An Investigation of Tertiary-level Learning in Some Practical Physics Courses

Experimental physics is seen as an essential part of tertiary physics education. Students are supposed to develop practical skills and advance from closed ‘cookbook’ experiments to open experiment and design experiment procedures independently. As a consequence tertiary practical physics courses increase in the level of challenge throughout an undergraduate degree program. The research reported here consists of an investigation of two solely laboratory-based experimental physics courses: a second-year course Experimental Physics and Instrumentation, and a third-year course Advanced Experimental Physics, offered at a New Zealand tertiary institution. The research suggests that although the structure, content, and teaching methods in the two courses vary; there is little difference in students' learning strategies employed in the two courses. It appears bridging experiments may be necessary to help students shift from a highly directive pedagogy at the lower levels of the undergraduate practical physics program, to a more open inquiry approach. Richard K. Coll: Author for correspondence.     

From childhood nature experiences to adult pro-environmental behaviors: An explanatory model of sustainable food consumption

Abstract

In two studies, the role of nature experiences and social norms during childhood is explored next to adulthood biospheric values, connectedness to nature, environmental identity, and objective knowledge in relation to pro-environmental behaviors. Study 1 (N?=?185) tested the hypothesized model in the realm of general pro-environmental behaviors and sustainable fruit consumption on a sample of students. Study 2 (N?=?155) tested the model in the realm of sustainable seafood consumer choice on a general population sample. Path analyses show consistent results across samples. Results show that childhood nature experiences and exposure to pro-environmental social norms during childhood are related to adulthood development of connectedness with nature and biospheric values; these, in turn, help in shaping adulthood environmental self-identity ultimately influencing the enactment of sustainable food choices during adulthood. These findings point toward the relevance of childhood experiences for pro-environmental behaviors as compared to the provision of information. The role of objective knowledge across samples is inconsistent, thus requiring future investigations.     

Exploring First-Year Science Students' Chemistry Self-Efficacy

First-year chemistry classes typically comprise of a mixture of majors and non-majors. Reports in the literature suggest that students have lower self-efficacy for subjects outside their intending major. Here we report on research that examines changes in chemistry students' chemistry self-efficacy throughout their first year of chemistry study at a New Zealand University. Chemistry self-efficacy was measured at three times throughout the year using the self-efficacy component of the Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire (CAEQ). Quantitative data were triangulated with qualitative data obtained from interviews of a cohort of 19 students. The research findings provide insights into the chemistry learning tasks that students feel high and low levels of confidence in.     

The paradox of trust in online collaborative groups

Open and sustained discussions in heterogeneous collaborative online groups should provide opportunities for adults to reshape their thinking, deeply understand the subject content, and have their voices heard and respected. These opportunities turn on trust. The ability to trust thoughts that are different from their own is influenced by the learners’ ability to be open about their beliefs and to develop healthy self–other relationships within their small groups. These issues are examined through a qualitative phenomenographic perspective of the stories of the students enrolled in two online adult learning classes utilizing a problem‐based and collaborative pedagogy. The findings indicate that group members import trust issues into the group, which then become issues for the group‐as‐a‐whole. To resolve these issues, the groups engage in several evading behaviors to avoid the types of discussion necessary to fully deal with the difference and resolve the trust issues.     

Negative correlation between tone (S−) and water increases target biting during S− in rats

Eighteen Long-Evans rats were exposed to a MULT VT 30-sec EXT schedule of water presentations. The EXT schedule was signaled by a 2500-Hz, 70-dB tone. Mean number of bites of a plastic target during atone (S?) increased across sessions, whereas the mean number of target bites during the VT component signaled byno tone (S+) decreased across sessions. Changing the multiple schedule to MULT EXT EXT produced a decrease in target bites during the tone. Reinstating the original MULT VT 30-sec EXT schedule produced an increase in number of target bites during the tone (S?). Changing the multiple schedule to VT 30-sec VT 30-sec produced a decrease in target bites during the tone. The results indicate that target biting in rats increases in the presence of the exteroceptive tone (S?) of the MULT VT 30-sec EXT schedule, and that target biting during the tone varies directly with the negative correlation between tone and water presentations.     

Managing Content in EBSCO Discovery Service: Action Guide for Surviving and Thriving

ABSTRACT

Since Idaho State University Libraries’ implementation and promotion of EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) in 2014, its electronic resources team continues to troubleshoot seamless content discovery for library patrons. But nothing prepared us for the kind of content issues the Library would have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. This report discusses ways of managing content in EDS to improve discovery of resources, including linking issues to ClinicalKey records and dealing with “bound with” local catalog records. It also addresses obstacles and solutions, as well as the authors’ experience working with EBSCO Support.     

The social ecology and early parenting of Caucasian adolescent mothers

Social characteristics, maternal behaviors, and the home environments of Caucasian adolescent and nonadolescent mothers were investigated in a sample of 50 primiparous low- and middle-class women and their 4-month-old infants. The mothers were interviewed about their child-care network and about stressful life events that may have occurred since the infant's birth. The HOME inventory was completed and videotapes of 2 hours of home observations were coded to assess maternal proximity, verbalizations, activity, and physical contact with the infant. Interview data indicated that adolescent mothers relied more frequently on other teenagers and other network members for help in child care than nonadolescent mothers. In addition, they also received more frequent support from their mothers and less frequent help from their partner's and partner's mother and siblings than nonadolescent mothers. During the home visit, they were less verbal with their infants and scored significantly lower on the Responsiveness and Maternal Involvement subscales as well as on the total HOME inventory; these results were replicated on subgroups matched for socioeconomic status, emphasizing the unique social context and parenting practices of teenage mothers.     

Do No Harm—A Comparison of the Effects of On-Line vs. Traditional Delivery Media on a Science Course

This paper presents the results of a study designed to examine the effects of distance delivery on student performance and classroom interactions in an upper level science (Histology) course. Outcomes were assessed by comparing performance on content pre- and posttests for students enrolled in on-campus and on-line sections of the same course. Interactions were classified according to initiator, topic, and Bloom's taxonomy level for content interactions. The resulting patterns were analyzed to compare behaviors in different settings. It was found that although the groups were indistinguishable in content knowledge at the outset of the study, by the end of the semester, students in the on-line group significantly out-performed their peers in the on-campus section. The on-line settings had a greater proportion of high-level interactions (according to Bloom's taxonomy) than the on-campus setting.     

Technology and Technology Education: Views of Some Solomon Island Primary Teachers and Curriculum Development Officers

The implementation of technology as a formal subject – either separate or integrated – in school curricula is a relatively recent phenomenon with most studies confined to Western or developed countries and little known about non-Western contexts. In this study we sought to gain an understanding of primary teachers' and curriculum development officers' perceptions of technology and technology education for a small island nation in the South Pacific. Participants' views were ascertained by means of semi-structured interviews including the use of picture card prompts used by Rennie and Jarvis (1995). The study reveals that the participants hold a rather limited view of technology and technology education. The participants see technology as consisting of a variety of artifacts and skills (including in some cases indigenous artifacts and cultural practices), but the predominant view was technology consists of modern, new, foreign, artifacts especially those associated with information and communication technologies. The participants view technology education as learning about how to use technological artifacts. Personal experiences including pre- and in-service teacher training and encounters with technological artifacts were the main influences on their views of technology and technology education. These findings suggest that primary science teachers will need pre-service training in order to implement a curriculum that provides a comprehensive understanding of technology.     

Book reviews

International Review of Education -