bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the potential efficacy of marine cloud brightening for cooling Earth using a simple heuristic model
Authors: Wood Robert
Published: May 2021

Abstract. A simple heuristic model is described to assess the potential for increasing solar reflection by augmenting the aerosol population below marine low clouds, which nominally leads to increased cloud droplet concentration and albedo. The model estimates the collective impact of many point-source particle sprayers, each of which generates a plume of injected particles that affects clouds over a limited area. A widely-used aerosol activation scheme is used to derive cloud droplet concentration as a function of the sub-cloud aerosol size distribution and updraft speed, and a modified version of Twomey's formulation is used to estimate radiative forcing. Plume overlap is accounted for using a Poisson distribution assuming idealized elongated cuboid plumes that have a length driven by aerosol lifetime and wind speed, a width consistent with satellite observations of ship track broadening, and a depth equal to an assumed boundary layer depth. The model is found to perform favorably against estimates of brightening from large eddy simulation studies that explicitly model cloud responses to aerosol injections over a range of conditions. Although the heuristic model does not account for cloud condensate or coverage adjustments to aerosol, in most realistic ambient remote marine conditions these tend to augment the Twomey effect in the large eddy simulations, with the resulting being a modest underprediction of brightening in the heuristic model. The heuristic model is used to evaluate the potential for global radiative forcing from marine cloud brightening as a function of the quantity, size, and lifetime of salt particles injected per sprayer and the number of sprayers deployed. Radiative forcing is sensitive to both the background aerosol size distribution in the marine boundary layer into which particles are injected, and the assumed updraft speed. Given representative values from the literature, radiative forcing sufficient to offset a doubling of carbon dioxide ΔF2xCO2 is possible but would require spraying over 50% or more of the ocean area. This is likely to require at least 104 sprayers to avoid major losses of particles due to near-sprayer coagulation. The optimal dry diameter of injected particles, for a given salt mass injection rate, is 30–60 nm. A major consequence is that the total salt emission rate (50–70 Tg/yr) required to offset F2xCO2 is a factor of five lower than the emissions rates required to generate significant forcing in previous studies with climate models, which have mostly assumed dry diameters for injected particles in excess of 200 nm. With the lower required emissions, the salt mass loading in the marine boundary layer for F2xCO2 is dominated by natural salt aerosol, with injected particles only contributing ~ 10%. When using particle sizes optimized for cloud brightening, the aerosol direct radiative forcing is shown to make a minimal contribution to the overall radiative forcing.
Effect of volcanic emissions on clouds during the 2008 and 2018 Kilauea degassing events
Authors: Breen Katherine H. , Barahona Donifan , Yuan Tianle , Bian Huisheng , James Scott C.
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Volcanic eruptions in otherwise clean environments are “natural experiments” wherein the effects of aerosol emissions on clouds and climate can be partitioned from meteorological variability and anthropogenic activities. In this work, we combined satellite retrievals, reanalysis products, and atmospheric modeling to analyze the mechanisms of aerosol–cloud interactions during two degassing events at the Kilauea volcano in 2008 and 2018. The eruptive nature of the 2008 and 2018 degassing events was distinct from long-term volcanic activity for Kilauea. Although previous studies assessed the modulation of cloud properties from the 2008 event, this is the first time such an analysis has been reported for the 2018 event and that multiple degassing events have been analyzed and compared at this location. Both events resulted in significant changes in cloud effective radius and cloud droplet number concentration that were decoupled from local meteorology and in line with an enhanced cloud albedo. However, it is likely that the effects of volcanic emissions on liquid water path and cloud fraction were largely offset by meteorological variability. Comparison of cloud anomalies between the two events suggested a threshold response of aerosol–cloud interactions to overcome meteorological effects, largely controlled by aerosol loading. In both events, the ingestion of aerosols within convective parcels enhanced the detrainment of condensate in the upper troposphere, resulting in deeper clouds than observed under pristine conditions. Accounting for ice nucleation on ash particles led to enhanced ice crystal concentrations at cirrus levels and a slight decrease in ice water content, improving the correlation of the model results with the satellite retrievals. Overall, aerosol loading, plume characteristics, and meteorology contributed to changes in cloud properties during the Kilauea degassing events.
Enhanced secondary organic aerosol formation from the photo-oxidation of mixed anthropogenic volatile organic compounds
Authors: Li Junling , Li Hong , Li Kun , Chen Yan , Zhang Hao , Zhang Xin , Wu Zhenhai , Liu Yongchun , Wang Xuezhong , Wang Weigang , Ge Maofa
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Vehicular exhaust is one of the important contribution sources of
secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in urban areas. Long-chain alkanes and
aromatic hydrocarbons are included in gaseous organic pollutants of vehicle
emissions, representative of diesel and gasoline vehicles respectively.
In this work, the SOA production from individual anthropogenic volatile
organic compounds (AVOCs) (n-dodecane, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene) and mixed
AVOCs (n-dodecane + 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene) was studied with a
large-scale outdoor smog chamber. Results showed that the SOA formation from
the mixed AVOCs was enhanced compared to the predicted SOA mass
concentration based on the SOA yield of individual AVOCs. According to the
results of mass spectrometry analysis with electrospray ionization
time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-ToF-MS), interaction occurred between
intermediate products from the two precursors, which could be the main
reason for the enhanced SOA production from the mixed AVOC reaction system.
The study results could improve our understanding about the contribution of
representative precursors from vehicular exhaust to the formation of SOA
in urban areas. This study also indicates that further studies on SOA
chemistry from the mixed VOC reaction system are needed, as the
interactions between them and the effect on SOA formation can give us a
further understanding of the SOA formed in the atmosphere.
Investigation of structural changes of atmospheric aerosol samples during two thermal–optical measurement procedures (EUSAAR2, NIOSH870)
Authors: Haller Theresa , Sommer Eva , Steinkogler Thomas , Rentenberger Christian , Wonaschuetz Anna , Kasper-Giebl Anne , Grothe Hinrich , Hitzenberger Regina
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Thermal–optical measurement techniques are widely used for the monitoring of
carbonaceous aerosols. Although results of different thermal–optical
measurement techniques are comparable for total carbon, they can vary widely
for values of elemental carbon especially in the presence of brown carbon.
Charring of organic material during the inert heating phase of
thermal–optical measurements has been found to be a major confounder, but no
literature about investigations of structural changes during this process in
atmospheric aerosols is available. In a recent study we investigated these
structural changes for combustion aerosol standard (CAST) soot. Now we apply
this approach to selected atmospheric aerosol filter samples and a subset of
eight washed filter samples with low loadings of water-soluble organic carbon
(WSOC). To investigate structural changes, Raman spectra were obtained for
samples heated to the corresponding temperature levels and gas atmospheres
of the EUSAAR2 and NIOSH870 protocols. The temperature levels where changes
in the Raman spectra occurred (i.e., changes in structure) varied for
different samples. For the washed samples with low WSOC loadings and absence
of other water-soluble aerosol components such as inorganic salts, changes
in structural ordering and darkening of the samples were not observed. We
were able to show for the first time that the darkening of a sample
(measured in terms of transmission laser signal) is not necessarily caused
by an increase of structural ordering in the sample. Possible
transformations at lower temperatures could include a formation of
non-graphitic light-absorbing intermediate organic carbon, a release of C−H
groups or a decrease of carbonyl groups.
Seasonal climate signals preserved in biochemical varves: insights from novel high-resolution sediment scanning techniques
Authors: Zander Paul D. , Żarczyński Maurycy , Tylmann Wojciech , Rainford Shauna-kay , Grosjean Martin
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Varved lake sediments are exceptional archives of paleoclimatic information due to their precise chronological control and annual resolution. However, quantitative paleoclimate reconstructions based on the biogeochemical composition of biochemical varves are extremely rare mainly because the climate-proxy relationships are complex, and obtaining biogeochemical proxy data at very high (annual) resolution is difficult. Recent developments in high-resolution hyperspectral imaging (HSI) of sedimentary pigment biomarkers combined with micro X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) elemental mapping make it possible to measure the structure and composition of varves at unprecedented resolution. This provides opportunities to explore (seasonal) climate signals preserved in biochemical varves and, thus, assess the potential for annual resolution climate reconstruction from biochemical varves. Here, we present a geochemical dataset including HSI-inferred sedimentary pigments and uXRF-inferred elements at very high spatial resolution (60 μm, i.e. > 100 data points per varve year) in varved sediments of Lake Żabińskie, Poland over the period 1966–2019 CE. We compare this data with local meteorological observations to explore and quantify how changing seasonal meteorological conditions influenced sediment composition and varve formation processes. Based on the dissimilarity of within-varve multivariate geochemical time series, we classified varves into four types. Multivariate analysis of variance shows that these four varve types were formed in years with significantly different seasonal meteorological conditions. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to infer seasonal climate conditions based on sedimentary variables. Spring and summer (MAMJJA) temperature were predicted using Ti and total C (R2adj = 0.55; cross-validated root mean square error (CV-RMSE) = 0.7 °C, 14.4%). Windy days from March to December (mean daily wind speed > 7 m/s) were predicted using mass accumulation rate (MAR) and Si (R2adj = 0.48; CV-RMSE = 19.0%). This study demonstrates that high-resolution scanning techniques are promising tools to improve our understanding of varve formation processes and climate-proxy relationships in biochemical varves. This knowledge is the basis for quantitative high-resolution paleoclimate reconstructions, and here we provide examples of calibration and validation of annual resolution seasonal weather inference from varve biogeochemical data.
Daily CO2 emission for China's provinces in 2019 and 2020
Authors: Cui Duo , Liu Zhu , Duan CunCun , Deng Zhu , Deng Xiangzheng , Song Xuanren , Dou Xinyu , Sun Taochun
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Tracking China's national and regional CO2 emission trends is becoming ever more crucial. The country recently pledged to achieve ambitious emissions reduction targets, however, high-resolution datasets for provincial level CO2 emissions in China are still lacking. This study provides daily CO2 emission datasets for China's 31 provinces, including for the first time, the province of Tibet. The inventory covers the emissions from three industrial sectors (power, industry and ground transport) during 2019 to 2020, with its temporal resolution at a daily level. In addition, the variations in CO2 emissions for seasonal, weekly and holiday periods have been uncovered at a provincial level for the first time. This new data was added to further analyze the impact that weekends and holidays have on China's CO2 emissions. Over weekend periods, carbon emissions are shown to reduce by around 3%. Spring Festival meanwhile, has the greatest impact on the reduction of China's CO2 emissions. This detailed and time-related inventory will facilitate a more local and adaptive management of China’s CO2 emissions during both the COVID-19 pandemic’s recovery and the ongoing energy transition. The data are archived at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4730175 (Cui et al., 2021).
A new gas absorption optical depth parameterisation for RTTOV version 13
Authors: Hocking James , Vidot Jérôme , Brunel Pascal , Roquet Pascale , Silveira Bruna , Turner Emma , Lupu Cristina
Published: May 2021

Abstract. This paper describes a new gas optical depth parameterisation implemented in the most recent release, version 13, of the radiative transfer model RTTOV (Radiative Transfer for TOVS). RTTOV is a fast, one-dimensional radiative transfer model for simulating top-of-atmosphere visible, infrared, and microwave radiances observed by downward-viewing space-borne passive sensors. A key component of the model is the fast parameterisation of absorption by the various gases in the atmosphere. The existing parameterisation in RTTOV has been extended over many years to allow for additional variable gases in RTTOV simulations and to account for solar radiation and better support geostationary sensors by extending the validity to higher zenith angles. However, there are limitations inherent in the current approach which make it difficult to develop it further, for example by adding new variable gases. We describe a new parameterisation that can be applied across the whole spectrum, that allows for a wide range of zenith angles in support of solar radiation and geostationary sensors, and for which it will be easier to add new variable gases in support of user requirements. Comparisons against line-by-line radiative transfer simulations and against observations in the ECMWF operational system yield promising results, suggesting that the new parameterisation generally compares well with the old one in terms of accuracy. Further validation is planned, including testing in operational numerical weather prediction data assimilation systems.
Lewis fry Richardson Medal Lecture – How many modes are neededto predict climate bifurcations?: Lessons from an experiment
Authors: Dubrulle Bérengère , Daviaud François , Faranda Davide , Marié Louis , Saint-Michel Brice
Published: May 2021

Abstract. According to everyone’s experience, predicting the weather reliably over more than 8 days seems an impossible task for our best weather agencies. At the same time, politicians and citizens are asking scientists for climate projections several decades into the future to guide economic and environmental policies, especially regarding the maximum admissible emissions of CO2. To what extent is this request scientifically admissible? In this lecture we will investigate this question, focusing on the topic of predictions of transitions between metastable states of the atmospheric or oceanic circulations. Two relevant exemples are the switching between zonal and blocked atmospheric circulation at midlatitudes and the alternance of El Niño and La Niña phases in the Pacific ocean. The main issue is whether present climate models, that necessarily have a finite resolution and a smaller number of degrees of freedom than the actual terrestrial system, are able to reproduce such spontaneous or forced transitions. To do so, we will draw an analogy between climate observations and results obtained in our group on a laboratory-scale, turbulent, von Kármán flow, in which spontaneous transitions between different states of the circulation take place. We will detail the analogy, and investigate the nature of the transitions, the number of degrees of freedom that characterizes the latter and discuss the effect of reducing the number of degrees of freedom in such systems. We will also discuss the role of fluctuations and their origin, and stress the importance of describing very small scales to capture fluctuations of correct intensity and scale.
Comparative ecology of Guinea baboons (Papio papio)
Authors: Zinner Dietmar , Klapproth Matthias , Schell Andrea , Ohrndorf Lisa , Chala Desalegn , Ganzhorn Jörg U. , Fischer Julia
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Thorough knowledge of the ecology of a species or
population is an essential prerequisite for understanding the impact of
ecology on the evolution of their respective social systems. Because of
their diversity of social organizations, baboons (Papio spp.) are a useful model
for comparative studies. Comparative ecological information was missing for
Guinea baboons (Papio papio), however. Here we provide data on the ecology of Guinea
baboons in a comparative analysis on two geographical scales. First, we
compare climate variables and land cover among areas of occurrence of all
six baboon species. Second, we describe home range size, habitat use,
ranging behaviour, and diet from a local population of Guinea baboons
ranging near the Centre de Recherche de Primatologie (CRP) Simenti in the
Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal. Home ranges and daily travel distances
at Simenti varied seasonally, yet the seasonal patterns in their daily
travel distance did not follow a simple dry vs. rainy season pattern.
Chemical food composition falls within the range of other baboon species.
Compared to other baboon species, areas occupied by Guinea baboons
experience the highest variation in precipitation and the highest
seasonality in precipitation. Although the Guinea baboons' multi-level
social organization is superficially similar to that of hamadryas baboons
(P. hamadryas), the ecologies of the two species differ markedly. Most Guinea baboon
populations, including the one at Simenti, live in more productive habitats
than hamadryas baboons. This difference in the ecology of the two species
contradicts a simple evolutionary relation between ecology and social system
and suggests that other factors have played an additional role here.
Teaching Uncertainty: A new framework for communicating unknowns in traditional and virtual field experiences
Authors: Wilson Cristina G. , Williams Randolph T. , Bateman Kathryn , Tikoff Basil , Shipley Thomas F.
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Managing uncertainty is fundamental to geoscience practice, yet geoscience education generally does not incorporate explicit instruction on uncertainty. To the extent that students are exposed to scientific uncertainty, it is through in-person field experiences. Virtual field experiences – which rely on pictures, maps, and previously collected measurements – should therefore explicitly address uncertainty or risk losing this critical aspect of students' experience. In this paper we present a framework for teaching students to assess and communicate their uncertainty, which is grounded in best expert practices for conveying uncertainty and familiar terms-of-art in geology. The starting point of our framework is the recognition of uncertainty in both geologic data and models, the latter of which we use as an encompassing term to refer to potential geological processes and structures inferred on the basis of incomplete information. We present a concrete application of the framework to geological mapping and discuss how it could enhance student learning in both traditional in-person and virtual experiences. Our framework is extensible in that it can be applied to a variety of geologic features beyond those where uncertainty is traditionally assessed, and can also be applied to geological subdisciplines.
Against a voiceless world: Albert O. Hirschman’s political economics as an alternative to public choice
Authors: Galvão de Almeida Rafael
Published: May 2021

This article proposes to analyze the contributions of Albert Hirschman to political economy. Although he was explicitly affiliated to any school of thought, Hirschman worked with both economics and political science to understand questions such as ‘why do people vote and participate in politics?’. He was disappointed with what mainstream economics could provide and elaborated the Exit-Voice-Loyalty (EVL) framework, to understand mechanisms of action in politics and the economy. His EVL framework has been widely read, but it did not develop a paradigm around it and was ignored by economists due to its lack of formal models. Hirschman went on to work on the political economy of citizenship in his works (Hirschman, 1977, [1982] 2002, 1991), in order to provide answers to questions of political economy away from rational choice theory, which he considered harmful.
La Iglesia colombiana frente al conflicto: Entre lo profético y lo institucional
Authors:   Fundación Universitaria Católica Lumen Gentium, Flórez Suárez Luis Ernerto , Caicedo Alvarez Jhon Fredy ,   Fundación Universitaria Católica Lumen Gentium, Peña Infante Luis Hernan ,   Fundación Universitaria Católica Lumen Gentium, Ospina Arias Diego Fernando ,   Fundación Universitaria Católica Lumen Gentium
Published: May 2021

A través de la historia y del tiempo, la humanidad ha buscado vivir en armonía, tanto entre los seres humanos como con la naturaleza. Esto está en sintonía con la realidad paradisiaca descrita en el libro del Génesis y en otras culturas. Sin embargo, la realidad ha sido otra: la humanidad se ha visto envuelta en conflictos y en guerras, en contravía del querer del creador. Los ires y venires, tanto de personas como de grupos entre la guerra y la paz, plantean retos a cada uno/a de ellos/as.
Cineducación
Authors:   Fundación Universitaria Católica Lumen Gentium, Rubio Gallardo Julio César
Published: May 2021

La crítica de cine también es un síntoma. Digo también para usar como detonante el epígrafe de Foucault que sin duda será lo mejor de la página. Digo también porque debe ser lucha, insistencia, lugar de conflicto e, igualmente, el síntoma inequívoco de la intromisión de nuevos condicionamientos a la manera de ver. Las actuales particularidades de la difusión, dictadas por la aparición de los medios masivos, exigen la mirada conflictiva del mensaje mediático y es en este marco en el que se inserta la crítica. Estas condiciones, modificadoras absolutas del mensaje mediático masificado, provienen del creciente influjo que tiene la circulación informativa moderna en la sociedad: acelerado avance tecnológico, mediatización de la cultura, producción de bienes de consumo simbólico y organización del conocimiento por medio de pantallas. A estas alturas y después de ciertos ejemplos que daré más adelante, pensar el proceso de construcción de identidad sin contar con el condicionamiento mediático es francamente absurdo.
Microsurgery education in Spain
Authors: Ballestín A. , Cuadros M.
Published: May 2021

Prior to microsurgery practice on patients, microsurgical skills should be learned in a simulated and controlled environment to increase success rates and reduce surgical complications. These favorable environments have historically been the microsurgery laboratories. The use of the experimental animals has allowed surgical trainees to interact with anatomical structures and physiological processes that a microsurgeon has to face in daily clinical scenarios. In recent decades, there has been an increase in simulation methods to reduce the number of animals used for training purposes and thus meet animal welfare criteria.Spain has a long history in the practice and teaching of microsurgery, this manuscript aims to highlight the importance of first educators, as well as to evaluate the current situation and future perspectives.
Microsurgical education in Greece: past, present, and future
Authors: Gasteratos K. , Spyropoulou G.-A. , Georgoulis J. , Karonidis A. , Tentis D. , Michelakis D.
Published: May 2021

The aim of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the history of microsurgery in Greece and how it evolved throughout the years. It is based on published literature as well as anecdotal evidence. It is by no means an exhaustive list of available resources and contributions. Microsurgery in Greece begins with Prof Soucacos who acquired his microsurgical skills in the USA (1970–1974), where he worked as a clinical and research fellow. After gaining invaluable experience, he returned to his home country, Greece, to establish a microsurgery replantation team in 1975. His team gained national recognition soon thereafter thanks to the many successes and innovations they achieved. The tradition is continued with contemporary microsurgical courses in Greece from expert faculty and a busy microsurgical practice in several centers across the country. The experimental educational program in microsurgery includes a blend of synthetic and live animal models, such as rats and rabbits. They include a complete exposure to basic and advanced practical exercises through several days. The simulation training models slowly but surely steadily advance to meet the training standards.
Greek National Identity and the Greek Education System in the Age of Austerity
Authors: Maria Chalari  , Thomas Georgas
Published: May 2021

This paper critically reviews discourses of Greek national identity and the role of the Greek education system first in a historical perspective and then in the current climate of economic crisis in Greece. It also discusses the reason why teachers and schools are key to tackling growing discriminatory social attitudes. The preceding nationalistic discourse and the historical forms of nationhood and education in Greece might help us unravel the difficulties Greek national identity faces in the current era of economic and humanitarian crisis and uncertainty with regard to the European Union project, its evolution, its struggles, the nature of its challenges and tensions, and the empowerment of its ethnocentric and racist sentiment.
Using Sources In History Teaching
Authors: Seema S.Ojha
Published: May 2021

History is constructed by people who study the past. It is created through working on both primary and secondary sources that historians use to learn about people, events, and everyday life in the past. Just like detectives, historians look at clues, sift through evidence, and make their own interpretations. Historical knowledge is, therefore, the outcome of a process of enquiry. During last century, the teaching of history has changed considerably. The use of sources, viz. textual, visual, and oral, in school classrooms in many parts of the world has already become an essential part of teaching history. However, in India, it is only a recent phenomenon. Introducing students to primary sources and making them a regular part of classroom lessons help students develop critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills. These will be useful throughout their lives. This paper highlights the benefits of using primary source materials in a history classroom and provides the teacher, with practical suggestions and examples of how to do this.
Implementation of Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Government Elementary Schools of Bihar
Authors: Anshu Narad
Published: May 2021

Hunger and malnutrition are major hindrances in the way of child development. The introduction of Mid-Day Meal Scheme is considered as one of the major steps taken in this regard to improve and strengthen educational development and nutritional status of the children. The state of Bihar has been going through series of educational reforms and introduction of Mid-Day Meal Scheme is one among them. Though the state has made all efforts to implement Mid-Day Meal Scheme in its true spirit, the questions that remain unanswered are whether actually and effectively Mid-Day Meal Scheme has been implemented in Government Elementary Schools and what problems are being faced by Mid-Day Meal in charges with respect to implementation of Mid- Day Meal Scheme. The present paper is a brief attempt made in this regard and is directed towards answering these questions and in giving suggestions for the same. The study has been conducted on Mid-Day Meal in charges of Government Elementary Schools of Bihar.
Perceptions Of Teacher Trainees About Strategies For Value Inculcation
Authors: Jyoti Pandey
Published: May 2021

Now a day, the crises of value are pervasive and influences all walks of life. Growing economic liberalism, uneven social development, scientific and technological advancements have been the main factors influencing value system. When considering the concept of values in education, the educators are faced with multiple agendas and a plethora of interest, motivation, tensions and conflicts about values. Teachers own broad context of values, cultures, imitativeness for using their own internationalized skills, their personality and their attitude, all these put immense influence for value inculcation in students. A teacher is “What his Education has been” so it is essential that teacher education at preparatory levels should focus on developing moral, national and ethical values. The concept of education should be value based and it must be taught especially to teachers at the time of pre-service training. The study is an attempt to find out the answer to the question that which formal and informal teaching strategies contribute in value inculcation in students?
Assessing School Principals' Ethical Leadership Behaviours: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Turkish Teachers
Authors: Hilal Büyükgöze
Published: May 2021

Ethical leadership has become prominent in the leadership literature recently. The aim of the current study was to assess school principals' ethical leadership behaviours in Turkish context. School principals' ethical leadership behaviours were measured by Ethical Leadership Scale, developed by Brown, Trevino and Harrison (2005), and adapted into Turkish by Tuna, Bircan and Yeşiltaş (2012). Internal consistency of the instrument was investigated by Cronbach's alpha value, and the construct validity of the scale was tested on LISREL by confirmatory factor analysis. Data was analysed by ttest and ANOVA. Findings revealed that participant teachers' opinions regarding school principals' ethical leadership behaviours did not differ in relation to gender, tenure and educational background. However, high school teachers were found to perceive that their school principals behaved more ethically than primary and secondary school principals. Results have been discussed along with the limitations of the study.
Quality, Ethics and Plagiarism Issues in Documents Generated Using Word Spinning Software
Authors: Don Nimal Kannangara
Published: May 2021

An enormous number of online resources available on the internet are being used by authors in report writing. Instead of paraphrasing with proper references and citations, some writers opt for shortcuts to generate new documents from documents already published on the internet, by using word spinning software. Some of these word spinning tools are known to be capable of evading plagiarism checks. For this reason, some argue that there would not be any legal obligation related to plagiarism in word spun reports. However, ethical and quality issues of such documents cannot simply be disregarded. Despite an apparent lack of literature published on this issue, this paper includes a comprehensive analysis of different views related to ethicality and plagiarism, from published articles and user forums. The present paper is based upon a study conducted on the assignments submitted by the students at Waiariki Institute of Technology. This research was also focussed on examining both the quality of sentences and the degree of plagiarism of documents created by using a number of word spinners available on the internet. The plagiary of word spun documents was tested using Turnitin software. The quality of each sentence from a number of word spun documents created by a number of word spinners was categorised as 'improved', lowered', or 'distorted' and then analysed using QSR NVivo10 software. The findings of this research indicate significant quality degradation in the word spun documents and total evasion of plagiarism checks.
Attitude of Teacher Trainees Towards Learning Through Powerpoint: A Case Study
Authors: Mool Raj Sharma  , Kawal Preet Kour
Published: May 2021

Educational technology and its use in Education are increasing day by day. It has completely changed our mode of teaching and learning. Use of computer assisted teaching, audio visual aids, PowerPoint presentations etc. have found their place in every institution of the world. Most of the teachers believe that use of Power Point in the teacher training colleges has made the teaching-learning process more interactive and dynamic. This paper is based upon a study conducted to know the attitudes of teacher trainees towards PowerPoint presentations and its use in a teaching -learning context. A questionnaire on attitude towards Power Point was prepared by the investigators and administered to a sample of 200 teacher trainees in Jammu. It was found that teaching through PowerPoint enabled classrooms to be interesting and motivating for both teachers and learners. However, no significant differences were found to exist between scores obtained on attitudes towards PowerPoint on the basis of gender, residential background, computer training and teaching subjects respectively. Nevertheless, teacher trainees exhibited favourable and positive attitude towards the use of PowerPoint for teaching at the B.Ed. level.
Investigating the Use of Personal in Formation Management Strategies by Faculty Members of three Medical Sciences Universities in Iran
Authors: Alireza Shirazi  , Mikaeil Molazadeh  , Ahad Zeinali  , Ghazale Geraily
Published: May 2021

In this study, the purpose was to investigate Personal Information Management (PIM) activity rate regardingfourPIM aspects o f acquisition, maintenance, organization, and retrieval o f faculty members in three universities, i.e., Tehran University o f Medical Science (TUMS), Iran University o f Medical Sciences (lUMS), and Shahid Beheshti University o f Medical Sciences (SBUMS). The relationship between PIM use and workplace, academic rank, and gender factors were also studied. A Persian-language questionnaire was used to measure PIM performance of participants. Data were analysed using statistical tests. Findings showed that most o f the participants preferred desktop computers for saving theirpersonal digital information. Also, the percentage of PIM use by the faculty members was reported as 50-75%. However, no significant associations between PIM use by the faculty members and their workplace, academic rank, andgenderwerefound.
Perceived Parenting Style and Self Concept of Indian Adolescents- Moderating Role of Gender
Authors: Saranjeet Kour  , Franky Rani
Published: May 2021

The present study focused on parenting styles and its impact on the self-concept of secondary school students. The sample consisted of 200 adolescent students of class 9th and 10th of schools of Pathankot city. Data was analysed by using correlation and hierarchical multiple regression. Moderate and significant correlations were observed between parenting styles (democratic, autocratic and accepting) and self-concept of the adolescents. To detect the overall effect of gender as moderator in the relationship between parenting styles and self-concept of adolescents, the R2 values of the regression model that included parenting styles, i.e. democratic, autocratic and accepting and their interactions with gender was compared with the regression model having parenting styles without interaction terms. No significant interaction effect of gender of adolescent and parenting styles (democratic, autocratic and accepting) was observed in the analysis. Democratic parenting style was the strongest predictor of self-concept among adolescents. Parents must be taught that parenting should involve an appropriate balance of warmth and restrictiveness.
Pre-Service Secondary Teacher Education Programme: Some Concerns of Sustainability
Authors: Indrajeet Dutta
Published: May 2021

With the onset of a new academic session, teacher education programmes across the county will be in a new avatar. The revamping of a teacher education programme has been on the cards for several years but stiff resistance from different quarters of the educational community made it impossible to do so. The revised secondary teacher education programme is new in several counts. Firstly, curricular areas have been made more contextual, class, student and community based. Secondly, teaching pedagogy has been made more child centred, experiential and reflective. Thirdly, internship model has been introduced giving more thrust on acquisition of skills and competencies in actual classroom and real settings rather than artificial settings. But, the reform has brought several challenges in its realm which teacher education programmes and institutes have to face. The present paper deals with the new challenges like demand for teacher education programmes, the role of private teacher education institutes and their increasing focus on commercialization, demand for teacher educators and whether the new system is pro-rich or pro-poor student etc.
A Study of The Autonomy of Secondary School Teachers in Curriculum Planning in Government Schools of Delhi
Authors: Shweta Tewari
Published: May 2021

Autonomy is the freedom to make decisions and being free from any external control or interference. When we talk about the autonomy of the teachers in schools we mean their freedom to take decisions related to the designing and planning of curriculum, choosing the most appropriate methods to transact the curriculum and other important aspects of teaching and learning which are strongly related to the achievement of students. The present paper attempts to study the perceptions of the school teachers working at the TGT level in government schools of Delhi in terms of their autonomy in curriculum planning and to know the level of decision making and collaboration they have in the same. A total of 46 teachers teaching in senior secondary and secondary government schools of Delhi were interviewed. The teachers reported that the only aspect where they feel a bit autonomous is curriculum transaction and not curriculum planning as they are apparently free to decide 'how to teach' (methods of teaching) than 'what to teach' (content). However, the teachers have reported that there is no formal procedure for collaboration with the policymakers or authorities to contribute to the process of curriculum planning and designing. Thus, a clear lack and want of autonomy could be inferred by the researchers after interviewing the teachers in government schools covered in this research study.
A Survey Analysis of Pre-service Chemistry Teachers' Critical Thinking Skills
Authors: Irwanto Irwanto  , Eli Rohaeti  , A.K. Prodjosantoso
Published: May 2021

This study aimed at analyzing the level of students' critical thinking skills as well as investigating the correlation between students' critical thinking skills and their grade level. A survey involving 220 pre-service chemistry teachers of Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia was conducted. The sample was taken using the convenience sampling technique. The data were collected using a Critical Thinking Rubric (OHRCT) developed by Oliver-Hoyo (2003). The result of this study shows that (i) the average score of students' critical thinking skills was still considered low (13.95±2.151), (ii) abstract and written presentation appeared as the components that obtained the highest and the lowest score respectively, (iii) significant difference was found between the score of students' critical thinking skills based on grade level in favour of junior students (p=0.000), and (iv) a moderate positive and linear correlation existed between the students' critical thinking skills and grade level (r=0.442, p=0.000). The findings indicate that the improvement in students' critical thinking skills has certain influences on the improvement of students' cognition and learning experience after attending courses in chemistry. Based on the result, several recommendations have been proposed to improve university students' critical thinking skills.
Attitude of Teacher Trainees Towards Inclusive Education
Authors: Arun K Gupta  , Bharti Tandon
Published: May 2021

Globally schools are becoming more inclusive in practice to provide meaningful learning experiences to students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Research has documented that teachers with positive attitudes toward inclusion are more likely to modify their instruction and curriculum to meet individual needs of students and have a more positive approach to inclusion. It is the responsibility of teacher training programmes to prepare teachers who can meet expectations of implementing inclusive education programme effectively. The present study was aimed to explore the views of teacher trainees undergoing two-year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme about inclusion and their readiness to teach in inclusive classrooms. In this study, the Scale of Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusive Classrooms (STATIC) was used to collect data and 300 teacher trainees studying in their second year of the teacher training programme in two colleges of education in Jammu city were included in the study. The results indicated that generally, teacher trainees had a positive attitude toward inclusion in schools. The findings highlight that there was a significant difference in attitude towards inclusion between urban and rural teacher trainees. However, there was no significant difference in the attitude towards inclusion among the sub-groups of teacher trainees on the basis of qualification, previous awareness about inclusion or familiarity with the disability in the family. Some suggestions and recommendations for improvement of teacher education programmes vis-à-vis inclusion have also been given.
Distance Teacher Education and the Challenges of 21st Century
Authors: Santosh Kumari  , Anjana
Published: May 2021

The study focusses on the relevance of the teacher education programmes through distance mode which are facing various challenges due to globalization and technological advancements in the field of education. With the explosion of knowledge, education is going through new transformations and, therefore, it will have to evolve in the direction of the new globalised knowledge society. The alarming challenge before the distance teacher education programme is to be equipped with 21st century knowledge and skills and learn how to integrate them into their classroom practice to realize its goal of successfully meeting the challenges of this society so that the coming generation can meet the demands of a global society. This paper focuses on the need of distance teacher education programme to find innovative teaching and learning methodology and access the potential for new forms of communication using emerging technologies. In the 21st century, teachers need to be life-long learners, adapting continuously to changing opportunities and demands of the knowledge economy, producing new knowledge through research activities.
Reforms and Initiatives in Higher Education System
Authors: Pooja Walia  , Manju
Published: May 2021

Higher education is the most powerful tool to build a knowledge-based society. National Knowledge Commission (2006) recommended that there is a need to focus on quantity and quality of higher education. New reforms in the education system help to maintain creativity, adaptability and quality of education. There is a felt need for reforms in education due to sociological, political, economic and technological changes. In this context higher education in India is undergoing a big transformation in terms of structural, institutional, transactional and evaluation reforms. The digitalisation of higher education has also been initiated by the government of India in a big way. For the last two decades, the higher education system has positively leapt in various directions to meet the global challenges and ever-increasing demands of the society. This paper highlights reforms and new initiatives taken by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) for the higher education system of India.
Impact of Hands-on Instructions on Students' Cognitive Achievement
Authors: Güner Tural
Published: May 2021

The present study compares traditional instructions and hands-on instructions on students' cognitive achievement for the topic 'Gas Pressure'. The participants in the study were students from a public middle school in Turkey. The research design was a quasi-experimental research design with a control group. In the control group, the teacher did the activities given in the course book whereas, in the experimental group, additional activities were performed by students. The results indicate that there was an increase in the correct response of students in both the groups after instructions, however, it was more in the experimental group. The wrong responses also showed a decrease in the experimental group as compared to the control group. Therefore, it can be concluded that hands-on instructions contribute more to students' cognitive achievement than traditional instructions.
A Study of Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Academic Stress of Visually Disabled Students
Authors: Kiran Narwal  , Sushama Sharma
Published: May 2021

Emotional intelligence of an individual plays an important role in one's well-being and so does stress. The present study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic stress of visually disabled students using descriptive survey research method on a sample of 50 visually disabled male students of classes IX-XII from government and government-aided schools of . Data was collected by administering a Multidimensional Measure of Emotional Intelligence (MMEI) scale and an adapted version of the Students' Academic Stress Scale (SASS). The study revealed that there exists no significant relationship between emotional intelligence and academic stress of visually disabled students.
Development of an Integrated Instrument About Critical Thinking Skills and Chemical Literacy Inhydrolysis
Authors: Nur Khayati
Published: May 2021

This research study aimed to analyse the characteristics of integrated assessment instruments to measure critical thinking and chemical literacy skills in salt hydrolysis material by meeting the criteria of validity, reliability, and level of difficulty. This research utilised the 4-D approach, i.e. define, design, develop, and disseminate. An experimental test was conducted on 175 students. Data analysis was done by analysing the results of item validation, assumption test analysis with Rasch modelling and analysis of an instrument test result. The results of this study showed that there were 30 multiple choice items in the instrument that had been vetted by two experts and four practitioners of education and which yielded 28 valid questions. Based on the result of Rasch modelling assumption, it was found that from 28 items, i.e. 14 questions of code A and 14 questions of code B, only 9 items from code A and 11 items from code B were found to be fit with Partial Credit Model 1-Parameter Logistic (PCM 1-PL). The cronbach alpha reliability coefficients were also computed and were found to be high. . The difficulty level of the items included in code A and code B were also established.