Showing papers by "Australian Catholic University published in 1996"

Language Factors in Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Abstract: Although language factors have long been recognised as having an important influence on mathematics learning, possible frameworks for researching the nature and extent of that influence have only been developed relatively recently. In this chapter the authors emphasise one of these frameworks, and summarise pertinent research findings which have implications for mathematics teaching and learning.

Conceptual Knowledge in Introductory Calculus.

Abstract: Responses to word problems involving rates of change were collected on four occasions during and after 24 hours of concept-based calculus instruction given to a group of first-year university students, all of whom had studied calculus in secondary school. The number of students who could symbolize rates of change in noncomplex situations increased dramatically. However, there was almost no increase in the number who could symbolize rates of change in complex items or in items that required modeling a situation using algebraic variables. Detailed analysis revealed three main categories of error, in all of which variables are treated as symbols to be manipulated rather than as quantities to be related. We surmise that the students had developed an "abstract-apart" concept of a variable rather than the "abstract-general" concept that is needed for the successful study of calculus. Changes in technology, the qualifications of teachers, and the mathematical competence of students have led many to question the role of traditional calculus courses in the curriculum. There is, in particular, much concern about the large numbers of students taking calculus and the rote, manipulative learning that takes place (Cipra, 1988; Steen, 1988; White, 1990). The value of skill-based calculus courses has also come under fire because computers and calculators now perform most (if not all) of the manipulative procedures taught in such courses (Steen, 1988; Tall, 1987a). Several studies (Heid, 1988, 1989; Hickernell & Proskurowski, 1985; Judson, 1990; Palmiter, 1991) have shown how using the computer as a tool for performing the procedures of calculus and algebra can free students to explore applications. Other studies (Hsaio, 1984/85; Tall, 1986) have used graphics to explore secants and tangents to curves in order to build up a sound concept of a derivative. The general tendency is for less emphasis on skills and greater emphasis on underlying concepts. Research into the understanding of calculus has shown a whole spectrum of concepts that cause problems for students. In particular, student difficulties with the

The specificity of mitochondrial complex I for ubiquinones.

Abstract: We report the first detailed study on the ubiquinone (coenzyme Q; abbreviated to Q) analogue specificity of mitochondrial complex I, NADH:Q reductase, in intact submitochondrial particles. The enzymic function of complex I has been investigated using a series of analogues of Q as electron acceptor substrates for both electron transport activity and the associated generation of membrane potential. Q analogues with a saturated substituent of one to three carbons at position 6 of the 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone ring have the fastest rates of electron transport activity, and analogues with a substituent of seven to nine carbon atoms have the highest values of association constant derived from NADH:Q reductase activity. The rate of NADH:Q reductase activity is potently but incompletely inhibited by rotenone, and the residual rotenone-insensitive rate is stimulated by Q analogues in different ways depending on the hydrophobicity of their substituent. Membrane potential measurements have been undertaken to evaluate the energetic efficiency of complex I with various Q analogues. Only hydrophobic analogues such as nonyl-Q or undecyl-Q show an efficiency of membrane potential generation equivalent to that of endogenous Q. The less hydrophobic analogues as well as the isoprenoid analogue Q-2 are more efficient as substrates for the redox activity of complex I than for membrane potential generation. Thus the hydrophilic Q analogues act also as electron sinks and interact incompletely with the physiological Q site in complex I that pumps protons and generates membrane potential.

Breaking the Cycle: Preparing Elementary Teachers to Teach Science.

Abstract: This Australian study describes the experiences of five mature-age preservice teachers in a semester unit of science education. The unit was designed to help teachers examine and make explicit their ideas about science and science teaching and consider ways in which they might put those ideas into practice. The preservice teachers expressed a need for a supportive learning environment in which concepts were built gradually and introduced using concrete examples. Previous science experience was found to be a major influence on the attitudes the participants brought to the present course. Changing attitudes to science during the preservice experience is seen as an important step in breaking the cycle of the impoverished state of elementary science.

The Role of Theory in Mathematics Education and Research

Abstract: Theory is seen as playing both a foreground role, in the sense that the enterprise of research in mathematics education is to develop theory, and a background role, since all observation is theory laden. After considering different theoretical stances towards observation, data, and analysis, three broad approaches to research in mathematics education are identified and the role played by theory in each of these is discussed. The chapter concludes with some speculations concerning possible directions for development, moving from language as core domain of problematicity, to images, icons, and the impact of electronic media on interpretation in the future.

Apocalyptic Eschatology in the Gospel of Matthew

Abstract: Part I. Apocalyptic Eschatology and Apocalypticism: 1. The major characteristics of apocalyptic eschatology 2. The social setting of apocalypticism and the function of apocalyptic eschatology Summary of Part I Part II. Apocalyptic Eschatology in the Gospel of Matthew: 3. Dualism and determinism in Matthew 4. Eschatological woes and the coming of the Son of Man 5. The judgement in Matthew 6. The fate of the wicked and the fate of the righteous in Matthew 7. The imminence of the end in Matthew Summary of Part II Part III. The Social Setting of the Matthean Community and the Function of Apocalyptic Eschatology in the Gospel of Matthew: 8. The social setting of the Matthean community 9. The function of apocalyptic eschatology in the gospel of Matthew Summary of Part III Conclusions.

The pursuit of excellence in nursing care: what does it mean?

Abstract: This study explores the meaning of excellence in nursing care held by nurses. Qualitative data were collected from 156 undergraduate and postgraduate nurses by means of an open-ended questionnaire. Respondents were asked to reflect on practice which enabled a clear understanding of the meanings given to excellence in nursing care. In addition, details of their nursing background, level of nursing experience, and demographics were sought. Responses were content-analysed for themes by three coders. Four major themes emerged: (1) professionalism, (2) holistic care, (3) practice, (4) humanism. The fourth theme comprised three sub-themes: (a) enabling personal qualities, (b) nurse patient relationships, and (c) nurse-health team relationships. Responses revealed that professionalism constituted an all-encompassing theme subsuming all others. Findings suggested that the client is the central focus of excellent nursing care at all times. According to these respondents, nurses who deliver excellent nursing care implement nursing in a professional and competent manner, demonstrate a holistic approach to caring, possess certain personal qualities which enhance practice, and relate to patients, families, peers, hospital administrators and community members in a competent, cooperative manner. An important aspect of this study is the differential quality of responses provided by respondents, who were students enrolled in a nursing degree programme compared to respondents who were state-registered nurses and concurrently undertaking higher degree studies. The final result is suggestive of the stages of transition through which nurses pass in their quest for excellence.

First year RNs' actual and self-rated pharmacology knowledge.

Abstract: A questionnaire survey was conducted of first year registered nurses whose postal details were recorded on the Victorian Nursing Council's 1994 mailing list. The nurses were asked to self-rate their knowledge of five categories of pharmacology and to answer questions that tested their knowledge of the same categories. The survey also obtained data related to aspects of the nurses' pharmacology education. The mean test score of the 363 respondents to the survey was 55.8%. The number of months worked as an RN and participation in a graduate year program were significantly correlated with test scores, i.e. longer experience as an RN and participation in a graduate program were associated with higher scores. There was a significant correlation between the groups' overall self-rating of their knowledge and their total test scores but the RNs' self-ratings overestimated their knowledge of drug administration and legal aspects of drug use. The study indicates that many newly registered nurses have an inadequate knowledge of pharmacology. Recommendations for improving the teaching and learning of the subject are drawn from the nurses' evaluation of aspects of their undergraduate and post-registration experience.

Inclusive Education: A Question of Justice

Abstract: This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of the integration of an exceptional child with Down syndrome into a regular primary school. In investigating the demands made on the teachers in this situation, the researcher attempted to discover personal, professional development and support needs. The data revealed that there were greatly increased demands placed on the teachers of the exceptional child and their personal and professional needs were significant. The study concluded that it is only with adequate professional, financial and moral support of the entire school community that justice for teachers of exceptional children in integrated classrooms is both done and seen to be done.

Nurses' perceptions of palliative care nursing.

Abstract: This exploratory study using a survey design sought to investigate nurses' perceptions of palliative care nursing before and after participating in a 60-hour continuing education programme. The 26 participants, from various nursing backgrounds, were enrolled on a joint university/hospital course which used a problem-based learning approach. During the course introduction, demographic data, together with descriptions of the students' perception/understanding of palliative care nursing, were obtained. Students' perceptions became the sole focus of the post-course study. Qualitative responses were analysed thematically and the remainder were analysed descriptively. The results suggest that those who undertook the course were beginning to move from a focus on carrying out nursing care to a deeper awareness of the possibilities of simply being with a patient. Other implications of the study were that palliative care educational programmes should be structured and taught in ways which help students reconceptualize the human person more holistically. Other factors emerged that were related to the physical environment of care and the wellbeing of staff in the practice setting.

Teaching metaphors of student nurses.

Abstract: This research focused on exploring the metaphors nursing students use to express their experience of university teachers' practice. A social constructivist approach to meaning underlies the process of interpreting student language in this study. The following evolved as major research questions: What are the metaphors students use to describe teaching? How do these metaphors operate? The research concluded that: students readily use metaphors to describe their experiences of teaching within the nursing degree programme; there is a pattern to the choice of metaphors; some of these images function as incremental or constructive metaphors, extending understanding of what it means to teach; others support current understandings and reflect taken-for-granted notions of teaching. Specific metaphors used by students to describe teaching were contextually analysed. A number of them may offer teachers of nursing insight, into their craft. Metaphors such as teacher as umpire, teacher as student, teaching with distance and teaching the big picture may be useful images for teachers to think about to guide their practice.

Palliative care nursing in a curative environment: an Australian perspective

Abstract: This article describes the experiences of two nurses who developed palliative care specialty practices in acute general hospitals. The principal goal of, their work was to facilitate a smooth curative-palliative transition for patients, their families and the hospital staff. A major challenge was finding techniques to promote the palliative care philosophy in a curative environment. Staff in acute hospitals often work in a paradoxical situation between the ideologies of curative and palliative care. This situation would not occur in a hospice or palliative care unit. Many nurses apparently assume that palliative care is synonymous with terminal care and is therefore only needed when the patient is near to death. Palliative care is often perceived by acute hospital staff to be a separate entity rather than integral to the common goals for good patient care. The first part of this article describes the experiences of a palliative care clinical nurse working with staff and patients in a private hospital. The second part discusses a clinical lecturer post which was established as a joint appointment between a university and a major public hospital in Brisbane, Australia. The goal of the joint appointment was to enhance the blending of theory and practice and to gain deeper understanding about the experience of patients who are dealing with life-threatening disease.

A Christian perspective on economics

Abstract: Informed by theological perspectives and influenced by various schools of thought in economics, attempts have been made in recent decades to develop Christian understanding of economic matters. This paper explores some aspects of a Christian philosophy and methodology about economic issues, and concludes that they are incommensurable with secular thinking about the subject. Three propositions are investigated to demonstrate this contention. First is the inseparable interconnection in Christian thinking between the spiritual and material dimensions of human life; second is the normative intention God has for human existence; and third is the tendency for humankind to develop modes of interpreting human behaviour outside the bounds of a Christian framework. These three issues are contrasted with secular thinking in economics with which they are found to be incompatible. Methodological differences are drawn out between the Christian and secular economic frameworks.

The Neale Analysis of Reading Ability Revised — systematically biased?

Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the claims by Stothard & Hulme (1991) that the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability Revised is systematically biased against boys, suffers from an inappropriate gradation in question difficulty in the comprehension subtest of Form 2 of the test and that as a consequence, Form 1 and Form 2 of the test are not parallel. A stratified random sampling procedure based on socio-economic status of schools in Victoria, Australia, was used to select 250 children who were administered both forms of the test. The results suggest that girls and boys do not differ significantly at different age levels in Accuracy or Comprehension scores on either form of the test. Mean Comprehension scores for passages 5 and 6 of Form 2 of the Australian edition of the test were in the expected direction for both boys and girls, supporting the test's assertion regarding the item difficulty for each passage. Further reliability data are provided to support the equivalence of the norms for each form claimed by the test manual. In summary no evidence has been found in these data to support the claims of Stothard & Hulme.

Development of a model using information technology for support of rural Aboriginal students off-campus learning

Abstract: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander access to higher education has a short history. In 1969 there were 18 Aboriginal students enrolled nationwide, by 1989 this had increased to 3307 (Bourke, 1991). In 1990 the Federal Labour Government passed the Aboriginal Education Act (AEP) which brought together all education sectors across Australia, to set targets for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation. Subsequently, by 1995, university attendance by indigenous students rose to 7832. That year, 4532 students commenced higher education, compared to 1750 in 1989. However, recent data suggest that indigenous students' retention and graduation rates are approximately 60% that of other students (Crean, 1995).

School Teaching and Higher Education: a Papua New Guinea case study

Abstract: Improving the quality of education in a developing country is often the. responsibility of those who teach in higher education. Such academics, often expatriates, have frustrated qualitative change by their uncritical promotion of Western educational innovations. It is argued that an appreciation of the complex educational context by academics is more likely to promote qualitative change. Consequently, the impact of school teaching and the experience of higher education within the Papua New Guinea cultural context invites examination. Such scrutiny can become the basis for appropriate policies and strategies to improve teaching in higher education and the education system in general.

Registered nurses' ideas of physical science concepts relevant to their clinical practice

Abstract: Experience in teaching science to nurses has raised the question of whether nurses' expressions of their understanding of concepts in physical science are adequate for professional practice. Nurses' descriptions of physical science concepts relevant to their practice must be explicated before educators can develop strategies to enhance nurses' learning of science. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to establish registered nurses' conceptions of physical science in their clinical practice. Data were collected using a multiple choice question survey, field work and focused interviews. Six categories of conceptions emerged from data analysis. Of the three which related to complexity of understanding “association” and “definition” were predominant and related in the main, to two of the three contextual categories “instrumentation/equipment” and “procedure.” There were few examples of the other two categories of “elaboration” and “body processes.” We argue that the conceptions held by the nurses were not adequate to allow them to fulfil their roles as professional practitioners in health care.

Middle Management in an Era of Corporate Restructuring: A Case Study of Retailing

Abstract: This article reports on the impact of corporate restructuring on middle management at Australia's largest specialty retailer. The first section reviews existing literature on middle managers in the context of organisational change. This is followed by an overview of the particular characteristics of the retail industry and the implications of these for the place of middle managers. The report on the case study starts by outlining the main features of the change that took place at the company in question in the period from 1992 to 1995. This is followed by a review of middle management attitudes at one of the company's largest divisions. Questions focus in particular on the key issue of how managers rationalise their situation after their numbers and career paths have been undermined. The case study illustrates the critical impact of the managers' immediate peer environment as a factor affecting the ways in which this rationalisation occurs and the results that follow.

University Practicum Supervisors: Marching to a Different Drummer?.

Abstract: The roles and responsibilities of university supervisors in the practicum have changed during the last ten years. Once, the routine tasks of observation and feedback of student teaching performance were the main responsibilities associated with visits to the school. Lecturers in this role also determined, with the school personnel, the assessment rating of the student teacher. Presently, there is considerable variation in the part played by university supervisors of the practicum. Against this background, this paper examines the actual and ideal characteristics of university supervisors from their own viewpoint and from the perspective of teacher supervisors, principals and student teachers. The reasons for the actual‐ideal discrepancies are discussed, and suggestions are made in relation to addressing the matter.

Women and philanthropy in colonial and post-colonial Australia

Abstract: Women in Australia developed a distinctive pattern of philanthropy, adapting inherited traditions to their new situation. The Australian colonies had no Poor Laws; government-funded private philanthropy, to which men gave their money but women gave their time, was the primary means of providing relief. In performing this role, women became increasingly allied to conservative forces and divorced from campaigns for social reform. Alienated from the radical voices which dominated social policy formation in the federated nation, their role was marginalised by a masculinist/egalitarian notion of a welfare state. The current retreat from this ideal has prompted a call for a re-evaluation of philanthropy, but it is too early to see whether this will produce new opportunities for women or perpetuate the older gendered pattern of participation.

Robert Lowe and the role of the vulgar economist in the English Methodenstreit

Abstract: Robert Lowe, later Viscount Sherbrooke, played an important role in the late-Victorian methodological debate between the orthodox and historical economists known as the English Methodenstreit. Lowe adhered to a particularly narrow and immoderate version of the orthodox conceptual framework, and his own orthodox colleagues criticized him for brazenly holding doctrinal beliefs similar to those which Marx had earlier labelled ‘vulgar’. In the 1870s Lowe reacted to the historicist criticisms of orthodox economics and articulated a highly original methodological framework in defence of his own vulgar interpretation of the orthodox doctrines. Lowe's immoderate pronouncements subsequently made him a highly visible and easy target for historicist criticism, as well as a source of embarrassment for his more moderate orthodox colleagues. In this paper I trace the origins, content and importance of the methodological framework formally articulated by Lowe at the height of these polemical exchanges.

Clozapine: exploring clients' experiences of treatment.

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a case study exploring the subjective experience of Clozapine treatment in 10 clients at a major Australian psychiatric hospital. Data were categorized into: subjective improvements, observed improvements, subjective expression of concerns, side effects, and goals for the future. Responses provide direction for individualized mental health nursing care. For example, rehabilitation is ideally focused on each person's needs and goals. Such needs can best be identified by ongoing exploration of subjective and objective information.

Reflections on Cross-Cultural Research:

Abstract: Cross-cultural research, like all other research, is multi-dimensional. It includes both comparative research, as opposed to research conducted in a single society, and research in which researcher...

The medium is not the message: improving australian educational aid to papua new guinea students

Abstract: Australia, like many developed countries expends a proportion of its budget in assisting lesser developed countries (LDC) in educational enterprises Such efforts may have muted results if Australian educators assume that overseas students eventually adapt to their teaching This paper argues that institutions which accept overseas students into their courses are obliged professionally to cater for students’ learning problems particularly, if the language of instruction is not the mother tongue Often these problems have their genesis in the LDC because students are educated in a language in which their teachers’ themselves lack facility Moreover, in the Papua New Guinea context the learning problems with English are associated with a lack of equivalence between the concepts in the academic discourse and the students’ existing conceptual framework Learning problems in English are more about concept acquisition than translation

Overcoming Communication Barriers

Abstract: Offer a nicely wrapped gift when invited to a Japanese home. Never touch the head of a Thai. Respecting other people's cultures is not simply good manners — it's good business. Many Australian businesses have a culturally diverse workforce, where productivity can depend on the ability to communicate across cultures. As Australian businesses become more international, the ability to communicate across cultures also becomes more important. This paper explains some of the traditions and dimensions of cultural differences across a number of countries, and how this affects communication. As well as considering the many barriers to cross-cultural communication, practical ideas on how to overcome these are offered. A case study from a business setting is used to demonstrate barriers to cross cultural communication and their effects. Appropriate strategies for overcoming these barriers are elaborated.

Education, media and the locus of control

Abstract: I would like to present some thoughts based largely on my experiences as a long term student and a minor technocrat. I would like to discuss the nature of who controls what, in the presentation and by implication the content of what is learned, and how this will effect the nature and content of learning, given the increase in technological activity in this field.

An implausible theodicy

Abstract: Il s'agit d'une reponse a un article de F. J. Murphy intitule The Problem of Evil and a Plausible Defense. Celui-ci avance des arguments refutes par l'A. Murphy affirme qu'on ne peut en vouloir a Dieu pour l'existence d'un monde ou le mal intrinseque d'actions librement accomplies depassent le bien puisque toute mauvaise action aurait pu etre bonne. Le mal naturel (exemple: un tremblement de terre) se justifie aussi loin qu'il est une condition logiquement necessaire au choix libre des valeurs morales qu'il appelle en reponse: courage, heroisme