NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION IN A COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL

6-12

Authors: Zosė Aškinienė, Giedrė Kvietkauskienė, Nijolė Misiukienė

Teacher can apply many different methods in his work promoting creative student learning. Essence of successful lesson - when the teacher and the students is a team. The teacher teaches the students to learn, that means to know what the student has to do in order to obtain the necessary knowledge and acquire the necessary skills. It is important not how much teacher gives, but how much student is able to take from the class. The student must learn to assess what he worked on and what lessons were learned. Feedback only makes sense when it is associated with clearly defined goals.

18-23

Authors: Virginija Birenienė

This paper is aimed at getting a quick overview of some important science education projects that European Schoolnet is managing in accordance with the objectives of the Lisbon declaration and with the affirmation of the European Commission that there is a need to promote more widely inquiry based science education methodologies in primary and secondary schools and to support teachers’ networks. STIENTIX is one of the most important European initiatives in the area. The development of effective and attractive STEM curricula and teaching methods, and improved teacher education and professional development are at the heart of the drive to make STEM studies and careers a more popu-lar option for young learners. In the paper, the author’s own experience on choosing „travel well“ STEM learning resources and applying them to personalise learning in Lithua-nian schools is presented in terms of improving STEM learning.

29-35

Authors: Natalija Eidintiene, Jelena Grigorianc, Vitalijus Jakobciukas, Tatjana Volkova

The main aim of the modern teacher is formation of students’ stable interest to the offered subject. A teacher’s objective is to create and support motivation of learning. Dif-ferent methods are used to solve this task. In this article the teachers share their expe-rience on methods at Chemistry and Physics lessons using IT. Physics information kaleidoscope describes learning aids: making an experiment with the help of computer programs and laboratory equipment; a method of electronic reports, tables with calculations; various diagrams and graphs using skills of text and graph editing. A method of team work helps to make learning material more interesting. Chemistry information kaleidoscope presents a lesson description. While explana-tion of the lesson theme “Glass in Chemistry and Literature” the material is presented from an unusual point of view: There is a parallel between glass concept in Chemistry and Lithuanian literature with an example from the story by D.Urneviciute “Glass House”. To connect logically all lesson stages IT is used. We prepare students for further life and work. That is why it is very important to show them interpenetration and interconnection with different subjects and the use of various IT makes it possible to implement.

41-47

Authors: Rūta Jacevičienė, Nijolė Zlatkauskienė, Irena Trusevič

Working with pre-school age children we are trying to get them interested in the new topics, engage them in the wider range of activities. All knowledge about the world begins with the child's closest environment and his sensation of the relationship between him and his living and non-living nature. Children associate their new experience with the existing cognition and knowledge about the world. We understand this, so we strive to help children through a comprehensive approach to the surrounding environment, to organize activities so that pupils can learn, experience and discover that the world is not a set of isolated facts but a coherent whole. Our (teachers) role is to help children to observe an ordinary things and events. We are trying to convey all of this through drama, staging and motion. During the Feature-cognitive activities it’s easier and more interesting to present a variety of topics for children; this also helps children to remain more images. We have implemented a long-term environmental project in our institution, which aims to develop the child's experience, to awake the child's need to know the world around them. The method of project activities allows to reveal the child's ability to implement the ideas and gain new experiences. Children acquire the knowledge and experience of the environment by organizing creative activities during the shows, all of which reflects the learners' competencies. It has become a tradition to organize events designated to environmental children’s education.

54-61

Authors: Gintarė Jurgaitienė, Silvija Kazakevičienė

Today‘s the worldwide educology emphasizes the new principal of the twentieth century methods – teacher-child interaction. The main attention is given to the students' activities and a variety of forms, teacher-student collaboration, creative interaction, orien-tation on the self-sufficient, responsible personality education and creativity. One of the most effective methods, practiced in primary classes, are didactic games. It is important to provide a general understanding of natural sciences in the first years of the school. The provisions, that child forms during this period, determines his de-cision to study world and gain knowledge of the world later and it is difficult to change them. It is therefore important to build a positive approach to this subject in school. As it was already mentioned, the method of didactic games is one of the most suitable ways to promote a positive attitude towards the education of natural sciences. This method, appli-cable in a primary school, helps to develop skills of natural science and general knowledge. Didactic games can be applied both inside and outside the classroom. Most importantly, they have to be associated with the content of the lesson. Joining two forms of activities - the game and teaching, the teacher should keep students' independence, the basis of the game, the joy and satisfaction that it provides. At the same time planned knowledge must be gained, skills and abilities must be formed (Bennett, 1993). In order to achieve good results, it is essential to connect learning content with a game, because the game method is as important as a specific purpose of it. If teacher wants to use this method, he needs to project its purpose. By providing the objective, the teacher foresees how to make students interested in a game, how to involve them in it and so on. So the teacher‘s preparation and the ability to apply didactic games in the classroom is essentially important. The lessons of the world knowledge outside the classroom cannot be performed without observation and testing. Observation deepens the theory, develops the ability to apply them while interpreting natural processes and phenomena. Observation, testing and research, provides knowledge about the environment itself and helps students to get to know themselves better and develop a scientific mindset, skills. The ability to explain and argue encourages every person‘s critical thinking. Most of the students are especially mo-tivated by presenting their own tests, demonstrations, conclusions and summary. Learning and playing outside the classroom, encourages children to acknowledge the nature‘s mys-tery, take care of it and love it. Let‘s do not forget that teacher can fix student‘s attention on many things and situ-ations that he considers to be important, but he can discover nothing for a student - this can only be done by student himself. The authors of this paper have examined the impact of outside didactic games on pupils and provided several examples of them, that can be adapted to the world‘s knowledge lessons outside the classroom.

65-72

Authors: Laura Kaziliūnienė, Danguolė Narečionienė, Dainora Skrabulienė

The non – formal lessons, which take place outside school, teach pupils to coopera-te and work in teams, and also they extend the information gained in the lessons. Moreo-ver, they help apply the knowledge in practice, stimulate curiosity, creativity and good behaviour. Changing educational surroundings as well as teachers discipline pupils. The survey has shown that the pupils participate in such lessons willingly because socialising is informal: their activities are organised by the educators and the lessons take place in the museums. Acquiring knowledge through practice, not through theory, is more effective because it stimulates pupils‘ interest in the processes of real life. The idea of the Project „Chemistry and Kitchen“ has revealed itself as an inseparable part of education.

76-81

Authors: Eugenijus Kurilovas, Virginija Birenienė

In the paper, European school innovation maturity model and CCL project‘s Science learning scenarios implemented in Lithuanian schools are presented. The paper aims to analyse how these scenarios meet the levels of European school innovation maturity model, and thus to identify school‘s current position on the innovation maturity model. This analysis allows schools to formulate their future educational policy seeking higher innovation maturity level.

88-95

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas, Violeta Šlekienė, Loreta Ragulienė

The project MaT²SMc is implemented in the frame of EU Lifelong Learning Pro-gramme. The main idea of the project is to find a way to increase students' motivation to learn in the key subjects mathematics and science. From one side, mathematics teachers should understand that there is a meaningful and realistic context to use mathematics. From the other side, science teachers should understand that the mathematics compe-tences required for more effective science teaching and learning. In such a context the collaboration of science and mathematics teachers is very relevant. Currently it is obvious that mathematics and natural science teachers‘ collaboration on integration purposes at school is limited by some factors. Collaboration of mathematics and natural science te-achers should be expanded, for this purpose, it is necessary to create all necessary condi-tions and didactic providing (support). Partners of the project are: Palacky university, Faculty of Science (Czechia); Univer-sity of Nicosia (Cyprus), University of Vienna, Faculty of Mathematics (Austria), University of Šiauliai, Natural Science Education Research Centre (Lithuania), University of Sunderland, Faculty of Education & Society (UK), Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Faculty of Natural Science (Slovakia), University of Palermo, Faculty of Educational Studies (Italy). During the project implementation it is expected to develop didactic materials in a real European context. There is a dire need to strengthen the learning of basic skills in mathematics and science by fostering and promoting collaboration among the teachers. There are at least three main activities: common lesson planning, collaborative projects and team-teaching. Dissemination of project results will be very important for the partners. In all parti-cipating countries the knowledge and skills learned under the project will be distributed to all the target groups, for example, universities, students and teachers, schools. All partners believe that the outputs of the project will be useful in all science te-acher training institutions in EU countries.

114-117

Authors: Violeta Lukočienė

In the article is represented and discussed the education of pupils critical thinking due on nature lessons. Introduced with practical pedagogical practice oriented to con-temporary education. Critical thinking is discussed through three aspects: a) relating pupils’ theoretical knowledge and practical activities; b) using contemporary educational methods oriented to pupils; c) through relating social and natural environments and the impact to each other. Also in the article is actualized pupils’ experiential learning by analysing the real pedagogical practical examples conducted by pupils. The core of the article is that educational activities through nature lessons refers to transition from traditional to the curriculum-oriented to the contemporary education, oriented to pupils and society needs and relation.

125-131

Authors: Viktorija Naujokienė, Laima Railienė

It’s not so common to find cases in educational process that students’ parents are active participants. Parents’ participation in school’s community life always affects not only students but teachers, too. Such project where students, parents and teachers took part is described in this article. The dream to visit Sweden turned into all year project with several aims and sub-jects integration: Lithuanian, geography and class teacher activity. These subjects’ teachers’ 5th form (later 6th form) students and their parents took part in this project which lasted the whole year. All the project stages are presented in the article.

137-141

Authors: Asta Startienė

A few years ago we started organizing nontraditional environment recognition days – Forest festivals and now it is held every year. These days are organized for all primary school students. About 100 pupils attend this festival. Program of the primary school de-fines that students have to familiarize with the closest environment. Students from primary school are very curious. They are eager to try, to experience everything. Therefore, ‘’Forest‘’ festivals are organized using the principle of thematic stations. The amount of stations depends on the number of classes (teams). Students can practise different activi-ties in a particular station. Recognition of trees, herbs, nature sights, games, mushroom picking and various other thematic stations are organized. Elder children prepare the stations. Thus, students from primary school familiarize with the closest environment.

160-169

Authors: Andris Broks

Modern development of our global and local life requires corresponding develop-ment of our general and professional education. Actual programmatic materials within systemic development of Physics Teacher Education as well as within General Physics Edu-cation at upper secondary school level are reported. Development of scientific thinking as overall goal is proposed. Educational research based pedagogical approach and science methodology studies centred content of educational physics at upper secondary school level is advocated.

175-185

Authors: Olga Setchko

The experience of the problem solution of the first-year students’ adaptation to training conditions in higher educational establishments on the basis of interrelation of school and higher educational systems is offered in the article. Psychological, social, household adaptation is important for training of yesterday school students in their first semester at university. Not smaller significance is given to the entry of the first-year stu-dents into the system of training in certain disciplines, science in particular. The author offers information on student help organization system – to non-chemical first year stu-dents of the Belarusian State University in studying the course of general and inorganic chemistry. The contents, educational and methodical support and the stages of the organ-ization of work of specially developed correcting course in chemistry is described. The course is instructively and methodically connected with the chemistry course of high schools of the Republic.

197-203

Authors: Dagnija Cedere, Janis Gedrovics, Daina Mozeika

Natural science education has been much discussed. It is important; however, it is difficult to be attained for many pupils. One of the most essential problems is pupils’ low interest about natural science; especially, about physics and chemistry, and learning with-out interest cannot be productive. Some 20 years ago Latvia started to pay attention to studies in didactics of natural sciences when the reform of general state education system began. Rather radical changes in the content of natural science subjects and teaching methods were introduced in order to facilitate successful acquisition of these subjects. During the time period from 2003 till 2013 pupils have been surveyed to find out their interest about natural science. The comparison of the study results obtained in 2003, 2008 and 2013 shows that actually pupils’ interest about natural science has not changed. Thus, despite radical improvements in the teaching process where special attention was paid to increasing the pupils’ learning motivation the pupils’ interest about acquiring the natural science subjects (physics, chemistry and biology) has to risen. Such a result makes us think that school is unable to influence sufficiently pupils’ learning. The influence of other factors that have not yet been found out most likely exerts a much stronger influ-ence. One of the measures to be taken to achieve greater interest about the natural sci-ence subjects is an examination. It is envisaged to introduce the compulsory secondary school graduation examination in chemistry or physics.

211-223

Authors: Boris Yarinovsky, Ilmars Kangro

In recent years, school teachers as well as teachers at universities have noticed a negative trend and admit that the ratio of students in the natural sciences (NS) is being reduced, and this is a topical issue not only in Latvia, but also in other countries. The find-ings of the study carried out by the authors reveal that the interest of the school students regarding the natural sciences depends not only on the quality of teaching, but also on the attitude to the natural sciences in society in general. The youth, entering higher education institutions, is completely unmotivated to study NS courses. Furthermore, entrepreneurs complain that the graduates of engineering faculties have poor knowledge in the area of natural sciences. The main reasons for the negative attitude to mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology of former school students, now students of the 1st and 2nd courses of the Faculty of Engineering at Rezekne Higher Education Institution were identified. The authors have worked out recommendations to improve young people's attitude to science education, by improving the quality of teaching in schools, optimizing the study process in schools, introducing changes concerning the state policy in the field of natural science education.