The Effect of Guided-Inquiry Instruction on 6th Grade Turkish Students' Achievement,Science Process Skills,and Attitudes Toward Science

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of guided-inquiry approach in science classes over existing science and technology curriculum in developing content-based science achievement, science process skills, and attitude toward science of grade level 6 students in Turkey. Non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design was used to investigate the treatment effect. There were 162 students in the experimental group and 142 students in the control group. Both the experimental and control group students took the Achievement Test in Reproduction, Development, and Growth in Living Things (RDGLT), Science Process Skills Test, and Attitudes Toward Science Questionnaire, as pre-test and post-test. Repeated analysis of variance design was used in analyzing the data. Both the experimental and control group students were taught in RDGLT units for 22 class hours. The results indicated the positive effect of guided-inquiry approach on the Turkish students' cognitive as well as affective characteristics. The guided inquiry enhanced the experimental group students' understandings of the science concepts as well as the inquiry skills more than the control group students. Similarly, the experimental group students improved their attitudes toward science more than the control group students as a result of treatment. The guided inquiry seems a transition between traditional teaching method and student-centred activities in the Turkish schools.     

A curriculum strategy that expands time for in-depth elementary science instruction by using science-based reading strategies: Effects of a year-long study in grade four

An integrative curriculum strategy emphasizing science process skills and hands-on activities expanded the time allocated for in-depth science instruction by replacing a district-adopted basal reading program with science-content reading designed to facilitate applied comprehension skills. This study investigated the combined effect of these curricular components (i.e., in-depth science, science-content-based reading) upon student achievement, attitudes, and self-confidence in both science and reading over the school year. In doing so, teachers in three fourth-grade classrooms each incorporated applied reading (and language arts) objectives into science reading activities as part of a daily, expanded, in-depth science teaching block that encompassed the total instructional time originally allocated to reading and science. Using multivariate covariance analysis, results showed that the students in the experimental group, compared to demographically similar controls, not only displayed significantly greater standardized test achievement as measured by the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills reading subtest and the Metropolitan Achievement Test science subtest, but also displayed a more positive attitude toward science and reading and greater self-confidence in learning science. Implications of the strategy for future curriculum research in science education are discussed.     

Effectiveness of microcomputer simulations in stimulating environmental problem solving by community college students

This study examined the impact of microcomputer simulations on environmental problem solving by community college students. A subordinate question was also addressed: Was the test instrument, which was used to assess the outcome of the treatment, biased by reading ability? The quasiexperimental design used two intact groups of community college students and parallels an earlier study by Rivers and Vockell (1987). The experimental group was assigned three simulation modules that focused on lake pollution analysis, wastewater quality management, and population dynamics. The comparison group was not exposed to any simulations, and served as a quasicontrol to identify possible Hawthorne effects. Effectiveness was assessed by the Test of Integrated Process Skills (TIPS I and II). Statistical analyses were done with t tests, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, and reliability coefficients. The experimental group showed a highly significant improvement in problem-solving skills after treatment, t(33) = 4.42, p < 0.001. Subtest mean gain scores supported the hierarchical relationships among cognitive modes for transitional operational reasoners as reported by Yap and Yeany (1988). An analysis of the correlation between the TIPS I and Nelson-Denny reading test scores indicated that the TIPS did not have a reading-level bias for the subjects in this study. Informal and anecdotal observations described improvements in other problem-solving skills which were not measured by the TIPS.     

The effects of the use of activities of sapa on the oral communication skills of disadvantaged kindergarten children

The study investigated the effects of participation in the activities of Science-A Process Approach (SAPA) on the oral communication skills of disadvantaged kindergarten children. Experimental-control group, pretest-posttest research design was employed. The investigator designed the Test of Oral Communication Skills (TOCS) to measure students' oral communication skills. Two experimental groups (one morning and one afternoon, N = 52) and two control groups (one morning and one afternoon, N = 48) were randomly assigned from two kindergarten classrooms (morning and afternoon classes in each) in an inner-city school in Columbus, Ohio. The investigator provided the science instruction to all students. Experimental subjects received 22 half-hour lessons from exercises a through k of Part A, SAPA. Control subjects received 22 lessons from Springboards to Science, a teacher demonstration, class discussion type of kindergarten curricuoum used in the school system. The treatment period spanned 12 academic weeks. Analysis of variance of TOCS pretest scores showed no significant differences among any of the means of the four groups. Analysis of covariance of TOCS posttest scores revealed differences significant at .05 or beyond in the mean scores of the experimental groups and control groups for total oral and total receiving skills and for six of the eight subskills measured by TOCS. Application of the Tukey (b) test revealed that experimental group mean scores exceeded control group mean scores in every TOCS skill and subskill area and that in total oral transmitting subskills both experimental group mean scores were significantly greater at .05 level or beyond than corresponding mean scores for both control groups. Within the parameters of this study, it may be concluded that when the activities and teaching strategies of SAPA curriculum are presented to disadvantaged kindergarten children, their oral communication skills, especially the transmitting (speaking) skills, are clearly enhanced.     

Identifying patterns and relationships among the responses of seventh-grade students to the science process skill of designing experiments

The development of reasoning skills, higher-level thinking skills, and science process skills are some of the benefits students can realize by participating in inquiry in the science laboratory. We used student responses to the Alternative Assessment of Science Process Skills (AASPS) developed by the Missouri Department of Education and the Department of Educational Assessment to develop the Science Process Skills Inventory (SPSI). The SPSI was then used to analyze student efforts at writing experimental designs. Our goal was to gain insight into factors that may be related to students successfully designing experiments. The instrument guides teachers and researchers in assessing seven main components of experimental designs. Each component consists of elements unique to the specific laboratory exercise. Subsequent to its development, the instrument was used to score 364 student responses to the “design an experiment” portion of an alternative assessment instrument for science process skills. Results indicate that explicit, incremental development of the science process skills of formulating hypotheses and identifying variables, together with model examples, may be a means to facilitate student success in designing science experiments. Implications for the classroom and for research are discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

建构主义视角下基础英语课堂上学生翻译能力培养探微

文章在建构主义视角下,以基础英语课程所用教材《综合英语教程4》(邹为诚主编)中几篇课文为例,设计相关翻译知识拓展活动,希望以此帮助低年级学生建立宏观的翻译概念,为高年级翻译能力的提高打下良好基础。     

A comparison of concrete and formal science instruction upon science achievement and reasoning ability of sixth grade students

Several recent studies suggest concrete learners make greater gains in student achievement and in cognitive development when receiving concrete instruction than when receiving formal instruction. This study examined the effect of concrete and formal instruction upon reasoning and science achievement of sixth grade students. Four intact classes of sixth grade students were randomly selected into two treatment groups; concrete and formal. The treatments were patterned after the operational definitions published by Schneider and Renner (1980). Pretest and posttest measures were taken on the two dependent variables; reasoning, measured with Lawson's Classroom Test of Formal Reasoning, and science achievement, measured with seven teacher made tests covering the following units in a sixth grade general science curriculum: Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, Cells, Plants, Animals, and Ecology. Analysis of covariance indicated significantly higher levels (better than 0.05 and in some cases 0.01) of performance in science achievement and cognitive development favoring the concrete instruction group and a significant gender effect favoring males.     

Psychological testing of sign language interpreters

Twenty-eight sign language interpreters participated in a battery of tests to determine if a profile of cognitive, motor, attention, and personality attributes might distinguish them as a group and at different credential levels. Eight interpreters held Level II and nine held Level III Virginia Quality Assurance Screenings (VQAS); the other 11 held Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) certification. Six formal tests, the Quick Neurological Screening Test-II, the Wonderlic Personnel Test, the Test of Visual-Motor Skills (TVMS), the d2 Test of Attention, the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test, and the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF), were administered to the interpreters. Average scores were high on most of the tests; differences across the three groups were not statistically significant. Results from only one test, the d2 Test of Attention, were significantly correlated with interpreter level. Comparisons between educational and community interpreters also revealed no differences. Personality traits were widely distributed, but one trait, abstract reasoning, tested extremely high in 18 interpreters. Discussion of the potential implications of these results, particularly for educational interpreters, is offered.     

Exploring the Impact of Prior Knowledge and Appropriate Feedback on Students' Perceived Cognitive Load and Learning Outcomes: Animation-based earthquakes instruction

The aim of this study was to develop an animation-based curriculum and to evaluate the effectiveness of animation-based instruction; the report involved the assessment of prior knowledge and the appropriate feedback approach, for the purpose of reducing perceived cognitive load and improving learning. The curriculum was comprised of five subunits designed to teach the ‘Principles of Earthquakes.’ Each subunit consisted of three modules: evaluation of prior knowledge with/without in-time feedback; animation-based instruction; and evaluation of learning outcomes with feedback. The 153 participants consisted of 10th grade high-school students. Seventy-eight students participated in the animation-based instruction, involving assessment of prior knowledge and appropriate feedback mechanism (APA group). A total of 75 students participated in animation-based learning that did not take into account their prior knowledge (ANPA group). The effectiveness of the instruction was then evaluated by using a Science Conception Test (SCT), a self-rating cognitive load questionnaire (CLQ), as well as a structured interview. The results indicated that: (1) Students' perceived cognitive load was reduced effectively through improving their prior knowledge by providing appropriate feedback. (2) When students perceived lower levels of cognitive load, they showed better learning outcome. The result of this study revealed that students of the APA group showed better performance than those of the ANPA group in an open-ended question. Furthermore, students' perceived cognitive load was negatively associated with their learning outcomes.     

Learner-centered inquiry in undergraduate biology: positive relationships with long-term student achievement

We determined short- and long-term correlates of a revised introductory biology curriculum on understanding of biology as a process of inquiry and learning of content. In the original curriculum students completed two traditional lecture-based introductory courses. In the revised curriculum students completed two new learner-centered, inquiry-based courses. The new courses differed significantly from those of the original curriculum through emphases on critical thinking, collaborative work, and/or inquiry-based activities. Assessments were administered to compare student understanding of the process of biological science and content knowledge in the two curricula. More seniors who completed the revised curriculum had high-level profiles on the Views About Science Survey for Biology compared with seniors who completed the original curriculum. Also as seniors, students who completed the revised curriculum scored higher on the standardized Biology Field Test. Our results showed that an intense inquiry-based learner-centered learning experience early in the biology curriculum was associated with long-term improvements in learning. We propose that students learned to learn science in the new courses which, in turn, influenced their learning in subsequent courses. Studies that determine causal effects of learner-centered inquiry-based approaches, rather than correlative relationships, are needed to test our proposed explanation.     

高职计算机信息管理专业课程建设探索

本文介绍了计算机信息管理专业课程建设的做法,从专业群、工作过程系统化理念、证书课程和实训教学四个方面进行了详细阐述。     

日本语能力测试N2与2级的比较分析

2010年7月第一次改革后的日本语能力测试结束了,进行了N1、N2、N3三个级别的考试。针对改革后的新题型,新变化,从N2与2级考试的题型比较入手,进行简单分析,阐述观点。     

Lessons Learned from a Predominantly Latinx Autistic Population: Preliminary Effects of the PEERS Intervention on Neural and Perceived Educational Performance

Thirteen autistic teens, who were predominantly Latinx, completed the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS), a 16-week social skills intervention. Time-frequency decomposition was calculated using advanced electroencephalographic techniques to measure oscillatory brain activity during reward anticipation and processing before and after PEERS. Fourteen neurotypical teens participated but did not receive intervention. The perception of educational performance was also measured. The perception of educational performance did not differ between groups and did not change after participation in PEERS. Approach motivation increased after intervention in the autistic group. This suggests an enhancement of social motivation after learning social skills in a group composed of a majority of Latinx autistic teens.     

Pupils' learning of science in primary schools: A system-level investigation

Summary The investigation into pupils' learning of science in primary schools has resulted in the development of instrumentation consistent with the aims and philosophy of the Primary Science Project. This instrumentation has been used to gather information on pupil performance on Process Skills and Science Concepts as well as information on pupil and teacher attitudes to science and other aspects concerning the learning of science. While analysis of the available data is continuing, review of the processes of the investigation and its early findings provide information for consideration by curriculum developers, test developers, those interested in system-level monitoring of key curriculum areas and teachers. The investigation is also likely to provide valuable data for the review of the instrumentation used in the study.     

The Effect of Cooperative Learning Approach Based on Conceptual Change Condition on Students' Understanding of Chemical Equilibrium Concepts

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the cooperative learning approach based on conceptual change conditions over traditional instruction on 10th grade students' conceptual understanding and achievement of computational problems related to chemical equilibrium concepts. The subjects of this study consisted of 87 tenth grade students from two intact classes of a Chemistry Course instructed by the same teacher. One of the classes was randomly assigned as the experimental group, which was instructed with cooperative learning approach based on conceptual change conditions and the other class was assigned as the control group, which was instructed with traditional instruction. Chemical Equilibrium Concept Test (CECT) was administered to the experimental and the control groups as pre- and post-tests to measure the students' conceptual understanding, and Chemical Equilibrium Achievement Test (CEAT) was administered to the experimental and the control groups as a post-test to measure the students' achievements related to computational problems. Science Process Skills Test was used at the beginning of the study to determine the students' science process skills. Multivariate Analysis of Covariate (MANCOVA) was used to analyze the data. The results showed that students in the experimental group had better conceptual understanding, and achievement of computational problems related to the chemical equilibrium concepts. Furthermore, students' science process skills were accounted for a significant portion of variations in conceptual understanding and achievements related to the computational problems.     

Table of Contents

The Need for Intercultural Competency Development in Classrooms The Call for Intercultural Skills Engaging Diversity for Intercultural Outcomes The Promise and Challenge of Diverse Classrooms Goals of the Monograph Lessons of the Past Tensions and Misconceptions The Challenge of and Need for Integration Student Voices: Reflections on Engaging Diversity in Different Disciplines Next Steps Understanding Intercultural Competence and Its Development Importance of Foundational Knowledge Core Premises of Intercultural Competence Building Blocks of Intercultural Competence The Process of Intercultural Development Outcomes of Intercultural Competence Development Conclusion Developing a Pedagogy That Supports Intercultural Competence Institutional Context Beyond Content and Content-Based Pedagogy The Challenge of Intercultural Pedagogy An Integrated Framework for Intercultural Learning Intercultural Pedagogical Principles Developing Intercultural Pedagogy—A Continuous Process That Happens Over Time Classrooms as Privileged Spaces Conclusion Engaging Diversity Through Course Design and Preparation Incorporating Intercultural Pedagogical Principles into Course Design Conclusion Practicing a Pedagogy That Engages Diversity Applying Intercultural Pedagogical Principles to Classroom Facilitation Conclusion Summary: Conclusions and Recommendations Notes References Name Index Subject Index About the Authors     

The development of a science process assessment for fourth-grade students

In this study, a multiple-choice test entitled the Science Process Assessment was developed to measure the science process skills of students in grade four. Based on the Recommended Science Competency Continuum for Grades K to 6 for Pennsylvania Schools, this instrument measured the skills of (1) observing, (2) classifying, (3) inferring, (4) predicting, (5) measuring, (6) communicating, (7) using space/time relations, (8) defining operationally, (9) formulating hypotheses, (10) experimenting, (11) recognizing variables, (12) interpreting data, and (13) formulating models. To prepare the instrument, classroom teachers and science educators were invited to participate in two science education workshops designed to develop an item bank of test questions applicable to measuring process skill learning. Participants formed “writing teams” and generated 65 test items representing the 13 process skills. After a comprehensive group critique of each item, 61 items were identified for inclusion into the Science Process Assessment item bank. To establish content validity, the item bank was submitted to a select panel of science educators for the purpose of judging item acceptability. This analysis yielded 55 acceptable test items and produced the Science Process Assessment, Pilot 1. Pilot 1 was administered to 184 fourth-grade students. Students were given a copy of the test booklet; teachers read each test aloud to the students. Upon completion of this first administration, data from the item analysis yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.73. Subsequently, 40 test items were identified for the Science Process Assessment, Pilot 2. Using the test-retest method, the Science Process Assessment, Pilot 2 (Test 1 and Test 2) was administered to 113 fourth-grade students. Reliability coefficients of 0.80 and 0.82, respectively, were ascertained. The correlation between Test 1 and Test 2 was 0.77. The results of this study indicate that (1) the Science Process Assessment, Pilot 2, is a valid and reliable instrument applicable to measuring the science process skills of students in grade four, (2) using educational workshops as a means of developing item banks of test questions is viable and productive in the test development process, and (3) involving classroom teachers and science educators in the test development process is educationally efficient and effective.     

Comprehensive School Reform in Middle Schools: The Effects of Different Ways of Knowing on Student Achievement in a Large Urban District

Comprehensive school reform (CSR), a federally funded program, is designed to raise student achievement via the implementation of whole school reforms. Unfortunately, although close to 400 CSR models have been adopted by schools nationally, there is relatively limited empirical evidence from rigorous research studies regarding the effectiveness of CSR in general or of specific models in particular. Of additional importance is the extent to which CSR models can demonstrate positive effects over time. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects on student achievement and attendance, in an urban school district in Kentucky, of the Year 3 implementation of the Different Ways of Knowing (DWoK) for the Middle Grades model. Results indicated that achievement results on both the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills and Kentucky Core Content Test were significantly superior for the DWoK schools relative to matched control schools; no positive impacts on student attendance occurred for Year 3. The implications of the study lies in revealing that learner-centered CSR models that integrate the arts with the core curriculum can produce observable achievement gains in both normed- and criterion-referenced tests.     

Effects of small-group reading instruction and curriculum differences for students most at risk in kindergartenL: two-year results for secondary- and tertiary-level interventions

This article describes the implementation of small-group reading instruction as secondary- and tertiary-level components of a three-tier model of prevention and intervention. The study consisted of 83 students who were targeted in the winter of kindergarten as being at high risk for reading failure. Intervention consisted of evidence-based curriculum delivered in groups of one to six students during 30- to 40-min sessions a minimum of three times per week over a 2-year period. Outcome data were collected for early literacy skills, using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills and Woodcock Reading Mastery Test, with comparisons across the different curricula. Results indicated that students in the more directed, explicit intervention groups generally out-performed students in the comparison group. Implications for future research and practice implementing schoolwide three-tier prevention models are discussed.