Journal of Baltic Science Education

3

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, JBSE, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2005

5-14

Authors: Isaac Seetso, Adediran Taiwo

The study aimed at evaluating the worth of the recently introduced chemistry syllabus in Botswana. Using a multi-faceted approach, data were collected from Botswana senior secondary school chemistry students, their teachers and pre-service chemistry teachers in the country. It was found that there exists a good link between the new syllabus and Junior Certificate (JC) science syllabus. In addition, it was found that the students viewed the modules on stoichiometry and carbon chemistry among others problematic. The students’ views were corroborated, to a large extent, by their teachers’. Deriving from the findings of the study, it was recommended, among other things, that an extra lesson slot per week be allocated to chemistry and that the teaching load of chemistry teachers be reduced.

26-34

Authors: Olavi Hakkarainen, Maija Ahtee

Pupils from 5th, 7th and 9th grades compared the weight of a small standard mass and a big bag hanging in a pulley at different positions in equilibrium. In all the three age groups the majority (about 70%) of the pupils stated that the lower hanging bag is heavier. Less than 15% of the pupils in the 7th and 9th grades understood that the bodies must have the same weight. Pupils’ reasoning was classified into four categories that were interpreted as mental models according to Vosniadou’s framework theory. Only about 5% of the seventh graders and 10% of the ninth graders seem to grasp the scientific model Motion that leads to the concept of gravity.

46-54

Authors: Ismo T. Koponen, Matti H. Heikkinen

Many teachers in upper secondary school find that teaching about the quantum nature of light and the photon concept is a demanding and difficult task, and that the university level instruction gives little if any support to overcome these difficulties. An instructional unit, which uses classical analogies in supporting the formation of new concepts and ideas, has been developed in order to help student teachers to acquire better qualitative understanding about the quantum nature of light and the photon concept. It is shown, that by using this approach, good learning results are obtained and student teachers develop physically sound conceptions of the quantum nature of light and the photon concept.

68-79

Authors: Lidija Ušeckienė, Vilija Targamadzė

The establishment of a new personal approach and a current position on environment are the concerns of the scholars and educators in the majority of countries. Natural sciences on their own, although spreading broad but abstract knowledge of the world do not foster values and provisions essential for sustainable development education. In order to discover the ways and the scope of how sustainable development education has been introduced into educational programmes, the curricula of Bachelor and Master’s studies of the University of Klaipėda, the University of Šiauliai and Mykolas Romeris University have been revised. Assessment of postgraduate studies including the surveying of the staff dealing with the above mentioned curricula has been undertaken. The article discloses the issues relevant to higher education in Lithuania when encountering the problems of sustainable development education and takes a view on possible techniques of education as well as on the innovations of the curricula. The project-based technique applied for sustainable development education is a new, non-traditional way creating new opportunities of building up relationships between a student and an educator.

81

Authors: Janis Gedrovics

During the last decades interest in humanities has dominated the social sciences. As a result, natural science has been neglected, in spite of it being critical to the understanding of the causation of all the disasters occurring in different parts of the world. It is becoming more difficult to select students in science study programmes because there are fewer opportunities for such students due to the economics of globalization trends. “Natural science only for scientists!” is the common view of the society. Opinion polls reveal little interest in chemistry, physics and biology. On the other hand, other viewpoints in public debates point out the importance of natural science studies in national curricula, since it is already part and parcel of general education. Also, many students are eager to take it up as an optional course. Professor Svein Sjøberg from the Oslo University (Norway), the well-known contemporary specialist in science didactics, is an ardent supporter of this viewpoint. His recently published book Naturfag som allmenndannelse: En kritisk fagdidaktikk [Natural Science as General Education: a Critical Didactic] has been reissued not only in Norway (Gyldendal Akademisk, 2004), but also published in Sweden (Studentlitteratur, 2000) as well as reissued by Studentlitteratur in 2005. In early 2005, a translation of this book appeared in Denmark (Klim, 2005) during the 8th Nordic Symposium Nature Science at School.

3

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, JBSE, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2005

5-11

Authors: Margareta Enghag, Hans Niedderer

During physics instruction with mini-projects, four upper secondary school girls decide to plan how to teach electric circuits to younger children. Their group discussions result in a conceptual change related to the concepts resistance and current. Their prior conception, built on current consumption,leads them into conceptual conflicts, and by exploratory talks they reach a new view based on current as movement with different speed. Students’ ownership of learning (SOL) is increased by an instructional design with mini-projects. This gives students the opportunity to choose a unique question, to determine their own learning process, to increase their motivation and to enhance development of competence and self-confidence.

22-30

Authors: Edgar W. Jenkins

The article reviews a range of national and international studies concerned with students’ views about science and their school science education. It suggests that such views have gained some prominence in recent years and comments why this is so. It examines the implications of some of the research findings for policy makers, curriculum developers and science teachers. It concludes that, while the outcomes of specific research studies are always interesting, such outcomes may prove to be of most use in helping to develop more general strategies for increasing student motivation, commitment and attainment.

40-50

Authors: Oleg Popov, Sergey Bogdanov

A comparative study of prospective teachers’ pedagogical skills of written communication in science is presented. Russian and Swedish students were asked to give detailed explanations of two simple physical phenomena (how and why the shadow from a tree appears and why the bulb lights in a torch) to a hypothetical Grade 7 pupil. The results of the questionnaire revealed the evident gap between the students’ knowledge per se and their abilities to express didactically their knowledge in written form and in pictures. Undoubtedly this is one of the challenges to teacher educators. The study also revealed the differences between forms and qualities of explanations given by Russian and Swedish students as the result of different pedagogical traditions and communication cultures.

63-69

Authors: Lolita Jonāne

Scientific knowledge, skills and attitudes are cultural products of great intellectual power and beauty. The future of science education and scientific literacy of youngsters is determined by the educational policy of the country, moreover, it also depends on teachers working at schools and universities. The tasks of reported research work was to explore approachable literature about natural science education in general and to analyse corresponding educational problems particularly in Latvia.

88

Authors: Editorial Board

End page, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2005