title: Teachers’ conceptions of learning philosophies: discussing context and contextualising discussion

authors: Brown, Tony

subjects: teacher development

abstract: With the introduction of any new initiative into the mathematics classroom, there is often an assumption that it will produce visible and measurable effects in teaching approaches and pupil progress. Yet, there is a body of research that tempers such optimism, drawing attention to a series of mitigating factors, for example, the deep-seated nature of teachers’ practices, their implicit or stated beliefs and values, and their lack of detailed awareness of how they perform in the classroom. Rather than make associative links between these factors and the success of the initiative, our intention is to examine the ways in which teachers are trying to interpret what the new scheme requires of them and how in turn, engaging with it causes them to re-describe both their pedagogic understanding and classroom practices relationally to earlier approaches. Employing data from a small project, we seek to examine four teachers’ moves to grapple with this attempted shift from one teaching paradigm to another by considering how certain key terms serve to anchor the teachers’ conceptions of themselves during this transition and find that their responses can be idiosyncratic and varied depending on the approaches in which they have been previously embedded. By using theoretical ideas from some neo-Marxist writers we examine these discursive shifts and their relevance to conceiving curriculum change. We suggest that the individual’s teaching practice develops as a result of it being understood and enacted through a succession of ideological filters, each adding to the cumulative experience of the teacher.

text: Teachers’ conceptions of learning philosophies: discussing context and contextualising discussion With the introduction of any new initiative into the mathematics classroom, there is often an assumption that it will produce visible and measurable effects in teaching approaches and pupil progress. Yet, there is a body of research that tempers such optimism, drawing attention to a series of mitigating factors, for example, the deep-seated nature of teachers’ practices, their implicit or stated beliefs and values, and their lack of detailed awareness of how they perform in the classroom. Rather than make associative links between these factors and the success of the initiative, our intention is to examine the ways in which teachers are trying to interpret what the new scheme requires of them and how in turn, engaging with it causes them to re-describe both their pedagogic understanding and classroom practices relationally to earlier approaches. Employing data from a small project, we seek to examine four teachers’ moves to grapple with this attempted shift from one teaching paradigm to another by considering how certain key terms serve to anchor the teachers’ conceptions of themselves during this transition and find that their responses can be idiosyncratic and varied depending on the approaches in which they have been previously embedded. By using theoretical ideas from some neo-Marxist writers we examine these discursive shifts and their relevance to conceiving curriculum change. We suggest that the individual’s teaching practice develops as a result of it being understood and enacted through a succession of ideological filters, each adding to the cumulative experience of the teacher.

year: 2007

title: Spraying as a solution

authors: Hofstra, Deborah

abstract: When invasive aquatic weeds establish in a lake, they usually result in detrimental effects on native biodiversity, amenity and utility values. Once a weed species or weed issue has been recognised control options are often sought to protect amenity and utility functions of aquatic systems. There is also a growing desire to control invasive plants to support the restoration of lakes, improving biodiversity and habitat values. The tools or methods that can be utilised for the control of invasive aquatic plants can be broadly described by the following categories; habitat manipulation; biological, chemical, mechanical and manual, and integrated weed control. The selection of which tool to use is primarily determined by the target weed, characteristics of the lake or waterbody and the management goals or desired outcome. Herbicides can be used to provide effective, selective and targeted weed control. This paper describes the products available, how they work and the environmental benefits that can be achieved with their use.

text: Spraying as a solution When invasive aquatic weeds establish in a lake, they usually result in detrimental effects on native biodiversity, amenity and utility values. Once a weed species or weed issue has been recognised control options are often sought to protect amenity and utility functions of aquatic systems. There is also a growing desire to control invasive plants to support the restoration of lakes, improving biodiversity and habitat values. The tools or methods that can be utilised for the control of invasive aquatic plants can be broadly described by the following categories; habitat manipulation; biological, chemical, mechanical and manual, and integrated weed control. The selection of which tool to use is primarily determined by the target weed, characteristics of the lake or waterbody and the management goals or desired outcome. Herbicides can be used to provide effective, selective and targeted weed control. This paper describes the products available, how they work and the environmental benefits that can be achieved with their use.

year: 2015

title: "Kia Mauri Tau!" Narratives of recovery from disabling mental health problems

authors: Lapsley, Hilary

subjects: Maori

abstract: A bicultural research team at the University of Waikato successfully applied for funding from the Health Research Council to do a qualitative research project in the area of ‘pathways to wellness’. The Mental Health Narratives Project set out to gather forty narratives of mental ill health, recovery and life after recovery by interviewing Maori and non-Maori women and men who once had a disabling mental health problem. We aimed to describe journeys to mental health, identify key themes in accounts of the recovery process and describe the impact of the experience of mental ill health on life after recovery.

text: "Kia Mauri Tau!" Narratives of recovery from disabling mental health problems A bicultural research team at the University of Waikato successfully applied for funding from the Health Research Council to do a qualitative research project in the area of ‘pathways to wellness’. The Mental Health Narratives Project set out to gather forty narratives of mental ill health, recovery and life after recovery by interviewing Maori and non-Maori women and men who once had a disabling mental health problem. We aimed to describe journeys to mental health, identify key themes in accounts of the recovery process and describe the impact of the experience of mental ill health on life after recovery.

year: 2002