title: Promoting pedagogical content knowledge development for early career secondary teachers in science and technology using content representations

authors: Williams, P. John

subjects: CoRE

abstract: Background: This research addressed the key area of early career teacher education and aimed to explore the use of a 'content representation' (CoRe) as a mediational tool to develop early career secondary teacher pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This study was situated in the subject areas of science and technology, where sound teacher knowledge is particularly important to student engagement.Purpose: The study was designed to examine whether such a tool (a CoRe), co-designed by an early career secondary teacher with expert content and pedagogy specialists, can enhance the PCK of early career teachers. The research questions were: How can experts in content and pedagogy work together with early career teachers to develop one science topic CoRe and one technology topic CoRe to support the development of PCK for early career secondary teachers? How does the use of a collaboratively designed CoRe affect the planning of an early career secondary teacher in science or technology? How has engagement in the development and use of an expert-informed CoRe developed an early career teacher's PCK?Sample: The research design incorporated a unique partnership between two expert classroom teachers, two content experts, four early career teachers, and four researchers experienced in science and technology education.Design: This study employed an interpretivist-based methodology and an action research approach within a four-case study design. Data were gathered using qualitative research methods focused on semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis.Results: The study indicated that CoRes, developed through this collaborative process, helped the early career teachers focus on the big picture of the topic, emphasize particularly relevant areas of content and consider alternative ways of planning for their teaching.Conclusions: This paper presents an analysis of the process of CoRe development by the teacher-expert partnerships and the effect that had on the early career teachers' PCK. In addition, as the same tools and methodology were applied to both a science and a technology teaching context, differences between the two learning areas are discussed.

text: Promoting pedagogical content knowledge development for early career secondary teachers in science and technology using content representations Background: This research addressed the key area of early career teacher education and aimed to explore the use of a 'content representation' (CoRe) as a mediational tool to develop early career secondary teacher pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This study was situated in the subject areas of science and technology, where sound teacher knowledge is particularly important to student engagement.Purpose: The study was designed to examine whether such a tool (a CoRe), co-designed by an early career secondary teacher with expert content and pedagogy specialists, can enhance the PCK of early career teachers. The research questions were: How can experts in content and pedagogy work together with early career teachers to develop one science topic CoRe and one technology topic CoRe to support the development of PCK for early career secondary teachers? How does the use of a collaboratively designed CoRe affect the planning of an early career secondary teacher in science or technology? How has engagement in the development and use of an expert-informed CoRe developed an early career teacher's PCK?Sample: The research design incorporated a unique partnership between two expert classroom teachers, two content experts, four early career teachers, and four researchers experienced in science and technology education.Design: This study employed an interpretivist-based methodology and an action research approach within a four-case study design. Data were gathered using qualitative research methods focused on semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis.Results: The study indicated that CoRes, developed through this collaborative process, helped the early career teachers focus on the big picture of the topic, emphasize particularly relevant areas of content and consider alternative ways of planning for their teaching.Conclusions: This paper presents an analysis of the process of CoRe development by the teacher-expert partnerships and the effect that had on the early career teachers' PCK. In addition, as the same tools and methodology were applied to both a science and a technology teaching context, differences between the two learning areas are discussed.

year: 2012

title: Production and assessment of Poly(Lactic Acid) matrix composites reinforced with regenerated cellulose fibres for fused deposition modelling

authors: Gauss, Christian

subjects: 3D printing technology

abstract: Additive manufacturing can be a valuable tool to process polymeric composites reinforced with bio-based fibres, extending their use and opening new opportunities for more environmentally friendly materials. In this work, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites reinforced with regenerated cellulose fibres (lyocell) were processed into novel filaments and used for 3D printing. The Young's modulus of the filaments increased with the addition of fibres, but substantial porosity was observed in formulations with 20 and 30 wt% of fibre content. Nonetheless, the composites were easily printed, and the formulation with 10 wt% of fibres presented the best tensile properties of 3D printed samples with average tensile strength, Young's modulus, and strain at break of 64.2 MPa, 4.56 GPa, and 4.93%, respectively. It has been shown in this study that the printing process contributes to fibre alignment with small variations depending on the printing speed. Printed composite samples also had superior thermo-mechanical stability with a storage modulus up to 72 times higher than for neat PLA at 80 °C after the composite samples were heat-treated. In general, this work supports the potential use of regenerated cellulose fibres to reinforce PLA for 3D printing applications.

text: Production and assessment of Poly(Lactic Acid) matrix composites reinforced with regenerated cellulose fibres for fused deposition modelling Additive manufacturing can be a valuable tool to process polymeric composites reinforced with bio-based fibres, extending their use and opening new opportunities for more environmentally friendly materials. In this work, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites reinforced with regenerated cellulose fibres (lyocell) were processed into novel filaments and used for 3D printing. The Young's modulus of the filaments increased with the addition of fibres, but substantial porosity was observed in formulations with 20 and 30 wt% of fibre content. Nonetheless, the composites were easily printed, and the formulation with 10 wt% of fibres presented the best tensile properties of 3D printed samples with average tensile strength, Young's modulus, and strain at break of 64.2 MPa, 4.56 GPa, and 4.93%, respectively. It has been shown in this study that the printing process contributes to fibre alignment with small variations depending on the printing speed. Printed composite samples also had superior thermo-mechanical stability with a storage modulus up to 72 times higher than for neat PLA at 80 °C after the composite samples were heat-treated. In general, this work supports the potential use of regenerated cellulose fibres to reinforce PLA for 3D printing applications.

year: 2022-09-23

title: Marine inequality, borderization, and the radical potential of kinship

authors: McCormack, Fiona

subjects: Aquaculture

abstract: This article utilizes scholarship on borders to interpret the persistence of inequality in Indigenous seascapes, irrespective of moves to redress colonial wrongs or the growing anthropocenic recognition of human-nature interconnectedness. I examine border politics in the context of Māori claims for marine title and rights and the post-settlement development of aquaculture. Drawing on Harsha Walia’s concept of “border imperialism” and Achille Mbembe’s thesis on “borderization,” the article highlights the endurance of colonial forms alongside their neoliberal transformation into the enclosures and entrapments arising in the context of accelerated marine industrialization. By holding in tension the interconnection between marine environments and kinship, on one hand, and scholarship on borders, on the other, the article suggests that Indigenous Māori kinship, expanding through multiple layers of difference, constitutes a site of resistance that has the potential to refute the logic of borderization.

text: Marine inequality, borderization, and the radical potential of kinship This article utilizes scholarship on borders to interpret the persistence of inequality in Indigenous seascapes, irrespective of moves to redress colonial wrongs or the growing anthropocenic recognition of human-nature interconnectedness. I examine border politics in the context of Māori claims for marine title and rights and the post-settlement development of aquaculture. Drawing on Harsha Walia’s concept of “border imperialism” and Achille Mbembe’s thesis on “borderization,” the article highlights the endurance of colonial forms alongside their neoliberal transformation into the enclosures and entrapments arising in the context of accelerated marine industrialization. By holding in tension the interconnection between marine environments and kinship, on one hand, and scholarship on borders, on the other, the article suggests that Indigenous Māori kinship, expanding through multiple layers of difference, constitutes a site of resistance that has the potential to refute the logic of borderization.

year: 2025