title: Improving the Training of Pre-Service Physics Teachers in Malaysia using Didaktik Analysis

authors: Ishak, Mohd. Zaki

subjects: Physics Education

abstract: The research in this thesis examined the use of a didaktik-based approach to thinking about teaching and learning to the training of pre-service physics teachers in a Malaysian teacher training programme. The process of developing a specific content knowledge (real or true physics) was done through a didaktik analysis of specific physics content, to develop physics content knowledge suitable for schooling, in a particular educational context. Didaktik analysis used as intervention in this study involved: analysing specific physics content as contained in the curriculum specifications and textbooks; analysis of literature on students' alternative conceptions; developing a lesson plan; developing teaching sequences that involve teaching and learning activities, enacting lesson plans and teaching sequence in the microteaching and practicum, and subsequent reflection.
Klafki's (2000) model of didaktik analysis was used as the basis of an intervention employed in a physics teaching methods course (TT4133) at the School of Education, University of Malaysia Sabah (UMS). The intervention consisted of the 14 week course: first seven weeks on theoretical aspects of teaching methods, followed the usual course synopsis, but with modifications in content resulting from didaktik analysis, and the remainder dealt with microteaching; and 8 weeks practicum.  To illustrate the use of didaktik analysis in the training programme, the specific physics content in the areas of force and motion was provided as an example, showing how this was presented to the pre-service physics teachers in the programme. The researcher began with a conceptual analysis of force and motion as presented in the Malaysian secondary physics curriculum specifications and textbooks. This was followed by analysis of the science education literature on students' alternative conceptions involving force and motion, analysis of textbooks presentations of force and motion, and importantly a synopsis of the history of scientific thinking about force and motion. Subsequently, the pre-service teachers were required to prepare lesson plans aided by the researcher based on the above tasks, and this was followed by the development of a teaching sequence which was intended to be implemented in teaching practice with peers (called microteaching in Malaysia), and after further refinement in the practicum in a real classroom (under supervision). 
Participants were third year (15 males and 20 females) and fourth year (18 males and 60 females) pre-service physics teachers in their final year of undergraduate studies. The third year cohort consisted of experienced primary school teachers seeking to become secondary school physics teachers via a three-year conversion course. The fourth year cohort had no prior teaching experience, but held degree-level qualifications in physics. Quantitative data were gathered through two tests of conceptual understanding, The Test of Understanding Graph in Kinematics, TUG-K and The Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation, FMCE tests, and a purpose-designed instrument the Beliefs About Physics Teaching, BAPT questionnaire. Qualitative data were constructed through the inspection of self-written reports about prior physics learning experiences, inspection of assignments on the didaktik analysis of physics, and individual lesson plans. Video recording and field notes made during observations of microteaching and the practicum, examination of 'written reflections' done in the middle of the methods course, during the practicum, and in the final examinations, and interviews and field notes made by the researcher during meetings with the pre-service physics teachers, completed the data corpus. 
The research findings indicate that generally both cohorts had difficulty understanding kinematics graphs, and weak conceptual understanding of Newtonian concepts. These findings support the findings from the BAPT questionnaire and interviews, which point to perceptions of lack of ability to teach physics, negative attitudes towards teaching specific physics topics at the secondary level, and overall low physics teaching self-efficacy. Overall the findings from the BAPT questionnaire and interviews, before the intervention based on didaktik analysis of physics suggest that these pre-service physics teachers' attitude toward, and beliefs about, physics teaching were based on career interest in teaching, and not on any intrinsic interest in physics or physics teaching as a profession.
After the didaktik analysis intervention it seems that the pre-service physics teachers' teaching practices were shaped by their beliefs about, and experiences of, the physics teaching methods course generally, and the didaktik analysis experience in particular. Overall, it seems this part of methods course helped to improve pre-service physics teachers' understanding of specific physics content, improved their attitude-toward-physics and teaching, helped them to identify problems with students' learning of physics concepts, and helped their teaching practice, subsequently making them more confident about teaching secondary school physics.
The pre-service physics teachers commented on the value of didaktik analysis and this was evident in the microteaching, but not in lesson plans and teaching sequence used in the practicum. It seems this was as a result of a limited amount and a drive by schools to adhere to curriculum specifications. Overall it seems the introduction of didaktik-based analysis intervention increased participants' confidence to teach secondary school physics and that these pre-service physics teachers have gone some way in developing into reflective practitioners in terms of their experiences of: their own secondary physics learning; their physics methods course, both of which led to a better and deeper understanding of physics and methods course content; and the teaching practices in the microteaching and practicum, both of which gave confidence to teach secondary school physics.
Three recommendations are made from this thesis. First, the introduction of a didaktik analysis-based intervention in physics teaching methods courses such as the one in this study, necessitates identification in advance of pre-service physics teachers' attitude toward, and beliefs about physics teaching, along with their attitude-toward-physics and learning, their physics teaching self-efficacy beliefs, and their conceptual understanding of specific physics content. Second, didaktik analysis involving other specific physics content, with other cohorts of pre-service physics teachers, experienced secondary physics teachers, and physicists, is worthy of consideration. Third, the success of the use of a didaktik-based analysis in a physics teaching methods courses requires scaffolding of the teaching sequences employed, and strong support from associate/mentor teachers during the practicum, if didaktik-based teaching is to be realized in the classroom.

text: Improving the Training of Pre-Service Physics Teachers in Malaysia using Didaktik Analysis The research in this thesis examined the use of a didaktik-based approach to thinking about teaching and learning to the training of pre-service physics teachers in a Malaysian teacher training programme. The process of developing a specific content knowledge (real or true physics) was done through a didaktik analysis of specific physics content, to develop physics content knowledge suitable for schooling, in a particular educational context. Didaktik analysis used as intervention in this study involved: analysing specific physics content as contained in the curriculum specifications and textbooks; analysis of literature on students' alternative conceptions; developing a lesson plan; developing teaching sequences that involve teaching and learning activities, enacting lesson plans and teaching sequence in the microteaching and practicum, and subsequent reflection.
Klafki's (2000) model of didaktik analysis was used as the basis of an intervention employed in a physics teaching methods course (TT4133) at the School of Education, University of Malaysia Sabah (UMS). The intervention consisted of the 14 week course: first seven weeks on theoretical aspects of teaching methods, followed the usual course synopsis, but with modifications in content resulting from didaktik analysis, and the remainder dealt with microteaching; and 8 weeks practicum.  To illustrate the use of didaktik analysis in the training programme, the specific physics content in the areas of force and motion was provided as an example, showing how this was presented to the pre-service physics teachers in the programme. The researcher began with a conceptual analysis of force and motion as presented in the Malaysian secondary physics curriculum specifications and textbooks. This was followed by analysis of the science education literature on students' alternative conceptions involving force and motion, analysis of textbooks presentations of force and motion, and importantly a synopsis of the history of scientific thinking about force and motion. Subsequently, the pre-service teachers were required to prepare lesson plans aided by the researcher based on the above tasks, and this was followed by the development of a teaching sequence which was intended to be implemented in teaching practice with peers (called microteaching in Malaysia), and after further refinement in the practicum in a real classroom (under supervision). 
Participants were third year (15 males and 20 females) and fourth year (18 males and 60 females) pre-service physics teachers in their final year of undergraduate studies. The third year cohort consisted of experienced primary school teachers seeking to become secondary school physics teachers via a three-year conversion course. The fourth year cohort had no prior teaching experience, but held degree-level qualifications in physics. Quantitative data were gathered through two tests of conceptual understanding, The Test of Understanding Graph in Kinematics, TUG-K and The Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation, FMCE tests, and a purpose-designed instrument the Beliefs About Physics Teaching, BAPT questionnaire. Qualitative data were constructed through the inspection of self-written reports about prior physics learning experiences, inspection of assignments on the didaktik analysis of physics, and individual lesson plans. Video recording and field notes made during observations of microteaching and the practicum, examination of 'written reflections' done in the middle of the methods course, during the practicum, and in the final examinations, and interviews and field notes made by the researcher during meetings with the pre-service physics teachers, completed the data corpus. 
The research findings indicate that generally both cohorts had difficulty understanding kinematics graphs, and weak conceptual understanding of Newtonian concepts. These findings support the findings from the BAPT questionnaire and interviews, which point to perceptions of lack of ability to teach physics, negative attitudes towards teaching specific physics topics at the secondary level, and overall low physics teaching self-efficacy. Overall the findings from the BAPT questionnaire and interviews, before the intervention based on didaktik analysis of physics suggest that these pre-service physics teachers' attitude toward, and beliefs about, physics teaching were based on career interest in teaching, and not on any intrinsic interest in physics or physics teaching as a profession.
After the didaktik analysis intervention it seems that the pre-service physics teachers' teaching practices were shaped by their beliefs about, and experiences of, the physics teaching methods course generally, and the didaktik analysis experience in particular. Overall, it seems this part of methods course helped to improve pre-service physics teachers' understanding of specific physics content, improved their attitude-toward-physics and teaching, helped them to identify problems with students' learning of physics concepts, and helped their teaching practice, subsequently making them more confident about teaching secondary school physics.
The pre-service physics teachers commented on the value of didaktik analysis and this was evident in the microteaching, but not in lesson plans and teaching sequence used in the practicum. It seems this was as a result of a limited amount and a drive by schools to adhere to curriculum specifications. Overall it seems the introduction of didaktik-based analysis intervention increased participants' confidence to teach secondary school physics and that these pre-service physics teachers have gone some way in developing into reflective practitioners in terms of their experiences of: their own secondary physics learning; their physics methods course, both of which led to a better and deeper understanding of physics and methods course content; and the teaching practices in the microteaching and practicum, both of which gave confidence to teach secondary school physics.
Three recommendations are made from this thesis. First, the introduction of a didaktik analysis-based intervention in physics teaching methods courses such as the one in this study, necessitates identification in advance of pre-service physics teachers' attitude toward, and beliefs about physics teaching, along with their attitude-toward-physics and learning, their physics teaching self-efficacy beliefs, and their conceptual understanding of specific physics content. Second, didaktik analysis involving other specific physics content, with other cohorts of pre-service physics teachers, experienced secondary physics teachers, and physicists, is worthy of consideration. Third, the success of the use of a didaktik-based analysis in a physics teaching methods courses requires scaffolding of the teaching sequences employed, and strong support from associate/mentor teachers during the practicum, if didaktik-based teaching is to be realized in the classroom.

year: 2008

title: Diversity of Methylobacterium species associated with New Zealand native plants.

authors: Jahan, Rowshan

subjects: Methylobacterium

abstract: Methylobacterium species are abundant colonizers of the phyllosphere due to the availability of methanol, a waste product of pectin metabolism during plant cell division. The phyllosphere is an extreme environment, with a landscape that is heterogeneous and continuously changing as the plant grows and is exposed to high levels of ultraviolet irradiation. Geographically, New Zealand (NZ) has been isolated for over a million years, has a biologically diverse flora, and is considered a biodiversity hotspot, with most native plants being endemic. We therefore hypothesize that the phyllosphere of NZ native plants harbor diverse groups of Methylobacterium species. Leaf imprinting using methanol-supplemented agar medium was used to isolate bacteria, and diversity was determined using ARDRA and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Methylobacterium species were successfully isolated from the phyllosphere of 18 of the 20 native NZ plant species in this study, and six different species were identified: M. marchantiae, M. mesophilicum, M. adhaesivum, M. komagatae, M. extorquens, and M. phyllosphaerae. Other α, β, and γ-Proteobacteria, Actinomycetes, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes were also isolated, highlighting the presence of other potentially novel methanol utilizers within this ecosystem. This study identified that Methylobacterium are abundant members of the NZ phyllosphere, with species diversity and composition dependent on plant species.

text: Diversity of Methylobacterium species associated with New Zealand native plants. Methylobacterium species are abundant colonizers of the phyllosphere due to the availability of methanol, a waste product of pectin metabolism during plant cell division. The phyllosphere is an extreme environment, with a landscape that is heterogeneous and continuously changing as the plant grows and is exposed to high levels of ultraviolet irradiation. Geographically, New Zealand (NZ) has been isolated for over a million years, has a biologically diverse flora, and is considered a biodiversity hotspot, with most native plants being endemic. We therefore hypothesize that the phyllosphere of NZ native plants harbor diverse groups of Methylobacterium species. Leaf imprinting using methanol-supplemented agar medium was used to isolate bacteria, and diversity was determined using ARDRA and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Methylobacterium species were successfully isolated from the phyllosphere of 18 of the 20 native NZ plant species in this study, and six different species were identified: M. marchantiae, M. mesophilicum, M. adhaesivum, M. komagatae, M. extorquens, and M. phyllosphaerae. Other α, β, and γ-Proteobacteria, Actinomycetes, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes were also isolated, highlighting the presence of other potentially novel methanol utilizers within this ecosystem. This study identified that Methylobacterium are abundant members of the NZ phyllosphere, with species diversity and composition dependent on plant species.

year: 2023-01-17

title: Maori participation in higher education: Tainui graduates from the University of Waikato, 1992 to 1997

authors: Tiakiwai, Sarah-Jane

abstract: This thesis is an examination of what factors contribute to the success of Maori who participate in higher education. The thesis is informed by the experiences of nine Tainui tribal members who received scholarships from the Tainui Maori Trust Board and who graduated from the University of Waikato between 1992 and 1997. 

The thesis addresses two questions: what factors contributed to the success of Tainui graduates at the University of Waikato? What effect did programmes, policies and initiatives offered by the University of Waikato and the Tainui Maori Trust Board have on the academic success of Tainui graduates at the University of Waikato? 

There are three main components to the thesis: a brief history of the University of Waikato and an examination of three documents (University of Waikato Charter 1991; Paetawhiti, the strategic plan 1993; Academic Audit Unit report 1997) and how they pertain to Maori; a history of the Tainui Maori Trust Board and an examination of the Tainui Education Strategy (1986, 1991), its review (1993) and scholarship programmes; and a study and analysis of the experiences of nine Tainui graduates from the University of Waikato. 

Argued from an eclectic theoretical and methodological position, drawing from indigenous and western theories and research practices that emphasise a kaupapa Maori and tribal approach, the thesis identifies multiple factors that have contributed to the success of the Tainui graduates. These factors include family and parental support, mentoring, the role of finances, institutional support, and identity. 

The thesis finds through examination of the documents, that the policies, initiatives and programmes of the Tainui Maori Trust Board and the University of Waikato have ambiguous and at times conflicting aims and objectives in regard to Maori participation and graduation from higher education. The thesis also finds that the experiences of the graduates reveal that neither the Tainui Maori Trust Board nor policies relating to Maori at the University of Waikato played significant roles in the success of the Tainui graduates. Rather, the thesis finds that the success of the graduates is largely borne by their own efforts, which reflect western notions of success, but which also reinforce their identity as Maori, and as Tainui tribal members. 

The thesis suggests that both the Tainui Maori Trust Board and the University of Waikato review their relationships with their tribal and Maori members (respectively), and recommendations are made to help develop a greater awareness of the contribution that both organisations can make to the success of Maori university students.

text: Maori participation in higher education: Tainui graduates from the University of Waikato, 1992 to 1997 This thesis is an examination of what factors contribute to the success of Maori who participate in higher education. The thesis is informed by the experiences of nine Tainui tribal members who received scholarships from the Tainui Maori Trust Board and who graduated from the University of Waikato between 1992 and 1997. 

The thesis addresses two questions: what factors contributed to the success of Tainui graduates at the University of Waikato? What effect did programmes, policies and initiatives offered by the University of Waikato and the Tainui Maori Trust Board have on the academic success of Tainui graduates at the University of Waikato? 

There are three main components to the thesis: a brief history of the University of Waikato and an examination of three documents (University of Waikato Charter 1991; Paetawhiti, the strategic plan 1993; Academic Audit Unit report 1997) and how they pertain to Maori; a history of the Tainui Maori Trust Board and an examination of the Tainui Education Strategy (1986, 1991), its review (1993) and scholarship programmes; and a study and analysis of the experiences of nine Tainui graduates from the University of Waikato. 

Argued from an eclectic theoretical and methodological position, drawing from indigenous and western theories and research practices that emphasise a kaupapa Maori and tribal approach, the thesis identifies multiple factors that have contributed to the success of the Tainui graduates. These factors include family and parental support, mentoring, the role of finances, institutional support, and identity. 

The thesis finds through examination of the documents, that the policies, initiatives and programmes of the Tainui Maori Trust Board and the University of Waikato have ambiguous and at times conflicting aims and objectives in regard to Maori participation and graduation from higher education. The thesis also finds that the experiences of the graduates reveal that neither the Tainui Maori Trust Board nor policies relating to Maori at the University of Waikato played significant roles in the success of the Tainui graduates. Rather, the thesis finds that the success of the graduates is largely borne by their own efforts, which reflect western notions of success, but which also reinforce their identity as Maori, and as Tainui tribal members. 

The thesis suggests that both the Tainui Maori Trust Board and the University of Waikato review their relationships with their tribal and Maori members (respectively), and recommendations are made to help develop a greater awareness of the contribution that both organisations can make to the success of Maori university students.

year: 2001