title: Professional spaces for pre-service teachers: sites of reality, imagination and resistance

authors: Rossi, Anthony James

subjects: practicum

abstract: Questions about the practicum within teacher education tend to focus on the amount of time allocated to it in programs. In this research, we were interested in the quality of the experience rather than assuming “more is better”. To understand what is going on and where, this study focussed on the school and especially the departmental office or room as a site for workplace learning. Using qualitative methods we constructed narratives from the data provided by a cohort of four-year bachelor degree pre-service teachers during and following their final major (10 week) practicum experience. Using theories of spatiality to make sense of the data, we found that the narratives revealed stories of spaces where compliance, disappointment were the key features of the practicum, and where resistance through absence (from the departmental office) was an important strategy to manage the experience. This research challenges the “more is better” argument.

text: Professional spaces for pre-service teachers: sites of reality, imagination and resistance Questions about the practicum within teacher education tend to focus on the amount of time allocated to it in programs. In this research, we were interested in the quality of the experience rather than assuming “more is better”. To understand what is going on and where, this study focussed on the school and especially the departmental office or room as a site for workplace learning. Using qualitative methods we constructed narratives from the data provided by a cohort of four-year bachelor degree pre-service teachers during and following their final major (10 week) practicum experience. Using theories of spatiality to make sense of the data, we found that the narratives revealed stories of spaces where compliance, disappointment were the key features of the practicum, and where resistance through absence (from the departmental office) was an important strategy to manage the experience. This research challenges the “more is better” argument.

year: 2012

title: Al-doped Zinc Oxide as a Transparent Conductive Material

authors: Linklater, Rachael Annette

subjects: Zinc Oxide

abstract: ZnO powders containing from 1-8 atom% aluminium ions were prepared from aqueous citrate-aminoalcohol-based gels calcined at 500◦C. The powders were characterized using 27Al NMR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Solid state 27Al NMR clearly distinguished between different Al environments and was effective in determining the relative amounts of incorporation of Al dopant ions into the different Zn lattice sites in the zincite structure. A degree of control over dopant placement is demonstrated by modifying sol precursors and processing parameters, which allowed a syn- thesis protocol to be developed to optimise the doping effectiveness. Relatively minor variations in processing conditions can influence the degree and mode of Al incorporation. Thin films (ca 100 nm) were fabricated by spin-coating the Al-doped Zinc citrate sol-gels onto glass and quartz substrates, followed by a drying step and annealing at 500◦C. The degree of crystal alignment in thin films, deter- mined by X-ray diffraction studies, was found to be influenced by both the dopant level and the heating profile. Resistivity measurements showed films with 0.5-1atom %Al and multiple layers which had been heated at 90◦C before annealing at 500◦C, and subjected to post-annealing treatment under vacuum displayed the lowest resistivities. Further post-annealing treatment at 500◦C under H2/N2 reduced resistivities by an order of magnitude. Transparencies for all films were above 80% in the visible range, and thicker multi-layer films generally demonstrated lower transmittances. Preferential c-axis orientation was observed for all films, but showed higher intensities with increasing film thickness, and for films subjected to directional heating on a hotplate. Increased film thickness gave films with lower resistivities, but also lower transparencies

text: Al-doped Zinc Oxide as a Transparent Conductive Material ZnO powders containing from 1-8 atom% aluminium ions were prepared from aqueous citrate-aminoalcohol-based gels calcined at 500◦C. The powders were characterized using 27Al NMR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Solid state 27Al NMR clearly distinguished between different Al environments and was effective in determining the relative amounts of incorporation of Al dopant ions into the different Zn lattice sites in the zincite structure. A degree of control over dopant placement is demonstrated by modifying sol precursors and processing parameters, which allowed a syn- thesis protocol to be developed to optimise the doping effectiveness. Relatively minor variations in processing conditions can influence the degree and mode of Al incorporation. Thin films (ca 100 nm) were fabricated by spin-coating the Al-doped Zinc citrate sol-gels onto glass and quartz substrates, followed by a drying step and annealing at 500◦C. The degree of crystal alignment in thin films, deter- mined by X-ray diffraction studies, was found to be influenced by both the dopant level and the heating profile. Resistivity measurements showed films with 0.5-1atom %Al and multiple layers which had been heated at 90◦C before annealing at 500◦C, and subjected to post-annealing treatment under vacuum displayed the lowest resistivities. Further post-annealing treatment at 500◦C under H2/N2 reduced resistivities by an order of magnitude. Transparencies for all films were above 80% in the visible range, and thicker multi-layer films generally demonstrated lower transmittances. Preferential c-axis orientation was observed for all films, but showed higher intensities with increasing film thickness, and for films subjected to directional heating on a hotplate. Increased film thickness gave films with lower resistivities, but also lower transparencies

year: 2011

title: Inclusion of indigenous peoples in CONFINTEA VI and follow-up processes

authors: Morrison, Sandra L.

subjects: indigenous people and CONFINTEA VI

abstract: This paper discusses key issues raised by indigenous peoples during CONFINTEA VI and proposes strategies to enable them to participate in ongoing processes. Indigenous peoples are not involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of adult education programmes, and this often results in a “one-size-fits-all” model. This article takes the position that indigenous people must have full and effective participation in all matters which concern them and that well-meaning policy statements are only as effective as the display of real effort to make them work. One example of an indigenous community taking initiative in order to free itself of overwhelming deficit positioning by mainstream educational and other systems is the Māori community of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The paper argues that through CONFINTEA VI, there is still space for the voice of indigenous peoples to be heard.

text: Inclusion of indigenous peoples in CONFINTEA VI and follow-up processes This paper discusses key issues raised by indigenous peoples during CONFINTEA VI and proposes strategies to enable them to participate in ongoing processes. Indigenous peoples are not involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of adult education programmes, and this often results in a “one-size-fits-all” model. This article takes the position that indigenous people must have full and effective participation in all matters which concern them and that well-meaning policy statements are only as effective as the display of real effort to make them work. One example of an indigenous community taking initiative in order to free itself of overwhelming deficit positioning by mainstream educational and other systems is the Māori community of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The paper argues that through CONFINTEA VI, there is still space for the voice of indigenous peoples to be heard.

year: 2011