Towards an Applied Cognitive Science Perspective in Education

The paper argues for the role of an applied cognitive science perspective in education. It outlines the nature of cognitive science, and discusses the relevance and inadequacy of the brains metaphor and the computing metaphor. The concept of parallel distributed processing, bolstered by the social construction of knowledge, provides powerful frameworks for the teaching and learning of basic school subjects.     

The Trend Towards Materials in Science and Technology Education

The teaching of science and technology in the final year of high school is examined in a new curriculum developed for the education system in Victoria, Australia. The traditional areas of Physics and Chemistry together with a technology related subject, Materials and Technology, are investigated The major curriculum link amongst these studies was the area of materials. In Chemistry this involved the nature of materials, the chemical basis for the production of metals and polymers, and the social consequences of waste disposal. Within Physics, the major involvement was the investigation of the structure and physical properties of materials through theory and practical investigation. The selection of materials, production of components and their testing were the major area involved with Materials and Technology. Although the area of materials related all three subjects enrollments were comparatively high for Physics and Chemistry but Materials and Technology had less than one tenth as much enrollment. Similarly, school providers were significantly lower for materials and technology. Materials and Technology is still considered a vocational subject compared with the science oriented subjects. When gender enrollments were considered, Chemistry had a similar number of females and males, Physics had twice as many males as females, and Materials and Technology had twice as many males as females. This appears to be a consequence of typical gender roles.     

论职业学校学生科技道德教育

在知识经济时代,科学技术对社会、经济的发展产生了深刻影响.在科技时代有必要对职业学校的学生实施科技道德教育,同时在阐述了科技道德教育的含义及其基本内容的基础上,提出了职业学校应以学校作为教育的主阵地,通过德育课、专业课和课外活动等基本途径对学生进行科技道德的教育.     

Autonomy in Science Education: A Practical Approach in Attitude Shifting Towards Science Learning

This work describes a 2-year study in teaching school science, based on the stimulation of higher thinking levels in learning science using a highly student-centred and constructivist learning approach. We sought to shift and strengthen students’ positive attitudes towards science learning, self-efficacy towards invention, and achievement. Focusing on an important aspect of student’s positive attitude towards learning, their preference (like/dislike) towards independent study with minimal or no teacher interference, which leads to increased learning autonomy, was investigated. The main research was conducted on elementary school students; 271 grade level one (G1; 6 years old) to grade level four (G4; 10 years old) participated in this study. As a result of this study, it was found that: (1) 73% of the students preferred minimal or no explanation at all, favoring to be left with the challenge of finding out what to do, compared to 20% of the control group, indicating a positive attitude shift in their learning approaches. (2) The experimental group achieved slightly more (9.5% difference) than the control group in knowledge-comprehension-level based exam; however, the experimental group scored much higher (63% difference) in challenging exams which required higher thinking levels. (3) The same trend was also observed in self-efficacy toward invention, where 82% of the experimental group saw themselves as possible inventors compared to 37% of the control group.     

Towards a Philosophically Guided Schema for Studying Scientific Explanation in Science Education

Science & Education - Stemming from the realization of the importance of the role of explanation in the science classroom, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013) call for...     

Towards Bildung-Oriented Chemistry Education

This paper concerns Bildung-oriented chemistry education, based on a reflective and critical discourse of chemistry. It is contrasted with the dominant type of chemistry education, based on the mainstream discourse of chemistry. Bildung-oriented chemistry education includes not only content knowledge in chemistry, but also knowledge about chemistry, both about the nature of chemistry and about its role in society. In 2004 Mahaffy suggested a tetrahedron model based on Johnstone’s chemical triangle. The latter represents the formal aspects of chemistry teaching (macro, submicro, and symbolic) and the top of the tetrahedron represents a human element. In the present paper the following subdivision of the top is suggested (starting from the bottom): (1) applied chemistry, (2) socio-cultural context, and (3) critical-philosophic approach. The professional identity of the Bildung-oriented chemistry teacher differs from that of the chemist and is informed by research fields such as Philosophy of Chemistry, Science and Technology Studies, and Environmental Education. He/she takes a socio-critical approach to chemistry, emphasising both the benefits and risks of chemistry and its applications.     

发展科学教育 培育科学文化

中国的科学教育已走过百年历程,起到了十分重要的教育作用。但总的来说,我国的科学文化还很不发达,科学教育程度不够。为了改变这一现状,我们需要从三个方面进行努力:第一,全面理解科学教育,树立正确的科学价值观;第二,培育积极完整的科学文化;第三,创造和谐、自由的科研环境。     

教育中的科学史与科学史中的教育

关于科学史在科学教育中的功能问题，一些案例说明，长期以来，实际上是教育目的规定着科学史的教育作用，将这种现象可称为教育中的科学史。而随着科学史研究的发展和科学史建制的形成，现在以科学史本身为本来认识科学史的教育作用，相应的，这可被称为科学史中的教育。在科学史的研究和传播过程中，从教育中的科学史向科学史中的教育转变，能够避免对科学史的辉格式解释和对科学历史的歪曲，也有利于真正认识科学史学科的教育功能。     

论艺术教育的理想

艺术教育不应拘泥于“当下”,而应放眼于普世,应为提升全民族的审美化与审美精神服务,此为艺术教育的理想;其实现方式应以“开放性”为始发点,以艺术素质教育为其实施机制,并以艺术教育工作素质的提高为根本;艺术教育理想的实现是一项系统工程,应以社会各方的参与为保障。     

Towards a Liberal Vocational Education

This essay takes up the issue of the impact of technology on jobs in modern workplaces, and the curricular challenges thereby engendered for vocational educators. Conceptions of the nature of workplaces are examined, along with conceptions of the types of skill needed. It is proposed that distinction be made between vocational education at the secondary school, and that beyond. At the secondary school, vocational education would be education about work , and the goal would be vocational literacy. This would constitute a liberal vocational education. Beyond that, vocational education would be for jobs , but would include liberal features, such as general education course work, and training in job families.     

Science of Education

ABSTRACT

With more students pursuing university, it becomes essential for high schools to provide training that maximizes their graduates’ success. There is debate over whether an extra year of high school better prepares students for university. The authors used a nationally representative survey to contrast academic and employment outcomes between high school graduates of Grade 12 and Grade 13. Results suggest that Grade 13 graduates obtain higher grades in high school, are more likely to pursue university, and are less likely to be employed full time compared with Grade 12 graduates. Among students enrolled in university, Grade 13 graduates report higher grades in university and satisfaction with their program and do not transfer out of their programs compared to Grade 12 graduates. These findings highlight the importance of an additional year of high school to produce better prepared and more satisfied graduates.     

树立新的教育理念推进科学教育与人文教育的融合

本文站在时代高度,以新的教育理念出发,从三个方面系统深入阐述了科学教育与人文教育融合的必然性。     

Science and Literature: Towards a Conceptual Framework

Teachers of science and the history of science may wish to enliven and contextualise their subject matter by citing literary references to scientific ideas; similarly, teachers of literature may wish to examine the impact of science on their own field. Both groups of scholars may wish to examine how science and literature inform each other in their common social and cultural context. The question that arises is whether or not the relationship between science and literature has stable features that can give structure to such studies? There are various possibilities: the study of ‘science and literature’ could chart the impact of science on literature, or the impact of literature on science, or both; or look at how both science and literature have historically responded in similar or different ways to a common historical context. Amid this melee of options, the primary purpose of this paper is to sketch a conceptual framework to assist the science educator to explore the literary response to scientific ideas. For the sake of brevity, science will be taken to include the natural sciences (including the pseudo sciences of alchemy and astrology since they were once regarded as authentic) but not technology or medicine. Literature will be taken to mean fictive writing – poems, plays, novels – but will not include here science fiction. These exclusions are partly for reasons of space, but also because science fiction has its own literature of critical analysis within literary scholarship.     

Towards a Refined Depiction of Nature of Science

Science & Education - This study considers the short list of Nature of Science (NOS) features frequently published and widely known in the science education discourse. It is argued that these...     

Steering Higher Education Towards the Workplace

This article examines the changing relationship between higher education and the state in the United Kingdom during a period of rapid higher education expansion and diversification. The roles, respectively, of the academic community, the labour market, and government in the steering of this relationship are considered. The paper concludes that, although external initiatives may have an important role to play in stimulating change in higher education, it is the academic community itself which determines the pace and direction of change.     

面向毕节地区农村中学化学教育的高师教育改革

从毕节农村中学教育的调查中,了解和分析当前农村化学教育与新课改所存在的众多矛盾,以新课程标准和提高毕节农村人力资源素质为前提,以及高师教育在中学化学教育中的地位和作用,阐述面向毕节地区农村教育的中学化学教师培养新机制和高师化学教育课程改革.     

对待国学教育的理性态度

关于国学作为传统文化要不要提倡之争,是中国寻求现代性与保存民族性的双重任务难以平衡的矛盾理外化的体现。理性看待国学热的兴起,深入体会国学教育的价值,国学既不是古代专制时代从属性质的意识形态教育也不是纯粹学术性的知识普及,而应结合现代公民教育的理念予以推进和升华。     

走向凡人的德育

没有人的道德是完美的,绝对的道德精英是不存在的.凡人德育的重要内容就是要求人们做有缺点的好人,即有向善之心、是非标准,而不是去做永远也达不到的道德精英.同时,学校课堂教育在构建凡人道德教育的过程中发挥着重要作用.