Simulation games in science education‡

The astronomy concepts of 345 young people were studied over a 10‐year period using a multi‐media, multi‐modal methodology in a research design where survey participants were interviewed three times and control subjects were interviewed twice. The purpose of the research was to search for evidence to clarify competing theories on conceptual coherence versus knowledge‐in‐pieces, distinguishing between coherence as revealed in the representational systems at any particular stage in a young person’s development and the changes evident in mental growth thereafter. Thus five research questions concerned with the elements and structure of understanding were investigated: (1) conceptual coherence shown as patterns of high correlation of concept representations between the media used to assess subjects’ understanding within a survey, as well as (2) coherence revealed as consistency of representation of those concepts across media and modalities; (3) enhanced conceptual understanding and skill through repeated interviews across (longitudinal) surveys, as young people develop their knowledge; (4) cultural similarity in subjects’ representations of basic static concepts (e.g. the shape of the Earth); and (5) improved understanding of basic dynamic concepts (e.g. the motion of the Earth) and complex dynamic concepts (e.g. seasons and eclipses), through “knowledge‐skill compounding”. The research findings supported conceptual coherence and rejected the counter argument of knowledge‐in‐pieces (at an alpha level of .05). Further research is recommended to replicate current research in cultures other than those of China and New Zealand studied here to confirm the view that cognition and knowledge are inherently coherent in young people.     

Science Teachers and Science‐Related Attitudes

Summaries

English

Science teachers’ perceptions of affective‐domainobjectives were gathered through interview procedures. A sample of teachers in Western Australian high schools were the subjects of the study.

For the purpose of analysis, a distinction is drawn between attitudes to science (such as ‘enjoyment of science lessons’ and ‘interest in science') and scientific attitudes (such as ‘honesty in reporting data’and ‘tolerance of the views of others').

Analysis of teachers’ views revealed confusion and lack of clarity regarding these science‐related attitudes. However, it is argued that curriculum writers are no clearer in their views.

It is suggested that a much clearer, more explicit justification for attitude objectives (of both kinds) needs to be made by curriculum writers. Science teachers need to be provided with greater assistance in clarifying the role of these attitude objectives, as well as assistance with techniques for their assessment.     

Implementing Peer Assessment in a Post-Secondary (16–18) Physics Classroom

This study explores the implementation of peer assessment with a group of students studying physics at Advanced level in a post-secondary school in Malta. The study that draws on action research methodology looks at how the views of students regarding peer assessment evolve as they engage with peer assessment. The research involved the actual implementation of an apprenticeship model of peer assessment and looked at the issues faced by the students. The results of the study show that students were very much immersed in a traditional assessment culture and needed to be trained to develop peer assessment skills. Student concerns related to fairness, regarding their abilities as assessors and dependence on the teacher as ‘expert’ remained unchanged as the students engaged with peer assessment. Successful implementation of peer assessment therefore requires a re-examination of the role of student and teachers as assessors within a safe learning environment.     

“科教一体化”教育教学模式在大学物理课程中的探索研究

围绕大学物理课程教学改革,提出"科教一体化"的教育教学模式。对大学物理的课程特点和教学现状进行分析了,从课程前沿知识、科研项目、科研平台三方面,就如何发挥科研在大学物理课程教学中的作用进行了探讨,总结了"科教一体化"的教学效果。     

Emerging Technologies in Physics Education

Three emerging technologies in physics education are evaluated from the interdisciplinary perspective of cognitive science and physics education research. The technologies—Physlet Physics, the Andes Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), and Microcomputer-Based Laboratory (MBL) Tools—are assessed particularly in terms of their potential at promoting conceptual change, developing expert-like problem-solving skills, and achieving the goals of the traditional physics laboratory. Pedagogical methods to maximize the potential of each educational technology are suggested.     

Approach–Method Interaction: The role of teaching method on the effect of context-based approach in physics instruction

The purpose of this study is to explore not only the effect of context-based physics instruction on students’ achievement and motivation in physics, but also how the use of different teaching methods influences it (interaction effect). Therefore, two two-level-independent variables were defined, teaching approach (contextual and non-contextual approaches) and teaching method (traditional and learning cycle methods). Thus, a 2?×?2 factorial design was performed with four treatment groups, including 131 11th-grade students: (1) a traditional method with the non-contextual approach group, (2) a traditional method with the contextual approach group, (3) a learning cycle with the non-contextual approach group, and (4) a learning cycle with the contextual approach group. Prior to and just after the treatments, which took 5 weeks, pre-tests and post-tests on student achievement and motivation were administered. For the analysis of data, multivariate analysis of covariance, simple regressions and follow-up analysis of covariances were performed. Consequently, it was found that the effect of context-based approach on physics achievement is dependent upon the teaching method implemented. That is, the traditional method was observed to increase the effect of the contextual approach while the learning cycle decreased it. Related to the effects on motivation in physics, no evidence was found to claim a significant difference. Based on the findings of this study, further research is suggested for determining which teaching methods are more effective with the context-based approach on students' achievement and motivation in physics.     

Students’ Ideas about How and Why Chemical Reactions Happen: Mapping the conceptual landscape

Research in science education has revealed that many students struggle to understand chemical reactions. Improving teaching and learning about chemical processes demands that we develop a clearer understanding of student reasoning in this area and of how this reasoning evolves with training in the domain. Thus, we have carried out a qualitative study to explore students reasoning about chemical causality and mechanism. Study participants included individuals at different educational levels, from college to graduate school. We identified diverse conceptual modes expressed by students when engaged in the analysis of different types of reactions. Main findings indicate that student reasoning about chemical reactions is influenced by the nature of the process. More advanced students tended to express conceptual modes that were more normative and had more explanatory power, but major conceptual difficulties persisted in their reasoning. The results of our study are relevant to educators interested in conceptual development, learning progressions, and assessment.     

Beyond Epistemological Deficits: Dynamic explanations of engineering students’ difficulties with mathematical sense-making

Researchers have argued against deficit-based explanations of students’ difficulties with mathematical sense-making, pointing instead to factors such as epistemology. Students’ beliefs about knowledge and learning can hinder the activation and integration of productive knowledge they have. Such explanations, however, risk falling into a ‘deficit trap’—substituting a concepts/skills deficit with an epistemological one. Our interview-based case study of a freshman engineering major, ‘Jim,’ explains his difficulty solving a physics problem (on hydrostatic pressure) in terms of his epistemology, but avoids a deficit trap by modeling the dynamics of his epistemological stabilities and shifts in terms of fine-grained cognitive elements that include the seeds of epistemological expertise. Specifically, during a problem-solving episode in the interview, Jim reaches and sticks with an incorrect answer that violates common sense. We show that Jim has all the mathematical skills and physics knowledge he would need to resolve the contradiction. We argue that his difficulty doing so stems in part from his epistemological views that (i) physics equations are much more trustworthy than everyday reasoning, and (ii) physics equations do not express meaning that tractably connects to common sense. For these reasons, he does not view reconciling between common sense and formalism as either necessary or plausible to accomplish. But Jim’s in-the-moment shift to a more sophisticated epistemological stance highlights the seeds of epistemological expertise that were present all along: he does see common sense as connected to formalism (though not always tractably so), and in some circumstances, this connection is both salient and valued.     

新课程背景下高师物理教学改革的研究

随着基础物理教育改革的进一步实施,作为培养中学物理教师主阵地的高师院校,物理教育专业的课程设置不尽合理,教学方法陈旧的弊端逐显突出,培养的学生难以适应新课改的要求,高师物理教育的课程设置和教学方法,培养模式亟待改革。     

中国比较教育研究发展:质性研究路径选择

本文提出中国比较教育研究发展的质性研究路径选择议题,着重讨论了其合理性、必要性、制度保障等内容.文章重点讨论了中国比较教育研究中比较的不充分性问题,具体表现为:比较单位的整体性和局部性之间的矛盾,对象国之间教育优势和劣势的比较认知差距,比较单位的历史性和当代性之间非一致性,比较单位的文明性和现实性之间的落差,比较单位实践论和认识论之间的不可通约性,比较单位的本体论和价值论之间的不可调和性,比较单位之间的时间错位性,比较教育学者的研究身份在本土性和他国性的研究对象选择上的分隔性,比较教育理论建构的中国力量不足.进而论证中国比较教育研究发展的质性研究路径选择的必要性,并提出中国比较教育研究发展的质性研究路径选择的制度保障的建议.     

谈谈物理学史对中学物理教学的作用

本文从五个方面阐述了在中学物理教学中有机地渗透物理学史的内客,对搞好中学物理教学和对中学生进行素质教育方面所起到的重要作用。     

思辨方法和实证方法的分离与交错--浅析高等教育研究方法之一域

在高等教育研究中,我们需要正确的、有效的研究方法。但是,由于方法问题是十分复杂的,它与研究的任务、理论和实践紧密相关,实际情况表明：在研究中,我们对方法的重视、探讨和进行科学地选择仍然不够。思辨方法与实证方法仅仅是高等教育研究方法中的一组,分析此二者间的关系是高等教育研究方法中的重要部分。     

在教育之中研究教育——“新基础教育”研究方式探寻

“新基础教育”在15年的发展历程中,发展出了在教育之中研究教育的新方式,并在方法论意义上彰显了独特品性,主要表现在：深化了以学校为单位的研究视野、理论者深度介入教育实践、注重培育激发实践者的自主性与自觉性、以主体为中介促进教育理论与实践的双向建构等。     

Designing Science Learning in the First Years of Schooling. An intervention study with sequenced learning material on the topic of ‘floating and sinking'

Research on learning and instruction of science has shown that learning environments applied in preschool and primary school rarely makes use of structured learning materials in problem-based environments although these are decisive quality features for promoting conceptual change and scientific reasoning within early science learning. We thus developed and implemented a science learning environment for children in the first years of schooling which contains structured learning materials with the goal of supporting conceptual change concerning the understanding of the floating and sinking of objects and fostering students' scientific reasoning skills. In the present implementation study, we aim to provide a best-practice example of early science learning. The study was conducted with a sample of 15 classes of the first years of schooling and a total of 244 children. Tests were constructed to measure children's conceptual understanding before and after the implementation. Our results reveal a decrease in children's misconceptions from pretest to posttest. After the curriculum, the children were able to produce significantly more correct predictions about the sinking or floating of objects than before the curriculum and also relative to a control group. Moreover, due to the intervention, the explanations given for their predictions implied a more elaborated concept of material kinds. All in all, a well-structured curriculum promoting comparison and scientific reasoning by means of inquiry learning was shown to support children's conceptual change.     

Some Methodological Issues with “Draw a Scientist Tests” among Young Children

Children’s stereotypes about scientists have been postulated to affect student science identity and interest in science. Findings from prior studies using “Draw a Scientist Test” methods suggest that students see scientists as largely white, often unattractive, men; one consequence may be that girls and minority students feel a science career is “not like me”. However, a major shortcoming in prior research is that scholars have asked children to draw only scientists, thus making interpretations of earlier research findings ambiguous. We added other professionals to compare how 616 drawings of teachers, scientists, and veterinarians by 206 elementary school children varied by student gender, ethnicity, and grade. Students made clear distinctions: drawing teachers as most attractive and largely female, and scientists as most often male and least attractive. Aspects of the drawings suggest that scientists do have an “image problem” among children. However, large sex differences in the drawings and often‐unrecognizable gender figures in boys’ pictures lead us to question use of the “Draw a Scientist Test” as a projective test among young children.