The Effects of Children's Age and Sex on Acquiring Pro-Environmental Attitudes Through Environmental Education

Environmental education programs aiming to enhance children's environmental attitudes in a pro-environmental direction require background information, such as age and sex differences, to ensure appropriate design. We used the 2-MEV model with its domains preservation and utilization of nature to assess a four-day program at an educational field center with students 9–10 and 11–13 years of age. A pre- and post-retention test design revealed younger students to be more responsive concerning positive attitude shifts than older students, whereas the sexes were equally influenced. Program developers should consider that education has a stronger effect on young children's environmental attitudes.     

Evaluating Environmental Knowledge Dimension Convergence to Assess Educational Programme Effectiveness

One aim of environmental education is fostering sustainable environmental action. Some environmental behaviour models suggest that this can be accomplished in part by improving people's knowledge. Recent studies have identified a distinct, psychometrically supported environmental knowledge structure consisting of system, action-related and effectiveness knowledge. Besides system knowledge, which is most often the focus of such studies, incorporating the other knowledge dimensions into these dimensions was suggested to enhance effectiveness. Our study is among the first to implement these dimensions together in an educational campaign and to use these dimensions to evaluate the effectiveness of a programme on water issues. We designed a four-day environmental education programme on water issues for students at an educational field centre. We applied a newly developed multiple-choice instrument using a pre-, post-, retention test design. The knowledge scales were calibrated with the Rasch model. In addition to the commonly assessed individual change in knowledge level, we also measured the change in knowledge convergence, the extent to which the knowledge dimensions merge as a person's environmental knowledge increases, as an innovative indicator of educational success. Following programme participation, students significantly improved in terms of amount learned in each knowledge dimension and in terms of integration of the knowledge dimensions. The effectiveness knowledge shows the least gain, persistence and convergence, which we explain by considering the dependence of the knowledge dimensions on each other. Finally, we discuss emerging challenges for educational researchers and practical implications for environmental educators.     

Two ways of acquiring environmental knowledge: by encountering living animals at a beehive and by observing bees via digital tools

ABSTRACT

Pollinating animals are profoundly affected by the current loss of biodiversity, a problem that is of concern to science, policy-makers and the public. One possibility to raise awareness for pollinator conservation is education. Unfortunately, insects such as bees are often perceived as frightening creatures; a negative emotion that may hinder successful learning processes. Thus, any educational initiative must conquer this obstacle and promote conservational knowledge. Using a quasi-experimental design, we evaluated the effectiveness of an educational programme using two student-centred learning approaches: One by encountering living honeybees (Apis mellifera) at a beehive (N?=?162), the other by using an eLearning tool connected to a remote beehive (N?=?192). We monitored secondary school students’ environmentally relevant knowledge of bees, their environmental attitudes and their perception of bees in regard to conservation and dangerousness. The results indicate that both approaches lead to the acquisition of conservational knowledge in the short and medium term. Direct experiences with nature are regarded as crucial, but using an eLearning tool in environmental education constitutes an outstanding alternative to acquire knowledge. Adolescents with low ‘green’ attitudes responded positively to the online beehive, and the perceived danger of bees played no role in the learning process.     

Influence of regression model and incremental test protocol on the relationship between lactate threshold using the maximal-deviation method and performance in female runners

Abstract

This study examined the influence of the regression model and initial intensity of an incremental test on the relationship between the lactate threshold estimated by the maximal-deviation method and the endurance performance. Sixteen non-competitive, recreational female runners performed a discontinuous incremental treadmill test. The initial speed was set at 7 km · h^?1, and increased every 3 min by 1 km · h^?1 with a 30-s rest between the stages used for earlobe capillary blood sample collection. Lactate-speed data were fitted by an exponential-plus-constant and a third-order polynomial equation. The lactate threshold was determined for both regression equations, using all the coordinates, excluding the first and excluding the first and second initial points. Mean speed of a 10-km road race was the performance index (3.04 ± 0.22 m · s^?1). The exponentially-derived lactate threshold had a higher correlation (0.98 ≤ r ≤ 0.99) and smaller standard error of estimate (SEE) (0.04 ≤ SEE ≤ 0.05 m · s^?1) with performance than the polynomially-derived equivalent (0.83 ≤ r ≤ 0.89; 0.10 ≤ SEE ≤ 0.13 m · s^?1). The exponential lactate threshold was greater than the polynomial equivalent (P < 0.05). The results suggest that the exponential lactate threshold is a valid performance index that is independent of the initial intensity of the incremental test and better than the polynomial equivalent.     

Testing Creativity and Personality to Explore Creative Potentials in the Science Classroom

Integrating creativity into science classes may pave the way to tapping complex scientific phenomena. Although not yet conclusively defined nor assessed using standardized measures, creativity is understood to support cognitive learning in formal and informal settings. However, the successful integration of creativity in educational modules depends on many factors. As our knowledge of how to identify these factors is still limited, teachers may have difficulties effectively monitoring and fostering creativity. Consequently, a valid means to measure creativity would help teachers to identify creativity and its influencing factors within the limited scope of science lessons. In the present study, we collected data from 538 Bavarian secondary school students (M?±?SD?=?16.96?±?2.99; 65.4%, female) focussing on personality and creativity measures. Comparable to previous studies, two subscales for creativity were applied: act, comprising conscious and adaptable cognitive processes, and flow, describing a creative mental state of full immersion. Since personality is understood to be linked to creativity, we used the Big Five scale with its shortened item battery to assess personality. We found that personal characteristics such as conscientiousness and flow, openness and agreeableness, and extraversion and neuroticism were significantly correlated. Anticipated gender and age differences were only evident when extreme groups were compared: age influenced act in younger male students and flow in older female students. Drawing on the literature and our results, we suggest pedagogical approaches to provide opportunities for creativity in science classrooms.

     

Physiologisch-metabolische Aspekte von Langzeit-Ausdauertests im Schulsport

From the perspective of preventive medicine and learning physiology it is important to introduce children and young people to effective aerobic endurance training. In the field study presented, boys and girls of school years 6, 8, 10 and 12 underwent 3 running tests of 12, 20 and 30 min duration and were tested for lactate concentration, heart rate and rate of perceived exertion (RPE). The physiological metabolic parameters were compared and recommendations for an appropriate long-term endurance test for school sport were given depending on the results. The 12 min running test provoked a higher average lactate concentration (5.3-10.9 mmol/l lactate) in both sexes of all school years than the 2 longer running tests. The average lactate concentrations, however, may be evaluated as quite harmless in school sport provided there is adequate preparation. The longer running tests also require sufficient preparation as they cause average lactate concentrations of approximately 4-8.5 mmol/l and obviously higher demands for volitional properties than shorter running tests. The 20 min running test can be considered as an alternative to the Cooper test (12 min running test): lactate concentrations in blood are between 18.5 % and 23?% lower on average and heart rates and RPE after the test are only slightly higher.     

Under-threes’ mathematical learning – teachers’ perspectives

This project highlights preschool teachers’ views of toddlers’ learning in mathematics. The Swedish national curriculum covers even the youngest children who are 1–3?years old. Interesting questions are thus: what should mathematics be for this age group and how should preschool teachers work with maths to achieve the curriculum objectives? Data were collected through interviews with six preschool teachers working in four different preschools. The data show that the teachers emphasize the body as very important for the learning process, which means that for these children, it is not a matter of simply talking about mathematical concepts, but experiencing them bodily. The teachers also report that they now pay more attention than previously to what material the children use and how they interact with it. They are more aware of how they organize and offer the various materials in the preschool and how this influences the way children use them and, consequently, their learning processes.     

Film Reference

Phyllis Rauch Klotman, Frame by Frame -- A Black Filmography (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1979 -- $25.00)

G.K. Hall reference film series (both Boston, 1979)

Patricia Peyton'(ed.), Reel Change: A Guide to Social Issue Films ( San Francisco: The Film Fund -- $6.95 paperback plus $1.25 for postage and handling -- write c/o P.O. Box 909, San Francisco, California 94101)

James L. Limbacher, Haven't I Seen You somewhere Before? Remakes, Sequels, and Series in Motion Pictures and Television, 1896 - 1978 ($24.50)

Michael J. Murphy, The Celluloid Vampires: A History and Filmography, 1897 - 1979 ($14.95)

Robert Osborne, 50 Golden Years of Oscar (La Habra, California 90631: ESE California Publishers, 509 N. Harbor Blvd., 1979 -- no price given)

Film Periodicals     

通过身体的城市——相关西方社会理论的评述

本文首先提出了2个当代城市研究的个案,并批判了他们对于城市及其空间建构过程的片面性理解;其次,通过回顾经典的城市理论,本文梳理出了身体、空间和城市之间的相关性;最后,展开了关于当代城市理论的探讨,从空间组织形式的角度去探讨了身体与城市之间的实践关系。总体而言,本文在西方社会理论的脉络中探讨了身体、空间和城市等几个重要概念,并强调了对于"身体"概念的理解有助于我们更好地去理解城市及其内在逻辑。     

Hydrogel-based microfluidic incubator for microorganism cultivation and analyses

This work presents an array of microfluidic chambers for on-chip culturing of microorganisms in static and continuous shear-free operation modes. The unique design comprises an in-situ polymerized hydrogel that forms gas and reagent permeable culture wells in a glass chip. Utilizing a hydrophilic substrate increases usability by autonomous capillary priming. The thin gel barrier enables efficient oxygen supply and facilitates on-chip analysis by chemical access through the gel without introducing a disturbing flow to the culture. Trapping the suspended microorganisms inside a gel well allows for a much simpler fabrication than in conventional trapping devices as the minimal feature size does not depend on cell size. Nutrients and drugs are provided on-chip in the gel for a self-contained and user-friendly handling. Rapid antibiotic testing in static cultures with strains of Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli is presented. Cell seeding and diffusive medium supply is provided by phaseguide technology, enabling simple operation of continuous culturing with a great flexibility. Cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are utilized as a model to demonstrate continuous on-chip culturing.