Uncovering everyday learning and teaching within the quilting community of Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Arts at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

This thesis explores the social and cultural phenomenon of everyday learning and teaching within the communal activity of quiltmaking. Home-sewn quilts are rarely associated with the needleworkers’ high level of knowledge and skill; yet, the quilters’ act of knowing is practical, inherently social, and intentional. This research study examines the collaborative processes of “quilting together” to understand cultural patterns of participation; and investigates the participants’ meaning-making experiences to facilitate an analysis of collective knowledge practices. Using an ethnographic methodology, this research investigated the lived experiences of quilters within the situated context of two quilting groups, located in Aotearoa New Zealand. Observations were made of participants’ engagement in quilting activities as they interacted with each other, material artefacts and quilting tools. These observations took place during regular quilting sessions and special events. Interviews were conducted with founding members to gain an understanding of cultural-historical processes, as well as a purposively selected sample of ten participants who shared their personal quilting experiences. Observation notes, conversation commentaries and interview transcripts were analysed in relation to the research question and two guiding questions. Key findings are related to a variety of contextual issues surrounding the process of informal learning and teaching as it materialised through the quilters’ engagement in idiosyncratic community practices: the practices of which are generative of quilting knowledge and vice-versa. Firstly, through social integration quilters developed a sense of belonging and responsibility. Secondly, cultural patterns of social interaction consisted of multi-directional learning with quilters having complementary roles. Thirdly, due to the tacit nature of quilting knowledge, embodied experiences and material mediations were essential for thinking and communicating with others. Fourthly, a constellation of knowledge practices co-existed in the quilting community. Finally, the quilters’ informal learning was organised and supported within the community. The study contributes to a body of locally-based and international research concerned with informal learning and teaching theory, situated in a quilting community-based setting. The emerging conceptual framework, “Apprenticeship Model of Craft Community Learning”, develops and extends participation-based approaches to learning. In addition, the quilters’ collaborative designing process of inquiry advances understanding of knowledge creation within craft maker cultures

A qualitative evaluation of reflective practice groups on acute adult mental health inpatient units

Working on inpatient psychiatric wards requires the ability to maintain a calm and compassionate demeanour in the face of patient distress. This article considers the role of flexible Reflective Practice Groups (RPGs) as a means of supporting staff to manage the impact of this distress on their own wellbeing, whilst maintaining an ethically sound practice.Peer reviewe

Children's notation of number computations : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Studies (Mathematics) at Massey University

This study examines the development of children's notational schemes including their use of informal nonstandard notations and formal standard notations. A Year 5/6 class of students, their teacher and the researcher were involved in a collaborative teaching experiment in the context of qualitative developmental research. 'Experiment' refers not to untried or unusual instruction, but rather to collaborative analysis and planning of the students' mathematical activity. In order to gain information about children's notation of number computations data was gathered through interviewing, observing, and analyzing work samples of six case study students. This research study documents the emergence and development of notational schemes from children's problem-solving activities. The ways of symbolizing that emerged in the classroom evolved from the need to clarify and communicate thinking. Children represented their mathematical ideas using a variety of notational forms, both informal and formal. Within the classroom children used notational schemes as a 'thinking device' to help them make sense of their developing mathematical knowledge. Classroom practice intellectually engaged children with key mathematical ideas. Children increasingly became engaged in genuine dialogical encounters making reference to their own and others' explanations as captured by the notational schemes. As a result, notational schemes served to support shifts in children's mathematical understanding and development

Retinal Afferents Synapse with Relay Cells Targeting the Middle Temporal Area in the Pulvinar and Lateral Geniculate Nuclei

Considerable debate continues regarding thalamic inputs to the middle temporal area (MT) of the visual cortex that bypass the primary visual cortex (V1) and the role they might have in the residual visual capability following a lesion of V1. Two specific retinothalamic projections to area MT have been speculated to relay through the medial portion of the inferior pulvinar nucleus (PIm) and the koniocellular layers of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). Although a number of studies have demonstrated retinal inputs to regions of the thalamus where relays to area MT have been observed, the relationship between the retinal terminals and area MT relay cells has not been established. Here we examined direct retino-recipient regions of the marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus) pulvinar nucleus and the LGN following binocular injections of anterograde tracer, as well as area MT relay cells in these nuclei by injection of retrograde tracer into area MT. Retinal afferents were shown to synapse with area MT relay cells as demonstrated by colocalization with the presynaptic vesicle membrane protein synaptophysin. We also established the presence of direct synapes of retinal afferents on area MT relay cells within the PIm, as well as the koniocellular K1 and K3 layers of the LGN, thereby corroborating the existence of two disynaptic pathways from the retina to area MT that bypass V1

‘Lone Wolves’ and Collaboration: A Reply to Crippen & Robinson (2013)

In this reply to Crippen & Robinson’s (2013) contribution to Language Documentation & Conservation, we discuss recent perspectives on ‘collaborative’ linguistics and the many roles that linguists play in language communities. We question Crippen & Robinson’s characterization of the state of the field and their conclusions regarding the utility of collaborative fieldwork. We argue that their characterization of collaborative fieldwork is unrealistic and their complaints are based on a caricature of what linguists actually do when they work together with communities. We also question their emphasis on the ‘outsider’ linguist going into a community, given the increasing number of indigenous scholars working on their own languages and partnering with ‘outsider’ academics. We outline ways in which collaborative work does not compromise theoretical scholarship. Both collaborative and so-called ‘lone wolf’ approaches bring advantages and disadvantages to the linguist, but lone wolf linguistics can have considerable disadvantages to communities who are already excluded from research. Documentary linguists, as representatives of their profession, should make use of the most effective techniques they can, given that in many cases, that linguist’s work may well be the only lasting record of the language.National Foreign Language Resource Cente

Refereeing as a Post-Athletic Career Option

Athletes may be especially primed to become referees, yet we do not know what former athletes think about this career choice. To address the worldwide referee shortage, it is important to better understand athletes’ perceptions of refereeing. From a Career Contingency Model framework, it is evident athletes’ perception would influence their decision to consider refereeing. This study’s aim was to examine athletes’ perceptions of the refereeing environment (RQ1) and identify referee recruitment barriers (RQ2). Utilizing a descriptive phenomenological approach, 23 current and former athletes took part in semi-structured interviews based on their lived experience as an athlete. The participants identified the officiating environment as a High Stress Environment with Financial Instability, while Time and Lack of Knowledge and Support were identified as recruitment barriers. The results contributed to the burgeoning line of research attempting to address the global referee shortage and provide both theoretical and practical implications for sport managers

Flying the coop : why is the move out of home proving unsustainable?

Changing social trends indicate that more young Australians are electing to live at home longer. Residing in the parental home is the most common mode of living for those aged in their 20s, with recent data indicating more than 30 per cent decisively remain in this arrangement with their parents.While there are obviously still those who decide to move out, this housing arrangement seems to be proving unsustainable; many young adults are returning home to reside with their parents after time spent on their own in a trend increasingly referred to as the &lsquo;boomerang&rsquo; effect.This paper reviews the available literature on young adults&rsquo; living arrangements, identifying those factors implicated both in the leaving home process and the likelihood a young adult will return home after previously moving out. In highlighting how much of this earlier research has relied on the use of statistical methods, the paper aims to justify the need for the proposed study- a contemporary exploration of generation Y Australians&rsquo; experiences of home returning.The study, guided by an ecological theoretical perspective, will utilise a qualitative methodology to investigate the reasons why young adults are experiencing difficulty sustaining their move to independent living. In-depth interviews will be conducted in Melbourne with young adults aged between 20 and 30 years who currently reside in the parental home after living independently for four months or more. It is anticipated the study sample will include both males and females who are currently engaged in, or have previously completed, tertiary study.These interviews will be analysed and through the emergent themes, will provide a clearer insight into the &lsquo;boomerang&rsquo; generation- a group of young adults who will become increasingly more common in light of the current uncertainty surrounding finances, employment and housing markets. The implications of this research will therefore be significant for those concerned with the future housing decisions of Australian society.<br /

Making white spots disappear! Do minimally invasive treatments improve incisor opacities in children with molar incisor hypomineralisation?

acceptedVersio

Collisionally Stable Gas of Bosonic Dipolar Ground State Molecules

Stable ultracold ensembles of dipolar molecules hold great promise for many-body quantum physics, but high inelastic loss rates have been a long-standing challenge. Recently, it was shown that gases of fermionic molecules can be effectively stabilized through external fields. However, many quantum applications will benefit from molecular ensembles with bosonic statistics. Here, we stabilize a bosonic gas of strongly dipolar NaCs molecules against inelastic losses via microwave shielding, decreasing losses by more than a factor of 200 and reaching lifetimes on the scale of 1 second. We also measure high elastic scattering rates, a result of strong dipolar interactions, and observe the anisotropic nature of dipolar collisions. Finally, we demonstrate evaporative cooling of a bosonic molecular gas to a temperature of 36(5) nK, increasing its phase-space density by a factor of 20. This work is a critical step towards the creation of a Bose-Einstein condensate of dipolar molecules.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figure

Ultracold Gas of Dipolar NaCs Ground State Molecules

We report on the creation of bosonic NaCs molecules in their absolute rovibrational ground state via stimulated Raman adiabatic passage. We create ultracold gases with up to 22,000 dipolar NaCs molecules at a temperature of 300(50) nK and a peak density of $1.0(4) \times 10^{12}$ cm$^{-3}$. We demonstrate comprehensive quantum state control by preparing the molecules in a specific electronic, vibrational, rotational, and hyperfine state. Employing the tunability and strength of the permanent electric dipole moment of NaCs, we induce dipole moments of up to 2.6 D. Dipolar systems of NaCs molecules are uniquely suited to explore strongly interacting phases in dipolar quantum matter.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure