Measuring Reading Comprehension

The five articles in this special issue are a blend of experimental and correlational approaches that exemplify advances in contemporary approaches to assessment of reading comprehension. They illustrate how inferences about reading comprehension are determined in part by the material presented for comprehending and the format that is used for assessing comprehension of the material. In the future, the approaches to measuring reading comprehension in these articles could be further integrated by perspectives that cut across particular approaches to measurement and begin to utilize multimethod modeling of the latent variables that underlie different tests of reading comprehension.     

Constructivism in Science and Science Education: A Philosophical Critique

This paper argues that constructivist science education works with an unsatisfactory account of knowledge which affects both its account of the nature of science and of science education. The paper begins with a brief survey of realism and anti-realism in science and the varieties of constructivism that can be found. In the second section the important conception of knowledge and teaching that Plato develops in the Meno is contrasted with constructivism. The section ends with an account of the contribution that Vico (as understood by constructivists), Kant and Piaget have made to constructivist doctrines. Section three is devoted to a critique of the theory of knowledge and the anti-realism of von Glaserfeld. The final section considers the connection, or lack of it, between the constructivist view of science and knowledge and the teaching of science.     

Review of Graph Comprehension Research: Implications for Instruction

Graphs are commonly used in textbooks and educational software, and can help students understand science and social science data. However, students sometimes have difficulty comprehending information depicted in graphs. What makes a graph better or worse at communicating relevant quantitative information? How can students learn to interpret graphs more effectively? This article reviews the cognitive literature on how viewers comprehend graphs and the factors that influence viewers' interpretations. Three major factors are considered: the visual characteristics of a graph (e.g., format, animation, color, use of legend, size, etc.), a viewer's knowledge about graphs, and a viewer's knowledge and expectations about the content of the data in a graph. This article provides a set of guidelines for the presentation of graphs to students and considers the implications of graph comprehension research for the teaching of graphical literacy skills. Finally, this article discusses unresolved questions and directions for future research relevant to data presentation and the teaching of graphical literacy skills.     

科学课程中的辉格史批判

科学史融入科学课程对提升学生的科学素养有重要的意义。科学史的本源价值是其元认知价值——展现科学的本质和科学技术与社会的关系。辉格式科学史给学生呈现出一副歪曲的科学发展图景,不利于学生理解科学的本质以及科学技术与社会的关系。其产生的根本原因是教育者价值观的错位,即教育哲学中的知识中心主义、科学哲学中的素朴经验论和历史哲学中的移时史观;直接原因在于科学家的一些"不当行为"与科学教育工作者对科学、科学家所持的刻板印象相冲突,他们按自己的刻板印象去重塑科学史。科学课程应变辉格式科学史为真实的科学发展历程。     

论胡塞尔对实证主义科学观的批判

近代以来,由于实证主义膨胀,理性精神囿于实证科学,自然科学的符号化盛行,把探问人生意义和价值排除在科学的认识之外。胡塞尔认为这一切都加大了事实科学和价值意义学说间的鸿沟,最终导致了欧洲科学危机和人性危机;要挽救这种危机,解决办法就是回归生活世界,回到真正的理性精神。     

The Effects of Component Variables on Performance in Graph Comprehension Tests

Some cognitive characteristics of graph comprehension items were studied, and a model comprised of several variables was developed. 132 graph items of the Psychometric Entrance Test were included in the study. By analyzing the actual difficulty of the items, an evaluation of the impact of the cognitive variables on item difficulties could be made. Results indicate that successful prediction of item difficulty can be calculated on the basis of a wide range of item characteristics and task demands. This suggests that items can be screened for processing difficulty prior to being administered to examinees. However, the results also have implications for test validity in that the various processing variables identified involve distinct ability dimensions.     

Children's Memory and Comprehension of Two Science Programmes

A total of 111 children, 55 aged 8 to 9 years and 56 aged 14 to 15 years of age, watched one of two single‐topic prime‐time science programmes. Recall and comprehension scores following the viewing of the programmes were assessed. In addition, a number of demographic factors including age, sex, linguistic fluency, prior television viewing and reading habits were investigated as possible predictors of learning from television. It was found that age was a significant factor in both recall and comprehension, but even more important was general knowledge. Sex and linguistic fluency was neither systematically nor frequently associated with good performance. Prior viewing habits concerning science programmes on television and reading behaviour were found to have particular effects but were not major predictors of performance. Knowledge growth (defined as differences in performance between pre‐ and post‐test performance on key, repeated, items specifically addressed by the viewed programme) was consistently observed. This major finding indicated clearly that children can learn prime‐time television science information.     

年龄对统计图理解能力的影响

统计图的理解能力水平应分为4个层次：直接读取数据信息；两点间的比较和加工数据信息；3点或3点以上的局部比较和加工数据信息；全面分析数据信息而形成假设，看出趋势．通过调查，了解到不同年级的学生对统计图理解能力的差异，发现学生随着年龄的增长理解统计图的能力水平在增加．最后对教师和课程开发者提出了一些相关的具体建议．     

学习型课堂:理解与建构

学习型课堂不仅是一种课堂形态,也是一种课堂理念、课堂结构与学习机制,它是课堂发展到一个较高水平阶段的标志。基于学习型组织的多维理性,实现学习型课堂三个维度的合理与均衡建构,就要将课堂目标资源凝聚成课堂愿景,重建学习共同体,促进学生从单维学习者角色向学研一体的双维角色的转变。     

Nature, Narrative, and the Scientist-Writer: Rachel Carson's and Loren Eiseley's Critique of Science

Scientist-writers Rachel Carson and Loren Eiseley use a variety of narrative strategies to describe natural phenomena and explain scientific concepts. These techniques also contribute to an incisive yet balanced critique of science, one rooted in an ethical approach to nature, a rejection of anthropocentrism, and a healthy suspicion of the blind faith in scientific and technological progress. This article analyzes their use of metaphor and perspective, construction of narrative personae, emotional appeals, and invocations of the imagination.     

20世纪中国科学教育的文化批评

从当代科学哲学和科学社会学的视角出发,本分析了20世纪不同版本历史、语和物理教材中的科学化,认为其存在以下有待完善的地方：在科学观方面,应该进一步强调科学问题、科学假设作为科学活动重要的组成部分,深刻阐明科学是一种社会建制的思想;在科学价值观方面,应该充分阐明科学的负面价值与内在价值;在科学发展观方面,应当修正“科学成就史观”和“个人英雄史观”,确立“问题史观”,突出科学问题、科学论争与科学家共同体在推动科学发展中的重要作用;在科学家的形象表征方面,应该注意表现科学家从事科学工作更为重要的一些专业性品质。     

荫度临界图的构造法

给出了由较小的荫度临界图构造较大的荫度临界图的一种合成的方法.     

“学习型共同体课堂”的理解与建构

课堂作为学习型共同体的理解是现代学校教育发展中的新理念,是人们对传统的以班级授课制为基础的课堂教学模式进行批判的过程中逐渐形成的一种观点。"与学生合作的课堂"、"以每一位学生为主体的课堂"、"润泽的课堂"等观点都为把课堂理解为学习型共同体打下了基础。课堂既是一个学习型组织,又是一个微观的共同体。把课堂理解为学习型共同体,就是要对过去旧的以知识为本位的课堂模式进行批判,建构一种新型的以学生为本位的课堂教学生活世界。     

语境构建和大学英语阅读教学

阅读是一项复杂的认知活动,语境构建贯穿着阅读的全过程。本试图阐述在大学英语阅读理解过程中语境的掌握对于理解章深层含义的重要性,以及如何引导学生多层次的构建语篇语境,指导学生积累英语背景知识及相关社会化知识,这将有助于阅读中的语境构建。     

Measuring Quality Technology Integration in Science Classrooms

Journal of Science Education and Technology - Researchers, evaluators, and practitioners need tools to distinguish between applications of technology that support, enhance, and transform classroom...     

Defining and Measuring Engagement and Learning in Science: Conceptual,Theoretical, Methodological,and Analytical Issues

Engagement is one of the most widely misused and overgeneralized constructs found in the educational, learning, instructional, and psychological sciences. The articles in this special issue represent a wide range of traditions and highlight several key conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and analytical issues related to defining and measuring engagement. All the approaches exemplified by the contributors show different ways of conceptualizing and measuring engagement and demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of each method to significantly augment our current understanding of engagement. Despite the numerous issues raised by the authors of this special issue and in my commentary, I argue that focusing on process data will lead to advances in models, theory, methods, analytical techniques, and ultimately instructional recommendations for learning contexts that effectively engage students.     

Effects of Argument Scaffolding and Source Credibility on Science Text Comprehension

This study investigated the effects of argument scaffolding and source credibility on science text comprehension. Eighty-seven college students were randomly assigned to an argument scaffolding activity, or no scaffolding, and read 2 science texts, attributed to a high- or a low-credibility source. The argument-scaffolding group recalled less text-based information but generated more knowledge-based inferences than did the no-scaffolding group. High source credibility enhanced readers’ text-based recall but had little effect on knowledge-based inferences or situation models. Overall, results suggest that argumentation facilitates deeper text comprehension and better argument understanding, while at the same time reducing the effect of source credibility on text processing.     

阅读理解框架搭建中的跨文化因素

外语学生解决了基本的语言困难以后,还可能在阅读理解上面临一些隐性困难,包括在搭建理解框架的过程中由于背景的模糊和价值观的冲突而造成的干扰。实证研究通过对比中国学生和英语本族语读者对一篇阅读材料及其相关问卷的反馈之研究,显示了在理解框架的构建过程中由于跨文化因素而产生的差别,以及中国学生阅读过程中的心理状态,发现了他们在搭建理解框架时的困难,分析产生模糊感和距离感的原因。