Inquiring into Teaching: Lesson Study in Elementary Science Methods

This article describes an innovative approach to developing preservice elementary science teachers’ classroom confidence and skills. Based on lesson study approaches, preservice candidates designed and taught integrated science–mathematics lessons during the semester before their student teaching. Working in teams, candidates designed and taught a common lesson in 3 different classrooms, critiquing and refining their lesson between each teaching activity. Data collected from observations of classroom teaching events, team reports, and individual reflections were analyzed qualitatively. Results indicate that, over the 3 teaching events, there were dramatic improvements in lesson design and delivery, the management of the learning environment, the quality of students’ engagements with meaningful content, and the quality of assessments and generation of student data. According to the website of the Lesson Study Research Group, there were more than 2,300 teachers in over 335 schools involved in lesson study in the U.S. as of May 2004 (www.tc.edu/lessonstudy/). Additional lesson study information, projects, and resources are available through a number of other websites, including www.lessonresearch.net (at Mills College) and www.uwlax.edu/sotl.lsp (at The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse)     

小学科学课堂教学模式的有效性研究与实践——以小学科学《七色光》教学片断设计为例

文章针对小学科学课堂教学的现状与小学科学课堂教学的特殊性,结合新课程条件下小学科学教学的目标、理念和课堂教学设计有效性的要求,以小学科学《七色光》这一具体的教学内容片断为对象,探索小学科学课堂教学设计的有效性策略和实施途径。提出了＂五步-四层＂的课堂教学模式。     

Individual Inquiry Investigations in an Elementary Science Methods Course

This study explored how preservice teachers grew in their understanding of inquiry science through conducting an in-depth individual inquiry investigation in their science methods course. Elementary preservice teachers’ understanding about inquiry investigations, their attitudes towards the assignment, and their views towards using individual inquiry investigations in their own classrooms were studied through written reflections, science notebook writings, and researcher field notes. After conducting an out-of-class inquiry investigation based on their own questions and design, the preservice teachers demonstrated a variety of strengths in their understandings of inquiry-based teaching, their attitudes towards doing science, and their projected use of inquiry in their own classrooms. Weak areas included forming researchable questions and superficial experimental design.     

Pre-Service Elementary Teachers'' Perceptions of Factors in an Holistic Methods Course Influencing their Confidence in Teaching Science

Lack of confidence towards science is a major factor in the avoidance of teaching science at elementary school. This paper reports the results of a survey that asked 28 pre-service elementary teachers what they believed contributed to their confidence towards science and the teaching of science during a second year science unit where an holistic teaching/learning approach was taken. The holistic nature of the unit was based on a model that considered six major factors to be important influences on the confidence of the pre-service teacher. Using median values, and ranking from the most to least important factor influencing their confidence, the pre-service teachers identified practicum, teacher educator, pedagogical content knowledge, learning environment, assessment and reflection. Factors within pedagogical content knowledge, ranked from most to least important, were science pedagogy, science activities, children's views of science, science content knowledge and investigating scientifically. The wide variability in responses highlighted that no single factor was perceived to be a major contributor to the pre-service teachers' confidence, but rather a balanced mix was necessary. Implications for pre-service elementary science education units are discussed.     

浅谈诗词教学中情感体验教学实施策略

诗词教学历来在语文教学中占有很大的分量,情感体验教学更是高职语文诗词教学中关键的一个环节,本文将结合自己的语文教学实际,从导入语言、教学语言、教学中情感互动来浅谈诗词教学中情感体验教学实施的一些策略。     

Transforming Elementary Science Teacher Education by Bridging Formal and Informal Science Education in an Innovative Science Methods Course

We investigated curricular and pedagogical innovations in an undergraduate science methods course for elementary education majors at the University of Maryland. The goals of the innovative elementary science methods course included: improving students’ attitudes toward and views of science and science teaching, to model innovative science teaching methods and to encourage students to continue in teacher education. We redesigned the elementary science methods course to include aspects of informal science education. The informal science education course features included informal science educator guest speakers, a live animal demonstration and a virtual field trip. We compared data from a treatment course (n = 72) and a comparison course (n = 26). Data collection included: researchers’ observations, instructors’ reflections, and teacher candidates’ feedback. Teacher candidate feedback involved interviews and results on a reliable and valid Attitudes and Beliefs about the Nature of and the Teaching of Science instrument. We used complementary methods to analyze the data collected. A key finding of the study was that while benefits were found in both types of courses, the difference in results underscores the need of identifying the primary purpose for innovation as a vital component of consideration.     

Dilemmas of Teaching Inquiry in Elementary Science Methods

Because various definitions of inquiry exist in the science education literature and in classroom practice, elementary science methods students and instructors face dilemmas during the study of inquiry. Using field notes, instructor anecdotal notes, student products, and course artifacts, science methods course instructors created fictional journal entries to represent the experiences of both the instructors and students during instruction on inquiry. Identified dilemmas were varying definitions of inquiry, the struggle to provide sufficient inquiry-based science-learning experiences, perceived time constraints, determining how much course time should be slated for science instruction versus pedagogy instruction, instructors' and students' lack of inquiry-based learning experiences, grade versus trust issues, and students' science phobia. Instructors' attempts at dealing with these dilemmas included using analogies, increased field-experience time, modeling, and detailed rubrics.     

Beginning Elementary School Teachers and the Effective Teaching of Science

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

The Use and Impact of Explicit Instruction about the Nature of Science and Science Inquiry in an Elementary Science Methods Course

Teachers' understanding of the nature of science(NOS) and science inquiry (SI) can be linked to the use of the teaching methods advocated by the currentscience education reforms. The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate an elementary science methodscourse in which the NOS and SI are embedded and explicitly taught. As a result of the course, incomingconceptions of science as primarily a body of knowledge changed to a more appropriate, blended view of science as abody of knowledge generated through the active application of scientific inquiry.     

Awakening the Scientist Inside: Global Climate Change and the Nature of Science in an Elementary Science Methods Course

This investigation assessed the impact of situating explicit nature of science (NOS) instruction within the issues surrounding global climate change and global warming (GCC/GW). Participants in the study were 15 preservice elementary teachers enrolled in a science methods course. The instructional intervention included explicit NOS instruction combined with explicit GCC/GW instruction situated within the normal elementary science methods curriculum. Participants’ conceptions of NOS and GCC/GW were assessed with pre- and postadministrations of open-ended questionnaires and interviews. Results indicated that participants’ conceptions of NOS and GCC/GW improved over the course of the semester. Furthermore, participants were able to apply their conceptions to decision making about socioscientific issues. The results provide support for context-based NOS instruction in an elementary science methods course.     

论有效思政课的几个特点

政治性与思想性、逻辑性与纪律性、实践性与知识性、趣味性与情感性等是有效思政课的几个重要特点。政治性是思政课的灵魂,思想性是思政课的魅力所在,逻辑性是思政课的脉络与魅力之一,纪律性是思政课取得实效的保证,实践性和知识性是思政课取得实效的基础,趣味性与情感性赋予思政课以生机与活力。     

“小学科学课程”教材处理策略

依据《全日制义务教育科学（3-6年级）课程标准（实验稿）》,科学素养的培养是小学科学教学的核心,小学科学教师应该改变过去注重知识传授的倾向,坚持以探究为主的学习活动,强调形成积极主动的学习态度,关注学生的科学探究过程,合理科学的评价学生的学习质量,把握好与初中科学课程知识点的衔接。     

区域推进课堂有效教学实践的策略研究

实施有效教学,提高课堂教学的质量和效益,是当前推进新课程改革的主旋律。就某一区域范围而言,它承栽着素质教育的理想和新课程改革的希望。通过对区域范围内课堂教学存在问题的分析,采取有针对性的校本化、学科化及典型课例的专题研究。能有效提高教师自身的专业素养,建立符合新课程教学要求的区域高效教学新局面。     

Integrating Problem-based Learning in an Introductory College Food Science Course

ABSTRACT: Problem-based learning (PBL) activities incorporated into an introductory food science course can aid in student understanding of basic food science principles while developing students' problem-solving and critical thinking skills. This article describes one example of how problem-based learning was introduced into an introductory food science course designed for food and nutrition majors. Included are the problems that were developed for the course and the observed outcomes of the problem-based learning activities. Integrated problem-based learning aided students in developing communication, problem-solving, self-directed learning, and other desired skills and demonstrates the potential to be an enjoyable and challenging classroom experience for both students and teachers. However, poor problem design, such as introducing numerous problems for one subject area, may generate unanticipated quick answer approaches to solving problems.     

遥感课程有效性教学的途径研究

有效教学是各级各类教育教学所应遵循的基本原则,实行有效教学,可以提高教学质量,为学生能够成为具有创新精神和创新能力的新世纪人才打下坚实的基础。根据大学遥感课程实际教学情况,有机结合区域特色,提出遥感课程有效教学的方法和措施。     

浅谈剑桥商务英语的特点及教学方法

剑桥商务英语有三大特点：选材的真实性、实用性和广泛性。根据这些特点,教师在授课过程中应尽量模拟真实的商务环境,用具体的个案或任务来组织教学。案例教学法和任务教学法符合剑桥商务英语教学目标的要求,能切实提高学生在具体的商务环境中实际运用英语语言的能力。     

Implementing History and Philosophy in Science Teaching: Strategies, Methods, Results and Experiences from the European HIPST Project

This paper presents a rationale for utilizing HPS to teach physics and the NoS developed in the course of a project funded by the European Union. A core feature of this approach is formed by the development of historical case studies for the use in lessons. Furthermore, the learners?? perspectives are explicitly taken into account. Teaching methods comprise student-centered activities as creative writing for understanding science and scientists and role-play activities. Emphasis is laid on experimental work which is performed with the help of true-to-the-original replications of historical apparatus, especially built for this purpose. A new characteristic for NoS learning is introduced, namely the reflection corner giving the opportunity to explicitly discussing the relationship between history, knowledge acquisition, and the application of scientific findings. In order to make use of the special skills, creative potentials and experiences of teachers a symbiotic strategy for the development and evaluation process of the teaching material was adopted where a close and long-standing cooperation between science teachers and science educators could be established. On this basis the German partners were able to complete numerous case studies from the fields of mechanics, electricity, magnetism and heat.     

Integrating the Learning of Mathematics and Science Using Interactive Teaching and Learning Strategies

To help students grasp the intimate connections that exist between mathematics and its applications in other disciplines a library of interactive learning modules was developed. This library covers the mathematical areas normally studied by undergraduate students and is used in science courses at all levels. Moreover, the library is designed not just to provide critical connections across disciplines but to also provide longitudinal subject reinforcement as students progress in their studies. In the process of developing the modules a complete editing and publishing system was constructed that is optimized for automated maintenance and upgradeability of materials. The result is a single integrated production system for web-based educational materials. Included in this is a rigorous assessment program, involving both internal and external evaluations of each module. As will be seen, the formative evaluation obtained during the development of the library resulted in the modules successfully bridging multiple disciplines and breaking down the disciplinary barriers commonly found in their math and non-math courses.     

小学数学实施激趣教学的必要性与有效策略分析

如今处于启蒙阶段的小学教育越来越得到家长的重视,社会各界也愈来愈意识到小学教育的重要性,小学数学在其中发挥着举足轻重的作用。但由于小学数学当中,包含许多抽象性的概念,小学生难以快速理解,因而在数学学习过程中逐渐产生厌倦感。对此,小学数学教师应当重视将激趣教学融入课堂中,带给学生不一样的体验和多彩的课堂,以此提升学生数学的学习效率。本篇文章主要研究的即是激趣教学的必要性及有效策略,希望能提供一定的参考价值。