MATAL: the Israel Elementary Science Project‐‐a Retrospective

Summaries

English

In this article, the authors reflect on the development and implementation of the Israel Elementary Science Project (MATAL). The MATAL project, initially established in 1968, used British and American programmes as its foundation, but so modified them that they became applicable to the needs of less developed countries. The authors describe the structure and content of their project, as well as their work in teacher training and the development of ancillary and enrichment programmes. It is hoped that the Israeli experience in developing an elementary school science curriculum will be of interest and potential benefit to curriculum workers in other countries also.     

A Cross-Age Study of Different Perspectives in Solution Chemistry from Junior to Senior High School

This study reports on research examining what students think about aspects of solution chemistry and seeks to establish what alternative conceptions they hold in this area. To achieve this aim the researchers developed a test comprising of open-ended questions that evaluated students understanding of solution chemistry. The test was administered to 441 students selected randomly from different grades, grade 7 through grade 10. The research findings suggest that students have difficulty at comprehending the investigated concepts in solution chemistry. Alternative conceptions about the concepts of dissolution, chemical bonding, evaporation and condensation influence latter learning. Interestingly, the grade 9 students have the least percentages, except for Item 3, amongst grades in terms of alternative conception. Also, students' alternative conceptions are also stored in long-term memory and interact with each another. In the light of the findings, it can be suggested that the future research may need to focus on classifying of students' responses in terms of categories in understanding such as propositions, strings, images, episode, intellectual skills and cognitive strategies.     

The Effect of Various Reward Situations on Children's Helping Behaviour

Abstract The present study examines the differential effect of three reward situations on children's helping behaviour. Ninety‐six boys front kindergarten and second grade were put in one of four experimental conditions: (a) a tangible reward was promised for helping; (b) a social reward was promised for helping; (c) undefined reward was mentioned and (d) no reward was offered. The results indicated that more second‐grade than kindergarten children helped and that the more concrete and tangible the reward offered, the more children helped. These results are discussed in the framework of the development of helping behaviour.     

积极心理学介评

积极心理学是现代心理学研究的一个新思潮,似一股清新的空气注入传统消极心理学而迅猛发展.本文从积极心理学的背景和现状、理论研究以及应用领域予以介绍,最后对积极心理学进行简评.     

Developmental Relations Among Behavioral Inhibition,Anxiety, and Attention Biases to Threat and Positive Information

This study examined relations between behavioral inhibition (BI) assessed in toddlerhood (n = 268) and attention biases (AB) to threat and positive faces and maternal‐reported anxiety assessed when children were 5‐ and 7‐year‐old. Results revealed that BI predicted anxiety at age 7 in children with AB toward threat, away from positive, or with no bias, at age 7; BI did not predict anxiety for children displaying AB away from threat or toward positive. Five‐year AB did not moderate the link between BI and 7‐year anxiety. No direct association between AB and BI or anxiety was detected; moreover, children did not show stable AB across development. These findings extend our understanding of the developmental links among BI, AB, and anxiety.     

涉外合同英语的长句特征及其翻译

涉外商务合同具有其独特的文体特征,要求译文准确、严谨规范。本文基于典型实例分析,以语用分析为依据,从长句中简单长句,复合长句,并列长句等方面分析了涉外合同英语的长句特征及其翻译策略。     

沈福宗在17世纪欧洲的学术活动

南京人沈福宗是清初通晓拉丁文的少数中国学子之一,1682-1692年随比利时人柏应理出访欧洲六国,受到罗马教皇和法、英两国国王接见,又结识社会名流,展开东西方两大文明之间的直接对话,把中国语言文字、儒家道德哲学和波动说传到欧洲,帮助东方学家从事汉学研究,对西方人文科学和自然科学发展作出贡献.但中国史籍对他却只字不载,本文利用英文、法文和拉丁文史料对他不平凡经历和事迹作出全面评介.     

Children's ideas about action at a distance

Children's ideas about action at a distance are analysed according to the commonsense theory. These ideas can be organized around three presuppositions which express concrete realizations of the abstract idea of interaction at a distance. The presuppositions are concerned with the uniqueness of earth, the need for connection between objects interacting at a distance, and how various forces support and focus each other. These ideas do not form a self‐consistent set of axioms to be applied coherently, but rather form a guiding framework. The chosen presuppositions are context dependent and related to the different environments of earth, a satellite, the moon and outer space. Support is preferred over connection. The relevance of these findings for instruction are discussed.