On the nature of teaching nature of science: Preservice early childhood teachers' instruction in preschool and elementary settings     

Valarie L. Akerson  Cary A. Buzzelli  Lisa A. Donnelly 《科学教学研究杂志》2010,47(2):213-233

This study explored whether early childhood preservice teachers' concerns about teaching nature of science (NOS) and their intellectual levels influenced whether and how they taught NOS at the preschool and primary (K‐3) levels. We used videotaped classroom observations and lesson plans to determine the science instructional practices at the preschool and primary levels, and to track whether and how preservice teachers emphasized NOS. We used the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SOCQ) pre‐ and postinternship to determine concerns about NOS instruction, and the Learning Context Questionnaire (LCQ) to determine intellectual levels. We found that neither concerns about teaching NOS nor intellectual level were related to whether and how the preservice teachers emphasized NOS; however, we found that all preservice early childhood teachers began their internships with NOS concern profiles of “worried.” Two preservice teachers' NOS concerns profiles changed as a result of their internships; one to “cooperator” and one to “cooperator/improver.” These two preservice teachers had cooperating teachers who were aware of NOS and implemented it in their own science instruction. The main factors that hindered or facilitated teaching NOS for these preservice teachers were the influence of the cooperating teacher and the use of the science curriculum. The preservice teacher with the cooperating teacher who understood and emphasized NOS herself and showed her how to modify the curriculum to include NOS, was able to explicitly teach NOS to her students. Those in classrooms whose cooperating teachers did not provide support for NOS instruction were unable to emphasize NOS. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47:213–233, 2010  相似文献   

An investigation of factors impacting on mainstream teachers’ beliefs about teaching students with learning difficulties   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Lisa Marks Woolfson  Katy Brady 《教育心理学》2009,29(2):221-238

The relationship between teacher experience, further professional development training, and beliefs and attributions about teaching students with additional learning support needs was studied in a sample of 199 mainstream general class primary school teachers. Using multiple regression, it was found that none of the teacher experience or professional training variables were significant predictors of locus of causality, stability, or controllability attributions, or of teacher self‐efficacy with students with difficulties in learning. Self‐efficacy, however, was a positive predictor of attributions, and sympathy a negative predictor. Multivariate analysis of variance found no relationship between teacher experience, further professional development training, and dependent outcome variables: self‐efficacy with learning difficulties, coping with learning difficulties, interactions with people with disabilities, or general optimism. Implications for continued professional development are discussed.  相似文献   

High School Students’ Perceptions of Evolution Instruction: Acceptance and Evolution Learning Experiences     

Lisa A. Donnelly  Mahsa Kazempour  Aidin Amirshokoohi 《Research in Science Education》2009,39(5):643-660

Evolution is an important and sometimes controversial component of high school biology. In this study, we used a mixed methods approach to explore students’ evolution acceptance and views of evolution teaching and learning. Students explained their acceptance and rejection of evolution in terms of evidence and conflicts with religion and authority. Students largely supported the teaching of evolution and offered several reasons for its inclusion in high school biology. Students also offered several suggestions for improving evolution instruction. Evolution acceptors’ and rejecters’ views of evolution teaching and learning differed in a number of respects, and these differences may be explained using border crossing as a theoretical lens. Relevant implications for evolution instruction are discussed.  相似文献   

Can a public scholarship program successfully reduce school drop-outs in a time of economic crisis? Evidence from Indonesia     

Lisa Cameron 《Economics of Education Review》2009

This paper evaluates the role played by Indonesia's Social Safety Net Scholarships Program in reducing school drop-out rates during the Asian financial crisis. The expectation was that many families would find it difficult to keep their children in school and drop-out rates would be high. The scholarships are found to have been effective in reducing drop-outs at the level of schooling at which students were historically most at the risk of dropping out—lower secondary school. At this level drop-outs were reduced by about 3.0% points (or 38%) and costs were recovered. Given its success, the program can be viewed as a model to be followed by other countries that find themselves in a similar situation of crisis. How well the program adhered to its documented targeting design and how effective this design was in reaching the poor is also examined.  相似文献   

Using activity systems analysis to identify inner contradictions in teacher professional development     

Lisa C. Yamagata-Lynch  Michael T. Haudenschild 《Teaching and Teacher Education》2009

This study took place in the United States and explored teacher perspectives on the situational factors that influence their professional development using Engeström's (Engeström, Y. (1987). Learning by expanding: An activity-theoretical approach to developmental research. Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit Oy) four levels of inner contradictions in activity systems analysis. In this process, we addressed the question: what do teachers perceive as sources of conflicts in their professional development? Semi-structured interviews with participants were the primary data source in this study. By using this analysis method, the findings indicated that teachers perceived that their motivation and goals for participating in professional development were not in alignment with their school district and universities that designed and facilitated professional development activities. This misalignment contributed to various situational challenges that became obstacles for teachers to improve their classroom practices through curricular-based interventions.  相似文献   

Transcending the Nationalist Conception of Modernity: Poetic Children’s Literature in Early Twentieth-Century China     

Lisa Chu Shen 《Children‘s Literature in Education》2018,49(4):396-412

Modern children’s literature in China has largely been dominated by narratives of the nation and nationalism. The present article sets out to question the dominance of that nationalist stance as the country transitioned into the modern era in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By examining poetic children’s literature, the author unravels distinct non-nationalist intellectual sentiments in competition with the mainstream nationalist discourse that point to an imaginative envisioning of modernity. The article starts with a discussion of children’s poems and school songs imbued with a strong patriotic zeal in the late Qing and early Republican periods, and then moves on to the May Fourth period when lyricism and romanticism drew the attention of children’s literature advocates. Romantic-minded translators and writers, such as Bing Xin, embraced love as a humanist cosmopolitan vision while others, such as Zhou Zuoren and Liu Bannong, turned to local literary heritage, giving rise to a form of children’s songs with strong local consciousness. The article concludes by addressing the relevance of the insights derived from the historical case studies for contemporary children’s literature in China and beyond. It highlights the possibilities of envisaging modernity in non-nationalist terms and stresses the importance of cultivating in children alternative sentiments in the age of rising nationalism, both past and present.  相似文献   

Innovative approaches to continuous professional development (CPD) in early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Europe: Findings from a comparative review     

Bente Jensen  Rosa Lisa Iannone 《European Journal of Education》2018,53(1):23-33

This article explores innovation as an aspect of in-service continuous professional development (CPD) in ECEC. Based on a literature review and a cross-country analysis conducted in ten European countries, we found that innovation in CPD was understood as a way to improving quality in ECEC. CPD no longer solely deals with practitioners’ knowledge and skills. Rather, it encompasses processes such as critical thinking, reflexivity and co-creation within and across ECEC systems. Two overall approaches to innovation in CPD emerged: one can be characterised as developing in systems that lack a national definition for innovation, where there is nevertheless a growing awareness of the need to finding new solutions for ECEC; and one as highly innovative in systems that have a history, culture and societal tradition of innovation. Also, three additional insights were identified as crucial aspects of CPD in terms of innovation: (a) critical reflection; (b) communities of practice; and (c) a growing focus on politics that address social inequality through ECEC. This analysis contributes to filling the gaps in research on innovative CPD in ECEC at three levels: system (macro), inter-organisational (meso) and individual, organisational (micro). Further research is needed to explore more in-depth the identified approaches to innovation related to CPD and their impact on quality development in European ECEC.  相似文献   

How does innovative continuous professional development (CPD) operate in the ECEC sector? Insights from a cross-analysis of cases in Denmark,Italy and Poland     

Chiara Bove  Bente Jensen  Olga Wysłowska  Rosa Lisa Iannone  Susanna Mantovani  Małgorzata Karwowska-Struczyk 《European Journal of Education》2018,53(1):34-45

This article offers insights into what characterises innovative continuous professional development (CPD) in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC) by analysing similarities and differences from case studies of exemplary approaches to innovative CPD in Denmark, Italy and Poland. The comparative analysis focuses on four features that are particularly relevant for innovation in CPD in the field of ECEC: the social dimension of innovation as a strengthening component; the benefit of dynamic learning processes aimed at integrating theory and practice; the role of key figures in the quality of CPD; and measurements of CPD impact, outcomes and sustainability. This analysis sheds light on the effects of dynamic factors (e.g., regular team-based reflection sessions based on documentation and observation), the importance of work conditions (e.g., contractual obligations to provide time for reflection), the critical role of pedagogical leaders (coordinators, principals and head teachers, supervisors), the importance of inter-organisational networking at a local level and the facilitating role of collaboration with research institutes.  相似文献   

Development,content validity and test-retest reliability of the Lifelong Physical Activity Skills Battery in adolescents     

Ryan M. Hulteen  Lisa M. Barnett  Philip J. Morgan  Leah E. Robinson  Christian J. Barton  Brian H. Wrotniak 《Journal of sports sciences》2018,36(20):2358-2367

Numerous skill batteries assess fundamental motor skill (e.g., kick, hop) competence. Few skill batteries examine lifelong physical activity skill competence (e.g., resistance training). This study aimed to develop and assess the content validity, test-retest and inter-rater reliability of the “Lifelong Physical Activity Skills Battery”. Development of the skill battery occurred in three stages: i) systematic reviews of lifelong physical activity participation rates and existing motor skill assessment tools, ii) practitioner consultation and iii) research expert consultation. The final battery included eight skills: grapevine, golf swing, jog, push-up, squat, tennis forehand, upward dog and warrior I. Adolescents (28 boys, 29 girls; M = 15.8 years, SD = 0.4 years) completed the Lifelong Physical Activity Skills Battery on two occasions two weeks apart. The skill battery was highly reliable (ICC = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.72–0.90) with individual skill reliability scores ranging from moderate (warrior I; ICC = 0.56) to high (tennis forehand; ICC = 0.82). Typical error (4.0; 95% CI 3.4–5.0) and proportional bias (r = ?0.21, p = .323) were low. This study has provided preliminary evidence for the content validity and reliability of the Lifelong Physical Activity Skills Battery in an adolescent population.  相似文献   

Does anyone really know anything? An exploration of constructivist meaning and identity in the tension between scientific and religious knowledge     

Lisa J. Starr 《Cultural Studies of Science Education》2010,5(1):191-200

In this paper I discuss the tension created by religion and science in one student’s understanding of knowledge and truth by exploring two questions: “How do individuals accommodate their religious beliefs with their understanding of science?” and “How does religious knowledge interact with scientific knowledge to construct meaning?” A constructivist framework sheds light on the answers to both questions in the context of process and product.  相似文献