Critical issues in supporting self-study

In this article, we focus on an analysis of critical issues in supporting teacher educators conducting a self-study. As data, we have used the digital logbooks written by the participating teacher educators, the outcomes of the interviews we held at the end of the support process, and of a follow-up questionnaire answered by the participating teacher educators six months later. We have found seven issues critical to enhancing the chances of self-studies being beneficial to the practice of teacher education as well as to the further development of a knowledge base for teacher education. In addition, our study points to four themes for further attention and research.     

Preservice teachers' views of the nature of science during a postbaccalaureate science teaching program

The goals of this study were to determine preservice science teachers' views of the nature of science and to describe the changes in those views that occur during a teacher education program. Fifteen students in a postbaccalaureate secondary science teaching program at a large university participated in this study. The participants' views of science were ascertained by an investigator-developed survey and a follow-up interview administered before and after the university's science teaching methods sequence. Before entering the teaching program, the participants had a contemporary (i.e., postpositivist) view of scientific theory, knowledge, and the role of a scientist and a traditional (i.e., empiricist or positivist) view of scientific method. Initially, there was an equal number of traditional, mixed, and contemporary views of the different aspects of science. After completing the methods sequence, the number of contemporary views doubled and the number of mixed views decreased by more than half. The number of participants with an overall contemporary view of science rose from 2 to 7. Since there was little direct instruction about the nature of science, it is possible to make positive changes in preservice teachers' views of the nature of science in a teaching program in which contemporary teaching strategies such as conceptual change and cooperative learning are taught. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 34: 595–615, 1997.     

Changes in students' understanding of evolution resulting from different curricular and instructional strategies

This study assessed students' learning of evolution by natural selection within four different sections of an introductory biology course. Each section used a different combination of curricular materials (either traditional or historically rich materials) and instruction (either paired problem solving or traditional lecture). Students in the study completed pre- and postintervention evolution tests. Students' responses were analyzed to create variables for both correct and alternative conceptions of evolution. Pretest and posttest data were used to create difference scores that were compared both within and between teaching sections. Pre-to-post gains were expected in the correct (Darwinian Conception) scores, while pre-to-post losses were expected in the Alternative Conception scores. Also, students in the experimental sections were expected to perform better than those in the traditional sections. Pretest-to-posttest differences within each section showed gains in correct conceptions but few reductions in alternative conceptions. Comparisons between sections support the use of the paired problem-solving instructional strategy in conjunction with the historically rich curriculum. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

An empirical study on the educational effects of a course in Method Engineering for Information systems

Method Engineering (ME)¹facilitates the use of situation-specific methods for information systems development (ISD). We have studied the educational effects of ME by monitoring the process of students experiencing ME. First we describe the course of the Open University of The Netherlands that introduces ME. We then elaborate on the specifics of ME and present results related to the learning process of a population of over 70 students having professional experience in ISD already. In this paper we concentrate on some entry and exit level characteristics of the students and the feasibility and reproducibility of ME in a practical case study done by the students.     

HIGHER EDUCATION AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST: CANADIAN PERSPECTIVES

Canadian university teachers have long recognized the importance of establishing procedures for dealing with conflict of interest. More recently, they have recognized the importance of dealing with cases of academic fraud; however, compared to occurrences in universities in the United States, there seem to be few examples in Canada. Canadian academics have taken the lead in this area, securing procedures for dealing fairly with conflict of interest in the context of the needs of academic freedom through collective bargaining by faculty associations and unions under the leadership of their national organization, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).