Decreased GA1 Content Caused by the Overexpression of OSH1 Is Accompanied by Suppression of GA 20-Oxidase Gene Expression

We previously reported that overexpression of the rice homeobox gene OSH1 led to altered morphology and hormone levels in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants. Among the hormones whose levels were changed, GA1 was dramatically reduced. Here we report the results of our analysis on the regulatory mechanism(s) of OSH1 on GA metabolism. GA53 and GA20, precursors of GA1, were applied separately to transgenic tobacco plants exhibiting severely changed morphology due to overexpression of OSH1. Only treatment with the end product of GA 20-oxidase, GA20, resulted in a striking promotion of stem elongation in transgenic tobacco plants. The internal GA1 and GA20 contents in OSH1-transformed tobacco were dramatically reduced compared with those of wild-type plants, whereas the level of GA19, a mid-product of GA 20-oxidase, was 25% of the wild-type level. We have isolated a cDNA encoding a putative tobacco GA 20-oxidase, which is mainly expressed in vegetative stem tissue. RNA-blot analysis revealed that GA 20-oxidase gene expression was suppressed in stem tissue of OSH1-transformed tobacco plants. Based on these results, we conclude that overexpression of OSH1 causes a reduction of the level of GA1 by suppressing GA 20-oxidase expression.

Light Promotion of Hypocotyl Gravitropism of a Starch-Deficient Tobacco Mutant Correlates with Plastid Enlargement and Sedimentation1

Dark-grown hypocotyls of a starch-deficient mutant (NS458) of tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris) lack amyloplasts and plastid sedimentation, and have severely reduced gravitropism. However, gravitropism improved dramatically when NS458 seedlings were grown in the light. To determine the extent of this improvement and whether mutant hypocotyls contain sedimented amyloplasts, gravitropic sensitivity (induction time and intermittent stimulation) and plastid size and position in the endodermis were measured in seedlings grown for 8 d in the light. Light-grown NS458 hypocotyls were gravitropic but were less sensitive than the wild type (WT). Starch occupied 10% of the volume of NS458 plastids grown in both the light and the dark, whereas WT plastids were essentially filled with starch in both treatments. Light increased plastid size twice as much in the mutant as in the WT. Plastids in light-grown NS458 were sedimented, presumably because of their larger size and greater total starch content. The induction by light of plastid sedimentation in NS458 provides new evidence for the role of plastid mass and sedimentation in stem gravitropic sensing. Because the mutant is not as sensitive as the WT, NS458 plastids may not have sufficient mass to provide full gravitropic sensitivity.

Realizing Sustained School Improvement

Author: Jeanice Kerr Swift Title: REALIZING SUSTAINED SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT Advisor: Dr. Kent Seidel and Dr. Linda Brookhart Degree Date: June, 2011 Developing effective methods for improving America's schools is dependent upon coordinated work of practitioners and researchers. School improvement proves a complicated, confusing and most often troubled process; one characterized by the unprecedented challenges of dramatic societal shift, increasing levels of student need, and ongoing involvement from political and governmental influences. The drive to discover better ways to consistently improve schools is fueled by urgency for dramatic results. This research examines both the macro and the micro levels of the school improvement process and illuminates the need for an intentional new way of thinking and leading. At the macro level, the study examined the need for implementing a systems approach to improve America's schools. The study explored a single school's improvement journey. This work aligned individual and group perceptions of staff members alongside student achievement outcome data framed against the findings in the literature. The study rendered themes from within the reflected experiences of participant educators; the work pointed to the need for an improved social technology, the importance of teams, and shared leadership in the orchestrating of successful school improvement processes, particularly the essential roles of collective listening, learning, and leading to realize transformed outcomes for schools.

EU Policy on Climate Change Mitigation since Copenhagen and the Economic Crisis. CEPS Working Document No. 380, 5 March 2013

The EU has long assumed leadership in advancing domestic and international climate change policy. While pushing its partners in international negotiations, it has led the way in implementing a host of domestic measures, including a unilateral and legally binding target, an ambitious policy on renewable energy and a strategy for low-carbon technology deployment. The centrepiece of EU policy, however, has been the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), a cap-and-trade programme launched in 2005. The ETS has been seen as a tool to ensure least-cost abatement, drive EU decarbonisation and develop a global carbon market. After an initial review and revision of the ETS, to come into force in 2013, there was a belief that the new ETS was ‘future-proof’, meaning able to cope with the temporary lack of a global agreement on climate change and individual countries’ emission ceilings. This confidence has been shattered by the simultaneous ‘failure’ of Copenhagen to deliver a clear prospect of a global (top-down) agreement and the economic crisis. The lack of prospects for national caps at the international level has led to a situation whereby many member states hesitate to pursue ambitious climate change policies. In the midst of this, the EU is assessing its options anew. A number of promising areas for international cooperation exist, all centred on the need to ‘raise the ambition level’ of GHG emission reductions, notably in aviation and maritime, short-lived climate pollutions, deforestation, industrial competitiveness and green growth. Public policy issues in the field of technology and its transfer will require more work to identify real areas for cooperation.

L’importance du rendement, du soutien des adultes, des attentes de réussite et de la valeur accordée aux mathématiques dans les choix de filières de formation préuniversitaire des étudiantes issues des séquences de mathématiques enrichies

La présente étude s’intéresse aux choix de filières de formation des filles comparées aux garçons. La présence des filles dans les filières de formation dans le domaine des sciences, de la technologie, du génie et de la mathématique (STGM) est moins importante que celle des garçons. Ce fait est documenté dans la plupart des pays industrialisés (OCDE, 2013). Les décideurs sont préoccupés par cette sous-représentation des filles et des femmes dans ces domaines et s’affairent à comprendre le phénomène, dans le but d’agir pour changer la situation (Drouin et al., 2008; MCCCF, 2011). Or, les facteurs d’influence pour expliquer cet écart entre les garçons et les filles sont nombreux et ne font pas l’objet d’un consensus dans la littérature (Ceci et al., 2009). Toutefois, plusieurs s’entendent pour dire que les mathématiques, importantes dans les profils de formation en STGM, et la façon dont les filles les perçoivent pourraient expliquer, en partie, leurs choix (Rowan-Kenyon et al., 2012 et Wang et al., 2013). Ces auteurs ont aussi suggéré que le contexte social et les croyances des filles au sujet des mathématiques seraient déterminants dans le processus de choix impliquant cette discipline. Un modèle théorique sociocognitif, inspiré par les travaux de Lent et al, (1994-2006), expliquant le processus de choix scolaires et professionnels a permis de conceptualiser les liens entre les déterminants socio-motivationnels spécifiques aux mathématiques. L’objectif général de la présente étude était de mieux documenter l’importance des mathématiques dans les choix de filières de formation menant aux carrières en STGM. Spécifiquement, nous avons examiné les relations entre le rendement en mathématiques, la perception des élèves quant au contexte social (soutien des parents et enseignants), leurs attentes de réussite, la valeur qu’ils accordent aux mathématiques (sentiment d’autoefficacité, anxiété, perception de l’utilité et intérêt) et les choix de filières de formation générale après leur secondaire (sciences humaines sans mathématiques, sciences humaines avec mathématiques, sciences de la santé et sciences pures). Nous avons exploré les distinctions entre les filles et les garçons. Pour ce faire, 1129 élèves finissants ont été questionnés au sujet de leurs motivations en mathématiques et de leurs intentions de formation post-secondaire. Par la suite, une comparaison entre les 583 filles et les 543 garçons a été réalisée par des analyses de régression logistiques multinomiales. Les résultats montrent que plusieurs déterminants permettent de dégager des similitudes et des différences quant aux choix de filières de formation des filles et des garçons. D’abord, il semble que pour la plupart des élèves, filles ou garçons, un rendement élevé et un important soutien des enseignants tel que perçu par les élèves à la fin du secondaire est davantage lié aux choix de filières en sciences pures et en sciences de la santé qu’en sciences humaines avec ou sans mathématiques. Toutefois, le soutien des parents perçu est plus déterminant pour les filles qui choisissent les sciences de la santé que pour les garçons. Le soutien des enseignants perçu est plus déterminant pour les garçons qui choisissent les sciences humaines que pour les filles. Aussi, un faible sentiment d’autoefficacité en mathématiques serait associé au choix de filières en sciences humaines, alors qu’une forte anxiété en mathématiques chez les filles serait associée aux filières en sciences de la santé. Pour les garçons, c’est davantage l’intérêt en mathématiques qui est déterminant pour choisir la filière des sciences pures. La perception de l’utilité des mathématiques est déterminante à la fois pour les garçons et pour les filles qui choisissent les filières de sciences les menant à des carrières en STGM. En somme, nos résultats suggèrent que le soutien en mathématiques de la part des adultes significatifs, tel que perçu par les élèves, est moins prépondérant que les attentes de réussite (sentiment d’autoefficacité et anxiété) et la valeur accordée aux mathématiques (intérêt et utilité perçue) pour comparer les garçons et les filles dans leurs choix de filières. À la lumière des résultats obtenus, il nous semble que l’implantation de mesures, dans les milieux scolaires, pour renforcer le sentiment d’autoefficacité des jeunes filles en mathématiques et surtout pour diminuer leur taux d’anxiété dans cette matière serait une voie prometteuse pour atteindre la parité entre les garçons et les filles dans les filières en STGM.

Climate Conundrums at High Altitude. EU Diplomacy Paper 01/2014, January 2014

The European Union (EU) was the frontrunner for the establishment of the world’s first multinational emissions trading scheme (ETS). Committed to combating climate change, the EU sought to overcome the multilateral paralysis within the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to mitigate aviation emissions. Unsuccessful in pushing for a global market-based measure (MBM) within the organisation, the EU was ready for take-off to include the sector in the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS). The geographical scope, however, including all flights from and to Europe in their entire trajectory, caused frictions with the international community about sovereignty issues. Ultimately, Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard announced a ‘stop-the-clock’ for international flights, a temporary derogation until the 2013 ICAO Assembly in order to find a global agreement. The ’stop-the-clock’ initiative provides ample opportunity to analyse EU leadership in curbing aviation emissions based on an analytical framework specifying different types of leadership. Its shows the global challenge to the EU’s claim of structural leadership on various levels in and beyond ICAO. The paper aims to analyse to what extent the EU is a global leader in mitigating aviation emissions and to identify the kind of EU leadership according to a threefold analytical framework. In addition, it will factor in the 'stop-the-clock' initiative and to what extent it altered the perception of EU leadership in the field. The paper comes to the conclusion that EU leadership in mitigating aviation emissions is not stalling. On the contrary, the EU, by pursuing the extension of the EU ETS, has put aviation emissions on everybody’s radar – and thus showed idea-based leadership. Proving the scheme’s feasibility further underlined EU leadership, in the form of directional leadership. The 'stop-the-clock' decision, however, already indicated what was later on confirmed in the 38th ICAO Assembly: Unilateral structural leadership of the EU in the field of aviation emissions is not credible at the moment.

The Interregional Association Agreement between the European Union and Mercosur: Is the Timing Right? Bruges Political Research Papers 46/2015.

The European Union (EU) and Mercosur talks have been stalled since discussions were resumed in 2000. Recurring protectionist and institutional obstacles have slowed down negotiations. The financial crisis, however, has resulted in low domestic demand in the EU. This has made the interregional association agreement (IAA) with Mercosur more attractive. The loss of the Generalized Scheme of Preference (GSP) status and the lack of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU have both disadvantaged Mercosur. A further window of opportunity is opening up in Mercosur. In Brazil, there have been cries for a change in government. In Argentina, presidential elections will take place in October 2015 and will assuredly bring an end to Kirchnerismo. A change in leadership in both countries is expected to make agreement more likely. Protectionist policies are not expected to remain as high if there is change in government. This will provide the EU with an opportunity to advance the negotiations and conclude the IAA.

China's new Government: Priorities, Programs, Reform Signals. Asia Policy Brief 2013/02, May 2013

Never before has any change of leadership in China drawn this much international attention. The composition of the new party and state leadership in China is the result of many years of probing and negotiating within the top levels of the Communist Party. New priorities and leadership styles may cause fundamental shifts in the mechanisms of governance during the decade that China’s new leadership will be in control. Thus, the installation of a new government in China has potentially stronger long-term effects than most government turnovers in Western Democracies.

The EU Global Strategy: going beyond effective multilateralism? EPC Discussion Paper, June 2016

The ongoing consultation process on the European Union Global Strategy (EUGS) presents an occasion for the European Union (EU) to redress the European Security Strategy’s (ESS) shortcomings and update its stance on multilateralism. As rule-based multilateralism remains deeply entrenched in the Union’s DNA, the EUGS is unlikely to represent ground-breaking innovations as to how the EU should act in international affairs. The key challenge in respect of the EU’s multilateralism is twofold. The first challenge lies in setting out clear priorities for the EU’s multilateral action to be pursued collectively by the member states; and the second in determining the form of multilateralism that would best suit the promotion of the priorities concerned. In this collection of six essays, policy analysts and academics are presented with the question: Over a five year horizon, what do you think should be the focus of the EU’s multilateral agenda? The answers dwell on the EU playing a proactive role in relation to emerging powers especially China, and Latin America as a whole; furthering the EU’s soft power through ‘science diplomacy’; and EU leadership in building a global energy and climate community, and counter terrorism measures.

O controlo interno e a implementação de auditorias online no Safex em contexto de e-governance: Tecnologias, desafios e oportunidades

O presente Relatório Detalhado de Atividade Profissional é apresentado no âmbito da obtenção do Grau de Mestre dos Oficiais do Exército licenciados pré-Bolonha pela Academia Militar na Área específica de Administração Militar. A sua redação e estruturação tem por base o definido na NEP 520 e NEP 517/1ª da AM, para esta tipologia de trabalhos, tendo o autor, optado por desenvolver um tema no âmbito da sua atividade profissional, considerado como pioneiro e inovador. O Tenente-Coronel de Administração Militar do Exército Português, Luís Miguel Gonçalves, nasceu a 25 de Novembro de 1971. Do seu percurso académico e formativo, consta frequência pré-Universitária, em estabelecimento militar de ensino, no Instituto Militar dos Pupilos do Exército, na área de Contabilidade e Administração; a Licenciatura em Ciências Militares, na especialidade de Administração Militar, pela Academia Militar, em 1995, com a Classificação final de 13,58 valores; o tirocínio para Oficiais de Administração Militar, com a nota final de 15,38 valores; o Curso de Operações Irregulares, tendo obtido a classificação de 17,67 valores; o Curso de Promoção a Capitão, com 16,63 valores; e o Curso de Promoção a Oficial Superior do Instituto de Altos Estudos Militares, com a classificação final de 14,50 valores. No âmbito da formação de pós-graduação, tem averbado créditos no módulo de Metodologia de Investigação Cientifica, pela Academia Militar, no Ano Letivo 2013/14, com a classificação final de 16,00 valores. Para além destes, o Environmental Course For Portugal – NATO School/ SHAPE; formação em Gestão de Projetos/ Exército - Microsoft Enterprise Project Management; o Curso de Formação Pedagógica Inicial de Formadores do Instituto de Emprego e Formação Profissional, com Homologação das Competências Pedagógicas; e vários certificados de formações no âmbito da Contabilidade, Administração, Finanças Públicas e Auditorias Financeiras, atribuídas pela Direção de Finanças do Exército e pelo Instituto de Gestão e Administração Pública do Porto. Ao longo dos 25 anos de serviço prestado ao Exército Português, como Oficial de Administração Militar, desempenhou diversos cargos e funções de Comando e Chefia, em várias UEO, nas áreas setoriais e funcionais, da formação, da instrução, da componente operacional, da logística, do pessoal, das finanças públicas, das inspeções e auditorias, da gestão e da Administração Militar. Atualmente o Tenente-Coronel Miguel Gonçalves, desempenha as Funções de Comandante de Batalhão na Escola dos Serviços. Para além dos cargos e funções averbadas no seu Curriculum Vitae detalhado, constituiu em 1996 o Núcleo Logístico de Projeção, Implantação, Acompanhamento e Ajuda Técnica no âmbito do emprego dos meios táticos e operacionais da Área de Responsabilidade FND/ IFOR na Bósnia-Herzegovina (Jugoslávia). Tem publicado na Revista da Administração Militar, vários artigos no âmbito da logística operacional, na função de combate Apoio de Serviços. Na área da formação, foi orientador e supervisor de vários trabalhos, individuais e de grupo aos cursos de promoção a capitão; e constitui-se como elemento primariamente responsável pelo planeamento e implementação dos primeiros cursos no Exército, com formação certificado pela Agência Nacional para a Qualificação e Ensino Profissional, I.P., do Sistema Nacional de Qualificações, certificação inserida no Catálogo Nacional de Qualificações. Na área Inspetiva, integrou várias equipas de Inspeção-Geral do Exército, como inspetor responsável pelas áreas de Logística e Finanças, bem como as de Inspetor, para a área dos recursos humanos – Despesas com Pessoal, nas equipas de inspeção do Comando do Pessoal do Exército. No desempenho das funções de Auditor Financeiro do Centro de Finanças do Comando do Pessoal, realizou diversas auditorias financeiras às UEO do Comando do Pessoal, na sua dependência, tendo desenvolvido e implementado um sistema pioneiro e inovador de monitorização e controlo interno, de auditorias “Online” com análise e reporte mensal, às contas das UEO do Comando do Pessoal, tendo em vista a validação das Demonstrações Financeiras para a Conta de Gerência Anual do Exército. A escolha do tema, “O Controlo Interno e a implementação de Auditorias Online no SAFEx em contexto de e-Governance: Tecnologias, desafios e oportunidades” surge na sequência da implementação destes procedimentos pelo autor, numa altura em que o Exército entrava em operativo com o Sistema Integrado de Gestão (SIG/DN), tendo sido à data reconhecido publicamente pelo TGEN Comandante do Pessoal do Exército, como sendo um procedimento inovador, com notáveis vantagens para a eficiência e eficácia do sistema administrativo-financeiro do Comando do Pessoal e consequentemente do Exército.

L’importance du rendement, du soutien des adultes, des attentes de réussite et de la valeur accordée aux mathématiques dans les choix de filières de formation préuniversitaire des étudiantes issues des séquences de mathématiques enrichies

La présente étude s’intéresse aux choix de filières de formation des filles comparées aux garçons. La présence des filles dans les filières de formation dans le domaine des sciences, de la technologie, du génie et de la mathématique (STGM) est moins importante que celle des garçons. Ce fait est documenté dans la plupart des pays industrialisés (OCDE, 2013). Les décideurs sont préoccupés par cette sous-représentation des filles et des femmes dans ces domaines et s’affairent à comprendre le phénomène, dans le but d’agir pour changer la situation (Drouin et al., 2008; MCCCF, 2011). Or, les facteurs d’influence pour expliquer cet écart entre les garçons et les filles sont nombreux et ne font pas l’objet d’un consensus dans la littérature (Ceci et al., 2009). Toutefois, plusieurs s’entendent pour dire que les mathématiques, importantes dans les profils de formation en STGM, et la façon dont les filles les perçoivent pourraient expliquer, en partie, leurs choix (Rowan-Kenyon et al., 2012 et Wang et al., 2013). Ces auteurs ont aussi suggéré que le contexte social et les croyances des filles au sujet des mathématiques seraient déterminants dans le processus de choix impliquant cette discipline. Un modèle théorique sociocognitif, inspiré par les travaux de Lent et al, (1994-2006), expliquant le processus de choix scolaires et professionnels a permis de conceptualiser les liens entre les déterminants socio-motivationnels spécifiques aux mathématiques. L’objectif général de la présente étude était de mieux documenter l’importance des mathématiques dans les choix de filières de formation menant aux carrières en STGM. Spécifiquement, nous avons examiné les relations entre le rendement en mathématiques, la perception des élèves quant au contexte social (soutien des parents et enseignants), leurs attentes de réussite, la valeur qu’ils accordent aux mathématiques (sentiment d’autoefficacité, anxiété, perception de l’utilité et intérêt) et les choix de filières de formation générale après leur secondaire (sciences humaines sans mathématiques, sciences humaines avec mathématiques, sciences de la santé et sciences pures). Nous avons exploré les distinctions entre les filles et les garçons. Pour ce faire, 1129 élèves finissants ont été questionnés au sujet de leurs motivations en mathématiques et de leurs intentions de formation post-secondaire. Par la suite, une comparaison entre les 583 filles et les 543 garçons a été réalisée par des analyses de régression logistiques multinomiales. Les résultats montrent que plusieurs déterminants permettent de dégager des similitudes et des différences quant aux choix de filières de formation des filles et des garçons. D’abord, il semble que pour la plupart des élèves, filles ou garçons, un rendement élevé et un important soutien des enseignants tel que perçu par les élèves à la fin du secondaire est davantage lié aux choix de filières en sciences pures et en sciences de la santé qu’en sciences humaines avec ou sans mathématiques. Toutefois, le soutien des parents perçu est plus déterminant pour les filles qui choisissent les sciences de la santé que pour les garçons. Le soutien des enseignants perçu est plus déterminant pour les garçons qui choisissent les sciences humaines que pour les filles. Aussi, un faible sentiment d’autoefficacité en mathématiques serait associé au choix de filières en sciences humaines, alors qu’une forte anxiété en mathématiques chez les filles serait associée aux filières en sciences de la santé. Pour les garçons, c’est davantage l’intérêt en mathématiques qui est déterminant pour choisir la filière des sciences pures. La perception de l’utilité des mathématiques est déterminante à la fois pour les garçons et pour les filles qui choisissent les filières de sciences les menant à des carrières en STGM. En somme, nos résultats suggèrent que le soutien en mathématiques de la part des adultes significatifs, tel que perçu par les élèves, est moins prépondérant que les attentes de réussite (sentiment d’autoefficacité et anxiété) et la valeur accordée aux mathématiques (intérêt et utilité perçue) pour comparer les garçons et les filles dans leurs choix de filières. À la lumière des résultats obtenus, il nous semble que l’implantation de mesures, dans les milieux scolaires, pour renforcer le sentiment d’autoefficacité des jeunes filles en mathématiques et surtout pour diminuer leur taux d’anxiété dans cette matière serait une voie prometteuse pour atteindre la parité entre les garçons et les filles dans les filières en STGM.

Leaders and their treatment of subgroups: implications for evaluations of the leader and the superordinate group

This experiment examined members' evaluations of a group leader and the group in contexts where a superordinate group comprised two subgroups and the group leader was aligned with one or other subgroup. The design varied group leader (ingroup, outgroup) and leader behavior (ingroup favoring, outgroup favoring) as well as the broader comparative context (intragroup, intergroup). Across a number of measures, results indicated a consistent Group Leader x Leader Behavior interaction that was independent of comparative context. Although group members were most satisfied with an ingroup leader who favored the ingroup, ingroup leaders were perceived positively irrespective of their behavior Outgroup leaders who unexpectedly favored the other subgroup were also perceived positively. However, outgroup leaders who favored their own subgroup were perceived as less fair and as more biased than other leaders. They also engendered less identification with the superordinate group and a less unified perception of the group. Results demonstrate the importance of social identity concerns to leadership in nested group contexts and emphasize the fact that perceptions of leader fairness and concern for the common group mediate responses to the superordinate category. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Is modern medicine at risk of losing the plot?

Contemporary medicine has much to its credit, but has created an insatiable demand for new technologies and more health services, fed by commercial promotion, professional advocacy and sociopolitical pressure. Total health expenditure at the national level is now almost 10% of gross domestic product and is expected to top 16% by 2020. After recent inquiries into the failings of its public health system, the Queensland Government has committed itself to a 25% increase in expenditure on health over the next 5 years. But will it lead to better population health, and is it sustainable? The return-on-investment curve for modern health care may be flattening out, in an environment of growing numbers of older patients with chronic illnesses, maldistribution of services and hospital overcrowding. A change in thinking is required if current medical practice is to avoid imploding when confronted with the next major economic downturn. Health policy, service funding and clinical training must focus on critical appraisal of the effectiveness of health care technologies and the structure and financing of health care systems. Practising clinicians will be obliged to provide leadership in determining value for money in the choice of health care for specific patient populations and how that care is delivered.

The changing nature and role of the head of department

There is little doubt that devolution of responsibility to schools and the growth of school-based management have impacted upon the role and workload of school leaders. Not only Principals have been affected by these changes as Welch (1996) argues that Principals of public secondary schools have passed responsibility down to Deputy-principals and to Heads of Department. As such, the Head of Department role, like other school administration positions, has undergone significant change. Of interest to this paper is the changing role of Heads of Department in secondary schools. This study reports on the findings of semi-structured interviews with eight Heads of Department from four public secondary schools and Principals from each of these schools in South East Queensland. Four years after the first set of interviews, two heads of department were reinterviewed. Both sets of interviews focused upon the role, change, and the importance of leadership. The research generated eight specific themes each of which was considered consistent with the nature of the role in a period of significant cultural change. These were the difference in perceptions regarding the Head of Department role, held by Principals and Heads of Department; Head of Department leadership in terms of a curriculum framed department or whole school leadership; how individuals perceived leadership, and how they learned of leadership; the impact of the changing culture upon the individual Head of Department; the growing influence of situational factors upon the role; the impact of managerialism; the changing nature of a secondary school department; and a growing and more complex workload, and the need for different skills. Furthermore, the findings pointed towards the need for effective change processes and a reconceptualized head of department role. The paper concludes with some implications for the ongoing professional development needs of Heads of Department.

A RENÚNCIA SEXUAL PELO REINO: A IMPORTÂNCIA DA RENÚNCIA SEXUAL PARA A LIDERANÇA DA MULHER EM ATOS DE PAULO E TECLA

O propósito desta pesquisa é analisar a obra os Atos de Paulo e Tecla, focando na importância da renúncia sexual para a liderança da mulher. Tema este que se tornou fundamental para que as mulheres conseguissem conquistar seu espaço e poder diante da sociedade e assim conseguir fazer com que sua voz fosse ouvida, mesmo que de forma não tão considerável. Ao examinar os Apócrifos Atos de Paulo e Tecla, pôde-se observar suas principais características e composição, apresentando sua origem e interpretação pelas comunidades e pelos líderes do início do cristianismo. Buscou-se nesta pesquisa retratar e fundamentar o romance grego, apresentando suas similaridades com os Atos de Paulo e Tecla, e desta maneira destacar a influência do escrito grego sobre o texto apócrifo em sua forma de estruturação. Apresentamos as definições sobre a renúncia sexual, liderança e martírio sempre destacando os temas com a figura da mulher, abordando a questão do corpo e a sociedade e demonstrando como estes temas inspiraram os discursos no início do cristianismo. Referente aos escritos dos Atos Apócrifos, apresentamos a origem das comunidades de mulheres celibatárias, que influenciaram a escrita dos textos, relatando o motivo pelo qual os Atos foram escritos e como foram disseminados nas outras comunidades. Sobre o martírio, descrevemos suas origens e como os cristãos viam nessa ação uma aproximação com Deus, e como o martírio preparou a vida de Tecla para que ela se tornasse uma anunciante da palavra de Deus.