The impact of sub-skills and item content on students’ skills with regard to the control-of-variables strategy

The so-called control-of-variables strategy (CVS) incorporates the important scientific reasoning skills of designing controlled experiments and interpreting experimental outcomes. As CVS is a prominent component of science standards appropriate assessment instruments are required to measure these scientific reasoning skills and to evaluate the impact of instruction on CVS development. A detailed review of existing CVS instruments suggests that they utilize different, and only a few of the four, critical CVS sub-skills in the item development. This study presents a new CVS assessment instrument (CVS Inventory, CVSI) and investigates the validity of student measures derived from this instrument utilizing Rasch analyses. The results indicate that the CVSI produces reliable and valid student measures with regard to CVS. Furthermore, the results show that the item difficulty depends on the CVS sub-skills utilized in item development, but not on the item content. Accordingly, previous instruments that are restricted to a few CVS sub-skills tend to over- or underestimate students’ CVS skills. In addition, these results indicate that students are able to use CVS as a domain general strategy in multiple content areas. Consequences for science instruction and assessment are discussed.     

探究式学习:18条原则(上)

新一轮基础教育课程改革大力倡导在各科教学中,面向全体学生,开展多样化的探究式学习。这就要求在教学过程中,辩证地处理学生自主与教师指导的关系,不仅强调学生要倾听教师,更要强调教师要倾听学生,珍视探究中学生的个人观念、独特感受和体验,并引导学生积极反思。同时,要特别强调学生之间的相互倾听、交流与合作。当然,不能认为探究式学习就是先进的、唯一的,教师讲授、学生听讲的学习方式就是落后的、过时的、应该抛弃的。实际上,不同学习方式各有所长,相互之间应该相辅相成,互相促进,不可偏废。     

探究式学习:18条原则(下)

新一轮基础教育课程改革大力倡导在各科中面向全体学生,开展多样化的探究式学习。这就要求在教学过程中,辩证地处理学生自主与教师指导的关系,不仅强调学生要倾听教师,更要强调教师要倾听学生,珍视探究中学生的个人观念、独特感受和体验,并引导学生积极反思。同时,要特别强调学生之间的相互倾听、交流与合作。当然,不能认为探究式学习就是先进的、唯一的,教师讲授、学生听讲的学习方式就是落后的、过时的、应该抛弃的。实际上,不同的学习方式各有所长,相互之间应该相辅相成,互相促进,不可偏废。     

Design principles for support in developing students’ transformative inquiry skills in Web-based learning environments

The aim of this explorative study was to find the factors limiting sixth-grade learners’ outcomes in acquiring skills related to the transformative inquiry learning processes as well as to analyse the interrelations between inquiry skills in order to develop an optimal support system for designing Web-based inquiry learning environments. A Web-based learning environment ‘Young Scientist’ was developed and applied to the domain of integrated science. The skill of identifying the correct research questions appeared to be a prerequisite for formulating research questions. When students understand how to identify the research questions correctly, there is no need for supporting formulation of research questions or hypotheses. We have found that at the stages of analysing data and inferring, students have to be provided with the tools to activate their prior knowledge, assignments help to organize their work into manageable sections, and reflective support or adaptive feedback to relate the results achieved with the process of inquiry. Our findings demonstrate that the effectiveness of inquiry learning can be strongly influenced by regulative support; however, a particular level of initial inquiry knowledge in theoretical context is also needed in order to develop inquiry skills in a situational context.     

《小学语文课程与教学论》教学改革研究——以SSR教学模式为例

SSR教学模式的实施,为高等师范院校的教学构建了自主、开放而赋有生命力的课堂。独立学习策略、讨论学习策略、探究学习策略是实施SSR教学模式的较好载体。大连大学师范学院将SSR教学模式应用到《小学语文课程与教学论》教学中,取得了显著的成绩,为师范院校的课堂教学改革探索了一条既切实可行又卓有成效的途径。     

1980年后“探究”思想在我国中学物理教学中的发展

1980年以来,物理教学中始终关注培养学生的能力,在教学中也尝试运用问题教学法、发现学习法和探究式教学法,这些方法中都包含有探究的思想．新一轮课程改革所提倡的探究学习方式是这一思想的继承和超越．     

Assessing students’ ability in performing scientific inquiry: instruments for measuring science skills in primary education

Background With the increased attention on the implementation of inquiry activities in primary science classrooms, a growing interest has emerged in assessing students’ science skills. Research has thus far been concerned with the limitations and advantages of different test formats to assess students’ science skills.

Purpose This study explores the construction of different instruments for measuring science skills by categorizing items systematically on three subskill levels (science-specific, thinking, metacognition) as well as on different steps of the empirical cycle.

Sample The study included 128 fifth and sixth grade students from seven primary schools in the Netherlands.

Design and method Seven measures were used: a paper-and-pencil test (PPT), three performance assessments, two metacognitive self-report tests, and a test used as an indication of general cognitive ability.

Results Reliabilities of all tests indicate sufficient internal consistency. Positive correlations between the PPT and the three performance assessments show that the different tests measure a common core of similar skills thus providing evidence for convergent validity. Results also show that students’ ability to perform scientific inquiry is significantly related to general cognitive ability. No relationship was found between the measure of general metacognitive ability and either the PPT or the three performance assessments. By contrast, the metacognitive self-report test constructed to obtain information about the application of metacognitive abilities in performing scientific inquiry, shows significant – although small – correlations with two of the performance assessments. Further explorations reveal sufficient scale reliabilities on subskill and step level.

Conclusions The present study shows that science skills can be measured reliably by categorizing items on subskill and step level. Additional diagnostic information can be obtained by examining mean scores on both subskill and step level. Such measures are not only suitable for assessing students’ mastery of science skills but can also provide teachers with diagnostic information to adapt their instructions and foster the learning process of their students.     

试论化学课堂自主、探究与合作学习的模式与策略

针对中学教育工作者对自主学习、探究学习和合作学习认识不到位,使用程式化的现象,对自主学习、探究学习和合作学习的内涵、特征及其三者之间的关系进行了分析探讨,以规范实施,具体落实新课改提出的转变学生学习方式的要求。     

泉州师院大学生体育学习策略现状及提高途径

针对泉州师院大学生体育学习策略水平,从整体及各策略维度水平状况、性别、年级、专业等多视角,采用心理测量的方法进行统计与分析,结果表明：泉州师院大学生体育学习策略整体水平及各策略维度水平尚处一般状态;男生体育学习策略整体水平及各策略维度水平均高于女生;高年级学生体育学习策略发展水平高于低年级学生;理工科学生体育学习策略整体水平及体育学习元认知策略水平均高于文科学生．提高学生体育学习策略水平的途径是：激发学生的体育学习兴趣;传授学生体育学习策略知识;加强学生元认知知识和元认知体验培养;改进体育课堂教学模式。     

The Effect on Enhancing Students＇ Inquiry Abilities via Step-by-Step Open-ended Inquiry Teaching Design

The purpose of this study is to promote more open-ended inquiry activities in junior high school science lessons in the current educational system with fixed textbooks. Researchers adapted existing curriculum-based experimental activities for more open-ended inquiry ones. In addition, the whole class was provided with more opportunities to explore complete activities in limited teaching time. This study used Hazel＇s proposals of levels of inquiry. The method was to carry out the current 8th grade experiments through the step-by-step teaching material modification （from levels of inquiry 0 to 2b） and to combine the experimental teaching method with the 5E （engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate） learning cycle. After a quasi-experimental study, we compared the traditional teaching method with the step-by-step open-ended inquiry teaching one on 8th graders＇ basic and integrated science process skills and academic achievements. The study result showed that the academic achievement in the experimental group, based on the same instructional time, was not worse than that in the control group. No significant difference was found on the total scores of the basic science process skills between the two groups, but a significant difference was found on the ＂predicting＂ dimension. There was a significant difference on the total scores of the integrated science process skills between the two groups. Significant differences were found on ＂interpreting data＂ as well as ＂experiment designing＂ dimensions. Hence, the study indicated that it could enhance students＇ inquiry ability through step-by-step openly inquiry levels to change the existing curricula, which served as a reference of educational reform.     

高校探究性学习有效性研究

探究性学习是让学生在教师的指导下像科学家“做研究”一样,通过科学探究的过程自主构建知识体系的教学方式。然而,目前高校开展的探究性学习大多浮于表面、流于形式,没有实现真正意义上的探究过程。影响探究性学习有效性的因素有学生的认知基础与主体地位、教学设计与教学实施、探究学习的环境与资源、技术工具、评价方法等。通过引导学生进行充分的学习准备,保证高效的探究性学习;采用教学的“元认知”策略,提高学生的学习效率;提倡小组合作学习方式,促进学习者的全面发展;科学制定教学评价标准,通过经验反思促进学习巩固;加强信息技术与教学的整合,可以提高高校探究性学习的有效性。     

学习性评价在小学科学探究式教学中的运用

探究既是科学学习的目标,又是科学学习的方式。它不仅关注学生的动手能力,更关注学生的思维发展。教师应在课堂上通过各种方式促进学生思维的发展,如在观察的基础上了解学生,从而对他们提出质疑,为他们设置挑战,对他们的科学记录内容予以反馈等,所有这些都具有学习性评价的特征。在小学科学课上,如何运用学习性评价来促进学生的探究活动及他们的思维发展是一个非常值得探讨的问题。     

试论化学课堂自主、探究与合作学习的模式与策略

针对中学教育工作者对自主学习、探究学习和合作学习认识不到位,使用程式化的现象,对自主学习、探究学习和合作学习的内涵、特征及其三者之间的关系进行了分析探讨,以规范实施,具体落实新课改提出的转变学生学习方式的要求。     

Technology and engineering education students’ perceptions of hands‐on and hands‐off activities

Technology and engineering education students responded to a survey regarding hands‐on and hands‐off activities. First, the students listed hands‐on and hands‐off activities and what characterized the two types of activities. Activities such as building or assembling something as well as working manually with tools were viewed as hands‐on. Passive activities such as listening or watching were perceived as hands‐off. Then, the students rated 30 different activities on a bipolar scale ranging from 1 (high degree hands‐off) to 7 (high degree hands‐on). A Principal Components Factor Analysis of the 30 activities revealed two independent factors. The hands‐off factor consisted of many modern technological activities such as computer‐aided design, using a three‐dimensional printer, and constructing functional prototypes using stereo‐lithography technology. The hands‐on factor consisted of more traditional activities such as rebuilding an engine and using a screwdriver. These results suggest that students perceive traditional activities as more hands‐on than modern activities.     

探究式教学与物困生自我概念转化策略探索

通过分析物困生自我概念形成的原因,提出了物困生自我概念重构的必要条件及物困生转化策略。     

Curriculum at forty below: a phenomenological inquiry of an educator/explorer’s experience with adventure learning in the Arctic

Grounded in the theoretical approaches of experiential learning and inquiry‐based learning, adventure learning (AL) is a hybrid distance education approach that seeks to transform the experiences of students by having learners explore real‐world issues and pursue answers to their own questions in an authentic, anchor‐based environment. In this article we present a theoretical overview of AL, provide a brief summary of recently examined AL impacts in the classroom, and use a phenomenological lens to examine the experience of an educator/explorer who traveled by dogsled over 3000 miles across the Arctic to engage students and teachers from around the world in a truly authentic learning context. We conclude by offering recommendations for teachers who wish to embark on their own unique AL experiences with their students (without necessarily having to travel to the Arctic).     

研究性学习在大学英语教学中的实施

研究性学习是当代主流的教学策略之一,能够有效培养学生的探索精神和合作意识。本文探讨了研究性学习的内涵和特点,指出在大学英语教学中开展研究性学习的必要性,并说明了该理念下的大学英语学习模式和教学评估。