Teaching and learning the concept of chemical bonding

Chemical bonding is one of the key and basic concepts in chemistry. The learning of many of the concepts taught in chemistry, in both secondary schools as well as in the colleges, is dependent upon understanding fundamental ideas related to chemical bonding. Nevertheless, the concept is perceived by teachers, as well as by learners, as difficult, with teaching commonly leading to students developing misconceptions. Many of these misconceptions result from over‐simplified models used in text books, by the use of traditional pedagogy that presents a rather limited and sometimes incorrect picture of the issues related to chemical bonding and by assessments of students' achievement that influence the way the topic is taught. In addition, there are discrepancies between scientists regarding key definitions in the topic and the most appropriate models to teach it. In particular, teaching models that are intended to have transitional epistemological value in introducing abstract ideas are often instead understood by students as accounts of ontological reality. In this review paper we provide science educators, curricula developers and pre‐service and in‐service professional development providers an up‐to‐date picture regarding research and developments in teaching about chemical bonding. We review the external and internal variables that might lead to misconceptions and the problematic issue of using limited teaching/learning models. Finally, we review the approaches to teaching the concept that might overcome some of these misconceptions.     

School Governors—an effective management force or another bureaucratic layer of school management?

This paper reviews the pattern and organisation of governors' meetings and their effectiveness for managing the new environment established by the 1988 Education Reform Act. It suggests that the move towards a sub‐committee structure may be counter‐productive in educational terms. A different approach is put forward which may be more appropriate for primary and most secondary governing bodies. The paper goes on to suggest a training strategy which facilitates the team approach that it is necessary for the partners in the process, i.e. governors, head and officers/advisers, to adopt. This draws heavily on the training approach adopted in Leicestershire.     

The impact of Confucianism on organizational communication

Confucianism has been identified as the major cultural factor that explains the economic success of the Asian Five Dragons. This paper explores the impact of Confucianism on the organizational communication in these nations, based on the four key principles of Confucian teachings: the hierarchical relationship, the family system, Jen, and the emphasis on education. This study further discusses the influence of these four principles of Confucianism on management behaviors and communication in the organization. Implications of Confucianism influence on organizational communication are also explained.     

Adult learning in the context of African‐American women's voluntary organizations‡

The purpose of this research was to examine non‐formal adult education and informal learning within contemporary African‐American women's voluntary organizations. Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with 28 women who were members of six different organizations. A semi‐structured interview process was used to elicit their perceptions regarding their (1) involvement in the education of others, (2) learning within the context of performing group membership roles and projects, (3) learning needs, and (4) comparisons of learning in this context with that in more formal educational settings. The findings of the research are discussed in relation to other research on learning in voluntary associations and the workplace. As with other studies of the voluntary association context, respondents did not seem to have given a great deal of prior thought to the nature of their learning within the context, having been more focused on the successful performance of their leadership and service roles than on what is learned from that work. They were none the less able to report numerous examples of how their work helped educate others and how they learned through their experiences. While instances of more systematic non‐formal education (e.g. orientation sessions, lectures and leadership training) were reported, the learning experiences reported more frequently and identified as most valuable seemed to reflect more informal, frequently incidental learning. This significant learning often reflected a perceived change in skills and abilities related to interacting with and working with others toward common goals, or a changing sense of self, in terms of growing self‐confidence and/or sense of connectedness to group members and the community which they sought to serve. Respondents who were quite well educated as a group, nevertheless generally indicated their preferences for the kind of interactive, experiential and situated learning that occurred as an outgrowth of group participation over the more abstract, teacher‐controlled learning they associated with formal education. These findings are discussed in terms of their importance to our understanding of informal learning, particularly that which occurs within the voluntary sector. Exploring this learning in a context specific to African‐American women is also seen as a way of moving beyond the culturally biased sampling often criticized in adult learning research.

     

Chinese Mothers and Adolescents’ Views of Authority and Autonomy: A Study of Parent–Adolescent Conflict in Urban and Rural China

Eighty‐five dyads of eighth‐grade adolescents (mean age = 14.15 years, SD = 0.39) and their mothers in China (30 dyads from urban one‐child families, 27 from urban multiple‐children families, and 28 from rural multiple‐children families) were interviewed individually. They described daily parent–adolescent conflicts, justified their perspectives on disputes, and evaluated conflict resolutions. The results indicated that across urban and rural areas, for both one‐child and multiple‐children families, adolescents differed significantly from their mothers in their views of parental authority and individual autonomy. The results also showed several regional differences, pointing to the importance of considering the specific context in which conflicts occur.