ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Human Evolution in Science Textbooks from Twelve Different Countries
Author: Quessada, Marie-Pierre
Date: 2008-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Evolution,Textbooks,Foreign Countries,Textbook Content,Textbook Evaluation,Textbook Research,Science Education,Illustrations,Gender Differences,Age Differences,Content Analysis,Comparative Education,Comparative Analysis,Educational Practices

What kinds of images of human beings illustrate human evolution in school textbooks? A comparison between the textbooks of eighteen different countries (twelve European countries and six non-European countries) was attempted. In six countries (Algeria, Malta, Morocco, Mozambique, Portugal, and Tunisia), we did not find any chapter on the topic of human evolution in the textbooks consulted. When analysing all the images in the human evolution chapters in the 30 textbooks from the other twelve countries, we found that the great majority of these images show adult males, few images show females (one female for every four males), very few show children (one child for every nine adults), few images show ethnic diversity (one image with ethnic diversity for every eight images without ethnic diversity). When analyzing the images of timelines or trees depicting human evolution, we found in all the chapters on biological evolution the representation of &quot;Homo sapiens&quot;, who was found in 28 textbooks from twelve different countries. &quot;Homo sapiens&quot; is nearly always an archetype of a male with white skin, either naked or dressed in occidental clothing. Only in four cases, there was also a woman (and never a woman alone), such as in a Lithuanian textbook as well as in a French one, an Italian one, and a German one. This last German image is a unique one where ethnic diversity was illustrated by three people. These results show that scientific messages related to the origins of humankind are generally mixed with implicit values. It is important to identify these values, whilst teaching this topic, in order to favour the ability of students to develop a critical outlook for better citizenship. (Contains 11 figures and 1 footnote.)
Genetic Determinism in School Textbooks: A Comparative Study Conducted among Sixteen Countries
Author: Castera, Jeremy
Date: 2008-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Twins,Textbooks,Genetics,Biology,Foreign Countries,Comparative Analysis,Nature Nurture Controversy,Evolution,Textbook Content,Textbook Evaluation,Textbook Research,Comparative Education,Educational Practices,Teaching Models,Scientific Concepts

Genetic concepts have significantly evolved over the last ten years, and are now less connected to innate ideas and reductionism. Unique reference to genetic determinism has been replaced by the interaction between the genes and their environment (epigenetics). Our analyses relate to how current school biology textbooks present this new paradigm in 16 different countries (12 from Europe, and Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, and Lebanon). Two precise criteria were used to analyse and compare the chapters dealing with the topic Human Genetics. The first criterion was the occurrence of the expression &quot;genetic program&quot; (which is typical of innate values). This was present in the textbooks of some countries, but were totally missing in some others. The existing differences seem to support the following: (i) in Eastern European countries, the absence is long-standing, and it is possibly linked to a previous influence of Lyssenko, (ii) in some other countries, the absence could be linked to various reactions during the Nazi period, (iii) in other cases, the observed diminution might be due to a modernisation of the scientific content, and, finally, (iv) in several countries, the notion of &quot;genetic program&quot; is still present, without any attempt for change. In contrast, there were no differences between countries with relation to the second criterion, that is, the twins' pictures present in the textbooks. The monozygotic twins were always dressed identically, and had the same hairstyle and body posture, as if these features could be genetically determined, providing thus evidence of a persistent implicit deterministic ideology. These results are discussed as interactions between implicit values and taught scientific knowledge. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)
Sexually Transmitted Infections and the Use of Condoms in Biology Textbooks. A Comparative Analysis across Sixteen Countries
Author: Bernard, Sandie
Date: 2008-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS),Health Education,Sex Education,Textbooks,Sexually Transmitted Diseases,Biomedicine,Biology,Foreign Countries,Comparative Analysis,Textbook Content,Textbook Evaluation,Textbook Research,Comparative Education,Health Promotion,Educational Practices,Teaching Models

Our study focused on two topics, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and their control using condoms. For this, we analysed and compared 42 school textbooks from 16 countries on the general topic &quot;Human Reproduction and Sex Education&quot; using a specific grid designed by the BIOHEAD-Citizen project. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was a common topic in all the textbooks that were analyzed, although it appeared in quite different chapters, such as, Human Procreation (the control of reproduction, the hygiene of reproduction, or in chapters devoted to STIs and AIDS), Immunology (with AIDS as an example of immune deficiency), and Personal Protection. Some textbooks provided information about other STIs in addition to AIDS. There appeared important differences among countries concerning both the number of images in the textbooks and the number of STIs that were discussed in the textbooks. There were also differences among various textbooks addressing the same educational level that came from different publishers in terms of the way that STIs were presented. More than half of the analyzed textbooks did not link the presentation of STIs with their prevention via the use of condoms, and only a few textbooks illustrated an unrolled male condom on the penis. Our results also indicated that (i) for most of the analyzed biology textbooks there was a preference for the biomedical model of health education that provided sufficient scientific knowledge, (ii) only in Finland, there was an attempt for promoting competencies relating to a healthy sexual behaviour, and (iii) the textbooks from Morocco and Tunisia illustrated how traditional values could be promoted in parallel with biomedical knowledge by using injunctive moral content. Interactions between scientific knowledge (K), values (V), and social practices (P) had been found and seemed to determine what was present (and how)in school textbooks. (Contains 6 tables and 13 figures.)
A Proposal for Textbooks Analysis: Rhetorical Structures
Author: Izquierdo, Merce
Date: 2008-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Textbooks,Science Education,Textbook Content,Textbook Evaluation,Textbook Research,Textbook Standards,Instructional Materials,Classroom Techniques,Educational Strategies,Program Proposals,Text Structure,Foreign Countries,Content Analysis,Semiotics

The present study relates to a research line in didactics of science that focuses on the function that sign systems or semiotic modes have in communicative interactions in science classrooms. The study was conducted by 20 secondary and university science teachers who belong to the same research group LIEC (&quot;Language and Science Teaching&quot;) at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB). This group is devoted to the study of the relations between language and science teaching, and is centred on the analysis of textbooks, because these are still the most used &quot;didactical mediators&quot; in science teaching. The study attempted to construct indicators in order to investigate whether textbooks are adequate for didactical intervention. Such an investigation would provide useful information for better strategies both to read in class and to write more innovative textbooks from a &quot;didactical&quot; point of view, i.e., textbooks that are more appropriate to support students' autonomous work in science classrooms. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)
Gene Concepts in Higher Education Cell and Molecular Biology Textbooks
Author: Albuquerque, Pitombo Maiana
Date: 2008-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Textbooks,Molecular Biology,Cytology,Textbook Content,Textbook Evaluation,Textbook Research,Genetics,Content Analysis,Scientific Concepts,Misconceptions,Foreign Countries,Educational Practices,Comparative Education

Despite being a landmark of 20th century biology, the &quot;classical molecular gene concept,&quot; according to which a gene is a stretch of DNA encoding a functional product, which may be a single polypeptide or RNA molecule, has been recently challenged by a series of findings (e.g., split genes, alternative splicing, overlapping and nested genes, mRNA edition, etc). The debates about the gene concept have important implications on biology teaching, and, thus, it is important to investigate whether and how these are addressed in this context. In this paper, we report results of an investigation relating to the treatment of genes in higher education cell and molecular biology textbooks. These results indicate that, despite several findings challenging time-honored ideas about genes, these ideas continue to be widely used in textbooks, even though the textbooks themselves discuss part of those findings. Textbooks also harbor a proliferation of meanings about genes that may make the concept look vague and confused, and even lead to ideas that are at odds with our current knowledge about genomes. (Contains 7 figures.)
Science Textbooks in the Context of Political Reform in South Africa: Implications for Access to Science
Author: Green, Whitfield
Date: 2008-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Textbooks,Racial Segregation,Physical Sciences,Foreign Countries,Comparative Analysis,Grade 10,Political Attitudes,Political Influences,Social Change,Textbook Content,Textbook Evaluation,Textbook Research,Social Justice,Curriculum Implementation

The post-apartheid National Physical Science Curriculum was implemented for the first time in South Africa in grade 10 during 2006. A variety of new textbooks for grade 10 have been published. This study was a comparative analysis of three popular textbooks, one prepared to support the previous curriculum, and two prepared for the new curriculum. The study employed an eclectic theoretical approach and a mixed mode (qualitative and quantitative) methodology. The comparative analysis of the three textbooks showed that the old textbook presented pure, decontextualised physical science knowledge; presented conventional academic &quot;hard&quot; science knowledge as strongly separated from the real world; and assumed that English was the first language of students. It emphasized factual and conceptual knowledge that students must remember and understand. It was underpinned by an objectivist epistemology and a rationalist philosophy of knowledge. One of the new textbooks was similar to the old. The other new textbook was inclusive, and presented science knowledge using a popular format and an interactive style. In addition to academic science knowledge, utilitarian knowledge was also presented. There was also an emphasis on factual and conceptual knowledge that students must remember and understand. The boundaries between science and the real world were weakened, and an obvious attempt to incorporate indigenous knowledge in the textbook was made. The new textbook seemed to be less mono-cultural, white, Eurocentric, and male-centered. Various language tools mediated English for second-language learners. In addition, it situated science knowledge in social,historical, and cultural experiences that students could identify with. Meta-cognitive reflection on the acquisition of academic and social competencies was consistently expected and there was also an expectation for higher cognitive processes, such as, analysis and evaluation. The textbook was underpinned by a social-constructivist epistemology and a humanistic philosophy of knowledge. The findings of this study support the conclusion that the new textbooks differ in terms of their potential to improve access to science for groups which have historically been marginalized. (Contains 2 figures, 8 tables and 2 footnotes.)
A Big Problem for Magellan: Food Preservation
Author: Galvao, Cecilia
Date: 2008-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Science and Society,Science Course Improvement Projects,Food Service,Preservation,Peer Acceptance,Scientific Literacy,Relevance (Education),Participant Observation,Interviews,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Instructional Effectiveness,Learning Activities

In this paper, we present data related to how a Portuguese teacher developed the module &quot;A big problem for Magellan: Food preservation.&quot; Students were asked to plan an investigation in order to identify which were the best food preservation methods in the XV and XVI centuries of Portuguese overseas navigation, and then establish a parallel between those methods and current ones. Students were involved in discussing the relationship between science and social issues, and about the impact that science evolution has on daily life practices. The teacher had professional experience and a Master's degree in science   education and considered that PARSEL and the specific module constituted a good approach to achieve his goals concerning science education. Students were attending a twelfth-grade biology class and wished to pursue university studies in science. We carried out participant observations, interviews with the teacher and four of his students, and we also administered a questionnaire to the students. Both teacher and students found the module popular and relevant for their lives. Despite positive assessment, some less positive issues, such as, time management and module extension, and the difficulty of making a connection between science and social issues were also identified.
The Impact of the PARSEL Way to Teach Science in Germany on Interest, Scientific Literacy, and German National Standards
Author: Graeber, Wolfgang
Date: 2008-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: National Standards,Foreign Countries,Scientific Literacy,Teaching Methods,Educational Change,Change Strategies,Achievement Gains,Competency Based Education,Pretests Posttests,Student Interests,Interviews,Questionnaires,Learning Modules,Instructional Effectiveness,Standardized Tests

This paper shows how PARSEL modules help to realize the German standards in practice. After analyzing the disappointing results of the TIMSS- and PISA-studies, which caused a kind of &quot;PISA-shock&quot; in Germany, and looking at school systems of winning nations, several changes have been initiated in the German educational system. The most radical change to the German school system may be the introduction of national education standards in 2004. These standards do not only focus on the content as did the former curricula, but also stress the development of competences, which should be attained by the ninth and tenth-grade students who reach the middle level (Secondary I) examination. Pre-tests (questionnaire and group interviews) indicated that the students like to do experiments, like to work on topics from their everyday life, and they consider science (chemistry) to be an important school subject. Furthermore, the pre-tests showed that students like to self-regulate their work, to choose their own content and goals, and to invent their own ways to solve problems. But, this was only partly true; deeper interviews revealed that at least low-achieving students aim to be prepared for the next test, and they prefer well-structured lessons, which are usually dominated by a well explaining teacher. More surprisingly, we identified that student opinions changed after studying PARSEL modules. For example, after completing the module &quot;Which soap is best?&quot; students reported that they really enjoyed the feeling of autonomy and the inclusion of everyday life topics during their self-regulated learning process. (Contains 1 table.)
Increasing Science Teachers' Ownership through the Adaptation of the PARSEL Modules: A &quot;Bottom-up&quot; Approach
Author: Blonder, Ron
Date: 2008-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Focus Groups,Interviews,Foreign Countries,Learning Modules,Questionnaires,Instructional Materials,Teacher Empowerment,Science Course Improvement Projects,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Delivery Systems,Technological Literacy,Scientific Literacy,Curriculum Implementation,Adoption (Ideas),Media Adaptation

The study describes the process of adopting new curriculum materials, which had been developed in the PARSEL project in several European countries, into the local educational science classroom of another country. The goal of the PARSEL project was to raise the popularity and relevance of science teaching by enhancing students scientific and technological literacy and by identifying suitable teaching/learning materials, based on relevant context-based educational approaches. All PARSEL materials are organized in a website and are freely accessible by science teachers around the world. In order to increase the teachers ownership towards the new materials, a &quot;bottom-up&quot; approach that included a teacher workshop for modifying the PARSEL modules for the needs of teachers was implemented. The teachers used the modified modules in their classes and reflect upon the whole process, after it was completed. Data have been collected using various research tools, such as, teachers questionnaires, teachers interviews and teachers focus group interviews. The results indicate that the &quot;bottom-up&quot; process increased teacher ownership towards the PARSEL modules and helped the teachers to align their teaching with the philosophy and the teaching style of the PARSEL project. It was also indicated that the students found the modules to be popular and interesting. (Contains 1 figure and 3 footnotes.)
Teaching the PARSEL Way: Students' Reactions to Selected PARSEL Modules
Author: Holbrook, Jack
Date: 2008-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Scientific Literacy,Learning Modules,Student Reaction,Relevance (Education),Student Interests,Science Interests,Questionnaires,Science Course Improvement Projects,Achievement Tests,Program Effectiveness,Familiarity,Peer Acceptance,Foreign Countries,Likert Scales,Experimental Programs

The PARSEL project was initiated to disseminate teaching modules, based on a philosophical model, which was in line with a need to promote scientific literacy, in a manner considered to be both popular and relevant for students. The project was based on the belief that this approach would allow students to better realize that science was for all, would attract more students towards science as a subject worthy of learning, and would encourage students to give greater consideration to careers in science and technology areas. Modules developed by different partners, based on the PARSEL philosophy, were tried out in five Estonian schools, after providing the teachers with in-service guidance. In an effort to determine whether popularity could be conceived separately from relevance, a student questionnaire was developed, discussed with teachers, and tried out in schools. However, there was little evidence that students distinguished between interest and enjoyment (as surrogates of popularity), and importance and meaningfulness (as surrogates of relevance). It was thus unclear whether students based their responses on the novelty factor, on the greater attention to student involvement, or on whether students welcomed the effort to initiate the teaching of conceptual science from a societal issue. (Contains 4 tables.)
Between Teaching and Researching: Envisaging Ownership Benefits of Involving Teachers from an In-Service Teacher Training Program in the PARSEL Project
Author: Michelsen, Claus
Date: 2008-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Education,Ownership,Masters Programs,Foreign Countries,Science Education,Inservice Teacher Education,Learning Modules,Science Course Improvement Projects,Partnerships in Education,Teacher Collaboration,Teacher Background,Formative Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Program Descriptions

The Danish PARSEL team included 5 teachers from the region of Southern Denmark, of whom two enjoyed special status. These two teachers have been trained to develop, implement, and evaluate interventional modules similar to those of PARSEL, through a one year full-time equivalent master's degree program in science and mathematics education. This program took its lead from the model of educational reconstruction, and this engaged the participating teachers in having an intimate contact with researchers in implementation and evaluation processes very similar to the trying out phase of the PARSEL project. This paper presents the teachers' background in the form of the master's degree program; it presents the teachers' comments on the PARSEL project and the individual modules; and it moves to discuss and envisage special outcomes regarding ownership of PARSEL modules for intimate partnerships between teachers and researchers. (Contains 2 figures and 1 footnote.)
Using PARSEL Modules to Contextualizing the States-of-Matter Approach (SOMA) to Introductory Chemistry
Author: Tsaparlis, Georgios
Date: 2008-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Chemistry,Grade 11,Grade 10,Teaching Methods,Scientific Literacy,Secondary Education,Curriculum

SOMA (States-Of-Matter Approach) is an introductory chemistry program for all students in the tenth or eleventh grade (age 16-17), which introduces chemistry through the separate study of the three states of matter. SOMA is basically a formalistic approach. In this paper, we discuss the use of PARSEL modules in providing a teaching approach to SOMA. This has been realized using two PARSEL modules. One module (which can be covered within the SOMA major unit on Gases) is about carbon dioxide in carbonated beverages and relates to gas solubility in liquids, gas pressure, gas laws, physical and chemical equilibrium, and acid-base chemistry. The second module (which can be covered within the SOMA major unit on Solids) includes salt, salts, crystals and crystal structure, ionic bonding, uses of salt, and its role in human health. It is proposed that a large number of other PARSEL modules can also be coupled with and used in SOMA. (Contains 2 figures.)
A Conceptual Framework for the Enhancement of Popularity and Relevance of Science Education for Scientific Literacy, Based on Stakeholders' Views by Means of a Curricular Delphi Study in Chemistry
Author: Bolte, Claus
Date: 2008-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Science Teachers,Scientific Literacy,Human Capital,Science and Society,Relevance (Education),Science Education,Educational Research,Delphi Technique,Stakeholders,Attitudes,Chemistry

Science educators express wide consensus about the importance of a modern scientific literate society. But focussing on the public understanding of science in Germany, there seems to be no general consensus, neither about how to enhance scientific literacy in the educational practice nor about what the major topics and dimensions of a modern science education are. With the help of the &quot;Curricular Delphi-Study in Chemistry&quot; (CDSC) a working group, this study analyzed topics and dimensions as well as fields of dissent and consensus in the opinions of 114 experts from different stakeholder groups (students, teachers, educators, and scientists). Knowledge about this helps to improve science lessons and makes clear that projects, like PARSEL, are urgently needed to enhance the popularity and relevance of science education for scientific literacy. (Contains 5 tables and 2 pictures.)