SOCIETAL ISSUES AND THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE EDUCATION��A PEDAGOGICAL JUSTIFICATION AND THE STATE-OF-THE-ART IN ISRAEL, GERMANY, AND THE USA

One common theme underlying recent reports on science education is that the content of school science and its related pedagogical approaches are not aligned with the interests and needs of both society and the majority of the students. Most students do not find their science classes interesting and motivating. These claims are especially valid regarding those students who, in the future, will probably not embark on a career in science or engineering but will need science and technology personally and functionally as literate citizens. One key problem seems to be that few science programs around the world teach how science is linked to those issues that are relevant to students’ life, environment, and role as a citizen. As a result, many students are unable to participate in societal discussions about science and its related technological applications. This paper discusses the need to incorporate socioscientific ideas into the science curricula more thoroughly. This recommendation is supported by a theoretical rationale from various sources leading to a reflection about common practices in science education in three countries: Israel, Germany, and the USA. The state-of-the-art, potentials, and barriers of effective implementation are discussed.     

异族婚姻在美国

现在，越来越多的美国人开始抛弃婚姻上的禁忌，走向跨种族婚姻。     

A comparison of online versus traditional student end‐of‐course critiques in resident courses

This study outlines the intraclass differences between online and traditional student end‐of‐course critiques (EOCCs) only in the context of resident courses. Previous research into these differences appears limited to studies that compare entire classes rather than studies within any given class. Hypotheses are stated that the administration method has an effect on: how students will rate EOCCs, EOCC response rates, and, the detail level, favourability level and number of EOCC comments. In this field experiment, students in resident business courses at a large university comprised the sample. Individuals from within each class were randomly assigned either to a control group that completed a traditional paper‐based EOCC or to an experimental group that completed a similar EOCC online. Comments were coded with regard to the level of detail, favourability and total number of comments. Analysis of variance was used to compare the two groups with regard to ratings, comments and response rates. Online EOCCs had lower response rates, lower overall ratings, but more detailed comments. The methodology had no significant effect on the number or favourability level of comments.     

NGSS and the Next Generation of Science Teachers

This article centers on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and their implications for teacher development, particularly at the undergraduate level. After an introduction to NGSS and the influence of standards in the educational system, the article addresses specific educational shifts—interconnecting science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts; recognizing learning progressions; including engineering; addressing the nature of science, coordinating with Common Core State Standards. The article continues with a general discussion of reforming teacher education programs and a concluding discussion of basic competencies and personal qualities of effective science teachers.     

Measuring Student Perceptions of Blackboard Using the Technology Acceptance Model

Web Enhanced Instruction (WEI) is not intended to replace the traditional classroom setting, but rather to supplement the traditional lecture with course content that can be accessed from campus or the Internet. WEI has the potential to extend the boundaries of traditional classrooms by providing new opportunities for communication and interaction between students and the instructor. While the potential benefits of augmenting the traditional class with WEI have been recognized and discussed, what has remained largely unknown are student reactions to WEI as an addition to the traditional lecture. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has been widely used in the Information Systems research to gather user reactions to information systems. The TAM examines users' perceptions of Usage, Usefulness, and Ease of Use. This research applied the TAM to the academic setting to measure student reactions to Blackboard, the WEI tool used in this study. Using several multivariate methods, results suggest that students (n = 692) found that the Blackboard elements which are associated with Course Content (Course Documents, Lectures, Student Tools, Announcements, and Quizzes) are used more often and are seen as more useful than those items that provide Course Support and communication (Discussion Board, External Web Sites, Faculty Information, and E‐Mail).     

Individual Education Plans Revisited: A Review of the Literature

Considerable attention and debate has surrounded the implementation of individual education plans (IEPs) for students with special needs during the past two decades. It is, therefore, timely to revisit the IEP process and examine the nature of the debate. In this paper, literature is reviewed to identify what has been learned from implementation of the IEP process and to highlight remaining questions about IEP efficacy and utility. The phases of evolution of the IEP process described by Smith (1990b) provide a framework for reviewing the literature. Issues requiring attention are highlighted and directions for further research are identified.     

Play-based Occupational Therapy

In this paper, we will provide an overview of how occupational therapists view play, illustrate how occupational therapists' view of play has evolved, generating a shift in focus for intervention, introduce a model of play as occupation to illustrate how children's ability to play may be influenced by developmental disabilities, outline occupational therapy assessment and treatment using play as the basis for intervention, and finally, identify aspects of best practice. The term developmental disabilities refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders. It is not within the scope of this paper to provide detailed discussion of play-based occupational therapy intervention for all the children who comprise this group. Therefore, we have chosen to illustrate various points made with examples of different types of children with various types of disability.