ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Examining the Effects of Electronic Mentoring Prompts on Learners' Scientific Reasoning Skills in a Text-Based Online Conference for a Science Education Course
Author: Angeli, Charoula
Date: 2008-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Methods Courses,Teacher Education Curriculum,Education Courses,Computer Mediated Communication,Science Education,Asynchronous Communication,Courseware,Misconceptions,Network Analysis,Cues,Mentors,Hypothesis Testing,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Instructional Effectiveness

In a science education methods course, groups of students were initially involved in a face-to-face discussion and were sensitized about certain conflicting claims regarding a puzzling observation or set of observations. They were then instructed to resolve their conflicting ideas through electronic discussion. Students had two weeks time to participate in the online discussion by posting their points of view as well as replying to others' postings using the asynchronous discussion feature of WebCT. Students discussed these claims, and conducted more experiments, whenever they felt they need, in order to reach consensus about their opposing claims. The online discussion was anonymous in order to encourage students' participation in dialogue and negotiation of meaning. It was thus possible to identify students' alternative frameworks and attempt to facilitate conceptual change and understanding. The instructor of the course participated in the online discussion as a student by asking challenging questions. Students were supposed after participating in the online discussion to reach consensus and individually email their answers to the instructor. The data analysis provided ample evidence of students' patterns of thinking and their difficulties to be involved in evidence-based argumentation and reach valid conclusions acting as "practicing scientists" by forming and testing relevant hypotheses. (Contains 3 tables.)
Graph/Chart Interpretation and Reading Comprehension as Critical Thinking Skills
Author: Malamitsa, Katerina
Date: 2008-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Delphi Technique,Reading Comprehension,Foreign Countries,Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Data Interpretation,Graphs,Charts,Concept Teaching,Visual Literacy,Standardized Tests,Multiple Choice Tests,Educational Assessment,Educational Indicators,Academic Achievement

In contemporary academic literature and in many national curricula, there is a widespread acceptance that critical thinking should be an important dimension of Education. Teachers and researchers recognize the importance of developing students critical thinking, but there are still great difficulties in defining and assessing critical-thinking skills. The multiple definitions of critical thinking indicate the need for further clarification of the concept. An important attempt for clarifying the concept was the &quot;Delphi Report&quot; (Facione, 1990a), where a qualitative research methodology, known as the Delphi Method, was used to develop a unified theoretical framework. The core critical-thinking skills identified in the Delphi Report as essential elements for workplace and educational success are targeted in the assessment tool entitled &quot;The Test of Everyday Reasoning&quot; (TER) (Facione, 2001). TER was translated from English into Greek and standardized for Greek population. TER has a series of questions engaging the participant in the interpretation and reasoning relating to the information provided in charts and graphs as well as to the accompanying them textual description. This paper presents the results from the standardization of TER in terms of graph/chart interpretation and reading comprehension skills. Implications for science education in Greece are also discussed. (Contains 1 table, 4 figures, and 3 footnotes.)
Linking Learning Outcomes and Assessment of Learning of Student Science Teachers
Author: Kennedy, Declan
Date: 2008-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Academic Degrees,National Standards,Alignment (Education),International Cooperation,Student Mobility,Outcomes of Education,Science Teachers,Teaching Methods,Student Evaluation

The signing of the Bologna Agreement in 1999 has major implications for all involved in third level education throughout the world. By 2010 in the 45 countries that have signed up to the Bologna process, all modules and programmes in third level institutions will be written in terms of learning outcomes. In addition, many countries outside the Bologna process are aligning their third-level educational systems to be compatible with the Bologna process in order to facilitate description of qualifications, mutual recognition of degrees, and mobility of students. This paper covers the background to the concept of Learning Outcomes, the use of Bloom's Taxonomy to write learning outcomes, the relationship between learning outcomes and competences, and the linking of learning outcomes to both teaching and learning activities as well as to assessment. In addition, the author discusses the effects of the introduction of learning outcomes into the teacher-training programme for science teachers in his own university with particular reference to the assessment of student learning. (Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.)
The Union of the Cultures in the School: Education and Audio-Visual Communication
Author: Gonzalez, Jose Antonio Torres
Date: 2008-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cultural Pluralism,Multicultural Education,Audiovisual Communications,Immigrants,Needs Assessment,Remedial Instruction,Minority Groups,Social Networks,English Instruction

The item in the environment which is going to turn this work is multiculturalism, namely, the existence of several different cultures in one nation or in the same geographical reality, which accepts diversity and tolerates the maintenance of the cultural identity of all and each of minority groups (&quot;Advanced Teaching English Dictionary,&quot; 1998 edition, Ed. SM page. 841). This happens in the school due to the current immigration movement. Therefore, after establishing the legal and theoretical base of our work, we will record the importance that schools have remedial education, thus justifying the need to implement our project. This first part will be more theoretical, and, with it, we will give rise to a second practice that is to be proposed in a draft standard for those centers that are displayed in various cultures. Our intention is that through it, our students (whether immigrants or not) be prepared to function in different social networks in which, within a dynamic of dialogue, contact with other schools exposures and via videoconference, so our students will have the opportunity to learn more about other cultures.
Secondary School Students' Conceptions Relating to Motion under Gravity
Author: Apostolides, Themos
Date: 2008-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physics,Motion,Secondary School Students,Science Instruction,Secondary School Science,Scientific Principles,Scientific Concepts,Concept Formation,Teaching Methods,Constructivism (Learning),Urban Schools

The study investigated tenth-, eleventh-, and twelfth-grade students' alternative ideas relating to the motion of a body travelling in the field of gravity with an initial horizontal velocity. The sample of the study consisted of 40 tenth-grade students, and 33 and 40 eleventh-grade students that attended different sections of upper secondary school where the time devoted to physics teaching is quite diverse. Open-ended questions related to three different problems were used. The first problem concerned the motion of a metallic ball after reaching the edge of a horizontal surface on which it was moving with constant velocity.   The second problem concerned the motion of a ball, which was held in the hands of a runner who was moving on a horizontal surface with constant velocity, after the ball was released by the runner. The third problem concerned the motion of a body that was thrown upwards from a vehicle that was moving horizontally with constant velocity. Students' answers were analyzed qualitatively and were grouped into different categories based on their main conceptual characteristics. Students' conceptions were similar to the pre-Newtonian theories of motion, resembling to Aristotle's ideas about motion and aspects of the theory of "impetus", developed by Buridan during Middle Ages. Comparison of students' answers to the three similar problems indicated students' difficulties to transfer the same conceptual framework from one problem to the other. Differences also existed among the three Groups of students that differed in terms of their educational experiences. Based on the results, suggestions related to curriculum revisions and constructivistic teaching interventions are put forward. (Contains 3 figures and 3 tables.)
Health and Safety in Practical Science in Schools: A UK Perspective 2, Using Model Risk Assessments
Author: Borrows, Peter
Date: 2008-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Evaluation,Safety,Risk Management,Science Teachers,Guidance,Science Instruction,Foreign Countries,Teacher Education,Evaluation Methods,Professional Development,Health Education,Elementary Secondary Education

The previous article in this series explained the difference between hazard and risk. If the risk is too high, steps must be taken to reduce it to a sufficiently low level by adopting suitable protective control measures. If a practical activity in a science lesson has some risk associated with it then one way of reducing the risk might be to avoid the activity altogether. In that case, very little practical work would ever take place. Science instructors accept a low level of risk because the benefit of practical science outweighs the risks. Teaching students how to handle safely fragile or hot objects under the relatively organised conditions of a science lesson may teach them something of value about risk management for life outside the laboratory and when they have left school. Certainly, science teachers need good training in health and safety before they start teaching and on-going professional development once in post. Only rarely is there hands-on training in health and safety matters for science teachers. They therefore need guidance which they can rely upon and access easily. Such guidance is called a model risk assessment. This article examines how model risk assessments work by using two sets of model risk assessments: &quot;Hazards&quot;[R] and the &quot;Hazardous Chemicals Manual&quot;[R]. (Contains 3 footnotes.) [For &quot;Health and Safety in Practical Science in Schools: A UK Perspective,&quot; see EJ890626.]
Environmental Literacy Comparison between ECO-Schools and Ordinary Schools in Slovenia
Author: Krnel, Dusan
Date: 2009-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Students,Environmental Education,Attitude Measures,Knowledge Level,Correlation,Conservation (Environment)

The aim of environmental education is environmental literacy which includes not only knowledge but also awareness and environmentally responsible behaviour. This study included pupils who are provided environmental education as part of the curriculum during regular class hours, as well as those who are included in the Eco-school project. The aim of the study was to determine whether there were any differences between the two groups of pupils regarding their knowledge, awareness and environmentally responsible behaviour, and whether more extensive knowledge of environmental issues is related to greater awareness and environmentally responsible behaviour. Our research was based on a questionnaire (test of knowledge and opinion scale) drafted especially for the purposes of the study. Statistical comparisons of the results of the tests of knowledge showed that the knowledge level is slightly higher in eco-school pupils than in pupils attending only regular class hours. On the other hand, the results of the research indicated that as regards pupils' awareness and environmentally responsible behaviour, the differences between the two groups are not statistically significant. Based on these findings, it may be concluded that environmental knowledge does not result in greater awareness and environmentally responsible behaviour. As regards the Eco-school as a Way of Life project, it can be determined that the project raises only the level of knowledge, but fails to produce the desired results in terms of a more responsible way of life. (Contains 3 tables.)
Metacognitive Strategies on Classroom Participation and Student Achievement in Senior Secondary School Science Classrooms
Author: ibe, Helen Ngozi
Date: 2009-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Control Groups,Quasiexperimental Design,Academic Achievement,Achievement Tests,Metacognition,Statistical Analysis,Classrooms,Methods,Researchers,Teaching Methods,Questioning Techniques,Instructional Effectiveness,Secondary Education,Science Education

Teachers constantly face the challenges of the most effective methods of instruction that could enhance academic achievement and match the diversity among students. This study therefore aimed at examining the effects of metacognitive strategies on classroom participation and student achievement in Senior Secondary School Science classrooms. One research question and hypothesis guided the study. The design for the study was a quasi-experimental design involving 3 intact groups namely two treatment groups:- Think -Pair-Share (TPS) strategy and the Metacognitive Questions (MQ) and a control group. The study lasted for 11 weeks. The sample comprised of 24, 22 and 21 subjects for control, TPS and MQ respectively. A researcher made achievement test in the topic-density was used to measure achievement in the 3 groups. The research question was answered using descriptive statistics as in mean and standard deviation while the hypothesis was tested using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results revealed that the Metacognitive strategies were most effective in enhancing academic achievement followed by the TPS. The researcher recommends that Metacognitive strategies and questions be infused in the classroom so as to help students learn material more efficiently, retain information longer and generalize skills. (Contains 3 tables.)
Identifying Chemistry Teachers' Beliefs
Author: Vaino, Katrin
Date: 2009-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Styles,Intervention,Chemistry,Technological Literacy,Teaching Methods,Science Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Learning Modules,Scientific Literacy,Science Process Skills,Attitude Change,Interviews,Observation,Foreign Countries,Secondary School Science

The main goal of the study was to describe and understand the development of beliefs related to the thinking and decision-making made by five teachers in teaching chemistry during a two-year intervention study. The participating teachers implemented and, in the second year of the study, developed teaching modules which were geared to the promotion of students' scientific and technological literacy (STL). By means of this intervention, it was hoped to induce change in chemistry teachers' beliefs towards a STL approach. This was expected to involve a shift from beliefs related to more traditional teaching styles, with stronger emphasis on eliciting students' extrinsic interest, into emphasising student centred approaches and students' intrinsic motivation. In order to recognise and identify the teacher beliefs, data were gathered before and during the intervention by means of teacher interviews and classroom observations. These were used to identify teacher beliefs as core (both stated and enacted), peripheral (stated by not enacted), or emerging (newly stated beliefs coming from the intervention). In general it was possible to identify teacher beliefs based on specific components and to further classify them as positive or negative. It was further identified that these beliefs could be related to core, peripheral and emerging beliefs. (Contains 2 tables.)
Meeting Challenges to Sustainable Development through Science and Technology Education
Author: Holbrook, Jack
Date: 2009-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Citizenship Education,Sustainable Development,Technology Education,Science Education,Role of Education,Social Problems,Social Values,Scientific Literacy,Educational Change,Teacher Education,Teacher Competencies,Teamwork

This paper is intended to stimulate discussion and recommendations related to science and technology education and its role in sustainable development. It puts forward points of view and addresses concerns in science education. The paper recognizes that all in not well within science and technology education and that there are concerns related to its vision, its philosophy, its research, its approach, its way of meeting needs, its expected outcomes and most definitely in the manner in which it is taught. This paper recognises that science and technology education must do more than simply pay "lip service" to sustainable development and must focus learning on issues of relevance facing society. It is simply not enough to apply scientific ideas to technological application. The education context must provide the frame for learning. As this is heavily interdisciplinary and related to values, so must be science education. This in turn suggests there is a need to re-examine the goals of education and with this the goals of science education. It is suggested that education for sustainable development has little to do with accumulating a body of scientific knowledge and is far more aligned with the development of personal and social aptitudes leading to responsible citizenship.
Strengthening Peace Building through Science and Technology Education
Author: Massaquoi, Joseph G. M.
Date: 2009-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Economic Development,Peace,Technology Education,Science Education,Conflict,Conflict Resolution,Socioeconomic Influences,Poverty,Social Justice,Foreign Countries,Civil Rights,Cultural Differences,Cultural Influences

One of the many causes of conflict is the inequitable distribution of resources which is usually accompanied by widespread poverty. The breakdown in communication, the absence of a culture of peace is also contributing factors to conflicts. This paper has highlighted the causes  of conflicts, the requirements for peace, and the strategies for peace building. It shows that there are many peace building actions that require inputs of science and technology. Such inputs would include scientific knowledge, the application of the knowledge and the process used in acquiring scientific knowledge. These three aspects of science and technology can influence the socio-economic development, poverty reduction, communication and dialogues in communities and the mindset that promotes peace.
Turkish Students' Views on Environmental Challenges with respect to Gender: An Analysis of ROSE Data
Author: Cavas, Bulent
Date: 2009-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Attitudes,Environmental Education,Student Interests,Multivariate Analysis,Foreign Countries,Grade 9,Gender Differences,High School Students,Attitude Measures,Conservation (Environment),Questionnaires,Relevance (Education)

This paper examined high school students' attitudes toward the environment and their interest in learning about environmental protection with respect to gender. The questionnaire-based Relevance of Science Education (ROSE) Project data of 9th grade students were collected in Turkey from 1,260 students. Statistical analysis included tabulation of frequency distribution, descriptive statistics chi-square and multivariate analysis of variance. The findings of this study revealed that (i) Turkish students have favourable attitudes toward environmental issues, (ii) students are eager to find solutions to environmental problems and show optimistic trends about the future, (iii) students' interests in learning about environmental protection issues are moderate level, and (iv) statistically significant differences were found in environmental attitudes and interests in learning about environmental protection mean scores of students regarding gender. The authors offer suggestions, based on the results, for further research to identify reasons for differences between boys and girls so as to improve environmental education in Turkish schools. (Contains 3 tables and 2 footnotes.)
Challenging Gifted Learners: General Principles for Science Educators; and Exemplification in the Context of Teaching Chemistry
Author: Taber, Keith S.
Date: 2010-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Careers,Educational Needs,Gifted,Chemistry,Science Education,Teaching Methods,Higher Education,Engineering,Scientists,Technology,Thinking Skills,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique)

There is concern in some counties about the number of able young people entering degree level study and careers in physical science, including chemistry. Too few of the most talented young people are selecting "STEM" subjects to ensure the future supply of scientists, engineers and related professionals. The present paper sets out general principles to inform science teaching that will engage the most able learners, and hopefully encourage them to select science science-based courses in higher education and aspire to careers related to science and technology. The nature of high ability and "giftedness" is briefly reviewed, and the educational needs of the briefly reviewed, and the educational needs of the most able students are considered. It is suggested that chemistry is particularly well placed to offer contexts for the type of educational provision suitable for engaging and challenging the most able students, and examples of how the general principles recommended here might inform the planning of chemistry teaching are discussed. (Contains 1 figure and 2 endnotes.)
Questioning Chemistry: The Role of Level, Familiarity, Language and Taxonomy
Author: Rodrigues, Susan
Date: 2010-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Audience Response,International Studies,Familiarity,Chemistry,Classification,Misconceptions,Languages,Data Collection,Adults,Questioning Techniques,Multiple Choice Tests,Teaching Methods,Recall (Psychology),Computer Assisted Testing,Higher Education

This paper reports on data collected via an audience response system, where a convenience sample of 300 adults aged 17-50 pressed a button to register their answers for twenty multiple choice questions. The responses were then discussed with the respondents at the time. The original dataset includes physics, biology and chemistry questions. The questions were derived from the Assessment of Achievement Programme, Sixth Survey of Science 2003 [AAP 2003] (Scottish Executive Education Dept, 2005). The findings presented in this paper are a subset of the data collected as the paper discusses the designs seen in terms of the style and nature of chemistry questions and the degree of perceived confidence in, and the answers provided by, 300 adult participant responses. The focus of this paper is not on misconceptions or participants' strong or weak understanding of science. Instead the paper analyses the demands made by the questions. The findings suggest that structuring multiple choice chemistry questions is complex. What may appear to be a simple question in terms of the curriculum prescribed levels may be rendered more complex phrasing, familiarity and taxonomy. Furthermore, if international studies rely on multiple choice questions which favour testing recall of information, then it is possible that pedagogy that supports recall rather than comprehension or application may be endorsed. (Contains 1 table.)