days into their illness. The median maximum parasite count was 0.4%. One hundred and ninety six patients (25%) had gametocytes; 94 (12%) on admission, and 102 (13%) developing during treatment. Gametocytaemia on admission was associated with anaemia and a lower maximum parasitaemia. Patients with gametocytes at presentation were less likely to have thrombocytopenia or severe malaria. Patients who developed gametocytes during treatment were more likely to have had parasitaemia of long duration, a high maximum parasitaemia and to have had severe malaria. There was no apparent association between the appearance of gametocytes and treatment regimen. CONCLUSIONS: The development of gametocytaemia in travellers with P. falciparum is associated with factors similar to those reported among populations in endemic areas. These data suggest that acquired immunity to malaria is not the only determinant of patterns of gametocyte carriage among patients with the disease