The continuity of learning in a translanguaging science classroom

Cultural Studies of Science Education - This article aims to explore and clarify how students’ use of first and second languages in a translanguaging science classroom (TSC) may affect the...     

Management of science classroom tasks and effects on students' learning opportunities

This study examined the work that students completed during six or seven week units of instruction in four different science classes. The purpose of the study was to assess the kinds of learning opportunities students had as they dealt with science content and the problems teachers faced in managing different kinds of assignments, particularly assignments that required students to use higher level cognitive operations. Management strategies associated with these assignments are described and the effects of these strategies are considered.     

对高校校园文化建设的思考

作者从高校校园文化建设的意义、重要内容和方法、途径三个方面进行了阐述,指出了当前高校校园文化建设中值得关注、思考的一些问题,提出加强校园文化建设不仅是学校自身内在发展的要求,也是高等教育应承担的责任     

How teaching science using project-based learning strategies affects the classroom learning environment

This study involved 458 ninth-grade students from two different Arab middle schools in Israel. Half of the students learned science using project-based learning strategies and the other half learned using traditional methods (non-project-based). The classes were heterogeneous regarding their achievements in the sciences. The adapted questionnaire contained 38 statements concerning students’ perceptions of the science classroom climate. The results of the study revealed that students who learned sciences by project-based teaching strategies perceived their classroom learning climate as significantly more Satisfying and Enjoyable, with greater Teacher Supportiveness, and the Teacher–Student Relationships as significantly more positive. The differences between the experimental (project-based learning strategies) and control (non-project) groups regarding their perceptions of the science classroom learning climate could be explained by differences between the two science teaching and learning strategies.     

Engaging elementary students in learning science: an analysis of classroom dialogue

Research over a long period of time has continued to demonstrate problems in the teaching of science in school. In addition, declining levels of participation and interest in science and related fields have been reported from many particularly western countries. Among the strategies suggested is the recruitment of professional scientists and technologists either at the graduate level or advanced career level to change career and teach. In this study, we analysed how one beginning middle primary teacher engaged with students to support their science learning by establishing rich classroom discussions. We followed his evolving teaching expertise over three years focussing on his communicative practices informed by socio-cultural theory. His practices exemplified a non-interactive dialogical communicative approach where ideas were readily discussed but were concentrated on the class acquiring acceptable scientific understandings. His focus on the language of science was a significant aspect of his practice and one that emerged from his professional background. The study affirms the theoretical frameworks proposed by Mortimer and Scott (Meaning making in secondary science classrooms, 2003) highlighting how dialogue contributes to heightened student interest in science.     

Effect of instruction using microcomputer simulations and conceptual change strategies on science learning

This article describes an investigation into the effects of instruction using microcomputer simulations and conceptual change strategies. The microcomputer program was designed in accord with a model of conceptual change to diagnose and remediate an alternative conception of velocity. Results show that, first, the microcomputer simulations are credible representations of reality, and second, that the remedial part of the program produced significant conceptual change in students holding the alternative conception.     

Achieving both intellectual quality and relevance in classroom learning experiences: some conceptual challenges

The idea that the educational needs of secondary school students are best met by providing them with learning experiences that are both intellectually challenging and connected to the world beyond the classroom underpins several recent pedagogical initiatives in Australia. However, such learning experiences are rarely found in practice. Many reasons for this have already been identified, but we suggest there may be another dimension to this problem. From our experience of trialling a similar pedagogical approach with Years 8 and 10 students, the participating teachers seemed to be struggling with a conceptual dilemma that interfered with creating learning experiences that are both intellectually challenging and relevant. We suggest this dilemma was generated by a dualistic framework of thinking and practice, endemic in education systems, which constructs academic rigour and relevance as incompatible with each other. We conclude that there is a need for more extensive teacher professional development in pedagogies which attempt to integrate intellectual rigour and relevance.     

Looking in a science classroom: exploring possibilities of creative cultural divergence in science teaching and learning

Worldwide proliferation of pedagogical innovations creates expanding potential in the field of science education. While some teachers effectively improve students’ scientific learning, others struggle to achieve desirable student outcomes. This study explores a Taiwanese science teacher’s ability to effectively enhance her students’ science learning. The authors visited a Taipei city primary school class taught by an experienced science teacher during a 4-week unit on astronomy, with a total of eight, 90-minute periods. Research methods employed in this study included video capture of each class as well as reflective interviews with the instructor, eliciting the teacher’s reflection upon both her pedagogical choices and the perceived results of these choices. We report that the teacher successfully teaches science by creatively diverging from culturally generated educational expectations. Although the pedagogical techniques and ideas enumerated in the study are relevant specifically to Taiwan, creative cultural divergence might be replicated to improve science teaching worldwide.     

Effect of instruction using students' prior knowledge and conceptual change strategies on science learning

One of the factors affecting students' learning in science is their existing knowledge prior to instruction. The students' prior knowledge provides an indication of the alternative conceptions as well as the scientific conceptions possessed by the students. This study is concerned primarily with students' alternative conceptions and with instructional strategies to effect the learning of scientific conceptions; i.e., to effect conceptual change from alternative to scientific conceptions. The conceptual change model used here suggests conditions under which alternative conceptions can be replaced by or differentiated into scientific conceptions and new conceptions can be integrated with existing conceptions. The instructional strategy and materials were developed for a particular student population, namely, black high school students in South Africa, using their previously identified prior knowledge (conceptions and alternative conceptions) and incorporate the principles for conceptual change. The conceptions involved were mass, volume, and density. An experimental group of students was taught these concepts using the special instructional strategy and materials. A control group was taught the same concepts using a traditional strategy and materials. Pre- and posttests were used to assess the conceptual change that occurred in the experimental and control groups. The results showed a significantly larger improvement in the acquisition of scientific conceptions as a result of the instructional strategy and materials which explicitly dealt with student alternative conceptions.     

Beyond conceptual change learning in science education: focusing on transfer,durability and metacognition

The frequently encountered problems of students being unable to utilize schoollearned science in different contexts, and of students forgetting what they have learned in a short time after initial instruction, are two important problems for classroom practitioners. This paper advocates a shift in focus of conceptual change learning research in order to address these problems. It draws upon four overlapping areas: conceptual change learning is the broad subject area that sets the epistemological background; transfer and durability of scientific conceptions are the two problem areas under scrutiny, while metacognition is seen as potential mediator of improvement. The paper offers a brief review of existing literature on the four areas; it proposes confronting the two problems by incorporating metacognitive instruction in the learning environment of primary school science; and it reports on recently completed research.     

对高校学科建设特点的几点认识

基于高等学校共同的功能、特点及学科建设共同的本质要求等,从整体上看,高校学科建设具有基础性、战略性、综合性和累积性等基本特点。高校学科建设的基础性在于它是高校的根本性建设,是高等学校架构的基础;战略性体现了学科建设在高校建设和发展中的长远性、方向性和全局性;综合性体现了学科建设在高校建设和发展中的整体性和系统性;累积性体现了高校学科建设连续性与阶段性结合的持续性发展要求。     

解决高校发展投入问题的思考

近3年高校发展速度是建国以来少有的,在短短3年里普通高校在校生人数翻了一番多,需要大量投入作支撑.按现行标准计,扩招1名学生基础设施建设费需增加5万元左右.以山东省为例,十五计划高等教育毛入学率为15%,在校生达到100万人,净增46万人,需投入230亿元,而且还需投入大量的经费改造校舍和校园,解决设施陈旧老化等问题.这230亿元投入要在2004年完成,分6年投入,每年需投入40亿元.目前山东省连解决生均拨款都有困难,更不要说对扩招的基础设施投入了.现在之所以能维持3年扩招,一是有大量贷款支撑,这是中央对高校扩招的最大支持,没有贷款,高校难以保持这一扩招幅度.另一方面就是低水平办学,基础设施、办学条件达不到规定要求,可以说差距很大.这是很可怕的,长此下去,又如何保持教学质量和学生的培养质量呢?     

建构主义理论与课堂教学的新理念

建构主义理论是我国正在实施的新一轮基础教育课程改革的主要理论依据.新课程下课堂教学的基本理念主要包括:引导学生积极主动参与学习;师生、生生之间保持有效互动;教师应为学生主动建构提供学习材料、时间以及空间上的保障;教学的目的是使学生形成对知识真正的理解;教师应关注学习者对自己和他人学习的反思;教学应使学生获得对该学科学习的积极体验与情感.     

让研究性学习走进课堂

作为实施素质教育主阵地的课堂教学,研究如何渗透研究性学习的理念、方式方法尤为重要。本主要探讨怎样突破传统教学模式,改变教师教学方式,评估方式及营造开放的学习环境方面的问题。     

关于开放学习的几点思考

电大开放教育试点已全面推行,并取得了可喜的效益。但“开放不开”、“开放放开”的异化现象屡见不鲜,不得不令人思考,为此提出相关解决的方法。     

Active classroom participation in a Group Scribbles primary science classroom

A key stimulus of learning efficacy for students in the classroom is active participation and engagement in the learning process. This study examines the nature of teacher–student and student–student discourse when leveraged by an interactive technology—Group Scribbles (GS) in a Primary 5 Science classroom in Singapore which supports rapid collaborative knowledge building (RCKB). We envisaged nine design principles for RCKB in the design of lessons and postulated a logic model that links and explains the effects of our design principles to the ultimate goal of learning efficacy. We presented a case study of a GS lesson which shows that GS affordances leveraged by good lesson and activity design could enable the students to have more epistemic agency. Students had opportunities to participate spontaneously in class discussions by fully expressing their ideas without inhibition. The technology effect is used to support instant formative feedback and interactions among students effectively.