Science education and teachers: A Karplus lecture

This speech is devoted to science education reform and the pivotal role of the science teacher in the process.This paper comprises a speech, the Karplus Lecture, given at the National Science Teachers Association annual meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, April 7 1990.     

Anthropomorphically speaking: on communication between teachers and children in early childhood biology education

In this study a particular kind of figurative language, so‐called anthropomorphic speech, is analysed in the context of science activities in a preschool setting. Anthropomorphism means speaking about something non‐human in human terms. Can any systematic pattern be seen with regard to when such speech is used? Do children and/or teachers introduce this kind of talking and how is it responded to by the interlocutor(s)? Of 128 instances of anthropomorphism found, 24 were made by the children and 104 by the teachers. Children sometimes respond in line with the introduction of such speech but they also at times reject this way of speaking. Anthropomorphic speech is discussed as a strategy for the teachers in handling the dilemma of how to connect with children’s experiences and terms, on the one hand, and developing children’s understanding, on the other hand.     

创新型人才的培养与科学教育

学习胡锦涛同志在全国科学技术大会上作的《坚持走中国特色自主创新道路为建设创新型国家而努力奋斗》的讲话,使我们深感培养创新型人才的重要性,教育如何担负起历史的使命,为国家培养更多创新型人才,是值得全社会和全体教育工作者认真思考的问题。     

Silencing and freedom of speech in UK higher education

Freedom of speech in universities is currently an issue of widespread concern and debate. Recent empirical findings in the UK shed some light on whether speech is unduly restricted in the university, but it suffers from two limitations. First, the results appear contradictory. Some studies show that the issue of free speech is overblown by media reportage, whilst others track serious concerns about free speech arising from certain university policies. Second, the findings exclude important issues concerning restrictions to speech on campus that fall outside the traditional debate around violations to free speech rights. This is particularly the case when certain voices are excluded from important policy conversations, and in issues around diversifying the curriculum. This article overcomes these two limitations by developing a novel conceptual framework within which to situate current debates concerning speech-related matters in universities. It does so by developing a taxonomy around the concept of ‘silencing’. It then considers the current issue of speech matters in universities within this framework to determine whether, and to what extent, speech is indeed unduly restricted, and where this is a concern for free speech violations, and where it falls outside this issue.     

Coherent speech features of over-Fives in the context of communication with equals and adults

The purpose of this research is to study the coherent speech features of over-fives with the general speech underdevelopment (GSUD) in the context of communication with their equals and adults in the kindergarten. Discussion is the leading research method. Speech coherence and independence levels are taken as the main parameters of the experimental analysis. This research involved 30 children at the age over five (5 years 3 months to 5 years 7 months). This research has shown that the goal of developing coherent speech in a kindergarten is set and achieved mainly through reading the fiction, but not in detail when it comes to fairy tales. Research results can be used by speech therapists, teachers and parents developing the coherent dialogical and monological speech in over-fives with the GSUD, as well as for drawing up specialised education programmes for children with the GSUD.     

Transversal traits in science education research relevant for teaching and research: A meta‐interpretative study

This study is a meta‐interpretative analysis that focuses on research conducted and published by other researchers. Concepts central to this study include global practical relevance, curriculum design, and formative situation. We analyzed 35 studies selected from 374 published studies in the years 2000 and 2001 in three journals referenced in the International Scientific Index. Using a replicable methodology developed specifically for this research, we found evidence of s clusters of variables that suggest the existence of transversal traits in the 35 science education research studies. These results form a reference framework of theoretical and practical knowledge relevant for research and practice pertaining to teaching and learning science. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 574–599, 2008     

教育学理论逻辑缺失的误导与信息势规正——势科学与现代教育学理论研究之四

教育过程由于教育理论的逻辑缺失带来了种种误导和风险。势科学基础上的信息势概念揭示了教育过程信息相互作用的动力学本质,因而,规正教育路径的有效方法,就是在教育过程中“学校的专业设置和运行、专业的学科设置和运行、学科的教材组织和编撰、课堂的教学设计和演讲、组织的教师结构和匹配、教师的知识结构和学习路径”方面,生产有效信息量、营造教育信息势。     

The 2005 Paul F-Brandwein Lecture: Is Our Past Our Future? Thoughts on the Next 50 Years of Science Education Reform in the Light of Judgments on the Past 50 Years

As I look back at K-12 science education in post-World War II America, it strikes me that surprisingly little progress has been made. This disappointing outcome cannot be due to a lack of effort, for in the last half-century our investment in science education reform—human and financial—has been substantial. In this essay, I focus first on some of our failures (as I see them) of the last 50 years, and speculate on why we were not more successful. With that in mind, I then propose a reform agenda for the next 50 years.     

Contemporary approaches to learning science: technologically-mediated practical work

This paper describes the current state of science education in Arab states and anticipates some of the challenges faced by those states as they reform their science education. After discussing problems of illiteracy, access and quality we provide contextual information about the structure of the educational systems and describe recent efforts to reform them. We focus on issues pertaining to science curriculum and textbooks, language, religion, student learning in science, science teacher education and science education research and summarise the challenges and opportunities for research faced in each area. We conclude the paper by proposing a set of policy and research recommendations that could aid in the development of lasting solutions for recurring problems.     

The Extra Strand of the Māori Science Curriculum

This paper comments on the process of re‐development of the Maori‐medium Science (Pūtaiao) curriculum, as part of overall curriculum development in Aotearoa New Zealand. A significant difference from the English Science curriculum was the addition of an ‘extra strand’ covering the history and philosophy of science. It is recommended that this strand be taught by means of narratives (i.e. using ‘narrative pedagogy’) in order to avoid a superficial didacticism that succumbs to the traditional notion of science curriculum content as ‘merely factual’ in nature. An argument is presented for the ethical necessity of including this extra material in Māori science education.     

Rethinking environmental science education from indigenous knowledge perspectives: an experience with a Dene First Nation community

This auto-ethnographic article explores how land-based education might challenge Western environmental science education (ESE) in an Indigenous community. This learning experience was developed from two perspectives: first, land-based educational stories from Dene First Nation community Elders, knowledge holders, teachers, and students; and second, the author’s critical self‐reflections focusing on how land-based education could offer unlearning, rethinking, relearning, and reclaiming ESE. This auto-ethnography provides particular insights into who we are as environmental educators, the challenges in Western ESE, why land-based education matters, why and how a significant move should be made from Western ESE to land-based ESE, and how land-based education offers a bridge between Western and Indigenous education.     

也谈词类活用和辅重现象

词类活用是古代汉语常见的语言现象,可从信息论的角度进行新的解释,即人们在表达时,选取语言结构中信息量大的词语,而省略常规结构中信息量相对小的成分,从而最终在句法层面形成不同寻常的活用现象。     

论片面的科学教育及其危机

片面科学教育是科学教育的现实形态,完整的科学教育是其理想形态.中西方片面科学教育共同具有四种表现形式,即内容的片面性、方法的片面性、学科(或专业)的片面性和目的的片面性.片面科学教育不仅抑制学生创新能力,扭曲学生人格,而且加剧了科学危机以及由此带来的自然危机、社会危机和人性危机.     

“兰州会议”30周年感言:高等理科教育新形势与新任务

本文回顾了1990年“全国高等理科教育工作座谈会”(“兰州会议”)的历史背景与取得的成效与影响,叙述了2004年高等理科教育进一步调整任务的要点,说明国家经济政治大局的变化决定了高等理科教育改革与发展的步伐。针对新时代与经济新形势,以及世界百年未有的大变局,作者对高等理科教育的改革与发展提出了六方面的任务:(1)本科教育的“通识化”;(2)为出基础科学拔尖创新人才与成果夯实基础;(3)发展应用理科仍是重点;(4)促进新工科等建设;(5)在世界大变局下发展新素质;(6)充分运用信息科学新技术新手段。     

论科学的本质与科学教育

科学的本质是科学教育领域中的一个重要问题。本文从定义和内涵两个角度对科学的本质进行了分析和阐述。科学既是一种过程,同时也是一种结果。科学活动的过程和科学活动的结果是紧密结合在一起的。作为探究与思维的科学、作为态度与精神的科学、作为知识与能力的科学是科学内涵的三个重要体现。在对科学本质进行分析的基础上,本文进一步对科学教育的目标与内容、过程与方法进行了探讨。     

提高公众科学素养与科学教育新理念

从公众科学素养的调查可见,科学教育仍然是提高公众科学素养的最基本的途径和最主要的手段。因此,科学教育的理念必须符合科学素养内涵与目标的变化与要求。这种新的理念主要是：理解科学的本质,建立科学教育整体性目标;强化通识教育,建立以适应与创新能力为核心价值的教育模式。     

Vocationalism and school science education

This article reviews an important but neglected area of the science curriculum: connections with work and the workplace. The first section offers some historical background, arguing that economic and practical relevance has from the beginning been an important theme within science education. The article then undertakes a broader exploration of the intellectual background, usage and meaning of the term vocationalism within education, before turning to vocational themes as they are represented more specifically within research on science education. It then examines the development and contemporary policy significance of vocational provision across the world. This is followed by an account of a specific case: the innovative version of school science currently under development in England, which is occurring under the rubric of ‘applied science’. Finally the article sketches a research agenda for vocationalism within science education, drawing on the themes and issues that have been identified. It suggests that greater attention to this area will contribute to a broadening of the intellectual compass and relevance of science education research.     

A methodology for integrating computer‐based learning tools in science curricula

This paper demonstrates a methodology for effectively integrating computer‐based learning tools in science teaching and learning. This methodology provides a means of systematic analysis to identify the capabilities of particular software tools and to formulate a series of competencies relevant to physical science that could be developed by means of these capabilities. This analysis could inform the transition to technology‐rich learning environments by helping to deflect reliance on computer‐based tools for objectives they cannot meet, while encouraging the design of activity sequences that make the most of the educationally useful capabilities of available computer‐based tools. This methodology is demonstrated by means of two software tools widely used in science learning, namely modelling and simulation tools.     

运用演讲提高《毛泽东思想概论》教学效率

分析了《毛泽东思想概论》需要运用演讲作为教学形式的原因 ,详述了具体实施办法和效果 ,认为从素质教育的要求出发 ,在《毛泽东思想概论》教学中运用演讲的教学方式是十分必要的和可行的。     

ECA's seventy‐fifth anniversary volume: A special review

In this special book review, Communication Quarterly's Book Review Editor, Gerald M. Phillips, assesses the volume commissioned by the Eastern Communication Association to commemorate ECA's seventy‐fifth anniversary. Designed to reflect the diversity of the discipline of communication, part one is composed of twelve chapters and surveys contemporary research and theory in rhetoric, the social sciences, oral interpretation, freedom of speech and civil liberties, media and speech education. Part two, composed of five chapters, provides an overview of the organizational and conceptual issues guiding the way in which this profession organizes its knowledge. Professor Phillips concludes that, “It is a book we can be proud of, because it is well done by first‐rate scholars.”