Looking at the Social Aspects of Nature of Science in Science Education Through a New Lens

Particular social aspects of the nature of science (NOS), such as economics of, and entrepreneurship in science, are understudied in science education research. It is not surprising then that the practical applications, such as lesson resources and teaching materials, are scarce. The key aims of this article are to (a) synthesize perspectives from the literature on economics of science (EOS), entrepreneurship, NOS, and science education in order to have a better understanding of how science works in society and (b) illustrate how such a synthesis can be incorporated in the practice of science education. The main objectives of this article are to (1) argue for the role and inclusion of EOS and entrepreneurship in NOS and re-define entrepreneurship in the NOS context; (2) explore the issues emerging in the “financial systems” of the Family Resemblance Approach (FRA) to NOS and propose the inclusion of contemporary aspects of science, such as EOS and entrepreneurship, into NOS; (3) conceptualize NOS, EOS, and entrepreneurship in a conceptual framework to explain how science works in the society; and (4) transform the theoretical knowledge of how science operates in society into practical applications for science teaching and learning. The conceptual framework that we propose illustrates the links between State, Academia, Market and Industry (the SAMI cycle framework). We suggest practical lesson activities to clarify how the theoretical discussions on the SAMI cycle framework can be useful and relevant for classroom practice. In this article, science refers to physics, chemistry, and biology. However, we also recommend an application of this framework to other sciences to reveal their social-institutional side.     

Education and colonial language policies in Latin America and the Caribbean

In Latin America governmental responses to the language issue have ranged from suppression of non-European languages to active promotion of at least a limited bilingualism. The thesis of this article is that the inconsistencies are primarily a function of economic and social struggles among contending national elites with the common goal of compelling subordinate groups to adapt to the behaviors and expectations of the elite groups. Not until the nineteenth century witnessed a shift to capital-intensive modes of production did the schools become a major locus for implementation of governmental policy. Then the schools were called upon in a direct and massive way to augment traditional forms of social control.

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Zusammenfassung In Latein-Amerika reichte die Reaktion der Regierungen auf sprachliche Probleme von der Unterdrückung nicht-europäischer Sprachen bis zur aktiven Förderung wenigstens einer begrenzten Zweisprachigkeit. Dieser Artikel vertritt den Standpunkt, die Gegensätze seien hauptsächlich bedingt durch wirtschaftliche und soziale Kämpfe zwischen wetteifernden nationalen Führungsschichten, die alle das gleiche Ziel verfolgen, untergeordnete Gruppen zu zwingen, die Verhaltensweisen und Erwartungen der Führungsgruppen zu übernehmen. Erst als sich das 19. Jahrhundert allmählich auf kapital-intensive Produktionsweisen umstellte, wurden die Schulen in höherem Masse Zuchtstätten der Regierungspolitik. Danach wurden sie unmittelbar und massiv aufgerufen, traditionelle Formen der Gesellschaftskontrolle zu verstärken.

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Résumé En Amérique Latine les réponses gouvernementales à la question du langage sont passées d'une suppression des langages non-européens à leur promotion active, ou du moins à un certain bilingualisme. La thèse de cet article est que ces inconséquences sont avant tout fonction des luttes économiques et sociales entre les élites nationales en présence dont le but commun est de contraindre les groupes subordonnés à s'adapter à leurs manières d'être et à leurs expectations. Ce n'est qu'après que le dixneuvième siècle ait été le témoin d'un glissement vers des méthodes de production à haute teneur en capitaux que les écoles sont devenues le locus principal de mise en oeuvre de la politique gouvernementale. On a eu, alors, recours aux écoles d'une façon directe et massive pour augmenter les formes traditionnelles de contrôle social.

     

Gardnerella vaginalis infection and sexual contact in female children

Gardnerella vaginalis (GV) infection has been reported as being acquired via sexual contact in adults and as an indicator of sexual contact in female children (DeJong, 1985). The purpose of this study was to determine if GV infection was more commonly found in 191 female children who gave a history of sexual contact and/or were infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) or Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) (Group 1), compared with 144 female children evaluated for possible sexual abuse and found to have no such history or infection with GC or CT (Group 2), or 31 female children (friends of the authors) without such a history or GC or CT infection (Group 3). Vaginal GV was found in 5.3% of Group 1, 4.9% of Group 2 and 6.4% of Group 3 (p > .05). Also, vaginal GV infection was not related to the type of sexual contact or race, but did increase with age in white female children. Because vaginal GV infection is not more commonly found in children with a history of sexual contact than those without such a history, the finding of GV in a vaginal culture in an individual case would not be a reliable marker of sexual contact. Routine culturing for GV is not recommended as part of a sexual abuse workup.     

Ureaplasma urealyticum and large colony mycoplasma colonization in female children and its relationship to sexual contact, age, and race.

In order to determine if Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu) or large colony mycoplasma (LCM) colonization was related to a history of sexual abuse, the type of sexual contact, an enlarged vaginal introitus transverse diameter (greater than 4 mm), age or race, 452 female children, ages 1-12 years, were evaluated by the Child Sexual Abuse Team at Wake Medical Center in Raleigh, NC. Thirty-six girls were deleted because of inadequate cultures. When controlled for race and age, Uu throat (T), vaginal (V), and rectal (R) colonization and LCM vaginal and rectal colonization were not related to any of the other variables listed above. The enlarged vaginal introital diameter was related to a history of sexual abuse (p less than .001). Uu and LCM vaginal colonization rates were increased in black girls as compared to white girls (p less than .05). Uu V, Uu R, LCM V, and LCM R colonization increased with age. In our study population, Uu and LCM colonization was not a useful marker of sexual contact.     

Testing Literacy Educational Software to Develop Design Guidelines for Children with Autism

Multimedia computer programmes have been found to facilitate learning in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, the effectiveness of these resources is limited due to poor design or a lack of consideration of the ASD cognitive profile, particularly at the lower functioning end of the spectrum. This article attempts to tackle the problem of the lack of design guidelines, with the aim of facilitating the development of effective educational programmes for children with severe ASD. The case study reported here evaluated two literacy educational computer programmes, by observing five low-functioning children with ASD, compared to five neurotypical children (control cases). The two types of reading-support software contrasted in the study presented different characteristics. The children’s data analysed here concern observations of child–software interactive sessions based on video recordings and coded for attention deployment to each programme, including motivation and engagement indicators.     

An introduction to education research methods: exploring the learning journey of pre-service teachers in a transnational programme

Internationally there is interest in developing the research skills of pre-service teachers as a means of ongoing professional renewal with a distinct need for systematic and longitudinal investigation of student learning. The current study takes a unique perspective by exploring the research learning journey of pre-service teachers participating in a transnational degree programme. Using a case-study design that includes both a self-reported and direct measure of research knowledge, the results indicate a progression in learning, as well as evidence that this research knowledge is continued or maintained when the pre-service teachers return to their home university. The findings of this study have implications for both pre-service teacher research training and transnational programmes.     

Teacher educators for new times? Redefining an important occupational group

Teacher educators are an occupational group currently experiencing increased scrutiny by international policy makers and researchers alike. This occupational group however is increasingly difficult to define and identify in a complex, internationally changing teacher education policy reform environment. The question posed is an enduring one: who is a teacher educator? The answer is more complicated. To better understand this occupational group, a literature review and local policy analysis study using the Australian context was conducted to reveal more about their identity; career trajectories and; professional learning needs. Analysis revealed that three sub-groups belonging to the broader teacher educator occupational group have emerged as a result of shifting teacher education policies. Namely, university-based; school-based and community-based teacher educators, each with an important role to play and each positioned differently within the research and policy landscape. Findings suggest that all three groups are important to educating teachers across their career and to best meet the needs of all students for new times. Recommendations are made for future research and practice into how these groups can work collectively together, within and across the multiple sites of learning to teach.     

Developments in style and purpose of research on the learning of science

Recent years have seen a substantial growth in research that probes children's ideas about natural phenomena. This article places the research in a context that enables comprehension of how it informs and influences the practice of science education. To this end, past, present, and developing styles of research are discussed. The predominant style of past research was based on elaborate experimental designs and complex statistical analyses of data. Studies employing that style helped focus concern on questions about individual learning which the studies did not actually seek to answer, e.g., why does the learning resulting from a particular treatment vary between individuals? What is understanding and how can it be assessed? Such questions lie at the heart of current probing of children's ideas. Some issues of importance in the probing of children's ideas are considered, as are ways in which these issues have influenced the development of a current style of research. From this present context, developing styles in the research field are described. These focus particularly on research on the strategies used by learners, and on the continued growth of interaction between research and practice.     

Performance of Montessori and traditionally schooled nursery children on tasks of seriation, classification, and conservation

It was hypothesized that the Montessori curriculum accelerates the acquisition of a number of concrete operational skills. To test this, eighty 4-year-old children were given three Piagetian problems—seriation, classification, and conservation. Half of the subjects were from Montessori schools, and the other half were from more traditional nursery settings. Within each type of school, half of the children were first year and the other half were second year enrollees. Results showed that significantly more Montessori than traditional children seriated and classified objects like concrete thinkers but that there were no differences on the conservation problem. Year of enrollment did not influence performance on any of the tasks. It was concluded that the hypothesis was confirmed and that the failure to find acceleration of conservation performance was due to its advanced nature relative to the other problems and/or the tangential manner in which Montessori exercises deal with the critical concepts that underly it.