University of Stirling

About: University of Stirling is a education organization based out in Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Polyunsaturated fatty acid. The organization has 7722 authors who have published 20549 publications receiving 732940 citations. The organization is also known as: Stirling University.

Effective professional learning communities? The possibilities for teachers as agents of change in schools

Abstract: The concept of the professional learning community (PLC) has been embraced widely in schools as a means for teachers to engage in professional development leading to enhanced pupil learning. However, the term has become so ubiquitous it is in danger of losing all meaning, or worse, of reifying ‘teacher learning’ within a narrowly defined ambit which loses sight of the essentially contestable concepts which underpin it. The primary aim of this paper is therefore to (re-)examine the assumptions underpinning the PLC as a vehicle for teacher led change in schools in order to confront and unsettle a complacent and potentially damaging empirical consensus around teacher learning. This paper examines the characteristics and attributes of the ‘effective’ professional learning community as identified in the literature, drawing out the tensions and contradictions embodied in the terms professional, learning and community. The paper considers the implications of this analysis for practice, and concludes by offering some insights into the nature of ‘school improvement’, and the role of PLCs in realizing this.

Egg quality determinants in cod (Gadus morhua L.): egg performance and lipids in eggs from farmed and wild broodstock

Abstract: Lipids and essential fatty acids, particularly the highly unsaturated fatty acids, 20:5n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid; EPA), 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid; DHA) and 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid, AA) have been shown to be crucial determinants of marine fish reproduction directly affecting fecundity, egg quality, hatching success, larval malformation and pigmentation. In Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) culture, eggs from farmed broodstock can have much lower fertilization and hatching rates than eggs from wild broodstock. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that potential quality and performance differences between eggs from different cod broodstock would be reflected in differences in lipid and fatty acid composition. Thus eggs were obtained from three broodstock, farmed, wild/fed and wild/unfed, and lipid content, lipid class composition, fatty acid composition and pigment content were determined and related to performance parameters including fertilization rate, symmetry of cell division and survival to hatching. Eggs from farmed broodstock showed significantly lower fertilization rates, cell symmetry and survival to hatching rates than eggs from wild broodstock. There were no differences in total lipid content or the proportions of the major lipid classes between eggs from the different broodstock. However, eggs from farmed broodstock were characterized by having significantly lower levels of some quantitatively minor phospholipid classes, particularly phosphatidylinositol. There were no differences between eggs from farmed and wild broodstock in the proportions of saturated, monounsaturated and total polyunsaturated fatty acids. The DHA content was also similar. However, eggs from farmed broodstock had significantly lower levels of AA, and consequently significantly higher EPA/AA ratios than eggs from wild broodstock. Total pigment and astaxanthin levels were significantly higher in eggs from wild broodstock. Therefore, the levels of AA and phosphatidylinositol, the predominant AA-containing lipid class, and egg pigment content were positively related to egg quality or performance parameters such as fertilization and hatching success rates, and cell symmetry.

Developmental differences in the span of visual memory for pattern

Abstract: A procedure is described which gives a measure of memory span for patterns. Results are presented from a study of four age groups: 5+, 7+, 11+, and adults. Pattern span increases rapidly between the ages of 5 and 11, by which time it is at the adult level. Span is decreased by an interpolated interfering task, and there is memory decay over a 10 second unfilled interval. The results are interpreted as evidence for a system for representing patterns which is shared by short- and long-term visual memory, but which is distinct from systems for verbal representation.

Shopping streets versus shopping malls – determinants of agglomeration format attractiveness from the consumers' point of view

Abstract: The decline of shopping streets and the rise of shopping malls have been major trends in European retailing for decades. So far, research has failed to investigate this shift of agglomeration format (AF) patronage from a marketing perspective, including the consumers’ point of view. This paper presents a theoretical comparison of generic similarities and conceptual differences between shopping streets and shopping malls. Based on this comparison the AF-specific characteristics perceived by consumers are compared and discussed with respect to their impact on agglomeration attractiveness. This leads to the development of a conceptual framework which is empirically tested using a web-based survey of almost 1,000 consumers representing a typical urban central European retail market. The relative importance of nine distinctive AF characteristics on attractiveness was analysed using structural equation modelling. The findings proved to be quite similar for both shopping streets and shopping malls; the retail tenant mix and atmosphere had the highest relative importance.