The teaching of socioscientific issues in interdisciplinarity biology-philosophy, an ethical stake and citizenship issue

This research starts from a relatively optimistic thinking based on the fact that the teaching of the socioscientific issues through the practice of argued debates can contribute positively towards education in scientific citizenship. The teaching of techno-sciences raises topical questions which interfere in the classroom and at the same time carry scientific and social controversies within which it is possible to anchor the construction of new knowledge and citizen＇s behaviours. These controversial issues raise more questions and motivate the pupils more. Setting these topics for debate in the classroom could ＂restore, if only a little, what＂ Astolfi likes to call ＂the taste of knowledge （savoirs） ＇since the two words （saveur and savoir） come from the same Greek root＇ sapere＂, as Astolfi, 2006, marvellously put it in the foreword to the recent book How to teach socially acute questions （Legardez ＆ Simonneaux, 2006）. The present contribution is research in progress. It questions a protocol of training of future teachers. The principal objective is to train the pre-service teachers to teach socioscientific issues （SSI）. Like Funtowicz and Ravetz （1992, 1993）, we think that the SSI belong to ＂Post-Normal-Science＇. Accordingly, we will study the contribution of the training in epistemic, social and ethical values in the analysis of socioscientific issues by biology and philosophy future teachers. We will analyze the evolution of teacher trainees＇ decision-making after training on 3 socioscientific issues （the oncomice, the baby drug, the therapeutic cloning） and the impact of this socioepistemologic and ethical training on their teaching practices.     

Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Inquiry： An Instrument to Assess It and Its Application to High School In-Service Science Teachers

It is argued that the lack of consensus on what constitutes an inquiry-based approach makes the generalization about it difficult, because the concept is relatively unspecific and vague. This problem can partially be solved by constructing a set of activities promoted by inquiry, thus defining the inquiry objectives for classroom and laboratory teaching. Five high school and college Mexican teachers＇ PICK （pedagogical inquiry/content knowledge） was documented and assessed by means of Loughran, Mulhall and Berry＇s （2004） l-CoRe （inquiry content representation） developed by the authors through a proposal of a set of seven inquiry activities. They were also interviewed to construct the professional and pedagogical experience repertoires, a second tool by Loughran et al. （2004） to document PICK. It was observed that all teachers interviewed have used inquiry to modify their students＇ way of thinking, mainly through question posing. Some of them employed research as their main tool to promote scientific inquiry but others mentioned the lack of time to do it. It is interesting to notice that in spite of the fact that inquiry is out of the curriculum in M6xico, the teachers make use of it to improve their teaching practice. According to their answers, their actions in the classroom or the lab were classified within the three general approaches expressed by Lederman （2004）： implicit, historical and explicit. It is concluded that a given teacher cannot be classified exclusively in one of them, because in his/her activities one general approach overlaps the others. The authors conclude that Lederman＇s classification has to be taken into account as an orientation to characterize a given activity of one teacher, even though the same teacher may use another activity characterized by other general approach. That is, Lederman＇s classification applies to characterize activities, not persons     

Policies for computer and internet use： A roadmap for leveraging teaching in Nigeria higher institutions

Now that the readiness of students in Nigeria higher institutions regarding e-learning have been established in a previous work （Awoleye ＆ Siyanbola, 2007） there is also a need for evaluation of teachers＇ skills vis-a-vis their preparedness towards online teaching. This work therefore measured both technical and attitudinal capacity （Pillay, et al., 2006） of the teachers across the institution types （the Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of education）. In the overall, intensity of computer access is better than Internet access in all the institution types and the intensity of Intemet access is better than personal office connectivity. Although there are varied levels of access relative to institution types, Nigerian university teachers have better access to computer （98.4% of all respondents） and the Internet （94.8% of all respondents） than their counterparts in the polytechnics and colleges of education. Furthermore, computer access is better in the polytechnics （96.4%） than in the Colleges of Education （87.7%）. Further measurement with bias for age on teachers＇ technical proficiencies revealed that there would be no threat for continuity if online teaching were to be adopted. The research further showed that after the passage （which may be due to retirement） of the teachers who are over 50 years old, there are teachers between 41-50 years who will take over, thereby removing the burden of succession. Based on a number of issues identified, the research suggests some useful policy directions, which wilt enhance the use of computer and the Internet to facilitate teaching and learning in the institutions.     

Improving the teaching of the arts： Pre-service teacher self-efficacy towards arts education

Arts education is an essential component of a comprehensive education, requiring highly skilled teachers to achieve quality arts integration （Andrews, 2004）. It equips students with skills necessary for the 21st century workforce, allowing nations to develop the human resources necessary to tap their cultural capital （UNESCO, 2006）. A world trend however suggests that arts teaching by pre-service teachers is subject to lack of confdence, motivation and knowledge （Henessy, Rolfe ＆ Chedoy, 2001; Russell-Bowie, 2004）. Greater recognition of confirming and disconfirming experiences that shape pre-service teachers＇ self-efficacy beliefs for arts education is necessary. This paper provides insights into a research project that attempts to contribute towards filling this void in order to improve teacher effectiveness in the arts domain. After the first semester of teacher training, pre-service teachers completed a questionnaire based on their personal teaching beliefs for instructional design, student engagement and classroom management in arts education. Findings provide a greater understanding of how pre-service teachers regulate their own behaviour for teaching the arts, acting as validation beliefs of capabilities.     

Teachers-problems-teachers＇ problems： What is considered as a problem,among the main teacher activities,by Hungarian teachers

This paper is about a research focusing on recent problems of Hungarian teachers. The aim of the study is to reveal the real troubles of Hungarian pedagogues, on the basis of their answers to a questionnaire, the nature of these problems and how they affect the role of the teacher. Supposedly, the nucleus of the problems of the teachers is connected with existence, skills and material or professional uncertainty. The study based on the related professional literature and its main statements. The conclusions could be applied mostly to the intellectual and existential preparation of would-be teachers. The aim of the research is to reveal the real problems of the high school teachers after the turn of the century, what these problems are, how stressful they are and how they impact the changing teacher role as, ＂Teachers are central to any consideration of schools, and majority of education policy discussions focus directly or indirectly on the role of teachers＂ （Hanushek ＆ Rivkin, 2006）. Ever since the pedagogical researches had started many monitors, surveys and reports have there appeared about the actual matters, issues and problems of the teachers. However, these previous examinations were structured or set up on the base of assumptions of researchers. The possible problem-framing was quite hypothetical and suggested the presuppositions of the inventors of questions, not that of the involved teachers. The methodological mean of the research was the questionnaire. The research has supposed that problems that are in the forefront of teacher thinking include skills, lack of conformity to practical demands, and material and financial uncertainness. We have focused the survey on finding the problematic activities that are primary for the educators. The results could be applied mainly in the field of the teacher training, especially in the mental and existential preparation of the would-be-teachers. It has also an actuality, since the teacher training stands before a changeover from the traditional structure to the two-level structure （transition between the former traditional and the BA and MA levels of higher education）, so these remarks can also add somewhat to the reform program and--at the collective level-to the identification of issues important to the community of teachers, would-be-teachers and both in-service teachers and educators.     

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.     

TEACHNJ： An Evaluation of Two Years of Implementation

In July 2009, the Obama administration lauched its $4.35 billion Race to the Top （RTT） Fund, providing states with competitive grants in an effort to reform education. One of the main conditions of this program was to award educational innovation. With this in mind, states enacted new legislation in the hopes of attracting more funding for their proposed programs. Although there were many levels of reform targeted by the RTT, of significance to this research is the emphasis placed on improving teacher effectiveness and measuring teacher performance via evaluation systems. The Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children of New Jersey （TEACHNJ） Act was adopted by the New Jersey legislature in August 2012 with the intent to raise student achievement by improving the quality of instruction. This research explores the impact the TEACHNJ Act has on teacher evaluations and professional development. A survey was administered to 1,235 public school teachers in New Jersey to ascertain teacher perceptions of the： （a） evaluation system in their school; （b） level of communication between teachers and administrators; and （c） availability, frequency, and effectiveness of professional development opportunities. The response rate was 21%. We found that formal evaluations are conducted infrequently with a varying degree of accuracy and impact. Nearly half of the teachers indicated that formal evaluations did not lead to improvements in their classroom. A majority of teachers questioned the administrative value of formal teacher evaluations, in particular the rewards and sanctions associated with the outcome of evaluations and a concem that poor performers were not sanctioned nor were effective teachers rewarded. We found that teachers perceive the greatest value to professional development, which is derived from peer mentoring and observations. We also found that professional development is the most effective when it is offered onsite, embedded in the classroom, continuous, and sustained over ti     

With Tools and Strategies Teachers Use in Online Courses： A Mexican Public University Case

The rapid development of ICT （information technology and communication） in the last two decades has changed society substantially as a whole. For higher education institutions, the external environment pressure to incorporate ICT in their educational and administrative processes has forced them to invest in resources for infrastructure and training. In addition, teachers have found that they can use technology in their teaching, but lack of full knowledge of how to use it effectively from a pedagogical point of view. The incorporation of new education modalities depends largely on the contextual variables prevailing in the institution and teachers. In UABC （Autonomous University of Baja California）, the early days of online education go hack to 1996, so the study period was from 1996 to 2009. An online survey was designed to fmd out the teachers＇ backgrounds and involvement in online education, their experience as online teachers, and the tools and practices used. Of 97 teachers who were identified with some experience in online teaching, 70% responded to the Survey （68）. It was found that the highest percentage （33%） of teachers who responded the survey started teaching online between 2003 and 2006. 56% of teachers have been teaching between one and five online courses. On the other hand, most teachers recognized that 30%-79% of the content of their courses were online based. The most popular learning management system used is moodle followed by blackboard in teachers＇ preference. In general, teachers expressed using the three main communication tools of online education： forums, chat and e-mail, favoring the use of e-mail. The communication slrategies teachers often use in their courses promoted student-student and student-teacher interaction. In their evaluation strategies, most said that they used self-assessment, rubrics and to a lesser extent online exams and co-evaluation. The results show that most teachers who have been involved in online education in UABC campus have expressed havi     

Curriculum Focal Points： A framework for pre-k-8 teachers＇ professional development

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study raised the concern that the United States （US） mathematics teachers place less emphasis on topics and teach a variety of content strands （Goldsmith, Mark ＆ Kantrov, 2000; Kerachsky, 2008）. The overall pattern in the US mathematics classrooms today is that primary and upper elementary teachers cover numerous topics before students achieve mastery （Cogan ＆ Schmidt, 1999; National Center for Education Statistics, 1997）. To solve this problem, US teachers need to find ways to focus fewer curriculum and study topics with a more in-depth agenda. Curriculum Focal Points for pre-kindergarten through grade 8 mathematics： a quest for coherence （National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2006） provides a strong framework that may assist teachers in creating a more coherent and focused mathematics program for students. In this article, the authors discuss example lessons that were implemented and observed in pre-kindergarten, fourth grade and sixth grade classrooms during a year-long professional development program. The overarching goal of this program was to provide appropriate instruction for teachers to organize mathematics standards-based curriculum in geometry, algebra and measurement, using a curriculum that emphasizes a strong conceptual framework. As an outcome of this exploratory research agenda, the authors＇ intentions were to circulate ＂best practices＂ and encourage international connections and discussion when using Curriculum Focal Points （CFP） in global classrooms.     

Exploring ICT Use and TPACK of Secondary Science Teachers in Two Contexts

The aims of the study were to census and compare the technological pedagogical and content knowledge （TPACK） of secondary science teachers and their most used information and communication technology （ICT） in two contexts, Taiwan and Shaanxi Province in China. A questionnaire was employed to examine secondary school science teachers＇ most used ICT and their TPACK in science teaching. Eight hundred and six secondary science teachers from Taiwan and 164 teachers from Shaanxi participated in the study. The analytical results showed that multimedia was the most used ICT in Taiwan, followed by PowerPoint （PPT）, Internet platforms, and interactive whiteboards （IWBs）. In Shaanxi, PPT was the most used ICT reported by science teachers, followed by multimedia, IWBs, and Intemet platforms. The findings indicated that in Taiwan, science teachers＇ TPACK was statistically significant in relation to different types of ICT, whereas in Shaanxi, science teachers＇ TPACK did not demonstrate significant difference. In Taiwan, science teachers who reported their most used ICT to be multimedia were found to show significant differences in TPACK according to gender and teaching experience. In Shaanxi, science teachers who reported their most used ICT to be PPT did not show any significant difference on TPACK by gender; however, they showed significant differences on TPACK in regard to teaching experience. The research implications of this study are provided below along with suggestions for future research.     

Reaching out to single parent children through filial therapy

Single parenthood as a common psychosocial phenomenon seems to be regarded as one of the most significant issues in the psychological domain and needs to be taken into serious consideration due to emotional, psychological, and social problems created by it. With regard to the rapidly growing population of single parents and their children experiencing relationship-based problems, interventions which deal with relational issues are worth in-depth explorations. This study was primarily concerned with the betterment of single parent-child relationships. For the purpose of this research, a case study was conducted to probe into the impact of filial therapy-a relationship-enhancement family/play therapy--on （1） reducing children＇ problem behaviors, and （2） ameliorating parent-child dysfunctional relationships through improving parenting knowledge and skills. The intended data for the study was gathered through （1） pre-post play observation, （2） parent＇s self-reports, and （3） the reports obtained from a kindergarten trainer. The outcomes of this one-month long case study revealed that filial therapy has the potentiality in enhancing and rebuilding parent-child relationships through teaching single parents the skills necessary for coping with the problems accelerated by the newly developed situation, which might be seen as a result of single parenthood （e.g., childhood problem behaviors, parent-child relational problems, lack of adequate parenting knowledge and skills）. In the end, this article concludes a few suggestions for future studies in this field.     

An approach to develop physics student teachers＇ skills of using instructional technology

It is very important to develop student teachers＇ skills and knowledge during the pre-service teacher education process. In this study, the effectiveness of the approach in which student teachers＇ gained skills of developing and using TGMs （teacher-guided materials） based on integration of technology on physics education in STMC-Ⅱ （Special Teaching Methods Course-Ⅱ） for pre-service physics teachers was evaluated. The study was conducted with 33 physics student teachers in KTU （Karadeniz Technical University）. Student teachers were required to develop and present TGMs, which were based on principles of special teaching approaches and techniques and integration of technology through instruction. The data of the study were gained from semi-structured interviews conducted with 14 student teachers, observations of the lessons conducted by each student teacher and document analysis of the student teachers＇ diaries collected during the term. The student teachers stated that STMC-11 was a very helpful experience to gain teaching skills. It is believed that all these activities, which are designed and performed in the classroom by student teachers during STMC-Ⅱ course, will not only prepare them for their teaching but also help them gain basic experiences that they will need in their future career. At the end of the process, it is concluded that all the student teachers gained nearly the whole defined aims--skills and knowledge of the STMC-Ⅱ. The implementation process should be organized very well to have advance of gaining many skills together. Key words： physics student teacher; STMC-Ⅱ; the skills of developing TGMs and integration of technology     

Analysis of the dynamics of the sharing knowledge between cooperating teacher and teacher-in-training： The partners＇ respective roles

Collaboration is becoming increasingly important in the realm of education （Novoa, 2004）. For instance, as soon as training is undertaken, the future teacher must develop an ability to cooperate in a pedagogical context. However, in order to learn to make a relevant contribution to a teaching team＇s undertakings and to provide innovative suggestions in pedagogical matters （Gouvernement du Quebec, 2001）, the student teacher needs solid backing from the cooperating teacher. A student teacher＇s willingness to reflect on and to question his own teaching practices will create a much more promising learning context （Portelance ＆ Durand, 2006）. Reciprocally, the cooperating teacher will make a positive contribution to the student teacher by accepting that his positions be questioned and even altered （Johnston, Wetherill ＆ Greenebaum, 2002）. It is the dynamics of sharing of knowledge and know-how in this partnership that retains our interest. From 2004 to 2007, the researchers carried out a study of the subject by examining four practicum sessions at high school level in a number of Quebec schools. To gather data, the researchers used written questionnaires, individual interviews, as well as recordings of conversations between student teachers and their cooperating teachers. These conversations pertain to the conception and to the execution, by the student teacher, of teaching-learning situations. These dialogues were integrally transcribed and processed by N＇vivo, software designed to analyze qualitative data. the researchers present a typology of the respective roles taken on by the two partners in their discussions. The cooperating teacher reveals himself to be an advisor, a transmitter of information and a teacher. The student teacher also takes on the role of transmitter of information, as well as that of reflective practitioner, among others, the researchers observed that the conversations are usually carried out in an egalitarian spirit and, in some cases, give rise to co-construction of practical knowledge.     

Learning to become an intercultural practitioner： The case of lifelong learning intensive programme Interdisciplinary Course of Intercultural Competences

This paper dates back to 2009 （it was first presented at the CRLL Conference at Stirling University） and deals with the advances in lifelong learning introduced by an ERASMUS LLP--IP named Interdisciplinary Course of Intercultural Competences （ICIC）. The programme, that involves academic and non-academic institutions concerned with higher education of six different European countries, worked out an intensive international learning pathway aimed at developing intercultural competences in three professional fields： education, social work and health care. The paper focuses on the programme＇s innovative combination of formal and informal learning as a strategic lever to： （1） enhance a holistic concept of ＂competence＂ that puts human relationship at the centre of professional skills; （2） assume intercultural competences as key competences transversal to different professions; （3） introduce social skills and reflection as key factors for developing a transformative model of lifelong learning （Jarvis, 2005） that able to match the needs of the current complex, ever-changing societies; and （4） develop experiential learning without giving up to a strong theoretical framework of reference. The programme introduces an educational model that matches the main goals of higher educational priorities started by Bologna Process and relies upon a solid theoretical framework developed in the field of intercultural research at a sociological, socio-psychological and pedagogical level （Bennett, 1993; Gudykunst ＆ Ting, 2002; Camilleri ＆ Cohen, 1989; Hall, 1959; Hofstede 2001; Beck ＆ Grande, 2006; Farr, 1984）, as well as in one of the lifelong learning （Le Boteurf, 1997; Illeris, 2005; Jarvis, 2005; Schon, 1983）.     

School to Work： Using Active Learning to Teach Business Writing

To succeed as tomorrow＇s workers in the knowledge society of the new century---a world characterized by ceaseless change, boundless knowledge and endless doubt, today＇s business writing students must develop the skills and traits needed to become creative problem-solvers, flexible team-players and risk-taking life-time learners （Bereiter, 2002a）. And teachers must play an important role in helping students transit successfuUy from school to work by finding ways to develop useful life skills and the flexibility that facilitates a willingness to work cooperatively and a readiness to learn continuously. Preparing today＇s students for tomorrow＇s work world challenges 21st century teachers to reinvent their professional personas by creating a fresh professionalism founded not on old, comfortable abilities and attitudes, but on new, unfamiliar skills and traits. For many teachers （most of whom teach exactly as they were taught--typically, following the talk-chalk model that fills a classroom with five or 10 rows of passive listeners in fixed seats, and fills a class period with 50 or 60 minutes of garbled monotones in lecture format）, learning to teach in ways they were not taught represents the greatest challenge of their careers （Silberman, 1996; Hargreaves, 2003）. Challenging students and teachers to rearrange the furniture and to reconfigure the lecture, a well-considered active learning model （Bonwell ＆ Eison, 1991） can be applied to the business writing classroom （an application unexplored in the literature） to help students develop the abilities and attitudes most required for success in the work world of the 21st century （an area explored in the ＂futuristic business literature＂）--to help students learn and transit. In fact, classes in business writing, professional writing and tecl＇mical writing can function, through the use of active learning strategies, as dynamic workshops in which students can prepare for the change and doubt of the knowledge society by becoming creat     

Virtual Learn=ng Community as New Approach of Teacher Professional Development——Reflective Research into an eLearning Program of Intercultural Collaboration between China and UK

Among the current reform measures undertaken in Chinese K-12 education, to adopt New Curricula and to improve ICT application in teaching are both decisive, however, the lack of qualified trainers is handicapping the professional development of over 10 millions in-service teachers. One of eChina ～ UK projects in collaboration between universities from both sides is designed to develop virtual learning community （VLC） among in-service teachers and explore from pedagogic perspective how to conduct VLC. In accordance with reflective learning and collaborative learning, three online learning modules have been jointly created by Chinese and UK educational specialists, and one unit from each module has been piloted by a group of senior teachers. Through analyzing the processes of course design and pilot, supported by quantitative and qualitative research into the experiences of pilot participants, the paper identifies some core factors influencing the quality of VLC and suggests that more attention should be given to the interactive learning process within VLC rather than to create well-structured learning materials before hand. It has also analyzed VLC as a promising approach to support professional development of in-service teachers from the perspective of continuous improvement process. There is much to be researched into the approach of VLC.     

Research on the Mistakes Made by College English Teachers in Pronunciation of /n/&/l/

As an old saying goes that“once you open mouth, you are decided”. Thus, there is no doubt about the fact that English pronunciation is of great importance, especially for English teachers whose pronunciation exerts far-reaching and direct influences on that of students. Some of College English teachers, however, have poor pronunciation; most of them cannot distinguish/n/ from /l/. Therefore, it is of huge practical value to commit to the research on the mistakes made by College English teachers in pronunciation of /n/ &/l/ and analyze the underlying causes in the hope of helping teachers to improve their poor pronunciation.     

The Regulation of Teacher Education in South Africa through the Development and Implementation of the National Qualifications Framework （1995 to 2005）

Together with National Qualifications Frameworks （NQFs）in England, Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand and Australia, the South African NQF is part of a somewhat elite, even notorious, and often criticized group of first generation NQFs that were established between the late 1980s and early 1990s. These NQFs were rooted in the thinking on competency, lifelong learning and outcomes-based education that prevailed in the United Kingdom at the timeH. In the subsequent period up to 2005, more than 30 additional countries have embarked on NQF development, while three regional qualification framework initiatives are also currently underway, one in the Southern African Development Community （SADC）, another in the European Union （EU）, and yet another amongst English-speaking Caribbean countries （Tuck et al., 2006）. In the background of this continued drive for NQF development across the world, I use this paper to reflect critically on the extent to which the development and implementation of the South African NQF has impacted on the regulation of teacher education. In particular I discuss the extent to which： （1） provisioning of teacher education has been quality assured through NQF sub-systems; （2） teacher qualifications and standards have been developed and realigned to NQF requirements to accommodate, amongst others, un- and under-qualified teachers; and （3） professional development points for teachers are being introduced to complement the NQF credit systemt. The paper is concluded with specific observations that may be of value to other countries that are using, or plan to use, NQFs to regulate and improve teacher education.