title: Emotional labour and well-being for early childhood teachers: The role of psychological capital and perceived organisational support

authors: Carey, Samantha

subjects: early childhood

abstract: Early childhood teachers play an integral role in the development of children enrolled in early childhood services, yet teachers often face stressful and challenging conditions that impact their well-being and consequently the quality of care and education they provide. Emotional labour, the requirement to suppress and express emotions as determined by the organisation, is considered a prominent component of early childhood teachers’ roles. Emotional labour is comprised of two display-rule strategies: Surface Acting where employees suppress their feelings and feign their emotions, and Deep Acting where feelings are modified to create a genuine performance of emotion. Both negatively relate to employee well-being, but we don’t know what personal or organisational resources might help protect early childhood teachers’ well-being. The present study sought to explore this, examining if Psychological Capital (PsyCap: hope, optimism, efficacy, resilience) and perceived organisational support could mitigate any negative consequences of emotional labour. The cross-sectional, non-experimental design surveyed 320 early childhood teachers currently working in New Zealand who completed measures assessing emotional labour, well-being, PsyCap, and perceived organisational support. Structural Equation Modeling examined the relationships between the constructs under investigation. The findings indicated that early childhood teachers who engaged in surface acting, but not deep acting, were likely to experience a decrease in well-being. The PsyCap resources of hope and optimism, but not efficacy and resilience, were found to be viable avenues to increase or protect early childhood teachers’ well-being, as was perceived organisational support. These results present a valuable contribution to our understanding of early childhood teachers’ well-being and highlight the importance of personal and organisational resources in supporting teachers.

text: Emotional labour and well-being for early childhood teachers: The role of psychological capital and perceived organisational support Early childhood teachers play an integral role in the development of children enrolled in early childhood services, yet teachers often face stressful and challenging conditions that impact their well-being and consequently the quality of care and education they provide. Emotional labour, the requirement to suppress and express emotions as determined by the organisation, is considered a prominent component of early childhood teachers’ roles. Emotional labour is comprised of two display-rule strategies: Surface Acting where employees suppress their feelings and feign their emotions, and Deep Acting where feelings are modified to create a genuine performance of emotion. Both negatively relate to employee well-being, but we don’t know what personal or organisational resources might help protect early childhood teachers’ well-being. The present study sought to explore this, examining if Psychological Capital (PsyCap: hope, optimism, efficacy, resilience) and perceived organisational support could mitigate any negative consequences of emotional labour. The cross-sectional, non-experimental design surveyed 320 early childhood teachers currently working in New Zealand who completed measures assessing emotional labour, well-being, PsyCap, and perceived organisational support. Structural Equation Modeling examined the relationships between the constructs under investigation. The findings indicated that early childhood teachers who engaged in surface acting, but not deep acting, were likely to experience a decrease in well-being. The PsyCap resources of hope and optimism, but not efficacy and resilience, were found to be viable avenues to increase or protect early childhood teachers’ well-being, as was perceived organisational support. These results present a valuable contribution to our understanding of early childhood teachers’ well-being and highlight the importance of personal and organisational resources in supporting teachers.

year: 2023

title: Constructing programs or processes

authors: Reeves, Steve

subjects: cause

abstract: We define interacting sequential programs, motivated originally by constructivist considerations. We use them to investigate notions of implementation and determinism. Process algebras do not define what can be implemented and what cannot. As we demonstrate it is problematic to do so on the set of all processes. Guided by constructivist notions we have constructed interacting sequential programs which we claim can be readily implemented and are a subset of processes.

text: Constructing programs or processes We define interacting sequential programs, motivated originally by constructivist considerations. We use them to investigate notions of implementation and determinism. Process algebras do not define what can be implemented and what cannot. As we demonstrate it is problematic to do so on the set of all processes. Guided by constructivist notions we have constructed interacting sequential programs which we claim can be readily implemented and are a subset of processes.

year: 2005-12-28

title: Microplastics in the marine environment: Sediment contaminant and bioaccumulation rates in bivalves within the Bay of Plenty

authors: Lewis, Anita

subjects: Microplastic

abstract: Microplastic pollution is recognised as a significant anthropogenic issue in coastal ecosystems around the world. The accumulation of microplastics in coastal environments causes both direct and indirect effects on these already vulnerable ecosystems. Limited information was available of the scale of microplastic pollution across New Zealand, including the Bay of Plenty. To enable a greater understanding of microplastic accumulation in sediment and bioaccumulation in bivalves sampling  within the Bay of Plenty area was conducted.
The presence of  microplastic particles was investigated from sediment and shellfish samples collected across the Bay of Plenty, from Waihī Beach in the West, to Ōpōtiki in the East. Three species of shellfish were collected that differed in their functional feeding modes (filter feeder vs deposit feeder): tuangi (cockle: Austrovenus stuchburyi), hanikura (wedge shell: Macomona liliana), and tuatua (surf clam: Paphies subtriangulata). Microplastic particles from sediment and bivalves were separated from the sediment and shellfish samples in the laboratory and identified using visual light stereomicroscopy. Microplastic particles were identified and quantified into three categories: fragments, fibres, and films. 
Significant numbers of fibres, as well as some fragments and films were found to be present in the sediment throughout all sampling locations. The highest density of microplastic particles in sediment (up to 11,087.9 per m²) were observed at sites that were closed to municipal sewage outfalls and populated areas, and the lowest densities were observed at Matakana Island (63 particles per m²). Sites in Ōhiwa Harbour showed an average of 504.6 particles per m² at the high tide zone and 477.6 particles per m² at the intertidal zone in the sediment. Ohiwa Harbour showed similar levels of microplastic accumulation in sediment compared to Tauranga Harbour. However, higher levels of microplastic particles were found in the sediment at open coast sites.
All shellfish sampled had at least one microplastic particle found in their tissues. The highest number of microplastics in shellfish were found in the wedge shell (23 particles), with the least from the cockles (1). Statistical analysis reveal that the deep burrowing deposit feeder (Macomona liliana) demonstrated an elevated amount of microplastic particles ingested relative to the shallow burrowing suspension feeding cockle (Austrovenus stutchburyi). A notable amount of microplastic particles were also found at all sampling locations for the culturally important tuatua (Paphies subtriangulata). However, comparing all three bivalve species, the deposit feeding M. liliana, ingested higher amounts than both the A. stutchburyi and P. subtriangulata, which could be related to their different functional feeding modes in the marine environment. This research provides baseline information to assess the extent of microplastic pollution in sediments and the potential for bioaccumulation in bivalve species with differentiated feeding modes and functional roles in the marine environment. 
The problem with microplastics is a global emerging contaminant. Preventing the problem of plastic wastes in New Zealand will require change across all aspects of society, along with policy regulations to mitigate the issue of microplastic pollution.

text: Microplastics in the marine environment: Sediment contaminant and bioaccumulation rates in bivalves within the Bay of Plenty Microplastic pollution is recognised as a significant anthropogenic issue in coastal ecosystems around the world. The accumulation of microplastics in coastal environments causes both direct and indirect effects on these already vulnerable ecosystems. Limited information was available of the scale of microplastic pollution across New Zealand, including the Bay of Plenty. To enable a greater understanding of microplastic accumulation in sediment and bioaccumulation in bivalves sampling  within the Bay of Plenty area was conducted.
The presence of  microplastic particles was investigated from sediment and shellfish samples collected across the Bay of Plenty, from Waihī Beach in the West, to Ōpōtiki in the East. Three species of shellfish were collected that differed in their functional feeding modes (filter feeder vs deposit feeder): tuangi (cockle: Austrovenus stuchburyi), hanikura (wedge shell: Macomona liliana), and tuatua (surf clam: Paphies subtriangulata). Microplastic particles from sediment and bivalves were separated from the sediment and shellfish samples in the laboratory and identified using visual light stereomicroscopy. Microplastic particles were identified and quantified into three categories: fragments, fibres, and films. 
Significant numbers of fibres, as well as some fragments and films were found to be present in the sediment throughout all sampling locations. The highest density of microplastic particles in sediment (up to 11,087.9 per m²) were observed at sites that were closed to municipal sewage outfalls and populated areas, and the lowest densities were observed at Matakana Island (63 particles per m²). Sites in Ōhiwa Harbour showed an average of 504.6 particles per m² at the high tide zone and 477.6 particles per m² at the intertidal zone in the sediment. Ohiwa Harbour showed similar levels of microplastic accumulation in sediment compared to Tauranga Harbour. However, higher levels of microplastic particles were found in the sediment at open coast sites.
All shellfish sampled had at least one microplastic particle found in their tissues. The highest number of microplastics in shellfish were found in the wedge shell (23 particles), with the least from the cockles (1). Statistical analysis reveal that the deep burrowing deposit feeder (Macomona liliana) demonstrated an elevated amount of microplastic particles ingested relative to the shallow burrowing suspension feeding cockle (Austrovenus stutchburyi). A notable amount of microplastic particles were also found at all sampling locations for the culturally important tuatua (Paphies subtriangulata). However, comparing all three bivalve species, the deposit feeding M. liliana, ingested higher amounts than both the A. stutchburyi and P. subtriangulata, which could be related to their different functional feeding modes in the marine environment. This research provides baseline information to assess the extent of microplastic pollution in sediments and the potential for bioaccumulation in bivalve species with differentiated feeding modes and functional roles in the marine environment. 
The problem with microplastics is a global emerging contaminant. Preventing the problem of plastic wastes in New Zealand will require change across all aspects of society, along with policy regulations to mitigate the issue of microplastic pollution.

year: 2021