Language in Science Classrooms: An Analysis of Physics Teachers’ Use of and Beliefs About Language

The world over, secondary school science is viewed mainly as a practical subject. This may be one reason why effectiveness of teaching approaches in science education has often been judged on the kinds of practical activity with which teachers and students engage. In addition to practical work, language??often written (as in science texts) or oral (as in the form of teacher and student talk)??is unavoidable in effective teaching and learning of science. Generally however, the role of (instructional) language in quality of learning of school science has remained out of focus in science education research. This has been in spite of findings in empirical research on difficulties science students encounter with words of the instructional language used in science. The findings have suggested that use of (instructional) language in science texts and classrooms can be a major influence on the level of students?? understandings and retention of science concepts. This article reports and discusses findings in an investigation of physics teachers?? approaches to use of and their beliefs about classroom instructional language. Direct classroom observations of, interviews with, as well as content analyses of the participant teachers?? verbatim classroom talk, were used as the methods of data collection. Evidence is presented of participant physics teachers?? lack of explicit awareness of the difficulty, nature, and functional value of different categories of words in the instructional language. In conclusion, the implications of this lack of explicit awareness on the general education (initial and in-service) of school physics teachers are considered.     

Supplementary tutoring in Trinidad and Tobago: Some implications for policy making

Globally, private supplementary tutoring is a huge business and the practice is expanding rapidly in many regions of the world where it never existed before. In some of these regions it is posing a novel set of challenges for education planners and policy makers. The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which supplementary tutoring is impacting on the goals of the formal education system in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T). The participation rate in supplementary tutoring at primary school level in T&T was found to be high (88.2 per cent at Standard Five level), with the majority of the students being privately tutored by their regular school teachers. Their main motivation for taking private tutoring lessons was to try to secure a place in one of the few elite secondary schools in the country. The authors of this paper admit that there is no quick solution to the problem, especially if it is understood as a part of the process of cultural change. They contend that the key to breaking the elitist tradition lies in modifying public understanding about education and convincing parents and citizens at large that a wide range of options and opportunities exists outside the narrow confines of the old colonial economy and the old colonial schools.     

Preschool Children Rarely Seek Empirical Data That Could Help Them Complete a Task When Observation and Testimony Conflict

Children (N = 278, 34–71 months, 54% girls) were told which of two figurines turned on a music box and also observed empirical evidence either confirming or conflicting with that testimony. Children were then asked to sort novel figurines according to whether they could make the music box work or not. To see whether children would explore which figurine turned on the music box, especially when the observed and testimonial evidence conflicted, children were given access to the music box during their sorting. However, children rarely explored. Indeed, they struggled to disregard the misleading testimony both when sorting the figurines and when asked about a future attempt. In contrast, children who explored the effectiveness of the figurines dismissed the misleading testimony.     

We Are Therefore I Am: A Psycho-Cosmos Counseling Model for Black Africans

This article explores the concepts of corporate personality, rituals and religion as they impact counseling indigenous black African people in their home settings or in Western contexts. It discusses the predominantly “I” focus of Western methods of counseling and psychotherapies and regards it as ineffective when compared to the “we” concept of indigenous African cultures. The authors examine the roles of healers, diviners, and counselors, and the influence of culture, religion, and rituals in the healing (therapeutic) process. A psycho-cosmos model of counseling is proposed that places counseling involvement in a larger context and includes some suggestions for practitioners.     

Relationship Between Psychopathology and Vocational Interests Among School-Going Adolescents in Nigeria

The study examined the relationship between psychopathology and vocational interests among some school-going adolescents in Nigeria. Two hundred and seventy-eight secondary school final year students responded to a psychopathology inventory and the Bakare's Vocational Interest Inventory (VII). Data obtained were analysed using the Discriminant Function Analysis and the students' t-test. Results obtained showed that the students' vocational interests could not significantly differentiate between high and low psychopathology groups at the .05 level. Significant differences were however obtained in the outdoor, mechanical, and musical areas when comparing the VII scores of males with females. The findings support the need to collect both vocational interests and psychopathological/personality data of clients in order to assist them in their vocational problems.     

The use of wikis in a science inquiry-based project in a primary school

This study explored the use of wikis in a science inquiry-based project conducted with Primary 6 students (aged 11–12). It used an online wiki-based platform called PBworks and addressed the following research questions: (1) What are students’ attitudes toward learning with wikis? (2) What are students’ interactions in online group collaboration with wikis? (3) What have students learned with wikis in a science inquiry-based project in a primary school context? Analyses of the quantitative and qualitative data showed that with respect to the first research question, the students held positive attitudes toward the platform at the end of the study. With respect to the second research question, the students actively engaged in various forms of learning-related interactions using the platform that extended to more meaningful offline interactions. With respect to the third research question, the students developed Internet search skills, collaborative problem solving competencies, and critical inquiry abilities. It is concluded that a well-planned wiki-based learning experience, framed within an inquiry project-based approach facilitated by students’ online collaborative knowledge construction, is conducive to the learning and teaching of science inquiry-based projects in primary school.     

书友

Reading books is like talking with thousands of people. A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be     

Examining the application of Web 2.0 in medical-related organisations

Objectives: This study surveyed Web 2.0 application in three types of selected health or medical‐related organisations such as university medical libraries, hospitals and non‐profit medical‐related organisations. Methods: Thirty organisations participated in an online survey on the perceived purposes, benefits and difficulties in using Web 2.0. A phone interview was further conducted with eight organisations (26.7%) to collect information on the use of Web 2.0. Data were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Results: Results showed that knowledge and information sharing and the provision of a better communication platform were rated as the main purposes of using Web 2.0. Time constraints and low staff engagement were the most highly rated difficulties. In addition, most participants found Web 2.0 to be beneficial to their organisations. Conclusions: Medical‐related organisations that adopted Web 2.0 technologies have found them useful, with benefits outweighing the difficulties in the long run. The implications of this study are discussed to help medical‐related organisations make decisions regarding the use of Web 2.0 technologies.     

Assessment of theft and mutilation of information resources in selected academic libraries in Niger State

This research was conducted to assess theft and mutilation of information resources in academic libraries in the Niger State of Nigeria, the reason why users resort to theft and mutilation, measures used to steal and mutilate information resources, possible measures to stem and curb these acts in the future. The survey research method was employed using the simple random sampling technique where three academic libraries were selected from all academic libraries in Niger State. Two types of validated questionnaires were designed and administered to both staff and student users. One hundred copies of the questionnaire were administered to library staff, out of which 72 copies were returned and found usable with valid responses. One hundred and eighty copies of the questionnaires out of 250 administered to student users were returned with valid data. The findings revealed that most of the offenders are students who use various methods to perfect these acts. It was also discovered that such stolen materials were concealed in clothes, files or bags. Mutilations of materials occurred in the form of tearing pages of text materials and writing on pages of books. It equally revealed that theft and mutilation were encouraged by the lack of adequate copies of titles to meet the needs of users among others. To address these problems, certain security systems, provisions of photocopiers and the extension of library hours are recommended.