Conceptions of Biology and Approaches to Learning of First Year Biology Students: Introducing a technique for tracking changes in learner profiles over time

We surveyed first year students at the start and at the end of their first semester of university biology (n?=?285) as to their approaches to study (surface, deep) and their conceptions of biology (fragmented, cohesive). Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to group students who responded similarly to the survey; this resolved four Learner Profiles based on specific combinations of approach to study and conception of biology. By comparing cluster membership at the start and end of the semester we could assess whether students (1) maintained their incoming approach to study and conception of the discipline of biology, i.e. their ‘Learner Profile’ and (2) whether certain Learner Profiles were more persistent than others. Approximately half the student cohort did not alter their approach to study or conceptions of biology by semester's end. Students in the disengaged profile, i.e. who returned mostly negative responses to survey items, appeared the most resistant to changing their Learner Profile; while the greatest migration occurred towards less than desirable learning strategies (particularly to the disengaged profile). We were able to confirm the significant migration patterns by assessing the heterogeneity of each cluster at the start of semester clusters with respect to the students' approaches and conceptions at the end of semester. Thus we present a process to accurately track Learner Profile changes that may tell us more about how we can enhance students' learning and provide a means by which to gather the empirical data to support decisions relating to curriculum change.     

Teachers' Beliefs and Self-Reported Use of Inquiry in Science Education in Public Primary Schools

This paper describes Ecuadorian in-service teachers and their science teaching practices in public primary schools. We wanted to find out to what extent teachers implement inquiry activities in science teaching, the level of support they provide, and what type of inquiry they implement. Four questionnaires applied to 173 teachers resulted in the identification of high context beliefs and moderately high self-efficacy beliefs. Teachers declared to implement activities mostly to develop understanding of the material, as contrast to actual manipulation of data and/or coming to conclusions. They adopt rather a strictly guided approach in contrast to giving autonomy to learners to work on their own. Finally, teachers keep control with regard to question formulation and choice in solution procedures, which constrains the development of real inquiry. When comparing teacher beliefs, we found that teachers' context beliefs make a difference in the level of support that teachers provide to their students. Teachers with lower context beliefs ask students to perform inquiry activities on their own to a lesser extent when compared with teachers with higher context beliefs. This implies that further research on the implementation of inquiry in science teaching should take into account teachers' differences in their context beliefs. We also found out that the use of high or low support in inquiry activities remained the same for teachers with either higher or lower self-efficacy beliefs.     

RESEARCH REPORT

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student understanding of the nature of science and their problem-solving strategies. Six hundred and twenty Year 8 students in Taiwan twice completed two conceptual problem-solving tests and a questionnaire on the nature of science. Four of these students were selected for follow-up interviews. The result of stepwise multiple regression indicated that the subscale on the nature of the scientific method consistently appeared as the best predictor for student problem-solving ability, explaining about 22% of the variance. It was also found that problem-solving strategies were more conceptually based for students that were high scorers on the nature of science survey.     

The assessment of the readiness of five countries to implement child maltreatment prevention programs on a large scale

This study aimed to systematically assess the readiness of five countries – Brazil, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa – to implement evidence-based child maltreatment prevention programs on a large scale. To this end, it applied a recently developed method called Readiness Assessment for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment based on two parallel 100-item instruments. The first measures the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs concerning child maltreatment prevention of key informants; the second, completed by child maltreatment prevention experts using all available data in the country, produces a more objective assessment readiness. The instruments cover all of the main aspects of readiness including, for instance, availability of scientific data on the problem, legislation and policies, will to address the problem, and material resources. Key informant scores ranged from 31.2 (Brazil) to 45.8/100 (the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and expert scores, from 35.2 (Brazil) to 56/100 (Malaysia). Major gaps identified in almost all countries included a lack of professionals with the skills, knowledge, and expertise to implement evidence-based child maltreatment programs and of institutions to train them; inadequate funding, infrastructure, and equipment; extreme rarity of outcome evaluations of prevention programs; and lack of national prevalence surveys of child maltreatment. In sum, the five countries are in a low to moderate state of readiness to implement evidence-based child maltreatment prevention programs on a large scale. Such an assessment of readiness – the first of its kind – allows gaps to be identified and then addressed to increase the likelihood of program success.     

Student-centred teaching methods: Can they optimise students’ approaches to learning in professional higher education?

This paper investigates dynamics in approaches to learning within different learning environments. Two quasi-experimental studies were conducted with first-year student teachers (N_{Study 1} = 496, N_{Study 2} = 1098) studying a child development course. Data collection was carried out using a pre-test/post-test design by means of the Approaches to Learning and Studying Inventory. Study 1 compared a lecture-based learning environment with a student-centred learning environment. Results were opposite to the premise that student-centred instruction deepened student learning. Instead, the latter pushed students towards a surface approach. Study 2 investigated whether mixed learning environments consisting of lectures and case-based learning could enhance students’ approaches to learning, compared to learning environments in which either lectures or case-based learning were used. Results showed that the deep and strategic approach decreased in the lecture-based, the case-based and the alternated learning environment, in which lectures and case-based learning were used by turns, while they remained the same in the gradually implemented case-based learning environment. With respect to the surface approach, the strongest decrease was found in the latter learning environment. In conclusion, this paper shows the added value of gradually implementing case-based learning. Nevertheless, it remains difficult to enhance the deep approach, monitoring studying, organised studying and effort management.     

The relationship between student learning process,study success and the nature of assessment: A qualitative study

Assessment has an important role in affecting students’ learning, but qualitative studies regarding this relationship are rather scarce. In addition, course grades do not necessarily reflect the quality of learning outcomes. The aim is to qualitatively examine why high and low achieving students in the same course study differently according to the assessment method and how they explain their behaviour. Altogether 24 students were interviewed in this study. Analyses were conducted with inductive content analysis. The results indicate that course grades do not necessarily reflect qualitative learning outcomes due to the nature of the assessment. In addition, the present study suggests that self-regulation and motivation are important factors in studying and might prevent the negative effect of inappropriate assessment.     

论康有为的物质救国思想

1905年康有为写了《物质救国论》一书,系统地阐述了物质救国思想,提出了一系列发展科技和实业的策略,以拯救垂危的国家,体现了康有为炽热的爱国激情,实事求是的开放精神,对科技的作用和意义的深邃认识。他的物质救国思想不仅对现代中国人仍有启迪,而且让人们更完整更具体地认识这位杰出的历史人物。     

芦荟的开发利用

本文对芦荟的形态特征、习性进行了概述,从观赏、药用、美容、保健作用四方面论述了它的开发利用。     

新时期女性文学的发展轨迹

在不同历史发展阶段 ,女性文学都有不同于以前阶段的表现形式和发展特点。本文阐述了中国的女性文学含义及在新时期的特点 ,并划阶段分析了女作家的创作道路和思维方式的转变 ,从中可以看出女性文学发展并不是一成不变的 ,而且它的发展也不是一帆风顺的     

世纪之交图书情报自动化系统发展的几大趋势

阐述了世纪之交图书情报自动化系统发展的几大趋势。作者认为, 随着21 世纪的到来, 图书情报自动化在开发思路、开发内容、技术标准、指导理论等等方面, 都显示出许多新的发展趋势。