What do the Honda Civic, the Mazda 626, and the Boeing 747 have in common? What about Weird Al's song Bob, the first name of Miley Cyrus' alter ego, and the 70s sensation Abba? What do all these things have in common? They all contain palindromes. While some people recognise a palindrome when they see one, fewer realise that a palindrome is a special case of a pattern and that these patterns are all around. Palindromes frequently occur in names, both of vehicles and people, and in music.

The instrument grading assessments for the NBQA-2011 evaluated seasonal trends of beef carcass quality and yield attributes over the course of the year. One week of instrument grading data—HCW, gender, USDA QG, and YG factors—were collected every other month (n = 2,427,074 carcasses) over a 13-month period (November 2010 through November 2011) from four beef processing corporations, encompassing 17 federally inspected beef processing facilities, to create an overview of carcass quality and yield attributes and trends from carcasses representing approximately 8.5% of the U.S. fed steer and heifer population. Mean yield traits were: YG (2.86), HCW (371.3 kg), FT (1.19 cm.), and LM area (88.39 cm^2). The YG distribution was YG 1 (15.7%), YG 2 (41.0%), YG 3 (33.8%), YG 4 (8.5%), and YG 5 (0.9%). Distribution of HCW was <272.2 kg (1.6%), 272.2 kg to 453.6 kg (95.1%), ≥453.6 kg (3.3%). Monthly HCW means were: November 2010 (381.3 kg), January 2011 (375.9 kg), March 2011 (366.2 kg), May 2011 (357.9 kg), July 2011 (372.54 kg), September 2011 (376.1 kg), and November 2011 (373.5 kg). The mean FT for each month was November 2010 (1.30 cm), January 2011 (1.22 cm), March 2011 (1.17 cm), May 2011 (1.12 cm), July 2011 (1.19 cm), September 2011 (1.22 cm), and November 2011 (1.22 cm). The mean marbling score was Small49. USDA QG distribution was Prime (2.7%), Top Choice (22.9%), Commodity Choice (38.6%), and Select (31.5%). Interestingly, from November to May, seasonal decreases (P < 0.001) in HCW and FT were accompanied by increases (P < 0.001) in marbling. These data present the opportunity to further investigate the entire array of factors that determine the value of beef. Datasets utilizing the online collection of electronic data will likely be more commonly used when evaluating the U.S. fed steer and heifer population in future studies. These data indicate the wide array of carcasses produced by the beef cattle industry, and how the frequency of both YG and QG traits change from month-to-month.

The South African government has developed various policies to promote equality and inclusivity in education. Despite all the efforts, Grade R in-service teachers seem unable to cope with inclusive education and it appears that they are not adequately prepared for inclusive education. The purpose of this study is to explore Grade R in-service teacher preparation for inclusive education in South Africa, with a view to add to existing knowledge on this topic and propose guidelines that can be used to enhance Grade R in-service teacher preparation for inclusive education. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory formed the theoretical foundation for this study. Qualitative approach was used to understand Grade R in-service teacher preparation for inclusive education. A sample group of eleven Grade R teachers were selected to provide “information-rich” data. Interviews, observations and document analysis were selected as data collection techniques. Data analysis and interpretation was a qualitative and inductive process. The findings revealed that Grade R in-service teacher preparation programmes are inadequate to prepare them for inclusive education; and they have difficulty coping with inclusive education because of insufficient translation of theory into practice and insufficient knowledge on the use of available resources for inclusive education. Curriculum differentiation should form an important aspect of teacher training. It is recommended that there should be a consultative process between all stakeholders who are involved in training of Grade R teachers. Guidelines were also proposed that could be used to enhance Grade R in-service teacher preparation programmes for inclusive education. These include preparing Grade R in-service teachers to apply curriculum differentiation in practical situations, and using teacher trainers who are knowledgeable about inclusive education in the context of the Grade R classroom. The researcher proposes that Grade R teachers be prepared so they are skilled, knowledgeable and confident to transfer knowledge and skills among themselves, even in cluster meetings. / Inclusive Education / Ph. D. (Inclusive Education)

No description available.

Denna studie belyser lärarnas syn på hur undervisningspraktiken och elevernas lärande påverkas av multimodal undervisning med lärplatta i svenskämnet. Föreliggande studies syfte är att skildra lärarnas syn på hur den multimodala undervisningen med lärplatta kan agera som ett hinder eller verka främjande för elevernas lärande i årskurserna F-6. Den belyser även hur detta påverkar lärarnas egen undervisning i klassrumssituationen. Detta görs med fokus på frågeställningar som hanterar hur multimodalt lärande med lärplatta enligt lärarna möjliggörs i deras undervisningspraktik, samt lärarnas syn på främjanden och hinder kring detta arbete. Studien bearbetas med ett designorienterat multimodalt perspektiv, en teori som trycker på att skapa sammanhang där form och funktion sammanlänkar. Undersökningen sker genom enkäter som distribuerats via mejl och Facebook-grupper och bearbetas utifrån ett kvantitativt perspektiv med inslag av kvalitativt data. Resultatet i studien visar att multimodal undervisning med lärplatta kan ske på ett antal olika sätt, där de främsta arbetsområdena är vid skrivande, läsande och lyssnande. Resultatet visar även att denna undervisning är främjande på ett flertal sätt, så som anpassning vid bland annat finmotorikssvårigheter samt att det är intresseväckande hos eleverna. Det visar sig även finnas hindrande effekter av denna undervisning, exempelvis hur användningen av lärplatta även hämmar finmotoriks-utvecklingen, samt att dess användning kommer med ett antal tekniska problem och missförstånd. Slutsatsen som dras av detta är att lärarna använder lärplattan på flera olika sätt, med övergripande likartade användningsområden, samt att deras syn på multimodal undervisning med lärplatta innefattar både för- och nackdelar angående elevers lärande. / This study highlights teachers' views on how teaching practice and students' learning are affected by multimodal teaching with a learning tablet in the Swedish subject.  The purpose of this study is to depict teachers' views on how multimodal teaching with a learning tablet can act as an obstacle or promote students' learning in grades F-6.  It also highlights how this affects the teachers' own teaching in the classroom situation. This is done with a focus on issues that deal with how multimodal learning with a learning tablet is enabled in their teaching practice, as well as the teachers' views on the promotion and obstacles around this work. The study is processed with a design-oriented multimodal perspective, which is a theory that emphasizes creating contexts where form and function link. The survey takes the form of questionnaires distributed via email and Facebook groups and is processed from a quantitative perspective with elements of qualitative data. The results of the study show that multimodal teaching with a learning tablet can take place in several forms, where the main areas of work are in writing, reading, and listening. The results also show that this type of teaching is beneficial in a few different ways, such as accommodation to fine motor difficulties, among other things, and that this way of working causes an interest among the students. There are hindering effects of this teaching as well, for example how the use of learning tablets also inhibits the development of the fine motor skills, and that its use comes with a few technical problems and misunderstandings. The conclusion drawn from this is that teachers use the learning tablet in several different ways, with overall similar uses, and that their view of multimodal teaching with a learning tablet includes both advantages and disadvantages regarding students' learning.

Nationally and internationally grade retention is still used as a remedial strategy even though the majority of research questions its efficacy. In this qualitative study the adolescent is given a voice to inform important role-players about his experience of grade retention. The findings show that the adolescent is very self-conscious about his new status and fears stereotyping. The adolescent's self-esteem is shattered and he loses confidence in his ability to achieve. He is often the victim of teasing and experiences loneliness when he loses his friends in the process. The adolescent is hypersensitive to remarks by teachers and his parents. When he needs support the most, he experiences only conflict. Feelings of despondency and doubt in the existence of God are the result. Given the importance of psychosocial adjustment on subsequent development, recommendations were made to assist important people in the adolescent's life to support him more effectively. / Social Work / (M.A. Diac (Play Therapy))

The research was directed at developing guidelines for counsellors who work with retained middle childhood learners. The supposition of the study was that retained middle childhood learners require support in accepting the retention. For the purpose of this study a qualitative research approach with an exploratory and descriptive nature was used. The intervention research model of Rothman and Thomas (1994) was applied. A combination of Gestalt philosophical principles, existing literature and semi-structured interviews with educators, educational psychologists and middle childhood learners with experience of grade retention were used to develop guidelines. The researcher concluded that retained middle childhood learners require support in the process of accepting the grade retention. Counsellors who work with retained middle childhood learners lack knowledge on how to support the retained child. Guidelines for counsellors who work with retained middle childhood learners were developed to successfully address the lack of knowledge in the field. / Social Work / (M.Diac.(Play Therapy))

This study focuses on challenges and prospects of the teaching of the Doppler Effect to grade 12 learners. The challenges of teaching the Doppler Effect were established and these findings influenced the development of activities. These activities were tested, refined and re-tested in an iterative cycle and finally provided prospects on teaching the Doppler Effect. Educational Design Research (EDR) was used to bridge theory and practice in education. This study was done in the Vhembe district in the Limpopo province. In the first cycle, questionnaires and interviews with 32 teachers and a subject advisor were used to establish the baseline with regards to the challenges of teaching the Doppler Effect. After the analysis of the data which forms the first cycle of EDR, the content and methodological problems faced by teachers when teaching the Doppler Effect were revealed. In the second cycle of the EDR, learning activities were developed that was informed by the analysis and tried out in 2 schools by learners and their teachers. Completed activity sheets were marked and the results were used to determine if there were a correlation between the activity sheets and the written test. Problems were documented and changes to the activities were again made and tried out in 10 schools by 216 learners with the help of 10 teachers. The data collected from the learners` work sheets were analysed. Pearson`s product moment correlation has shown that there is a statistically significant relationship (r = 0.65; p < 0.01) that exists between these design-research activities and solving of problems on the Doppler Effect. An instructional manual was developed comprising of the final activities. This was distributed amongst the district officials and teachers to assist them in the teaching of the Doppler Effect in the Vhembe district. / Physics / M.Sc.(Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

No description available.

The problem herein undertaken is to compare the educational growth and personal characteristics of children from broken homes with those of children from normal homes. Plans were made to carry out the study described herein. If the broken home had any effect, could it be determined and measured in such a manner as to draw reasonable conclusions? An investigation was made to determine the effect, if any, which the broken home was having on the children in the school.