ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Malaysian Students' Motivation towards Physics Learning
Author: Saleh, Salmiza
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Science Instruction,Secondary School Students,Secondary School Science,Physics,Student Motivation,Urban Schools,Rural Schools,Questionnaires,Statistical Inference,Gender Differences,Stress Variables,Student Interests,Student Attitudes,Likert Scales

The purpose of this survey study was to examine the level of Malaysian students' motivation with regards to the learning of Physics at the secondary school level, and its influencing factors. The study was carried out on 337 Form Four students who took Physics as a subject, from six schools in a northern state of Malaysia--three from urban areas, and three from rural. Data from the study were collected via the &quot;Questionnaire of Students' Motivation towards Physics Learning&quot;. Respondents were required to mark the appropriate statements describing the level or the state of their motivation towards learning Physics in schools. Gathered data were then analysed quantitatively, using inferential statistical techniques. Results obtained showed that, in general, students have a moderately high motivation towards learning Physics. Although the t-test results showed that there was a significant difference between urban and rural students' motivation towards learning Physics, no significant differences were found between male and female students, with regards to their motivation. Among the factors found to exert strong influence in determining a student's motivation towards learning Physics are aspects such as relationships, stress and effort. According to the results, it was observed that, although students have encouraging motivation towards learning Physics, further analysis show that most of them think that learning the subject in schools is not that appealing.
Electronic Learning in the German Science Project &quot;NAWI-Interaktiv&quot;
Author: Wegner, Claas
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Science Education,Science Projects,Foreign Countries,Science Instruction,Instructional Materials,Achievement Tests,International Assessment,Secondary School Students,Scientific Literacy,Secondary School Science,Secondary School Teachers,Science Teachers,Technology Uses in Education,Biology,College Students

The German science project &quot;NAWI-Interaktiv&quot; is an example of innovative use of E-Learning and new media education. Since 2009, the learning platform provides learners and teachers with high-quality learning tools, teaching material, useful information and E-learning programs for free. This is to raise the pupils' motivation to learn about scientific phenomena, on the one hand, and also provides teachers with future-oriented course material for the fields of science education. &quot;NAWI-Interaktiv&quot; aims at advancing the pupils' scientific literacy and new media education and it improves the quality of science teaching as it uses media and technology as instruments to improve learning and also as objects to learn about.
Adult Science Learners' Mathematical Mistakes: An Analysis of Responses to Computer-Marked Questions
Author: Jordan, Sally
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,College Science,Science Education,Learning Modules,Adult Learning,Distance Education,Mathematics Skills,Error Patterns,Computer Assisted Testing,Summative Evaluation,Diagnostic Tests,Open Universities,Introductory Courses,Accuracy,Computation,Equations (Mathematics),Misconceptions

Inspection of thousands of student responses to computer-marked assessment questions has brought insight into the errors made by adult distance learners of science. Most of the questions analysed were in summative use and required students to construct their own response. Both of these things increased confidence in the reliability of the findings, as did the fact that similar errors were seen in different variants and in different questions. Questions on logarithms, graphs and gradient, differentiation and standard deviation were poorly answered. However, the most persistent errors, seen in questions designed to assess a range of different skills, were in rounding numerical values to an appropriate number of decimal places or significant figures and in working out the units of an answer. Other errors included incorrect precedence in calculations, giving symbols in an incorrect case, and problems with reciprocation, adding fractions, handling powers, performing unit conversions, and simplifying algebraic expressions. Possible reasons for the errors include careless slips, poor understanding of a method, and deeper conceptual misunderstandings. Many of the errors were similar to those reported by others, both at university and school level, and it appears that there are some very basic stumbling blocks that affect a wide range of students. It is suggested that increased use of discussion with students might bring further insight into the reasons for errors as well as increasing student understanding.
A Kindergarten Teacher Bringing Science to a Community
Author: Theis, Becky
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Kindergarten,Professional Development,Summer Science Programs,American Indian Students,Middle School Students,Secondary School Science,Science Education,Problem Based Learning,STEM Education,Science Curriculum,Clubs,Science Activities,Elementary School Science,Elementary School Students,Aerospace Education

The National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) sponsored professional development of educators in the NASA Summer of Innovation (SOI) program. The Idaho, Montana, and Utah (IMU-SOI) program worked with educators and students from thirteen Native American communities. The summer sessions were focused on problem based learning and engaging middle school youngsters in NASA and STEM curriculum. This paper describes the effort of one kindergarten teacher to bring a science club to her elementary school and how the local community embraced and supported the club.
Challenges in Mathematics and Statistics Teaching Underpinned by Student-Lecturer Expectations
Author: Parashar, Deepak
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Education,Teacher Effectiveness,Professional Personnel,Geometry,Arithmetic,Statistics,Correlation,Probability,Statistical Analysis,Computation,Teaching Methods,College Faculty,Expectation,Numbers

This study is motivated by the desire to address some of the enormous challenges faced by the students as well as the lecturer in fulfilling their respective expectations and duties demanded by the process of learning--teaching of mathematics and statistics within the framework of the constraining schedules laid down by the academic institutions and universities responsible for imparting education to students pursuing various degree programmes. The difficulties encountered in the efficient dissemination of instructions and the response of the students constitute a mechanism within which to suggest possible ways to rectify at least partially, if not wholly, the lacunae in the system and the methodology adopted by the participants engaged in this endeavour. A reasonably detailed, but by no means exhaustive, account is given of the historical developments in both mathematics and statistics primarily to arouse the interest of the students to such a level of inspiration that they draw pleasure while learning the subject. The expectations of the students as well as those of the lecturer are enumerated to a fair degree of thoroughness and possible remedial steps are suggested to minimise the differences in their perceptions using, for the first time, the famous uncertainty principle of Heisenberg, rather than employing any traditional/conventional methods that rely heavily on numerical evaluations. Wherever found essential, the scope and the goal are discussed in an environment typified by appropriate examples and similes. If followed conscientiously, the recommendations made in this paper can contribute effectively to the learning-teaching scenario with potentially significant results.
Characteristics of Teachers' Support on Learning: A Case Study
Author: Sardà, Anna
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Characteristics,Case Studies,Science Teachers,Scientific Literacy,Metacognition,Communication Skills,Classroom Environment,International Assessment,Focus Groups,Interviews,Portfolio Assessment,Observation,Self Management,Teacher Expectations of Students,Questionnaires,Grade 10

One of the problems in science education research is obtaining evidence that particular teacher support of learning helps achieve better academic results for students. Classroom ecology involves many variables that are difficult to control and, moreover, many results can only be seen in the medium term. The purpose of this case study on an expert science teacher is to identify the main variables that characterise the teachers' suport on learning and to obtain evidence that really helps to improve the students' scientific literacy. The scientific literacy level of students has been assessed by some 2000 and 2003 PISA items. The findings show that explicit teaching by metacognitive strategies and the implementation of communication skills, accompanied by a warm, firm caring atmosphere in class, is a powerful educational tool to improves students' learning, particularly students with low to medium academic achievements.
Investigative Homework with Apples: An Opportunity for Primary-School Students to Learn Actively the Relationship between Density and Flotation
Author: Radovanovic, Jelena
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Homework,Physics,Scientific Concepts,Science Activities,Active Learning,Hands on Science,Investigations,Educational Quality,Prior Learning,Assignments,Grade 7,Science Experiments,Foreign Countries

This paper describes investigative homework with apples, aiming to contribute to the primary-school students' understanding of density and conditions leading to floating and sinking. The assignment represents an opportunity for individual autonomous learning of physics and adoption of established scientific concepts through practical activities with easy-to-find objects. We describe the assignment and typical approaches taken by the students, followed by the detailed analysis of homework quality as a function of previous knowledge and mode of assignment (mandatory or voluntary). The research was performed on a sample of 46 primary-school students (7th grade) during preliminary testing of effects produced by active learning methods introduced into the teaching of buoyancy and related topics.
Environmental Issues in the Media--Students' Perceptions in the Three Nordic-Baltic Countries
Author: Keinonen, Tuula
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Environmental Education,Student Attitudes,Social Media,Mass Media Use,Mass Media Effects,Information Sources,Relevance (Education),Comparative Education,Gender Differences,Preservice Teachers,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires,Foreign Countries

The media, as a source of information, is supposed to have a significant role in effecting people's environmental knowledge and attitudes. The purpose of this study was to find students' perceptions of environmental issues as presented in the media and how students in Finland, Lithuania and Sweden used these media sources in the matters related to environmental issues. The most important source of environmental knowledge was found to be the Internet, followed by newspapers, television, school and education. In their own lives, students discussed environmental issues every day and, to some extent, in social media, discussion forums and blogs. In Finland, newspapers represented the most important source of environmental knowledge; in Lithuania, environmental organisations were the most prevalent, and, in Sweden, it was in a school or educational context. Based on these results, it was concluded that, in order to reach both genders of students in different countries and to more greatly benefit from all sources of information, a variety of media should be used in education for sustainability.
Representation of the Ethiopian Multicultural Society in Secondary Teacher Education Curricula
Author: Egne, Robsan Margo
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Secondary School Curriculum,Multicultural Education,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Content Analysis,Ethnic Diversity,Curriculum Evaluation,Integrated Curriculum,Preservice Teacher Education,Teacher Education Curriculum,Educational Change,Educational Development,Educational Strategies,Educational Practices,Cultural Education,Practicums,Action Research

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the multi-ethnic and multicultural characteristics of the diverse Ethiopian society are incorporated into the current secondary teacher education curricula of the country. To that end, both qualitative and quantitative content analyses were used as tools for data collection. The Ethiopian general national secondary teacher education curricula framework and three other specific secondary teacher education curricula were analysed based on Banks' (1993, 2001, 2006) four approaches to the integration of ethnic and multicultural contents into teacher education curricula. The study exhibited an increasing ambition to address issues of multicultural education into the Ethiopian general national secondary teacher education curricula framework. Nevertheless, elements of multi-ethnic and multicultural education are, to a great extent, missing in the specific secondary teacher education curricula. Implications which are assumed to improve fair representation of the ethnic and cultural diversity of the Ethiopian peoples into the entire secondary teacher education curricula are presented in the article.
The Finnish Five-String Kantele: Sustainably Designed for Musical Joy
Author: Ruokonen, Inkeri
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Music Education,Musical Instruments,Music Appreciation,Heritage Education,Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Preservice Teachers,Music Activities,Sustainability,Design,National Curriculum,Core Curriculum,Role of Education,Peace,Creativity,Elementary Secondary Education

This article discusses the five-string kantele as an example of the Finnish national heritage, a school instrument and an example of sustainable design. A qualitative case study was made by collecting the data from the Finnish students--prospective teachers--and the sixth form pupils, who had designed and carved their own five-string kanteles. The purpose of this research was to find out which aspects of five-string kantele design are considered the most important for sustainable principles and design among these youngsters. As results, the elements and principles of designing the five-string kantele are discussed and its relevance to five sustainable characteristics (creative, ecological, economic, aesthetic and socio-environmental) is presented. The sustainable values of the kantele and the purpose for which it is made are also considered.
Teaching Methods Influencing the Sustainability of the Teaching Process in Technology Education in General Education Schools
Author: Soobik, Mart
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,Sustainability,Technology Education,Educational Change,Educational History,National Curriculum,Teacher Attitudes,Curriculum Development,Constructivism (Learning),Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Statistical Significance,Factor Analysis,Teacher Surveys,Statistical Analysis

The sustainability of technology education is related to a traditional understanding of craft and the methods used to teach it; however, the methods used in the teaching process have been influenced by the innovative changes accompanying the development of technology. In respect to social and economic development, it is important to prepare young people, both boys as well as girls, with comprehensive knowledge and a basic education in technology for the benefit of their future life. Teachers' assessment of craft and technology education, from two different periods of time, are compared in light of two different national curricula in order to explain possible changes in teachers' conceptions related to the teaching methods of technology and examines teachers' opinions on the methods of technology education. This research attempts to find answers to the questions: What are teachers' attitudes towards teaching methods at the two different periods of time? What changes occurred in the teaching methods of the syllabi in light of the curricula adoptions in 2004 and in 2011? The research is based on questionnaire surveys administered across Estonia in 2004 and 2011. Findings indicate that during the two periods in question the teaching methods used by the teachers of technology education in Estonian schools shifted from the traditional approach to teaching towards a more constructivist approach. The researcher concludes that the teaching methods applied in technology education must keep current. Teaching would greatly benefit from the introduction of more activating teaching methods, particularly those connected with applying technology.
Educative Experience of the Use of Concept Mapping in Science and Environmental Teacher Training Programmes
Author: Pontes-Pedrajas, Alfonso
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Experience,Concept Mapping,Environmental Education,Cooperative Learning,Student Attitudes,Teacher Effectiveness,Teaching Methods,Biology,Science Teachers,Teacher Education Programs,Communication Skills,Information Technology,Technology Integration,Comparative Analysis,Masters Programs,Foreign Countries

Environmental education in the 21st century requires well-instructed teachers with teaching and communication abilities. This paper presents an educational experience developed in several biology and environmental teacher training courses and focused on the treatment of environmental education as a transversal educational topic. For that aim, text analysis techniques, concept mapping and informatics tools have been used to represent individual and collaborative knowledge about environmental topics. 69 students participated in the research. Data about the educational activities developed by the participants have been collected. Furthermore, students have expressed their opinions on the formative process by means of an opinion survey. The outcomes of this study reveal that future teachers and environmental educators consider that concept mapping is a valuable tool to represent their knowledge about environmental education, to encourage reflexive and collaborative learning, to improve teaching communicative abilities and to use effectively ICT in the classroom.
Re-Examining the Importance of Indigenous Perspectives in the Western Environmental Education for Sustainability: &quot;From Tribal to Mainstream Education&quot;
Author: Chandra, Doreen Vikashni
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Indigenous Knowledge,Indigenous Populations,Environmental Education,Sustainable Development,Western Civilization,Sustainability,Foreign Countries,Case Studies,Teaching Methods,Informal Education

This paper highlights the importance of integrating indigenous perspectives on environmental sustainability into mainstream education as a way of bridging the gap in the understanding of indigenous knowledge systems into Western science explanations of sustainable development (SD) in education, at the same time ensuring traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) continuity for future generations as well as taking a steady stand in the global debates on SD. The first part of the paper will attempt to explore the issue of SD through Western and indigenous perspectives and will emphasise on the model of strong sustainability (in theory). Secondly, the importance of TEK will be examined and justified through case studies on Aboriginal peoples of British Colombia and Roviana people of Solomon Islands in achieving goals of sustainability. Thirdly, challenges for TEK will be investigated and some possibilities of protecting the rapid disappearance of indigenous knowledge will be dealt with. Lastly, a pedagogical approach to sustainability will be provided that postulates the relevance of indigenous pedagogy to formal and informal education, attempting to integrate Tilbury's (1995) characteristics of environmental education for sustainability.
Do You Need to See It to Believe It? Let's See Statistics and Geometry Dynamically Together!
Author: Martins, José Alexandre
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Software,Mathematics Instruction,Graphs,Mathematical Concepts,Statistics,Geometry,Educational Games,Elementary Secondary Education,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology

Statistical graphs, measures of central tendency and measures of spread are key concepts in the statistics curriculum, so we present here a dynamic method (software) that may be used in the classroom. In this work we begin with an introductory approach. This is done to emphasize the importance of stimulating the visualization of statistical measures by using available technology as a means of overcoming difficulties and errors related to interpretations and also to motivate students in the classroom. With the help of the dynamic geometry software Cabri-Géomètre II Plus, some applications will be presented from a didactic viewpoint as a means to give visual stimulation, to motivate and to facilitate the familiarization with statistical concepts involved in statistical graphs, measures of central tendency and measures of spread. The applications presented here may be implemented by any teacher with basic knowledge of Cabri-Géomètre or any other dynamic geometry software. We hope that they will also be elements that promote further interaction within the classroom.