Professors' Views on the Influence of Arab Society on Science and Technology

This study investigated types of societal agents and the nature of their influence on Science and Technology (S&T) from Arab University professors' standpoint. Thirteen items from VOSTS instrument, developed by Aikenhead, Ryan, and Fleming (1989), were modified and used in this study. Five more items were developed by the researcher to meet the purpose of the study. The instrument was administered to 64 university professors at the Faculties of Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Education. The results showed that out of the four societal agents (government, the private sector, the public at large, and culture) identified by McGinn (1991) the first and the last have the most potent influence on S&T in the Arab world. The study also found that the influences of the Arab culture on S&T have positive and negative nature. Positive influences are cultural, political or economic. Positive cultural influences are: the promising role in reviving ijtihad ³ to encourage researchers to study and understand nature, the placed emphasis by Islam on the importance of pursuing knowledge, and international competition. Political and economic positive influences are the Arab people's intent to be in position equivalent to developed cultures regarding S&T and Arab states efforts in preparing researchers in different areas. Negative influences are also cultural, political, or economic. For example, forcing taqlid ⁴ in different aspect of life is a damaging cultural influence. Political and economic negative influences include little or no research funding, bureaucracy, heavy dependence on imported scientific and technological products, and brain drain. The study recommended the following: (1) to revive the concept of ijtihad to encourage developments in S&T; (2) to provide children with adequate conditions and resources to acquire good background in S&T in a way that considers students' world view; (3) to ensure enough financial resources for instituting S&T; (4) to empower Arab universities to participate effectively in instituting S&T; and (5) to unify Arab states efforts to establish a strategic plan for instituting S&T.     

Adapting Social Work Education to Student Diversity

ABSTRACT

Basic differences in temperament, learning styles, motivation, and interaction styles have major impacts on people yet receive little attention in social work education. Faculty must understand the different ways students learn and be receptive to new patterns of teaching in order to achieve educational excellence. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one tool that identifies specific preferences among individuals that explain difference in learning styles. This paper discusses educational considerations in implementing a “type-sensitive” curriculum in social work education, including strategies for using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to differentiate learning styles and strategies for facilitating educators' and students' ability to appreciate these differences. It examines the ways in which differences in type can complement each other in the educational process. Understanding difference can provide insights into personal, academic, and professional performance, as well as an appreciation of the diversity of client types.     

构建与基础教育相适应的现代高师课程体系

随着新课程的实施、基础教育改革向纵深发展,高师院校应建立与基础教育相适应的课程体系,改革教师教育模式,为基础教育培养高素质的师资人才。     

Arab Perspective About the Application of Information Technology in Science Education

This paper discusses influences and concerns of the application of information technology (IT) in the Arab World. The paper argues that IT can influence the four elements of curriculum. Goals that are related to higher order thinking and problem solving abilities will gain much significance, while goals that are related to lower order thinking will gain much less significance. Science education goals will have to contain a goal that indicates the importance of preparing scientifically and technologically literate citizens. Content will have to match changes in goals. Rather than enforcing heavy content, more emphasis will be given to IT skills as well as to integrating technology in the science laboratory. Pedagogy will be more student-centered. Students will be held responsible for their own learning. Assessment will be facilitated by technology, where both process and content will be equally important. This paper discusses several concerns that are related to the application of IT in science education in the Arab World. Some of these concerns are: ignorance of incorporating the positive aspects of the Arab culture; Arab World view; language difficulties; high cost of IT hardware and software; and the use of IT to find information rather than make meaning (education). This paper recommends that successful implementation of IT in science education is a major professional challenge to Arab science educators. To meet this challenge effectively in science education, both of its promises and our concerns should be taken into consideration.     

发挥科技对教育的促进作用,构建和谐社会

在教育发展的历史上,科学技术对教育的发展起到了积极的促进作用。虽然科学技术对教育也带来了某些消极影响,但是我们要正确认识科学技术对教育产生消极影响的原因。在当代,我们仍然要发挥科学技术对教育的促进作用,才能更好的构建和谐社会。     

Adapting Secular Post-Graduate Education in Counseling to Meet the Needs of Ministers

As the demand for counseling within a religious setting increases, clergymen are expressing a need for more counselor education. If pastoral counseling is considered distinctly different from other counseling, then pastoral counseling education is the province of the seminaries. If the pastoral counselor is not considered basically different from other counselors, a secular counselor education program can serve the needs of ministers as well as other counselors by having a central core of required professional courses and then optional branches for specialization in counseling. Finding appropriate instructors for the pastoral counseling courses could be a problem. Candidates for pastoral counseling should be as carefully screened and tested as other graduate students in counseling. The counseling program should offer ministers the opportunity to learn about group work and, ideally, the opportunity for supervised practicum work in several different settings. There should be some provision for individual and group therapy for the pastoral counselors themselves as a means of enhancing their own effectiveness. When a secular institution feels that it cannot adapt its regular program to fit the needs of pastoral counselors, it can be of service by arranging special workshops and conferences for the clergymen of the area, and counselor educators can be available as consultants to seminaries and churches that request assistance.     

构建与社会需求相适应的高职教育教学模式

从社会需求入手,着重分析如何改革当前高职院校教育教学模式,以便更快更好地适应现代经济社会的需求,进而为经济社会发展提供高素质高技能人才。     

高职英语教育适应社会需求之对策

教学目标在于培养应用型、技能型、复合型人才的高职教育,在目前的高职英语教学中存在着所培养的学生英语技能与社会实际需求差距甚远的问题.探究该现象产生的根源,掌握应对该问题的对策,对高职院校的学生能否顺利适应社会需求具有重要的现实意义.     

远程教育适应学习需求变化的策略探析

互联网的发展和快节奏的生活改变了人们的生活方式,深刻地影响着人们的学习方式.时时处处的学习需求、协作化的工作方式、海量的数据信息等环境变化促使学习方式产生新的变革.远程教育要增强学习资源的搜索能力,强化多样性资源的提供能力,促使教育资源与服务的适应性整合,以此适应学习需求的变化与发展.     

Risk Society and Science Education

Science & Education - The current COVID-19 pandemic raises reflection on the new roles of science education in citizen education in a world characterized by civilization risks, derived from the...     

科技发达时代的大学发展观

对英国教育家阿什比的《科技发达时代的大学教育》这部经典著作的部分章节加以简单的论述与解读,试图将书中作者的思想主线凸显出来,以期对读者进一步了解其博大精深的高等教育思想有所裨益.     

高师综合理科实验教学改革的研究与实践

介绍在综合理科实验适应中学理科教育改革的研究与实践中所做的工作,从理论与实践的高度分析和探讨实验教学计划确立的原则、实验内容安排、实验教学的实施、实践效果等问题.     

美国科技政策浅析

美国的科技政策主要分为四个阶段建国后至二战前、二战至二十世纪六十年代末、七十年代至八十年代末、九十年代至今。每个阶段的科技政策都有不同特点。但总体来说美国的不同阶段的科技政策又有相同点,即重视科技的优良传统、历届政府重视科技、科学界内外协调、注重基础科学研究、过度和军事结合。美国的科技政策对我国有很大的启示意义。启示主要有以下几点：重视基础科学研究、完善科学界内外部关系、实时调整科技政策、培养良好的重视科学的传统。     

Information Technology and Special Needs in Education

Abstract

The paper discusses some theoretical and practical problems in using information technology to help people with special needs with some aspects of education. The paper reports the progress on two projects and some findings from a recent survey on Information Technology and Special Needs.     

Science as a Web of Trails: Redesigning Science Education with the Tools of the Present to Meet the Needs of the Future

Science education has experienced significant changes since the mid-20th century, most recently with the creation of STEM curricula (DeBoer 1991; Yager 2000). The emergence of the World Wide Web as a tool in research and discovery offers Pre-K-12 science education an opportunity to share information and perspectives which engage students with the scientific community (Zoller 2011). Students are able to access open, transparent sites creating common resources pools and autonomous working groups which can be used for shared problem solving. Science teachers should carefully build web 2.0 technology into their practice based on a changing pedagogy. Instead of focusing on teaching rule-based concepts and processes in which the teacher’s role is that of expert, education should be focusing on possibilities of the web both in scientific research and understanding. In addition, web-focused education can also help remake scientific product as a public good in the lives of both science researchers and science consumers.     

美国博士生教育的多样性

多样性是美国高等教育的显著特征之一,美国博士生教育同样具有鲜明的多样性特征。博士生招生时间具有弹性、方式多种多样、条件机动灵活;在博士生的培养过程中,有着多样化的课程设置、学习方式和多元化的指导力量;博士生群体构成在性别、种／民族和国别上都充分展示其多元化特色。     

现代教育需要学校、家庭、社会形成合力

现代教育不仅在时间上将扩展到一个人的终生,而且在空间上将扩展到全社会。在这种趋势下,学校、家庭和社会需三者紧密联系、各自发挥作用、互相渗透、互相促进、协调一致,创造一种有利于青少年身心健康发展的社会环境,使他们茁壮成长。联合国教科文组织在重新界定教育的使命时指出,为了实现世界公民目标,“不能只是强调认知学习,还要强调情感和行为学习”。为此提出“:青少年儿童的发展是家庭、教师和社区的共同责任”。教师要和家长“就儿童的成长以及和儿童家庭有关的问题,经常进行讨论、交流”,教师“要和心理学、休闲娱乐机构及家庭联合…