Development and Validation of an Instrument for Measuring Chinese Chemistry Teachers’ Perceived Self-Efficacy Towards Chemistry Core Competencies

International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education - The purpose of this study is to develop and validate an instrument for measuring Chinese Chemistry Teachers’ Perceived...     

Teacher‐Learner Interaction in the Process of Operating DL (Distance Learning) Systems

Abstracts

English: The analysing of students’ achievements shows a significant gap between schools in different areas. One of the main factors which influenced the students’ achievement is the level of teaching. The Distance Learning System can help in bridging the gap between what is needed and what the school can supply today     

Elementary Teacher’s Conceptions of Inquiry Teaching: Messages for Teacher Development

This study explored practicing elementary school teacher’s conceptions of teaching in ways that foster inquiry-based learning in the science curriculum (inquiry teaching). The advocacy for inquiry-based learning in contemporary curricula assumes the principle that students learn in their own way by drawing on direct experience fostered by the teacher. That students should be able to discover answers themselves through active engagement with new experiences was central to the thinking of eminent educators such as Pestalozzi, Dewey and Montessori. However, even after many years of research and practice, inquiry learning as a referent for teaching still struggles to find expression in the average teachers’ pedagogy. This study drew on interview data from 20 elementary teachers. A phenomenographic analysis revealed three conceptions of teaching for inquiry learning in science in the elementary years of schooling: (a) The Experience-centered conception where teachers focused on providing interesting sensory experiences to students; (b) The Problem-centered conception where teachers focused on engaging students with challenging problems; and (c) The Question-centered conception where teachers focused on helping students to ask and answer their own questions. Understanding teachers’ conceptions has implications for both the enactment of inquiry teaching in the classroom as well as the uptake of new teaching behaviors during professional development, with enhanced outcomes for engaging students in Science.     

Development of Distance Education in China

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Development of an Instrument for Assessing Undergraduate Science Students’ Perceptions: The Problem-Based Learning Environment Inventory

This study aimed to develop and validate a problem-based learning environment inventory which would help teachers and researchers to better understand student views on problem-based learning environments. The development of the inventory included the following four steps: Item Formulation; Content Validation; Construct Validation; Reliability Calculation. It has 23 items allocated to four scales: (1) Student Interaction and Collaboration; (2) Teacher Support; (3) Student Responsibility; (4) Quality of Problem. Each learning environment item had a factor loading of at least 0.40 with its own scale, and less than 0.40 with all other scales. The results of the factor analysis revealed that the four scales accounted for the 53.72% of the total variance. The alpha reliability coefficient for the four scales ranged from 0.80 to 0.92. According to these findings, the Problem-based Learning Environment Inventory is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used in the field of education.     

Developing an Instrument for Identifying Secondary Teachers’ Beliefs About Education for Sustainable Development in China

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been recently recognized as an important area in the new Chinese educational reform. As teachers play a pivotal role, knowing and developing an effective and easy-to-use instrument for tapping teachers’ beliefs is essential. This article reports an attempt to develop an instrument with mixed methods. The finalized instruments comprise two subscales with satisfactory reliability indices obtained. Sustainability values (VSD) consists of four dimensions: respect and care for the community of life; ecological integrity; social and economic justice; and democracy, nonviolence, and peace. Teaching beliefs of ESD (TESD) consists of three dimensions: relevance to daily life; students’ need in the future; and integrated teaching. With these validated instruments, future research and potential problems will be less strenuous.     

Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure University Students’ Biotechnology Attitude

The impact of biotechnologies on peoples’ everyday lives continuously increases. Measuring young peoples’ attitudes toward biotechnologies is therefore very important and its results are useful not only for science curriculum developers and policy makers, but also for producers and distributors of genetically modified products. Despite of substantial number of instruments which focused on measuring student attitudes toward biotechnology, a majority of them were not rigorously validated. This study deals with the development and validation of an attitude questionnaire toward biotechnology. Detailed information on development and validation process of the instrument is provided. Data gathered from 326 university students provided evidence for the validity and reliability of the new instrument which consists of 28 attitude items on a five point likert type scale. It is believed that the instrument will serve as a valuable tool for both instructors and researchers in science education to assess students’ biotechnology attitudes.     

Course Design & Choice of Media by Applying the Theory of Transactional Distance*

This Paper presents a series of empirical studies involving approx. 850 students to show how flexibility in course design should be informed by the students culture and native language (L1), gender, and age, and explains how to decide on the most appropriate learning technology in course design by applying the Theory of Transactional Distance. Curves are presented to show how academic English reading rates online and offline are affected by the L1, gender, and age (over a wide age range 18-81 years old). To prevent inequitable culturally-distinct overload, course design should be modified using hypertext. Choice ofmedia--in particular synchronous versus asynchronous media--is decided according to the Theory ofTransactional Distance. This theory is here extended from tutor-to-one-student to multiple students in a group, and the masculinity can be modified. Briefly, at initial maximal distance (D -S-) early on, the community is fostered with synchronous media for cooperative group learning, followed by (D-     

Measuring Teacher Educators’ Researcherly Disposition: Item Development and Scale Construction

This study reports on the development of a self-reported measurement instrument – The Teacher Educators’ Researcherly Disposition Scale (TERDS) – to improve understanding of teacher educators’ researcherly disposition. Teacher educators’ researcherly disposition refers to the habit of mind to engage with research – both as consumers and producers – to improve their practice and contribute to the knowledge base on teacher education. Taking into account the shortcomings of the emerging field of teacher educator professional development research (which is largely confined to small-scale, qualitative studies), a large-scale quantitative survey study (n?=?944) was conducted. The first part of the article reports the results of factor analysis (EFA and CFA), which suggest a four-factor structure of teacher educators’ researcherly disposition: (1) ‘valuing research’ (α?=?.86), (2) ‘being a smart consumer of research’ (α?=?.89), (3) ‘being able to conduct research’ (α?=?.82), and (4) ‘conducting research’ (α?=?.87). Goodness of fit estimates were calculated, indicating good fit. The second part of the article explores differences in teacher educators’ researcherly disposition across several subgroups of teacher educators using the developed instrument. Results indicate that having research experience leads to significantly higher scores on each of the subscales. Furthermore, significantly higher scores were found for those with more than 3 years’ experience as a teacher educator, as well as for those without (prior) teaching experience in compulsory education. To conclude, the implications for further research and practices related to teacher educators’ professional development are discussed.     

Course Design ＆ Choice of Media by Applying e the Theory of Transactional Distance

This Paper presents a series of empirical studies involving approx. 850 students to show howflexibility in course design should be informed by the student‘s culture and native language (L1), gender,and age, and explains how to decide on the most appropriate learning technology in course design by applying the Theory of Transactional Distance. Curves are presented to show how academic English reading ratesonline and offline are affected by the L1, gender, and age (over a wide age range 18-81 years old). Toprevent inequitable culturally-distinct overload, course design should be modified using hypertext. Choice ofmedia in particular synchronous versus asynchronous media is decided according to the Theory ofTransactional Distance. This theory is here extended from tutor-to-one-student to multiple students in agroup, and the masculinity can be modified. Briefly, at initial maximal distance ( D-S-) early on, thecommunity is fostered with synchronous media for cooperative group learning, followed by ( D-S ) collabo-rative learning using one of two frameworks presented to ensure constructivism in asynchronous mode, then(D-S ) collaborative for Guided Didactic Conversation in asynchronous mode, and finally ( D S -) coop-eratively in synchronous mode for reflective sharing of course learning experiences. At each transactional distance, tance, or in each mode, hypertext is purposively designed to complement the cooperative or collaborative styleto provide self-access support (additional analysis and reasoning to cooperative, and examples to collaborative) to provide equitable content and quality of learning across wide cultural and L1 ranges, to remove gender bias, and to accommodate variations due to student age. Thus, to promote student autonomy and lifelong learning.     

Development of the Physical Educators’ Judgments about Inclusion Instrument for Japanese Physical Education Majors and an Analysis of their Judgments

The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Physical Educators’ Judgments about Inclusion (PEJI) survey for analysing the judgments of Japanese (361 male, 170 female) physical education teacher education majors. A secondary purpose was to examine group differences in judgments as a function of gender and past experiences. Data were collected and psychometrical properties of the PEJI were assessed using a maximum-likelihood extraction method. Confirmatory factor analysis resulted in salient loadings for all items on three hypothesised dimensions, resulting in 47% explained variance for measuring judgments about: Inclusion versus Exclusion, Acceptance of Students with Disabilities, and Perceived Training Needs. Supported by the three interpretable factors that emerged, construct validity evidence is presented. Although most of the physical education teacher education majors sampled had yet to teach students with disabilities, they had formed preliminary judgments about doing so.     

Capturing the Transformation and Dynamic Nature of an Elementary Teacher Candidate’s Identity Development as a Teacher of Science

This study examines the transformation and dynamic nature of one teacher candidate’s (Susan) identity as a learner and teacher of science throughout an innovative science methods course. The goal of this paper is to use theoretically derived themes grounded in cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and situated learning theory to determine the ways in which Susan’s identity as a learner and teacher of science was influenced by her experiences in the course, and to describe how she made meaning of her transformative process. The following are the three theoretical themes: (1) learning contributes to identity development, (2) identity development is a dialogical process that occurs between individuals, not within individuals, and (3) social practice leads to transformations and transformations lead to the creation of new social practices. Within each theme, specific experiences in the science methods course are identified that influenced Susan’s identity development as a teacher of science. Knowing how context and experiences influence identity development can inform design decisions concerning teacher education programs, courses, and experiences for candidates.     

Measuring Teacher–Child Relationships in the Greek Kindergarten Setting: A Validity Study of the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale–Short Form

Research Findings: The present study was designed to examine the factorial validity of the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale–Short Form (STRS-SF; R. C. Pianta, 2001 Hamre, B. K. and Pianta, R. C. 2001. Early teacher-child relationships and the trajectory of children's school outcomes through eighth grade.. Child Development, 72: 625–638. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and its invariance across gender in the Greek educational context. The STRS-SF comprises 15 items that measure 2 dimensions of teacher–child relationships: Closeness and Conflict. Fifty-six kindergarten teachers completed the STRS-SF about their students (n = 336). A 2-factor model with correlated latent factors was postulated and tested. Confirmatory factor analysis procedures showed marginal fit to the data (comparative fit index [CFI] = .902, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .066). The fit of the model was further improved by adding 2 error covariances (CFI = .931, RMSEA = .056). Cronbach's alpha coefficient showed adequate internal consistency for Closeness (α = .72) and Conflict (α = .82). In addition, there was a moderate negative association between the 2 subscales (r = ?.38). Examination of STRS-SF invariance showed that it was manifested in the same way across gender. Practice or Policy: The findings of the present study, which was conducted in a cultural context different from the one in which the STRS-SF was developed, seem to support the instrument's factorial validity and equivalence across gender.     

A Brief View of Teacher/Student Relationship in Distance Education

Teacher/student relationship is an evergreen topic in the field of educational theory. During thedevelopment of educational theory, there was analysis that emphasized teachers' leader's function. Atthe same time, there was also theory that advocated student-centered relationship. The author tries     

Validation of an Instrument for Measuring Students’ Understanding of Interdisciplinary Science in Grades 4-8 over Multiple Semesters: a Rasch Measurement Study

So far, not enough effort has been invested in developing reliable, valid, and engaging assessments in school science, especially assessment of interdisciplinary science based on the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Furthermore, previous tools rely mostly on multiple-choice items and evaluation of student outcome is linked only to their raw scores in standardized tests. In addition, educational research on student science achievement always limits in certain grade/subject according to application of raw scores. This study provides a way to design, validate, and further improve an instrument to assess student understanding in interdisciplinary science across grade and time. Meanwhile, student learning growth is investigated. The data are collected from elementary/middle school student survey from an Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership (ISEP) in Northeastern part of the USA. The results show a generally good quality of instrument through various aspects of empirical evidence, such as dimensionality, model-data-fit, and validity. Finally, student learning growth in understanding interdisciplinary science shows a sharp increase between elementary and middle school. The study sheds light on developing more reliable and valid instruments in assessing student science understanding based on the new standards and it also provides suggestions of implementation in both educational research and practice.     

Teacher Professional Development Through a Collaborative Curriculum Project – an Example of TPACK in Maine

Maine’s one-to-one laptop program provides an ideal opportunity to explore conditions that optimize teacher integration of technology-focused curriculum into the classroom. EcoScienceWorks (ESW) is an ecology curriculum that includes targeted simulations and a code block programming challenge developed through an NSF-ITEST grant. The project was designed as a collaboration that included simulation software developers; middle school science teachers; the Maine laptop program; environmental educators; an external evaluator; and a lead organization experienced in teacher guided curriculum development. Thus, each of the elements of TPACK (technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge) worked together to produce the final ecology simulation-centered curriculum. In 2008–2009, the ESW curriculum became available statewide through the Maine laptop program. Partner teachers have transitioned their classrooms to more learning-centered environments through the use of technology and have become teacher leaders. The collaborative approach to technology focused curriculum development used in this project is a model for TPACK professional development.     

K–12 Blended Teaching Readiness: Model and Instrument Development

Abstract

An increasing number of K–12 schools have adopted blended learning approaches. Current empirical research has been sparse regarding preparing teachers for blended teaching, including the skills they must develop to teach in blended contexts. This research is focused on that weakness, with the purposes of systematically identifying the skills needed for teaching in a blended learning context and of developing and testing an instrument that can be used to determine individual and school-wide readiness for blended teaching. In this study we present a measurement model used to develop items for measuring K–12 blended learning readiness. Specifically the instrument contained the following top-level areas: (a) foundational knowledge, skills, and dispositions, (b) instructional planning, (c) instructional methods and strategies, (d) assessment and evaluation, and (e) management. Each top-level construct also had two to four subconstructs. Through confirmatory factor analysis using survey responses from 2,290?K–12 teachers we found that the data met all four fit statistics cutoffs set forth in the literature (root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA]= 0.041, comparative fit index [CFI]?=?0.926, Tucker–Lewis index [TLI]?=?0.923, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR]?=?0.041, X2?=?978.934, df?=?1992).     

The Development of a Multi‐media Distance Education Prototype

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to show the state to which the initial work, the development, and the production of a multi‐media prototype has advanced in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. This prototype was commissioned by the Commission for Distance Teaching of the Department of Public Instruction of Geneva.     

Development of an Instrument to Measure Undergraduates’ Nanotechnology Awareness, Exposure, Motivation, and Knowledge

There are many educational interventions being implemented to address workforce issues in the field of nanotechnology. However, there is no instrument to assess the impact of these interventions on student awareness of, exposure to, and motivation for nanotechnology. To address this need, the Nanotechnology Awareness Instrument was conceptualized. This paper is a progress report of the instrument development process. Version 1 of the instrument was administered to 335 first-year students majoring in food and agriculture fields in a pre–post fashion relative to a brief exposure to nanotechnology in the classroom. Following item analysis of Version 1 responses, a revision of the instrument was completed. Version 2 was administered to 1,426 first-year engineering students for the purpose of conducting item and factor analyses. Results indicate that the Nanotechnology Awareness Instrument shows potential to provide valid information about student awareness of, exposure to, and motivation for nanotechnology. The instrument is not a valid measure of nano-knowledge and this subscale was dropped from the final version of the instrument. Implications include the use of the instrument to evaluate programs, interventions, or courses that attempt to increase student awareness of nanotechnology. Further study is necessary to determine how the Nanotechnology Awareness Instrument functions as a pre–post measure.     

Development of an evaporation crystallizer for desalination of alkaline organic wastewater before incineration

A wastewater evaporation-desalination pretreatment method was introduced to remove the Na^＋ and K^＋ salts in volatile organic compounds （VOCs） wastewater before it was fed into the incinerator. VOCs in the wastewater were volatilized in the evaporation system and then the vapor was combusted in an incinerator. Simulated phenol wastewater containing sodium chloride was evaporated and concentrated and sodium chloride was crystallized in different parameters. The experimental results showed that the higher initial concentration of sodium chloride increases the ratio of volatilization of VOCs, which was due to the effect of “salting out” （a decrease in the solubility of the nonelectrolyte in the solution, or more rigorously, an increase in its activity coefficient, caused by the salt addition （Furter and Cook, 1967））. When evaporation speed was increased from 1.67 ml/min to 2.73 ml/min, the total removal coefficient of sodium chloride was about 99.88%-99.99%. This pretreatment procedure eliminates the slag phenomenon caused by Na^＋ and K^＋ salts during wastewater incineration, so the incinerator could operate continuously, and the wastewater evaporation could increase the heat value of wastewater, and the operation cost would be reduced.