Effective teaching approach employed by primary school science teachers

Teachers are often urged to use a variety of modes of instruction to ensure that diverse student interests and abilities can be accomodated. Yet teachers can be limited in the instructional modes they can use because of insufficient background or knowledge about a specific instructional mode （Dawson, 2004）. Teaching approaches are various in purposes such as to trigger students＇ interest in science, to discover through inquiry approach, to build students understanding through constructivism approach or to introduce a concept through demontration approach. Every approach has the strength and weakness in its use. Although inquiry may not be the only way to teach science, many science educators believe that it may be the best way for students to learn science （Audet ＆ Jordan, 2005）. According to Woolfolk （2001）, constructivism is a mode of instruction that emphasizes the active role of the learner in building, understanding and making sense of information. Demonstrations by teacher can be used with students of all ages and across all subjects. The teacher is not only knowledgeable about the topic but also uses a variety of aids to ensure that students understand what is being demonstrated （Marsh, 2004）. By studying their teaching approaches and methods, the actual practices could be analysed and the effectiveness status of their effectiveness could be determined. Specifically, this study aimed to answer these questions in terms of three approaches namely inquiry, constructivism and demonstrations; how far is this approach effective in terms of teaching and learning, and what is the correlation between these three approaches. Data were collected from primary school science teachers （N=239） and the results shown that the teachers were agreeable with the three approaches, inquiry approach （mean=3.74, SD=0.27）, demonstration approach （mean=3.61, SD=0.27） and constructivism approach （mean=3.86, SD=0.30）. The results also showed that there are significant correlations among inquiry, demonstration and constructivism approach. This finding showed that primary school science teachers not depend only on one type of approach and apply variously in teaching science. There are also positive and significant correlation between that approaches used by primary school science teachers.     

影响科学认识的因素研究

社会需求是促进科学认识发展的首要因素,社会历史文化及宗教对科学认识具有促进和制约双重作用。人类认识能力是科学认识的基础,科学自身发展水平和科学认识手段限制着科学认识,学科分化对科学认识具有制约作用,非意识后果对科学认识提出了新的挑战。弄清楚这些问题能为人类解决科学发展中面临的困境寻求一条出路。     

Connecting university science experiences to middle school science teaching

Summary Science teachers naturally rely on their university science experiences as a foundation for teaching middle school science. This foundation consists of knowledge far too complex for the middle level students to comprehend. In order for middle school science teachers to utilize their university science training they must search for ways to adapt their college experiences into appropriate middle school learning experience. The criteria set forth above provide broad-based guidelines for translating university science laboratory experiences into middle school activities. These guidelines are used by preservice teachers in our project as they identify, test, and organize a resource file of hands-on inquiry activities for use in their first year classrooms. It is anticipated that this file will provide a basis for future curriculum development as the teacher becomes more comfortable and more experienced in teaching hands-on science. The presentation of these guidelines is not meant to preclude any other criteria or considerations which a teacher or science department deems important. This is merely one example of how teachers may proceed to utilize their advanced science training as a basis for teaching middle school science.     

Problem-based (group) teaching: a cognitive science approach to using available knowledge

An important objective in education generally, and tertiary education in particular, is the imparting of the ability to use acquired knowledge when solving problems. Both within tertiary education itself and in society, however, the complaint is frequently heard that it is precisely in this respect that the training of students is deficient.An alternative to conventional methods of teaching how to apply knowledge is to use explicitly problem-based teaching. Using a theoretical perspective derived from both an action-oriented and an information-processing perspective, it is shown that the problem-based approach has more potential. Maximizing this potential requires cognizance of the various types of problem-based approach, whose variants depend on the problem, the extent of pre-structuring and the roles assigned to individuals in a group. Also important is the systemic position of problem-based teaching in a curriculum.     

A regression approach to evaluating instructional programs in science

This paper discussed a multiple linear regression approach to the evaluation of instructional strategies in science. A treatment by levels experimental design and the methods required for forming and solving research problems associated with it were described. Two methods of college biology instruction, the Audio-Tutorial and conventional techniques, were compared in terms of promoting achievement. Methods for making comparisons between the two treatments in the form of linear models were discussed. Interpreting regression solutions to linear models was also presented. The principles expressed in this paper can be applied to other research problems as an effective alternative to the two-way analysis of variance.     

A deterministic approach to research in instructional science 1

A deterministic alternative to probabalistic theory and research is proposed and justified on both rational and empirical grounds. Direct tests of deterministic behavior theories are demanding but they are not only possible but are shown to be quite feasible. The main requisite is that of realizing suitable idealized test conditions. Some deterministic theories have been tested under idealized behavior conditions with a level of empirical support which goes far beyond what is normally found in behavioral research. Moreover, deterministic support in the laboratory is shown to necessarily imply probabalistic applicability in the real world—without field testing.     

从认知学的角度谈英语词汇教学

从认知心理学和语言本质及其规律角度出发,阐明学生对外语词汇认知过程和词汇信息加工过程,分析传统词汇教学的利弊,考虑教学共性问题和学习个体之间的差异,提出新的词汇教学模式。     

认知视角下的语篇连贯及其教学思考

选用认知法,强调语篇的连贯是语篇本身与人脑相互作用的结果.语篇表层的连接手段可能对一些重形合的语言连贯起到一定的作用,但对于重意合的语言的语篇连贯分析还在于读者的经验、世界知识、借助相关事件的理想认知模型.语篇连贯的认知过程是一个动态的心智活动过程,它是人脑不断调整修正的结果.语篇的接受和产生的认知过程应用到语篇教学活动中对提高语篇教学效果具有重要意义.