A Cultural-Historical Study of the Development of Children’s Scientific Thinking about Clouds in Everyday Life

Research in Science Education - Research into early childhood children’s understandings in science has a long history. However, few studies have drawn upon cultural-historical theory to frame...     

Fictive kinship as it mediates learning, resiliency, perseverance, and social learning of inner-city high school students of color in a college physics class

In this hermeneutic study we explore how fictive kinship (kin-like close personal friendship) amongst high school students of color mediated their resiliency, perseverance, and success in a college physics class. These freely chosen, processual friendships were based on emotional and material support, motivation, and caring for each other, as well as trust, common interests, and goals. Such close bonds contributed in creating a safe and supportive emotional space and allowed for friendly, cooperative competition within the physics classroom. Friends became the role models, source of support, and motivation for the fictive kinship group as well as for each other, as the group became the role model, source of support, and motivation for the individuals in it. Because of their friendships with one another, physics talk was extended and made part of their personal interactions outside the classroom. These social relationships and safe spaces helped the students cope and persevere despite their initial conflicting expectations of their success in physics. Our research thus expands on the concept of social learning by exploring student friendships and how they frame and mediate such a process.     

Data-driven problem based learning: enhancing problem based learning with learning analytics

Educational technology research and development - Problem based learning (PBL) supports the development of transversal skills and could underpin the training of a workforce competent to withstand...     

Understanding the Notion of Friction Through Gestural Interaction with a Remotely Controlled Robot

Journal of Science Education and Technology - Embodied interaction with tangible interactive objects can be beneficial for introducing abstract scientific concepts, especially for young learners....     

Consistency and moral integrity: A self-determination theory perspective

ABSTRACT

If acting morally can be viewed as acting consistently with a moral principle or rule, then being a person with moral integrity can be viewed as consistently applying moral principles or rules across different types of situations. We advance a view of moral integrity that incorporates three distinct, but interrelated, types of moral consistency: cognitive, emotional and motivational moral consistency. Our approach is based on Self-Determination Theory, a motivational theory that can explain when a moral rule becomes the primary motive for behavior. We argue that moral integrity is achieved when a person acts on the basis of an internal moral system of principles, emotions and motives and provide an account of the way that it develops during a person’s interaction with the environment.     

Science Education in Kindergarten: Sociocognitive perspective

This article deals with the different didactic strategies used for the initiation of preschool children to the natural sciences. There is a reference to the general characteristics of the activities that are based either on the empiricist theoretical approach or the theory of Piaget regarding cognitive development. Some facts from the neo‐piagetian, socioconstructive and vygotskian perspectives for learning are presented. Within this framework a new sociocognitive approach is put forward for the development of activities concerning the natural sciences in the kindergarten. An activity concerning the understanding of gasification is presented and used as an example of the sociocognitive perspective.     

嵌入学习管理系统的基于词汇表的概念图应用程序

概念构图作为一种有价值的教学活动,有着非常稳固的理论框架作为支持,其在教育教学中的作用不容置疑.本文介绍了一个软件工具的开发,在该工具中,概念构图被当作一种重要的教学活动予以支持.该工具以课程词汇表为基础,被集成到一个学习管理系统中.该工具允许在词汇表中概念的详细描述和认知结构的知识表示之间切换.论文介绍了该应用程序的开发动机、合理性、特色及其应用.     

Anatomy Learning from Prosected Cadaveric Specimens Versus Plastic Models: A Comparative Study of Upper Limb Anatomy

Human cadaveric prosections are a traditional, effective, and highly appreciated modality of anatomy learning. Plastic models are an alternative teaching modality, though few studies examine their effectiveness in learning of upper limb musculoskeletal anatomy. The purpose of this study is to investigate which modality is associated with a better outcome, as assessed by students' performance on examinations. Overall, 60 undergraduate medical students without previous knowledge of anatomy participated in the study. Students were assigned into two groups. Group 1 attended lectures and studied from cadaveric prosections (n = 30) and Group 2 attended lectures and used plastic models in the laboratory (n = 30). A knowledge assessment, including examination with tag questions (spot test) and written multiple-choice questions, was held after the end of the study. Students' perceptions were also investigated via an anonymous questionnaire. No significant difference in students' performance was observed between the group using prosections and the group using plastic models (32.2 ± 14.7 vs 35.0 ± 14.8, respectively; P = 0.477). Similarly, no statistically significant difference was found regarding students' satisfaction from using each learning modality (P = 0.441). Plastic models may be a valuable supplementary modality in learning upper limb musculoskeletal anatomy, despite their limitations. Easy to use and with no need for maintaining facilities, they are highly appreciated by students and can be useful when preparing for the use of cadaveric specimens.     

Morphology of the deltoid muscles in elite tennis players

The aim of this study was to examine the deltoid muscle properties of the dominant and non-dominant arm of Greek professional male tennis players. Eight male tennis players (mean age 22.0 years, s = 3.2) were subjected to biopsy of the deltoid muscle of both arms. Adenosine triphosphate (ATPase) histochemistry and myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition were performed on the samples with homogenate electrophoresis. No significant differences were observed in the percentage of types I, IIa, IIab, and IIb muscle fibres between the deltoid muscles of the two arms. Types I, IIa, and IIx muscle fibres of the dominant and non-dominant deltoid muscles did not differ significantly for MHC isoform composition. Type IIab muscle fibres showed a similar cross-sectional area (CSA) percentage distribution between the two arms. The CSA percentage for types I, IIa, and IIb muscle fibers did not differ significantly between the dominant and the non-dominant arm. We conclude therefore that regular tennis training probably does not lead to any significant changes in the muscle fibre types of the dominant and non-dominant arms of elite tennis players.