Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching Environmental Issues Within the Science Curriculum: A Hong Kong Perspective

The present study was an exploratory study of Hong Kong secondary school Integrated Science teachers' perceptions of environmental education. Both questionnaire survey and interviews were used. Teachers were classified according to their scores of attitudes, perceived barriers, and current emphasis on teaching environmental education. This study found that Integrated Science teachers' attitudes toward environmental education, skills of teaching environmental education, beliefs in the relevance of Integrated Science to environmental education, and intentions of teaching environmental education in Integrated Science classes were associated with their actual ways of teaching of environmental education. Teachers tended to teach more environmental education if they held more favorable attitudes toward environmental education, had more skills of teaching environmental education, believed more in the relevance of Integrated Science to environmental education, and would actually want to teach more environmental education in Integrated Science classes if there were fewer constraints. Moreover, variations in the teaching of environmental education were reflected by teachers' emphasis on teaching environmental education, and their use of a variety of teaching methods and their regular practices of extracurricular activities on environmental education.     

Using Rasch Measurement Theory to Examine Two Instructional Approaches for Teaching and Learning of French Grammar

ABSTRACT

A new model of reflective practice for student teachers on school placement was implemented into a teacher education program. The model aimed to encourage critical reflection that challenged hegemonic assumptions and power relations. In contrast to this, the analysis of the student teachers’ reflections revealed a desire to fit in and conform. Reflections portrayed student teachers’ allegiance to conventional practices rather than a critique of them. Issues associated with power relations remained uncontested. The authors explore possible reasons for these low levels of critique and examines the normative effect of cultural practices on student teachers’ reflections.     

The Perspectives of Women and Their Health-Care Providers Regarding Using an ECA to Support Mode of Birth Decisions

This study used focus groups to assess the feasibility and acceptability of adapting an Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) to support decision-making about mode of birth after previous cesarean. Twelve women with previous cesareans, and eight prenatal providers at an academic, tertiary-care medical center, viewed a prototype ECA and were asked to share feedback on the potential role in helping women prepare for decision-making. Both groups felt that although it was somewhat “robot-like,” the ECA could provide easy access to information for patients and could augment the visit with providers. Future work is needed to improve ECA visual appeal and clarify the role and timing for utilization of decision aids using ECA technology to enhance the shared decision-making process.     

Reconsidering the Study of Mathematics Instructional Practices: The Importance of Curricular Context in Understanding Local and Global Teacher Change

This paper discusses the case of one teacher, Jackie, whose instructional practices illuminate the importance of textbooks and student/parent expectations in shaping pedagogy. Jackie teaches in the Plainview district, which offers parents and students a choice between a reform-oriented, integrated curriculum (Core Plus) and a more conventional algebra sequence (the University of Chicago series). Each day, Jackie teaches two very different sections of accelerated eighth-grade mathematics using each of these curricular materials. Drawing from students’ survey responses, classroom observations, and teacher interview data, we show ways in which Jackie’s pedagogy differs considerably between the two courses and we shed light on reasons underlying this variation.By examining one teacher who enacts different practices in each of the two curricular contexts, this paper highlights factors that contribute to teachers’ enacted curricula – factors that have been understated in previous mathematics education research on teacher development. The study establishes the importance of distinguishing between global and local teacher change, and suggests implications for future studies of teaching and reform.     

The Role of Mathematics Teachers' Content Knowledge in their Teaching: A Framework for Research applied to a Study of Student Teachers

The authors develop and explain a framework toguide research on the relationship betweenmathematics teachers' knowledge of content andtheir teaching. The framework istwo-dimensional. The dimensions are (a) theelements of teaching and (b) the processes ofteaching in which knowledge of content is ofconsequence. The interplay between the elementsof teaching and the processes of teaching isdiscussed theoretically, consideringconnections to existing literature about therole of teachers' subject matter knowledge.Three vignettes from the authors' work withpre-service secondary mathematics teachersinvestigate further the relationship betweencontent knowledge and effective mathematicsteaching. The vignettes also serve toillustrate the complexity of investigationsinto this relationship. Direction is offeredfor use of the framework in future research.     

新时代教师队伍建设视域下的教师教学与扮演角色变革取向

新时代要落实立德树人根本任务,办好人民满意的教育,必须打造一支高素质、专业化、创新型教师队伍。为此,大量学校和教师已经开始从基于学生学习的教学、基于游戏化的教学和基于项目式的教学等方面开展了促进学生核心素养形成与全面发展的教学改革。总结已有经验,结合未来形势,可以发现,未来的教学需要向着整体化教学、情境化教学和自主化教学方向进行更为深入的改革;而教师则需要顺应改革需求,争做学生信仰与价值的引领者、学生学习的研究者和学生个性化发展的指导者,方可适应未来教育教学变革需要。     

层次分析法在毕业生谋职决策中的应用

利用层次分析法 (AHP) ,对影响毕业生谋职的诸因素进行定量化分析 ,建立辅助决策模型 ,然后对侯选的单位进行排序 ,帮助毕业生选择恰当的工作单位     

国际小学科学课程改革的历史与现状

通过对现代国际小学科学课程改革的历史回顾,可以看出。60年代课程改革失败的主要原因首先是未能充分考虑将教学内容与孩子们的认知特点相联系,其次是教师素质问题。然而。当时提出的课程编制的“探究”和“过程”思想,今天得到了重视和发展,它们被重新定义为以科学家的观念为基础的“科学的探究”和“科学的过程”。目前国际上对小学科学课程的性质、探究过程与课程内容的关系、教学目标和教学内容的细化程度以及教师培训的内客与方法等微观问题也都进行了较深入的研究和讨论,它们对我国目前的改革具有重要的借鉴意义。     

教师持续专业学习与发展:内涵、条件与评估 ——专访英国诺丁汉大学荣休教授戴杰思

在教师发展领域,基于原有的教师“专业发展(PD)”“持续/连续专业发展(CPD)”,戴杰思教授进一步提出并强调教师“持续专业学习与发展(CPLD)”的概念。他认为,CPLD项目本质上是对教师实施的系列干预活动,主要是通过有意识地为教师提供有价值的学习内容和发展机会,促进教师的专业成长,从而实现学校的积极变革和可持续发展。在CPLD项目的设计和实施过程中,要重视教师的内因作用,特别是他们的情绪韧性;同时,学校在开展CPLD项目过程中,需要从四个方面保障其有效性,即正确认识教师学习的本质与改变、重视教师专业性、提升学校领导层重视度、创建专业学习共同体。由于教师工作的复杂性,CPLD项目实施效果的测量和评估需通过构建长期、多视角立体式的测评模式探索其有效的路径和方法。     

中小学教师信息技术应用能力的调查与思考——对平陆县150名教师的调查与分析

信息技术教学手段是社会发展的必然产物,是教育现代化的重要标志。通过对课堂教学中使用信息技术教学手段的现状调查,分析各种原因,提出建议,以利于提高中小学教师信息技术应用能力,提高教育教学质量,适应教育现代化的发展。     

清末国人科学观的演化：从“格致＂到“科学”的词义考辨

随着西方科学的广泛传播,晚清国人对科学的认识也在不断深入。从清末国人使用的“格致”、“格物”、“科学”词语演变及词义差异中,即可看出当时国人“科学”观的变化过程。     

点燃教与学的火焰——“自然分材教学”让每一个学生高扬希望的风帆

“自然分材教学”坚持“弱生上进,优生更优,全体学生齐发展”的教学理念,体现了人文关怀和科学精神的融合。它通过感情先行、自学互帮、普补结合、档案跟踪等环节,将素质教育落到实处,满足学生个性化发展需要,让每一个学生扬起希望的风帆。     

Motivating Teachers to Enact Free-Choice Project-Based Learning in Science and Technology (PBLSAT): Effects of a Professional Development Model

We investigated the effects of a long-term, continuous professional development (CPD) model, designed to support teachers to enact Project-Based Learning (PBLSAT). How do novice PBLSAT teachers view their acquisition of PBLSAT skills and how do expert PBLSAT teachers, who enacted the program 5–7 years, perceive the program? Novice teachers evaluated that they acquired the relevant skills but also expressed worries about enacting the program, due to potential difficulties for teachers. Nonetheless, the teachers enacted the program and identified unforeseen benefits for themselves and their students. We suggest that the CPD model helps teachers develop a sense of personal ownership and customization for the program, through multi-staged support to integrate student free-choice PBL into the formal science curriculum.     

产学研合作的沃里克模式和教学公司模式——英国的经验

英国根据自身的基本条件和发展目标,通过不断的探索,形成了独具特色的产学研合作模式,即沃里克模式和教学公司模式。文章对此进行了介绍,意在揭示英国高校科技成果产业化的成功经验,以资借鉴。     

国家精品课程创新推广特性及策略研究——以“学习科学与技术”课程为例

作为世界开放教育资源运动的重要组成部分,中国国家精品课程建设项目在创新推广和共建共享的过程中遇到了一系列的困难和问题。本文以首届国家精品课程学习科学与技术近八年来在国内9个省、20所高校创新推广和共建共享的实践为案例,总结和反思了精品课程共建共享的经验与主要问题,并在对世界开放教育资源运动的经验和问题进行总结、比较的基础上,提出了六条建议。     

The Roles of Substantive and Procedural Understanding in Open-Ended Science Investigations: Using Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis to Compare Two Different Tasks

We examine the respective roles of substantive understanding (i.e., understanding of factual knowledge, concepts, laws and theories) and procedural understanding (an understanding of ideas about evidence; concepts such as reliability and validity, measurement and calibration, data collection, measurement error, the ability to interpret evidence and the like) required to carry out an open-ended science investigation. Our chosen method of analysis is Charles Ragin’s Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis which we introduce in the paper. Comparing the performance of undergraduate students on two investigation tasks which differ with regard to the amount of substantive content, we demonstrate that both substantive understanding and an understanding of ideas about evidence are jointly involved in carrying out such tasks competently. It might be expected that substantive knowledge is less important when carrying out an investigation with little substantive demand. However, we find that the contribution of substantive understanding and an understanding of ideas about evidence is remarkably similar for both tasks. We discuss possible reasons for our findings.

从点缀到主角——新世纪科学教育中STSE的课程形式与功能演进

应循科学技术和科学教育发展而诞生的STSE教学,几十年来在课程形式和功能上的演变经历了三个阶段,完善了其教学地位,并在新世纪基础教育课程与教学改革中发挥着新的功能。论文试图以理科化学课程为例,阐明不同的STSE的课程作用与演进形式,并从实现理科课程教学三维目标的角度论述了STSE的教学作用。     

《易传》太和观的历史积淀与现代意义

太和观是中华思维历史演进的必然结果 ,是中华辩证法理论的历史积淀。太和范畴虽然是《易传》提出的 ,但它作为一种宇宙观和方法论 ,其内容却早已存在于华夏文化的精髓之中。随着历史的演进和文化的不断整合 ,它已积淀为中华民族宇宙观的基本形态 ,从而对中华民族的文化和文明的发展产生了直接的导航作用。在某种程度上说 ,太和观既是中华民族的宇宙观 ,也是中华民族的思维模式和存在模式 ,它是中华民族在不同历史时期社会政治观和伦理道德观及其人生价值观的哲学基础     

“第一学历歧视”怪象亟待破除——基于J大学硕士生第一学历与其综合能力的相关分析

“第一学历歧视”现象变得越来越令人担忧。通过定量研究J大学近三届硕士研究生第一学历与综合能力之间的相关性发现:不同第一学历硕士研究生在创新能力方面不存在显著性差异。也就是说,硕士研究生第一学历与其综合能力中的核心能力无关。因此,在研究生招生和就业等领域,强调“第一学历”甚至把它作为准入“门槛”,是完全没有必要的。破除“第一学历歧视”,全社会要提高认识,回归正确评价共识;制定专门法律条款,建立纠错援助机制;践行品德能力导向,深化选人用人改革。