Grade Placement of High-School Biology

Abstract

Using 35 elementary schools (3,350 fourth and sixth grade students), 10 secondary schools (3,613 eight and eleventh grade students), and 1,145 teachers, this study presents data summarizing the relationships between student' perceptions of "verified" principal competencies and selected school climate indices and outcome variables. The results indicated that there is a general tendency for positive teacher attitudes towards various dimensions of the school and working environment and higher student standardized achievement test performance to be associated with students' reports of a low frequency of interaction with die principal. A student "independence factor" was hypothesized to account for these results, with the implication being that principal/student interaction is minimized in schools where teacher and student attitudes are positive and student achievement is high. In addition, effective principal performance in dealing with student misbehavior was highly and positively associated with school average daily attendance at the secondary level. Supplementary analyses indicated that teacher and student attitudes "mediating" the school environment were relatively independent for both elementary and secondary samples. General support was found for higher correlations between student assessments of principal competencies and school environment measures than with student performance measures.     

Non-School English of High-School Students

Abstract

This study explores the effects of classroom feedback and evaluation structure on students’ attributional tendencies. It extends the application of attribution theory from its conventional use in the context of individual differences to the classroom level. A classroom model was developed describing the effects of feedback and evaluation practices on the distributional pattern of students’ attributional tendencies. The results of this study suggest that the feedback and the evaluation system in the classroom affect students’ causal explanations of their successes and failures in school. The results show’ that in classrooms where the feedback structure is rich, more specific, and individualized, the attributional tendencies of the low achievers are closer to those of the high achievers.     

中美高中技术教育标准比较研究

进入新世纪,中美两国都意识到了技术教育的重要性,美国出台了《美国国家技术教育标准》,该标准规定了K-12年级所有学生应掌握的技术内容标准;中国在新一轮的高中课程改革中也前所未有地增设了技术课程,颁布了《普通高中技术课程标准》。从课程性质、课程理念、课程设置等几个方面进行比较,对中国的高中技术课程的改革和实施起到借鉴的作用。     

Factors Affecting the Academic Underachievement Of Bright High-School Students

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted in which a school principal implemented behavior modification programs with elementary school children. The behaviors dealt with were tardiness, absenteeism, and disruptions. Treatment conditions consisted of the principal: delivering tokens with monetary back-ups; assigning tasks; and engaging in activities with the children. In Experiments I and III returning to baseline conditions revealed that the principal was controlling the behaviors in question. In Experiment II a multiple-baseline design provided evidence that the principal was responsible for the observed increases in school attendance. AU three experiments resulted in changes in the Ss’ behavior in the desired direction.     

Comparing Students’ and Experts’ Understanding of the Content of a Lecture

In spite of advances in physics pedagogy, the lecture is by far the most widely used format of instruction. We investigated students’ understanding and perceptions of the content delivered during a physics lecture. A group of experts (physics instructors) also participated in the study as a reference for the comparison. During the study, all participants responded to a written conceptual survey on sound propagation. Next, they looked for answers to the survey questions in a videotaped lecture by a nationally known teacher. As they viewed the lecture, they indicated instances, if any, in which the survey questions were answered during the lecture. They also wrote down (and if needed, later explained) the answer, which they perceived was given by the instructor in the video lecture. Students who participated in the study were enrolled in a conceptual physics course and had already covered the topic in class before the study. We discuss and compare students’ and experts’ responses to the survey questions before and after the lecture.     

Understanding the sciences: a quasi-Wittgensteinian note on NOS

Aragón, Acevedo-Díaz and García-Carmona study prospective biology teachers’ understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS). In my comment, I would first like to step back and ask what it is to understand something, i.e. the sciences. I will turn to a quasi-Wittgensteinian epistemological tradition and suggest that, contrary to our habit to associate meaning with definitions, to understand something is, in fact, to engage in the normative practices around it. To understand the sciences then, we don’t need some definition; we need to engage in their practices. I will then turn to NOS research and suggest that NOS terminology, as well as certain NOS teaching practices, often fail to address two seemingly opposite mentalities, both of which prohibit understanding the sciences: scientism, i.e. the implication that there is in fact a definition of science; and relativism, i.e. the implication that, lacking a definition, science is a meaningless term. Both these mentalities could be challenged if NOS incorporated a quasi-Wittgensteinian account of what it is to understand something. In the last part of the paper, I will highlight some promising aspects of NOS research. To be specific, Aragón, Acevedo-Díaz and García-Carmona use the historical case of Semmelweis and childbed fever as a trigger to highlight certain elements of NOS and then facilitate reflective dialogue. Indeed, reflection over particular cases seems to be a promising way to understand the sciences; as a quasi-Wittgensteinian approach would suggest, it allows people to engage in the normative practices of scientific research. In the end, NOS researchers could benefit from such an epistemological account of understanding: avoid misconceptions such as scientism and relativism, as well as provide a strong theoretical background for their recommendations.

     

生物教学中帮助学生分析具体问题的方法

学会思维方法,进行思维训练,研究规律,总结经验,能够促进学生对学习知识的兴趣,提高他们的分析能力和理解能力。     

Status of University Students in Relation to High-School Courses

Abstract

The possibility of a relationship between the authoritarianism and morale of teachers and the authoritarian level of their administrators is considered in this study. The California F-Scale and Purdue Teacher Opinionaire (PTO) were administered to a population of 273 elementary teachers and twenty principals. Faculties of administrators with high F-Scale scores did not differ in authoritarianism or morale from faculties under principals scoring low. Comparison of F-Scale scores to morale factors did reveal significant relationships. The factor of age consistently showed significant influence on other variables. Older teachers scored much higher in morale factors and authoritarianism than did younger teachers. This leads the author to suspect a selection process in which anti-authoritarian teachers leave teaching.     

大学生科学本质教育研究

充分理解科学本质是大学教育的内在要求。科学本质作为一种对科学问题的本原性思考,体现了科学精神与人文精神的融合。由于大学生科学本质观存在的科学主义等取向,本文提出通过提高大学教师对科学本质的认识、开展HPS教育、营造校园科学文化来达成科学观的文化转向。     

Examining the Success Factors of High-Achieving Puerto Rican Male High-School Students

This article works to dispel the myth that Latino urban high-school students are not capable of performing at high academic levels. Whereas much educational research emphasizes the academic underachievement of urban Latino students, this article counteracts this research by describing the four success factors that three working-class Puerto Rican male high-school students attribute to their high academic achievement. These success factors are: (a) the acquisition of social capital through religiosity and participation in school and community-based extracurricular activities, (b) having a strong Puerto Rican identity, (c) the influence of these students' mothers/sisters on their academic achievement, and (d) the potential for caring and sincere teachers and other school staff to influence high academic achievement. These findings have implications for Latina/o education and recommendations are provided.     

Fraction Instruction for Students with Mathematics Disabilities: Comparing Two Teaching Sequences

Abstract. This study investigated the effects of teaching middle school students with mathematics disabilities equivalent fraction concepts and procedures using the concrete‐representational‐abstract (CRA) instructional sequence or the representational‐abstract (RA) instructional sequence. Twenty‐six students formed the CRA group, and 24 students formed the RA group. The two treatment groups received carefully sequenced instruction over 10 lessons. The only difference between the two treatment groups was that the CRA group used concrete manipulative devices for the first three lessons while the RA group used representational drawings. Analyses of the data indicated that students in both treatment groups improved overall in their understanding of fraction equivalency from pretest to posttest. On all achievement measures, students in the CRA group had overall higher mean scores than did students in the RA group. Implications for classroom instruction and suggestions for further research are discussed.     

优化生物实验教学方式培养中学生实验能力的研究

以新课标为指导,对传统实验教学方式进行优化,建构新的生物实验教学方式,并运用该教学方式对中学生物实验教学进行改革尝试,同时进行了优化后的生物实验教学方式的实践.实践结果表明:优化后的实验教学方式可以有效培养和提高学生的实验能力.     

Understanding the Ecologies of Education Reforms: Comparing the Perceptions of Parents and Secondary Teachers and Students in China

This study examines how secondary school teachers have implemented educational reforms in China. To examine the implementation process, we conducted teacher, student, and parent surveys. Teachers and students surveys asked questions on how often a teaching or evaluation strategy was used in a given course. The survey concluded that teachers and parents liked the reform initiatives, although some teachers still struggle with the transition to the new reforms, most were able to make the necessary changes to include some student-centred lessons. However, students claimed that teacher-directed lessons still dominate most classrooms and tests, class work, homework, and exams are still the most common evaluation systems. The surveys also revealed that classroom management needs increased attention as a result of the reforms. The largest problem, however, lies with the examination systems, as there is currently little room for introducing activity-based learning. Parents and society need to change their mind-sets of valuing examination achievements.     

在生物教学中对学生批判性思维培养的意义及方法

在人教版高一生物必修教材第一册111页和第二册70页中都设立了"批判性思维"栏.什么是"批判性思维"?在生物教学中培养学生"批判性思维"有什么意义呢?教师在生物教学中又该如何培养学生的"批判性思维"呢?     

中学生数学理解障碍及教学对策的探究

数学理解障碍是数学学习中不容忽视的一种障碍．从数学认知、教育心理学等层面来讲，中学生的数学理解障碍有认知型障碍，表象型障碍，联系型障碍，语言型障碍；克服这些障碍相应的教学对策有：帮助学生生成正确的数学表象；利用实物、模型等，增强学生对知识的感性认识；利用多媒体进行辅助教学；注重数学交流；加强学生对数学知识的自主探究与实际应用等来加深理解。     

军校非生物专业《生物学基础》课程教学研究

《生物学基础》作为面向高校非生物学类专业学生的一门综合性教育课程,通过传授生物基础知识系统理论,使学生掌握生命科学与技术的基本常识,具备基本的生命科学素养。通过促进在不同学科领域相关知识的交叉融合发展创新思维,适应培养拔尖创新人才需要。     

两类教材对初中生数学推理技能影响的比较研究

使用两类教材的初中生的数学推理技能存在显著差异;使用两类教材的初中生的演绎推理技能存在显著差异;使用两类教材的初中生的合情推理技能没有显著差异。《标准》应坚持"演绎推理与合情推理并重"的思想;对推理能力的定位应更加明确。教材的编写要使形式和内容统一。在教学中要坚持演绎推理与合情推理并重的思想。     

智障学生与正常学生再认记忆的比较研究

本研究采用中国韦氏智力量表和二项必选数字记忆测验对智障学生进行测试,二项必选数字记忆测验对正常学生进行测试,比较智障学生与正常学生及不同程度智障学生之间再认记忆的差异。结果显示1、智障学生与对照组二项测验容易条目得分的差异无统计学显著意义;困难条目得分、总分的差异有统计学显著意义;2、不同程度智障学生二项测验困难条目得分和总分的差异有统计学显著意义,容易条目得分的差异无统计学显著意义;困难条目得分智商为35-49分组显著低于智商为50-69分及70-85分组。由此得出结论智障学生的再认记忆因干扰刺激与目标刺激之间的辨别难易程度不同而存在损伤分离现象,其损伤也受到智力缺陷程度的影响。