Developing students' ability to ask more and better questions resulting from inquiry‐type chemistry laboratories

This study focuses on the ability of high‐school chemistry students, who learn chemistry through the inquiry approach, to ask meaningful and scientifically sound questions. We investigated (a) the ability of students to ask questions related to their observations and findings in an inquiry‐type experiment (a practical test) and (b) the ability of students to ask questions after critically reading a scientific article. The student population consisted of two groups: an inquiry‐laboratory group (experimental group) and a traditional laboratory‐type group (control group). The three common features investigated were (a) the number of questions that were asked by each of the students, (b) the cognitive level of the questions, and (c) the nature of the questions that were chosen by the students, for the purpose of further investigation. Importantly, it was found that students in the inquiry group who had experience in asking questions in the chemistry laboratory outperformed the control grouping in their ability to ask more and better questions. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 791–806, 2005     

Explanation-Construction in Fourth-Grade Classrooms in Germany and the USA: A cross-national comparative video study

To help explain the differences in students' performance on internationally administered science assessments, cross-national, video-based observational studies have been advocated, but none have yet been conducted at the elementary level for science. The USA and Germany are two countries with large formal education systems whose students underperform those from peers on internationally administered standardized science assessments. However, evidence from the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Exam assessment suggests fourth-grade students (9–10 year-olds) in the USA perform higher than those in Germany, despite more instructional time devoted to elementary science in Germany. The purpose of this study is to comparatively analyze fourth-grade classroom science in both countries to learn more about how teachers and students engage in scientific inquiry, particularly explanation-construction. Videorecordings of US and German science instruction (n _1?=?42, n _2?=?42) were sampled from existing datasets and analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Despite German science lessons being, on average, twice as long as those in the USA, study findings highlight many similarities between elementary science in terms of scientific practices and features of scientific inquiry. However, they also illustrate crucial differences around the scientific practice of explanation-construction. While students in German classrooms were afforded more substantial opportunities to formulate evidence-based explanations, US classrooms were more strongly characterized by opportunities for students to actively compare and evaluate evidence-based explanations. These factors may begin to help account for observed differences in student achievement and merit further study grounded in international collaboration.     

‘Invest in your children's education the way you invest in your goats’: systemic educational intervention in a traditional bedouin community – from theory into practice

Effective plans for educational change in a heterogeneous and culturally diverse society are still debatable. This study describes the author's experience, success and pitfalls, in applying a systemic and holistic intervention plan to the education system of a large Bedouin village in northern Israel. The village was included in the Ministry of Education project because of its pupils' low achievement level and high dropout rate. The villagers differed from the intervention group–in ethnic origin, culture, religion (Moslems) and worldview. The Project's intervention model established a dynamic continuous dialogue between the academic world, local teachers, parents and formal community leaders, by delegating responsibilities, creating a specific curricula constructed for a the Bedouin population to be couched in intelligible language and concepts. The article highlights the village's micro/macro-politics, and the ethical issues the Project team encountered regarding the conflict between the modern, democratic, western society aims for progress and equality versus the traditional forces striving to preserve the traditions of a community in the throes of an acute culture conflict.     

Drinking at Work: The Portrayal of Alcohol in Workplace-Related TV Dramas

This study analyzed the portrayal of alcohol in the most popular workplace-related TV dramas. Based on social cognitive theory, we coded the extent and context of all alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage appearances as well as character-beverage interaction. Motivations to drink, topic, portrayed outcomes related to alcohol, and the characteristics of models associated with alcohol were also analyzed. More than 90% of the episodes contained depictions or references to alcohol. Although less alcohol was portrayed at the workplace compared to other locations, still nearly one third of all consumed beverages at work were alcoholic. Regardless of the location, character–beverage interaction was more likely for alcoholic than nonalcoholic beverages. The main motivation to drink alcohol was social ease, and only a few outcomes of alcohol consumption were presented. Overall, findings suggest that television dramas convey the image that alcohol at the workplace is ubiquitous, socially accepted, and without many serious consequences. Implications for mass communication and society are discussed.     

Nutzenorientierte Grundlagenforschung im Bildungsbereich

In diesem Beitrag werden zentrale Themen einer internationalen Diskussion aufgegriffen, die sich in den letzten Jahren ausgehend vom Befund der mangelnden Anwendung von Forschungsergebnissen im Bildungsbereich entsponnen hat. Drei Typen von L?sungsvorschl?gen für dieses Problem werden unterschieden: (1) Positionen, die vor allem methodische Strenge empfehlen, wie etwa der Bericht „Scientific Inquiry in Education“ des US-amerikanischen National Research Council, (2) Ans?tze wie die Design-Forschung oder der Integrative Forschungsansatz, die praxisrelevantere Erkenntnisse durch ver?nderte Forschungsstrategien anstreben, und (3) ingenieurwissenschaftlich beeinflusste Vorschl?ge für Mechanismen, wie Forschungsergebnisse in die breite Anwendung gebracht werden k?nnen. Abschlie?end werden Konsequenzen und offene Diskussionspunkte für die Forschung im Bildungsbereich benannt.