title: Systematically planning and integrating intercultural communicative competence learning/teaching into the EFL curriculum/classroom to promote students’ learning motivation and confidence in ICC: A practitioner research at a tertiary institution in China

authors: Li, Lanping

subjects: ICC teaching/learning

abstract: Although ICC teaching/learning in foreign language classrooms has been explored over the past few decades, few studies have experimented with systematically planning and integrating ICC teaching/learning in the EFL classroom by applying ICC theories. Very few studies on ICC teaching have included data on classroom teaching practices collected by a multi-method approach. In the context of China, where the development of ICC is  emphasized in the College English syllabus, there is dearth of empirical studies on ICC teaching and no studies have trialled systematically planning and integrating ICC  teaching into the EFL curriculum/classroom for non-English majors in universities to investigate how  it might motivate students to learn English and how it might develop students‘ ICC and ICC confidence.
This practitioner research sought to occupy the research space above. Based on an extensive review of the ICC teaching literature, this intervention study was carried out to trial applying ICC teaching and L2 learning motivation theories to the EFL curriculum/classroom, specifically an intervention class of non-English majors in a university in China through one semester. To investigate the associations of the intervention with students’ learning motivation, ICC and ICC confidence, a mixture of research methods was applied, including practitioner inquiry, action research, case study, mixed methods with explanatory design and triangulation design, and a quasi-experimental design. A multi-method approach to data collection was adopted including surveys, pre-test and post-test, students’ reflective journals, teacher‘s reflective journal and interviews. These data sets were analysed in ways appropriate to the data type, including thematic analysis and statistical analysis. The results of the qualitative and quantitative analysis were used to compare, triangulate and mutually illuminate both sets of results.
The findings indicate that students’ positive attitudes toward ICC learning were related to their identification with the importance of learning/teaching ICC in English classroom and the fact that the systematic ICC learning/teaching in their English classroom had stimulated their interest and increased their learning motivation. Associations were found between systematic ICC learning/teaching and students’ improvement in learning motivation, LS, ICC and ICC confidence. A number of effective ways of systematically planning and    integrating ICC learning/teaching into the EFL curriculum/classroom were found, such as a division into three learning phases, a process of six stages in ICC curriculum planning, deciding certain ICC learning/teaching objectives, and other basic dimensions and components of the curriculum, including resource selection for the ICC learning/teaching and aspects  of  teaching method.
It is concluded that systematically planning and integrating ICC teaching into the EFL curriculum/classroom, based on the theories of ICC teaching and L2 learning motivation, has a great potential to develop students‘ ICC and ICC confidence, and promote their learning motivation as well, with a flow-on benefit to their language skills. This study is significant  for its practical implications for the practice of ICC learning/teaching in the EFL curriculum/classroom; its contribution to the practical and theoretical development/support of ICC learning/teaching and L2 learning motivation theories; its applying a mixture of research methods and of data collection and analysis procedures to investigate ICC teaching. In one word, it is significant in its offering practical implications for curriculum implementation, practical implications for teacher education and language policy-making, methodological implications for research, and theoretical implications for the development of ICC teaching/learning in the EFL classroom.

text: Systematically planning and integrating intercultural communicative competence learning/teaching into the EFL curriculum/classroom to promote students’ learning motivation and confidence in ICC: A practitioner research at a tertiary institution in China Although ICC teaching/learning in foreign language classrooms has been explored over the past few decades, few studies have experimented with systematically planning and integrating ICC teaching/learning in the EFL classroom by applying ICC theories. Very few studies on ICC teaching have included data on classroom teaching practices collected by a multi-method approach. In the context of China, where the development of ICC is  emphasized in the College English syllabus, there is dearth of empirical studies on ICC teaching and no studies have trialled systematically planning and integrating ICC  teaching into the EFL curriculum/classroom for non-English majors in universities to investigate how  it might motivate students to learn English and how it might develop students‘ ICC and ICC confidence.
This practitioner research sought to occupy the research space above. Based on an extensive review of the ICC teaching literature, this intervention study was carried out to trial applying ICC teaching and L2 learning motivation theories to the EFL curriculum/classroom, specifically an intervention class of non-English majors in a university in China through one semester. To investigate the associations of the intervention with students’ learning motivation, ICC and ICC confidence, a mixture of research methods was applied, including practitioner inquiry, action research, case study, mixed methods with explanatory design and triangulation design, and a quasi-experimental design. A multi-method approach to data collection was adopted including surveys, pre-test and post-test, students’ reflective journals, teacher‘s reflective journal and interviews. These data sets were analysed in ways appropriate to the data type, including thematic analysis and statistical analysis. The results of the qualitative and quantitative analysis were used to compare, triangulate and mutually illuminate both sets of results.
The findings indicate that students’ positive attitudes toward ICC learning were related to their identification with the importance of learning/teaching ICC in English classroom and the fact that the systematic ICC learning/teaching in their English classroom had stimulated their interest and increased their learning motivation. Associations were found between systematic ICC learning/teaching and students’ improvement in learning motivation, LS, ICC and ICC confidence. A number of effective ways of systematically planning and    integrating ICC learning/teaching into the EFL curriculum/classroom were found, such as a division into three learning phases, a process of six stages in ICC curriculum planning, deciding certain ICC learning/teaching objectives, and other basic dimensions and components of the curriculum, including resource selection for the ICC learning/teaching and aspects  of  teaching method.
It is concluded that systematically planning and integrating ICC teaching into the EFL curriculum/classroom, based on the theories of ICC teaching and L2 learning motivation, has a great potential to develop students‘ ICC and ICC confidence, and promote their learning motivation as well, with a flow-on benefit to their language skills. This study is significant  for its practical implications for the practice of ICC learning/teaching in the EFL curriculum/classroom; its contribution to the practical and theoretical development/support of ICC learning/teaching and L2 learning motivation theories; its applying a mixture of research methods and of data collection and analysis procedures to investigate ICC teaching. In one word, it is significant in its offering practical implications for curriculum implementation, practical implications for teacher education and language policy-making, methodological implications for research, and theoretical implications for the development of ICC teaching/learning in the EFL classroom.

year: 2017

title: Field and laboratory investigations of Echyridella menziesii (Unionida: Hyriidae) interactions with host fishes

authors: Hanrahan, Nicole Joy

subjects: freshwater mussel

abstract: Globally, the study of freshwater mussels has increased markedly in recent years, spurred on by recognition that many mussel populations are declining or are already extinct. The New Zealand freshwater mussel Echyridella menziesii (Unionida: Hyriidae) has a current threat classification of ‘At Risk, Declining’, in part reflecting disruption of recruitment on host fish. The life cycle of E. menziesii includes a parasitic stage in which the larvae (glochidia) must attach to a host fish to transform into the juvenile stage. However, no research has been conducted to understand whether fish develop immunity that limits infestation rates, and little is known about the spatial and temporal variations of mussel-host interactions in natural environments in New Zealand. This study therefore aimed to: i) determine whether multiple infestations of E. menziesii glochidia influenced the suitability of common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) as a host; and ii) quantify fish host associations over the glochidial release period in three contrasting Waikato streams.

Common bully considered naïve to E. menziesii were infested with glochidia in the laboratory, and placed in individual, flow-through tanks (22oC) which were flushed every second day to measure glochidia detachment and juvenile excystment. Fishes were infested either one, two or three times, with ‘control’ fish infested for the first time in the second and third rounds. There were no differences in cumulative detachment rates of glochidia and no major reductions in metamorphosis success across multiple infestations. 

Metamorphosis success rate across all infestation rounds was ≤30%, and was highest when initial glochidia viability was also high. The lack of detectable immunity in common bully, at least after three sequential infestations, is promising for the future conservation of E. menziesii as host-fish are likely to be repetitively infested with glochidia over the mussel spawning season in a natural setting.

Infestation by glochidia was determined on the associated fish community, caught using a combination of electrofishing and minnow trapping. In parallel with these evaluations, mussel brood pouch development was assessed fortnightly from October 2018 to February 2019 at three Waikato stream sites. Peak glochidia release occurred in February when average monthly water temperatures were >18.8oC. A field method was developed to quantify glochidial attachment on external surfaces of fish, while internal attachment (gills, mouth) was quantified by laboratory dissection. While a range of fish hosts were identified, 86% of recorded glochidia were attached to Gobiomorphus species, including redfin bully (G. huttoni) and common/Crans bully (G. cotidianus/G. basalis). Most externally-attached glochidia (73%) occurred on caudal, pelvic and pectoral fins. Host associations appeared to favour benthic rather than pelagic species, and did not change throughout the mussel reproductive season despite seasonal change in fish communities.

This research demonstrates that common bully, and more broadly Gobiomorphus species, are important hosts for glochidia and do not develop immunity to repeated infestations. Gobiomorphus species have the potential to be very useful ‘tools’ to assist in restoring E. menziesii populations, and therefore conservation management must consider these host fish populations as well as other habitat and water quality factors affecting E. menziesii.

text: Field and laboratory investigations of Echyridella menziesii (Unionida: Hyriidae) interactions with host fishes Globally, the study of freshwater mussels has increased markedly in recent years, spurred on by recognition that many mussel populations are declining or are already extinct. The New Zealand freshwater mussel Echyridella menziesii (Unionida: Hyriidae) has a current threat classification of ‘At Risk, Declining’, in part reflecting disruption of recruitment on host fish. The life cycle of E. menziesii includes a parasitic stage in which the larvae (glochidia) must attach to a host fish to transform into the juvenile stage. However, no research has been conducted to understand whether fish develop immunity that limits infestation rates, and little is known about the spatial and temporal variations of mussel-host interactions in natural environments in New Zealand. This study therefore aimed to: i) determine whether multiple infestations of E. menziesii glochidia influenced the suitability of common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) as a host; and ii) quantify fish host associations over the glochidial release period in three contrasting Waikato streams.

Common bully considered naïve to E. menziesii were infested with glochidia in the laboratory, and placed in individual, flow-through tanks (22oC) which were flushed every second day to measure glochidia detachment and juvenile excystment. Fishes were infested either one, two or three times, with ‘control’ fish infested for the first time in the second and third rounds. There were no differences in cumulative detachment rates of glochidia and no major reductions in metamorphosis success across multiple infestations. 

Metamorphosis success rate across all infestation rounds was ≤30%, and was highest when initial glochidia viability was also high. The lack of detectable immunity in common bully, at least after three sequential infestations, is promising for the future conservation of E. menziesii as host-fish are likely to be repetitively infested with glochidia over the mussel spawning season in a natural setting.

Infestation by glochidia was determined on the associated fish community, caught using a combination of electrofishing and minnow trapping. In parallel with these evaluations, mussel brood pouch development was assessed fortnightly from October 2018 to February 2019 at three Waikato stream sites. Peak glochidia release occurred in February when average monthly water temperatures were >18.8oC. A field method was developed to quantify glochidial attachment on external surfaces of fish, while internal attachment (gills, mouth) was quantified by laboratory dissection. While a range of fish hosts were identified, 86% of recorded glochidia were attached to Gobiomorphus species, including redfin bully (G. huttoni) and common/Crans bully (G. cotidianus/G. basalis). Most externally-attached glochidia (73%) occurred on caudal, pelvic and pectoral fins. Host associations appeared to favour benthic rather than pelagic species, and did not change throughout the mussel reproductive season despite seasonal change in fish communities.

This research demonstrates that common bully, and more broadly Gobiomorphus species, are important hosts for glochidia and do not develop immunity to repeated infestations. Gobiomorphus species have the potential to be very useful ‘tools’ to assist in restoring E. menziesii populations, and therefore conservation management must consider these host fish populations as well as other habitat and water quality factors affecting E. menziesii.

year: 2019

title: Place-making: Wānanga based photographic approaches

authors: Hill, Rodrigo

subjects: photography

abstract: The words above are from the poem Māori King Tawhiao wrote expressing his love for his homelands of the Waikato and the region known today as the King Country. The words translate to: “I look down on the valley of Waikato, As though to hold it in the hollow of my hand.” Now imagine a large-scale photograph depicting a close-up frame of cupped hands trying to hold something carefully.

text: Place-making: Wānanga based photographic approaches The words above are from the poem Māori King Tawhiao wrote expressing his love for his homelands of the Waikato and the region known today as the King Country. The words translate to: “I look down on the valley of Waikato, As though to hold it in the hollow of my hand.” Now imagine a large-scale photograph depicting a close-up frame of cupped hands trying to hold something carefully.

year: 2022-12-31