WHAT DO SCIENTISTS KNOW ABOUT THE NATURE OF SCIENCE? A CASE STUDY OF NOVICE SCIENTISTS’ VIEWS OF NOS

The purpose of this study was to explore 15 graduate research assistants’ understanding of the nature of science. Data were collected through administration of a modified version of the Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire (VNOS-C). The findings suggest that graduate research assistants held underdeveloped views related to several nature of science (NOS) aspects including the argumentative nature of science, the process of modeling in science, scientists’ treatment of unexpected results, collaborative nature of science, and the process of theory formation. The discussion focuses on the missing link in preparation of future scientists and offers suggestions to address the learning needs of graduate research assistants regarding their understanding of NOS.     

干旱胁迫下甘草等八种牧草种子萌发特性及抗旱性差异研究

主要研究了甘草(Glycyrrhiza L.)等八种牧草在干旱胁迫下的种子萌发特性、叶片含水量变化和叶片细胞膜透性等。研究结果表明,两种甘草在12%的PEG浓度条件下能保持85%以上的种子发芽率,分枝期干旱胁迫15 d还能保持76%的叶片含水量,说明甘草的抗旱性较强、其次为苦豆子,其它牧草相对较差。     

College Student Utilization of a Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program

The authors sought to identify college students at risk for experiencing a mental health crisis that warranted a psychiatric evaluation at a hospital and/or a psychiatric hospitalization. A retrospective chart review of college students evaluated at a comprehensive psychiatric emergency program during a 1‐year period was conducted. Demographic variables, mental health treatment history, diagnosis, and hospital discharge plans were found to predict those students likely to be hospitalized and those likely to have positive discharge outcomes.     

Programme Quality Assessment by the Implication of Variable Entry Qualifications on Students' Performance

Since its inception 30 years ago, the then Department of Engineering Science, Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM) was given the responsibility of preparing all the students in the first year engineering programmes by giving enough knowledge in basic science and mathematics. The nation's vision to become a fully‐industrialised economy by the year 2020 required all institutes of higher learning (IHLs) in Malaysia to increase their intake of students in the science and technology courses, especially in engineering. However, at the upper secondary education level, students have the freedom to choose between the science‐based or non‐science combination of subjects. This has led to a dearth of science‐based students enrolling in IHLs. Because ITM believes that it is possible to educate individuals from various backgrounds, the engineering courses are open to students with a variety of academic qualifications. Special bridging courses were designed and created for such students since late 1996. The success or failure of the new courses can be assessed after the students have gone through the proper first year engineering courses which consist of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. This paper reports on a pilot study on the pioneer groups of students with variable entry qualifications to assess the effectiveness of the courses. The study involved the analysis of the students’ examination results as a performance indicator, and it was found that the bridging programme for non‐science students needed to be redesigned. It is also proposed that to improve the quality of the programme, and hence students’ performance, a regular review be conducted, student support activities be continued and to expand the use of self‐study materials.     

Les phenomenes migratoires et l'urbanisation comme objet d'enseignement: La mauritanie

Sans résumé     

To Boxplot or Not to Boxplot?

The lower quartile is the median of all of the values to the left of the median of the whole set of data; the upper quartile is the median of all of the values to the right of the median of the whole set of data.     

The Impact of Educational Technology on Training and Development in the Banking Sector

Recent sustainability and training and development reports have shown that banks are increasingly investing in training and development. While most banks are already utilising different forms of e-learning for certain types of training interventions and employee assessments, the focus going forward is to reinvent training within the organisation by making it more efficient, convenient, accessible and fun with educational technology. The aim of the study reported on in this article was to investigate the impact that educational technology has on training and development downtime, accessibility with regard to different learning platforms, return on investment (ROI), organisational culture and learning within the banking environment. A targeted sample of 110 respondents from 30 branches of one of the leading banks in South Africa were surveyed using a stratified random sampling approach. The study revealed that the bank has a strong organisational culture; and educational technology at the bank showed positive results with regard to decreasing downtime and seeing increased ROI.     

Variation as Unalikeability

This article discusses concepts of variability and suggests a possible alternative measure that appears to support some students’ intuition.     

Learning by Teaching: a Case Study of Co-teaching to Enhance Nature of Science Pedagogy,Successes, and Challenges

International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education - This study aimed to give insights of in-service teachers’ experiences of nature of science (NOS) learning and NOS teaching through...