Knowledge and attitudes of future schoolteachers in the scientific‐mathematical sphere: some evidences for Italy

Analysis of the university careers of students who are training to become primary school teachers has shown that a certain number have real difficulty in passing examinations in the scientific and methodological fields. This paper uses both objective and subjective data to analyse the levels of competence in this cultural field, and the propensity towards certain disciplines. Competence in scientific subjects among these students varies considerably, but the greatest concern is a widespread negative attitude towards the quantitative sciences. To transform this approach the way in which these are taught to future teachers requires considerably improvement, by means of projects and programs which take into consideration awareness of this background, that is the attitude of “fighting shy”, from both cognitive and affective viewpoints.     

Women in Action: a community development project in Amazonas

This article is a report of a Community Development Project currently being run by the Centre for Studies and Development in Environmental Education (CEDEA), at the National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA) in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. The Centre was inaugurated 3 years ago as part of an attempt to change the Institute's direction, from that of carrying out research for the scientific community to one that integrates research with sustainable development and social needs. CEDEA's team members embarked on a participatory community project, INPA and Society, that was developed with a community near the Institute. This is an urban community with economic, social, cultural and environmental problems that the project aims to approach. INPA and Society is divided into several projects, one of which is Women in Action. This is a report about the challenges that Women in Action has produced for both the Institute and the Centre. It also discusses the results that are being achieved, while commenting on the difficulties that have been confronted and how these could possibly be avoided by other groups.     

The influence of hip mobility and quadriceps fatigue on sagittal spinal posture and muscle activation in rugby scrum performance

Rugby Union scrumming puts the spine under a high degree of loading. The aim of the current study was to determine how sagittal hip range of motion and quadriceps fatigue influence force output, spinal posture, and activation of the trunk and quadriceps muscles in rugby scrumming. Measures of sagittal hip flexion/extension range of motion were collected from 16 male varsity and club first XV level participants. Sagittal spine motion (electromagnetic motion capture), trunk and quadriceps activation (electromyography), and applied horizontal compressive force (force plate) were measured during individual machine scrumming. Participants performed a 5-trial scrum block involving 5?s of contact with 1–2?min recovery between each trial. They then performed a fatiguing protocol (wall sit to failure) and immediately returned to the scrum machine to perform another five trials. Though there was no significant influence of fatigue on the horizontal compressive force applied during contact (P?=?.83), there was a 52% increase in cervical flexion (P?P?P?相似文献   

Neuromuscular,biomechanical, and energetic adjustments following repeated bouts of downhill running

Purpose:This study used downhill running as a model to investigate the repeated bout effect(RBE) on neuromuscular performance,running biomechanics,and metabolic cost of running.Methods:Ten healthy recreational male runners performed two 30-min bouts of downhill running(DR1 and DR2) at a-20% slope and 2.8 m/s3 weeks apart.Neuromuscular fatigue,level running biomechanics during slow and fast running,and running economy parameters were recorded immediately before and after the downhill bouts,and at...     

Through the fingers: Use of plastinated anatomical specimens for visually impaired students

The plastination technique produces non-toxic human tissues, ensuring their safe handling in educational settings. This investigation aimed to understand if visually impaired students profit from the use of plastinated anatomical specimens in learning the anatomy of the nervous system. For this purpose, their learning performance was compared to sighted and blindfolded students recruited from three primary schools in Fortaleza city, in the state of Ceará. Initially, a questionnaire was applied before carrying out the pedagogical practice, followed by an anatomy lecture with practical components with the use of plastinated anatomical specimens and synthetic anatomical models of the nervous system. After these steps, the students answered the questionnaire previously applied. Our results showed that the tactile perception of the visually impaired participants was significantly more developed compared to sighted (p < 0.001) and the blindfolded (p < 0.0001) students. The average of correct answers in the reapplied questionnaire was higher in the groups that used plastinated specimens (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the use of plastinated specimens has proven to be an effective tool in promoting a better understanding of anatomical structures, mainly for students with or without visual impairments, making it a valuable asset in anatomy teaching.     

Socioeconomic disparities in the comprehension of lexical categories. A study with Spanish-speaking Argentinian toddlers

European Journal of Psychology of Education - This study documents the effects of social inequality on different dimensions of lexical comprehension in Spanish-speaking Argentinian toddlers, a...     

When Things Go Wrong

In this project, we worked in partnership with school teachers who are frequent users of experimental kits available for loan to schools using the historical-investigative approach. The original kits bring a traditional approach to experimentation, without the presence of the history of science. We developed and implemented new guides to the kits, without changing their materials and instruments. Design-based research supports the development methodology; the school science topics covered in this paper are Joseph Black’s studies on latent and specific heat. Although some of the challenges faced in the implementation of historical-investigative approach are known and well-documented, the present article addresses teachers’ perspectives and some of the problems they faced in the implementation process, most of them related to school and teacher working conditions. Even though this is a case study with a small number of schools and teachers, it is possible to say that there is a huge gap to overcome before the historical-investigative approach can be implemented in large scale.

     

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among children in Children’s Hospital Zagreb during the initial and second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia

IntroductionThe study aimed to investigate the prevalence and titres of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in children treated at the Children’s Hospital Zagreb in the first and the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistical significance of difference at two time points was done to determine how restrictive epidemiological measures and exposure of children to COVID-19 infection affect this prevalence in different age groups.Materials and methodsAt the first time point (13th to 29th May 2020), 240 samples and in second time point (24th October to 23rd November 2020), 308 serum samples were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). Confirmation of results and titre determination was done using virus micro-neutralization test. Subjects were divided according to gender, age and epidemiological history.ResultsSeroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies differs significantly in two time points (P = 0.010). In first time point 2.9% of seropositive children were determined and in second time point 8.4%. Statistically significant difference (P = 0.007) of seroprevalence between two time points was found only in a group of children aged 11-19 years. At the first time point, all seropositive children were asymptomatic with titre < 8. At the second time point, 69.2% seropositive children were asymptomatic with titre ≥ 8.ConclusionsThe prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was significantly lower at the first time point than at the second time point. Values of virus micro-neutralization test showed that low titre in asymptomatic children was not protective at the first time point but in second time point all seropositive children had protective titre of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.     

Exploring the complementarities between complexity and action research: the story of Technology Together

This paper takes up an ongoing dialogue in the educational literature regarding the relationship between complexity theories and action research. Recognising the contributions of other writers in this field and building on arguments made previously by the authors, this paper argues that there are multiple synergies between complexity and action research, and that action research can be a valuable and congruent meta‐methodology for those researching from complexity‐based perspectives. The paper illustrates these arguments through the example of a large action research initiative, Technology Together, which aimed to investigate the metacognitive influences on teachers' use of information and communications technology (ICT) and the implications of these for teacher professional development within a whole‐school context.     

Exploring the dynamics of novelty production through exaptation: a historical analysis of coal tar-based innovations

Theories of technological change fail to account for innovation stemming from affordances of previously developed artefacts.  The literature has highlighted that novelty can originate from market needs, from inferences made from scientific theories or be the object of deliberate technology projects in technology-push models. More recently, scholars have suggested that exaptation, defined as the co-option of artefacts for new functions, may constitute a different path to novelty production. However, the link between the existing artefact and the genesis of new functions driving exaptation is underexplored. Through a longitudinal case study of instances of emergence of new technologies stemming from a single compound, coal tar, we show that exaptation plays a role in all novelty production and, in some cases, it is its main determinant. We build a model of exaptive novelty production that captures the interactions between secondary effects of existing technology, affordances, functionalities, and the emergence of new functions. Our model enriches the theory of innovation by integrating both serendipitous and planned processes as well as both artefactual characteristics and human intentionality.