Intuition as it relates to curriculum, instruction, and resulting academic success in elementary school

Regardless of the fact that children learn in significantly different ways, most curriculum and instruction are guided by the idea that sequential organization of the material to be learned is the best and most efficient way of presenting information to children. Children who learn and think intuitively are denied their preference, forced to conform to the sequential nature of the curriculum and instruction. Based on the theory of psychological type, this study sought to identify any relationship between a student's cognitive style of learning, either Sensing or Intuitive, and his/her academic success in elementary school. The Murphy-Meisgeier Type Indicator for Children was used to identify the cognitive style of students in grades two through eight in a small, private, parochial school. Scores on a standardized achievement test and grades were then analyzed to see if there was a relationship of cognitive style to grades and achievement test scores. Also, the researcher investigated whether or not the teacher's cognitive style had any relationship to students' cognitive style and academic achievement. Although none of the results was statistically significant, the achievement test scores indicated that Sensing students score higher in reading, mathematics concepts, and mathematics computation. However, Intuitive students had higher mean grades in reading and language arts, and virtually equal means mathematics concepts and computation. It was also found that all students, both Sensing and Intuitive, had higher mean grades in the classes of Intuitive teachers. ^

The effectiveness of direct -instruction and student -centered teaching methods on students' functional understanding of plagiarism

In an attempt to improve students' functional understanding of plagiarism a variety of approaches were tried within the context of a more comprehensive information literacy program. Sessions were taught as a one hour "module" inside a required communications skills class at a small private university. Approaches taken included control sessions (a straightforward PowerPoint presentation of the material), direct instruction sessions (featuring mostly direct lecture but with some seatwork as well), and student-centered sessions (utilizing role playing and group exercises). Students were taught basic content and definitions regarding plagiarism, what circumstances or instances constitute plagiarism, where to go for help in avoiding plagiarism, and what constitutes appropriate paraphrasing and citation. Pre-test and post-test scores determined students' functional understanding primarily by their ability to recognize properly and improperly paraphrased text, content understanding by their combined total score on a multiple choice quiz, and their attitude and conceptual understanding by their ability to recognize circumstances which would constitute plagiarism. While students improved across all methods the study was unable to identify one that performed significantly better than the others. The results supported the need for more education with regard to plagiarism and suggested a need for perhaps more time on task and/or a mixed approach towards conveying the content.

The relationship of culturally responsive instruction and the reading comprehension and attitude of struggling urban adolescent readers

Culturally responsive instruction refers to the identification of relevant cultural aspects of students' lives and infusion of these into the curriculum. This instructional approach assumes that a culturally appropriate curriculum can potentially motivate, engage, and lead students to higher rates of achievement. This quasi-experimental study (N=44) investigated the relationship of culturally responsive instruction and the reading comprehension and attitude of struggling urban adolescent readers. The study incorporated the use of culturally responsive instruction using culturally relevant literature (CRL), the Bluford Series Novels, as authentic texts of instruction. Participants were seventh grade reading students at a Title I middle school in South Florida. After a baseline period, two different classes were taught for 8 weeks using different methods. One class formed the experimental group ( n=22) and the other class formed the comparison group (n =22). The CRI curriculum for the experimental group embraced the socio-cultural perspective through the use of small discussion groups in which students read and constructed meaning with peers through interaction with the Bluford Series Novels; gave written responses to multiple strategies according to SCRAP - Summarize, Connect, Reflect, Ask Questions, Predict; responded to literal and inferential questions, while at the same time validating their responses through evidence from the text. The Read XL (basal reader) curriculum of the comparison group utilized a traditional form of instruction which incorporated the reading of passages followed by responses to comprehension questions, and teacher-led whole group discussion. The main sources of data were collected from the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests, the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading (FAIR), and the Rhody Secondary Reading Attitude Assessment. Statistical analyses were performed using Repeated Measures ANOVAs. Findings from the study revealed that the experimental participants' reading attitudes and FAIR comprehension scores increased when compared to the comparison group. Overall, the results from the study revealed that culturally responsive instruction can potentially foster reading comprehension and a more positive attitude towards reading. However, a replication of this study in other settings with a larger, more randomized sample size and a greater ethnic variation is needed in order to make full generalizations.

The Relationship of Culturally Responsive Instruction and the Reading Comprehension and Attitude of Struggling Urban Adolescent Readers

Culturally responsive instruction refers to the identification of relevant cultural aspects of students’ lives and infusion of these into the curriculum. This instructional approach assumes that a culturally appropriate curriculum can potentially motivate, engage, and lead students to higher rates of achievement. This quasi-experimental study (N=44) investigated the relationship of culturally responsive instruction and the reading comprehension and attitude of struggling urban adolescent readers. The study incorporated the use of culturally responsive instruction using culturally relevant literature (CRL), the Bluford Series Novels, as authentic texts of instruction. Participants were seventh grade reading students at a Title I middle school in South Florida. After a baseline period, two different classes were taught for 8 weeks using different methods. One class formed the experimental group (n=22) and the other class formed the comparison group (n=22). The CRI curriculum for the experimental group embraced the socio-cultural perspective through the use of small discussion groups in which students read and constructed meaning with peers through interaction with the Bluford Series Novels; gave written responses to multiple strategies according to SCRAP – Summarize, Connect, Reflect, Ask Questions, Predict; responded to literal and inferential questions, while at the same time validating their responses through evidence from the text. The Read XL (basal reader) curriculum of the comparison group utilized a traditional form of instruction which incorporated the reading of passages followed by responses to comprehension questions, and teacher-led whole group discussion. The main sources of data were collected from the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests, the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading (FAIR), and the Rhody Secondary Reading Attitude Assessment. Statistical analyses were performed using Repeated Measures ANOVAs. Findings from the study revealed that the experimental participants’ reading attitudes and FAIR comprehension scores increased when compared to the comparison group. Overall, the results from the study revealed that culturally responsive instruction can potentially foster reading comprehension and a more positive attitude towards reading. However, a replication of this study in other settings with a larger, more randomized sample size and a greater ethnic variation is needed in order to make full generalizations.

One more tier, no more tears: Students’ perceptions of QUT Library’s 2nd tier learning and study support

This nuts and bolts session discusses QUT Library’s Study Solutions service which is staffed by academic skills advisors and librarians as the 2nd tier of its learning and study support model. Firstly, it will discuss the rationale behind the Study Solutions model and provide a brief profile of the service. Secondly, it will outline what distinguishes it from other modes of one-to-one learning support. Thirdly, it will report findings from a student perception study conducted to determine what difference this model of individual study assistance made to academic confidence, ability to transfer academic skills and capacity to assist peers. Finally, this session will include small group discussions to consider the feasibility of this model as best practice for other tertiary institutions and student perception as a valuable measure of the impact of learning support services.

Antibiotics for bronchiectasis exacerbations in children: rationale and study protocol for a randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background Despite bronchiectasis being increasingly recognised as an important cause of chronic respiratory morbidity in both indigenous and non-indigenous settings globally, high quality evidence to inform management is scarce. It is assumed that antibiotics are efficacious for all bronchiectasis exacerbations, but not all practitioners agree. Inadequately treated exacerbations may risk lung function deterioration. Our study tests the hypothesis that both oral azithromycin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid are superior to placebo at improving resolution rates of respiratory exacerbations by day 14 in children with bronchiectasis unrelated to cystic fibrosis. Methods We are conducting a bronchiectasis exacerbation study (BEST), which is a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, parallel group trial, in five centres (Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Melbourne, Auckland). In the component of BEST presented here, 189 children fulfilling inclusion criteria are randomised (allocation-concealed) to receive amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (22.5 mg/kg twice daily) with placebo-azithromycin; azithromycin (5 mg/kg daily) with placebo-amoxicillin-clavulanic acid; or placebo-azithromycin with placebo-amoxicillin-clavulanic acid for 14 days. Clinical data and a paediatric cough-specific quality of life score are obtained at baseline, at the start and resolution of exacerbations, and at day 14. In most children, blood and deep nasal swabs are also collected at the same time points. The primary outcome is the proportion of children whose exacerbations have resolved at day 14. The main secondary outcome is the paediatric cough-specific quality of life score. Other outcomes are time to next exacerbation; requirement for hospitalisation; duration of exacerbation; and spirometry data. Descriptive viral and bacteriological data from nasal samples and blood markers will also be reported. Discussion Effective, evidence-based management of exacerbations in people with bronchiectasis is clinically important. Yet, there are few randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in the neglected area of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. Indeed, no published RCTs addressing the treatment of bronchiectasis exacerbations in children exist. Our multicentre, double-blind RCT is designed to determine if azithromycin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, compared with placebo, improve symptom resolution on day 14 in children with acute respiratory exacerbations. Our planned assessment of the predictors of antibiotic response, the role of antibiotic-resistant respiratory pathogens, and whether early treatment with antibiotics affects duration and time to the next exacerbation, are also all novel.

Quantitative data collection and study validity

The quality of data collection methods selected and the integrity of the data collected are integral tot eh success of a study. This chapter focuses on data collection and study validity. After reading the chapter, readers should be able to define types of data collection methods in quantitative research; list advantages and disadvantages of each method; discuss factors related to internal and external validity; critically evaluate data collection methods and discuss the need to operationalise variables of interest for data collection.

Synthesis and study of conductivity behaviour of blended conducting polymer films irradiated with swift heavy ions of silicon

In recent times, blended polymers have shown a lot of promise in terms of easy processability in different shapes and forms. In the present work, polyaniline emeraldine base (PANi-EB) was doped with camphor sulfonic acid (CSA) and combined with the conducting polymer polyfluorene (PF) as well as the insulating polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to synthesize CSA doped PANi-PF and PANi-PVC blended polymers. It is well known that PANi when doped with CSA becomes highly conducting. However, its poor mechanical properties, such as low tensile, compressive, and flexural strength render PANi a non-ideal material to be processed for its various practical applications, such as electromagnetic shielding, anti-corrosion shielding, photolithography and microelectronic devices etc. Thus the search for polymers which are easily processable and are capable of showing high conductivity still continues. PANi-PVC blend was prepared, which showed low conductivity which is limiting factor for certain applications. Therefore, another processable polymer PF was chosen as conducting matrix. Conducting PF can be easily processed into various shapes and forms. Therefore, a blend mixture was prepared by using PANi and PF through the use of CSA as a counter ion which forms a "bridge" between the two polymeric components of the inter-polymer complex. Two blended polymers have been synthesized and investigated for their conductivity behaviour. It was observed that the blended film of CSA doped PANi-PVC showed a room temperature electrical conductivity of 2.8 × 10-7 S/cm where as the blended film made by CSA doped PANi with conducting polymer PF showed a room temperature conductivity of 1.3 × 10-5 S/cm. Blended films were irradiated with 100 MeV silicon ions with a view to increase their conductivity with a fluence ranging from 1011 ions to 1013 per cm2 from 15 UD Pelletron accelerator at NSC, New Delhi.

Growth and study of antiferroelectric lead zirconate thin films by pulsed laser ablation

Antiferroelectric lead zirconate (PZ) thin films were deposited by pulsed laser ablation on platinum-coated silicon substrates. Films showed a polycrystalline pervoskite structure upon annealing at 650 degrees C for 5-10 min. Dielectric properties were investigated as a function of temperature and frequency. The dielectric constant of PZ films was 220 at 100 kHz with a dissipation factor of 0.03. The electric field induced transformation from the antiferroelectric phase to the ferroelectric phase was observed through the polarization change, using a Sawyer-Tower circuit. The maximum polarization value obtained was 40 mu C/cm(2). The average fields to excite the ferroelectric state, and to reverse to the antiferroelectric state were 71 and 140 kV/cm, respectively. The field induced switching was also observed through double maxima in capacitance-voltage characteristics. Leakage current was studied in terms of current versus time and current versus voltage measurements. A leakage current density of 5x10(-7) A/cm(2) at 3 V, for a film of 0.7 mu m thickness, was noted at room temperature. The trap mechanism was investigated in detail in lead zirconate thin films based upon a space charge limited conduction mechanism. The films showed a backward switching time of less than 90 ns at room temperature.

Growth and study of BaZrO3 thin films by pulsed excimer laser ablation

Thin films of BaZrO3 (BZ) were grown using a pulsed laser deposition technique on platinum coated silicon substrates. Films showed a polycrystalline perovskite structure upon different annealing procedures of in-situ and ex-situ crystallization. The composition analyses were done using Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The SIMS analysis revealed that the ZrO2 formation at the right interface of substrate and the film leads the degradation of the device on the electrical properties in the case of ex-situ crystallized films. But the in-situ films exhibited no interfacial formation. The dielectric properties have been studied for the different temperatures in the frequency regime of 40 Hz to 100kHz. The response of the film to external ac stimuli was studied at different temperatures, and it showed that ac conductivity values in the limiting case are correspond to oxygen vacancy motion. The electrical modulus is fitted to a stretched exponential function and the results clearly indicate the presence of the non-Debye type of dielectric relaxation in these materials.

Phase Characterization and Study of Molecular Order of a Three-Ring Mesogen by (13)C NMR in Smectic C and Nematic Phases

Molecules exhibiting a thermotropic liquid-crystalline property have acquired significant importance due to their sensitivity to external stimuli such as temperature, mechanical forces, and electric and magnetic fields. As a result, several novel mesogens have been synthesized by the introduction of various functional groups in the vicinity of the aromatic core as well as in the side chains and their properties have been studied. In the present study, we report three-ring mesogens with hydroxyl groups at one terminal. These mesogens were synthesized by a multistep route, and structural characterization was accomplished by spectral techniques. The mesophase properties were studied by hot-stage optical polarizing microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and small-angle X-ray scattering. An enantiotropic nematic phase was noticed for lower homologues, while an additional smectic C phase was found for higher homologues. Solid-state high-resolution natural abundance (13)C NMR studies of a typical mesogen in the solid phase and in the mesophases have been carried out. The (13)C NMR spectrum of the mesogen in the smectic C and nematic phases indicated spontaneous alignment of the molecule in the magnetic field. By utilizing the two-dimensional separated local field (SLF) NMR experiment known as SAMPI4, (13)C-(1)H dipolar couplings have been obtained, which were utilized to determine the orientational order parameters of the mesogen.

Morphology Controlled Growth of Meso-Porous Co3O4 Nanostructures and Study of Their Electrochemical Capacitive Behavior

The morphology of nanocrystalline Co3O4 synthesized through microwave irradiation of a solution of a cobalt complex is found to depend reproducibly on the conditions of synthesis and, in particular, on the composition of the solvent used. Despite the rapidity of the process, oriented aggregation occurs under certain conditions, depending on solvent composition. Annealing the oriented samples leads to microstructures with significant porosity, rendering the material suitable as electrodes for electrochemical capacitors. Electrochemical analysis of the oxide samples was carried out in 0.1M Na2SO4 electrolyte vs. Ag/AgCl electrode. A stable specific capacitance of 221 F/g was measured for a meso-porous sample displaying oriented aggregation. Stability of these oxide materials were checked for longer charge-discharge cycling. (C) 2012 The Electrochemical Society. DOI: 10.1149/2.002210jes] All rights reserved.

Synthesis and characterization of Fe- and Co-based ferrite nanoparticles and study of the T-1 and T-2 relaxivity of chitosan-coated particles

In pursuit of newer and more effective contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, we report in this article the use of biocompatible chitosan-coated ferrite nanoparticles of different kinds with a view to determine their potential applications as the contrast agents in the field of nuclear magnetic resonance. The single-phase ferrite particles were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation (CoFe2O4 and Fe3O4) and by applying ultrasonic vibration (CoFe2O4 and Co0.8Zn0.2Fe2O4). Although magnetic anisotropy of CoFe2O4 nanoparticle leads to finite coercivity even for nanoensembles, it has been reduced significantly to a minimum level by applying ultrasonic vibration. Fe3O4 synthesized by chemical co-precipitation yielded particles which already possess negligible coercivity and remanence. Substitution of Co by Zn in CoFe2O4 increases the magnetization significantly with a small increase in coercivity and remanence. Particles synthesized by the application of ultrasonic vibration leads to the higher values of T-2 relaxivities than by chemical coprecipitation. We report that the T-2 relaxivities of these particles are of two orders of magnitude higher than corresponding T-1 relaxivities. Thus, these particles are evidently suitable as contrast agent for T-2 weighted MR images.

Highly Stable Hexacoordinated Nonoxidovanadium(IV) Complexes of Sterically Constrained Ligands: Syntheses, Structure, and Study of Antiproliferative and Insulin Mimetic Activity

Three highly stable, hexacoordinated nonoxidovanadium(IV), V-IV(L)(2), complexes (1-3) have been isolated and structurally characterized with tridentate aroylhydrazonates containing ONO donor atoms. All the complexes are stable in the open air in the solid state as well as in solution, a phenomenon rarely observed in nonoxidovanadium(IV) complexes. The complexes have good solubility in organic solvents, permitting electrochemical and various spectroscopic investigations. The existence of nonoxidovanadium(IV) complexes was confirmed by elemental analysis, ESI mass spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, EPR, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. X-ray crystallography showed the N3O3 donor set to define a trigonal prismatic geometry in each case. All the complexes show in vitro insulin mimetic activity against insulin responsive L6 myoblast cells, with complex 3 being the most potent, which is comparable to insulin at the complex concentration of 4 mu M, while the others have moderate insulin mimetic activity. In addition, the in vitro antiproliferative activity of complexes 1-3 against the He La cell line was assayed. The cytotoxicity of the complexes is affected by the various functional groups attached to the bezoylhydrazone derivative and 2 showed considerable antiproliferative activity compared to the most commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs.