Teaching evolution and natural selection: a look at textbooks and teachers

As a part of a larger study on the learning of natural selection by secondary school students in Spain, data were gathered about how textbooks deal with this topic, and about the ability of teachers to explore pupils' ideas related to it. These data were contrasted with an approach seeking to develop the pupils' capacity to explain biological change using the model of natural selection. Textbooks were analyzed with respect to the following characteristics: the way key ideas in the model were handled, the attention paid to pupils' ideas, and the type of activities used in the instruction. The study involved evaluating the above factors in a sample of 17 books used in Spain, as well as the approaches that teachers used. Results show that in most cases the approach is characterized by superficial handling of key ideas, lack of attention paid to alternative ideas, and little variety in activities. Relation between this approach and the difficulties that pupils show in the use of the model are discussed herein. Mark what Jacob did When Laban and himself were compromis'd, That all the eanlings which were streak' d and pied, Should fall as Jacob's hire, the ewes, being rank, In end of autumn turned to the rams: and when the work of generation was Between these woolly breeders in the act. The skillful shepherd peel'd me certain wands, and, in the doing of the deed of kind, He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes, Who, then conceiving, did in earning time Fall party-colour''d lambs, and those were Jacob's.     

Acute effects of static and dynamic stretching on hamstrings’ response times

Abstract

The main purposes of this study were to (a) investigate acute effects of static and dynamic lower limb stretching routines on total response time, pre-motor time and motor time of the medial and lateral hamstrings during maximal eccentric isokinetic knee flexion; and (b) determine whether static and dynamic routines elicit similar responses. A total of 38 active adults completed the following intervention protocols in a randomised order on separate days: (a) non-stretching (control condition), (b) static stretching and (c) dynamic stretching. After the stretching or control intervention, total response time, pre-motor time and motor time of the medial and lateral hamstrings were assessed during eccentric knee flexion movements with participants prone. Measures were compared via a mixed-design factorial ANOVA. There were no main effects for total response time, pre-motor time and motor time. The results suggest that dynamic and static stretching has no influence on hamstrings response times (total response time, pre-motor time and motor time) and hence neither form of stretching reduces this primary risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament injury.     

Evaluation of the teaching guide as an instrument for adaptation to the new European credit system： Case analysis

This paper presents the evaluation of the teaching guide application for the subject of management control in the Business Management and Administration Degree. The evaluation began with the analysis of a questionnaire which aimed to collect the perceptions of learners who have studied this subject in two groups （morning and afternoon） during the first semester of the current academic year. The intention of this analysis was to obtain information that would meet two objectives： to continue upgrading the teaching-learning process and to revise and improve all the components in the teaching guide. There is an analysis of the degree of difficulty involved in the activities proposed and the degree to which specific objectives for different competencies have been attained. Likewise, we have carried out a global assessment of the different methodologies applied in the teaching-learning process, and an assessment of the evaluation system as well as of other aspects that could have hindered reaching the objectives stated in the guide. Furthermore, the relevance of this questionnaire has been vindicated for obtaining the information necessary to adjust the learner＇s workload to the European credit.     

Experimental archaeology and historical empathy: key tools for learning about our origins / Arqueología experimental y empatía histórica: herramientas clave para la didáctica de nuestros orígenes

We propose a learning methodology based on the development of historical empathy through experimentation. Experimental archaeology is an active methodology which provides dynamism and an active role and entertainment for students, as well as provoking historical empathy in them. This combination helps the students get a better understanding of the target knowledge. This paper presents a practical illustration of historical empathy through the implementation of experimental archaeology activities.     

Isokinetic trunk flexion–extension protocol to assess trunk muscle strength and endurance: Reliability,learning effect,and sex differences

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and the learning effect of an isokinetic trunk flexion–extension protocol designed to simultaneously assess trunk muscle strength and endurance. In addition, the effect of the participants' sex on the reliability data was examined.MethodsFifty-seven healthy and physically active young men (n = 28) and women (n = 29) performed the isokinetic protocol 5 times, separated by a week between each of the first 4 sessions and by a month between the last 2 sessions. The protocol consisted of performing 4 trials of 15 maximum flexion–extension concentric exertions at 120°/s (range of trunk motion = 50°). The absolute and relative peak torque and total work were calculated to assess trunk flexion and extension strength. In addition, endurance ratio, modified endurance ratio, fatigue final ratio, recovery ratio, and modified recovery ratio variables were used for the assessment of trunk muscle endurance in both directions.ResultsRegarding the absolute reliability, no relevant changes were found between paired-comparison sessions for most strength and endurance variables, except for total work and relative total work variables in the flexion movement in both sexes. In addition, the typical error of the isokinetic variables was lower than 10% in both males and females, and minimum detectable changes ranged from 7% to 20%, with a tendency to be higher in females and in endurance variables. The strength variables showed high-to-excellent intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs; >0.74); however, for the endurance variables only the endurance ratio and the modified endurance ratio obtained moderate-to-high ICC values (0.57 < ICC < 0.82). In addition, the analysis of the variance reported no significant differences between consecutive pairs of sessions for most variables in both sexes.ConclusionOverall, these findings provide clinicians, trainers, and researchers with a 10-min single-session protocol to perform a reliable muscle strength and endurance evaluation of trunk flexor and extensor muscles, all within the same protocol.     

Placement-based learning and learner engagement: findings from a new university in the UK

This paper addresses the potential for engaged learning among final-year undergraduate Education Studies students at a new, post-1992. It discusses a case study analysis of a ‘Directed Experiential Learning’ (DEL) intervention in the final year of an education studies degree designed to engage and motivate students and emphasise the links between theory and practice for them. Implementation took place in 2012–2013 with a cohort of 37 students and quantitative and qualitative analysis was performed afterwards to investigate the perspectives of students (online questionnaire and interview with 2 students) and tutors (4 individual interviews) on the DEL approach applied. The study described should be of particular interest to those teaching on and designing third level education studies programmes as well as related disciplines that might participate in integrated working arrangements in practice (e.g. nursing, social care).     

Students’ Progression in Monitoring Anomalous Results Obtained in Inquiry-Based Laboratory Tasks

Research in Science Education - This paper examines students’ engagement in monitoring anomalous results across a 2-year longitudinal study with 9th and 10th graders (14–15 and...     

An analysis of story comprehension through spoken and written summaries in school-age children

This paper discusses the ability of children in third (about 8-years-old) and fifth (about 10-years-old) grade to produce spoken and written summaries. Two main measurement types were distinguished: micropropositional analysis and story grammar analysis. In micropropositional analysis, the results showed significant differences between both summary conditions (spoken/written); while the spoken condition provided the use of inferences and macrorules, the written condition increased the literal recall (copy-delete). In contrast, in the story grammar analysis, the findings showed that both the structural organization and the type of propositions recall were very similar in both types of summaries. Finally, our results showed that the older children appeared to have some qualitative advantage in the use of the story schema; and the effects of the summary type seemed to be less significant.     

La autonomía como objetivo de la educación: implicaciones de la teoría de Piaget

RESUMEN

Para Piaget el fin de la educación debe ser el desarrollo de la autonomía, tanto en el terreno moral como en el intelectual. Esto significa desarrollar la capacidad de pensar críticamente por sí mismo. Tanto los valores morales como los conocimientos intelectuales no deben ser interiorizados por los niños, sino construídos desde el interior a través de la interacción con el medio. La educación actual refuerza la heteronomía de los niños y les impide desarrollar su autonomía, que es una tendencia natural en el hombre de base biológica. Algunos principios de enseñanza de una educación que tenga como objetivo el desarrollo de la autonomía son: reducir el poder de adulto del profesor; inducir al niño a intercambiar y coordinar sus puntos de vista con otros niños y con el profesor de igual a igual; incitar a los niños a tener una mentalidad activa y a tener confianza en su propia capacidad de descubrir cosas.     

Intangible resources and technology adoption in manufacturing firms

Our objective in this paper is to analyse the determinants of the use of advanced manufacturing technologies in manufacturing firms. We go beyond more traditional approaches and consider the role of complementarities in technology adoption at two levels. First, we adapt Teece's (1986) framework to study the incentives to use new technology that stem from investments in R&D, human capital and advertising. Second, we analyse whether technology use is conditioned by a system effect that arises from the use of related technologies. We test our hypotheses on a representative sample of manufacturing firms in Spain. Our results fully support the idea that R&D investments increase the likelihood of technology use, but only offer partial support for human capital and advertising investments. Export intensity, being part of a business group and epidemic effects are also important determinants of adoption.