title: Investigating socioscientific issues via scientific habits of mind: Development and validation of the scientific habits of mind survey.

authors: Çalik, Muammer

subjects: Habits of Mind

abstract: In this paper, we describe the Scientific Habits of Mind Survey (SHOMS) developed to explore public, science teachers', and scientists' understanding of habits of mind (HoM). The instrument contained 59 items, and captures the seven SHOM identified by Gauld. The SHOM was validated by administration to two cohorts of pre-service science teachers: primary science teachers with little science background or interest (n = 145), and secondary school science teachers (who also were science graduates) with stronger science knowledge (n = 145). Face validity was confirmed by the use of a panel of experts and a pilot study employing participants similar in demographics to the intended sample. To confirm convergent and discriminant validity, confirmatory factor analysis and evaluation of the reliability were calculated. Statistical data and other data gathered from interviews suggest that the SHOMS will prove to be a useful tool for educators and researchers who wish to investigate HoM for a variety of participants.

text: Investigating socioscientific issues via scientific habits of mind: Development and validation of the scientific habits of mind survey. In this paper, we describe the Scientific Habits of Mind Survey (SHOMS) developed to explore public, science teachers', and scientists' understanding of habits of mind (HoM). The instrument contained 59 items, and captures the seven SHOM identified by Gauld. The SHOM was validated by administration to two cohorts of pre-service science teachers: primary science teachers with little science background or interest (n = 145), and secondary school science teachers (who also were science graduates) with stronger science knowledge (n = 145). Face validity was confirmed by the use of a panel of experts and a pilot study employing participants similar in demographics to the intended sample. To confirm convergent and discriminant validity, confirmatory factor analysis and evaluation of the reliability were calculated. Statistical data and other data gathered from interviews suggest that the SHOMS will prove to be a useful tool for educators and researchers who wish to investigate HoM for a variety of participants.

year: 2012

title: Predator control improves nesting success in Waikato forest fragments

authors: Innes, John G.

subjects: artificial nests

abstract: Predation at nests contributes importantly to current declines of New Zealand forest birds. We monitored the survival of natural and artificial arboreal nests in small forest remnants south-west of Hamilton, where ship rat (Rattus rattus) and possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) abundances were also being measured in Summer 2008/09. Artificial cup nests (N = 77) were placed in replicated blocks with and without pest control, in both December and January. Natural nests (N = 11, five bird species) were observed from 13 October to 23 December 2008 in a forest with no pest control. Digital video cameras identified ship rats, brushtail possums and harrier hawks (Circus approximans) as predators of eggs and chicks. There was no difference between artificial and natural nests in daily survival rates monitored in December in a block with no pest control, suggesting that artificial nests are reasonable surrogates for natural nests. Bite marks on clay eggs, other diagnostic sign, and DNA swabbed from real and clay eggs confirmed ship rats and possums were the major introduced predators at artificial nests. Bite marks also confirmed that harriers contribute to nest failure. Removal of ship rats and possums in December improved the 14-day probability of survival of artificial nests, from P = 0.63 (95% CI 0.45–0.77) in the non-treatment block to P = 0.88 (0.74–0.95) in the treatment blocks. In January, the 14-day probability of survival in all three blocks was intermediate at 0.80 (0.69–0.87), and the variation between them could not be explained by including pest control in the model. The abundance of ship rats apparently declined even in the non-treatment block over this time, for unknown reasons. Our data from tawa (Beilschmiedia tawa) forest remnants confirm that control of ship rats and possums alone is sufficient to improve nesting success of small arboreal birds in North Island forests.

text: Predator control improves nesting success in Waikato forest fragments Predation at nests contributes importantly to current declines of New Zealand forest birds. We monitored the survival of natural and artificial arboreal nests in small forest remnants south-west of Hamilton, where ship rat (Rattus rattus) and possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) abundances were also being measured in Summer 2008/09. Artificial cup nests (N = 77) were placed in replicated blocks with and without pest control, in both December and January. Natural nests (N = 11, five bird species) were observed from 13 October to 23 December 2008 in a forest with no pest control. Digital video cameras identified ship rats, brushtail possums and harrier hawks (Circus approximans) as predators of eggs and chicks. There was no difference between artificial and natural nests in daily survival rates monitored in December in a block with no pest control, suggesting that artificial nests are reasonable surrogates for natural nests. Bite marks on clay eggs, other diagnostic sign, and DNA swabbed from real and clay eggs confirmed ship rats and possums were the major introduced predators at artificial nests. Bite marks also confirmed that harriers contribute to nest failure. Removal of ship rats and possums in December improved the 14-day probability of survival of artificial nests, from P = 0.63 (95% CI 0.45–0.77) in the non-treatment block to P = 0.88 (0.74–0.95) in the treatment blocks. In January, the 14-day probability of survival in all three blocks was intermediate at 0.80 (0.69–0.87), and the variation between them could not be explained by including pest control in the model. The abundance of ship rats apparently declined even in the non-treatment block over this time, for unknown reasons. Our data from tawa (Beilschmiedia tawa) forest remnants confirm that control of ship rats and possums alone is sufficient to improve nesting success of small arboreal birds in North Island forests.

year: 2015

title: Merea Wikiriwhi and George Thomas Wilkinson

authors: Hart, Philip

abstract: Merea Wikiriwhi was one of the few women to invest in Te Aroha mining. Her life has been traced in as much detail as can be found because so little has survived about the lives of Maori women. As George Thomas Wilkinson’s surviving diaries reveal his importance in her life, his story was included as well, concentrating on his personal life rather than his official career. 
Merea was a member of several Ohinemuri hapu, with links through whakapapa to some of their more senior rangatira. Mostly living at or near Waitoki, between Paeroa and Te Aroha, she lived a frugal life, not wasting the income she received from land sales. These sales first required her to insist on her rights both in the land court and in a convoluted legal battle over a will signed in her favour by a distant relative. Over time, she would sell most of her land, but never became entirely landless. She invested in only one mining claim, but in the 1930s joined others to claim that the government was not paying them goldfields revenue for land they had sold.
George Thomas Wilkinson entered her life in 1880, when he was the ‘native agent’ in Hauraki. Despite having fought against Maori and nearly being killed, his surviving diaries reveal that he lived in the manner of a Pakeha Maori with three Maori women (simultaneously for a time), having children both by Merea and the woman he would eventually marry. Wilkinson had close friendships with many Maori and Pakeha Maori, and his genuine regard for them is reflected not only in his attempting, in his official capacity, to be fair to their interests – even as he assisted the government to separate them from their land – but in particular by his affection for a young girl, Wairingiringi, who shared his house in Thames. Although he and Merea would part, he tried to ensure that her children, like all his children, would do well in a Pakeha world.

text: Merea Wikiriwhi and George Thomas Wilkinson Merea Wikiriwhi was one of the few women to invest in Te Aroha mining. Her life has been traced in as much detail as can be found because so little has survived about the lives of Maori women. As George Thomas Wilkinson’s surviving diaries reveal his importance in her life, his story was included as well, concentrating on his personal life rather than his official career. 
Merea was a member of several Ohinemuri hapu, with links through whakapapa to some of their more senior rangatira. Mostly living at or near Waitoki, between Paeroa and Te Aroha, she lived a frugal life, not wasting the income she received from land sales. These sales first required her to insist on her rights both in the land court and in a convoluted legal battle over a will signed in her favour by a distant relative. Over time, she would sell most of her land, but never became entirely landless. She invested in only one mining claim, but in the 1930s joined others to claim that the government was not paying them goldfields revenue for land they had sold.
George Thomas Wilkinson entered her life in 1880, when he was the ‘native agent’ in Hauraki. Despite having fought against Maori and nearly being killed, his surviving diaries reveal that he lived in the manner of a Pakeha Maori with three Maori women (simultaneously for a time), having children both by Merea and the woman he would eventually marry. Wilkinson had close friendships with many Maori and Pakeha Maori, and his genuine regard for them is reflected not only in his attempting, in his official capacity, to be fair to their interests – even as he assisted the government to separate them from their land – but in particular by his affection for a young girl, Wairingiringi, who shared his house in Thames. Although he and Merea would part, he tried to ensure that her children, like all his children, would do well in a Pakeha world.

year: 2016