Interpretation of students' understanding of the concept of weightlessness

This study reports on an investigation of students' understanding of the concept of weightlessness among intermediate, high school and college students. It appears possible to interpret this knowledge as being highly influenced by the confusion between two basic physics concepts, weight and gravitational force, which are often equated in a standard physics curriculum. The proposed causal structure of students' knowledge presents a platform for interpreting a cluster of students' alternative ideas about weight and related physical concepts. This platform could guide physics educators in their considerations of appropriate strategies for presenting weight and gravity topics in the classroom.     

初中生物学课后作业有效设计的思考

布置并指导完成适当的课后作业是初中生物课教学过程的重要环节.课后作业过程是学生学习成长的历程,是理论联系实际,关注生活,关注生产和社会实际的重要途径;也是培养学生学习兴趣,发展创造性思维,学习科学探究方法,形成实践技能的重要形式.对贯彻新课程理念,树立新的作业观,努力提高初中生物课后作业设计的有效性,进行了有益的探索与实践,取得了良好的效果.     

概念图在初中英语课堂中的应用

基础教育阶段的英语课程"既是学生通过英语学习和英语实践活动,逐步掌握英语知识和技能,提高英语实际运用能力的过程,又是他们拓展视野、丰富生活经历、促进思维发展锻炼意志、陶冶情操、发展个性和提高综合人文素养的过程。阅读作为中学生英语学习的重要知识输入方式,在英语学习中有着重要地位,针对弥补传统由下到上的阅读模式不注重文章逻辑的教学方法,将概念图使用到阅读教学中。     

The effect of tools of a computer microworld on students' strategies regarding the concept of conservation of area

This study focuses on the role oftools, provided by a computer microworld,(C.AR.ME) on the strategies developed by14-year-old students regarding the conceptof conservation of area of a non-convexpolygon. Students' strategies on atransformation and a comparison task wereinterpreted and classified into categoriesin terms of the tools used for thedevelopment of these tasks. The analysis ofthe data shows that the nature of the toolsused affected the nature of solutionstrategies that the students constructed.Three different approaches to the conceptof conservation of area emerged from thestrategies which were constructed by thestudents in this microworld: the intuitiveapproach involving the splitting of areasinto parts and recomposing them to produceequivalent areas, the enclosing of thenon-convex polygon in a minimum convexsuperset and the dynamic transformationapproach. Most students managed to use theabove approaches in combination therebyviewing the concept of conservation of areaas interrelated with the concept of areameasurement using spatial units and areaformulae. Almost all students experiencedqualitative aspects of the conservation ofarea through being involved in the processof splitting areas into parts andrecomposing them to produce equivalentareas. Most students experienced dynamicrepresentations of this concept throughexploring it in a variety of equivalentareas. Moreover, most students explored theconservation of area in classes ofequivalent parallelograms and triangles andthis illuminated serious difficulties, mostof which were overcome in this computerenvironment. Finally, the analysis of thedata shows that all students were involvedin the tasks and succeeded in completingthem with more than one correct solutionstrategy thereby developing a broader viewof the concept, although not all of themused the same strategies. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

关注初中美术课堂活动的有效性

在课堂教学中,教师通过各种课堂活动来达成教学目标。教师安排的课堂活动是否有效?怎样才能更好地、有效地开展课堂活动是本文要阐述的主要内容。本文从以下五个方面对美术课堂活动的有效性加以关注:(一)引导学生进行有效的观察(二)选择合适的教学方法进行有效的讲解(三)组织学生针对问题进行有效讨论(四)从课堂练习中进行有效的技能训练(五)有效的评价,引导学生看到前进的方向。通过对这些方面的关注和研究,保证了美术课堂活动比以往更加深入实际,更加有效,美术课教学目标能够更好得达成,教学质量因此有了实质性的提高。     

留守初中生心理问题的自我保护策略研究

留守初中生处于特殊的家庭生态环境及心理和生理都急剧变化的重要时期,容易产生各种各样的心理问题和消极人格。这些问题如果得不到解决,不利于其健康全面成长。虽然社会、学校和家庭等这些支持对其心理健康发展有很大帮助,但是留守初中生自身的积极适应也是非常重要的。留守初中生要改善自我认知,进行自我调适,合理疏解。强化心理成长,养成健康心态。     

浅议初中化学课堂探究学习的有效性

义务教育化学学科,以科学探究作为课程改革的突破口,强调科学探究是一种重要而有效的学习方式,又是义务教育阶段化学课程的重要学习内容。在课堂教学中合理利用资源,真正体现＂教为主导,学为主体＂,提高探究学习的有效性。     

A longitudinal study of junior high school students' conceptions of the structure of materials

This longitudinal study investigated the progression in junior high school (JHS) students' conceptions of the structure of matter while studying a new instructional approach dealing with “Materials.” In particular, we studied the progression of students' learning along two dimensions: (a) the conceptual model; and (b) the context of application. Students were asked to draw the structure of several materials and to write their explanations about the structure of these materials in questionnaires administered five times during a 3‐year period. Results indicate students' progression in their microscopic conceptualization of materials. Toward the end of the instruction about 85% of the students used a microscopic model in their representations, and 36% were able to give a molecular model. About 83% of the students retained a microscopic model. Different profiles of JHS students' progression in the conception of the structure of matter were identified. The study suggests that a long‐term development of the particulate model requires: (a) constructing a solid foundation of knowledge about microscopic structure of materials; and (b) a spiral instruction. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 132–152, 2008     

The effectiveness of the use of games as a revision technique in junior high school science

Conclusions It should be pointed out that the results of this study showed the students did just as well, and sometimes better, in a gaming situation when compared with traditional revision situations. Therefore games were as good as, and sometimes a better revision aid than, other more traditional means such as video tapes and slides. Hence games could be useful as a means of providing variety and active student involvement in the classroom. Further, the acceptance of games did not appear to be dependent, to any large extent, on personality factors such as need for achievement, need for affiliation, and cognitive level. This seemed to be an indication that games were suitable for use with a broad spectrum of students.     

A cross-age study of junior high school students' conceptions of basic astronomy concepts

Junior high school students' astronomy conceptions were analysed by means of a written questionnaire presented to them during the beginning of the first semester. The main findings were as follows: almost half of the students indicated that the cause of the day-night cycle is the Earth spinning on its axis; most students chose as their best account for changes in the Moon's phases the Moon moving around the Earth. Despite that, most students thought that the Moon must be in its Full phase for there to be a total solar eclipse; most students underestimated the distances in the Universe and overestimated the Earth's diameter. A great proportion of students indicated that the reason for the different seasons is the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of its orbit as it revolves around the Sun. But almost the same number of students chose the varying distance between Sun and Earth or between the Earth, Moon and Sun, as a reason for the seasons. Only a third of the students answered correctly that in Israel's latitude, north of the Tropic of Cancer, the Sun is never directly overhead at noon; most students chose the correct estimate of a month for the Moon revolving around the Earth and a year for the Moon going around the Sun; about a third of the students chose the correct answer that when it is noon in Haifa, it would be about sunset in Beijing (90° east of Haifa). Few students indicated that the fact that we always see the same side of the Moon from the Earth implies that the Moon rotates on its axis once a month.     

通过实验落实对初中学生情感态度和价值观的教育目标探究的尝试

《化学课程标准》明确提出：化学课程通过化学知识与技能、过程与方法、情感态度与价值观等三个方面来体现对未来社会公民科学素养的培养。然而。教师通常都可以轻松地完成知识和能力目标的设计．精心地设计相应的教学过程,并将方法融于其中,但在落实情感态度和价值观的教育目标时．却常常感到无从下手。     

初中英语阅读课文整体教学模式初探

对初中英语阅读课文整体教学模式的探索是十分必要的。教师通过对导入、整体呈现课文、精读课文讲练结合,学习语言知识、整体巩固练习和作业布置等几个环节进行教学设计,把理论和实践相结合,可以尝试和探索英语阅读课文整体教学模式。实践证明,整体教学能够培养学生的阅读能力。     

The teacher's role in the transformation of students' understanding

The application of constructivist referents for teaching science has received some recent unwarranted criticism. To counter some of the pedagogical criticisms, the teacher's role and actions within a Year 6 science classroom learning community are described. In particular, my interpretation of two teaching episodes shows how the teacher helped a group of students transform their understanding of electrical circuits. The teacher in this study mediated learning by monitoring the transformation of student understanding and negotiating scientific practices—teaching practices which need to be illustrated more fully by researchers to avoid further confusion about the application of idea-based social constructivism. I argue that the teacher's role, from a social constructivist perspective, is to employ whatever strategies are needed to help students develop a deeper understanding of canonical science.     

提高初中物理计算题解题能力策略

针对学生解析计算题的能力不足的现象,通过对计算题中的审题、解题、思维、归纳提高等各个环节的系统分析,提高学生解析计算题的能力.     

The effect of practical work on students' understanding of combustion

This paper describes a study which investigated 14 and 15 year old students' understanding of combustion in both England and Spain, and explores the effect of practical laboratory experience on students' understanding. The teaching and learning styles used with the students in the study were explored using questionnaires and interviews. The students' understanding of combustion was explored using a questionnaire. The responses of English and Spanish students are significantly different. The quality of the responses is explored in terms of the awareness of students of the involvement of gases in combustion, and it appears, however, that the more extensive use of practical work in English schools has had only a marginal effect on their understanding of combustion.     

初中生科学史学习状况的调查与分析

对重庆市初中生的科学史学习现状开展了调查。调查表明,初中生对科学史学习持认同态度,但对科学史学习缺少主动意识;科学家的生平轶事是学生最感兴趣的内容;学生认为学习科学史最主要的作用是提高其学习兴趣;升学的压力和教师对科学史教学的重视程度是影响学生学习科学史的主要因素。提出了教师应充分挖掘科学史的＂渗透＂因素、不断提高自身科学史素养,以及采取多种途径促进学生学习科学史等建议。