Students' estimates of knowledge gained as measures of the quality of teacher education

One set of measures of the quality of courses for the preparation of science teachers stems from the perceptions exit students have of their knowledge with respect to that teaching. The Discipline Review of Teacher Education in Mathematics and Science surveyed these students late in 1988 on three broad types of knowledge-science content knowledge, curriculum knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge. Some of these findings of the Review are described. In addition, the base for developing items to measure these three types of knowledge is discussed in this paper. The variety in the data that emerged is also presented and the consistency of the findings with other measures of quality is described. Specialisations: science and technology curriculum, environmental education, educational disadvantage. Specialisations: research and evaluation in teacher education, technical and further education and total quality management. Specialisations: research in educational systems.     

Mature-age students-how are they different?

Mature-age students have formed a significant proportion of preservice students in primary teacher education over recent years. Academic staff have reported a difference between mature-age students and school-leavers, particularly in motivation and achievement. This report examines part of a study which explored mature-age students' views about aspects of teaching science and technology, compared to the views of students who came to university straight from school. It examines, in particular, students' personal feelings of adequacy in teaching science and technology in primary schools. Specialisations: primary teacher education, teaching strategies in science.     

Perceptions of anatomy: critical components in the clinical setting

The evolution in undergraduate medical school curricula has significantly impacted anatomy education. This study investigated the perceived role of clinical anatomy and evaluated perceptions of medical students' ability to apply anatomical knowledge in the clinic. The aim of this study was to develop a framework to enhance anatomical educational initiatives. Unlike previous work, multiple stakeholders (clinicians, medical students, and academic anatomists) in anatomy education were evaluated. Participants completed an eleven-point Likert scale survey written by the investigators. Responses from both clinical educators and medical students at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine suggest that medical students are perceived as ill-prepared to transfer anatomy to the clinic. Although some areas of patient management differ in relevancy to anatomical education, there are areas of clinical care which were uniformly ranked as relying heavily on anatomical knowledge (imaging and diagnostic studies, physical examination, and arrival at correct diagnosis) by a variety of clinical specialists. Our results suggest a need for advanced anatomy courses to be taught coincidental with medical students' clinical education. Development of these courses would optimally rely on input from both clinicians and academic anatomists, as both cohorts rated clinical anatomy similarly (P ≥ 0.05). Additionally, we hypothesize that preclinical students' application of anatomy would be enhanced if clinical context was derived from areas of clinical care which rely heavily on anatomy, whereas courses designed for advanced medical students will benefit from anatomical context focused on specialty specific aspects of clinical care identified in this study.     

学校体育培养学生社会适应能力的现实缺失与改进策略

学校体育在培养学生社会适应能力中应努力使学生获取现代社会中的生命知识、体育与健康知识;发挥学生体育社团在社会适应能力培养中的作用;利用学校体育中的挫折教育,磨砺学生的个性,提高学生对社会的适应能力;加强体育课堂内外中的显性和隐性课程对学生的培养;在体育教学评价中应明确提出对学生社会适应能力方面的要求等,以弥补传统学校体...     

Discipline knowledge and confidence to teach science: self-perceptions of primary teacher education students

There has been renewed debate in recent years about the relatively poor science discipline background knowledge of primary and preschool teachers, and their lack of confidence to teach science stemming from this. A reaction from teacher educators, such as recommended by theDiscipline Review of Teacher Education in Mathematics and Science Report, has been to provide more explicit science discipline units in pre-service teacher education courses. However, a few studies have cast some doubt on the notion that more science discipline studies (Skamp, 1989; Stepans & McCormack, 1985). This paper reports on pre-service students' perceptions of their cofidence to teach science before and after a science education unit adapted from the PECSTEP work (Kirkwood, Bearlin & Hardy, 1989), which included only a small amount of physical science, and took an explicit gender approach emphasising the students as learners. Specializations: primary teacher education, teaching strategies in science.     

Application of genetics knowledge to the solution of pedigree problems

This paper reports on a study of undergraduate genetics students' conceptual and procedural knowledge and how that knowledge influences students' success in pedigree problem solving. Findings indicate that many students lack the knowledge needed to test hypotheses relating to X-linked modes of inheritance using either patterns of inheritance or genotypes. Case study data illustrate how these knowledge deficiencies acted as an impediment to correct and conclusive solutions of pedigree problems. Specializations: problem solving, laboratory work, conceptual change, science teacher education.     

Understanding Early Adolescents Through Dialogue Journals

The purpose of this article is to share the results of a study that explored the recommendations of practicing teachers about ways to prepare preservice teachers for including children with disabilities into general education classrooms. A survey was distributed to 71 practicing general elementary education teachers. The survey included the following questions: What should the general education student know about teaching students with special needs? Should this information be included in one course or integrated with other course content? General education teachers reported that teacher education programs should include the following content: behavioral strategies, conflict resolution and social skills, identification of students with special needs, adaptation of curriculum and materials, adaptation of instructional strategies, legal regulations and individual education programs, and co-teaching, teaming, and collaboration. These data suggest that preservice teacher preparation programs would include content courses to address these thematic areas and present a solid knowledge base about teaching children with disabilities.     

In what ways are teacher candidates being prepared to teach about the environment? A case study from Wisconsin

There is an urgent need for primary and secondary students to develop awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and an environmental ethic necessary to undertake environmental issues and problems. The need to adequately prepare teachers to teach about the environment, and the challenges the field of environmental education (EE) faces lead us to the research question: In what ways are teacher candidates being prepared to teach primary and secondary students about the environment? Using a case study approach of the 33 teacher education programs in Wisconsin (USA), we explored the ways in which EE is integrated into teacher preparation. Surveys, interviews, and the analysis of course documents (e.g. syllabi, assignment sheets) were used to identify two primary ways in which EE is being integrated – courses and activities. After examining the commonalities among programs that are doing more than typical (such as using multiple ways to include EE or having high quality EE), we explored the role organizational resources – material, human, and social – play in teacher education programs.     

Towards a theoretical basis for students' alternative frameworks in science and for science teaching

As there is nothing as practical as a good theory, there is a continuing need in the field of science education enquiry to look for theories which help to interpret the findings about students' alternative frameworks and to inform the design of teaching strategies which relate to a research focus on ‘how the student learns’. The developmental model of cognitive functioning based on the SOLO Taxonomy (Biggs & Collis, 1982) as updated in 1991 (Biggs & Collis, 1991; Collis & Biggs, 1991) is being applied in this way. Questionnaire data from two large studies of science learning of Australian students (conducted by ACER and NBEET) are being re-analysed in terms of the current theory. This paper illustrates the theory and describes a plan of further research. Specializations: science education, students' understandings of phenomena in science. Specializations: cognitive development, evaluation, mathematics and science education. Specializations: mathematics education, students' understanding of chance and data concepts.     

密歇根州立大学硕士层次小学教师培养方案评析

美国密歇根州立大学的教育学院有三个硕士层次的小学教师培养方案,即课程与教学专业硕士生方案、教育文科硕士方案和读写教学文科硕士方案。这三个培养方案都招收有教学经验的小学教师和其他相关人员,培养方向具有多样选择性,课程体系的设置门数为10-11门,学分数为30-33学分,学习方式有传统的课堂教学和网络学习两种。培养方案的这些特点对我国小学教师的培养具有多方面的参考价值。     

First-year tertiary students' understandings of iron filing patterns around a magnet

This paper describes responses from 28 first-year university physics students to one question of a written test which was followed up by an interview. The study has two main research aims. Firstly, it characterises the conceptual structures of students regarding the phenomenon in question. As well as being interesting in their own right, these student understandings cast light on some broader issues regarding understanding of field representations. While students' understandings of circuit electricity are well described in the existing science education literature, their understandings of field phenomena are not. Secondly, it throws light on theoretical questions about the SOLO Taxonomy, which is the framework used to study the students' conceptual structures. Of particular interest is the nature of student thinking that marks transition from the Concrete Symbolic to the Formal SOLO mode in this area. Specializations: physics education, electricity and magnetism, conceptual structures, SOLO Taxonomy. Specializations: SOLO Taxonomy, conceptual structures, mathematics education.     

Gender differences when choosing school subjects: Parental push and career pull. Some tentative hypotheses

The literature has made us all aware of large gender differences in students' atttudes to science, in enrolment statistics in upper high school and tertiary level science courses, and in different spheres of employment. What have not been looked at in detail are the factors which are influential when students begin to make choices in early high school, choices which may well set them on a particular pathway from which it is difficult to turn. This preliminary study identifies factors which students in a Year 9 class believed were influential on the limited subject choices they had been able to make in Years 8 and 9, and the factors they believed would be most influential on choices to be made later in the school. In addition the students' views of science, of the separate sciences, and of their anticipated career patterns were sought. Several interesting findings were made which, if validated in further work, could lead to strategies which would support other approaches designed to reduce gender imbalances related to science. Specializations: non-scientific conceptions and conceptual change, problem solving, science teacher education. Specializations: Gender issues.     

Improving early childhood teacher education: Preservice teachers' beliefs about inclusion

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe early childhood preservice teachers’ beliefs about the inclusion of children with special needs in early childhood settings. Nineteen female undergraduate early childhood education preservice teachers participated in one of five focus groups. Students were divided into three groups based on the courses they were enrolled in or had completed: Beginner (sophomore and junior courses), Intermediate (senior courses), and Advanced (student teaching). Additionally, 6 of the 19 students participated in individual interviews. Data analysis resulted in themes related to students’ beliefs and philosophies of inclusion, as well as their thoughts concerning practice in inclusive programs. This paper describes students’ beliefs within each group and compares responses across the different groups. Implications are discussed in relation to teacher education programs and directions for future research.     

教育过程中的“动之以情”解析

在当前的基础教育课程改革中,动之以情具有重要的教育目标意义。教育过程中的动之以情要求教师首先要善于保护和激发学生的求知兴趣;其次要尊重和关爱学生,既从正面引导,又从反面鞭策,以提升学生的学习效果和道德情感、情操。     

大学生创业教育机制构建的思考

大学生创业教育是促进大学生就业问题解决的有效途径,是推进高校人才培养模式改革的需要,也是大学生实现个体发展的需要。从大学生创业的激励机制、发挥校园文化活动的平台作用、开设大学生创业教育相关课程以及指导大学生进行自主创业实践等来构建科学有效的大学生创业能力培养机制。     

高等教育转轨过程中的“高等数学”教学探讨

在高等教育办学规模不断扩大的形势下,高等教育由“精英化”向“大众化”转化。作为基础课之一的高等数学课程,由于其抽象性及枯燥性,对于经济类学生而言,学习比较困难。通过调查研究,从教学内容、教学方法、教学管理上探讨提高学生的学习兴趣、提高教学质量的途径和方法。     

高校实施闲暇教育的价值与策略

闲暇教育是以合理的闲暇价值观念指导人们在闲暇时间进行休闲的活动。闲暇价值观主要包含如何利用闲暇时间,如何认识闲暇活动与人的知识能力发展、人格完善、个体社会化以及生活质量之间的关系等问题。对大学生进行积极的闲暇教育,有利于其形成合理的闲暇价值观和终身教育理念,有利于其知识的自我建构和各种能力的形成与发展,有利于其个体人格的完善。在我国高等教育规模发展、育人方向转型、学生自主性得以充分张扬的现实中,大学生可自由支配的闲暇时间在日益增多,其闲暇活动趋多向发展且有不健康隐患。因此,高校应以大学生身心发展的特点为基础,从社会对现代大学生的实际需要出发,按照自主性、实践性和系统性的原则,周到制定闲暇教育计划,研制闲暇教育课程,培养从事闲暇教育的专业教师,积极开展各种有效的闲暇教育活动。     

Teaching Philosophy of Education: The Value of Questions

The teaching of foundations courses, and in particular philosophy of education, is frequently under siege in teacher education programs across Canada, as these programs struggle to meet other demands on student teachers. This article results from a panel discussion addressing the context of a variety of undergraduate philosophy of education courses across the country, and the principles and practices instructors take in teaching their discipline. The result of the discussion is a strong argument in favour of teaching philosophy of education as an important means of achieving many of the other aims Faculties of Education and teacher education programs have for their teacher education students, in an atmosphere of reflective thought about the profession and its challenges.     

试论孔子教育思想对新课程改革的启示

孔子作为伟大的教育家,有丰富的教育思想。其思想与当前具有人本主义价值趋向的新课程改革有许多契合之处,尤其是在教育理念、教育方法等诸多方面,注重学生的主体性,尊重个性差异,培养学生各方面的能力,知识与情意教育并重,能有效地促使学生实现自我。     

有效的教师及有效教学--国外中小学教师在职培训的教学理论研究述要

有效的教师和有效教学理论提出了有效的教师3个假定：有效的教师必须清楚地了解并积极地努力实现其目标，有效的教师的教学目标是与或应当与学生的学习有着直接的或间接的联系，教学目标的水平和学生学习态度、性向及能力是影响有效教学的因素。评价有效教学可以从学习的机会和作业、课堂环境、班级的组织与管理、课的结构、师生间的交流、学生的参与和学生的成功、教师的教学改革热情等七个方面进行。