The influence of classroom climate on science process and content achievement of community college students

The effect of two specific classroom climates on learning of science process skills and content achievement in college level science classes was studied. Two classroom climates were established and designated as discovery classroom climate (DCC) and nondiscovery classroom climate (NDCC). The term discovery denotes the degree of freedom the teacher established in classroom interactions, both verbal and nonverbal. Verbal interactions were monitored with the Science Laboratory Interaction Categories. These data indicate that students in the two classroom climates achieved equally as well on learning of biological content of the course, but students in the discovery classroom climate achieved significantly higher scores in science process skills as measured by the Welch Science Process Inventory. This study, conducted in a large, suburban community college, offers some useful information to the person who has educational goals beyond, but including, the learning of science information and concepts, and possibly science process. Students in the less directive discovery climate learned as much content as those in a more directive comparison class-they lost nothing of what is traditionally sought in a college science class. In addition, the discovery climate facilitated the development of science process skills which were significantly better than the comparison class. A five-week intensive class using the discovery climate was found to provide as much content acquisition as the ten-week nondiscovery climate.     

Academics’ perspectives of the teaching and development of generic employability skills in science curricula

ABSTRACT

Graduate employability is a key issue for higher education as new graduates face a highly competitive and rapidly changing employment sector. To maximise their likelihood of employment, graduates need to be able to demonstrate the skills and attributes most valued by employers. Employers, however, have long criticised the ability of graduates to contribute effectively to the workplace, especially due to a perceived lack of generic employability skills. This indicates a possible mismatch between the skills required by employers and those possessed by graduate applicants. This study addresses a gap in the scholarly literature regarding employability skills – the perspectives of science academics at an Australian and UK university regarding the promotion of generic employability skills in the subjects they teach. More specifically, this article discusses academics’ perspectives regarding: (a) which of the targeted generic skills were developed and assessed through their science units, and (b) the approaches used to promote the targeted skills and any associated challenges in employing those approaches. The discussion explores how shifting from traditional transmissive pedagogies to more problem-based approaches and embedding reflection into pedagogy and assessment practices would contribute to promoting the skills employers increasingly demand from science graduates.     

Drugs, Camera, Action! A Video Approach to PSE

A seven-year partnership between a Norfolk high school and an NHS drug treatment agency has raised awareness about drugs, alcohol, HIV and AIDS among all sections of the school community. In an innovative approach to drug education, factual lessons have been augmented in Personal and Social Education (PSE) by videoed discussions touching on a range of issues, filmed at Year 9 and played back at Year 11. The sessions have had a powerful effect and helped give participants greater awareness of the transition from youth to adulthood. The insights gained and the techniques used may well have relevance to other aspects of a PSE programme.     

Spotlight

Against a backdrop of pessimism about the future of investigative reporting, this study reports major findings of a survey of mainly US-based investigative journalists (N?=?861). Although respondents reflect some of the current negative discourse, they also report high perceptions of autonomy and job satisfaction and say resources for investigative reporting are maintaining and even increasing. The survey provides empirical indication of the migration of investigative journalists to nonprofit newsrooms, with nonprofit journalists offering especially positive appraisals of the state of their craft. Also explored are investigative journalists’ professional role conceptions as well as perceptions of the nature of their relationship with the public and public policymakers.     

真正的黄金是你自己

孩提时代,每次回家我都听人说起那些住在沼泽地里被称为矮神仙的人,虽然很少有人看到,但民间却到处流传着有关他们的传说。多年以来我一直希望找到这样一个小仙人,因为有人告诉我,如果找到了,他会把自己珍藏的金罐送给你,从不会拒绝。于     

An Exploratory Study of the Effect a Self-Regulated Learning Environment Has on Pre-Service Primary Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching Science and Technology

The effects of a Self Regulated Learning (SRL) environment on pre-service primary teachers of Science and Technology were investigated in this exploratory study. A representative sample of teachers was interviewed about their experience and how it impacted on them pedagogically, affectively, conceptually and metacognitively. The preliminary results suggest that students' understanding of how to implement activity-based learning was enhanced by the SRL environment. Additionally they claimed to be more confident about their ability to teach. However, conceptual understanding did not appear to improve. These findings will inform a larger study involving SRL that will also address the issue of subject content knowledge and attempt to develop overall teaching competence in primary Science and Technology.     

The degree to which students and teachers are involved in second-level school processes and participation in decision-making: an Irish Case Study

The Education Act (1998 Education Act. 1998. Dublin: Government Publications. [Google Scholar]) is a key policy document in Irish education, emphasising the rights, roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, including parents, teachers and pupils in schools. Since 1998 the Department of Education and Skills (DES) has stressed the need to introduce an increased role for teachers and pupils in decision-making. It is therefore timely to explore the response of teachers and students to such a collaborative school environment in a rural second-level school of approximately 600 students. Transition year (TY) students (ages about 15–16) and their teachers were surveyed by questionnaire and interviewed. It finds that while the school is proactive in involving students and teachers in decision-making, a source of social, personal and professional empowerment, experienced teachers, and students in particular, want a more substantial voice. For example, most students want more say. They want class discussions or a vote, not just Student Council (SC) representation, on important and not just trivial issues. They want involvement before decisions are taken, with more feedback. Overall, participation is considered important by all stakeholders.     

Empirical Validity for a Comprehensive Model on Educational Effectiveness

Educational effectiveness research is often criticised because of the absence of a theoretical background. In our study we started out from an educational effectiveness model which was developed on the basis of educational theories and empirical evidence. We have tested the main assumptions of the model by reanalysing a large-scale longitudinal dataset which contains elementary school data of subsequent student cohorts, their teachers and their schools. We found some expected positive effects on achievement of individual classroom and school factors in the effectiveness model but these were not stable across school subjects and student cohorts. When factors were grouped into clusters the findings remained essentially the same. To interpret the clusters we made use of the concept of consistency, which refers to a balance between factors which may enhance effectiveness. Some teachers and schools are more consistent than others, but this does not affect the achievement of their students. Cross-level interaction effects were not found. The instability of effects makes it hard to suggest changes in the model at this moment.