An international collaborative investigation of beginning seventh grade students' understandings of scientific inquiry: Establishing a baseline

Although understandings of scientific inquiry (as opposed to conducting inquiry) are included in science education reform documents around the world, little is known about what students have learned about inquiry during their elementary school years. This is partially due to the lack of any assessment instrument to measure understandings about scientific inquiry. However, a valid and reliable assessment has recently been developed and published, Views About Scientific Inquiry (VASI; Lederman et al. [2014], Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 51, 65–83). The purpose of this large-scale international project was to collect the first baseline data on what beginning middle school students have learned about scientific inquiry during their elementary school years. Eighteen countries/regions spanning six continents including 2,634 students participated in the study. The participating countries/regions were: Australia, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Mainland China, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States. In many countries, science is not formally taught until middle school, which is the rationale for choosing seventh grade students for this investigation. This baseline data will simultaneously provide information on what, if anything, students learn about inquiry in elementary school, as well as their beginning knowledge as they enter secondary school. It is important to note that collecting data from all of the approximately 200 countries globally was not humanly possible, and it was also not possible to collect data from every region of each country. The results overwhelmingly show that students around the world at the beginning of grade seven have very little understandings about scientific inquiry. Some countries do show reasonable understandings in certain aspects but the overall picture of understandings of scientific inquiry is not what is hoped for after completing 6 years of elementary education in any country.     

The introduction of a medical informatics course into a medical school curriculum

Fulfilling the need for a course in medical informatics to be taught to medical students requires an effort on the part of the teaching faculty and administration. Creators of the curriculum must take into account contemporary pedagogical trends and the direction of medical education. Producing a course of study requires a firm conviction that practicing medicine in the 21st century demands currency, accuracy, and literacy with the available information sources.     

Ethnic and Racial Identity During Adolescence and Into Young Adulthood: An Integrated Conceptualization

Although ethnic and racial identity (ERI) are central to the normative development of youth of color, there have been few efforts to bring scholars together to discuss the theoretical complexities of these constructs and provide a synthesis of existing work. The Ethnic and Racial Identity in the 21st Century Study Group was assembled for this purpose. This article provides an overview of the interface of ERI with developmental and contextual issues across development, with an emphasis on adolescence and young adulthood. It proposes a metaconstruct to capture experiences that reflect both individuals’ ethnic background and their racialized experiences in a specific sociohistorical context. Finally, it presents milestones in the development of ERI across developmental periods.     

Empathy and Emotional Intelligence among Eastern and Western Counsellor Trainees: A Preliminary Study

This study explored degree of empathy and emotional intelligence among Thai (n?=?48) and American (n?=?53) counsellor trainees to determine if differences in Eastern and Western cultural orientations (e.g., interdependent versus independent self-construals) affect foundational counselling skills. Results indicated that Western trainees showed greater empathy, although no differences were found in emotional intelligence between Eastern and Western trainees. Length of training correlated with greater empathy in both groups, but was not associated with emotional intelligence. Type of self-construal correlated with both degree of empathy and emotional intelligence. Implications for counselling research and training are addressed.     

Enabling Factors of Preservice Science Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Nature of Science and Nature of Scientific Inquiry

Science & Education - The goal of this study was to explore the influencing factors of pre-service science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for targeted aspects of nature of...     

Electronic Media

VIDEO MEDIA COMPETITION: REGULATION, ECONOMICS, AND TECHNOLOGY edited by Eli M. Noam (New York: Columbia University Press, 1985---price not given)

RESEARCH PAPERS SERIES (Research Program in Telecommunications and Information Policy, 726 Uris Hall, Columbia University, New York 10027—$5.00 each)

THE NEW VIDEO MARKETPLACE: A REGULATORY IDENTITY CRISIS by Erwin G. Krasnow and Jill Abeshouse Stern (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Program on Information Resources Policy, 1985---price not given, paper)

CABLE ADVERTISER'S HANDBOOK by Ronald B. Kaatz (Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Company, 1985---$19.95)

THE NEW INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL BROADCAST TELEVISION by Kathy Krendl et al (Bloomington, IN: Institute for Communication Research of Indiana University, 1985--- price not given, paper)     

Television exposure and language development

A language sample and a television log were collected from 93 preschool children. Correlations between the language sophistication levels of the subjects and television exposure showed a significant negative inverse relationship. Differential results between types of programs viewed and language development suggest support for an environmentalist theory of language development.     

MANAGING STRESS AMONG ADULT WOMEN STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Stress management for adult women students in community colleges is essential because of the enormous demands they face from family, career, and financial responsibilities. Community colleges and adult educators must help adult women students identify their major sources of stress as well as provide strategies to alleviate those stressors. An extensive review of the literature and a campus-based study found high levels of stress resulting from parenting, nancial, and health concerns. Age was also found to be an important stress factor. Recommendations for helping adult women students are discussed.     

Effect of a novel pedal design on maximal power output and mechanical efficiency in well-trained cyclists

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the effects of a novel pedal design, characterized by a downward and forward shift of the cleat fixing platform relative to the pedal axle, on maximal power output and mechanical efficiency in 22 well-trained cyclists. Maximal power output was measured during a series of short (5-s) intermittent sprints on an isokinetic cycle ergometer at cadences from 40 to 120 rev · min^?1. Mechanical efficiency was evaluated during a submaximal incremental exercise test on a bicycle ergometer using continuous [Vdot]O₂ and [Vdot]CO₂ measurement. Similar tests with conventional pedals and the novel pedals, which were mounted on the individual racing bike of the participant, were randomized. Maximal power was greater with novel pedals than with conventional pedals (between 6.0%, s_x  = 1.5 at 40 rev · min^?1 and 1.8%, s_x  = 0.7 at 120 rev · min^?1; P = 0.01). Torque production between crank angles of 60° and 150° was higher with novel pedals than with conventional pedals (P = 0.004). The novel pedal design did not affect whole-body [Vdot]O₂ or [Vdot]CO₂. Mechanical efficiency was greater with novel pedals than with conventional pedals (27.2%, s_x  = 0.9 and 25.1%, s_x  = 0.9% respectively; P = 0.047; effect size = 0.9). In conclusion, the novel pedals can increase maximal power output and mechanical efficiency in well-trained cyclists.