title: Inflated proficiency self-assessment and its potential impact on language teaching: A Taiwan-based study involving teachers of English in elementary school settings

authors: Wang, Wei Pei

subjects: Taiwan

abstract: The article presents a study conducted on Taiwanese elementary school teachers teaching English language. As mentioned, teachers have less proficiency than their counterparts in Europe and even in Japan, they believe they are much more proficient than they actually are. The study concluded that the approach to use the target language at all times might lead to some negative consequences rather than the positive ones.

text: Inflated proficiency self-assessment and its potential impact on language teaching: A Taiwan-based study involving teachers of English in elementary school settings The article presents a study conducted on Taiwanese elementary school teachers teaching English language. As mentioned, teachers have less proficiency than their counterparts in Europe and even in Japan, they believe they are much more proficient than they actually are. The study concluded that the approach to use the target language at all times might lead to some negative consequences rather than the positive ones.

year: 2010-09

title: Investigating the Physiological and Metabolic Requirements of the Tramway Ridge Microbial Community, Mt Erebus, Antarctica

authors: Vickers, Chelsea Joy

subjects: Microbiology

abstract: Mount Erebus is the most active volcano on the Antarctic continent, and has the most geographically and physically isolated geothermal soil on Earth. It is exposed to some of the most extreme environmental conditions on the planet. Recent preliminary genetic analysis of the microbial community present in the 65°C subsurface soil of Tramway Ridge, Mount Erebus has revealed a unique thermophilic microbial system, with the dominant members possessing little genetic similarity to any known bacteria. The aim of this project was to apply a range of techniques to investigate metabolic and physiological requirements of this poorly understood microbial system. The study included physical-chemical soil surveying, strategic cultivation, community based phenotypic arrays, nutritional enrichment experiments and pyrosequencing. This multifaceted, metabolism driven, approach incorporated both culture dependent and culture independent techniques in order to investigate the intriguing system in a way that is crucial to the understanding of this thermophilic community and the controlling environment. Overall, the results of this study have led to the hypothesis that the Tramway Ridge microbial community is driven by chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms. This hypothesis is supported by a number of observations, firstly that in the absence of carbonate in enrichments, the community shifts to being dominated by obligate heterotrophs; the microbial ecosystem exists in subsurface soils which have limited, or no, light availability; the system is nutrient poor in nature, coupled to a carbon dioxide dominated gas supply from volcanic activity; two of the keystone members identified from pyrosequencing, phylogenetically group with bacterial phyla known for chemolithoautotrophic metabolism. Considering the detailed investigation of this apparently archaic and isolated microbial system, there is potential for this study to become an excellent model for future studies addressing the fundamental functioning and evolutionary processes associated with other thermophilic communities.

text: Investigating the Physiological and Metabolic Requirements of the Tramway Ridge Microbial Community, Mt Erebus, Antarctica Mount Erebus is the most active volcano on the Antarctic continent, and has the most geographically and physically isolated geothermal soil on Earth. It is exposed to some of the most extreme environmental conditions on the planet. Recent preliminary genetic analysis of the microbial community present in the 65°C subsurface soil of Tramway Ridge, Mount Erebus has revealed a unique thermophilic microbial system, with the dominant members possessing little genetic similarity to any known bacteria. The aim of this project was to apply a range of techniques to investigate metabolic and physiological requirements of this poorly understood microbial system. The study included physical-chemical soil surveying, strategic cultivation, community based phenotypic arrays, nutritional enrichment experiments and pyrosequencing. This multifaceted, metabolism driven, approach incorporated both culture dependent and culture independent techniques in order to investigate the intriguing system in a way that is crucial to the understanding of this thermophilic community and the controlling environment. Overall, the results of this study have led to the hypothesis that the Tramway Ridge microbial community is driven by chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms. This hypothesis is supported by a number of observations, firstly that in the absence of carbonate in enrichments, the community shifts to being dominated by obligate heterotrophs; the microbial ecosystem exists in subsurface soils which have limited, or no, light availability; the system is nutrient poor in nature, coupled to a carbon dioxide dominated gas supply from volcanic activity; two of the keystone members identified from pyrosequencing, phylogenetically group with bacterial phyla known for chemolithoautotrophic metabolism. Considering the detailed investigation of this apparently archaic and isolated microbial system, there is potential for this study to become an excellent model for future studies addressing the fundamental functioning and evolutionary processes associated with other thermophilic communities.

year: 2012

title: Culture, Courage and Change: The experiences of a Te Kotahitanga facilitation team

authors: Lamont, Robyn Elizabeth

subjects: culturally responsive pedagogy of relations

abstract: This thesis explores the experiences of the Te Kotahitanga facilitation team in one of the 12 Phase 3 Te Kotahitanga schools between 2003 and 2006. The collaborative story through which those experiences are shared includes the voices of the Lead facilitator, the two co-principals, and an RTLB/facilitator. This thesis begins by seeking to understand the historical impact of culturally located discourses of colonisation on the lives of the indigenous Māori people in New Zealand. From within a platform of Māori theorising it also considers Kaupapa Māori research methodologies and explores Māori people’s aspirations for self determination (tino rangatiratanga). It then considers the principles and practices of engaging as a bicultural partnership to improve educational outcomes for Māori students. Through a discussion of the facilitation team's experiences of learning about a culturally responsive pedagogy of relations through the development and support of culturally responsive contexts for learning, three important themes emerge: culture, courage and change. The impact of deficit theorising and pathologising practices on the culture of Maori students and their teachers is examined. The courage required of the Te Kotahitanga principals and facilitators to challenge and disrupt the assumptions that underpinned the historical status quo in this school and the importance of remaining steadfast in response to the dissonance and resistance that these change processes created is then discussed. Finally, this thesis highlights both the interdependent nature of the change required and the power of the collective in creating change; change within ourselves, within our classrooms and within our schools and communities for the benefit of Māori students, and of all students.

text: Culture, Courage and Change: The experiences of a Te Kotahitanga facilitation team This thesis explores the experiences of the Te Kotahitanga facilitation team in one of the 12 Phase 3 Te Kotahitanga schools between 2003 and 2006. The collaborative story through which those experiences are shared includes the voices of the Lead facilitator, the two co-principals, and an RTLB/facilitator. This thesis begins by seeking to understand the historical impact of culturally located discourses of colonisation on the lives of the indigenous Māori people in New Zealand. From within a platform of Māori theorising it also considers Kaupapa Māori research methodologies and explores Māori people’s aspirations for self determination (tino rangatiratanga). It then considers the principles and practices of engaging as a bicultural partnership to improve educational outcomes for Māori students. Through a discussion of the facilitation team's experiences of learning about a culturally responsive pedagogy of relations through the development and support of culturally responsive contexts for learning, three important themes emerge: culture, courage and change. The impact of deficit theorising and pathologising practices on the culture of Maori students and their teachers is examined. The courage required of the Te Kotahitanga principals and facilitators to challenge and disrupt the assumptions that underpinned the historical status quo in this school and the importance of remaining steadfast in response to the dissonance and resistance that these change processes created is then discussed. Finally, this thesis highlights both the interdependent nature of the change required and the power of the collective in creating change; change within ourselves, within our classrooms and within our schools and communities for the benefit of Māori students, and of all students.

year: 2011