Search results for "Science education"
showing 10 items of 139 documents
How are the Concepts and Theories of Acid–Base Reactions Presented? Chemistry in Textbooks and as Presented by Teachers
2005
This paper investigates the views of science and scientific activity that can be found in chemistry textbooks and heard from teachers when acid–base reactions are introduced to grade 12 and university chemistry students. First, the main macroscopic and microscopic conceptual models are developed. Second, we attempt to show how the existence of views of science in textbooks and of chemistry teachers contributes to an impoverished image of chemistry. A varied design has been elaborated to analyse some epistemological deficiencies in teaching acid–base reactions. Textbooks have been analysed and teachers have been interviewed. The results obtained show that the teaching process does not emphas…
Identifying Problematic Study Progression and “At-Risk” Students in Higher Education in Finland
2018
Finland offers a specific example of a country with a broad enrolment in higher education, where the educational starting age is relatively high and where studies may last considerably longer than in most other European countries. This study attempted to identify at-risk students in Finnish universities with the greatest probability of non-completion of studies. This probability is by far the highest in the fields of information technology and information sciences and, in specific cases, in the fields of mathematics and science and economics and management. The situation of at-risk students is best described in terms of the scant use of time for present studies, uncertainty regarding their …
What to do about science “misconceptions”
1990
Il Progetto ESTABLISH nel contesto della Scuola Italiana: uno studio relativo alla formazione “Inquiry Based” dei docenti di Scuola Secondaria
2014
In questo articolo verranno discussi alcuni aspetti rilevanti dell’integrazione delle metodiche “Inquiry-Based Science Education” (IBSE) nella pratica di classe di 12 Scuole Secondarie di I e II Grado di tutta la Sicilia, durante il triennio 2010–2013 e nell’ambito del Progetto del VII Programma Quadro ell’UE ESTABLISH. Finalit`a principale del Progetto era quella di creare una rete di ricercatori in didattica delle discipline scientifiche e di docenti di Scuole Secondarie di tutta Europa che potessero lavorare insieme per promuovere il cambiamento nella didattica tramite la diffusione in classe delle metodiche proprie dell’indagine scientifica. In particolare, l’articolo presenta alcuni mo…
Teachers’ competences about Inquiry Based approaches to the analysis of Thermal Phenomena: implications for an appropriate training
2012
In this paper we present some preliminary results of a course for in-service teacher education held at University of Palermo in the framework of ESTABLISH, an EU FP7 Project aimed at extending the use of Inquiry Based Science Education in secondary level schools across Europe. In particular, we will report results of a survey performed with 15 second level Italian teachers about the ways they approach the analysis of a simple thermal physics situation, their typical conceptions and some aspects of their attitude with respect to methods aimed at performing classroom investigation in the light of the specific operative processes of an IB approach.
Comparing Traditional Pedagogical Approches in Science to Inquiry Based Ones: A Case Study with Pre-Service Primary School Teachers
2016
In this contribution we discuss a teaching/learning experiment focused on comparing traditional teaching/learning methods to the IBSE approaches in the framework of pre-service primary school teacher education. We discuss the main phases of the pedagogical activities developed during a physics education course in the framework of the undergraduate course for pre-service primary school teacher education at the University of Palermo (Italy). In this course, the students first produced examples of pedagogical paths based on a traditional, pedagogical laboratory-based approach. Then, after a workshop focused on IBSE and on how to plan IBSE-optimized activities, the students were asked to produc…
What users think about the differences between caffeine and illicit/prescription stimulants for cognitive enhancement
2012
Pharmacological cognitive enhancement (CE) is a topic of increasing public awareness. In the scientific literature on student use of CE as a study aid for academic performance enhancement, there are high prevalence rates regarding the use of caffeinated substances (coffee, caffeinated drinks, caffeine tablets) but remarkably lower prevalence rates regarding the use of illicit/prescription stimulants such as amphetamines or methylphenidate. While the literature considers the reasons and mechanisms for these different prevalence rates from a theoretical standpoint, it lacks empirical data to account for healthy students who use both, caffeine and illicit/prescription stimulants, exclusively f…
Grit and self-discipline as predictors of effort and academic attainment
2018
Background: Beyond ability, traits related to perseverance, such as grit and self‐discipline, are associated with adaptive educational outcomes. Few studies have examined the independent effects of these traits on outcomes and the mechanisms involved. Aims: This study estimated parameters of a process model in which grit‐perseverance of effort (grit‐effort) and consistency of interest (grit‐interest) dimensions and self‐discipline were independent predictors of students’ science grades. The effect of the grit‐effort on grades was expected to be mediated by students’ self‐reported effort on optional out‐of‐school science learning activities. Sample: Secondary school students (N = 110) aged b…
Paper and Pencil Problem Solving in the Physical Sciences as a Research Activity
1990
(1990). Paper and Pencil Problem Solving in the Physical Sciences as a Research Activity. Studies in Science Education: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 137-151.