How confident are primary school teachers in teaching science?

The recent nationalDiscipline Review of Teacher Education in Mathematics and Science outlines the lack of confidence of many preservice primary school teachers in teaching science. This study explores the attitudes of 170 primary school teachers in a Perth school district. By means of a simple questionnaire the perceptions and attitudes of these teachers about the following aspects have been examined: (1) background understanding of science; (2) preservice training; (3) interest in teaching science; (4) skill in teaching science; (5) confidence in the plant, animal, matter, energy areas, and (6) time spent teaching science. Besides compiling frequency responses for all teachers on these aspects comparisons have also been made on the basis of: (1) gender; (2) time of graduation, and (3) grade level taught. Specializations: Primary science, teacher attitudes. Specializations: Primary science, science teaching strategies, curriculum implementation, cognitive studies.     

Academic leadership in different disciplinary contexts

Conclusions In university settings good leadership seems to depend, among other factors, on the culture of the department and the nature of academic work in the field involved. Consequently, it is important to find solutions valid for the department involved. The development work of academic leadership should be carried out in voluntary co-operation with the academic staff, starting with the analysis of the current leadership culture. The departments may also have to change their cultures somehow in the future because of the rapidly changing environment. The longer and the more successfully the ideas, assumptions, and values dealing with the leadership have been working, the more difficult these changes might prove to be (Schein 1985). This is a shortened version of the paper delivered at the 16th Annual EAIR Forum (Amsterdam 1994): the full text can be obtained from the author.     

Freiwilligenarbeit und politische Engagementbereitschaft in der Adoleszenz

In diesem Beitrag wird der Frage nachgegangen, unter welchen Bedingungen die Freiwilligenarbeit Jugendlicher einen Einfluss auf die Bereitschaft zu politischer Partizipation besitzt. Theoretisch wird die Frage mit Bezug auf die Theorie gemeinnütziger T?tigkeit beantwortet. Diese besagt, dass nicht prim?r das soziale Engagement, sondern die beim Engagement gemachten Erfahrungen relevant sind für das Ausma? politischer Beteiligungsbereitschaft. Diese Annahme wird durch zwei Untersuchungen (N₁ = 222; N₂ = 1.431) bei Jugendlichen geprüft. Die Befunde beider Studien stützen die These, dass Freiwilligenarbeit nicht direkt, sondern vermittelt über die im Zuge des Engagements entwickelte Prosozialit?t und die gemachten Erfahrungen das Ausma? politischer Beteiligungsbereitschaft vorhersagt.     

心路历程--建议

Dear Friends,Giving advice is one of the most popular pastimes known to mankind. Everyone has some advice to give to everyone else. It is easier to give advice than it is to take advice. Most of us have been given more advice than we can possibly use.I am drawn to this topic because many of our readers ask me to give them advice on a variety(变化,多样性)of different prob-lems.This can be very flattering(讨人喜欢的), and I appreciate your willingness to ask me. I respond to your questions, and I feel free to give my opinions and my comments on any subject. These comments     

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.     

Minority students vs. majority faculty and administrators in teacher education: Perspectives on the clash of cultures

This paper strongly suggests that the views of minority students must be included in any meaningful assessment of teacher preparation programs' efforts to address racial diversity. The project was initiated during the 1990–91 academic year by interviewing minority juniors and seniors (total of 24), selected faculty, and administrators (deans, associate deans, department chairs) at two colleges of education as well as extensive document reviews. Intermittent follow-up interviews and document reviews continued through the 1993–94 academic year. These minority students did not feel that their teacher preparation programs had adequately prepared them to teach in racially diverse settings. Faculty and administrators agreed with the contention of the students but also pointed to a few tangible efforts that had been initiated to rectify this problem.     

关于大学教学改革问题的思考

提出了中国大学教学改革的概念,并针对现代大学的教学特点,对大学教学改革的途径进行了探讨。     

Design and documentation: The state of the art

Conclusion As designers contemplate methods for improving their practice over time, the thoughts expressed here, inspired by work in other creative design fields, may help us to choose which path will lead to the greatest benefit. With our visions growing rapidly because of improved tools, improved theory, and the new freedoms they give us, it is unhappy to think that new principles, ideas, and experiences may fail to emerge or be slow to benefit our students because we had no way to capture, examine, and share them and accomplish the assurance of their quality.