Knowing the subject matter of a secondary‐school science subject

This paper examines the fundamental yet largely neglected distinction between school subjects and academic disciplines in the discourse on teachers’ specialized subject‐matter knowledge. It analyses and critiques the curricular positions embedded in that discourse in the light of five possible relationships between school subjects and academic disciplines. Invoking Dewey’s logical‐psychological distinction and research findings, the paper argues that the subject matter of a secondary‐school science subject instead of the subject matter of its parent academic discipline lies at the heart of secondary‐school science teachers’ specialized subject‐matter knowledge. Knowing such subject matter entails knowing five intersecting dimensions: the logical, the psychological, the pedagogical, the epistemological, and the sociocultural. Implications are drawn concerning theorizing about what secondary‐school science teachers need to know about the subject matter they are expected to teach, subject‐matter preparation for teaching, and the development of secondary‐school science curriculum materials.     

Unit 12 My favorite subject is science.

单元学习目标及学习指导：1．学会谈论自己喜爱的学科并给出理由；2．学会谈论自己喜爱的其他东西并给出理由；3．学会说出二周的七天；4．掌握学科的表达方法，如math，science，history，P．E．5．本单元的重要句型有：     

The subject and the setting: re-imagining opportunities for primary teachers’ subject knowledge development on school-based teacher education courses

The landscape of teacher education is undergoing significant change in many countries and this is often associated with a move towards greater school involvement in the preparation of teachers. One aspect of teaching expertise that is particularly challenging for primary student-teachers is the development of subject knowledge across a wide range of subject areas. Subject knowledge for teaching is multi-faceted and is itself linked to broader questions about curriculum and the content that should be taught. It is timely, therefore, to consider how subject knowledge development might be reconceived in a school setting and how university and school staff might work in new ways with student-teachers to this end. Communities of practice theory is employed as a framework for analysing the learning environment and evaluating these future possibilities. It is argued that collaboration with peers, with their mentoring teachers and with a wider professional community is an under-exploited way of integrating facets of subject knowledge: giving this time and status through structured activities might be a particularly fruitful form of hybrid working in situ. The paper concludes by proposing four principles to underpin this sort of practice.     

法律英语短语subject to的语用翻译之探讨

短语subject to所引导的句型是法律英语中的典型句型之一,因此学界很早就对subject to进行了探讨,但以往的探讨只停留于分析该短语的语义和译法,对于该短语的语用意义却未曾提及。为此,文章在总结前人研究的基础上,从语义和语用的双重角度考察该短语的特征和该短语所指称的意义,以揭示subject to的语义和语用特征,并探讨其语用翻译方法。     

Swedish technology teachers’ attitudes to their subject and its teaching

Background: From previous research among science teachers it is known that teachers’ attitudes to their subjects affect important aspects of their teaching, including their confidence and the amount of time they spend teaching the subject. In contrast, less is known about technology teachers’ attitudes.

Purpose: Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate Swedish technology teachers’ attitudes toward their subject, and how these attitudes may be related to background variables.

Sample: Technology teachers in Swedish compulsory schools (n = 1153) responded to a questionnaire about teachers’ attitudes, experiences, and background.

Methods: Exploratory factor analysis was used to inwvestigate attitude dimensions of the questionnaire. Groupings of teachers based on attitudes were identified through cluster analysis, and multinomial logistic regression was performed to investigate the role of teachers’ background variables as predictors for cluster belonging.

Results: Four attitudinal dimensions were identified in the questionnaire, corresponding to distinct components of attitudes. Three teacher clusters were identified among the respondents characterized by positive, negative, and mixed attitudes toward the subject of technology and its teaching, respectively. The most influential predictors of cluster membership were to be qualified for teaching technology, having participated in in-service-training, teaching at a school with a proper overall teaching plan for the subject of technology and teaching at a school with a defined number of teaching hours for the subject.

Conclusions: The results suggest that efforts to increase technology teachers’ qualifications and establishing a fixed number of teaching hours and an overall teaching plan for the subject of technology may yield more positive attitudes among teachers toward technology teaching. In turn, this could improve the status of the subject as well as students’ learning.     

Biopolitics and the ‘subject’ of labor in science education

Viewing science education as a site of biopolitical engagement—intervention into forces that seek to define, control, and exploit life (biopower)—requires that science educators ask after how individuals and populations are governed by technologies of power. In this paper, I argue that microanalyses, the analysis of everyday practices and discourses, are integral to biopolitical engagement, are needed to examine practices that constitute subjectivities and maintain oppressive social conditions. As an example of a microanalysis I will discuss how repetitive close-ended lab/assessment tasks, as well as discourses surrounding careers in science, can work to constitute students as depoliticized, self-investing subjects of human capital. I also explore the relationship between science education, (bio)labor and its relation to biopolitics, which remains an underdeveloped area of science education. This paper, part of my doctoral work, began to take shape in 2011, shortly after the 2008 economic crisis achieved a tiny breached in the thick neoliberal stupor of everyday (educational) life.     

Research and exploration for operational research education in industry and engineering subject

On the basic of exploring the relationship of industry engineering and operational research technique, the thesis analyzes the location and utility of the operational research education in the whole industry engineering subject education. It brings forward the system design about operational research and relative class among industry engineering subject and the imagine of concrete class design for industry engineering operational research class, it puts forwards the view of optimizing operational research teaching, and it also makes some exoloration and research on ooerational research education of industry engineering, subject     

The subject‐person of adult education in the crisis of modernity

The philosophical and theoretical background of this article is the recent debate in conventional education, highlighting problems with the subject‐person of education (e.g., Oelkers, 1987). This debate has its origins in the questioning by philosophers of the project of modernity, of its future (e.g., Habermas, 1985; Wellmer,1985), and of its subject‐person (e.g., Frank et ah, 1990). The philosophy of education is affected by this debate primarily for two reasons: first, the subject‐person is at the core of the project of modernity and therefore of the inseparably linked idea of conventional education. Second, modernity is in itself an educational project (e.g., Oelkers, 1983), for, if education fails to bring forth the enlightened and emancipated subject‐person, modernity also fails. Therefore, if there is today, as is generally admitted, a crisis of modernity, conventional education and its conception of the subject‐person, as well as the corresponding learning model are inevitably affected. This also applies to adult education, in so far as adult education refers to models of the subject‐person that are still deeply rooted in conventional education.     

The effect of students’ subject discipline on their m-learning application preferences

The effect of students’ subject discipline on their preferences toward m-learning applications was investigated by using a mixed-method research design. A questionnaire on students’ preferences of m-learning application features was used to collect data from 181 undergraduate students. One-way analysis of variance found a significant difference among perceptions of students from different subject disciplines related to the “collaboration” and “learning” features. Follow-up interviews were carried out to further investigate students’ perceptions. Content analysis revealed that “availability” and “ease of use” were the most preferred features, and “collaboration” and “entertaining” were the least preferred ones. Interview results related to universities’ readiness for m-learning were categorized into (i) universities’ infrastructures, (ii) instructors’ skills and (iii) students’ skills for m-learning. Students indicated their universities’ infrastructures as “moderately ready” for m-learning. They ranked their instructors’ skills as “low”. However, students assessed their own skills as “moderate” for utilizing m-learning in their respective universities.     

Elementary teachers’ science subject matter knowledge across the teacher career cycle

Although widely touted as important, there is little evidence regarding the influence of teaching experience on elementary teachers' science subject matter knowledge (SMK). To better understand this phenomenon, we administered an assessment of science topics taught in the fifth and sixth grades to 169 preservice teachers, 231 fifth-grade teachers, and 208 sixth-grade teachers. We then compared the mean scores of teachers at different stages in the career cycle using one-way and two-way ANOVA and explored the relationship between SMK scores and years of teaching experience using regression analysis. Findings indicate that (i) being assigned to a specific grade level had an impact on teachers' SMK for topics included in the grade level, (ii) teachers' SMK scores were lower later in their careers for both science topics they had never taught and for science topics they were responsible for teaching, and (iii) results differed for fifth and sixth grades. This study adds to the existing literature through the examination of a large sample of elementary teachers, with teachers of varying years of experience, while focusing on the science topics these teachers are responsible for teaching. The results of this study provide strong evidence that (i) years of experience teaching specific science topics is associated with the development of teachers' knowledge of these topics, and (ii) teaching experience, what teachers do in the context of their everyday practice, can be an effective means of self-directed learning for teachers. There is also evidence that this influence is not uniform across years of teaching experience or science topics taught. These findings raise important implications about future research into the mechanism of SMK development through teaching experience and teacher grade-level assignments.     

Teacher educators’ collaboration in subject departments: collaborative activities and social relations

Teacher educators’ collaboration plays an important role in the improvement of teacher education. Many studies in educational research focus on collaboration from 1 particular perspective. A focus on 2 perspectives, a qualitative (focusing on collaborative activities) as well as a quantitative (focusing on relations) perspective, and relating both perspectives, can add to our knowledge. Data were collected in 3 subject departments of a teacher education institute. Findings indicated that educators’ collaborative networks inside the departments could gain from more coherent and dense relations, and that key players were important to support and sustain collaboration. Both perspectives were mildly related, correlations were found for “degree” and “information” (r = .31, p < .05), “degree” and “joint work” (r = .38, p < .01), and “reciprocity” and “joint work” (r = .33, p < .05), no correlations were found for “degree” or “reciprocity” and “discussing”. At the department level, only mathematics showed significant correlations. Results indicated that, in further research, qualitative aspects as well as quantitative aspects should be included.     

The role of schools in explaining individuals’ subject choices at age 14

Abstract

The subjects that young people study from age 14 onwards may have important consequences for their future academic and labour market outcomes. These decisions are shaped by the schools in which they find themselves. Schools also face constraints of their own. This paper explores the extent to which individuals’ decisions are affected by the school they attend and to what extent this is affected by the composition of schools in terms of academic attainment, gender, and socioeconomic background. We use multi-level variance decomposition models applied to administrative data on the subjects that young people in mainstream state-funded schools in England study between ages 14 and 16. Our results highlight the important role that constraints on schools play in subject choice decisions. We also note the particular role of attending a non-selective school within a selective schooling district.     

A qualitative study of markers’ perceptions on onscreen marking in five subject areas

This paper reports on a qualitative study on markers’ perceptions of onscreen marking (OSM) in association with key influential factors of marking reliability. The study has made adaptations to an existing framework proposed by Black, Suto, and Bramley in 2011 for exploring issues related to influential factors of marking reliability in OSM contexts. Specifically, the study investigated those influential factors in the framework that can be manipulated and managed by the examination authority. The study involved 31 markers for a large-scale publication examination who were secondary school teachers from 5 subject areas. The major themes indicated that markers’ attitudes towards OSM might be potentially associated with the types of questions they marked. Further, the advantages and disadvantages of OSM as perceived by the markers were likely to be related to key influential factors of reliability pertaining to the quality control process and the usability of technology in the OSM system.     

Determining the subject balance in higher education: how should this be done?

It is the U.K. Government's policy to achieve the right number and balance of graduates in the 1990s. According to the Government, this will require more attention being paid to the needs of the economy when decisions concerning the allocation of resources between subject areas are being made. In particular, the Government believes that higher education should be more vocationally-oriented and aims to influence the subject balance in this direction. The purpose of this paper is to examine the possibility of constructing a set of indicators for deciding which subjects have produced the most marketable and the most satisfied graduates. Two sets of indicators are constructed. The first is based on labour market indicators such as the earnings and unemployment rates of graduates. The second set of indicators is based upon information about the value which the graduates themselves place upon their degree qualifications. When these two sets of indicators were combined, substantial differences were found in the relative worth of graduates in different subjects (for male and female graduates separately). Graduates in some subjects achieved far higher scores than graduates in other subjects on either one or both sets of indicators.The author is grateful to the ESRC for supporting the research reported in this paper, which is part of a larger project on the construction and evaluation of performance indicators in higher education.     

Tutor feedback on draft essays: developing students’ academic writing and subject knowledge

Providing feedback on draft essays is an accepted means of enacting a social-constructivist approach to assessment, aligning with current views on the value of formative feedback and assessment for learning (AFL). However, the use of this process as a means of improving not only content but also students' academic writing skills has not been widely studied, despite a widespread perception that there is scope for intervention at university level. This article explores the developmental potential of a drafting/tutor feedback/redrafting process on a first-year undergraduate course for trainee English language teachers at a UK university. The aims of this small-scale, largely qualitative study were to ascertain students' perceptions of the process and to determine the extent to which the process could contribute to the development of students' academic writing. Data are derived from first and second draft essay marks and questionnaires administered to 32 students. Findings suggest that feedback on drafts is acted on and can contribute to improved work when it is timely and detailed and when it raises students' metacognitive awareness, as was the case in this project. Also noteworthy, however, are the students' perceptions that redrafting is cognitively challenging and time-consuming. Comments from a less academically confident student with regard to the quantity of feedback and its detrimental impact are of particular concern. Questions are raised regarding the use of tutor reformulation, the sustainability of AFL and the provision of feedback to – and its interpretation by – weaker students. Finally, some key indicators for improved future practice are presented.     

为什么推荐使用“无动于衷”“毋宁”“毋庸”“五彩缤纷”“五劳七伤”“稀罕”“稀奇”“稀少”

用“无动于衷”而不用“无动于中”《现汉》：“[无动于衷]心里一点不受感动；一点也不动心。‘衷’也作中。《新华》只收“无动于衷”。《大词典》以“无动于中”为主条。词频统计：无动于衷186，无动于中0。宜以“无动于衷”为规范形式。（参见“热衷”条）用“毋宁”而不用“无宁”《现汉》：“[毋宁]副词，表示‘不如’：这与其说是奇迹，~说是历史发展的必然产物。也作无宁。”《新华》处理同《现汉》。词频统计：毋宁43，无宁0。在“不如”的意思上，“毋宁”与“无宁”为异形词，宜以“毋宁”为规范词形。“无宁”在古汉语中还有别的…     

“白眼”“青眼”“红眼”“眼红”

据传说,“白眼”“青眼”语出一个与魏晋时著名诗人阮籍有关的故事。故事说的是：阮籍母亲亡故后,其好友嵇康来慰问,阮籍给一“青眼”;而嵇康素看不顺眼之兄嵇喜来吊唁时,其却给一“白眼”。那么,阮籍如此之表情是为何意呢？原来,“白眼”与“青眼”之意思相对。前者即眼珠向上翻出或向旁边转出眼白部分,其常被用以表示看不起人或不满意。     

“识”“析”“画”“用”

物理图象能直观、形象地展现两个物理量之间的联系，表示相关的物理内容，描述清晰的物理过程，具有明确的物理意义。而纵观05年高考试题（见表1）有关图象题目比重增加，要求相应解决能力有所提高，可以预见此类题目必为今后高考热点，所以学会处理图象问题尤为重要，笔建议可从以下几个方面着手培养解决此类问题的能力。     

“博”“精”“勤”“巧”

江苏南通市如东县实验初中学生吴秋实在2001年中考中以680的高分(满分700分)夺魁,语文考出125分(满分130分)的优异成绩。笔者最近与他进行了一次交谈。曹：你学习语文有什么“诀窍”吗？吴：我想首先要做到“博”,要博览群书,多读好书。如我学习《孔乙己》后,又读了鲁迅的《狂人日记》《阿Q正传》《药》等小说,在比较迁移中加深了对鲁迅作品的理解；在学《变色龙》之前,我就读过《一个小官员之死》《套中人》《苦恼》,在这样的比较阅读中,我对契诃夫作品的思想意义和艺术风格理解得就深刻一些。平时我每天总要用上一小时浏览报刊,包括有关围棋知识的文章,我还是市围棋选手呢!这些都有助于我扩大知识面,积累库存信息,培养缜密严谨的思维习惯。靠这些,我还在南通市2000年中学生知识竞赛中获得一等奖。曹：有些同学看的书报也不少,但效果不像你那么明显,这又是为什么呢？吴：我想除了“博”外,还得“精”,这两者应该是统一的。我把所读的内容大致分为两类,一类是了解型的,另一类是品味型的。读到精彩之处,我总是静下心来,下工夫细嚼慢咽,甚至一句“嚼”上三四遍,直至品出味来才罢休,真正做到读有所得。总之,既要“博览”,又要“深思”。曹：你这番话充满着辩证法。你的中考作文得分遥遥领先,这又有什么“高招”呢？     

“ついに”“とうとう”“やつと”“ようやく”和“终于”

日语中的“ついに”、“とうとう”、“やつと”、“ようやく”这四个副词有很多相似的用法,一般的日语学习者也不易区分.这四个词和汉语的“终于”的含义十分类似,都可以用来表示某件事情经过一段时间或经过努力后得到某种结果.但是也有不少情况是不能和“终于”画等号的.因此有必要研究能否译为“终于”的情况.通过词典例句和翻译作品的句子来分析,最后得出“ついに”和“とうとう”基本上都能够译为“终于”,“やつと”和“ようやく”以过去时“シタ”的形式出现时可以译为“终于”,其他时或体的形态则不能.