Scaling-up Sustainable Land Management Practices through the Concept of the Rural Resource Centre: Reconciling Farmers' Interests with Research Agendas

Abstract

Purpose: Formal agricultural research has generated vast amount of knowledge and fundamental insights on land management, but their low adoption has been attributed to the use of public extension approach. This research aims to address whether and how full participation of farmers through the concept of Rural Resource Centre (RRC) provides new insights for the development of alternative and farmers-based extension methods.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Using the Concept of RRC, this research assesses the role of farmers in on-farm demonstrations and scaling-up of land management practices, and investigates effective ways to enhance beneficial interactions between researchers, extension workers and farmers in view of improving adoption.

Findings: The findings suggest that farmers can effectively participate in demonstrations and scaling-up of agricultural practices. This participation is enhanced by judicious incentives such as higher crop yields that motivate farmers and influence adoption. The current success of the approach stems from the fact that farmers, extension workers and researchers jointly implement the activities and their different aims were achieved simultaneously: scientific results for researchers, better agricultural practices for extension workers, and economic success and free choice for farmers.

Practical implications: This research concludes that farmers have the capacities to play an innermost role in demonstrations and scaling-up of agricultural practices. However, there is a need to build and strengthen their capacities to facilitate their participation and contribution.

Originality/Value: The article demonstrates the value of the preponderant role of farmers in on-farm demonstrations and scaling-up practices by exhibiting the beneficial interactions between researchers, extension workers and farmers.     

A customised Total Quality Management Framework for schools

Abstract

Research has revealed that many of the historically disadvantaged schools in South Africa experience difficulty in implementing policies aimed at restoring the quality of teaching and learning. The difficulty has been attributed to several factors such as poor conceptualisation and implementation of quality management systems at school level. This article reports on empirical research that investigated the possibility of applying Total Quality Management principles in schools for the purpose of restoring the culture of learning and teaching. Data was collected through qualitative and quantitative methods in selected schools situated in the Tshwane North District. The findings revealed that there is a gap between what is provided in the policy framework on the management of quality teaching and learning. It is recommended that in order to fill the gap, schools need to apply customised principles of Total Quality Management. The primary aim of this research was to develop such an integrated framework that is not only theoretically sound but that has been customised for schools’ contexts and conditions.     

Pedagogical shift in the twenty-first century: Preparing teachers to teach with new technologies

ABSTRACT

The expectation in education today is that pre-service teachers should graduate from teacher education adequately prepared to teach with Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) that have potential to enhance curriculum delivery, hence improving quality of education. However, research shows that pre-service teachers are graduating from teacher education underequipped to teach with ICTs. The aim of this study is to understand why, given the deployment of ICTs for teaching and learning in teacher education, the new teachers remain underprepared to teach with ICTs. Qualitative research approach was employed in this study, whereby randomly selected pre-service teachers were interview respondents. Written reflections on their preparation to teach with ICTs also formed part of the data collected. Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) theory was embraced to guide the study. Analysis of the data shows that the main contributing factor of the new teachers’ under-preparedness to teach using ICTs is the quality of instruction they receive during their training.     

Racism and citizenship education in Northern Ireland

Racist attitudes towards, and attacks on, the minority ethnic populations in Northern Ireland (NI) have increased dramatically over the last number of years. Despite the increased media attention regarding racist attacks, the fallacy that racism is not a major problem in NI is an enduring one. However, there is a growing recognition that minority ethnic communities experience a diverse range of racial harassment. Education is a mode promoted by national and European governments as the vehicle in which anti-racism programmes can be delivered. This article suggests the impending introduction of a statutory citizenship education (CE) component to the revised NI curriculum from September 2007 can play an important role in tackling the high levels of racism being experienced by the minority ethnic population in NI.     

Northern Ireland Special Educational Needs Coordinators creating inclusive environments: an epic struggle

A key role in the development of inclusive practices in schools and classrooms is that of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), a role that has changed most radically since the introduction of the Code of Practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Through interviews with SENCOs in primary and post‐primary schools in Northern Ireland, the present study sought to examine the extent to which they created inclusive environments. Specifically, it investigated the scope and main challenges of their work, the support received and how far initial teacher education and in‐service training underpin inclusion and, thereby, the SENCO’s role. The findings showed that the responsibilities, skills and attributes expected of the SENCO were numerous and that it was a core position, yet carried a substantial teaching load, that the role was strongly managerial and that there was fragmented support in practical terms. Despite expectations that the SENCO would initiate and implement improved inclusive strategies, many significant obstacles persisted and progress could be slow considering, for example, teacher knowledge of, and attitudes towards, special needs. A much sharper focus is needed on all phases of the teacher education continuum as they impact on inclusive cultures at whole‐school and classroom level. The SENCOs identified their own perceptions of key factors to make inclusion work.     

上博竹书(三)《周易》“亡忘又疾,勿药又菜”试析

对《上海博物馆藏战国楚竹书》(三)《周易》简21“亡忘又疾,勿药又菜”这句话的理解,目前学术界有多种意见,我们通过与传世本对照,认为此句的“忘”通“妄”,作“妄为”解;“菜”通“喜”,作“病愈”解。此句意为“不妄为却偶染微疾,无需用药将自愈”。     

食用茉莉花香味成分的GC/MS分析

采用水蒸气蒸馏-乙醚萃取法对云南引种食用茉莉花中芳香性成分进行了提取，并用气相色谱-质谱联机技术对其中化学成分进行分析鉴定．共鉴定出46种芳香性有机成分，占茉莉花挥发油提取物总含量的99．9005％．通过对食用茉莉花芳香性成分的分析，为茉莉花香精香料的开发提供了依据．     

走向交际能力测试的英语高考--分析近年英语高考的命题原则

本文试着以英语语言测试交际能力理论中命题原则的角度评析近年英语高考的试卷命制情况,从而得出英语高考已逐步走向交际能力测试模式,使英语高考比传统测试方法更能科学地测试考生语言能力,更能建设性地发挥对英语教学的积极反拨作用。     

Production of a monoclonal antibody against oxytetracycline and its application for oxytetracycline residue detection in shrimp简

A novel monoclonal antibody (MAb) against oxytetracycline (OTC) was generated and characterized. The MAb was used in the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA)-based detection system. An OTC-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugate was prepared and used in the immunization of mice. A conventional somatic cell fusion technique was used to generate MAb-secreting hybridomas denoted 2–4F, 7–3G, and 11–11A. An indirect competitive ELISA (icELISA) was applied to measure the sensitivity and specificity of each MAb in terms of its 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) and percentage of cross-reactivity, respectively. MAb 2–4F exhibited the highest sensitivity, with an IC₅₀ of 7.01 ng/ml. This MAb showed strong cross-reactivity to rolitetracycline, but no cross-reactivity to other unrelated antibiotics. When MAb 2–4F was used to detect OTC from shrimp samples, the recoveries were in the range of 82%–118% for an intra-assay and 96%–113% for an inter-assay. The coefficients of variation of the assays were 3.9%–13.9% and 5.5%–14.9%, respectively.     

氯化氢吸收尾气中一氯甲烷回收工艺技术方案分析

为回收甲烷氯化物生产中排空的一氯甲烷,提出了两种一氯甲烷回收工艺技术方案进行分析比较。根据甲烷氯化物生产现状选择了其中一种方案实施,可回收一氯甲烷,达到节能减排、提高资源利用率的预期效果。