International understanding

It is increasingly important to take international action for the avoidance of war and for the safeguarding of the human environment. For this there must be appropriate institutions and patterns of communication whose necessity and purposes are widely understood. This in turn presupposes building an increasing world dimension into school and university studies; otherwise coming generations will not be prepared for the world in which they will be living. For this a framework of concepts and ideas is needed, which have been adumbrated in the years since the Second World War, although there is a great need for clearer and more forceful thinking. We have to know what we wish to do and why it has become necessary. When this has been done we shall be in a better position to deal with the practical question of how our aims can be accomplished.     

Teaching emotion understanding

The main goal of this research was to assess whether it is possible to help children develop their general understanding of emotions. Thirty-six nine-year-old children divided in two groups were examined using a pre-test/train/post-test design. The emotion understanding of the two groups was measured in the pre- and post-test phases using the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC). The experimental group received a teaching program about emotions during the training phase: School Matters In Lifeskills Education (SMILE). The control group received no special teaching about emotion during this phase. Results showed that the level of emotion understanding in the experimental group improved significantly between the pre- and post-test whereas no such change occurred in the control group. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Ecological understanding 2: Transformation - a key to ecological understanding

This article (the second of two) describes the structure and general features of the phenomenon ecological understanding. Qualitatively different ways of experiencing cycling of matter and flow of energy in the context of ecosystems are presented. In all, five different categories are identified in each of these issues. It is concluded that the idea of transformation is a key to development of ecological understanding. The structure of ecological understanding was also found to be hierarchical in terms of inclusion of critical aspects in more complex ways of thinking. The identified categories and their critical aspects indicate fruitful paths for learning and crucial dimensions to open up in teaching. Thus, the results concern teachers' professional object, i.e., an emphasis on what to achieve in teaching and learning. The results can also be used as contents of teaching, tools for planning and for diagnostic and assessment purposes.     

Aristotle’s gnoseology and understanding ‘understanding’ in practitioner research

ABSTRACT

This article offers a conceptual and analytical framework for understanding the ‘understandings’ generated through practitioner research, and specifically exploratory practice (EP), based on Aristotle’s philosophy of knowledge. Drawing on Olav Eikeland’s interpretation of Aristotle’s philosophy of knowledge as a gnoseology, it illustrates how a gnoseology framework adapted from Eikeland’s work was used to analyse the different types of understanding generated through the processes and products of practitioner research. Specifically, it looks at the understandings developed in an English for Academic Purposes class as the learners explored their own puzzles about language learning using the principles of EP, a form of practitioner research mainly used in language teaching. Focusing on one of the learners in the class, it traces his developing gnoseology across the 10-week course by analysing the naturalistically generated classroom artefacts produced through the EP process. It then shows how the different understandings developed reflect an interrelated and relational view of knowledge and concludes by suggesting that such a gnoseology framework might provide a valuable conceptual and analytical tool for understanding the relationship between different forms and ways of knowing in practitioner research.     

对CN—MARC 的认识

我国的中文书目数据库要在全国范围或世界范围共享, 书目数据必须规范化、标准化。CN —MARC 格式在数据规范方面为书目数据库的建立和书目数据处理提供参照或依据。为了更好地掌握、使用CN —MARC 格式, 本文从多方面浅谈自已对CN —MARC 的认识.     

Conceptual understanding in history

There has been considerable interest in the topic of conceptual understanding especially as found in mathematics and the sciences. The present paper discusses recent studies related to conceptual understanding in the domain of history, comparing the nature of understanding as found in history to that other domains. Included are considerations of the role of the sources of historical knowledge, narrativization, causation and explanation. In addition, it is pointed out that conceptual change in history may differ from that in the sciences because of the former’s emphasis upon the motives of people and the central role of the historian.     

Memory in mathematical understanding

Whatever cognitive processes are involved in understanding mathematics, it is clear that one of them is learning. No one is born with an understanding of measure theory, abstract algebra or general topology; the very name mathematics means that which is to be learned (Boyer, 1968). One of the outcomes of learning is remembered knowledge. Indeed it is our contention that memory plays an essential role in the understanding of mathematics, However, what it is that is remembered by students who understand mathematics in contrast to those who do not is by no means a trivial question. In fact, we would like to suggest that there is a gap in this connection between recent developments in memory research and the theory and practice of mathematics education. A second purpose of the present article is to survey briefly the orgins of this gap.     

对"教育学理解"的理解

加拿大阿尔伯塔大学教授马克思·范梅南认为 ,“教育学理解”是一种敏感的聆听和观察 ,具有情境性、应用性、规范性的特点 ,其结构包括非判断性理解、发展性理解、分析性理解、教育性理解和形成性理解 ,是“信任的同情心”促成了“教育学理解”。据此反思可以发现 ,当今学校日常教育实践中存在着的许多问题都与“教育学理解”的结构性缺失有关。给予学生全方位的、真正的“教育学理解”,应该是我们努力的方向。而只有指向学生主体性形成的理解 ,才是真正的“教育学理解”。从某种意义上说 ,教育就是对成长历程的一种守望。     

Pupils' understanding of combustion

A questionnaire survey of 300, 14 and 15 year-old pupils in England and Spain was carried out to investigate pupils' general ideas about the process of buring and their ideas about specific types of combustion, using open-ended and structured response questions. Pupils' responses were analysed and categories were defined from a classification scheme previously reported by Andersson (1990). A possible model for progression of pupils' ideas about combustion is discussed. Specialization: science teacher education. Specializations: Problem-solving, pupils' alternative concepts, initial teacher education. Specializations: Environmental education, science teacher development (international).     

Using action research as a methodological tool: understanding teachers' understanding of science

A series of questions and answers between Jennifer Nias in her role as supervisor and Steve Waters-Adams as student explores the rationale for the inclusion of action research as a methodological tool within a wider PhD study. The study explored the effect of teachers' understanding of the nature of science on their teaching. In discussing the complexities of the research, Steve Waters-Adams suggests that action research provided a powerful means of gaining access to important tacit and dialectical aspects of teachers' practice. The discussion considers the process of action research, particularly with regard to the extent that its form and purpose may be defined, the importance of collaboration and the centrality of personal commitment. Steve Waters-Adams concludes that there is scope for subject-oriented research in education to make more use of action research as a methodological tool, given that the process engages with, and exposes for scrutiny, practitioners' values, aims and motives.     

Students' understanding of integration

A clinical interviewing method was used to investigate students' understanding of elementary calculus. The analysis of responses to tasks concerned with integration and limits led to detailed data concerning the degree of understanding attained and the common errors and misconceptions. Some conclusions were drawn concerning the teaching of integration and limits.     

谈谈对政治的科学理解

在积极推进我国社会主义民主政治建设的今天,科学地理解政治有其基本特征,具有重要的理论和现实意义。本就此作一粗浅的分析和探讨。     

Mathematical discussion and mathematical understanding

A longitudinal study is being undertaken into the question of whether or not discussion in the mathematical classroom is an aid to understanding. Preliminary analysis shows that, while the hypothesis that discussion aids understanding is very attractive, evidence to support the hypothesis has been limited. Classroom observations during the first year of the study have led to a method of classification of mathematical talk in the classroom which we expect will prove useful in investigating links between mathematical discussion and mathematical understanding.The ability to say what you mean and mean what you say should be one of the outcomes of good mathematics teaching .... Pupils need the explicit help, which can only be given by extended discussion, to establish these relationships (between different mathematical topics); even pupils whose mathematics attainment is high do not easily do this themselves. (Cockcroft, 1982, England)In all other topics, we saw teachers there (Kitamaeno School in Tokyo) using peer group dialogues ... (they) justified their use of group dialogue because of their large classes (35–43) and the unusually independent spirit of many of the 600 pupils. Mathematics achievement was very high by American standards. (Easley, 1984, on a Japanese project)We need to recognise the importance of verbalisation. Putting thoughts into words requires students to organise their thinking and to confront their incomplete understanding. Listening to others affords them the opportunities to contemplate the thinking of others and to consider the implications for their own understanding. (California State Department of Education, 1987)This article is based on the first year of a longitudinal study intended to shed light on the question of whether or not discussion in the mathematics classroom is an aid to mathematical understanding. Before looking further at the research context in which this project is set, we wish to offer our definitions of the two notions in the title.     

Mental computation and conceptual understanding

The goal of this study was to assess the strategic flexibility of students in mental arithmetic up to the number 100. Sixty Dutch second-graders who took part in an experimental ‘realistic arithmetic’ program participated in the study. Results showed that students' preference for certain mathematical procedures depended on the number characteristics of the problems. This indicates that the students had a good conceptual understanding of numbers and procedures. Their actual use of these procedures, however, was somewhat limited. Most problems were solved within a sequential structure. A completely different procedure was used for solving subtraction problems that had a very small difference between the two numbers. Furthermore, it was found that a substantial increase in the students' use of a base-ten procedure occurred after the introduction of this procedure in the mathematics curriculum. Students' preference for this procedure also increased, although to a lesser extent. Another finding of the study was that students exhibited more flexible strategic behaviour with context problems than with numerical-expression problems.