Effective teaching approach employed by primary school science teachers

Teachers are often urged to use a variety of modes of instruction to ensure that diverse student interests and abilities can be accomodated. Yet teachers can be limited in the instructional modes they can use because of insufficient background or knowledge about a specific instructional mode （Dawson, 2004）. Teaching approaches are various in purposes such as to trigger students＇ interest in science, to discover through inquiry approach, to build students understanding through constructivism approach or to introduce a concept through demontration approach. Every approach has the strength and weakness in its use. Although inquiry may not be the only way to teach science, many science educators believe that it may be the best way for students to learn science （Audet ＆ Jordan, 2005）. According to Woolfolk （2001）, constructivism is a mode of instruction that emphasizes the active role of the learner in building, understanding and making sense of information. Demonstrations by teacher can be used with students of all ages and across all subjects. The teacher is not only knowledgeable about the topic but also uses a variety of aids to ensure that students understand what is being demonstrated （Marsh, 2004）. By studying their teaching approaches and methods, the actual practices could be analysed and the effectiveness status of their effectiveness could be determined. Specifically, this study aimed to answer these questions in terms of three approaches namely inquiry, constructivism and demonstrations; how far is this approach effective in terms of teaching and learning, and what is the correlation between these three approaches. Data were collected from primary school science teachers （N=239） and the results shown that the teachers were agreeable with the three approaches, inquiry approach （mean=3.74, SD=0.27）, demonstration approach （mean=3.61, SD=0.27） and constructivism approach （mean=3.86, SD=0.30）. The results also showed that there are significant correlations among inquiry, demonstration and constructivism approach. This finding showed that primary school science teachers not depend only on one type of approach and apply variously in teaching science. There are also positive and significant correlation between that approaches used by primary school science teachers.     

How confident are primary school teachers in teaching science?

The recent nationalDiscipline Review of Teacher Education in Mathematics and Science outlines the lack of confidence of many preservice primary school teachers in teaching science. This study explores the attitudes of 170 primary school teachers in a Perth school district. By means of a simple questionnaire the perceptions and attitudes of these teachers about the following aspects have been examined: (1) background understanding of science; (2) preservice training; (3) interest in teaching science; (4) skill in teaching science; (5) confidence in the plant, animal, matter, energy areas, and (6) time spent teaching science. Besides compiling frequency responses for all teachers on these aspects comparisons have also been made on the basis of: (1) gender; (2) time of graduation, and (3) grade level taught. Specializations: Primary science, teacher attitudes. Specializations: Primary science, science teaching strategies, curriculum implementation, cognitive studies.     

高中英语教师学习策略教授情况调查

为促使师范院校和师资培训机构对职前、职后教育内容及模式进行反思,本研究对英语学习策略的教授情况进行了调查.结果表明,高中英语教师普遍认为对学生进行学习策略的培养有助于提高教和学的效率,但在实际教学中由于教师缺乏系统的学习策略知识,对学生学习策略的培养就大打折扣.因此,增强高中英语教师学习策略的意识,强化对教师进行学习策略知识的培训是十分必要的.     

中学科学分组实验教学的心理分析

本文将中学科学教学学生分组实验的过程分为准备、操作和总结三个阶段 ,并简要分析了每一阶段的心理影响因素及教学要求。     

Scientific epistemic beliefs, conceptions of learning science and self-efficacy of learning science among high school students

This study examined the relationships among Taiwanese high school students’ scientific epistemic beliefs, conceptions of learning science, and self-efficacy of learning science. The questionnaire responses gathered from 377 high school students in Taiwan were utilized to elicit such relationships. The analysis of the structural equation model revealed that students’ absolutist scientific epistemic beliefs led to lower-level conceptions of learning science (i.e. learning science as memorizing, preparing for tests, calculating, and practicing) while sophisticated scientific epistemic beliefs might trigger higher-level conceptions of learning science (i.e. learning science as increase of knowledge, applying, and attaining understanding). The students’ lower-level conceptions of learning science were also found to negatively associate with their self-efficacy of learning science, while the higher-level conceptions of learning science fostered students’ self-efficacy. However, this study found that students who viewed scientific knowledge as uncertain (advanced epistemic belief) tended to possess lower self-efficacy toward learning science.     

Combined updating on science and pedagogy for experienced teachers

This paper describes the structure and unique features of an inservice training course for science teachers (Pädagogik und Fachdidaktik für Lehrer, PFL). The course is based on the view that most issues of classroom practice are at the same time issues of pedagogy, methodology and subject knowledge. Therefore, the close connection between the participants' work required during the course and their teaching situation is most important: the teachers selected issues of direct concern to their daily work, performed research on these issues by methods of action research, analysed their findings, took appropriate action and documented the process in written form. They were supported by a team of mentors. A preliminary evaluation indicates a high degree of satisfaction of the participants and provides suggestions for the improvement of initial teacher education. In the PFL-project inservice science teacher education is considered not only an opportunity for professional development of individual teachers, but also a contribution to the development of science education and—in a larger context—school development.     

小学教师学生学习观问卷的编制

在文献分析的基础上,结合开放性问卷调查和访谈,构建小学教师学生学习观的理论结构,编制初测问卷,对回收的264份有效初测问卷进行项目分析、探索性因素分析和信度分析,修改后形成正式问卷.正式测试后,对问卷进行验证性因素分析和信效度检验.结果显示小学教师学生学习观问卷包括学习过程、知识本质、学习条件和学习实质四个因子;该问卷结构效度良好;问卷的构想效度和信度指标均达到了测量学的要求.     

浅析初中科学教学方法的创新

在新一轮课程改革的今天,为了切实提高科学课堂效率,为了学生今后的发展,我们科学教师要认真反思合作学习中存在的问题,及时总结经验教训,使之真正成为一种有效的教学方式.     

Relationship between science knowledge levels and beliefs toward science instruction held by preservice elementary teachers

Aspects of science background knowledge and attitudes toward teaching science were examined among preservice elementary teachers. The results indicated a low level of science knowledge, a negative relationship between science knowledge and attitude toward teaching science, and a marked lack of confidence toward teaching science among the prospective teachers. Some interesting paradoxes were also found. Recommendations concerning preservice preparation, inclusion of academic science coursework, and collaborative efforts between college departments are offered.     

名师教学技能为什么难以复制:难题及其破解——从古代塾师教学“绝活”难以传承谈起

私塾是中国传统教育的"老字号",私塾建筑空间、教育价值丰富,私塾教育产品、科学价值广泛。私塾名师长期积累的教学"绝活"——语言技能、教学技能和书写技能都已失传。名师教学技能的失传,表明名师教学"绝活"具有难以传承的个体性,名师很难复制名师,增加了名师队伍建设的难度。要破解建设一流教师队伍的难题,必须保护名师的教学遗产,承继名师的教学技能,修炼名师的教学"绝活"。     

新课程理念下的初中数学思想方法教学的思考

初中数学思想方法教学活动在遵循目标性、层次性、计划性、系统性、参与性原则下,应结合数学课程标准,努力提高数学教师自身的数学思想方法素养;结合数学知识,将数学思想方法有机地渗透到教学计划和教案内容之中;结合数学问题,在问题解决的探究过程中激活数学思想方法;结合“过程教学”模式,把发现和创造的思维与方法教给学生。     

Asynchronous and synchronous online teaching: Perspectives of Canadian high school distance education teachers

This paper presents the results of an inductive, interpretive analysis of the perspectives of 42 Canadian high school distance education (DE) teachers on asynchronous and synchronous online teaching. The paper includes a conceptual overview of the affordances and constraints of each form of teaching. Findings provided insight into the following aspects of asynchronous and synchronous online teaching: degree of use; the tools used; the contexts in which each occur; students' preferences; and limitations. Pedagogy emerged as more important than media for both asynchronous and synchronous online teaching. Synchronous online teaching relied on teacher‐ rather than student‐centred approaches. Asynchronous online teaching provided support for self‐paced, highly independent forms of secondary DE supplemented by synchronous online teaching for answering questions and troubleshooting.     

The scholarship of teaching: A comparison of conceptions held by experts and regular academic staff

Over the past decade the scholarship ofteaching has received considerable attention inthe higher education literature as a reactionto the widely cited Carnegie Foundation'sreport ``Scholarship Reconsidered'; however, theconcept has remained devoid of a unifieddefinition. A recent Delphi study conductedwith a selective group of scholars whoseexpertise lies in the area of universityteaching and learning indicated the extent towhich these ``experts' agreed with each other onimportant features and unresolved issues theyassociate with the scholarship of teaching. Building on the results of the Delphi study,the present article discusses the results of asecond survey comparing these ``experts' 'conceptions with those of a larger group ofscholars whose expertise lies in a differentacademic field (``regular academic staff'), inorder to identify the similarities anddifferences in the conceptions of thescholarship of teaching held by each of the twogroups. While regular academic staff werefound to associate the scholarship of teachingmore with good or effectiveteaching ``experts' pointed to notions such aspeer review and scholarly standards. Thediscussion of the results focuses on the notionof consensus reached within and betweenthe two groups. It is argued that in order topromote changes in policy with respect to whatis to count as scholarship, identifying andreporting ``experts' ' conceptions, thoughclearly necessary for promoting moreenlightened discussions on the issue, willremain insufficient. Policy change in academeis more likely to ensue as a result of thewider academic community reaching consensus onthe meaning, and nature, of the scholarship ofteaching. The wider academic community includes``experts', as well as colleagues in departmentsand disciplinary associations. The articleconcludes by exploring the notion of consensusthrough the lens of critical social theory.