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Poulter, Grace D. "The learner identities of older adults engaged in higher degree programmes." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2017. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/8847/.
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Doctoral students are often popularly portrayed as early career researchers and/or academics, engaged single mindedly in esoteric research projects; in other words, they are perceived as boffins. However much this may have been true (or not) in the past, this is certainly not the case in the 21st century. New routes to doctoral qualification have proliferated in recent years and with this growth and diversification the learner identities of the participants engaged in doctoral programmes has also broadened and diversified. Adopting a case study approach, based upon the narratives of 15 professional doctorate students who entered the programme over the age of 40, this study aimed to critically explore the reality of learner identities of these older adults engaged in higher degree study. This qualitative study has explored in depth and detail, the motivational factors driving this student group to embark upon a professional doctorate in mid- to later-life. The identities of these candidates have also been explored through the rich, qualitative data collected in the one-to-one semi-structured interviews that formed the basis of the project. Five significant findings resulted from the analysis and discussion of the qualitative data. The first was that a strength of the particular doctoral programme examined in the case study was that it offered people in mid- to later-life educational opportunities that may have been denied to the, for various reasons, at an earlier stage in the life-cycle. A second finding was that the professional doctorate was attractive to professional people because it provided a staged entry into academia and allowed the professional experience and competences of the candidates to become an integral part of the admissions procedures. The third finding related to the diverse learner identities of the participants. The fourth finding suggests that postgraduate study in general, and doctoral study in particular, can be life enhancing and provide measures of inclusion and social justice that may have been denied to people in earlier life. The study concluded on the fifth finding, that the professional doctorate would be improved by being embedded more firmly in a work-based or workplace learning approach which would further support the strong professional identities of the project participants.
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Al, Touri M. H. M. "The evolution of quality programmes in Saudi Arabian hospitals." Thesis, Swansea University, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.494223.
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Khoury, Ogareet. "Investigating the translation competence of graduates of Bachelor degree programmes in Jordan." Thesis, Aston University, 2017. http://publications.aston.ac.uk/31551/.
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This thesis investigates perceptions of competence held by graduates, translator trainers, and employers. Previous research in Jordan had revealed that graduates struggle to secure a job in translation because translator training programmes do not prepare them sufficiently enough to meet the market requirements (Shunnaq, 2009; Yousef, 2004, Al-Hamad, 2014). This research takes these initial studies further by using the PACTE multi-componential translation competence model (2000, 2003, 2011). The study was conducted at two different phases in consequential procedures, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses. It revealed that while the graduates mildly agree on the development of their translation competence, the teachers and the employers disagree on this development and perceive several ‘core competences’ as lacking in graduates. The study contributes to translator pedagogy in Jordan by providing detailed data on the competences that are underdeveloped in graduates relating them to the suggestions of the teachers on what needs to be stressed in the curriculum. Furthermore, it unveils the competences that are required the most by the employers versus those that are lacking in graduates. Based on the findings, the curriculum design can be amended to ensure more efficient programmes and thus a better development of translator competence. This study also contributes to research into translation competence development by arguing that competence is not only a defined notion or a multi-componential model. Competence is a perception that is governed by a socio-cultural and academic context. In a context where the experts themselves are lagging behind in research and where the stakeholders are working out of sync, the concept of translation competence still seems to be basically determined by the bilingual competence. Furthermore, the study also contributes to translation pedagogy by revealing that when the students’ role is suppressed, the students show poor ability to assess their development, thus over-estimate themselves.
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Buckley-Foster, Philippa. "What factors influence the evolution of beginning teachers' reading programmes?" Thesis, University of Canterbury. Christchurch College of Education, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/3799.
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What influences the evolution of junior school reading programmes in the classrooms of
beginning teachers?
Of all the classroom skills required of beginning teachers, those contributing to the
implementation of an effective instructional reading programme perhaps represent some
of the most complex and sophisticated challenges that will be encountered. Add to this
the critical importance to young children of successfully learning to read and the very
obvious picture of reading progress revealed by modern assessment practices, and the
result is an aspect of teaching that can assume a position of significant focus. This is
especially true for teachers working with junior school children.
This study investigated the current practices of three junior school teachers during their
first two years teaching, how these practices have evolved over time and identifies the
factors that have influenced each teacher. Participants' stories were gathered during
individual interviews to establish current practices and these were compared with a
typical sample of classroom reading instruction that had been captured on video prior to
the initial interviews. Each teacher also participated in an individual follow up interview
during which they were able to observe the sample video excerpt and comment
reflectively upon their practice in the light of their observations.
This study found that developing effective junior school reading programmes generated
considerable angst for these beginning teachers. While they were able to draw upon preservice
preparation when articulating their intentions, the transition from the abstractions
of theory to the realities of classroom practice challenged their teaching skills in this
fledgling stage of their career. Despite an apparent commitment to guided reading as
emphasized in pre-service literacy courses, each participant implemented round robin
reading as their initial teaching strategy. In order to implement reading pedagogy as
advocated within their pre-service experiences, the emergence of a professional
conscience appears to have been critical.
The way that teachers' understanding of literacy acquisition consolidates is greatly
influenced by their practical classroom experiences and the personal capacity that they
bring to the teaching role. The findings of this study support Berliner (1994) and
Huberman (1989) because each of the teachers could be placed on a trajectory of teacher
development. However stage related views of professional development do not fully
reflect the complexity of individuals combined with the uniqueness of their contexts. The
broader perspective highlighted in the work of Nias (1989) provided a framework more
accommodating of the realities encountered during this study.
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Chin, Che-yan Hannah. "A study on the emergence and development of associate degree programmes in Hong Kong." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2007. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B38283190.
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Penceliah, Soobramoney. "The applicability of market orientation to selected degree programmes at technikons in KwaZulu-Natal / by Soobramoney Penceliaharket orientation to selected degree programmes at technikons in KwaZulu-Natal / by Soobramoney Penceliah." Thesis, North-West University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/59.
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Since 1994, a number of higher education policy documents detailing the scope for
transformation and restructuring of education have been published. Diminishing financial support
from government, coupled with greater public demand for improved services necessitate
technikons to become innovative higher education institutions. The marketing concept, the
underlying platform of market orientation, was developed for commercial organisations. It is
proposed that this marketing philosophy could be extended to technikons. Technikons can learn
from the private sector about improving their service delivery by using market orientation
principles and concepts. The purpose of this study was to theoretically and empirically examine
and evaluate the applicability of market orientation to business studies degree programmes at
technikons in KwaZulu-Natal.
The study examined the opinions and perceptions of programme managers and graduates of
business studies degrees from technikons in KwaZulu-Natal. The literature evaluated the
developments in market orientation theory and practice, described the types and other relevant
issues pertaining to higher education institutions in South Africa, and the intluence of the
marketing environment on technikons in KwaZulu-Natal. The research was conducted using a
stratified random sample for graduates, and due to the relatively small size of sampling frame for
programmemanagers, it was decided to send out questionnaires to all programme managers. The
data for this study has been obtained by the analysis of the responses to questionnaires that were
administered among graduates and programme managers of business studies degrees from
technikons in KwaZulu-Natal. Questionnaires were grouped into four constructs of market
orientation, viz. intelligence generation, intelligence dissemination, response design and response
implementation for both categories of respondents.
The analysis of the results revealed important findings. The perceptions of programme managers
and graduates on levels of market orientation for business studies degrees are reported. The
diierence in the constructs between males and females for both programme managers and
graduates are analysed. The discrepancies between programme managers and graduates
expectations of service quahty are reported. Specific recommendations have been made which
can improve the levels of market orientation at technikons for business studies degrees.<br>Thesis (Ph.D. (Business Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.
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Northrop, Mary. "Foundation degree programmes in health : perspectives of leaders and contributors across the UK." Thesis, Anglia Ruskin University, 2016. http://arro.anglia.ac.uk/700995/.
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Academics are at the forefront of the inception, design and delivery of Fds and therefore are responsible for ensuring the aims are met, but their views on the award and the delivery of curricula have not been sought. Foundation degrees (Fds) were introduced in 2000 and although courses have been evaluated, this has been from the employer or student perspective. Fds were created to meet a number of government agendas and were seen as unique, bringing together: life-long learning, widening participation, flexibility of delivery, employer engagement and work-experience. This research uses a mixed methods methodology. This includes: collating curriculum documents to explore commonalities and differences, a questionnaire sent out to academics across the UK, and semi-structured interviews of course teams from three Further Education colleges and three universities. Unexpected findings were that academics felt their own development had been enhanced through working with Fds. This had been transformative in relation to their career pathway or challenged them to develop their approaches to teaching. The other significant finding was that academics perceived Fd students as different or ‘other’ from those students on ‘traditional courses’. The students were described as hard working, motivated but also challenging and lacking self-confidence. A recurring theme was that Fds had provided a ‘second chance’. This led to discussions as to whether Fds are a bridge between a series of liminal states on a journey from affirmative to transformational learning. Other findings highlighted the complexity of developing and delivering Fds in collaboration with employers, other higher education providers and within institutions. The research found that Fds are complex and have no specific identity but consist of a family of awards. They meet widening participation and employers’ needs, but are not fully understood. The research has significance not only for Fds, but also future courses that aim to widen participation, include employer engagement and enable students to develop skills for specific work settings. The academics’ perspective adds to the existing views of employers and students of Fds about whether they have been successful.
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Northrop, Mary. "Foundation degree programmes in health: perspectives of leaders and contributors across the UK." Thesis, Anglia Ruskin University, 2016. https://arro.anglia.ac.uk/id/eprint/700995/1/Northrop_2016.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Academics are at the forefront of the inception, design and delivery of Fds and therefore are responsible for ensuring the aims are met, but their views on the award and the delivery of curricula have not been sought. Foundation degrees (Fds) were introduced in 2000 and although courses have been evaluated, this has been from the employer or student perspective. Fds were created to meet a number of government agendas and were seen as unique, bringing together: life-long learning, widening participation, flexibility of delivery, employer engagement and work-experience.
This research uses a mixed methods methodology. This includes: collating curriculum documents to explore commonalities and differences, a questionnaire sent out to academics across the UK, and semi-structured interviews of course teams from three Further Education colleges and three universities.
Unexpected findings were that academics felt their own development had been enhanced through working with Fds. This had been transformative in relation to their career pathway or challenged them to develop their approaches to teaching. The other significant finding was that academics perceived Fd students as different or ‘other’ from those students on ‘traditional courses’. The students were described as hard working, motivated but also challenging and lacking self-confidence. A recurring theme was that Fds had provided a ‘second chance’. This led to discussions as to whether Fds are a bridge between a series of liminal states on a journey from affirmative to transformational learning. Other findings highlighted the complexity of developing and delivering Fds in collaboration with employers, other higher education providers and within institutions.
The research found that Fds are complex and have no specific identity but consist of a family of awards. They meet widening participation and employers’ needs, but are not fully understood. The research has significance not only for Fds, but also future courses that aim to widen participation, include employer engagement and enable students to develop skills for specific work settings. The academics’ perspective adds to the existing views of employers and students of Fds about whether they have been successful.
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Abd, Wahab Alawiyah. "Designing an information infrastructure to support research degree programmes : identifying information and technology needs." Thesis, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/3149.
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Extensive previous research has shown that web-based technologies have the potential to improve and enhance the quality of learning both on campus and at a distance. However, most of these studies have focused on the application of web-based technologies to support either undergraduates or taught postgraduate programmes, particularly, the use of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) system to complement module-based courses. Evidence from previous research on the use of VLE to support research students in the context of specific modules showed mixed results. Analysis of the VLE literature suggests that the system arranges courses based on academic calendar. Thus, students will not be able to access the system after the semester end. With postgraduate research, the processes of research are often incomplete even when students have graduated and they often seek to further the work through publication in journals. Therefore, using VLE alone would not possibly support the need of research student, particularly the support that they need throughout the stages of the research life cycle. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to investigate how a web portal could be designed to support the research students throughout the research life cycle. A conceptualised web portal design has been constructed through an extensive review of the web-based technologies, learning theories and research degrees literature. The conceptualised web portal design illustrates that the design is underpinned by adult learning theories and the theory of stages in socialisation development, which in turn inform the framework of this research study. This model was then validated and updated through four action research cycles. A web portal system was developed, using the prototyping method to demonstrate the application of the web portal design informed by the adult learning theories and theory of stages in socialisation development. The research findings suggest that action research and prototyping methodology is capable of designing a web portal that is able to support the needs of research students in the context of a life cycle approach. Furthermore, the study reveals that personalisation and customisation features have proved to be useful in providing relevant information to research students at each stage of the research students’ study. It was found that research students value dynamic content such as Really Simple Syndication (RSS) features for providing condensed, updated content relevant to their interests.
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Chin, Che-yan Hannah, and 錢芷欣. "A study on the emergence and development of associate degree programmes in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2007. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B38283190.
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Madgwick, Alicia. "Evolution des programmes transcriptionnels développementaux des ascidies Ciona robusta et Phallusia mammillata." Thesis, Montpellier, 2017. http://www.theses.fr/2017MONTT137/document.
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Comment la morphogenèse embryonnaire peut-elle être conservée malgré une divergence importante des séquences codantes et non-codantes ? Pour répondre à cette question, nous avons travaillé sur le développement précoce d’ascidies divergentes, Phallusia mammillata et Ciona intestinalis. Ces espèces partagent une morphogénèse pratiquement identique et des lignages cellulaires stéréotypés. Or, leurs génomes sont tellement divergents que leurs séquences ne peuvent pas être alignées.Nous avons choisi d’étudier les cellules précurseuses de l’endoderme au cours de deux processus développementaux conservés : spécification du destin et la gastrulation. Nous avons comparé par hybridation in situ l’expression transcriptionelle des gènes régulateurs orthologues dans Phallusia et Ciona. Nous avons trouvé que l’expression dans l’endoderme de 8 gènes régulateurs impliqués dans ces processus développementaux est qualitativement conservée entre les deux espèces.Pour étudier comment ces gènes ont conservé leur régulation malgré une divergence non-codante importante, nous avons collaboré avec l’équipe Gomez-Skarmeta pour cartographier, par ATAC-seq, la chromatine ouverte dans les deux espèces pour identifier les régions régulatrices actives à l’échelle du génome. 35 sur les 39 séquences ouvertes avoisinant les gènes de l’endoderme ont été trouvé active avant le stade larval, par éléctroporation. La plupart des séquences testées ont conservé leur activité dans les deux espèces malgré la divergence de séquence. Nous avons alors identifié des sites de fixations pour facteurs de transcription potentiels se trouvant dans les enhancers pour l’endoderme pour identifier les régulateurs dans Phallusia et Ciona.Nos résultats suggèrent des changements assez importants de l’ordre des sites de fixations sans pour autant avoir de changement dans l’architecture dans les réseaux de gènes régulateurs ; ceci explique la conservation qualitative de l’expression des gènes entre ces ascidies divergentes. En outre, nous avons trouvé que les shadow enhancers sont plus répandus qu’anticipé<br>How can embryonic morphogenesis be evolutionarily conserved in spite of extensive divergence in coding and non-coding genome sequences? To address this question, we worked on the early development of two very divergent ascidians, Phallusia mammillata and Ciona intestinalis. These species share an almost identical early morphogenesis and stereotyped cell lineages. Remarkably, however, their genomes are divergent to the extent that their non-coding sequences cannot be aligned and gene order has not been conserved.We focus our attention on the behaviour of endoderm precursors throughout two important evolutionarily conserved developmental processes: initial fate specification and early gastrulation. We first compared by in situ hybridisation the transcriptional expression of orthologous regulatory genes in Phallusia and in Ciona. We found that the endodermal expression of 8 regulatory genes known to be involved in these developmental processes is qualitatively conserved between the two species.To study how these genes conserved their regulation in spite of extensive non-coding sequence divergence, we collaborated with the Gomez-Skarmeta lab to map, by ATAC-seq, open chromatin regions in both species to identify active regulatory regions genomewide. Three quarters of the 39 open chromatin regions for endodermal genes behaved as active regulatory sequences by the larval stage, when tested by electroporation in embryos. Many of the tested sequences had conserved cis-regulatory activity in both species in spite of sequence divergence. We have identifed putative transcription factor binding sites in endodermal enhancers in both species to identify conserved upstream regulators shared between Phallusia and Ciona.Taken together our results suggest that extensive transcription factor binding site turn over, without radical change in GRNs architecture, may explain the qualitative conservation of gene expression patterns between highly divergent ascidian genomes. Furthermore, we found that shadow enhancers are much more prevalent than initially anticipated.Taken together our results suggest that extensive transcription factor binding site turn over, without radical change in GRNs architecture, may explain the qualitative conservation of gene expression patterns between highly divergent ascidian genomes. Furthermore, we found that shadow enhancers are much more prevalent than initially anticipated
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Snell, Lauren. "A comparative study of the clinical competence of community service practitioners: degree and diploma nursing programmes." University of the Western Cape, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/8248.
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Magister Curationis - MCur<br>According to Benner (2001 ), an individual moves through five stages: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient and expert. Competence is the measure or degree of a person's ability to cope with all aspects of the environment. It is expected that when an individual
achieves competence, they possess the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes and professionalism required to perform a certain function. The purpose of the study was to compare the perceptions of the Community Service Practitioners (Degree versus Diploma) regarding their clinical competence in providing nursing care and to establish and compare the perceptions of Professional Nurses regarding the clinical competence of the Community Service Practitioners they supervise (Degree versus Diploma) in providing nursing care. The null-hypothesis stated that there is no difference in the clinical competence of Community Service Practitioners who completed a Degree nursing programme as compared to those who completed a Diploma nursing programme leading to registration as a Professional Nurse (R425). The research methodology was quantitative, using a comparative, descriptive, cross-sectional design. The target population of the study included a sample of all Community Service Practitioners who worked in Regional Hospitals in the Western Cape and the Professional Nurses who supervised them. Convenience sampling was used to select the sample for this research and data were collected by means of a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire for the Professional Nurses supervising the Community Service Practitioners and a three-point Likert-scale questionnaire for the Community Service Practitioners. Data was organized and analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 21. Descriptive statistics were used and findings were illustrated by means of descriptive tables and figures. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to calculate the null-hypothesis, which was retained. The results of the study indicated that there is no difference in the clinical competence, which included knowledge, skills and attitude, of Community Service Practitioners who completed an undergraduate Degree compared to those who completed a Diploma in nursing.
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Forsman, Jonas. "Complexity Theory and Physics Education Research : The Case of Student Retention in Physics and Related Degree Programmes." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Fysikundervisningens didaktik, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-259413.
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This thesis explores the use of complexity theory in Physics Education Research as a way to examine the issue of student retention (a university’s ability to retain its students). University physics education is viewed through the concepts of nestedness and networked interactions. The work presented in this thesis covers two main aspects from a complexity theory perspective: (1) institutional action to enhance student retention; and, (2) the role of students’ in-course interaction networks. These aspects are used to reframe student retention from a complexity theory perspective, as well as to explore what implications this new perspective affords. The first aspect is addressed by conceptualizing student retention as an emergent phenomenon caused by both agent and component interaction within a complex system. A methodology is developed to illustrate a networked visualization of such a system using contemporary estimation methods. Identified limitations are discussed. To exemplify the use of simulations of complex systems, the networked system created is used to build a simulation of an “ideal” university system as well as a Virtual world for hypothesis-testing. The second aspect is divided into two sections: Firstly, an analysis of processes relating to how students’ in-course networks are created is undertaken. These networks are divided into two relevant components for student retention – the social and the academic. Analysis of these two components of the networks shows that the formation of the networks is not a result of random processes and is thus framed as a function of the core constructs of student retention research – the social and academic systems. Secondly, a case is made that students’ structural positions in the social and academic networks can be related to their grade achievement in the course.
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Cuschieri, Marie-Therese. "An evaluation of the evolution and development of Olympic Solidarity, 1980-2012." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2014. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/14566.
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According to the Olympic Charter, “the aim of Olympic Solidarity is to organise assistance to National Olympic Committees, in particular those which have the greatest need”. For the last five decades funding from the sale of Broadcasting Rights for the Olympic Games, allocated to the National Olympic Committees, has been channelled through Olympic Solidarity as a means of promoting development. The aim of this research was therefore to evaluate the extent to which this redistributive claim is evidenced through an analysis of the distribution of the Olympic Solidarity funding, and an insight into the life histories of people involved in the process of allocating grant aid for Olympic Solidarity's World Programme funding.
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Mabunda, Pinkie L. "The policy and practice of work based learning degree programmes in England : implications and challenges for South Africa." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.412117.
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Cui, Fengqiao (Vanessa). "The 'wicked' problem of employability development in HE degree programmes : experiences, understandings and peceptions of lecturers and students." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2014. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/4423/.
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For more than a decade, universities around the world have been placed with great responsibility to develop their students’ employability for political, economic and social reasons. Though many policies, research and practices have tried to address the issues and challenges employability development in HE faces, to date it remains a ‘wicked’ problem for higher education. Through a close up research framework, this study explored and examined the experiences, understandings and perceptions of lecturers, and students from two English Post 92 degree programmes, in an educational discipline, regarding employability and employability development. In order to illuminate some of the critical issues, in an attempt to understand ‘why employability development is so problematic to higher education’, this study took a reflexive phenomenological approach to look at how lecturers and students make sense of employability and employability development, through their own experiences. As well as looking at the two groups separately, it also compared their perceptions and understandings to highlight any dissonances they have, which are crucial to the complex and ‘wicked’ problem of employability development in their programmes. As lecturers and students hold diverse perspectives on employability in HE that is often in conflict, it was expected that there would be no “one size fits all” solution. In addition, this study found that employability has certainly added complexities to higher education. Certainly, it has led the students and lecturers to have complex issues within their roles and identities, in relation to employability development in their programmes and in HE in general. As such, this study reflexively examined those issues, and concludes that although employability development in HE will remain complex and ‘wicked’, through reflexive research and practices, vital issues relating to lecturers’ and students’ roles and responsibilities can be illuminated and solved.
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Bamford, Jan Katherine. "Dealing with difference : developing an understanding of international postgraduate joint degree programmes in business in London and France." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2014. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10018343/.
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This thesis examines the student experience of international higher education through a case study of joint Masters degrees in business taught in two countries. The thesis explored how the ‘joint degree’ experience impacts on the way students undertake their learning and intercultural ‘negotiations’. The focus on cultural interaction, international mobility, relationality between students and the way students experience the learning environment as dimensions of their experience furthers an understanding of international higher education. The exploration of the individual students’ ‘lived reality’ demonstrates the complexity and limitations of such programmes of study as well as the importance of culture, being the fabric of meaning for individuals (Geertz, 1973) in relation to and as part of the educational experience of a joint degree. This overarching dimension of culture is given prominence in this work, not only in terms of the culture of the institutions that the students study in, but also in terms of the different national education systems, of which those institutions are part and more generally in terms of the different cultures that students have to negotiate as part of their experience. The research approach was through a case study method, relying on the use of mixed methods for data collection to provide a ‘thick’ description of the experiences of joint degrees and a triangulation of the findings for each data set. The thematic analysis of the data focussed on individuals’ construction of their reality in order to gain an understanding of that reality. The concept of ‘relationality’ is introduced to refer to the learning that occurs as a result of the recognition of the ‘other’. It denotes a learning environment where students learn with and from other students and as a result of their country mobility. As a consequence they develop their intercultural awareness. This relationality is seen as a cornerstone of the experience of joint degrees and is significant to the achievement of inter-cultural learning.
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Haines, Kevin. "The situated language learning of international students taking degree programmes taught through English in the Netherlands : narrative interpretations." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1983/ca967bba-45d9-4b88-8b66-a0ecafe6c4e9.
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This dissertation reports my collation of the language learning narratives of international students taking degree programmes taught through English in the Netherlands. Narrative representations of the experiences of seven internationally-oriented students reveal learner perspectives of language acquisition beyond the formal classroom. Meanwhile,I have used personal narratives to represent my own interaction with participants and data, resulting in a portrayal of my growth from teacher into qualitative researcher. I record the learning experiences of the participants through Language Learning Histories (Murphey, Chen & Chen: 2004), semi-structured interviews and journal entries. This has enabled me to show how local participative practices have impacted upon language acquisition at different stages of the participants' educational lives. Narrative interpretations of the data provide a record of the identity work required for participants to achieve participation and negotiate agency in their core learning community (ICF) and other communities. The narratives of these learners are grounded in notions of situated learning. I use Communities of Practice (Wenger 1998) as the main conceptual framework during this investigation, discussing language acquisition in terms of participation in communities through legitimate peripheral participation (LPP) and mutual engagement. However, I also draw on perspectives from within the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), notably a heuristic understanding of Activity Theory (Lantolf & Favlenko 2001; Ivanic 2006). This research provides an example of how narrative interpretations of language learning experiences can provide an understanding of the impact of local educational practices on learner participation in and across communities. I conclude that there is a need for greater transparency and awareness of the relationship between language learning, identity work and participation.
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Stoneley, Helen Elizabeth. "Fitness for purpose in vocational higher education : relationship between entry requirements and student attainment in occupational therapy degree programmes." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2002. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/14726/.
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This thesis explores the relationship between the level of entry requirements and subsequent student attainment on Occupational Therapy degree programmes. It questions the justification for the continued rise in the level of entry qualifications since the early 1990s. It also considers whether students' personal qualities should be seen as equally important when considering entry to a vocational programme. The thesis begins With a review of the evoiution of Occupational Therapy as a profession and considers the development of training courses from diploma through to degree validation. A range of literature is discussed in relation to the role of qualifications in education and training including degrees in the training of professionals and issues of professional competence. An empirical investigation, using quantitative and qualitative methods was conducted of the relationship between entry requirements and student attainment at an English university where an Occupational Therapy degree programme has been placed since 1991. A questionnaire survey provided details of the students' entry qualifications which were then considered alongside evidence of students' progress and attainment during the programme and their final degree classification. Interviews were conducted with lecturers at the university and employers of the new graduates. The findings of this thesis did not find any academic rationale to support the rise in entry qualifications. Rather, the results indicate that had the entry standards been strictly adhered to, a high percentage of students would not have been eligible to train. Furthermore, the thesis establishes that more importance should be given to the role of interviewing prospective students.
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Kajee, Farhana Amod. "Knowledge and knowers in Educational Leadership and Management (ELM) Master’s Programmes in South Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60698.
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This dissertation examines the knowledge and knower practices in the Master’s in Educational Leadership and Management (ELM) coursework programmes at South African public universities. This study was prompted by my growing awareness of problems and tensions in the field of ELM generally, and at the level of programme design of the M Ed degree in particular. Many of these had been identified by a national audit of coursework M Eds in ELM (CHE, 2010), and this study sought to find a way of theorising these with a view to improving both course design and teaching. To this end I employed Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) which enables critical engagement with knowledge and knowers in programmes, how they are positioned, and how this positioning may be problematic. Hence my first research question sought to discover and critique what counted as knowledge in these programmes and why, while the second asked how knowers were positioned, and why this had come to be the case. LCT has its roots in the work of Bernstein and Maton, whose preoccupation with curriculum was/is driven by a sense of social justice: if we can understand how and why the curriculum is organised and presented in a particular way, it becomes possible to re-imagine teaching and learning, making it accessible to a broader, more inclusive body of learners. The study also drew on critical realism as an underlabourer. This philosophy provided a nuanced understanding of ontology, encouraging and enabling me, as researcher, to unearth causal mechanisms driving the status quo. Only seven South African universities currently offer the coursework option of a Master’s degree in ELM, compared to thirteen when the audit was conducted in 2010. Six of the universities agreed to take part in the study. Data was gathered through content analysis of the six course outlines and interviews with individual co-ordinators or academics centrally involved in the programmes. Through the development of a translation device I was able to establishing that a knower code was dominant in the programmes. Using this point as my departure, I interrogated the knowledge practices and found that different types of knowledge were being privileged across the programmes, with some having a practical/professional leaning and others a more academic/theoretical orientation. The resultant tension does, I argue, restrict knowledge building and helps to account for the fact that the field is generally considered to be under-theorised. The fact all of these programme are registered with the same national qualifications authority, ostensibly following the same national guidelines for Master’s degrees is worrying. The study attempts to find underlying, historically significant reasons for this unevenness. An analysis of the programmes revealed a leaning towards supportive pedagogical approaches. While all programmes promote a cultivated gaze their purposes are not always the same. While a hegemonic practices potential for opening counts as knowledge, cultivated gaze can enable transformation, it can also encourage that can impede real change and empowerment. The study has the up much needed debate on what is meant by a Master’s in ELM, what and what kinds of knower are envisaged.
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Hendry, Jane. "The analysis and prediction of student progression through degree programmes : a cohort analysis of undergraduate students at the university of Cape Town." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17526.
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Bibliography: pages 85-87.<br>A simplified cohort survival analysis was used to investigate the academic progression of first-time entering undergraduate students within four large bachelors' degree programmes at the University of Cape Town. The rates of graduation, academic exclusion and voluntary drop-out were quantified in relation to the matriculation authorities and prior matriculation performance of the students within each of the four cohorts. The results of the analyses served to identify specific areas of concern with regard to the internal efficiencies in student progression through each of the four degree programmes, and it is suggested that the availability of information of this type will be essential in the attainment of the institutional transformation goals set out in the 1997 White Paper on the transformation of higher education in South Africa. Significant relationships between the matriculation criteria and the final academic outcomes of students within each cohort were detected using log-near modelling. By means of multiple discriminant analysis, significant predictor variables of the final undergraduate academic outcomes within each cohort were identified. However, the relatively weak discriminatory powers of the multiple discriminant models and the poor predictive accuracy of the associated classification functions suggest the variables included in these analyses did not adequately explain the variability in the final undergraduate academic outcomes of students within the selected cohorts. The extent of the voluntary drop-out phenomenon within each of the cohorts was quantified in relation to matriculation criteria, and further analysis of the cohorts indicated that factors other than academic difficulty appeared to have prompted the greater proportion of the voluntary withdrawals. Those students who had dropped out voluntarily were therefore not included in either the log-linear models or the multiple discriminant analyses.
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Jie, Xiaowei. "Television entertainment as propaganda : a case study of the evolution of the political management of the Chinese Spring Festival Eve Variety Show." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/17622.
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This thesis presents a series of three case studies of the Chinese Spring Festival Eve Variety Show selected between 1983 and 2010. The case studies were chosen to exemplify the overall trend in how China’s television has developed against the broader socio-political context of major economic reforms taking place since the late 1970s.
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Leroy, Pascale. "Evolution de l'offre, de la disponibilité et de la réception de programmes télévisuels, en Belgique francophone, de 1980 à 1992." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/212495.
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Ebrahim, Ashraf. "Open and distance learning in higher education in Egypt : an evaluation of the degree programmes of the Centre of Open Learning in Cairo University (COLCU)." Thesis, University of Bath, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.392067.
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Young, Pat. "Evolution or revolution? : an analysis of teaching practices in undergraduate social policy programmes in the context of change in UK higher education." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.421601.
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Rauchecker, Maximilian [Verfasser], Harald [Akademischer Betreuer] Garcke, Mathias [Akademischer Betreuer] Wilke, and Gieri [Akademischer Betreuer] Simonett. "Evolution of interfaces in two-phase problems with ninety degree contact angle / Maximilian Rauchecker ; Harald Garcke, Mathias Wilke, Gieri Simonett." Regensburg : Universitätsbibliothek Regensburg, 2019. http://d-nb.info/1201160642/34.
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Gers, Matt. "Human culture and cognition : a thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Philosophy /." ResearchArchive@Victoria e-Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10063/320.
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Quessada, Marie-Pierre. "L'enseignement des origines d'Homo sapiens, hier et aujourd'hui, en France et ailleurs : programmes, manuels scolaires, conceptions des enseignants." Phd thesis, Université Montpellier II - Sciences et Techniques du Languedoc, 2008. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00353971.
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À l'heure où l'enseignement de l'évolution biologique, et particulièrement des origines de l'espèce humaine, se heurte à des mouvements anti-évolutionnistes dans plusieurs pays, notre recherche analyse la façon dont ce thème d'une part a été enseigné en France au cours des 19e et 20e siècles, d'autre part est aujourd'hui enseigné dans 19 pays. Les interactions entre science et société, et plus précisément entre connaissances scientifiques, valeurs et pratiques sociales sont étudiées. <br />En préalable, une approche épistémologique de l'avancée des connaissances scientifiques depuis les travaux de Linné au 18e siècle, permet de caractériser les conceptions des scientifiques et d'identifier les principales ruptures épistémologiques successives sur ce thème. <br />L'analyse des programmes et manuels d'enseignement scientifique relatifs à l'origine de l'homme dans le secondaire au cours des 19e et 20e siècles montre que la transposition didactique dans ce domaine est fortement dépendante du contexte social. Pour mesurer cette influence, un nouveau concept est proposé : le DTD (Délai de Transposition Didactique) : l'écart entre la date de publication d'une avancée scientifique et la date de son apparition dans les programmes ou les manuels scolaires. Le grand retard de l'introduction des idées transformistes au 19e siècle ou encore la rapidité de l'entrée à l'école de l'homme préhistorique en 1885, sont mis en lien avec leurs contextes historiques et scolaires.<br />L'analyse synchronique révèle de très grandes différences dans le traitement scolaire de ce thème dans les 19 pays étudiés : de l'absence totale dans 4 pays à une présence sur plusieurs niveaux scolaires dans d'autres pays, d'une conception gradualiste linéaire et finaliste à une conception buissonnante et contingente. Cependant, dans tous les pays qui abordent ce thème, l'image d'Homo sapiens dans les manuels scolaires reste globalement la même : celle d'un mâle blanc occidental.<br />Le dernier chapitre de cette thèse analyse les conceptions d'enseignants de ces 19 pays (7050 enseignants du primaire et du secondaire, de lettres et de biologie). Les conceptions créationnistes des enseignants sont fortement corrélées avec leur degré de croyance en Dieu et de pratique religieuse, ainsi qu'avec le PNB-personne de leur pays. Enfin, plus des enseignants ont des diplômes universitaires élevés, plus ils sont évolutionnistes, qu'ils enseignent au Primaire ou au Secondaire, en Lettres ou en Biologie.
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McTavish, Sharla. "Comparative analysis of New Zealand campylobacter isolates using MLST, PFGE and flaA PCR RFLP genotyping : a thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Molecular Microbiology /." ResearchArchive@Victoria e-Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10063/413.
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Gibb, Gillian Claire. "Birds in a tree : a journey through avian phylogeny, with particular emphasis on the birds of New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Genetics." Massey University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1329.
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Two main themes to the avian research presented in this thesis are, 1. Deep resolution of birds generally, and 2. Investigation of specific aspects of the New Zealand avifauna. More specifically, this thesis covers phylogeny, and predictions about palaeognaths, pigeons, pelecaniforms and passerines. Significant progress is made in resolving the basal branches of Neoaves. This thesis examines whether the six-way basal Neoavian split of Cracraft (2001) is, in principle, resolvable. New mitochondrial genomes are added to improve taxon sampling, break up long branches, and allow testing of the prior assumptions of six Neoavian groups. This research shows the six-way split is resolvable, although more work is required for specific details. From a life-history perspective, it is interesting that the two bird-of-prey groups (falcons and buzzards) are very divergent, and may not be sister groups. Molecular dating supports major diversification of at least 12 Neoavian lineages in the Late Cretaceous. Additionally, novel avian mitochondrial gene orders are investigated and a hypothesis put forward suggesting gene conversion and stable intermediate forms allows an apparently rare event (gene rearrangement) to occur multiple times within Neoaves. One of Cracraft’s six groups, informally called the ‘Conglomerati’, is particularly difficult to resolve. The pigeons (Columbiformes) lie within the ‘Conglomerati’, and this chapter examines two aspects along the continuum of pigeon evolution. Firstly the large South Pacific fruit pigeon radiation is examined with mid-length mitochondrial sequences. This clade contains a third of all pigeon species, and has been very successful in island colonisation throughout South East Asia and the Pacific. Secondly, candidates for the closest relative of pigeons are tested using analysis of whole mitochondrial genomes. Highest support was found for the grouping of sandgrouse and pigeon, although they are clearly very divergent. Also within the ‘Conglomerati’ is the traditional order Pelecaniformes, and their close allies the Ciconiiformes. These orders (the P&C) are part of an adaptive radiation of seabird water-carnivores, including loons, penguins, petrels and albatrosses. This group is separate from the large shorebird water-carnivore group; although both appear to have begun radiating abut 70 million years ago. The tropicbird represents a separate, convergent life history and is not part of the Pelecaniformes, nor within the larger seabird water-carnivore group. Resolution of the basal phylogeny of oscine passerines is important for interpreting the radiation of this group out of the Australasian region. Many endemic New Zealand oscine passerines belong to ‘basal corvid’ lineages, but have not previously been investigated with mitochondrial DNA. This chapter shows that many ‘basal corvid’ lineages are actually ‘basal passerine’ lineages, and there is a discrepancy between nuclear Rag-1 phylogenies (the most commonly used gene in passerine phylogenetics) and other phylogenies, including mitochondrial, that requires further investigation. Taken as a whole, this thesis adds significantly to our understanding of the evolution of birds, and provides a foundation for future research, not only of phylogenetic relationships, but also of avian life history, long-term niche stability and macroevolution.
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Fehlner, Wendy Dawn [Verfasser], Gregor [Akademischer Betreuer] Falk, Wolfgang [Akademischer Betreuer] Hochbruck, et al. "Educating for Sustainable Tourism: an Analysis of Degree Programmes in Sub Saharan Africa and Implications for Reform / Wendy Dawn Fehlner ; Gutachter: Gregor Falk, Wolfgang Hochbruck, Valentin Weislaemle ; Gregor Falk, Wolfgang Hochbruck, Valentin Weislaemle." Freiburg : Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg, 2020. http://d-nb.info/1214439403/34.
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Anderson, Michael Gareth. "Evolutionary interactions of brood parasites and their hosts : recognition, communication and breeding biology : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1167.
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Obligate brood parasites lay their eggs in nests of other species, relying on these host parents to care for their offspring. This phenomenon has been a curiosity amongst researchers since its first description and has become a model study system for testing such ideas as coevolution and species recognition. This thesis examines a few of the many questions that arise from this breeding system. The New Zealand Grey Warbler (Gerygone igata) and its brood parasite, the Shining Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus) are used as the main study species, although research on the eviction behaviour of Common Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) has also been conducted. First, the current state of knowledge and recent discoveries regarding nestling rejection abilities of hosts is reviewed in chapter one. Second, a comparative study of New Zealand passerine begging calls has been conducted to test for begging call similarity between a brood parasite and its host, as well as developing a new technique for detecting the mode of coevolution that may be occurring in the parasite – host relationship. Parent-offspring communication in Grey Warblers is also examined to test for both parental and nestlings Parents use both alarm calls to warn offspring of potential danger, and also parental feeding calls to elicit a begging response from nestlings. By contrast, nestlings are able to signal both age and short term levels of need to parents through the acoustic structure of the begging call. The evolutionary costs and benefits of egg eviction behaviour in the Common Cuckoo are also tested. An experimental approach showed that egg eviction had a growth cost, but this cost was temporary and restricted to during and immediately after the egg eviction phase. A pattern of compensatory growth was observed after the eviction period, so that during the later nestling stages there was no difference in mass, and no difference in fledging age. Finally, variation in the Grey Warbler breeding biology and Shining Cuckoo parasitism rates are examined through both time and across latitudes. This research has shown a counterintuitive pattern of breeding phenology across latitudes. These patterns have implications for Shining Cuckoos both in terms of timing of available nests and host selection. Keywords: Begging call, breeding phenology, brood parasitism, coevolution, Common Cuckoo, eviction, Grey Warbler, parent-offspring communication, Shining Cuckoo.
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Dobruská, Iva. "Současné trendy ve vzdělávání manažerů." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2008. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-72273.
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This thesis charts the developments that have occurred in the field of managerial education specifically from the perspective of the current trends in educational programmes both in the Czech Republic as well as abroad. The theoretical section of the thesis consists of a pilot study aimed at the demand for educational and developmental programmes amongst a selected research sample of managers and also at an analysis of the supply offered by a sample of educational organisations located in the City of Prague. Based on the information that was gathered, certain conclusions were drawn and recommendations made for modifying the study programmes offered by the Faculty of Management of the University of Economics.
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Chambris, Christine. "Relations entre les grandeurs et les nombres dans les mathématiques de l'école primaire : Evolution de l'enseignement au cours du 20e siècle : connaissances des élèves actuels." Paris 7, 2008. http://www.theses.fr/2008PA070034.
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En 150 ans, des bouleversements profonds ont affecté les relations entre grandeurs et nombres dans les mathématiques savantes et enseignées et dans la vie courante. Nous voulons comprendre le statut actuel de ces relations à l'école primaire française et envisageons d'autres statuts pour demain. Notre cadre théorique de référence est la théorie anthropologique du didactique. Nous avons approfondi l'étude de l'enseignement du système métrique, de la numération de position des entiers et de l'articulation entre les deux ; et entamé celle des relations entre opérations (sens, technique, types de nombres) et grandeurs (notamment la longueur et les représentations utilisant des schémas cotés). Notre étude se développe selon trois axes qui se répondent : - les liens entre grandeurs, nombres, opérations et pratiques pour la vie courante avant la réforme des mathématiques modernes ; les ruptures qu'elle a provoquées dans ces liens. Notre corpus est constitué par des textes du 20e siècle : programmes, manuels scolaires du CE (2P et 3P) ; - les savoirs savants. Il s'agit d'une part de repérer les savoirs transposés à différentes époques, d'autre part d'identifier des conditions pour des théories mathématiques (éventuellement à formuler) susceptibles de servir de référence pour l'enseignement des grandeurs, nombres et opérations. Pour cela, nous prenons en compte des besoins mathématique et didactique : notamment tâches, discours justificatifs destinés aux élèves, cohérence des savoirs, continuité des apprentissages ; - les connaissances des élèves actuels (277 en 5P). Il s'agit de mieux cerner d'éventuels ruptures et manques apparus avec l'étude des liens et des savoirs savants<br>During the last 150 years, relationships between quantifies and numbers have deeply changed in academic mathematics, taught mathematics, and in everyday life. We want to understand these relationships at french primary school in mathematics education nowadays and foresee other possibilities for the future. Our framework is the anthropological theory of the didactic (Chevallard). We have particularly developed the study of the teaching of metrical System, System of place value for whole numbers and links between both; and started the study of relationships between calculation (meaning, rules of calculation, types of numbers) and quantifies (notably length and diagrams with dimensions). Our study is developing into three directions which echo one to another: -links between quantifies, numbers, calculation and everyday life pratice before the reform of modem mathematics; breaks the reform caused in these links. Our analysis is based on a corpus of texts made up of national curriculum and textbooks mainly from 2nd and 3rd grades, over the 20th century; - academic mathematical knowledge. On the one hand, we want to identify transposed knowledge at several periods, on the other hand, we want to identify conditions for mathematical theories (possibly to be written) which could be used as reference for the teaching of quantifies, numbers and calculation. For that, we take into account mathematical and didactical needs: notably tasks, rationales of rules for students, consistency of knowledge, continuity of learning; -knowledge of present students (277 on 5th grade). We want to better define some potential breaks and gaps highlighted with studies of links and academic knowledge
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Pratt, Renae. "Patterns and processes in animal evolution : molecular phylogenetics of Southern Hemisphere fauna : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Genetics." Massey University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/958.
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Three kinds of processes are known to modify the geographical spatial arrangement of organisms: dispersal, extinction and vicariance. The Southern Hemisphere has an intriguing and complicated geological history that provides an ideal backdrop to study these processes. This thesis focuses on three historical events that illustrate these processes: the proposed marine inundation of New Zealand in the Oligocene, the asteroid impact at the K – Pg boundary, and the continental breakup of Gondwana. It investigates what impact these events had on species diversification by studying the phylogenetic relationships of two groups of taxa – the family Anostostomatidae (insects), and Neoaves (birds). Anostostomatidae were studied in relation to the Oligocene drowning and the break up of Gondwana as they have a wide southern distribution, found on all “Gondwanan” fragments with the exception of Antarctica, and are thought represent an ancient lineage that predates the Gondwanan breakup. Birds, in particular Neoaves, were studied in relation to the asteroid impact at the K – Pg boundary. Although birds are mobile and many circumnavigate the globe between seasons, they are suggested to have originated in the Southern Hemisphere in Gondwanan times, and subsequently undergone range expansion and diversification around the world. In order to address the relationship (if any) between modern biotic diversity and historical geological events, phylogenetic relationships were determined and where possible, molecular clock analysis carried out. Timing information provided by molecular clock analysis is important as it enables distinction between opposing hypotheses such as vicariance and dispersal. In Chapter Two, the phylogenetic relationships within the family Anostostomatidae are investigated. One of the most controversial times in New Zealand’s geological history is during the Oligocene. Some suggest that the lack of fossils and evidence for recent dispersal of numerous taxa support the notion that all modern biota reached the region during the last 25 million years. Anostostomatidae were chosen as they represent a group of insects that are thought to be ancient and there is little published data in the literature. Previous studies focused on the relationships within Hemideina and Deinacrida suggesting that these groups diversified in the early Miocene. The data presented here are from mitochondrial (COI and 12S) and nuclear (18S and 28S) sequences. Molecular dating using a relaxed clock as implemented in BEAST suggest that in fact some lineages were present at or shortly after continental breakup and could have survived throughout this turbulent time. As there were no definitive fossils to use for calibration points, geological events were used as calibration points for the molecular clock. Mutation rates obtained from the different analyses were compared to those published for other insects in an attempt to identify the most likely model. Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses support the presence of three distinct ecological groups in New Zealand; Hemiandrus (ground weta), Anisoura/Motuweta (tusked weta) and Hemideina–Deinacrida (tree–giant weta). With regards to their Australasian relatives (taxa from Australia and New Caledonia) it appears that the family is divided with the most northern New Zealand taxa (tusked weta) more closely related to New Caledonian taxa while all other New Zealand taxa are more closely related to Australian taxa. There does not appear to be any link between the Australian and New Caledonian taxa studied here. Results should be viewed with caution however as an increased mutation rate was observed in the New Caledonian-tusked weta lineage, something future studies will have to address. Chapter Three presents new sequence data and phylogenetic analyses that go towards resolving the apparent basal polytomy of neoavian birds. This chapter includes analyses carried out on previously published data with the addition of nine new mitochondrial genomes. My contribution to this larger project was to perform the phylogenetic analysis and to sequence three of the nine mitochondrial genomes. The genomes I sequenced were the Southern Hemisphere species: dollar bird (Eurystomus orientalis), Owlet nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus cristatus) and great potoo (Nyctibius grandis). The inclusion of these nine new genomes allows assessment and comparison of the six hypothesised groups reported in Cracraft (2001). First an improved conditional down-weighting technique is described reducing noise relative to signal, which is important for resolving deeper divergences. Second, a formula is presented for calculating probabilities of finding predefined groupings in the optimal tree. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian based phylogenetic analyses were carried out and in addition, dating using a relaxed molecular clock was performed in BEAST. Results suggested that the six groups suggested by Cracraft (2001) represent robust lineages. The results suggested that one group, the owls, are more closely related to other raptors, particularly accipitrids (buzzards/eagles) and the osprey rather than the Caprimulgiformes, which could indicate morphological convergent evolution. In addition, a group termed shorebirds appears to be distinct from the large group referred to as ‘Conglomerati’ to which previous publications have suggested they belong. The ‘Conglomerati’ is the least well studied group and may actually comprise of at least three subgroups (as suggested by Cracraft). Within the three suggested groups, Cracraft grouped shorebirds with pigeons and sandgrouse, neither of which (pigeons or sandgrouse) were analysed here. So although the shorebirds are at least close to the ‘Conglomerati’ and may be within that group, their exact position is still not clear. The molecular dating reported here utilised two fossil calibrations (Vegavis and Waimanu), for which there is relatively little dispute as to age or the lineage to which they belong. Calibrations resulting from BEAST analyses suggest that at least 12 distinct lineages were present prior to the K – Pg boundary, a finding supported by previous studies. Robust phylogenies will allow future studies to investigate not only the relationships within Neoaves, but look more closely at the biological and ecological evolution of the group. Chapter Four for the first time investigates whether the phylogenetic relationships within the family Anostostomatidae follow the conventionally accepted order and timing of Gondwanan breakup. Following the initial restults for taxa studied in Australasia (Chapter Two) an attempt to resolve family relationships in a wider spatial (geographic) context was carried out to determine if Australasian taxa are monophyletic when other members of the family are included. Again both maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses were carried out on both mitochondrial (COI and 12S) and nuclear (18S and 28S) sequences. In this chapter, datasets included samples from across the geographic range of Anostostomatidae (South Africa, Madagascar, South America, Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand), and two clades were observed, congruent with earlier findings. Sequence divergence within geographic regions was found to be relatively high in the mitochondrial genes (COI and 12S) while low in the nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (18S and 28S) as expected given their relative mutation rates. Under the vicariance paradigm, phylogenetic relationships should follow the order of continental breakup, but this was not found. Further, if dispersal and colonisation were continuous, no geographic substructure is expected, however distinct geographic substructure within clades was consistently observed. This interesting phylogenetic pattern may be a case of convergent evolution or paraphyletic sampling which highlights taxonomic issues of the group. Future studies need to include not only molecular data but information on morphology, ecology and behaviour along with the implementation of biogeographic programs that can test alternative hypotheses (such as dispersal and vicariance) directly. Also, the inclusion of the recently reported fossil from the subfamily Euclydesinae (Martins-Neto 2007) should allow for more accurate date estimates within the family. Taken as a whole the results presented in this thesis suggest that microevolutionary processes are sufficient to explain modern diversity without the need to invoke abiotic events. The three cases investigated here - marine inundation, asteroid impact and continental drift - all appear to have had only a limited effect on the diversity of taxa studied. To reach even stronger conclusions future studies should incorporate different data (for instance nuclear genes, intron position, and genome structure) and use biogeographic software capable of including ecological, morphological and habitat information.
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Fusitu'a, Lola Kalolaine Hua. "The evolution of construing "tax avoidance arrangement" a dissertation submitted to Auckland University of Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business (MBus), 2008 /." Click here to access this resource online, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10292/506.
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Gallie, Jenna. "Evolutionary and molecular origins of a phenotypic switch in Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D. in Evolutionary Genetics at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand." Massey University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1215.
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Survival in the face of unpredictable environments is a challenge faced by all organisms. One solution is the evolution of mechanisms that cause stochastic switching between phenotypic states. Despite the wide range of switching strategies found in nature, their evolutionary origins and adaptive significance remain poorly understood. Recently in the Rainey laboratory, a long-term evolution experiment performed with populations of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 saw the de novo evolution of a phenotypic switching strategy. This provided an unprecedented opportunity to gain insight into the evolution and maintenance of switching strategies. The derived ‘switcher’ genotype was detected through colony level phenotypic dimorphism. Further microscopic examination revealed the cellular basis of phenotypic switching as the bistable (ON/OFF) expression of a capsule. Transposon mutagenesis demonstrated that the structural basis of the capsule was a colanic acid-like polymer encoded by the Pflu3656-wzb locus. Subsequently, whole genome re-sequencing enabled elucidation of the series of mutational events underlying the evolution of capsule bistability: nine mutations were identified in the switcher. Present in both forms of the switcher, the final mutation – a point mutation in a central metabolic pathway – was shown to be the sole mechanistic cause of capsule switching; it ‘set the stage’ for a series of molecular events directly responsible for bistability. Two models were proposed to explain capsule switching at the molecular level: the genetic amplification-reduction model, and the epigenetic feedback model. Collective results of biochemical and genetic assays proved consistent with the epigenetic model, whereby a decrease in flux through the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway activates an already-present feedback loop. Subsequent analysis of a second switcher (evolved independently of and in parallel with the first) revealed a radically different genetic route leading to phenotypically and mechanistically similar capsule switching. In addition to providing the first empirical insight into the evolutionary bases of switching strategies, the work presented in this thesis demonstrates the power of natural selection – operating on even the simplest of organisms – to forge adaptive solutions to evolutionary challenges; in a single evolutionary step, selection took advantage of inherent intracellular stochasticity to generate an extraordinarily flexible phenotype.
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Denny, Kirsty Marie. "The diet of moreporks (Ninox novaeseelandiae) in relation to prey availability, and their roost site characteristics and breeding success on Ponui Island, Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1213.
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The ecological importance of introduced mammalian predators is well acknowledged in New Zealand, however, little research has focused on the ecology of native avian predators and their role in communities. This study investigated the ecology of moreporks (Ninox novaeseelandiae) on Ponui Island, Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand between August 2007 and April 2008. The primary aim was to investigate the functional response of moreporks to availability of their prey. The contents of regurgitated morepork pellets were compared with relative abundance of prey taxa (invertebrates, small birds and rodents) over the study period. The diet consisted primarily of a range of invertebrate prey, particularly weta (Anostostomatidae and Raphidophoridae) and beetles (Coleoptera). Small numbers of vertebrate prey were recorded including rodents and birds. A positive relationship between the percentage contribution to pellet samples of certain taxa and their relative availability was found, and there were peaks in the occurrence of seasonally abundant taxa including cicadas (Cicadidae), and huhu beetles (Prionoplus reticularis). The tendency of moreporks to prey on abundant taxa indicates that they are unlikely to depress prey populations to low levels, and may have some degree of stabilising influence. A significant increase in the rodent component of the diet in April indicated that the risk to moreporks of secondary poisoning during mammalian pest control operations may vary considerably with the time of year. The secondary aims were to collect data on roost site characteristics and breeding success. Moreporks roosted at a mean height of 4m, and foliar cover at the 4-6m height tier appeared to be the most important characteristic of roost sites when compared with control sites. These findings suggested that moreporks were selecting roost sites with high overhead cover. Possible reasons for this include predator avoidance, avoidance of mobbing passerines, and the microclimate provided. None of three established pairs and two other birds were observed to establish a nest or breed successfully. Additionally, only three juvenile moreporks were sighted or heard across the 90ha study area suggesting low breeding success in 2007-08. This may have been influenced by a range of factors including 1), predation by the high densities of ship rats on Ponui, or other predators 2), a lack of suitable nest sites such as tree hollows in some areas or 3), competition for invertebrate prey with high densities of ship rats and North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli).
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Zhang, Nan. "A critical evaluation of policies and programmes that mitigate the effects of free trade on unemployment a dissertation submitted to Auckland University of Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business (MBus), 2008." Abstract. Full dissertation, 2008.
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Grievink, Liat Shavit. "Lineage specific evolution and phylogenetic analysis : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biomathematics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1048.
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Phylogenetic models generally assume a homogeneous, time reversible, stationary process. These assumptions are often violated by the real, far more complex, evolutionary process. This thesis is centered on non-homogeneous, lineage-specific, properties of molecular sequences. It consist several related but independent studies. LineageSpecificSeqgen, an extension to the Seq-Gen program, which allows generation of sequences with changes in the proportion of variable sites, is introduced. This program is then used in a simulation study showing that changes in the proportion of variable sites can hinder tree estimation accuracy, and that tree reconstruction under the best-fit model chosen using a relative test can result in a wrong tree. In this case, the less commonly used absolute model-fit was a better predictor of tree estimation accuracy. This study found that increased taxon sampling of lineages that have undergone a change in the proportion of variable sites was critical for accurate tree reconstruction and that, in contrast to some earlier findings, the accuracy of maximum parsimony is adversely affected by such changes. This thesis also addresses the well-known long-branch attraction artifact. A nonparametric bootstrap test to identify changes in the substitution process is introduced, validated, and applied to the case of Microsporidia, a highly reduced intracellular parasite. Microsporidia was first thought to be an early branching eukaryote, but is now believed to be sister to, or included within, fungi. Its apparent basal eukaryote position is considered a result of long-branch attraction due to an elevated evolutionary rate in the microsporidian lineage. This study shows that long-branch estimates and basal positioning of Microsporidia both correlate with increased proportions of radical substitutions in the microsporidian lineage. In simulated data, such increased proportions of radical substitutions leads to erroneous long-branch estimates. These results suggest that the long microsporidian branch is likely to be a result of an increased proportion of radical substitutions on that branch, rather than increased evolutionary rate per se. The focus of the last study is the intriguing case of Mesostigma, a fresh water green alga for which contradicting phylogenetic relationships were inferred. While some studies placed Mesostigma within the Streptophyta lineage (which includes land plants), others placed it as the deepest green algae divergence. This basal positioning is regarded as a result of long-branch attraction due to poor taxon sampling. Reinvestigation of a 13- taxon mitochondrial amino acid dataset and a sub-dataset of 8 taxa reveals that site sampling, and in particular the treatment of missing data, is just as important a factor for accurate tree reconstruction as taxon sampling. This study identifies a difficulty in recreating the long-branch attraction observed for the 8-taxon dataset in simulated data. The cause is likely to be the smaller number of amino acid characters per site in simulated data compared to real data, highlighting the fact that there are properties of the evolutionary process that are yet to be accurately modeled.
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Bennik, Rebecca Marie. "The effects of honeybees on the biodiversity of manuka patches : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1269.
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Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators of many plant species and are employed globally for crop and honey production. However, little is known about the effects of this species on native pollinator and plant species in areas to which they have been introduced; and previous research has not been able to reach a general consensus as to the type of impact honeybees have on pollination systems. In addition to the effects of exotic pollinators, the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats is also of major concern to the continuing diversity of pollinators and plant populations. Here, the impact of honeybee density on other pollinator guilds, and levels of remaining pollen and nectar standing crop among 18 patches of the New Zealand native shrub – manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is examined at three different regions within the North Island. The same sites were also used to test the reproductive capabilities of manuka and subsequent pollen limitation among patches. A further 11 sites were utilised to examine biodiversity via intercept and pitfall traps within manuka patches, and the patch variables driving taxa composition. Large fly (Diptera = 5 mm) abundance was negatively correlated with honeybee abundance and instances of physical disturbance of large flies by honeybees were observed. There was no significant correlation between honeybee abundance and other pollinator guilds. Nectar was a limiting resource for both honeybees and large flies, whereas, pollen was not a limiting resource among any of the major pollinating insect guilds. Pollination treatments revealed that manuka is partially self-compatible, but relies more heavily on cross pollination for higher yields of capsule and seed set. Pollen limitation did not occur significantly at any of the sites. A total of 159 Coleoptera, 125 Diptera, 131 Hymenoptera morphospecies, and 50 other groups of taxa from various orders were collected among sites. Invertebrate richness was higher at lower altitudes and litter invertebrate richness was significantly higher with an increase in the proportion of manuka cover. There were distinct differences in taxa composition between the three regions, with plant community composition and altitude the most significant factors. Patch size also played a part, but a lack of overall variation in patch sizes may understate the effect this has on insect composition. Overall, honeybees are competing for nectar resources and displacing large flies as a consequence; however, capsule and seed set among manuka patches did not significantly suffer as a consequence. Regional variation in patch characteristics such as altitude, plant community composition, patch size, proportion manuka cover, and plant evenness appear to be influencing insect composition found within manuka patches to varying degrees. Further investigation into the impact of patch size and patch connectivity is also warranted.
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Brown, Logan Arthur. "Habitat determinants and predatory interactions of the endemic freshwater crayfish (koura, Paranephrops planifrons) in the lower North Island, New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Ecology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1168.
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A study in the Lower North Island located Parenephrops planifrons (koura) at 73 sites out of 104 sites visited (appendix 1). There was a significant difference in habitat variables between the sites which had koura present and those where they were absent. Examples of sites are shown in Appendix 3. Habitat variables important for classifying koura habitat included riparian cover, predators, winter equilibrium temperature and presence of in-stream habitat in the form of vegetation, litter cover and the stream sequence composition. Regression trees built could accurately describe the data but the kappa statistic was low.
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Meynier, Laureline. "Feeding ecology of the New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor Philosophy in Zoology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/901.
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The New Zealand (NZ) sea lion Phocarctos hookeri is the only pinniped endemic to NZ with a population of approximately 12,000 individuals. Its breeding range is currently restricted to NZ sub-Antarctic islands, and it has failed to recolonise its pristine distribution around the NZ main islands despite its protection since 1881. The current hypothesis is that the population growth of this pinniped is limited by the distribution of suitable prey on the Auckland Islands (50°30'S, 166°E) shelf, and by the direct and indirect pressure exerted by the arrow squid Nototodarus sloani fishery. However, this hypothesis has not been fully tested to date as there has been limited information on the diet of the NZ sea lion and their potential prey. The objective of this thesis is to analyse the diet of NZ sea lions over several years with particular emphasis on the most reproductively important segment of the population: lactating females. This thesis provides the first quantification by percentage mass of the diet of NZ sea lion using a combination of stomach content analysis, qualitative fatty acid (FA) analysis, and quantitative FA signature analysis (QFASA). Stomach contents and blubber FAs were analysed from 121 individuals incidentally caught (by-caught) in the southern arrow squid fishery from the years 1997 to 2006. The blubber FAs of 78 freeranging lactating females captured at Enderby Island, Auckland Islands, were also examined during January and February of 2000 to 2005. Data obtained from both stomach analysis and QFASA indicate that arrow squid, rattails Macrouridae, hoki Macruronus novaezelandiae and red cod Pseudophycis bachus are key prey species for NZ sea lions in the Auckland Islands region. Because these prey species live mostly at depths greater than 200 m, lactating females must undertake long foraging trips and dive regularly to greater depths than other sea lion species. Data from QFASA indicates that this foraging pattern is conducted over an extended period through the summer and autumn. The daily food requirement of a lactating female was estimated by a simple energetic model to be greater than 20% of its body mass. During years of low arrow squid recruitment such as 1999 and 2001, the amounts of squid required by the NZ sea lion population may have been similar to the amount harvested by the fishery, suggesting that resource competition is likely to occur between the arrow squid fishery and NZ sea lions in years of low squid abundance. Half of the fishing activity of the southern squid fishery occurs in the north of the Auckland Islands shelf where NZ sea lions forage, leading to incidental captures every year. This research emphasises that management of the NZ sea lion must not only consider the direct interactions with the arrow squid fishery, but also the likelihood of food resource competition between the fishery and NZ sea lions.
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Paquet, Fabien. "Morphostructural evolution of active margin basins : the example of the Hawke Bay forearc basin, New Zealand : a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geology at the University of Canterbury /." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Geological Sciences, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/1474.
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Topography growth and sediment fluxes in active subduction margin settings are poorly understood. Geological record is often scarce or hardly accessible as a result of intensive deformation. The Hawke Bay forearc basin of the Hikurangi margin in New Zealand is well suited for studying morphstructural evolution. It is well preserved, partly emerged and affected by active tectonic deformation during Pleistocene stage for which we have well dated series and well-known climate and eustasy. The multidisciplinary approach, integrating offshore and onshore seismic interpretations, well and core data, geological mapping and sedimentological sections, results in the establishment of a detailed stratigraphic scheme for the last 1.1 Ma forearc basin fill. The stratigraphy shows a complex stack of 11 eustasy-driven depositional sequences of 20, 40 and 100 ka periodicity. These sequences are preserved in sub-basins that are bounded by active thrust structures. Each sequence is characterized by important changes of the paleoenvironment that evolves between the two extremes of the glacial maximum and the interglacial optimum. Thus, the Hawke Bay forearc domain shows segmentation in sub-basins separated by tectonic ridges during sea level lows that become submerged during sea level highs. Over 100 ka timescale, deformation along active structures together with isostasy are responsible of a progressive migration of sequence depocenters towards the arc within the sub-basins. Calculation of sediment volumes preserved for each of the 11 sequences allows the estimation of the sediment fluxes that transit throughout the forearc domain during the last 1.1 Ma. Fluxes vary from c. 3 to c. 6 Mt.a⁻¹. These long-term variations with 100 ka to 1 Ma timescale ranges are attributed to changes in the forearc domain tectonic configuration (strain rates and active structure distribution). They reflect the ability of sub-basin to retain sediments. Short-term variations of fluxes (<100 ka) observed within the last 150 ka are correlated to drastic Pleistocene climate changes that modified erosion rates in the drainage area. This implies a high sensitiveness and reactivity of the upstream area to environmental changes in terms of erosion and sediment transport. Such behaviour of the drainage basin is also illustrated by the important increase of sediment fluxes since the European settlement during the 18th century and the following deforestation.
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Dixon, Henry David John. "Effect of black swan foraging on seagrass and benthic invertebrates in western Golden Bay : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1214.
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Waterfowl are known to be capable of influencing wetland ecology in a number of ways, sometimes to the detriment of other species that also inhabit this type of environment. Western Golden Bay including Farewell Spit is one of the largest areas of intertidal sand flat habitat in New Zealand and supports a wide array of species including internationally important populations of bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica) and red knot (Calidris canutus). These species, particularly red knot, have declined in number over the last the 25 years at this site. Another numerous species at this site, the black swan (Cygnus atratus), has been suggested as a possible contributor to the observed decline in wader numbers through their impact on the habitat. This thesis presents the findings of a research project on the role of black swans in the tidal seagrass (Zostera muelleri) ecosystem in western Golden Bay carried out between October 2007 and October 2008. In an effort create a clear picture of what role the black swans play in this environment the project focused on four major aspects of swan-ecosystem interactions. The first of these looked at the activity patterns of black swan. This showed the swans’ activity is largely dictated by the tidal cycle with foraging occurring during the intertidal period when the seagrass is accessible while roosting is mostly confined to around high and low tides. The second part of the project explored the influence black swans have on the tidal seagrass landscape through their foraging habits. This showed that while swan foraging occurs across the tide flats it is concentrated on denser patches, on both small (meters) and large (hectares) scales. Experimental grubbings showed that the grubbing activity of swans is capable of forming and expanding bare sand patches within seagrass beds and that these bare patches can persist for at least two months. The third part of the project focused on the direct impacts of swan foraging on the seagrass and associated benthic invertebrates. Exclusion plots showed that at some sites swan foraging can significantly reduce Zostera biomass and invertebrate biodiversity. The final aspect examined was the role of swan in biomass and nutrient cycling. A faecal deposition survey showed swans consume 23.40 g DW ha-1 day-1 of Zostera. The average intake rate was 27.25 g DW ha-1 day-1. Nutrient analysis of seagrass 4 showed that shoot material has significantly higher N, P, Ca and fibre than rhizome and that rhizome has significantly more soluble carbohydrates than shoots. On the basis of the swans’ direct and/or indirect influences on Zostera muelleri beds and the associated invertebrate fauna, swans could arguably be considered to be a major ecosystem engineer in the intertidal sandflats of Golden Bay.
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Young, Laura May. "Masting and insect pollination in the dioecious alpine herb Aciphylla : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biological Science in the University of Canterbury /." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Biological Sciences, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/1345.
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Aciphylla species (wild spaniard/speargrass) are an iconic component of the Australasian high country flora, but their reproductive system is enigmatic. They are insect-pollinated dioecious mast seeders (synchronous highly variable seed production), which seems maladaptive. The resource supply to pollinators is highly variable, yet dioecious plants are dependent on pollinators, and dioecious masting requires male and female plants to flower synchronously. Floral display in Aciphylla is relatively large, with tall inflorescences bearing thousands of flowers, suggesting that plants would not have the resources to produce such large stalks every year. But why do they have such huge inflorescences in the first place? I tested whether pollinator attraction is providing an economy of scale which favours intermittent production of very large inflorescences, by manipulating floral display size during a high-flowering year and measuring insect visitation rates and seed set (female reproductive success). Using space-for-time substitution and selective removal of male inflorescences, I also tested whether female seed set was affected by distance to flowering male plants (i.e. changes in local pollen availability) to see if flowering asynchrony would reduce pollination success. Bags were used to exclude pollination by insects and test for wind pollination, and hand pollination was done to test for pollen limitation. Insect surveys suggest that Aciphylla has a generalist pollination system (to avoid satiating a specialist pollinator during 'mast' years'). Male inflorescences received significantly more visits than females, and some seeds were set inside bags (although only 20-30%), suggesting wind pollination may occur at low levels. Seed set rate was higher for taller inflorescences with greater flowering length in A. aurea but tall inflorescences with excess flowers led to a decrease in seed set rates in A. scott-thomsonii. Hand pollination significantly increased seed set rates although these effects were not as large as expected (e.g. 10% increases from natural to hand-pollinated inflorescences were typical). There was no evidence for resource limitation in any species. Female plants in dense flowering populations had higher seed set rates, and individual floral display size in females was particularly important when females were 'isolated' from males. Insect visitation rates were generally higher on inflorescences with a larger floral display, suggesting that display size is important for pollinator attraction. Overall, these results suggest that the pollinator-attraction benefits of such a large floral display (at both the plant and population level) are possibly providing an economy of scale, although the relative effects are small.
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Ingram, David. "Using systems theory to do philosophy : one approach, and some suggested terminology : a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Philosophy in the University of Canterbury /." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Philosophy and Religious Studies, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/1022.
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This thesis employs perspectives inspired by General Systems Theory to address issues in philosophy, including moral philosophy and philosophy of mind. I present an overview of a range of ideas from the study of physical systems that may be used to provide a firm physicalist foundation to explorations of some common questions in philosophy. I divide these topics into three categories: the Physical Category, the Relevance Category and the Signal Elements Category. I interpret concepts from General Systems Theory, including information and entropy, in a way that I believe facilitates their incorporation into philosophical discussion. I also explain various points arising from General Systems Theory, such as order and disorder, stability, complexity, and self-organisation, and show how ideas from these areas can be applied to certain philosophical problems. I explain relevance in terms of stability, in order to link these scientific perspectives to questions in moral philosophy. I suggest a possible physical foundation for a theory of morality, which takes the form of a variety of Utilitarianism, intended to balance the competing needs of open systems to manage entropy. Such a theory of morality must be capable of dealing with limitations arising from the physicality of information; I propose game theory as a solution to this problem. This thesis also covers issues connected to the above points regarding the nature of consciousness and communication. In particular, I examine the role of linguistic associations in consciousness; and some related features of language and other non-linear representational schemes.
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McGaughran, Angela. "Polar eveolution: molecular genetic and physiological parameters of Antarctic arthropod populations : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Biosciences at the Allan Wilson Centre of Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1163.
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This thesis is presented as a collection of research papers synthesising knowledge gained during the period of candidacy. Its underlying focus is the examination of evolution from a variety of perspectives for terrestrial arthropods (springtails) in an Antarctic setting. These perspectives include investigation of the ways in which springtail populations respond both physiologically and genetically to environmental variability over historical and contemporary time-scales. While the physiological and genetic may seem two worlds apart, this thesis recognises that, in reality the two are inextricably linked. Thus, when genetic differentiation between populations of the same species can be demonstrated, physiological differentiation of these populations may also be predicted (and vice versa). Therefore, across several locations and springtail species, physiological and genetic parameters of individuals and populations are examined both separately and, where possible, in concert. The physiological aspect of this thesis focuses on the springtail Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni from continental Antarctica. In addition to providing the first metabolic rate data for a continental Antarctic springtail, seasonal variation in metabolic rates is examined across multiple temporal and spatial scales to evaluate the ways in which individuals and populations respond to environmental variability. Metabolic activity in this species is intricately linked to a variety of factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic. These include biological function, temperature profiles in the local microclimate, and body mass and genetic differences among populations. In the genetically-focused aspect of this thesis, population genetic patterns of G. hodgsoni from several continental locations and Cryptopygus antarcticus antarcticus from locations across the Antarctica Peninsula are compared. Here, the importance of differing evolutionary histories in influencing patterns of contemporary genetic population structure is highlighted. While both species have been similarly affected genetically by Pleistocene (2 Ma – present) glacial cycling, it is clear that differences in timing of colonisation events and subsequent population expansions have left distinct genetic signatures in each species. In a separate molecular study, phylogenetic analyses are employed to study members of the circum-Antarctic springtail family Isotomidae. Thesis Abstract The genetic ancestry among these closely related species is shown to reflect a diverse evolutionary origin in the Miocene (23 – 5 Ma), subsequent to which both vicariant and dispersal processes have been important. Phylogenetic re-constructions tease out the relationships among sister species, and the identification of several genetically distant lineages suggests that a revision of current species designations is required. Finally, two studies that integrate the physiological and molecular genetic are presented. First, metabolic rate variation across several locations on sub-Antarctic Marion Island in the springtail Cryptopygus antarcticus travei is examined. This variation is related to the genetic structure of populations to show that historical and contemporary environmental characteristics have left their trace in the expression of both genetic and physiological variability of these populations. Second, the perceived association between metabolic rate and genetic (mutation) rate is investigated more closely - a sophisticated Bayesian correlation analysis detects that there is an indirect relationship between metabolic rate and underlying species phylogeny in C. a. travei. Thus, the physiological and molecular genetic elements of this thesis test or advance important hypotheses within their own fields, and the integrated approach applied is a new step in interpreting evidence of physiological adaptation in Antarctic species. In its multi-faceted approach to evolutionary studies, this thesis enhances understanding of the current picture of springtail evolution in polar environments.
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Delhaye, Coralie. "Comparaison des positionnements entre savoirs scientifiques et croyances religieuses à propos des origines du vivant dans les curriculums officiels grec, français et belge." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/209167.
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La problématique de recherche étudiée dans le cadre de cette thèse, émerge de diverses réflexions, données empiriques et observations, toutes liées à un constat qui a des implications importantes pour l’enseignement des sciences :le rejet partiel ou total de la théorie de l’évolution aux cours de sciences dispensés à l’école, au nom de croyances créationnistes, dans des sociétés modernes européennes où la science fait autorité.<p>La littérature scientifique qui traite de cette problématique dans le cadre de l’enseignement scolaire en Europe ,analyse les conceptions d’acteurs de l’enseignement scolaire – enseignants et/ou élèves – sur ce sujet, en étudiant notamment le lien qu’entretiennent ces conceptions avec les représentations que ces mêmes acteurs ont de la science, avec leurs parcours personnels, avec leur formation, etc. Un point aveugle observé dans cette littérature est la rareté des recherches portant sur les directives officiellement adressées aux enseignants. C’est pourquoi nous avons choisi de nous pencher sur le contenu de ces directives. <p>Cette recherche a, en premier lieu, une visée exploratoire. Elle consiste à construire et utiliser un instrument théorique et méthodologique qui permet, d’une part, d’identifier des représentations du savoir scientifique, de la croyance religieuse et/ou de leurs rapports (ou non rapports) véhiculées par les curriculums prescrits européens et, d’autre part, de déterminer des mécanismes à travers lesquels ces représentations pourraient influencer, d’une façon ou d’une autre, le rejet ou l’acceptation de la théorie de l’évolution au nom de croyances créationnistes ou encore, inversement, le rejet ou l’acceptation de croyances créationnistes au nom de la théorie de l’évolution. Pour repérer les représentations recherchées, nous utilisons la méthode de l’analyse de contenu thématique.<p>Une autre visée de cette étude est confirmatoire. Il s’agit de confirmer le postulat suivant lequel la nature des éventuelles représentations repérées au sein des curriculums prescrits au moyen de l’instrument susmentionné peut être mise en lien – lien dont la nature sera définie dans le corps de notre dissertation, sur la base de l’analyse de données sociohistoriques rapportées dans la littérature – avec les modalités de gestion de la laïcité mises en place par les politiques éducatives de différents pays européens :la France, la Grèce et la Belgique francophone. Ces pays ont justement été sélectionnés pour leur profil divergent en matière de politiques de gestion de la diversité culturelle. Pour démontrer ce lien, nous nous livrons à une analyse comparative sociétale.<br>Doctorat en Sciences Psychologiques et de l'éducation<br>info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished
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Macdonald, Julie Susan. "Who talks, what they talk about, and how much they say : a study of bulletin structure and source use in New Zealand free-to-air television news programmes : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Communication Management, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." Massey University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/922.
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Free-to-air television news is an accessible and popular means through which audiences can gain knowledge and understanding about the world. Therefore, the nature of the news provided has important implications for the opportunities audiences have to become informed about events and issues, and to use this knowledge to participate in social decision-making. The structure and content of news bulletins reflect the decisions made by broadcasters about the topics that are considered to be important, and which sources should have the opportunity to be represented. Thus, the goal of this research was to compare the structure and content of the news provided by New Zealand’s national free-to-air news programmes; ONE News (TVNZ), 3 News (TV3), Prime News (Prime Television), and Te K ea (M ori Television). A content analysis of one constructed week of the four news programmes was undertaken, focusing on four general areas of interest. First, the profile of the news bulletins was examined (i.e., the proportion of the bulletin allocated to different segments of the news, the duration of main news stories, the origin of production of main news stories, the proportion of New Zealand and international news, and the topics included in the news). Second, the research investigated the identity of the types of sources selected by the broadcasters for inclusion in locally produced main news stories. Third, the frequency and duration of élite and non-élite source speech was examined. Finally, the extent to which journalists speak on camera in news stories was also investigated. The study showed that the four programmes generally conformed to the ‘standard profile’ of modern television news bulletins; the programmes included considerable amounts of non-news content and the news topics often reflected entertainment values, rather than focusing on serious issues. A further significant characteristic of the bulletins was that élite sources were more likely to be included in news stories on all programmes and generally had greater opportunities to speak. However, in many respects it appears that Te K ea provides an alternative news bulletin compared to the other three channels, by focusing on a wider range of news topics, including more non-élite sources in stories, and giving all sources considerably more time to share their views. Te K ea seems to broadcast a news programme that makes a compromise between the entertainment values which are entrenched in contemporary television news, and the broader M ori Television mandate to inform and educate the public. This contrasts with the more homogenous (in terms of the characteristics examined in this research) news programmes offered by the ONE News, 3 News, and Prime News. This study concludes that the nationally available free-to-air news programmes currently broadcast on New Zealand television fulfil the traditional news functions of informing and educating the public in only a very narrow sense. The deregulated news environment is poised to undergo further transformation with an anticipated increase in convergence among news media and the emergence of more television news providers. The challenge within this commercial environment is for ONE News, 3 News, Prime News, and Te K ea to deliver on their stated commitments to provide information and promote debate on the important issues of the day.