The present study reports an empirical investigation into concept formation of young children. Based on interviews conducted before and after participating in a playfully enacted chemistry lesson at a culture center, it is analyzed how 6-year-old children conceptualize water, molecule, and chemistry. Theoretically, the study is informed by Vygotsky’s cultural-historical perspective on concept formation. The empirical data consist of pre- and post-interviews with children and documentation of their participation in the intermediate activity. This documentation is used in the post-interviews as a mutual ground for talking with the children about what they remember and how they understand the activity they participated in and what the activity intended to illustrate. The results are presented in terms of three inductively generated categories: ‘everyday’, ‘experientially-based’, and ‘generalized experiences’ concepts, respectively. The implications of these findings for early childhood chemistry (science) education are discussed.
In the present study the longitudinal relations between quantity of centre-based child care (in months) and teacher reports of internalising and externalising behaviour in the first and second grades were examined for 325 Slovenian children. The socio-political context of affordable, accessible and homogenously high-quality child care is quite different compared to the context in countries from which many child-care studies originate (e.g. the USA). In Slovenia quality standards are regulated (child:staff ratio, teacher education, curriculum), the service is subsidised and children are guaranteed a place after the end of parental leave (i.e. at 11 months). In the described socio-political context a beneficial effect of child care quantity was found for internalising behaviour, while there were negative effects for externalising behaviour. Children who spent more time in child care exhibited less internalising behaviour and more externalising behaviour in the first grade of school, both with small coefficient sizes. Our study shows that even in the context of progressive child care some positive as well as less positive effects of child care participation on child development occur. 相似文献
The paper seeks to understand the trajectories of students who defer entry to university. The study was conducted in Lithuania, a former Soviet Union republic. The phenomenon of a ‘gap year’ is usually associated with young people, who decide not to enter higher education schools immediately after receiving secondary education, instead they choose to spend a year volunteering, working or engaging in other activities. This article analyses the choice of taking a gap year from the perspective of rational choice theory, complemented by human development theory, which was developed by R. Inglehart and his colleagues. The latter theory allows discovering relation between the spreading of the gap year phenomenon in developed European countries and the emergence as well as development of post-materialist values from the macro-level perspective. The theoretical analysis is based on semi-structured interview data collected in Lithuania. 相似文献
Video analysis, using the program Tracker (Open Source Physics), in the educational process introduces a new creative method of teaching physics and makes natural sciences more interesting for students. This way of exploring the laws of nature can amaze students because this illustrative and interactive educational software inspires them to think creatively, improves their performance and helps them in studying physics. This paper deals with increasing the key competencies in engineering by analysing real-life situation videos – physical problems – by means of video analysis and the modelling tools using the program Tracker and simulations of physical phenomena from The Physics Education Technology (PhET?) Project (VAS method of problem tasks). The statistical testing using the t-test confirmed the significance of the differences in the knowledge of the experimental and control groups, which were the result of interactive method application. 相似文献
AbstractPurpose: The paper explores the role of boundary work and boundary objects in enhancing learning and innovation processes in hybrid multi-actor networks for sustainable agriculture (LINSA).Design/Methodology/Approach: Boundary work in LINSA is analysed on the basis of six case studies carried out in SOLINSA project under a common methodology. In developing typologies of boundary work and objects, a grounded approach is used.Findings: LINSA analysis demonstrates the dynamic character, diverse forms and multiple functions of boundary work and objects in three domains: learning, innovation, and sustainability. Addressing specific types of goals and actors leads to specific types of boundary work and boundary objects. Context-appropriate boundary work allows aligning differing actor attitudes, gaining increased external support, and developing LINSA. The concepts of boundary work and boundary objects are relevant in a broad range of divergent LINSA settings. Boundary work has its limitations, but its facilitation supports reaching LINSA goals.Practical Implications: The paper proposes recognising context-appropriate forms of boundary work and skilful use of emerging boundary objects to both promote internal consolidation of LINSA and effective external communication to foster learning and innovation for sustainability.Originality/Value: The paper provides insights into the forms, dynamic and outcomes of boundary work in LINSA in three key domains: developing shared knowledge base, co-producing innovation and negotiating sustainability. 相似文献
Understanding the main determinants of Internet banking adoption is important for banks and users; our understanding of the role of users’ perceived risk in Internet banking adoption is limited. In response, we develop a conceptual model that combines unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) with perceived risk to explain behaviour intention and usage behaviour of Internet banking. To test the conceptual model we collected data from Portugal (249 valid cases). Our results support some relationships of UTAUT, such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence, and also the role of risk as a stronger predictor of intention. To explain usage behaviour of Internet banking the most important factor is behavioural intention to use Internet banking. 相似文献