STUDENT GRAPHICAL INFORMATION LITERACY IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

Among the most important 21st century skills that every student needs are the ability to work with information. The key for implementing competency based approach to learning will be related to how students' ability to apply skills acquired in, for example, mathematics can be transferred to other subject contexts. Newest OECD PISA results presented in 2016 show a recurring tendency that in Latvia there is a small number of students whose performance is in accordance to the 5th and 6th level of the framework. These two levels represent students' ability to apply deep thinking skills in new learning contexts. It is necessary to analyze the causes of this situation in order to identify opportu…

Mācīšanās lietpratībai

Grāmatā atklāta kompetences jēdziena būtība, aplūkota mācīšanās iedziļinoties un mācīšanās paradigmas pakāpeniska maiņa skolu praksē. Atsegtas kompetences kā kompleksa snieguma vērtēšanas iespējas. Analizēts jau esošo valsts līmeņa pārbaudes darbu potenciāls mērīt kompleksu sniegumu, ieviest formatīvo vērtēšanu regulārā skolu praksē. Analizētas skolotājiem nepieciešamās prasmes šādas pieejas īstenošanā, iespēja mērīt skolotāju prasmes mācīšanās vajadzību apzināšanā un būvēt atbilstošu ilgtermiņa praksē balstītu skolotāju mācīšanos un inovāciju pārnesi skolā un starp skolām. Aplūkota digitālās pratības attīstīšanas nepieciešamība un informācijas tehnoloģiju iespējas snieguma vērtēšanā. Autor…

Activities with Educational Robotics: Research Model and Tools for Evaluation of Progress

The use of robots in the learning process has been popular since S. Papert developed his LOGO Turtle idea and argued that students can construct their own knowledge, test their constructive solutions and be motivated to learn if they use robotics in the learning process. Today, the idea of using elements of robotics in the learning process is no longer new and innovative but there are still elements that can be developed and issues that should be discussed. In this chapter, the authors provide the research model and five research tools (structured observation protocol, evaluation of the possible risks of early school leaving to be filled in by teachers before and after activities, students’…

Ģeometrijas mācīšanas optimizācija pamatskolā

TEACHING TO USE IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS PREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED SKILLS

Goal of the research is to analyse how students currently succeed in using basic skills acquired in mathematics, in science and real-life contexts, before new reforms in Latvia for the development of students' competence have been started. Only about 20% of students in the national testing for 9th grade were able to do it. The research analysed students’ papers, results, and study aids, as well as teacher performance in lessons.

How science teachers learn to reflect by analyzing jointly observed lessons

The aim of the article is to present a teacher's professional learning model implemented within the project PROFILES of FP7 Science in Society. The article reveals the contribution of the joint observation in real-life classroom environment and lesson analyses to the development of the capability of teachers' reflection skills. The survey of teachers, conclusions of experts and teachers' feedback all demonstrate that the model enhances the development of science and mathematics teachers' reflection skills. At the same time the article gives guidelines to follow when this model is practiced with different groups of teachers. Efficient teaching of inquiry skills in the school is impossible wi…

What Research Shows about Mathematics Teachers' Learning Needs: Experience from Latvia

<p><em>The implementation of new skills (competencies) according to education regulation documents in 2006 – 2008 demanded a change in the Mathematics and Science teaching practice in Latvia. Work on the new education reform started this year (2015). The aim of the research is to look for the answers to the following questions – do the changes in learning approach occur and are teachers’ skills sufficient for organizing a different teaching process? What are the learning needs expressed by teachers and concluded by experts? The range of cognitive activity, collaboration and focusing on students’ learning are the criteria set for lesson observations. The research shows a tendency…