Different Gender Students' Participation in the High- and Low-achieving Middle School Questioning-orientated Biology Classrooms in Taiwan

This case study investigated gender-based differences in classroom participation through examining teacher-student interactions between a female biology teacher and two groups of middle school students, namely high achievers and low achievers. The female teacher used a questioning-orientated instructional strategy as her major teaching style which creates greater opportunities for student participation in biology learning. Classroom sessions were videotaped for one school year, then analysed for gender differences in question-and-answer patterns. The results showed that more teacher-initiated questions, teacher-directed interactions, and teacher feedback were given to males than females in both groups, but a large difference was found between the two groups of students. Girls in the low-achieving biology class (LABC) were more likely to participate at a rate comparable with their male classmates; girls answered more procedure questions and an equal percentage of process questions, called out approximately the same percentage of answers to undirected teacher-initiated questions, and received more instances of praise and follow-up questions. Contrary to what was observed in the high-achieving biology class (HABC), LABC girls initiated more questions than LABC boys.     

Enhancing Inquiry, Understanding, and Achievement in an Astronomy Multimedia Learning Environment

As an example of design-based research, this study refined an assessment strategy for simultaneously enhancing inquiry-based learning and supporting achievement on conventional assessment measures. Astronomy Village ^® : Investigating the Universe? is a software program designed to engage secondary science students in authentic and inquiry-based learning over core topics in astronomy. The software was enhanced with a 20-hour curriculum and three levels of assessment to ensure successful inquiry experiences and high-stakes achievement. The first year implementation of Astronomy Village^® yielded significant gains on a curriculum-oriented exam but not a standards-oriented test, and provided useful design insights that were integrated into the second year implementations. Significant gains were obtained on the test during the second year as well. It is expected that many existing inquiry-oriented science curricula might be similarly enhanced, and is suggested that a large-scale effort to do so might have a lasting impact on science education.     

Two Fifth Grade Teachers' Use of Real-World Situations in Science and Mathematics Lessons

The purpose of this study was to investigate the types, sources, and cognitive levels of tasks that included real-life situations used in science and mathematics lessons in the classrooms of two 5th-grade teachers at an urban elementary school in Turkey. A qualitative approach was used to analyze data that included classroom observations, teacher interviews, and document collection. Results showed that in contrast to mathematics instruction, science instruction often relied on real-life situations in explaining scientific concepts. Mathematics lessons mainly included textbook-oriented real-life situations. On the other hand, the science lessons relied primarily on teacher- and student-oriented real-life contexts. While science instruction included personal, social, global, and historical situations, mathematics instruction involved only personal and educational situations in making real-life connections. Results further showed that, in contrast to science instruction, many of the real-life tasks used by the teacher in the mathematics lessons were cognitively demanding.     

Conceptions of Memorizing and Understanding in Learning,and Self-Efficacy Held by University Biology Majors

This study aims to explore Taiwanese university students’ conceptions of learning biology as memorizing or as understanding, and their self-efficacy. To this end, two questionnaires were utilized to survey 293 Taiwanese university students with biology-related majors. A questionnaire for measuring students’ conceptions of memorizing and understanding was validated through an exploratory factor analysis of participants’ responses. As for the questionnaire regarding the students’ biology learning self-efficacy (BLSE), an exploratory factor analysis revealed a total of four factors including higher-order cognitive skills (BLSE-HC), everyday application (BLSE-EA), science communication (BLSE-SC), and practical works (BLSE-PW). The results of the cluster analysis according to the participants’ conceptions of learning biology indicated that students in the two major clusters either viewed learning biology as understanding or possessed mixed-conceptions of memorizing and understanding. The students in the third cluster mainly focused on memorizing in their learning while the students in the fourth cluster showed less agreement with both conceptions of memorizing and understanding. This study further revealed that the conception of learning as understanding was positively associated with the BLSE of university students with biology-related majors. However, the conception of learning as memorizing may foster students’ BLSE only when such a notion co-exists with the conception of learning with understanding.     

新课程背景下师范生学习方式的转变

新一轮国家基础课的基本内涵体现出教育的创新精神、实践能力、科学与人文的融合以及健康的审美情趣和生活方式,因此,将会引起师范生的学习方式发生全面的转变。     

Year-long teacher professional development on fifth grade student science outcomes

ABSTRACT

We first examined the effects of a year-long professional development (PD) programme for elementary science teachers on fifth grade student performance on state-mandated science achievement tests of students from a treatment and a comparison group of teachers in the 2009–2010 academic year. Then, we investigated the longer-term impacts by comparing the 2010–2011 student test results of the teachers one year after receiving treatment in 2009–2010 with the students of teachers who received treatment during 2010–2011. Test scores were analysed using a propensity score matching method to examine the relationship between the PD and student achievement. Results showed that even though the treatment teachers were out of the classroom 20% of the school year to attend the PD, there was no difference between their students’ science achievement scores and those of the comparison teachers who were in the classroom every day. This is an important finding because many principals and parents are reluctant to provide teachers with release time for PD. We also determined that students of teachers one year after participating in the PD significantly (p?<?0.001) with a medium effect size (η²?=?.088) outperformed students of teachers who had just completed the programme. This suggests that it takes time for teachers to implement new teaching strategies and that to observe the impact of an intervention programme, it may be important to expand the timeframe of the programme evaluation.     

Study on the Computational Estimation Performance and Computational Estimation Attitude of Elementary School Fifth Graders in Taiwan

Main purpose of this study is to investigate what level of computational estimation performance is possessed by fifth graders and explore computational estimation attitude towards fifth graders. Two hundred and thirty-five Grade-5 students from four elementary schools in Taipei City were selected for ＂Computational Estimation Test＂ and ＂Computational Estimation Attitude Survey＂. Based on 28 items of the Computational Estimation Test, average number of items correctly answered by students is 16.37, the percent of correct responses is 58.48%, and overall performance is moderate. The Computational Estimation Test includes items representing three number dimensions： whole numbers, decimals and fraction numbers. The data indicate that the number domain of fraction （46.63%） and decimal （54.30%） percent of correct response of the CET （Computational Estimation Test） were relatively low when compared with whole numbers （63.44%）. Based on 35 items of the CEAS （Computational Estimation Attitude Survey）, the mean scores of students＇ CEAS is 119.72, higher than average, indicating that attitude of elementary school fifth graders today to computational estimation is generally positive. As to subscales of elementary school fifth graders＇ attitude to computational estimation, ＂experience in computational estimation＂ component is near negative and passive, indicating that students experience in using computational estimation is somewhat not enough.     

馆校结合提升学生科学探究能力的现实与反思

如今科学教育中,针对学生科学探究能力的发展,存在着学校教育缺少实践与教学资源、科技馆教育师资与展品效用不足的教育现状。立足馆校结合,以如何有效提高学生的科学探究能力为主体,从理念、师资、课程与资源四个方面探讨了在馆校结合中提升科学探究能力的策略与途径。     

Science in the Trenches: An Exploration of Four Pre-service Teachers' First Attempts at Teaching Science in the Classroom

This paper explores four students' attempts at teaching science in the real world classroom during their initial student teaching practicum, including their struggles and successes. When pre-service teachers enter their initial practicum experience they are confronted with differing teaching philosophies of their own, their university professors, and their school mentors (Sullivan, Mousley & Gervasioni, 2000; John, 2001; Fu and Shelton, 2002). Within this situation, preservice teachers struggle to find their own niche of teaching science and learn to reflect as both learner and teacher (Kelly, 2000). Our goal as science teacher educators is to help pre-service teachers have an easy transfer from personal university experiences to teaching science in the real classroom environment while maintaining the integrity of newly learned teaching strategies (Segall, 2001). This work adds to and helps guide science teacher educators in identifying difficulties pre-service teachers' experiences in the transition from methods courses to practice.     

Promoting science and technology in primary education: a review of integrated curricula

Integrated curricula seem promising for the increase of attention on science and technology in primary education. A clear picture of the advantages and disadvantages of integration efforts could help curriculum innovation. This review has focused on integrated curricula in primary education from 1994 to 2011. The integrated curricula were categorised according to a taxonomy of integration types synthesised from the literature. The characteristics that we deemed important were related to learning outcomes and success/fail factors. A focus group was formed to facilitate the process of analysis and to test tentative conclusions. We concluded that the levels in our taxonomy were linked to (a) student knowledge and skills, the enthusiasm generated among students and teachers, and the teacher commitment that was generated; and (b) the teacher commitment needed, the duration of the innovation effort, the volume and comprehensiveness of required teacher professional development, the necessary teacher support and the effort needed to overcome tensions with standard curricula. Almost all projects were effective in increasing the time spent on science at school. Our model resolves Czerniac’s definition problem of integrating curricula in a productive manner, and it forms a practical basis for decision-making by making clear what is needed and what output can be expected when plans are being formulated to implement integrated education.     

刍议科学探究与物理教学

科学探究是新课程理念提出的卓有成效的教学方式.文章从科学探究的含义出发,挖掘其研究的理论依据,论述了科学探究的过程和设计策略,以教学案例为基础,讨论了如何在物理教学中实施科学探究.     

Long-Term Teacher Orchestration of Technology-mediated Collaborative Inquiry

This explorative case study longitudinally examines teacher orchestration of an inquiry learning process in a technology-enhanced elementary classroom. A 13-month investigative study on cultural artifacts was conducted on 32 fourth grade students who progressed to the fifth grade during the project. The activities were mediated and documented using Knowledge Forum, a technology-enhanced collaborative environment. Data were gathered from video recordings of whole-class sessions and the teacher’s reflective diary entries. The coding scheme for the video analysis focused on identifying the various orchestration events, while drawing on theory and data-driven qualitative content analysis. Six types of orchestration events effectively maintained the process during whole-class sessions. These events supported the advancement of knowledge, reflection on inquiry, and pragmatic organization of inquiry. The study also adopted CORTDRA diagrams that highlighted temporal aspects of the orchestration events throughout the project. Knowledge Forum enabled the longitudinal advancement of the project.     

小学教育专业美术基础教学改革探讨

美术基础是师范教育中小学教育专业学生的一门必修课程。随着教育改革的深入,＂以人为本,以智为基,以实践教学改革为出发点,以培养学生全面发展为根本目标＂的理念被提上日程,从而对师范教育本科层次小学教育专业的教学提出了新的要求。小学教育专业美术基础的教学应从更新和充实教学内容、改善教学方法和完善考核评价体系三个方面进行改革。     

Analytics-supported reflective assessment for 6th graders' knowledge building and data science practices: An exploratory study

Preparing data-literate citizens and supporting future generations to effectively work with data is challenging. Engaging students in Knowledge Building (KB) may be a promising way to respond to this challenge because it requires students to reflect on and direct their inquiry with the support of data. Informed by previous studies, this research explored how an analytics-supported reflective assessment (AsRA)-enhanced KB design influenced 6th graders' KB and data science practices in a science education setting. One intact class with 56 students participated in this study. The analysis of students' Knowledge Forum discourse showed the positive influences of the AsRA-enhanced KB design on students' development of KB and data science practices. Further analysis of different-performing groups revealed that the AsRA-enhanced KB design was accessible to all performing groups. These findings have important implications for teachers and researchers who aim to develop students' KB and data science practices, and general high-level collaborative inquiry skills.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• Data use becomes increasingly important in the K-12 educational context.
• Little is known about how to scaffold students to develop data science practices.
• Knowledge Building (KB) and learning analytics-supported reflective assessment (AsRA) show premises in developing these practices.

What this paper adds

• AsRA-enhanced KB can help students improve KB and data science practices over time.
• AsRA-enhanced KB design benefits students of different-performing groups.
• AsRA-enhanced KB is accessible to elementary school students in science education.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• Developing a collaborative and reflective culture helps students engage in collaborative inquiry.
• Pedagogical approaches and analytic tools can be developed to support students' data-driven decision-making in inquiry learning.

     

The Concept of Environmental Education

This exploratory study investigated elementary teachers’ beliefs about, perceived competencies for, and reported use of scientific inquiry to promote students’ learning about environmental issues and for environmental decision making and action. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to a simple random sample of elementary teachers in and around a Midwestern university community (n = 121, r = 52%). Respondents did not differentiate between inquiry practices that promote student learning about and for the environment. While respondents believed that they should engage in these practices, they were less confident in their ability to do so, and reported spending little time engaging in these practices. Results also suggest, however, that methods courses and professional development can support elementary teachers’ use of inquiry-based teaching about and for the environment.