Primary school pupils' ability to see scientific problems in everyday phenomena

Conclusion Although the experiments reported here are only a beginning to the research needed, the results obtained so far suggest that some teachers and some curriculum planners have overlooked factors in their consideration of problem solving as a learning method in primary school science. There appear to be teachers who have rejected this approach prematurely because many of the problems children suggest when they are first introduced to this method of working are not sound starting points for investigation. Curriculum palnners, on the other hand, do not appear to have given serious consideration to the fact that some subject matter provides a better starting point for pupil problem solving than others. Further, there has been inadequate information available for teachers on the type of classroom situations and teacher behaviour which will maximize pupils' ability to see investigable science problems in everyday phenomena. The type of research reported here will be continued and expanded to provide a clearer picture of contexts in which the ability of pupils to see investigable scientific problems is maximized.     

小学数学教学中培养学生想象力的策略研究

培养具有创新意识和创造力的人才已经成为当今教育更新、更高的要求。要培养创造力必须重视对学生想象力的培养。学生阶段是培养想象力、开展创造性学习的最佳时机。教师在课堂上应该给予学生充分发挥想象力的机会,让每一位学生都能插上想象的翅膀,进而促进其创新意识的开发。     

试论小学高学段写作能力培养的必要性

小学语文是义务教育阶段的一门基础学科,它对于培养学生的思想道德、科学文化素质、养成良好的意志品格具有重要的意义。要更好地实现这些目标,就需要有效的进行习作教学。而小学高学段学生写作能力的培养,更是处在承前启后的地位,对学生语文素养乃至全面素质的培养都至关重要。     

Prospective teachers' initial conceptions about pupils' understanding of science and mathematics

Earlier reports have shown that prospective teachers' conceptions about teaching science to a high degree are resistant and do not change substantially during the teacher‐training programme. In our investigation we elucidate the prospective teachers' initial conceptions about pupils' understanding of science and mathematics. We applied ‘The Lesson Preparation Method' and used a phenomenographic approach in order to reveal the range of conceptions that the prospective teachers hold. A third of the prospective teachers did not consider pupils' conceptions when planning lessons. The rest of the 32 participants expressed awareness; some of the prospective teachers even referred to subject‐specific teaching experience. Also regarding the prospective teachers' conceptions about pupils' knowledge and beliefs, as well as about pupils' difficulties, there was a significant diversity. By raising these issues about pedagogical content knowledge the prospective teachers' conceptions can be extended and developed during the education.     

Deaf pupils' reasoning about scientific phenomena: school science as a framework for understanding or as fragments of factual knowledge

Many studies have been conducted on hearing pupils' understanding of science. Findings from these studies have been used as grounds for planning instruction in school science. This article reports findings from an interview study of how deaf pupils in compulsory school reason about phenomena in a science context. The results reveal that there is variation in the extent to which pupils use scientific principles for reasoning about science phenomena. For some pupils, school science seems to have little to offer as a framework for reasoning. The results also generate questions about the need in school instruction of deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils to consider the specific teaching and learning situations in a deaf environment.     

小学数学教学培养学生初步实践能力的探索与实践

根据教育改革发展的方向,数学学科教育革新的需要和新数学教学理念的引领,我们开展了在小学数学教学中培养学生初步实践能力的探索与实践,探索了小学数学教学培养学生初步实践能力的途径和策略。不同的数学观,就会有不同的数学教学观,教师在教学中就会采取不同的数学教学方法。传统的数学观使得数学教学远离儿童的生活实际,忽视了“应用”这一数学的要义。随着数学观的发展,应当树立以下四大理念来指导我们的数学教学行为。(一)数学是人们认识世界的有力工具,可以作为一门技术帮助我们认识世界。在教学中应密切联系学生日常生活的现实,把所…     

小学识字与写字教学改革的基本理念

学生语言发展的规律以及实践的经验和教训证明 ,识字教学内容应该符合学生日常生活的语言实际 ,但不能等同于学生的语言实际。识字应该采取认、写、讲、用分进合击的理念。现实的需要和对写字教学功能认识的变化引发了写字教学的改革。     

中小学教师创新素质的培育

创新人才的培养关键在于教师,教师的创新则显得尤为重要。教师创新素质的培育主要有五个方面的问题,即教育爱和教育热情、教育意识、研究能力、独立获取信息能力、管理技能。培育教师创新素质,是实现新世纪教育创新的基本保证。     

Reading and writing ability and drop out in the Swedish upper secondary school

A three-year programme in upper secondary school is compulsory in Sweden. In reality, some youngsters refrain from applying to the upper secondary school (8 per cent) or drop out in advance (9 per cent). In Stockholm the Youth Centre has been assigned to arrange individual programmes for these pupils. The aim of this study is to investigate their reading and writing ability and to relate this retrospectively to their school experience. Instruments measuring reading comprehension, vocabulary and dictation were carried out on 286 respondents; in addition, background information concerning school attainment was collected. Ten respondents were selected, five high and five low achievers. An unstructured interview was used to investigate their home background, school and reading experiences. Students attending individual programmes at the Youth Centre had lower than average reading and writing abilities in comparison to students at the vocational programmes in upper secondary school. The whole group is characterized by low marks, immigrant background and partial school attendance. The analyses of interview statements reveal a common category - powerlessness - for those with and without reading disabilities. Separate categories were for high achievers - boredom - and for low achievers - lack of opportunity.     

The use of narrative to promote primary school children's understanding of evolution

This study explores learning about evolution when information is presented in either a narrative or an expository text (ET). Narratives engage the imagination, and consequently may allow children to overcome conceptual constraints that make evolution difficult to comprehend. Participants were 16 Year One, 21 Year Two and 25 Year Three pupils from a British primary school. Expository and narrative texts about evolution were read with children before assessing participants' understanding. Those reading the narrative showed a greater understanding of the book's contents about evolution than those reading the ET. Implications for using the imagination and narrative in the science classroom are discussed.     

在小学语文阅读教学中生成习作智慧

新课改这对小学语文教师提出了新的要求,语文教学需要与时俱进、实现自身的变革。阅读、写作作为语文学科的重要学习模块,教师必须注重阅读和写作教学两者的结合,在阅读训练中加强知识的输出训练,从而帮助学生们生成写作智慧。本文结合笔者教学过程中的具体案例,对如何在小学语文阅读教学中生成习作智慧这一问题阐述几点自己的看法,以供其他教师借鉴。     

A multivariate analysis of task dimensions related to science concept learning difficulties in primary school children

The purpose of this study was to determine if achievement on a series of problems was affected by differences among task values within a dimension. Values within inference pattern, goal object, and percept dimensions were studied. One hundred and sixty primary school children participated in the study. An analysis of the results of their achievement on the tasks indicate that task solution is affected by the dimension values used in this study. The results of the study suggest that a multidimensional scale of task dimension values should be constructed in order to assist the curriculum specialist in the construction and sequencing of concept tasks for specific grade levels.     

A comparison of concrete and formal science instruction upon science achievement and reasoning ability of sixth grade students

Several recent studies suggest concrete learners make greater gains in student achievement and in cognitive development when receiving concrete instruction than when receiving formal instruction. This study examined the effect of concrete and formal instruction upon reasoning and science achievement of sixth grade students. Four intact classes of sixth grade students were randomly selected into two treatment groups; concrete and formal. The treatments were patterned after the operational definitions published by Schneider and Renner (1980). Pretest and posttest measures were taken on the two dependent variables; reasoning, measured with Lawson's Classroom Test of Formal Reasoning, and science achievement, measured with seven teacher made tests covering the following units in a sixth grade general science curriculum: Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, Cells, Plants, Animals, and Ecology. Analysis of covariance indicated significantly higher levels (better than 0.05 and in some cases 0.01) of performance in science achievement and cognitive development favoring the concrete instruction group and a significant gender effect favoring males.     

浅谈中学英语写作能力的重要性及其方式

在中学的英语学习中,大部分人对阅读理解很重视,而对写作的重要性认识不足,忽视写作能力的培养。虽然单单强调写只会成为典型的哑巴英语,其实英语写的地位绝不亚于听、说、读,因为每年英语考试必考"书面表达",分数比例甚高,即是明证。笔者结合自己当年的经历,摸索出一套"准备一初写—修改"的英语写作提升模式,愿和大家一起分享交流下。     

“支架式教学”在小学语文习作中的应用

在学生习作遇到困难时,把支架引入习作教学中,能降低学生习作难度,使学生产生习作自信。我们要明确不同类型支架的特点及设计原则,根据教学任务和学情准确设计习作支架,根据教学需要灵活运用多种习作支架,真正为学生习作助力。     

Mapping the landscape of writing instruction in New Zealand primary school classrooms

Writing instruction in New Zealand occurs in a context with potential for variability in curriculum and delivery. The national curriculum is broad; self governing schools are to interpret and apply as appropriate to their local context. There are no mandated tests, nor external examinations until the last three years of school. Schools report to the Ministry about achievement in Years 1–8 against national standards in writing, based on overall teacher judgements. The nature of this context supports the notion of drawing on several sources to describe the current landscape of writing instruction: policy documents, specifically the curriculum and standards; national tools and resources for professional learning; the limited existing research base relating to writing in New Zealand, and a study designed to extend this latter body of work by surveying teachers about their practices. The existing research largely concerns the practices of exemplary teachers or relates to investigating the effects of professional development interventions. The survey reported provides the most direct evidence of actual practice. Survey responses (N = 118) came from, on average, moderately experienced teachers who reported a relatively high level of confidence regarding aspects of teaching writing. Results suggest that surveyed teachers reflected the themes identified in the New Zealand teacher based and intervention research, which in turn reflected policy initiatives. The combined evidence indicates the influence of the ‘teaching as inquiry’ approach on writing pedagogy.     

What do you need to know to teach science in the primary school?

Conclusion Primary teachers will continue to be confronted with topics about which they themselves may not share the understandings of experts in the area. They are surely not alone there. Secondary and tertiary science teachers who have more extensive backgrounds find themselves in the same situation. Increasing the number of areas in which primary teachers share the understandings of scientists would be of value. However the data of this study suggest that it would also be worthwhile to focus attention on the strategies and understandings they may use to increase their familiarity with scientist's understandings of natural phenomena. The Interactive Teaching Approach (Biddulph and Osborne, 1984) offers an appropriate model for such activity.