Doing a science project: Gender differences during childhood

By adolescence, men's participation and achievement in science exceeds women's. This article reports a case study that examined the beginnings of this gender differentiation during a naturally occurring academic activity that was designed to support and guide young children's interest in doing science. Data were collected during 2 successive years of a science fair for children in Grades 1–6 of a progressive private school. A total of 268 projects were characterized in terms of achievement and area of science. Parents provided information about the way children selected and created projects. In both years and in all grade levels, boys tended to choose to work in the physical sciences, and girls in the biological and social sciences. Peer collaborations were exclusively same sex. Achievement and parental involvement were not gender related. Factors are discussed that might lead to an early divergence of boys' and girls' interests in science within a context that promotes its exploration. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 35: 845–857, 1998.     

Globalization of Education in Spain: From Isolation to Internationalization to Globalization

This article explores the recent past of Spain and how the Spanish embrace of globalization tendencies has been generated by internal problems. These include the remaining legacy of Franco's re´gime, a declining university-age population, and the perceived need to participate, at an international level, in academic-sponsored research.     

Navigating dilemmas in transforming assessment practices: experiences of mathematics teachers in Ontario,Canada

Current thinking encourages teachers to incorporate a range of assessment practices that are responsive to student thinking and promote student learning. At the same time, teachers are situated in a landscape of accountability, where they are often seen as technicians who implement prescribed curriculum, policies, and procedures with success measured by externally created assessments. This paper considers how teachers navigate this difficult terrain as they incorporate new assessment practices in their classrooms. We report on a two-year project undertaken with 42 teachers of mathematics (Grades 4–12) in Ontario, Canada. Using an analytic framework adapted from Windschitl (Review of Educational Research, 72(2), 131–175.2002), we explore the dilemmas these teachers identified as they met in communities of practice. Our findings highlight the need for coherence in the assessment messages communicated to teachers and provide evidence of the critical role of ongoing collaboration and dialogue to support the development of teachers’ professional judgement and enable change in their assessment practice.     

Impacts of Climate Change on Leisure Sports Golf Tourism For the World Leisure Sports Foundation Congress

According to the International Association of Golfing Tour Operators,the global golf tourism market is worth over $20 billion per year,countries are promoting golf as an important tourism activity, and golf tourism expanding rapidly. This study investigated the consumer trends and current situation ofgolf real estate in Caribbean area,revealed the impacts of climate change on golf course construction and on leisure sports golf tourism     

CLASSROOM RESEARCH AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: THREE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCES‐INVOLVEMENT IN PSYCHOLOGY

The teaching‐learning paradigm that is experientially student‐centered was integrated into the original curriculum development of psychology at Collin County Community College. As a result of the emphasis on active learning from the department's inception, the administration and faculty have been able to observe, ask, review, and evaluate the experiential approach. Based on the data from these sources as well as national research, there appears to be a strong indication that indeed students do learn, grow, persist, and enjoy higher education more when they are actively involved in the learning process.

There are four elements that the department has employed to try to achieve student involvement: a laboratory component, extensive writing to learn, classroom research, and business/industrial linkages through internships. These four elements are inseparable in our educational process as the laboratory and internships require written reports, and the written assignments demonstrate the student's ability to communicate knowledge, understand method of inquiry, and give feedback on the learning process. Two courses, General Psychology and Life‐span Psychology are detailed in the article.

Evaluations conducted over the past three years are included which show active participation by the student in the learning process does promote synthesis and integration of theoretical knowledge as well as promoting the opportunity for students to think critically, creatively, and apply the knowledge to their own lives.