Writing Like a Scientist: Exploring Elementary Teachers’ Understandings and Practices of Writing in Science

This qualitative study examined the connections between elementary teachers’ conceptions of how scientists use writing and how the teachers used writing during science lessons. Data collected included lesson observations, interviews, handouts to students, and curriculum resources. The findings revealed that teachers in this study thought scientists write for several purposes: the presentation of data, observations, experiences, procedures, and facts. The teachers used writing tasks that mirrored this with their students. The teachers also had a limited definition of creativity in writing, and when they had students write creatively in science it was to add in fictional elements. Implications of this study include providing teachers with better models for how and why scientists write, including these models in more inquiry-based science lessons, and directly relating concepts of nature of science to elementary science writing.     

Perceived learning,critical elements and lasting impacts on university-based wilderness educational expeditions

This study examined participants’ perceptions of learning, critical elements, and lasting impacts of their wilderness expeditions. Fifty-seven students, who completed a for-credit wilderness canoe expedition between 1993 and 2007 at the Augustana Campus, University of Alberta, participated in the investigation. Perceived learning most commonly related to nature and place appreciation, outdoor skills, group living, and self-awareness. Critical elements for learning were the experiential approach, group living, and nature and place immersion. In terms of lasting impacts of the expedition, perceived learning had changed since the expedition for 88% of students, especially in the areas of self-awareness, group living, and greater appreciation of the experience, due to reflection and the passage of time. Furthermore, the expedition had a lasting impact on students’ personal and professional lives, especially related to life experience, nature appreciation, confidence, and skill development. The findings support the notion that wilderness educational expeditions can provide significant and long-lasting learning (uniquely in the area of nature and place appreciation). Finally, because of the nature of educational expeditions, they lend themselves to the implementation of sound experiential pedagogical practices that promote active, engaged, and relevant learning.     

Book Reviews

This article is a presentation and analysis of the 2012 budget narrative of the King County (Washington) Library System, the winner of LJ/Cengage's 2011 Library of the Year Award. The author's narrative analyzes both the language and character of this important budget document, demonstrating its place in the appropriate library function of building its relationship with its various constituencies.     

Omnigraphics Reference Books: A Review

This article reports the results of a survey conducted in 2015 of librarians who work for small town and rural public libraries throughout the United States. Questions were asked about personnel statistics, budget, community involvement, programs, technology, managerial challenges, and how to solve the organization’s problems. The purpose of this research was to ascertain if conditions have improved for libraries in areas of low population and what managerial challenges these librarians faced. The survey found that financial conditions had improved or will improve in the future and that the most challenging managerial issue was staffing.     

Other Foreign/International

Michael Balfour's Propaganda in War 1939-1945: Organizations, Policies and Publics in Britain and Germany (London and Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1979---$37.50)

Glen Fisher's American Communication in a Global Society (Norwood, N.J.: Ablex Publishing, 1979---$17.50)

Studies of Broadcasting (NHK Theoretical Research Centre, Radio & TV Culture Research Institute, Nippon Hoso Kyokai, 2-1-1, Atago, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105, Japan---apparently free on request, especially if you have some research of interest to exchange)

Eighteenth Report by the International Telecommunication Union on Telecommunication and the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (Geneva: ITU, 1979---5 swiss france, paper)

Robert N. Pierce's Keeping the Flame: Media and Government in Latin America (New York: Hastings House, 1979---$14.50/7.95)

Godwin C. Chu and Francis I.K. Hsu, eds. Moving a Mountain: 'Cultural Change in China (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1979--- $16.00)

Intergovernmental Conference on Communication Policies in Asia and Oceania (Paris: Unesco, 1979---limited distribution [whatever that means in practice] with no price given, paper)

Miriam Williford, Source Directory: Assistance to Third World Broaecasters (Ford Foundation, P.O. Box 559, Naugatuck, Conn. 06770---$5.95, loose-leaf binder)     

Agreement between bioelectrical impedance and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in assessing fat,lean and bone mass changes in adults after a lifestyle intervention

We aimed to assess the agreement of a commercially available bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) device in measuring changes in fat, lean and bone mass over a 10-week lifestyle intervention, with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as reference. A sample of 136 volunteers (18–66 years) underwent a physical activity intervention to enhance lean mass and reduce fat mass. BIA (Tanita BC545) and DXA (Hologic Explorer) measures of whole-body composition were taken at baseline and at the end of the intervention. After an average of 74 ± 18 days intervention, DXA showed significant changes in 2 of 3 outcome variables: reduced fat mass of 0.802 ± 1.092 kg (P < 0.001), increased lean mass of 0.477 ± 0.966 kg (P < 0.001); minor non-significant increase of 0.007 ± 0.041 kg of bone mass (P = 0.052). The respective changes in BIA measures were a significant reduction of 0.486 ± 1.539 kg fat (P < 0.001), but non-significant increases of 0.084 ± 1.201 kg lean mass (P = 0.425), and 0.014 ± 0.091 kg bone (P = 0.074). Significant, but moderately weak, correlations were seen in absolute mass changes between DXA and BIA: 0.511 (fat), 0.362 (lean) and 0.172 (bone). Compared to DXA, BIA demonstrated mediocre agreement to changes in fat mass, but poor agreement to lean mass changes. BIA significantly underestimated the magnitude of changes in fat and lean mass compared to DXA.     

Computer Experience,School Support and Computer Anxieties

Past research has shown computer anxiety to be present in a sizeable minority of school teachers, and has identified some of the personal and school‐based correlates of this anxiety. Before effective interventions can be introduced, however, more needs to be known of the various forms and sources of this problem. The current study involved a survey of the experiences, attitudes and anxieties of a random sample of 350 Australian primary and secondary school teachers. Levels of self‐rated computing competence among these teachers were moderately low. Computing competence and anxiety were highly correlated, r= ‐ 0.78. Three distinctive types of computer anxiety were identified, as was a set of factors predictive of each. As hypothesised, computer anxieties were inversely related to the quality of prior computer learning experiences, and to the extent of current school support for computer usage. Implications for the reduction of computer anxiety among teachers are discussed.     

Substance use: A life skills perspective

The paper proposes a life skills perspective for understanding substance use, in which generative and context based competences and control strategies are central. Within that framework, reasons for substance use, general goal related competence, and specific strategies used to control substance use were examined for 360 young people (144 males, 216 females) aged 18–20 years. Relationships were established between frequency of use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and participants’ self reported knowledge of methods and effects of use, as well as of how much use was made of knowledge of effects in social situations. Participants also answered short tests on actual knowledge of effects and results on these were related to the extent of use reported. Finally perceptions of the best ways to learn about the effects of using these substances were related to patterns of reported use. The results supported the application of the life skills perspective to the domain of substance use in six areas; goal orientation; perceived competence; control over one’s actions; contextual competence; personality traits; and utilisation of knowledge. Educational strategies to develop this perspective were suggested.