title: Development of a Method for the Quantitative Detection of Honey in Imported Products.

authors: Dumté, Mérine Emilie Jennifer

subjects: Asian honey

abstract: The carbohydrate composition of Asian honeys was determined using analysis of per-O-trimethylsilylated sugar alditols by GC-FID. This method was established to detect the presence and quantify honey in imported products scheduled for investigation by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) Biosecurity, because the import of honey products is regulated. The Asian honeys analysed had a carbohydrate composition within the limits set for honey by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and had a disaccharide profile similar to honeys from elsewhere in the world. Kojibiose, and peaks corresponding to turanose/nigerose and turanose/maltulose, which are carbohydrates not common in nature, were present in all the honey samples analysed. A reference database of the sugar content of these honeys was created; and the presence of these disaccharides together in imported products under investigation would indicate that the product contains honey. Several samples were found to be adulterated, mostly with sucrose syrup and also with glucose syrup through improper bee-feeding. This method is suitable for detection of the presence of honey in a product being investigated but might encounter problems when quantitation of the honey at low levels of honey addition is required, due to the poor precision of the method. This low precision resulted from the difficulty in getting a homogeneous honey sample and quantifying the small or poorly resolved peaks in the chromatograms. A report on the analysis of actual samples supplied by MAF is presented in Appendix A; quantitation of the monosaccharides, the ratio of glucose:fructose and ratio of disaccharides to monosaccharides could be used to quantitate the amount of honey present and this method is recommended for future use.

text: Development of a Method for the Quantitative Detection of Honey in Imported Products. The carbohydrate composition of Asian honeys was determined using analysis of per-O-trimethylsilylated sugar alditols by GC-FID. This method was established to detect the presence and quantify honey in imported products scheduled for investigation by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) Biosecurity, because the import of honey products is regulated. The Asian honeys analysed had a carbohydrate composition within the limits set for honey by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and had a disaccharide profile similar to honeys from elsewhere in the world. Kojibiose, and peaks corresponding to turanose/nigerose and turanose/maltulose, which are carbohydrates not common in nature, were present in all the honey samples analysed. A reference database of the sugar content of these honeys was created; and the presence of these disaccharides together in imported products under investigation would indicate that the product contains honey. Several samples were found to be adulterated, mostly with sucrose syrup and also with glucose syrup through improper bee-feeding. This method is suitable for detection of the presence of honey in a product being investigated but might encounter problems when quantitation of the honey at low levels of honey addition is required, due to the poor precision of the method. This low precision resulted from the difficulty in getting a homogeneous honey sample and quantifying the small or poorly resolved peaks in the chromatograms. A report on the analysis of actual samples supplied by MAF is presented in Appendix A; quantitation of the monosaccharides, the ratio of glucose:fructose and ratio of disaccharides to monosaccharides could be used to quantitate the amount of honey present and this method is recommended for future use.

year: 2010

title: Exploring Timorese family funds of knowledge and their use in education

authors: Soares Pinto, Zulmira Da Cruz

subjects: Timorese families

abstract: There are many factors that contribute to children’s development, including their social and cultural background. Families play a significant role in children’s development and the funds of knowledge that reside within a family and the wider community can be utilised in a preschool setting to make strong connections for children between their home and the preschool. Research suggests that including families’ funds of knowledge in the preschool curriculum can enhance a child’s engagement in the learning environment and lead to positive educational outcomes. Drawing on Moll and Amanti’s concept of funds of knowledge and using a qualitative methodology, this thesis examines notions of funds of knowledge in preschool settings in Timor Leste. Through the exploration of what funds of knowledge are held by Timorese families and how these may be used in a preschool classroom by teachers, the thesis argues that there is a need for further understanding and acceptance by teachers of the importance of recognising and including families’ funds of knowledge in the preschool classroom. The findings indicate that traditional attitudes about teachers being the authority in learning tend to prevail and this limits parents’ ability to contribute knowledge and assistance to the preschool classroom. There is clear evidence of family and communities’ holding a range of funds of knowledge that could be beneficial for children’s learning if included in classroom practices by teachers. The thesis calls for extensive professional opportunities for teachers to develop understanding about funds of knowledge and how they might make preschools more welcoming for parents.

text: Exploring Timorese family funds of knowledge and their use in education There are many factors that contribute to children’s development, including their social and cultural background. Families play a significant role in children’s development and the funds of knowledge that reside within a family and the wider community can be utilised in a preschool setting to make strong connections for children between their home and the preschool. Research suggests that including families’ funds of knowledge in the preschool curriculum can enhance a child’s engagement in the learning environment and lead to positive educational outcomes. Drawing on Moll and Amanti’s concept of funds of knowledge and using a qualitative methodology, this thesis examines notions of funds of knowledge in preschool settings in Timor Leste. Through the exploration of what funds of knowledge are held by Timorese families and how these may be used in a preschool classroom by teachers, the thesis argues that there is a need for further understanding and acceptance by teachers of the importance of recognising and including families’ funds of knowledge in the preschool classroom. The findings indicate that traditional attitudes about teachers being the authority in learning tend to prevail and this limits parents’ ability to contribute knowledge and assistance to the preschool classroom. There is clear evidence of family and communities’ holding a range of funds of knowledge that could be beneficial for children’s learning if included in classroom practices by teachers. The thesis calls for extensive professional opportunities for teachers to develop understanding about funds of knowledge and how they might make preschools more welcoming for parents.

year: 2018

title: Kimihia, rangahaua ngā tikanga heke iho. He taonga huahua e riro mai: Exploring whakapapa as a tool towards a kaupapa Māori assessment framework in early childhood education

authors: Paki, Vanessa Anne

subjects: kaupapa Maori assessment

abstract: This study explores whakapapa as a tool, which can be used as a kaupapa Māori assessment framework in early childhood education, positioning kaupapa Māori theory as a paradigm base underpinning a philosophical and theoretical discourse towards assessment for children's learning. This thesis represents the culmination of a personal and professional journey, derived from the writer's longstanding interest in and commitment to kaupapa Māori early childhood education, and more specifically, philosophies and practices for assessment in this context. The study has canvassed a vast terrain of kaupapa Māori philosophy in its search for a theoretical grounding for a kaupapa Māori assessment framework for early childhood education.
Foundation to the study has been the premise that the notion of whakapapa serves as an overarching philosophical matrix, encompassing the interconnected realms of genealogy, spirituality, and knowledge that precede, surround, and embrace the Māori child. Throughout the thesis, diagrams are employed to demonstrate and model the whakapapa underpinning the conceptualisations being explored. After contextualising the study within a historical overview of the impact of colonisation of kaupapa Māori education and research, it is suggested that a re-examination of key concepts from tikanga Māori will illuminate transformative possibilities applicable to the study's focus on the development of a theoretical base for an assessment tool within kaupapa Māori early childhood settings. Drawing from the literature, the thesis re-positions the view of the Māori child to one of being nurtured within a philosophical construct underpinned and immersed in tikanga such as whakapapa, ira tangata, whanaungatanga, mana and tapu, and ako, providing a strongly Māori theoretical base for the envisioning of the assessment process. The outcome of this study is to propose an assessment framework, which embodies and reflects these core kaupapa Māori philosophies as praxis.

text: Kimihia, rangahaua ngā tikanga heke iho. He taonga huahua e riro mai: Exploring whakapapa as a tool towards a kaupapa Māori assessment framework in early childhood education This study explores whakapapa as a tool, which can be used as a kaupapa Māori assessment framework in early childhood education, positioning kaupapa Māori theory as a paradigm base underpinning a philosophical and theoretical discourse towards assessment for children's learning. This thesis represents the culmination of a personal and professional journey, derived from the writer's longstanding interest in and commitment to kaupapa Māori early childhood education, and more specifically, philosophies and practices for assessment in this context. The study has canvassed a vast terrain of kaupapa Māori philosophy in its search for a theoretical grounding for a kaupapa Māori assessment framework for early childhood education.
Foundation to the study has been the premise that the notion of whakapapa serves as an overarching philosophical matrix, encompassing the interconnected realms of genealogy, spirituality, and knowledge that precede, surround, and embrace the Māori child. Throughout the thesis, diagrams are employed to demonstrate and model the whakapapa underpinning the conceptualisations being explored. After contextualising the study within a historical overview of the impact of colonisation of kaupapa Māori education and research, it is suggested that a re-examination of key concepts from tikanga Māori will illuminate transformative possibilities applicable to the study's focus on the development of a theoretical base for an assessment tool within kaupapa Māori early childhood settings. Drawing from the literature, the thesis re-positions the view of the Māori child to one of being nurtured within a philosophical construct underpinned and immersed in tikanga such as whakapapa, ira tangata, whanaungatanga, mana and tapu, and ako, providing a strongly Māori theoretical base for the envisioning of the assessment process. The outcome of this study is to propose an assessment framework, which embodies and reflects these core kaupapa Māori philosophies as praxis.

year: 2007