Assessing the cognitive demands required of students in class discourse,homework assignments and tests

An important question which is often overlooked addresses the nature and quantity of higher‐order thinking activities when teachers are not explicitly ‘teaching for thinking’ but rather acting and behaving routinely. This study investigates the scope and nature of tasks demanding students’ application of higher‐order thinking skills while studying biology in junior and senior high schools in Israel. The method used is the collection and analysis of questions asked by teachers during classroom discourse, in homework assignments and in tests. The main findings show: (a) that the frequency of higher‐order thinking questions in biology class discourse in Israel is approximately 20%; (b) that the cognitive level of teachers’ questioning in HS is higher than in JHS; (c) that the matriculation exam has a strong influence on tests given by teachers; and (d) that while inquiry questions permeated HS testing they are less salient in HS class discourse, indicating the need for remedial treatment which should include the integration of more inquiry‐oriented pedagogies into classroom practice.     

The curriculum potential of Darwin's Theory of Evolution

Unity and diversity are best reconciled by Darwin's Theory of Evolution. Two major dilemmas related to the study of Evolution are described. The first, concerning pedagogy, can be solved by teaching the topic at an elementary level in the middle school so that the Theory may serve as an advanced oragnizer and returning with in-depth study in the last two years of high school. The second, concerning Faith, is a sensitive issue. Some successful approaches are discussed. The place of Darwin's Theory in the all-elective high school biology curriculum is described as well. The role of the Theory regarding explanations is especially highlighted.     

Cognitive preferences and creativity: An exploratory study

Cognitive preference, a cognitive style acquired through life and learning experiences and representing a distinct orientation to the processing of information, is related to creativity in this study. Significant correlations were observed between cognitive preference and verbal creativity but not with figural creativity as measured by the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking.     

Teachers' self report as an alternative strategy for the study of classroom transactions

The Self Lesson Report Form (SLRF) was designed as an alternative either to direct classroom observation or to commonly used questionnaires in which students and/or teachers report on general practices used in their classes. In the SLRF teachers report what happened in their last lesson. Certain items are structured while others are open. A special procedure was developed for the analysis of the open answers. A high level of reliability was obtained by comparing results of teachers' and observers' reports on the same lesson. Two hundred and fifty SLRF's were analyzed and the results are reported to illustrate the kind of information which can be obtained with this instrument. It was found that, on the average, junior high science classes in Israel are inquiry oriented, have abundance of discussions and hands-on laboratory activities which are closely supervised by the teachers.     

Incorporating Research into Preservice Teacher Education

Few teachers keep up with educational research and make use of research findings in their daily work. Also the number of teacher educators actively engaged in research is limited. This paper describes how preservice teachers can be introduced to educational research by carrying out ‘minisearch’ projects under guidance as part of their methods classes. Examples of topics which lend themselves to this kind of research include identifying pupils’ alternative conceptions and ‘shadowing’. Such research projects are regarded by most preservice teachers as interesting and very useful, and teaching staff are able to pool together the findings of their student teachers to form a publishable article. Research data collected in this way can provide significant information, yet can be obtained relatively simply at low cost. Further research is needed to find out the impact of involvement in research within preservice education on the use of research by practising teachers.     

The relationship between cognitive preferences,student background and achievement in science

Cognitive preferences of Israeli 12th grade students were studied as part of the Second IEA Science Study. It was found that during the last ten years Israeli students have become more oriented toward application. Higher sociocultural status, higher achievement in science, liking of science studies, more time devoted to science homework, and intentions to study science in college were all associated with a higher preference for principles and critical questioning as well as with a lower preference for recall. Science majors compared with non-science majors exhibited a higher level of intellectual curiosity. There were no differences between cognitive preferences of boys and girls.