Mapping Gravitational and Magnetic Fields with Children 9–11: Relevance,difficulties and prospects

This paper presents an investigation centered on a guided conceptual path concerning magnetic and gravitational fields, proposed for children aged 9–11. The goal is to appreciate to what extent the idea of “mapping” two fields of interaction is accessible and fruitful for children of that age. The conceptual target is to link magnetic and gravitational sources with their respective field lines, and then use this linkage to differentiate between the two kinds of interactions. This study shows that the proposed “mapping” and the differences between the maps are accessible to a large proportion of pupils. By contrast, only a minority can differentiate between the two types of interactions: the idea of mere attraction remains dominant and may screen the idea of orientation. Finally, we discuss to what extent these exploratory results confirm the relevancy of such teaching goals and how they inform the design of research‐based teaching sequences concerning this topic.     

Interdisciplinary teaching

This exploratory study compared cognitive style and teaching technique when 25 doctoral students taught a class session within their field of study and a class session outside their field of study. Methodologies used were a narrative and an analysis comparing in-field teaching with out-of-field teaching. Results revealed that out-of-field teaching produces anxiety which respondents attempted to overcome by changing from less structured to more structured fields and from less formal to more formal teaching techniques. Inferences are that out-of-field teaching may be more appropriately described as traditional than nontraditional, and that out-of-field teaching may be inappropriate for nontraditional, student-oriented institutions.     

Moving Beyond Solving for “x”: Teaching Abstract Algebra in a Liberal Arts Mathematics Course

Abstract

This paper details an inquiry-based approach for teaching the basic notions of rings and fields to liberal arts mathematics students. The task sequence seeks to encourage students to identify and comprehend core concepts of introductory abstract algebra by thinking like mathematicians; that is, by investigating an open-ended mathematical context, identifying patterns, and venturing conjectures. A sequence of open-ended instructional tasks that aim to capitalize on students’ prior experiences with equation solving is provided along with notes and sample student responses for prospective instructors.     

Promoting Students’ Interest and Motivation Towards Science Learning: the Role of Personal Needs and Motivation Orientations

This study aimed to design a teaching sequence for science education that enabled lower secondary school students to enhance their motivation towards science. Further, it looked to examine the way the designed teaching sequence affected students with different motivational profiles. Industry site visits, with embodied theory-based motivational features were included as part of the designed teaching sequence. The sequence was implemented in Finland and Greece with 54 participants, 27 from each country. Quantitative data was collected using the Evaluation of Science Inquiry Activities Questionnaire, based on the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory but did not map the expected outcomes. Interviews, however, showed that students with different motivational profiles found aspects within the module that met their psychological needs as explained by Self-Determination Theory. The results offer a perspective to adolescents’ psychological needs along with some insights into how students mediate the way they value an activity in the context of science education.     

论课堂教学时序——基于怀特海教育节奏思想的视角

怀特海在《教育的目的》中将教育的节奏划分为浪漫阶段、精确阶段和综合运用阶段,充分揭示了基于学习者智力发展特点的学习进阶规律,以及教育遵循智力发展的阶段性所应体现出的节奏性。这为分析课堂教学时序,促进课堂教学的有序运行提供了新的视角。具体而言,课堂教学时序包括学习主体之身心时序、课程知识之逻辑序、教学过程之运行序。这就要求教学遵循学习者的身心发展序,让“适合学生的教学”成为可能;课程知识的选择、组织与传递符合知识的内在逻辑,并联结主体经验,让课程富有活力;厘清教学关系,精心设计教学流程,合理创设教学情境,让教学过程富有诗意,让学习者在学习中充满体验和遐想。     

Harnessing the power of film in the primary classroom

This paper explores one way that teachers can develop creativity within potentially limiting confines and pressures of curriculum guidelines. The researcher considers the inclusion of film as a creative, engaging and effective strategy for teaching reading using data from a small‐scale research project. Hypotheses are based on analysis of activities that use moving image as an alternative text to printed books. During the project's teaching sequence, children are familiarised with film as a moving image, ideas are captured, the teacher demonstrates the use of techniques in meaning making, before the children finally show their understanding through their work. In this instance, the children were involved in making their own films, acting as directors, film crew, sound technicians, illustrators and narrators. As the partial purpose of the study was to explore the practical logistics of developing a creative teaching style within a structured curriculum, tight timings were an essential aspect of the validity of the work. All the teaching was completed within the normal hourly lesson for literacy, and the basic structure of lessons was maintained – an introduction with whole‐class work, followed by individual/paired or group work and concluded with a plenary. The researcher values the creative use of film as a powerful experience in itself and the study aimed to substantiate these beliefs by exploring both the accessibility and the results of harnessing the power of film within literacy teaching.     

Development of chemical engineering course methods using action research: case study

This paper reports on the systematic development of a teaching methodology for two chemical engineering courses. The aim was to improve the quality of teaching to achieve expected learning outcomes more effectively. The development was carried out over a period of several years based on an action research methodology with data systematically extracted from student feedback and teacher reflection. Two new development targets were set every year based on teacher reflection and analysis of the data. Using action research as a development tool is an approach that can also be adopted in many other teaching fields. The results show that persistent development work leads to better learning outcomes and positive course feedback.     

A Teaching–Learning Sequence for the Special Relativity Theory at High School Level Historically and Epistemologically Contextualized

This paper discusses some topics that stem from recent contributions made by the History, the Philosophy, and the Didactics of Science. We consider these topics relevant to the introduction of the Special Relativity Theory (SRT) in high school within a contextualized approach. We offer an outline of a teaching?Clearning sequence dealing with the SRT within this frame of reference. Such a sequence was tried out on a group of high school students in Argentina. The results obtained seem to indicate that the proposal has been effective as regards the motivational aspects and the understanding students gained of some of its concepts.     

Spielen Studienschwerpunkte wirklich eine Rolle?

Due to a comparatively weak curricular structure in education faculties, student teachers may determine their study experiences and learning processes largely by themselves, by selecting their own priorities within educational foundation studies. This paper focused on the relationship between individually-chosen educational specializations, self-perceived competence in these chosen fields, and the measured educational knowledge. The study among teacher education graduates in the German state North Rhine-Westphalia showed that the individually chosen priorities within educational courses varied greatly; however, a focus on topics like classroom teaching, learning and development, and creating school environments was discernable. Results revealed that graduates with certain courses of specializations showed a significant higher level of knowledge in self-report in according areas. However, there were only small significant correlations between the self-reported competencies and the educational knowledge measured by the test. The results of the standardized test of educational knowledge indicated that the graduates in fact achieved better test results in their prioritized fields of studies. This suggests that individual course selection in educational foundations does have an effect on subsequent educational knowledge.     

Magnetoelectroelastic fields in rotating multiferroic composite cylindrical structures

An analytical solution is obtained for a rotating multiferroic composite hollow cylinder made of radially polarized piezoelectric and piezomagnetic materials. Both the number of layers and the stacking sequence of the composite cylinder can be arbitrary. General mechanical, electric and magnetic boundary conditions can be applied at both the inner and outer cylindrical surfaces. The state space method is employed so that only a 2×2 matrix is involved in the whole solving procedure. In the numerical experiments, the distributions of elastic, electric as well as magnetic fields in an internally pressurized rotating BaTiO3/CoFe2O4 composite hollow cylinder subjected to different boundary conditions are presented graphically. The results clearly show that the stress fields in a multiferroic composite cylinder are controllable.     

Teaching Colour: designing and evaluation of a sequence

The paper describes a teaching sequence about colour given to students in Applied Arts. The conceptual content is chosen to integrate scientific, technical and perceptual aspects of colour. The teaching strategy aims at increasing the availability of conceptual tools in the analysis of the technical applications of colour in art. The results of an inquiry into students’ previous ideas were taken into account when designing a teaching process which includes experimental activities. During the sequence, observation has suggested ways of readjusting instructional activities and qualitative data helped to build a quantitative tool of evaluation of the sequence. The implications of this study on classroom practice and science teacher education are discussed.     

Assessing the Teaching Quality of Accounting Programmes: An evaluation of the Course Experience Questionnaire

In recent years, measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of higher edu cation has become a major issue. National governments are now demanding greater public accountability for funds invested in the sector, resulting in the emergence of various performance indicators relating to both teaching and research. The Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) was developed to measure the perceived quality of teaching in degree programmes. It evolved from research that identified curriculum, teaching and assessment as key determinants of students' approaches to learning and, in turn, the quality of their learning outcomes. The CEQ data are intended for use in making comparisons within fields of study over time and/or across institutions. However, no European study has reported on its suitability to evaluate teaching within an accounting programme. This paper outlines the development of the CEQ and confirms its reliability and construct validity for use in the accounting discipline in an Irish context.     

Students' Learning of a Generalized Theory of Sound Transmission from a Teaching–Learning Sequence about Sound,Hearing and Health

Learning abstract concepts such as sound often involves an ontological shift because to conceptualize sound transmission as a process of motion demands abandoning sound transmission as a transfer of matter. Thus, for students to be able to grasp and use a generalized model of sound transmission poses great challenges for them. This study involved 199 students aged 10–14. Their views about sound transmission were investigated before and after teaching by comparing their written answers about sound transfer in different media. The teaching was built on a research-based teaching–learning sequence (TLS), which was developed within a framework of design research. The analysis involved interpreting students' underlying theories of sound transmission, including the different conceptual categories that were found in their answers. The results indicated a shift in students' understandings from the use of a theory of matter before the intervention to embracing a theory of process afterwards. The described pattern was found in all groups of students irrespective of age. Thus, teaching about sound and sound transmission is fruitful already at the ages of 10–11. However, the older the students, the more advanced is their understanding of the process of motion. In conclusion, the use of a TLS about sound, hearing and auditory health promotes students' conceptualization of sound transmission as a process in all grades. The results also imply some crucial points in teaching and learning about the scientific content of sound.     

Analysis of a new 5-phase bearingless induction motor

This paper addresses the bearingless motor with a single set of multiphase windings. The interaction between M and M±1 pole-pair magnetic fields produces radial force. Based on this principle,a bearingless machine is obtained. Conventional bearingless machine has dual windings,levitation windings and torque windings,which produce the two magnetic fields. In the proposed bearingless motor,the two needed magnetic fields are produced by feeding two groups of currents to a single set of multiphase windings. Taking a 5-phase induction motor as example,the inductance matrices,considering air gap eccentricity,are calculated with the modified winding function method. The radial force analytical model is deduced by virtual displacement,and its results are validated by FEA. The mathematical model of the new bearingless machine is set up,and the simulation results verified the feasibility of this novel bearingless motor.     

Teaching about theories of light in year 12 physics: An historical approach

This paper examines an approach to the teaching of a year 12 Physics topic from within an historical setting. The Victorian Physics course requires teachers to cover each topic within some particular prescribed context, so that the everyday relevance of physics or its interrelationships with other fields of endeavour can be demonstrated. The Light and Matter topic specifies only one context: Landmark Developments. Rather than adopting a ‘names, dates and events’ approach which, for many understandable reasons, most teachers seem to follow, the author has attempted to cover the history in greater detail and more holistically. Specializations: history of physics, nature of science, construction of knowledge, social responsibility in science.     

混合学习之教学序列实证研究

随着互联网+教育的深入发展,混合学习已成为教育改革发展的大势所趋。深入理解混合学习模式的课堂教学结构与教学序列,可为教学工作者在重塑教学结构、再造教学流程、改进教学模式等方面提供参考借鉴。首先对混合学习进行概述,并对课堂观察发展历程与研究现状进行梳理;对教学结构序列框架进行概括总结,提出观察指标体系;利用 Nvivo 软件对混合学习最典型的教学模式——翻转课堂的课例进行多维度观察与定性分析,并对混合学习教学序列进行验证。结果表明,翻转课堂是“H→L”型序列,即为教师主导、学生主体型教学结构,是高结构化与低结构化教学的融合,也是对传统课程教学序列的变革,为“教”与“学”的方式赋予了新内涵。     

An in-depth study of two individual students' understanding of electric and magnetic fields

This paper describes and compares individual students' understanding of a range of concepts associated with electric and magnetic fields. Data are drawn from written tests and detailed interviews of students from a first-year university physics class. The case study approach makes it possible to examine in depth the interaction between conceptions of various related topics in the students' minds. The theoretical framework of the SOLO (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome) Taxonomy, as elaborated in a previous paper on this topic area by the author, is further advanced here. Using this framework, the paper provides insight into a more detailed view of students' understanding of fields, which in turn casts light on possible teaching strategies for fields and related topics.     

The complex development of student-teachers' thinking

Studies of student-teacher development have tended to suggest a three-stage model of development in which the novices' concerns shift outwards from an initial preoccupation with self, to a focus on tasks and teaching situations, and finally to consideration of pupil learning. This paper, based on sequence of post-lesson interviews conducted with 25 student teachers following 1-year postgraduate courses within school-based partnership schemes of initial teacher education, questions the adequacy of such a model. Analysis of the reasons that the student-teachers offered for their teaching decisions, and of their lesson evaluations suggests a high level of concern for pupils' learning and an awareness of the complexity of teaching from very early in their training. The implications of these findings are explored; in particular, the challenges that they pose to teacher educators in terms of course structure and curricula, and the need to be responsive to individual learners.     

A Conceptual Analysis of Evolutionary Theory for Teacher Education

In this paper we present a schematic overview of the central concepts in evolutionary theory, setting them off against the background of widespread misconceptions about them. Our aim is to provide high school teachers with (1) an overview of those particular concepts that they can expect students to have difficulties with, (2) a comparison of students’ alternative conceptions with the corresponding accepted scientific concepts and (3) some recommendations for teaching these concepts. We aim to improve the learning and teaching of evolution by making the relevant conceptual debates within the fields of history and philosophy of science more accessible to science teachers. We intended this conceptual analysis to be of use as a teaching tool for in-service teachers, as well as biology teachers in training.