VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Gradient of a straight line: an investigation into the effect that making different links between representations has on student understanding

The aim of this research is to explore whether using different approaches to finding the gradient of a straight line results in better conceptual understanding of gradient and tools to attempt questions about straight lines and linear relationships in different contexts.
The research was carried out in the context of a department that does not feel it teaches gradient of straight line well and is facing the prospect of greater emphasis on working with linear relationships in the new Mathematics GCSE.
An action research model was adopted with lessons taught by colleagues with the control groups observed and used as the basis for devising a series of intervention lessons. These lessons used different approaches to linear relationships including looking for increments in tables of values and describing the relationships between variables in sentences based on the definition of gradient as well as the traditional rise/tread approach used with the control groups. Pre- and post- tests were used with both the control and intervention groups to investigate the effect of the intervention; these tests were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Analysis of the quantitative results did not show any significantly higher level of attainment for the intervention group either relative to the control groups or the baseline data for the whole cohort. However, qualitative analysis on an individual level suggests a greater breadth of understanding for the intervention group which puts them in a better position to attempt questions in a variety of contexts.

Keywords: MLT
MLT2015
Parents with neurodevelopmental disorders and their children

Adults with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face a varying degree of associated challenges and impairment. However, there is a scarcity of literature regarding those adults who go on to become parents. Understanding the experiences of parents with neurodevelopmental disorders and their children is vital in providing the appropriate, specialist support.
The first paper systematically reviewed the literature relating to parental ADHD and child externalising, internalising, social and cognitive outcomes. Despite the well-established link between parental ADHD and child ADHD, little is known about other important child outcomes. Twenty-one eligible studies were identified, synthesised and critiqued. The review found that parental ADHD was associated with child externalising problems. However, this was not found for child oppositional defiance disorder. Parenting and parental gender were highlighted as important moderating and mediating factors. Due to low study numbers and quality issues, results were inconclusive regarding child internalising, social and cognitive outcomes. The review highlighted the importance of future research, theory and services addressing the needs of both parents with ADHD and their children.
The second paper sought to explore the parenting experiences of adults with ASD who have children with ASD. Little is known about these parents, despite the challenges known to be associated with adult ASD and with parenting a child with ASD. Eight parents were interviewed, and data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, revealing four superordinate themes. These captured parents’ experiences of the parent-child relationship, the personal impact of parenting, the acceptance and challenge of living with a child with ASD and managing the complexities of professional services. These findings highlighted the need to provide integrated services which address the multiple needs of families with ASD. Future research and theoretical implications were also considered.

Advisor: Stacey, J
Verkuijl, N
Marginal anthropology? Rethinking Maria Czaplicka and the development of British anthropology from a material history perspective

This thesis explores the history of British anthropology at the start of the twentieth century through a biographical focus on Maria Antonina Czaplicka (1884-1921). The title calls into question the marginalisation of people and processes in the history of anthropology that do not explicitly contribute to the dominant lineage of British social anthropology and offers to add depth and nuance to the narrative through analysis stemming from material sources. I use Czaplicka as a case study to demonstrate how close attention to a seemingly marginal person with an incomplete and scattered archival record, can help formulate a clearer picture of what anthropology was and what it can thus become.
My research contributes to the understanding and appreciation of women’s involvement in anthropology, calls into question national borders of the discipline at this point in time, highlights the networks that nurtured it, and demonstrates the potential that museum collections have for an enriched understanding of the history of anthropology. I propose that history of anthropology is better understood through a planar approach that allows multiple parallel developments to exist together rather than envisaging a linear evolution towards a single definition of social anthropology. The project lays the groundwork for further research into the role that museums can have for understanding anthropological legacy and the possibilities they may have in creating fresh understandings of the contemporary world.

Keywords: female fieldworker
women anthropologist
Pitt Rivers Museum
material anthropology
museum collections
history of science
Advisor: Morton, C
Peers, L
Topologizing Group Actions

This thesis is centered on the following question: Given an abstract group action by an Abelian group G on a set X, when is there a compact Hausdorff topology on X such that the group action is continuous? If such a topology exists, we call the group action compact-realizable.
We show that if G is a locally-compact group, a necessary condition for a G-action to be compact-realizable, is that the image of X under the stabilizer map must be a compact subspace of the collection of closed subgroups of G equipped with the co-compact topology. We apply this result to give a complete characterization for the case when G is a compact Abelian group in terms of the existence of continuous compact Hausdorff pre-images of a certain topological space associated with the group action. If G is not compact, we will show that the necessary condition is not sufficient. Together with various examples, we then present a general two-stage method of construction for compact Hausdorff topologies for ℝ-actions.
For discrete groups, the necessary condition above turns out to be not very strong. In the case of G = ℤ2 we will see that the two cases |X| < 𝖈 and |X| ≥ 𝖈 must be treated very differently. We derive necessary conditions for a group action with |X| < 𝖈 to be compact-realizable by constructing particularly nice open partitions of the space X. We then use symbolic dynamics together with some generic constructions to obtain a partial converse in this case. If |X| ≥ 𝖈 we give further constructions of compact Hausdorff topologies for which the group action is continuous.

Advisor: Knight, R
Collins, P
Maximising staff 'buy-in' in the development of a whole school literacy approach

Literacy is crucial in enabling young people to achieve across the curriculum, and in the wider world beyond the school gates. Schools are expected to demonstrate that they have put in place a clear literacy policy, promoting high quality literacy teaching across the whole range of the school's provision (Ofsted 2014), in order to close the gap between the 'word poor' and the 'word rich' (Rigney 2010).
However, teachers can feel that literacy directives are imposed on them from above, as time-consuming 'bolt-ons' to their own subject teaching. This research suggests that a 'top-down' literacy policy may meet with resistance from staff, and fail to become embedded in their practice, thus being an ineffective tool with which to raise literacy standards. The project seeks to maximise teacher buy-in through taking a collaborative approach to policy development, guided by the overall research question: 'How do staff respond to an approach to policy design that seeks to consult teachers and enhance collegial professional development?
Viewing the enactment of policy in schools through a cultural-historical activity theory framework, action research aiming to align community perceptions with policy development was designed, resulting in the collaborative drafting of a new literacy policy following a cycle of teacher interviews. A further action cycle of peer coaching was carried out with the object of empowering staff to implement literacy-focused pedagogical techniques in their classrooms. Feedback from staff and analysis of the peer coaching sessions has indicated that almost all staff involved were taking decisive action to engage with specific aspects of the new whole school literacy approach.
An emerging outcome of the action research has been the positive response to co-constructive professional discourse as a possible model for expansive learning (Engeström 1987) within a school in an isolated rural setting. A new Literacy Coach role has been created for the next academic year, to develop professional learning and support the enactment and translation of the literacy policy into practice.

Keywords: MLT
Literacy
MLT2015
Supporting pupil premium attainment in science exams

The idea for the study originated from my own experience of having to enact interventions in School A to increase the level of exam attainment of Pupil Premium pupils in Science. I wanted to examine the impact that the interventions had over the course of a year to assess how they would translate into gains in exam scores.
Three intervention types were trailed and evaluated by comparing the intervention group to a control group and the previous years results to see if there had been any effect. The intervention for the Summer School and Trips, Easter Revision and Breakfast Revision did not yield any statistical improvement for Pupil Premium students exam scores, but did produce a positive effect in attitude indicated in results from questionnaires. The intervention using a computer programmes called Tassomai yielded a positive result for Pupil Premium exam scores when compared to the control group and previous year’s results.
The findings from this report will be used to inform further interventions in School in the following academic year.

Keywords: MLT2015
MLT
Pupil premium
Science
Student autonomy in assessment: an investigation into self-evaluation in the classroom allowing students to progress personally and academically

This study aimed to identify how self-assessment can be used more effectively within the classroom. The research involved 4 staff members and 225 year 8 students and was conducted within the area of Citizenship Education. This was as a result of the identification of clear connections within the literature between the aims of Citizenship and the desired outcomes of self-assessment. Through an understanding of current school policy alongside staff and students views, an intervention was set up to help guide students through the self-assessment process. A key focus of the intervention was student autonomy, an ability to be self-reliant, when evaluating. Evidence suggests that as a result of the intervention students were able to identify what they had done well as well as set appropriate targets to aid their progression. Reactions were positive and students indicated that they felt more confident about how to develop their own learning as well as how to transfer skills to other areas. Staff within Citizenship reflected these views and found the intervention had helped with teaching and learning in their classrooms.

Keywords: MLT2015
MLT
Assessment
The role and impact of Del(5q) and TP53 mutations on haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells during the progression of Myelodysplastic Syndrome to Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of haematological malignancies characterised by ineffective haematopoiesis and dysplastic bone marrow changes. Patients frequently progress to Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and this is associated with very poor clinical outcomes. This thesis focusses on a subtype of MDS, Del(5q) MDS.
Sequencing analysis revealed that Del(5q) is frequently the initiating lesion in low risk isolated Del(5q) MDS and tracking patients over time demonstrated progressive disease is associated with the acquisition of new mutations (including Tp53 mutations). Early in disease, MDS appears to be sustained by the Lin-CD34+CD38-CD90+CD45RA- MDS stem cells. In one patient, however, at the point of disease progression and after the acquisition of a Tp53 mutation, self-renewal activity could be detected in a progenitor cell population outside the stem cell compartment.
On the basis of these findings and previous evidence linking Tp53 mutations with progression of Del(5q) MDS, mouse models were used to investigate if and how Del(5q) and mutant Tp53 collaborate to perturb haematopoiesis. An established model of Del(5q) (heterozygous deletion of Cd74-Nid67) was combined with a Tp53 knockout model and conditional knockin models of Tp53 mutations found in MDS patients. This work showed Tp53 loss and mutations collaborate with Del(5q) to alter haematopoietic stem/ progenitor cell number, function and differentiation ability. Del(5q)+/-Tp53-/- cells also uniquely develop long-term self-renewal potential in vitro which can be associated with chromosomal instability. Preliminary evidence also suggests a possible role for Del(5q) itself in the development of chromosomal instability.

Advisor: Jacobsen, S
Vyas, P
Spatial resolved electronic structure of low dimensional materials and data analysis

Two dimensional (2D) materials with interesting fundamental physics and potential applications attract tremendous efforts to study. The versatile properties of 2D materials can be further tailored by tuning the electronic structure with the layer-stacking arrangement, of which the main adjustable parameters include the thickness and the in-plane twist angle between layers. The Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES) has become a canonical tool to study the electronic structure of crystalline materials. The recent development of ARPES with sub-micrometre spatial resolution (micro-ARPES) has made it possible to study the electronic structure of materials with mesoscopic domains. In this thesis, we use micro-ARPES to investigate the spatially-resolved electronic structure of a series of few-layer materials:
1. We explore the electronic structure of the domains with different number of layers in few-layer graphene on copper substrate. We observe a layer- dependent substrate doping effect in which the Fermi surface of graphene shifts with the increase of number of layers, which is then explained by a multilayer effective capacitor model.
2. We systematically study the twist angle evolution of the energy band of twisted few-layer graphene over a wide range of twist angles (from 5° to 31°). We directly observe van Hove Singularities (vHSs) in twisted bilayer graphene with wide tunable energy range over 2 eV. In addition, the formation of multiple vHSs (at different binding energies) is observed in trilayer graphene. The large tuning range of vHS binding energy in twisted few-layer graphene provides a promising material base for optoelectrical applications with broad-band wavelength selectivity.
3. To better extract the energy band features from ARPES data, we propose a new method with a convolutional neural network (CNN) that achieves comparable or better results than traditional derivative based methods.
Besides ARPES study, this thesis also includes the study of surface reconstruction for the layered material Bi2O2Se with the analysis of Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM) images. To explain the origin of the pattern, we propose a tile model that produces the identical statistics with the experiment.

Keywords: Graphene
Convolutional Neural Network
Advisor: Chen, Y
How can lesson study be used to develop MFL teachers and their practice?

This study sets out to explore how Lesson Study (LS) can be used to improve the teaching and learning of Modern Languages in a UK secondary school. LS is a method of teacher collaboration, which originated in Japan and facilitates teachers working together to develop best practice by observing one another’s lessons, developing resources, interviewing pupils, analysing their work and discussing relevant pedagogy in a collegiate environment.
Findings show that this method can be adapted well to develop new, or improved teaching methods and departmental practice. Teacher participants generally reacted very positively to being involved in the project and chose to continue to use LS in their work after the data collection part of this project had ended.
This method has also shown that it can lend itself to investigating and then refining many aspects of teachers’ work, such as marking and giving feedback on pupil work, group work, behaviour for learning and developing specific aspects of the curriculum (translation from a foreign language into English here). It enables teachers to get straight into discussing the detail of what teaching their subject is really about and avoids some of the superficiality, which sometimes can result from other methods of lesson observation.

Keywords: Modern Foreign Languages
MLT2016
MLT
Assessing the nature of early farming in Neolithic western Asia: a functional ecological approach to emerging arable weeds

Research on the origins of agriculture in western Asia has placed great emphasis on the location and pace of domestication. However, much less attention has been given to reconstructing the specific nature and social implications of early cultivation practices across the agricultural transition, and to the potentially varied land management strategies involved. By employing a functional ecological approach to the interpretation of arable ‘weed’ taxa associated with early cultivars, this research addresses this gap in archaeobotancial research by enabling detailed analysis of the growing conditions and farming methods involved in early plant cultivation in western Asia.
The core methodology analyses the functional ecological attributes (e.g. leaf area and thickness; canopy dimensions; stomatal density and distribution) of the relevant arable weed taxa isolated from archaeological contexts to determine the specific growing conditions of early crops and hence the nature of management practices. Functional attributes are morphological or behavioural characteristics that predict species’ potential in relation to major environmental variables, such as soil productivity, disturbance and moisture. Statistical analysis incorporating these attributes is used to explore variation amongst early cultivation contexts and compare them with weed survey data from contrasting (semi-)arid modern regimes, including a recent study of traditional cereal farming in Morocco.
Ecological ‘signatures’ were determined using the isolated weed dataset from four well documented and contextually rich Pre-Pottery and Pottery Neolithic sites, which were strategically selected to explore agricultural strategies from its initial stages through to the established Neolithic, as well as to exploit detailed sample-by-sample data and extensive in situ deposits. The sites investigated are PPNA Jerf el-Ahmar and PPNA/EPPNB Dja’de in northern Syria, PPNB Tell Aswad in southern Syria, and PPN-PN Çatalhöyük in Central Anatolia. Refined identification of selected weed genera at these sites enabled more accurate indications of their arable ecologies. The results generated suggest that early farming practices were highly variable within sites, reflecting the specific affordances of local climate and surrounding landscapes, but relatively labour-intensive in comparison with later urban agrosystems. Furthermore, there are indications for greater cultivation intensity over time, as households became more autonomous.

Keywords: Neolithic
Weed ecology
Archaeobotany
Early farming
Western Asia
Advisor: Bogaard, A
Charles, M
Silesian identity: the interplay of memory, history, and borders

This dissertation provides an ethnographic account of contemporary Opavian Silesian identity (or identities) and its negotiations. In particular, it is concerned with the question of how Silesian identity is being negotiated by various social actors in and between the town of Opava and the neighbouring area of Hlučín, which together comprise the tourist region of Opavian Silesia. In focusing on Opava and the Hlučín area, inhabited by Opavians and Hlučíns respectively, I not only explore the internal constitution of a group and analyse its narrative accounts, but also pay special attention to the social organisation of the differences between these two groups. The aim of this project is not to address the question of whether Silesian identity exists objectively, which is taken for granted by the majority of scholars working on Silesian identity do, but rather to explore how various social actors negotiate and utilise the concept, including these scholars themselves. I start from the premise that identities are relational, situational, and instrumental, and throughout the dissertation I focus on the groups’ external and internal contestations, exploring the ways in which various social actors try to overcome these differences. The present negotiations over Silesian identity have proved to be problematic in all their temporalities, as they relate to issues in the past, the present and possibly the future. I therefore investigate how certain versions of the past are being reconstructed and negotiated in the present, how these versions inform and reflect on the present, and the possible implications of this for the future. I consider competing representations of Silesian-ness and competing reconstructions of the past that are related to it through the theoretical framework of ‘dominant v. demotic discourses’ and ‘difficult heritage’, focusing on commemoration practices, tourism, the politics of display, and hierarchies of knowledge.

Advisor: Parkin, R
Makovicky, N
Algebraic topology of manifolds

Part I of this thesis concerns the question in which dimensions manifolds with higher orientability properties can have an odd Euler characteristic. In chapter 1 I prove that a k-orientable manifold (or more generally Poincare complex) has even Euler characteristic unless the dimension is a multiple of 2k+1, where we call a manifold k-orientable if the ith Stiefel-Whitney class vanishes for all 0 &LT; i &LT; 2k (k ≥ 0). For k = 0, 1, 2, 3, k-orientable manifolds with odd Euler characteristic exist in all dimensions 2k+1m, but whether there exist a 4-orientable manifold with an odd Euler characteristic is an open problem. In Chapter 2 I present calculations on the cohomology of the first two Rosenfeld planes, revealing that (O ⊗ C)P2 is 2-orientable and (O ⊗ H)P2 is at least 3-orientable.
Part II discusses the homotopy type of spaces of nested manifolds. I prove that the space of d-dimensional manifolds with k-dimensional submanifolds inside Rn has the homotopy type of a linearised model Tk&LT;d, which can be thought of as a space of off-set d-planes inside Rn with a (potentially empty) off-set k-plane inside of it, compactified with a point at infinity representing the empty set. Applying an induction I generalise this result to the case of higher nestings, establishing that the space ΨI (Rn) of nested manifolds inside Rn, for I a finite list of strictly increasing dimensions between 0 and n − 1, has the homotopy type of a linearised model space TI .

Keywords: Euler characteristic
Orientability
Steenrod squares
Cobordism category
Nested manifold
Advisor: Tillmann, U