title: A second chance in education: upgrade teachers' perceptions of tertiary education in Samoa

authors: Tuia, Tagataese Tupu

abstract: A second chance in education is becoming more and more infrequent in the region. The study is the first in Samoa and makes references to existing literature on teacher upgrade. This paper investigated whether the Teacher Upgrade programme in Samoa contributed positively to teaching and learning in schooling. The programme itself is a pathway for teachers to gain a degree qualification, a rise in pay and an opportunity to hold leadership positions of responsibility at the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC). Teacher upgrade programmes have made a difference in former colonised nations’ education systems. Samoa, for instance, started teacher upgrade five years ago and has witnessed improvement in its education system, particularly with students’ performance and engagement. The participants in the Teacher Upgrade programme included teachers, school principals, and senior officers from the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC). Qualitative data was collected through the utilisation of an indigenous research methodology—talanoa and nofo—that aligns with the lived realities of the participants. The findings highlighted teacher upgrade has positive educational outcomes for teachers in the programme. This ranged from knowledge, skills, creativity in resource making, diverse pedagogical know-how, improvement in the use and application of technology, and improvements in higher qualification and salary.

text: A second chance in education: upgrade teachers' perceptions of tertiary education in Samoa A second chance in education is becoming more and more infrequent in the region. The study is the first in Samoa and makes references to existing literature on teacher upgrade. This paper investigated whether the Teacher Upgrade programme in Samoa contributed positively to teaching and learning in schooling. The programme itself is a pathway for teachers to gain a degree qualification, a rise in pay and an opportunity to hold leadership positions of responsibility at the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC). Teacher upgrade programmes have made a difference in former colonised nations’ education systems. Samoa, for instance, started teacher upgrade five years ago and has witnessed improvement in its education system, particularly with students’ performance and engagement. The participants in the Teacher Upgrade programme included teachers, school principals, and senior officers from the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC). Qualitative data was collected through the utilisation of an indigenous research methodology—talanoa and nofo—that aligns with the lived realities of the participants. The findings highlighted teacher upgrade has positive educational outcomes for teachers in the programme. This ranged from knowledge, skills, creativity in resource making, diverse pedagogical know-how, improvement in the use and application of technology, and improvements in higher qualification and salary.

year: 2021

title: Laser desorption ionisation–time of flight mass spectrometry of the tolyporphins, bioactive metabolites from the cyanobacterium Tolypothrix nodosa

authors: Prinsep, Michèle R.

subjects: Tolypothrix nodosa

abstract: Introduction – The tolyporphins are metabolites isolated from the cyanobacterium Tolypothrix nodosa, comprising a porphyrin-like macrocycle with C-glycoside, hydroxide or acetate substituents. Previous studies of porphyrins by MALDI/LDI-TOF MS indicate that strong radical cations and anions are usually observed in the parent spectra with little fragmentation of the macrocycle. The spectra of the tolyporphins were obtained and trends in the series utilised to partially characterise two new analogues.
Objective – To examine tolyporphins by LDI-TOF MS and utilise trends observed to partially characterise two new analogues.
Methodology – The tolyporphins were analysed by LDI-TOF MS in positive and negative ion mode and by a post source decay method (LIFT) in positive ion mode. Tolyporphin A was also analysed by MALDI-TOF MS for comparison. Results were analysed and used to obtain structural information on two new analogues.
Results and Discussion – The resulting spectra generally contained intense radical cations or anions, with little fragmentation of the macrocyclic core or the C-glycosides observed. These results are consistent with previous studies of porphyrins. Major fragment ions observed in LIFT spectra yielded key structural information. An inseparable mixture of two tolyporphins was also examined. Analysis of the LIFT spectrum of the parent ion resulted in the postulation of structures of these two new analogues.
Conclusions – Tolyporphins yield LDI-TOF mass spectra somewhat analogous to those of porphyrins; furthermore, the substituents fragment in a characteristic manner permitting partial characterisation of the new analogues tolyporphins L and M by comparison of their LDI-TOF mass spectra with those of the known analogues.

text: Laser desorption ionisation–time of flight mass spectrometry of the tolyporphins, bioactive metabolites from the cyanobacterium Tolypothrix nodosa Introduction – The tolyporphins are metabolites isolated from the cyanobacterium Tolypothrix nodosa, comprising a porphyrin-like macrocycle with C-glycoside, hydroxide or acetate substituents. Previous studies of porphyrins by MALDI/LDI-TOF MS indicate that strong radical cations and anions are usually observed in the parent spectra with little fragmentation of the macrocycle. The spectra of the tolyporphins were obtained and trends in the series utilised to partially characterise two new analogues.
Objective – To examine tolyporphins by LDI-TOF MS and utilise trends observed to partially characterise two new analogues.
Methodology – The tolyporphins were analysed by LDI-TOF MS in positive and negative ion mode and by a post source decay method (LIFT) in positive ion mode. Tolyporphin A was also analysed by MALDI-TOF MS for comparison. Results were analysed and used to obtain structural information on two new analogues.
Results and Discussion – The resulting spectra generally contained intense radical cations or anions, with little fragmentation of the macrocyclic core or the C-glycosides observed. These results are consistent with previous studies of porphyrins. Major fragment ions observed in LIFT spectra yielded key structural information. An inseparable mixture of two tolyporphins was also examined. Analysis of the LIFT spectrum of the parent ion resulted in the postulation of structures of these two new analogues.
Conclusions – Tolyporphins yield LDI-TOF mass spectra somewhat analogous to those of porphyrins; furthermore, the substituents fragment in a characteristic manner permitting partial characterisation of the new analogues tolyporphins L and M by comparison of their LDI-TOF mass spectra with those of the known analogues.

year: 2011

title: The centrality of relationships for pedagogy: The Whanaungatanga Thesis

authors: Bishop, Russell

subjects: addressing educational disparities

abstract: Te Kotahitanga is a research and professional development project that seeks to reduce educational disparities between indigenous Māori students and their non-Māori peers in New Zealand secondary schools. While evidence of the impact of the project on teachers’ practice and the associated gains made by Māori students has been published previously, in order for the work of Te Kotahitanga to contribute to the broader educational research community, its pedagogical premises require empirical verification. To do so, we must first establish the validity of the pedagogical data by addressing two questions: (a) To what degree can the data gathered in the collaborative processes of Te Kotahitanga be used as a measure of pedagogical quality? and (b) Do these data support the foundational hypothesis of the project, that “extended family” relationships, as understood by Māori people when using the Māori term, whanaungatanga, are a central necessary component of overall pedagogical quality? This article provides an account of the context of this work then presents an analysis directed to these questions in turn. First, our analysis of the observational data gathered during the Te Kotahitanga professional development process is presented, followed by the measures that were developed for each of the main dimensions of pedagogy addressed in this work. Second, using these measures we present our analysis of the inter-relation among these dimensions of pedagogy to test the Whanaungatanga pedagogical thesis.

text: The centrality of relationships for pedagogy: The Whanaungatanga Thesis Te Kotahitanga is a research and professional development project that seeks to reduce educational disparities between indigenous Māori students and their non-Māori peers in New Zealand secondary schools. While evidence of the impact of the project on teachers’ practice and the associated gains made by Māori students has been published previously, in order for the work of Te Kotahitanga to contribute to the broader educational research community, its pedagogical premises require empirical verification. To do so, we must first establish the validity of the pedagogical data by addressing two questions: (a) To what degree can the data gathered in the collaborative processes of Te Kotahitanga be used as a measure of pedagogical quality? and (b) Do these data support the foundational hypothesis of the project, that “extended family” relationships, as understood by Māori people when using the Māori term, whanaungatanga, are a central necessary component of overall pedagogical quality? This article provides an account of the context of this work then presents an analysis directed to these questions in turn. First, our analysis of the observational data gathered during the Te Kotahitanga professional development process is presented, followed by the measures that were developed for each of the main dimensions of pedagogy addressed in this work. Second, using these measures we present our analysis of the inter-relation among these dimensions of pedagogy to test the Whanaungatanga pedagogical thesis.

year: 2013