title: Assessing learning skills and work habits: What do report card data tell us?

authors: Merchant, Stefan Denis

subjects: learning skills

abstract: Many school systems ask teachers to assess and report upon aspects of student performance beyond academic achievement. In Ontario, K–12 teachers assess a common set of six Learning Skills and Work Habits. How well teachers are able to undertake these assessments is not well studied. This study examines Grade 9 and 12 report card data from two districts in Ontario, Canada to determine to what extent different learning skills are assessed independently of each other, and to what extent they are associated with teacher-awarded academic achievement and achievement on a standardized Grade 9 mathematics examination delivered by Ontario’s Educational Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO). Results indicate that the set of six Learning Skills and Work Habits are assessed as a unitary construct. Grades on these skills have higher correlations with teacher-awarded grades than with standardized test scores. Finally, gender differences in both academic achievement and achievement on the set of skills are investigated.

text: Assessing learning skills and work habits: What do report card data tell us? Many school systems ask teachers to assess and report upon aspects of student performance beyond academic achievement. In Ontario, K–12 teachers assess a common set of six Learning Skills and Work Habits. How well teachers are able to undertake these assessments is not well studied. This study examines Grade 9 and 12 report card data from two districts in Ontario, Canada to determine to what extent different learning skills are assessed independently of each other, and to what extent they are associated with teacher-awarded academic achievement and achievement on a standardized Grade 9 mathematics examination delivered by Ontario’s Educational Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO). Results indicate that the set of six Learning Skills and Work Habits are assessed as a unitary construct. Grades on these skills have higher correlations with teacher-awarded grades than with standardized test scores. Finally, gender differences in both academic achievement and achievement on the set of skills are investigated.

year: 2022-10-16

title: Studies of Leaching of Metals from Food Ceramics

authors: Velayudhan, Prajusha Veethampulli

abstract: In this study the leaching potential of food ceramic wares available in New Zealand has been done using ICP-MS analysis. A survey of ceramic wares purchased in New Zealand markets ranging from historical (antique) Victorian eras (Wilemen bone china and Chapman), mid - 20th century (Alfred Meakin), 1960-1980’s New Zealand-made (Crown Lynn) and modern day ceramic wares manufactured in China, India and Thailand was carried out with respect to their elemental compositions, ceramic composition and leaching potential. All these ceramic wares were found to contain various amounts of heavy metals in their glazes used for imparting special colours, texture and smooth finishes.  
Structural characterisation of these ceramic wares was carried out using different techniques such as solid state magic angle spinning NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled to energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to determine which elements were present in the bulk of ceramics clay sourced-body and in the glazes. The results of the XRF analysis informed the inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) studies by providing a list of elements to follow. In general XRF identified a number of heavy metals of interest in all the ceramic wares such as lead and cadmium in Victorian era Wileman and Chapman, mid-20th century Alfred Meakin and especially in the Crown Lynn wares. Barium was predominantly the heavy metal of interest in all modern ceramic wares that are predominantly used by many people in New Zealand. Cobalt, chromium, tin and zinc were present in all the ceramic wares. However, cadmium was significantly present in  the red coloured modern ceramic wares.
These ceramic wares were subjected to leaching tests to detect whether various elements of relevance such as lead, cadmium, barium, cobalt and chromium migrated to any great extent into liquids exposed to these ceramic wares. Leaching studies were done following the ASTM 738 -94 standard test methods for specific metals leaching into 4% acetic acid solutions after a 24 hour exposure time. The lead leached from Victorian era Wileman bone chinaware studied with 4% acetic acid leaching solution was found to exceed the standard safe limits of lead as given by  the FDA (3 µg/mL) and European Council Directive 84/500/EC (4mg/L). The Victorian era Chapman and the New Zealand made Crown Lynn ceramic wares leached lead with 4% acetic acid leaching solution but was below the standard safe limit. However, the modern day ceramic wares manufactured in China, India and Thailand analysed in this research were found to leach extremely low levels of barium being well below the oral reference dose (RFD) for barium given by the US Environmental protection agency (EPA) as 0.07 mg/kg/day, i.e. 4 mg/person/day.
Ceramic teacups were exposed to other leachate solutions based on the normal domestic use and all the leachate solutions were analysed with ICP-MS. These leachate solutions which were exposed to the ceramic teacups for a ten minutes leaching test included: orange juice at room temperature, hot tea at 80 - 95 oC, hot water at 80 - 95 o C, cold water at 4 oC and Coca Cola at room temperature in which some of the Crown Lynn teacups studied were found to be continuously leaching lead in all the tested solutions at varying conditions i.e. pH of the leaching solutions, its temperature and duration of exposure to the leaching solution have influence in migrating the metals from these ceramic teacups tested. However, the level of lead leached from these ceramic teacups was well below the standard safe limits of lead leached from ceramic wares.

text: Studies of Leaching of Metals from Food Ceramics In this study the leaching potential of food ceramic wares available in New Zealand has been done using ICP-MS analysis. A survey of ceramic wares purchased in New Zealand markets ranging from historical (antique) Victorian eras (Wilemen bone china and Chapman), mid - 20th century (Alfred Meakin), 1960-1980’s New Zealand-made (Crown Lynn) and modern day ceramic wares manufactured in China, India and Thailand was carried out with respect to their elemental compositions, ceramic composition and leaching potential. All these ceramic wares were found to contain various amounts of heavy metals in their glazes used for imparting special colours, texture and smooth finishes.  
Structural characterisation of these ceramic wares was carried out using different techniques such as solid state magic angle spinning NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled to energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to determine which elements were present in the bulk of ceramics clay sourced-body and in the glazes. The results of the XRF analysis informed the inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) studies by providing a list of elements to follow. In general XRF identified a number of heavy metals of interest in all the ceramic wares such as lead and cadmium in Victorian era Wileman and Chapman, mid-20th century Alfred Meakin and especially in the Crown Lynn wares. Barium was predominantly the heavy metal of interest in all modern ceramic wares that are predominantly used by many people in New Zealand. Cobalt, chromium, tin and zinc were present in all the ceramic wares. However, cadmium was significantly present in  the red coloured modern ceramic wares.
These ceramic wares were subjected to leaching tests to detect whether various elements of relevance such as lead, cadmium, barium, cobalt and chromium migrated to any great extent into liquids exposed to these ceramic wares. Leaching studies were done following the ASTM 738 -94 standard test methods for specific metals leaching into 4% acetic acid solutions after a 24 hour exposure time. The lead leached from Victorian era Wileman bone chinaware studied with 4% acetic acid leaching solution was found to exceed the standard safe limits of lead as given by  the FDA (3 µg/mL) and European Council Directive 84/500/EC (4mg/L). The Victorian era Chapman and the New Zealand made Crown Lynn ceramic wares leached lead with 4% acetic acid leaching solution but was below the standard safe limit. However, the modern day ceramic wares manufactured in China, India and Thailand analysed in this research were found to leach extremely low levels of barium being well below the oral reference dose (RFD) for barium given by the US Environmental protection agency (EPA) as 0.07 mg/kg/day, i.e. 4 mg/person/day.
Ceramic teacups were exposed to other leachate solutions based on the normal domestic use and all the leachate solutions were analysed with ICP-MS. These leachate solutions which were exposed to the ceramic teacups for a ten minutes leaching test included: orange juice at room temperature, hot tea at 80 - 95 oC, hot water at 80 - 95 o C, cold water at 4 oC and Coca Cola at room temperature in which some of the Crown Lynn teacups studied were found to be continuously leaching lead in all the tested solutions at varying conditions i.e. pH of the leaching solutions, its temperature and duration of exposure to the leaching solution have influence in migrating the metals from these ceramic teacups tested. However, the level of lead leached from these ceramic teacups was well below the standard safe limits of lead leached from ceramic wares.

year: 2013

title: Insecure, unpredictable, hoping to survive: Four cases of Māori people living precariously in Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Uerata, Lynley Moana

subjects: Māori

abstract: A conceptualisation of precarity is introduced and adopted. A critique of contemporary conceptualisations of precarity is presented, drawing especially on Stuart Hall’s interpretation of articulation and Marx’s concept of relative surplus population. Much of the literature on precarity focusses on the neoliberal mode of contemporary capitalism originating in the late 1970s. However, there is limited literature which explores precarity as a way of life. A precarious way of life is characterised by interacting forms of precarity which embed insecurity, instability, and unpredictability in the everyday lives of real people. An account of the Māori experience of precarity since the pre-colonial era to the present-day is presented. Māori are the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand who were colonised by the British Empire in the 1800s. 
The main research questions addressed in my thesis are: What forms of precarity are present in the everyday context? How do forms of precarity relate to each other? How do forms of precarity relate to being Māori? What kinds of support do those living with precarity gain from social structures, institutions, and social actors? What is the role of culture in the way Māori experience and mediate precarity? An analysis of semi-structured in-depth engagements with Māori people living precariously in Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand in 2016, based on four case studies, shows the character and significance of forms, sources, and effects of precarity in everyday life. As historical processes continue to overdetermine experiences of social structures and institutions in the present, in a contemporary capitalist context precarity arises from a wide range of interacting sources, forms, and effects of precarity. Among the different kinds of actors and organisations which comprise the support systems constructed to mediate precarity in the everyday context, cultural practices and resources can play a significant role for people who are culturally connected. When people are integrated into their local and cultural communities, they can cope better with a precarious way of life.

text: Insecure, unpredictable, hoping to survive: Four cases of Māori people living precariously in Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand A conceptualisation of precarity is introduced and adopted. A critique of contemporary conceptualisations of precarity is presented, drawing especially on Stuart Hall’s interpretation of articulation and Marx’s concept of relative surplus population. Much of the literature on precarity focusses on the neoliberal mode of contemporary capitalism originating in the late 1970s. However, there is limited literature which explores precarity as a way of life. A precarious way of life is characterised by interacting forms of precarity which embed insecurity, instability, and unpredictability in the everyday lives of real people. An account of the Māori experience of precarity since the pre-colonial era to the present-day is presented. Māori are the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand who were colonised by the British Empire in the 1800s. 
The main research questions addressed in my thesis are: What forms of precarity are present in the everyday context? How do forms of precarity relate to each other? How do forms of precarity relate to being Māori? What kinds of support do those living with precarity gain from social structures, institutions, and social actors? What is the role of culture in the way Māori experience and mediate precarity? An analysis of semi-structured in-depth engagements with Māori people living precariously in Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand in 2016, based on four case studies, shows the character and significance of forms, sources, and effects of precarity in everyday life. As historical processes continue to overdetermine experiences of social structures and institutions in the present, in a contemporary capitalist context precarity arises from a wide range of interacting sources, forms, and effects of precarity. Among the different kinds of actors and organisations which comprise the support systems constructed to mediate precarity in the everyday context, cultural practices and resources can play a significant role for people who are culturally connected. When people are integrated into their local and cultural communities, they can cope better with a precarious way of life.

year: 2021