Considering Efficacy of an Outdoor Environmental Education Program: Facilitating Elementary Students’ Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours

Various sources have sought to consider the educational interventions that foster changes in perception of and attitudes toward nature, with the ultimate intent of understanding how education can be used to encourage environmentally responsible behaviours. With these in mind, the current study identified an outdoor environmental education program incorporating these empirically supported interventions, and assessed its ability to influence environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. Specifically, this study considered the following research questions: 1) To what degree can participation in this outdoor education program foster environmental knowledge and encourage pro-environmental attitudes and self-reported pro-environmental behaviours? 2) How is this effect different among students of different genders, and those who have different prior experiences in nature? Two motivational frameworks guided inquiry in the current study: the Value-Belief-Norm Model of Environmentalism (VBN) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The study employed a quantitative survey methodology, combining contemporary data measuring knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours with archived data collected by program staff, reflecting frequency of environmentally responsible behaviour. Further, a single qualitative item was included for which students provided “the first three words that [came] to mind when [they] think of the word nature.” Terms provided before and after the program were compared for differences in theme to detect subtle or underlying changes. Quantitative results indicated no significant change in student knowledge or attitudes through the outdoor environmental education program. However, a significant change in self-reported behaviour was identified from both the contemporary and archived data. This agreement in positive findings across the two data sets, collected using different measures and different participants, lends evidence of the program’s ability to encourage self-reported pro-environmental behaviour. Further, qualitative results showed some change in students’ perceptions of nature through the program, providing direction for future research. These findings suggest that this particular outdoor education program was successful in encouraging students’ self-reported environmentally responsible behaviour. This change was achieved without significant change in knowledge or environmental attitudes, suggesting that external factors not measured in this study might have played a role in affecting behaviour.

Influência da exposição à música na perceção da dor aguda pós-operatória : um estudo com crianças de 4 e 5 anos

Dissertação de mestrado, Psicologia (Ciência Cognitiva), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Faculdade de Letras, Faculdade de Medicina, Faculdade de Psicologia, 2016

Mise à l’essai d’une séquence d’apprentissage intégrant des chansons comme source primaire pour développer la compétence 2 : interpréter la réalité sociale à l’aide de la méthode historique

Ce mémoire a pour objet la mise à l’essai d’une séquence d’apprentissage intégrant des chansons comme sources primaires pour développer la compétence 2– interpréter la réalité sociale à l’aide de la méthode historique. Le ministère de l’Éducation du Québec et les écrits scientifiques (Côté, 2008; LENOIR et SAUVÉ, 2010; Turner-Bisset, 2001) s’attendent à ce que l’élève terminant ses études secondaires raisonne à partir de faits tirés des sources qui lui sont accessibles, notamment des sources primaires. Or, on constate trois lacunes dans la pratique enseignante : le petit nombre de sources travaillées, l’inégalité de leurs interprétations et la faiblesse de leurs critiques (Byrom, 2005; Pickles, 2010; Watson, 1998). Aussi, peu de cas utilisent la chanson comme source primaire. La séquence d’apprentissages sur la Deuxième Guerre mondiale que l’enseignante française Sylvaine Moreau (2012) a rendue disponible sur Internet a donc servi de point de départ à cette mise à l’essai afin de comprendre ce qu’il en est. Comme il y a un aller-retour régulier prévu entre l’adaptation du matériel pédagogique au contexte scolaire québécois et les observations en classe c’est la recherche-développement qui semble l’approche la plus efficace (Artigue, 1989; Harvey et Loiselle, 2009). Quatre enseignants montréalais ont accepté une entrevue avec l’auteure de cette recherche. Ils ont adapté le matériel au contexte scolaire, ils ont été observés en classe et les réponses écrites des élèves ont été analysées grâce, notamment, au programme N’Vivo. En explorant les données qualitatives recueillies, on constate le petit nombre de sources travaillées puisque les réponses ne reprennent que ce qui a été vu en classe, priorisant même certains types de sources. La faiblesse des critiques est criante puisque des étapes jugées « inutiles » par certains élèves sont laissées incomplètes. Finalement, l’auteure remarque l’inégalité des interprétations liée à une barrière de niveau de langue. Les métaphores et le vocabulaire de certaines chansons semblent un défi.

Filling the gap: open economy considerations for more reliable potential output estimates. Bruegel Working Paper 2015/11, October 2015

This paper argues that the Phillips curve relationship is not sufficient to trace back the output gap, because the effect of excess demand is not symmetric across tradeable and non-tradeable sectors. In the non-tradeable sector, excess demand creates excess employment and inflation via the Phillips curve, while in the tradeable sector much of the excess demand is absorbed by the trade balance. We set up an unobserved-components model including both a Phillips curve and a current account equation to estimate ‘sustainable output’ for 45 countries. Our estimates for many countries differ substantially from the potential output estimates of the European Commission, IMF and OECD. We assemble a comprehensive real-time dataset to estimate our model on data which was available in each year from 2004-15. Our model was able to identify correctly the sign of pre-crisis output gaps using real time data for countries such as the United States, Spain and Ireland, in contrast to the estimates of the three institutions, which estimated negative output gaps real-time, while their current estimates for the pre-crisis period suggest positive gaps. In the past five years the annual output gap estimate revisions of our model, the European Commission, IMF, OECD and the Hodrick-Prescott filter were broadly similar in the range of 0.5-1.0 percent of GDP for advanced countries. Such large revisions are worrisome, because the European fiscal framework can translate the imprecision in output gap estimates into poorly grounded fiscal policymaking in the EU.

A diversidade cultural e as suas implicações no processo de ensino e aprendizagem : como integrar a diversidade na educação de infância

Relatório de estágio apresentado para obtenção do grau de mestre na especialidade profissional de Educação pré-escolar

O papel do sector público no desenvolvimento das indústrias criativas

Este estudo procurou analisar a Lx Factory, concretamente as empresas residentes que enquadram no conceito da DCMS UK de indústrias criativas, um cluster de indústrias criativas. Foi realizado um inquérito a uma amostra não aleatória objectiva/intencional de 50 empresas de actividades artísticas, culturais ou criativas residentes na Lx Factory com o objectivo de analisar a percepção destas de certo tipo de apoios facultados pelo sector público e as diferenças de características entre as diferentes actividades. Concluiu-se, através da análise a 5 hipóteses de investigação que as empresas inquiridas, como um todo, relevam cada vez menos o financiamento público, que há diferenças de percepção destes apoios consoante as suas características e que as empresas criativas mostram maior desprendimento do sector público que as empresas artísticas e culturais.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay: novel mechanistic insights and biological impact

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) was originally coined to define a quality control mechanism that targets mRNAs with truncated open reading frames due to the presence of a premature termination codon. Meanwhile, it became clear that NMD has a much broader impact on gene expression and additional biological functions beyond quality control are continuously being discovered. We review here the current views regarding the molecular mechanisms of NMD, according to which NMD ensues on mRNAs that fail to terminate translation properly, and point out the gaps in our understanding. We further summarize the recent literature on an ever-rising spectrum of biological processes in which NMD appears to be involved, including homeostatic control of gene expression, development and differentiation, as well as viral defense.

Mise à l’essai d’une séquence d’apprentissage intégrant des chansons comme source primaire pour développer la compétence 2 : interpréter la réalité sociale à l’aide de la méthode historique

Ce mémoire a pour objet la mise à l’essai d’une séquence d’apprentissage intégrant des chansons comme sources primaires pour développer la compétence 2– interpréter la réalité sociale à l’aide de la méthode historique. Le ministère de l’Éducation du Québec et les écrits scientifiques (Côté, 2008; LENOIR et SAUVÉ, 2010; Turner-Bisset, 2001) s’attendent à ce que l’élève terminant ses études secondaires raisonne à partir de faits tirés des sources qui lui sont accessibles, notamment des sources primaires. Or, on constate trois lacunes dans la pratique enseignante : le petit nombre de sources travaillées, l’inégalité de leurs interprétations et la faiblesse de leurs critiques (Byrom, 2005; Pickles, 2010; Watson, 1998). Aussi, peu de cas utilisent la chanson comme source primaire. La séquence d’apprentissages sur la Deuxième Guerre mondiale que l’enseignante française Sylvaine Moreau (2012) a rendue disponible sur Internet a donc servi de point de départ à cette mise à l’essai afin de comprendre ce qu’il en est. Comme il y a un aller-retour régulier prévu entre l’adaptation du matériel pédagogique au contexte scolaire québécois et les observations en classe c’est la recherche-développement qui semble l’approche la plus efficace (Artigue, 1989; Harvey et Loiselle, 2009). Quatre enseignants montréalais ont accepté une entrevue avec l’auteure de cette recherche. Ils ont adapté le matériel au contexte scolaire, ils ont été observés en classe et les réponses écrites des élèves ont été analysées grâce, notamment, au programme N’Vivo. En explorant les données qualitatives recueillies, on constate le petit nombre de sources travaillées puisque les réponses ne reprennent que ce qui a été vu en classe, priorisant même certains types de sources. La faiblesse des critiques est criante puisque des étapes jugées « inutiles » par certains élèves sont laissées incomplètes. Finalement, l’auteure remarque l’inégalité des interprétations liée à une barrière de niveau de langue. Les métaphores et le vocabulaire de certaines chansons semblent un défi.

The Illinois Gap Analysis final report, 2006.

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of Interior Cooperative Agreement No. 14-48-0003-95-1090

German literature pamphlets

A collection of miscellaneous pamphlets.

Immigration and nationality laws and regulations, as of March 1, 1944 ..

Supplement. 1-3; Mar. 1/Dec. 31, 1944-1946.

Partnering with Parents to Promote High School Graduation: An Evidence-based Program Evaluation

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Organotypic Modeling Platform for Adverse Outcome Pathways of Male Reproductive and Developmental Processes

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Unequally Unemployed: Labor Market Stratification After the Great Recession

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Modelling the population dynamics of the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera (Dacus) tryoni: a cohort-based approach incorporating the effects of weather

Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera (Dacus) tryoni (QFF) is arguably the most costly horticultural insect pest in Australia. Despite this, no model is available to describe its population dynamics and aid in its management. This paper describes a cohort-based model of the population dynamics of the Queensland fruit fly. The model is primarily driven by weather variables, and so can be used at any location where appropriate meteorological data are available. In the model, the life cycle is divided into a number of discreet stages to allow physiological processes to be defined as accurately as possible. Eggs develop and hatch into larvae, which develop into pupae, which emerge as either teneral females or males. Both females and males can enter reproductive and over-wintering life stages, and there is a trapped male life stage to allow model predictions to be compared with trap catch data. All development rates are temperature-dependent. Daily mortality rates are temperature-dependent, but may also be influenced by moisture, density of larvae in fruit, fruit suitability, and age. Eggs, larvae and pupae all have constant establishment mortalities, causing a defined proportion of individuals to die upon entering that life stage. Transfer from one immature stage to the next is based on physiological age. In the adult life stages, transfer between stages may require additional and/or alternative functions. Maximum fecundity is 1400 eggs per female per day, and maximum daily oviposition rate is 80 eggs/female per day. The actual number of eggs laid by a female on any given day is restricted by temperature, density of larva in fruit, suitability of fruit for oviposition, and female activity. Activity of reproductive females and males, which affects reproduction and trapping, decreases with rainfall. Trapping of reproductive males is determined by activity, temperature and the proportion of males in the active population. Limitations of the model are discussed. Despite these, the model provides a useful agreement with trap catch data, and allows key areas for future research to be identified. These critical gaps in the current state of knowledge exist despite over 50 years of research on this key pest. By explicitly attempting to model the population dynamics of this pest we have clearly identified the research areas that must be addressed before progress can be made in developing the model into an operational tool for the management of Queensland fruit fly. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.