Making Connections: Learning and Teaching Chemistry in Context

Even though several studies have reported positive attitudinal outcomes from context-based chemistry programs, methodological obstacles have prevented researchers from comparing satisfactorily the chemistry-learning outcomes between students who experience a context-based program with those who experience a content-driven program. In this narrative inquiry we are able to address the question: how do the recalled experiences of a student and her teacher in context-based and concept-based chemistry programs compare? From the student’s unique perspective of experiencing both programs with the same teacher, we have constructed our collective account around four themes; namely, the extent to which the student makes connections between chemistry concepts and real-world contexts, developing research independence through engaging in extended experimental investigations related to contexts, learning chemistry concepts through contexts, and conceptual sequencing in a context-based program. The student reported real-world connections between chemistry concepts and contexts, found her engagement in the context-driven tasks interesting and productive, and identified connected sequences of concepts across the contexts studied. Despite difficulties for teachers who are required to shift pedagogies, the student’s lived experiences and outcomes from a context-based program provide some encouragement in working through these issues.     

Establishing a Competence Profile for the Role of Student-centred Teachers in Higher Education in Belgium

The increasing importance of constructivism in higher education has brought about a shift in pedagogy from a focus on the teacher to a focus on the student. This has important implications for teaching and assessment. A student-centred pedagogy implies a different role for the teacher. What exactly does student-centred teaching require from teachers’ actual teaching practice? What is expected from them in order to teach in a student-centred way? It is in order to respond to these questions that this research project has been carried out establishing a core competence profile of student-centred teachers in higher education. Qualitative data were collected by means of semi-structured in-depth interviews with teachers from different institutions for higher education in Belgium, known for their student-centred way of teaching. This research method is innovative compared to the methods used for existing competence lists in the literature, which were usually developed on the basis of conversations with pedagogical experts. By exploring practice and having teachers participate in the development of a competence list, the acceptance of a competence profile is much higher. The result of the project is a validated competence profile which takes into account the critiques on existing competence lists. The competence profile provides a further insight in the functioning of teachers within a student-centred pedagogy and can be used as a starting point for the educational development of teachers within this pedagogy.     

Assessing the counselling needs of high school students in Kenya

The Student Counselling Needs Scale (SCNS) was administered to 867 participants recruited from high schools in Kenya. The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis yielding five factors: human relationships, career development, self development, social values, and learning skills were assessed. The findings highlighted the importance of using assessment instruments to identify students’ counselling needs in Kenya.     

论中国电影艺术风格特质

在中国电影发展中,在协调现代性视野和本土传统特色时,需要特别关注自身艺术风格的承传和发扬。东方艺术精神的抒情性、情景交融性、教化传统性、造型写意性等构建出中国电影本土艺术的风格走向。如何在现代背景中扬弃修正传统艺术精神,是需要我们思考的问题。     

师范生免费教育背景下的教育硕士培养初探

国家决定在教育部直属的六所师范大学先行师范生免费教育,这一重大举措的出台,标志着我国的教师教育进入到一个新的历史发展阶段。此次国家试行师范生免费教育,将在入学要求、培养过程、毕业深造,特别是直通教育硕士培养方面出现新的政策变化,这必将进一步改革和创新我国现行的教育硕士培养模式,推进教育硕士培养健康发展。     

圈量子引力的回顾

圈量子引力在物理学中占据非常重要的地位。20世纪90年代后,圈量子引力得到了很大的发展,建立了数学上定义严格的运动学框架,引入自旋结网圈作为量子引力态,给出了很多有意义的物理结论,如几何算符的量子化,并且它还在黑洞物理和宇宙学等方向上展现了强有力的发展势头。它是一个非常活跃的量子引力理论,被越来越广泛地应用到普朗克尺度物理中去,这也加强了理论学家们的信心。本文试着对圈量子引力的这些主要结果做个回顾。     

论废名小说的含蓄与晦涩

废名小说的总体特色在写实,使作品摆脱了难懂之嫌。但在具体的作品内涵意义层面上,导致两种审美判断：含蓄和晦涩。其原因由失语——欲言又止造成。     

物理实验教学示范中心的建设和探索

该文结合实验示范中心具体的管理模式、师资队伍建设、教学方法和教学手段等情况,就如何建好实验教学示范中心以及在建设过程中的体会进行了介绍。     

满铁的“大连中心主义”政策与营口港的衰落

营口港是近代东北地区开埠最早的口岸,开埠后曾经走过一段辉煌的历程。但伴随着日本殖民者对大连港的开发,营口港逐渐走向衰落。营口港衰落,原因是复杂的,但与满铁的"大连中心主义"政策有直接关系。营口港与大连港的竞争,其背后隐藏的是日本帝国主义的侵略野心,是追求利益最大化的结果。     

固支Mindlin 板弯曲问题的辛本征解

Hamiltonian system for the problem on clamped Mindlin plate bending was established by introducing the dual variables for the generalized displacements in this letter. By separation of variables, the transverse eigen-problem was derived based on the sympletic geometry method. With the solved sympletic eigen-values, the generalized sympletic eigen-solution was derived through eigenfunction expansion. An example of plate with all edges clamped was given. The sympletic solution system was worked out directly from the Hamiltonian system. It breaks the limitation of traditional analytic methods which need to select basis functions in advance. The results indicate that the sympletic solution method could find its more extensive applications.