RESUMO
Around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic quickly led to the closure of educational institutions in the hope of reducing infections and fatalities due to this disease. Distant education is becoming a policy priority, although institutions and teachers are neither experienced nor accustomed to its use. The purpose of this study is to determine secondary school teachers' perceptions and requirements of distance education during confinement. To our knowledge, none of the similar studies conducted in this area has approached this issue in Morocco. To determine teachers' perceptions regarding distance education, we conducted an analytical and descriptive survey among secondary school teachers in May, June, and July 2020.The chi-square test has been used to test the association between all variables. The association was considered significant when the p-value < 0.05. The calculation of the chi² (X²) and the p-value is performed using R software. The grouping of responses show that most teachers have been teaching remotely during confinement using Whatsapp. They confirmed that this is a useful way to ensure pedagogical continuity during the break from classroom teaching, and they also indicated a preference for both face-to-face and hybrid tutoring.Statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between the subjects taught and distance education (X2= 67.4 with p = 0.01), and a low correlation between training follow-up and distance education during the confinement period r = 0.12. This national study, focused in the secondary school teachers, is pertinent and has showen the extent of the problems of continuous teacher training, as well as strategies that are not evaluated and which do not take into account the perceptions of the actors, including the teacher. This data will be valuable and can be used to establish appropriate measures for improving distance learning tools and the quality and competencies of the actors.
RESUMO
Lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) are members of the family of pathogenesis-related proteins (PR-14) that are believed to be involved in plant defense responses. In this study, we report the isolation and characterization of a novel gene TdLTP4 encoding an LTP protein from durum wheat [Triticum turgidum L. subsp. Durum Desf.]. Molecular Phylogeny analyses of wheat TdLTP4 gene showed a high identity to other plant LTPs. Predicted three-dimensional structural model revealed the presence of six helices and nine loop turns. Expression analysis in two local durum wheat varieties with marked differences in salt and drought tolerance, revealed a higher transcript accumulation of TdLTP4 under different stress conditions in the tolerant variety, compared to the sensitive one. The overexpression of TdLTP4 in Arabidopsis resulted in a promoted plant growth under various stress conditions including NaCl, ABA, JA and H2O2 treatments. Moreover, the LTP-overexpressing lines exhibit less sensitivity to jasmonate than wild-type plants. Furthermore, detached leaves from transgenic Arabidopsis expressing TdLTP4 gene showed enhanced fungal resistance against Alternaria solani and Botrytis cinerea. Together, these data provide the evidence for the involvement of TdLTP4 gene in the tolerance to both abiotic and biotic stresses in crop plants.
