Journal of Baltic Science Education

4-5

Authors: Jari Lavonen

The best way of describing what and how a teacher should teach science or what a student should learn in a national level curriculum is not self-evident. Descriptions of “learning outcomes” are increasingly used and have been considered as an important basis for the quality of science education. However, there are variations in the descriptions and also whether they are written as a form of teacher behaviour or as a form of student learning. For example, in the UK the descriptions in the beginning of 1990 in the National Curriculum were written in the form of what students should learn. But the policy has changed and the new curriculum will describe what topics a teacher should introduce to students. Definitions, uses and descriptions of learning outcomes were discussed in mid-March 2011 in an international seminar in Kiel, organised by the IPN - Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education at the University of Kiel and the Science Education Group at the University of York. Some outcomes of the discussions among the science education researchers from Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Switzerland, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Turkey, United Kingdom and USA will be briefly described here.

17-26

Authors: Nejla Yürük

The aim of this study was to investigate the nature of the relationship between pre-service elementary teachers’ anxiety about teaching science and their self-efficacy beliefs about science teaching, their perceptions of the nature of their past experiences in science teaching, the number of science courses they took in college and their previous grades in these science courses. The data was collected from 82 pre-service elementary teachers enrolled in an M.Ed program. The results indicate that personal science teaching efficacy and number of science courses taken in college are the significant predictors of science teaching anxiety. Pearson correlations among the variables show that their perception of their experiences in science teaching, grade point average of science courses and perception of science background indirectly influence science teaching anxiety. The effect of these variables on science teaching anxiety was mediated by personal science teaching efficacy.

36-52

Authors: Bernardino J. Lopes

This study aims to characterise the pathways of students’ conceptualisation during a problem solving task in order to understand the role of conceptualisation in conceptual learning and to identify salient points for the practice of teaching physics. The study took place in a Portuguese classroom with 15 physics students, all aged 17. The “global conceptualisation” emerged from this research as an important construct to explain how students mobilise their conceptual knowledge during a problem solving task Six other salient characteristics of the pathways of students’ conceptualisation were also identified. In addition, some conditions related to teaching which could help to improve students’ conceptualisation and conceptual learning were also uncovered. These results are discussed and are presented alongside conclusions about the focus and direction of teacher intervention.

262-263

Authors: Walter Leal Filho

Education for sustainable development is one of the most important tools in raising awareness about environmental issues within a sustainable development context, i.e. a context in which environmental matters are taken into consideration along with economic, social, political and ethical issues. With the decision to run the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), the United Nations acknowledges the usefulness of and the need for identifying suitable initiatives, approaches and methods, via which knowledge on sustainable development may be fostered, bearing in mind its inherent complexity. But even though much has been said and written about education for sustainable development, there are still many problems associated with its execution. For example, there is a need to identify and document the wide range of projects and initiatives taking place today, and which exemplify the types of works that can be done, in a concrete manner. A second problem is in relation to the fact that even though much is happening, few of the current works are properly disseminated. Moreover, even though the integration of matters related to sustainable development at university level is a highly desirable goal, there are barriers preventing this from taking place, which need due consideration.

273-284

Authors: Walter Leal Filho

Sustainable development is a matter of great concern to both countries and individuals alike. Whereas in the late 1980s sustainable development was perceived as a matter of concern only to nations, there has been an increased awareness about the fact that it permeates all parts of our lives. Some of the trends related to the evolution of sustainable development can be seen among various sectors, also at universities. Due to their relevance, universities are uniquely placed to pass on the messages of sustainable development to a wide audience. Yes, this potential has not yet been fully realised. This paper describes the evolution of the concept of sustainable development and process behind the its establishment at university level, including an analysis of the problems related to it and their roots. It also states what universities need to do in order to claim excellence in the field of sustainable development, listing a set of criteria that need to be fulfilled in order to achieve this goal.

302-314

Authors: María Novo, María-Ángeles Murga-Menoyo, María-José Bautista-Cerro

Within the framework of the Bologna Process, the UNESCO Chair in Environmental Education and Sustainable Development, based at the National University of Distance Education of Spain, is developing research in the field of educational innovation with the aim of incorporating in its learning model the methodological procedures resulting from recent developments in information technology. The teaching innovation projects presented in this work have been designed for students of Environmental Education and Sustainable Development as part of their Environmental Sciences and Education Courses, who were used to test the learning potential of two teaching methodologies: a) the Cmap Tools editor for the construction of concept maps, which is particularly designed to enhance understanding of the relations that make up the conceptual structure of the topics of study; and b) online collaborative learning groups, intended to promote team work and encourage participation, dialogue and divergent thought, all of which are central to education for sustainability. Each pilot project generated material and resources specifically designed for this purpose and entailed a consistent assessment process.

324-333

Authors: Davi Fouad Soubihia, Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour, Walter Leal Filho

This paper presents the results of a study on the analysis of training needs regarding environmental (green) management and climate change topics in micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Brazil and its implications on education for sustainable development. It reports on an e-mail survey of Brazilian small enterprises, whose results indicate that they are indeed interested in environmental management and climate change topics in an education for sustainable development context. The study indicates that proposals for courses on environmental management and climate change should follow a systemic perspective and take sustainable development into account. By applying factor analysis, it was found that the topics of interest can be grouped into thematic modules, which can be useful in the design of training courses for the top management leaders of those companies.

164-166

Authors: Todar Lakhvich

When the authors propose the article for publication they are on the top stair after having planned and providing their research projects. On the initial stage it’s very important to choose the relevant topic and methodology. Discussing trends and main principle of Education we can model constituents which include Institutional, Socio-cultural and Psychological and finally, Disciplinary categories. The first and the latter are of great importance both for practicing teachers and education explorers. And both are of special interest of JBSE editorial policy. Institutional category can be presented as three-dimensional matrix with the core plane consist of lines presenting different points of horizontal and vertical diversification, and complementary third-dimension lines presenting variation in each point.

179-186

Authors: Hakan Saricayir

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of drama on the teaching of electrolysis of water to middle school students. The randomized pre-test and post-test control group design was used. Data collection methods included pre-test, post-test 1 and 2, and the data were analyzed by using the SPSS/PC program. This study was carried out at a private school with 40 seventh grade students. Based on the pre-test results, the students were randomly assigned to drama and control groups. Findings suggest that the drama group performed better than the control group both on post-test 1 and post-test 2. Similar studies in different contexts with different student samples may be conducted to investigate the effects of drama in chemistry education.

196-211

Authors: Christel Persson

In this paper results from a longitudinal study, with 28 pupils in primary school, is presented. The question asked is how pupils develop concepts in a related to the natural- and the techno sphere. The qualitative research consists of interviews, questionnaires and video-recorded sequences in the pupils’ science learning. The results were analyzed according to the Earth System Science model and the expressions were categorized according to their logical reasoning about what is happening between the spheres. The explorative study indicates the pupils’ ability reasoning about solutions and developing their ontological views. It is a question about scientific facts and values. The overall conclusion is that the pupils over time are able to connect different environmental concepts and e.g. point out how toxic substances can be spread through the air into the water and the ground. Play and learning widens the perspectives and different explanations of concepts can be created.

224-236

Authors: Fredrik Jeppsson, Helge Strömdahl

The present study focus the presence and role of deep qualitative conceptual knowledge of temperature among a group of ten individuals (n=10), academic well-educated and experienced in science, when solving a task about changes in temperature of a given thermodynamic system. The aim is to find out the variation of comprehension of temperature in the task solving process. Data is gathered by interviews based on the thinking aloud method. The interviews were video-recorded and verbatim transcribed. Transcriptions were analysed by using a two dimensional semiotic/semantic analysing schema (acronym 2-D SAS). The results revealed a broad variation in the comprehension of the term temperature in the given context. The three informants who produced correct answers structured the task by identifying the scientifically appropriate referent and sense of the term temperature according to the given context.

84-86

Authors: Todar Lakhvich

We all live in a changing interdependent world where Technology and Science are among the forces defining the development of any country, nation and all the civilization. Education gives people skills and knowledge, which make Technology and Science the tools to gain a progress and success. The time science created crisis seems to go away and just now the same science may resolve the most exciting challenges of our civilization. It’s still a time when acquisition and proliferation of scientific knowledge is obviously the way for solving of many social, ecological and other problems. Scientists have been advocating for the idea for last decades. And finally Policy makers have awakened to the realities of the situation and just now accept the fact the Science is a powerful source for sustainable development. Now we all need to affect public opinion for endorsement of the idea of Science utility and relevance. Thus questions how to teach Science in all the aspects and what ways to choose for organizing a process of education are of great importance both for scientific fundamental or applied researches and social, cultural and economic development of any country.

99-108

Authors: Boris Aberšek, Metka Kordigel Aberšek

Engineers carry a stigma of being ineffective communicators, and various calls for teaching them communication skills have been performed. In the context of Bologna changes in European university space, such calls seem to be even more important, since the demand of employability and applicability of graduate engineers is one of the most important arguments for change. Many engineering educational institutions (mostly universities) have made efforts to improve the situation: they have included rhetoric or communication courses into the existing study programs. Rhetoric/communication teachers, who used to undertake similar courses in the language and literature departments, have mainly taught these rhetoric courses. However no special rhetoric/communication courses have been developed for engineers. The fact is that research in the field of rhetoric for engineers has not got a lot of scientific research yet. This paper will attempt to given answers to the following question: What kind of communication skills does an engineer require? A rhetoric course, designed for engineers and a didactic model for rhetoric education of engineers will be presented and evaluated.

119-134

Authors: Milan Kubiatko, Muhammet Usak, Kursad Yilmaz, Mehmet Fatih Tasar

This paper focuses on differences of attitudes related to information and communication technologies among Czech and Turkish university students. Student attitudes were evaluated summatively and with respect to gender, year, country, and type of residential area (town/village). Student attitudes were measured by a modified version of the Information and Communication Technologies Attitudes Questionnaire (Kubiatko & Haláková, 2009). The sample consisted of a total of 770 unversity students (316 Czech and 454 Turkish). The data analysis included factor analysis, MANCOVA, ANOVA, and t-test. The factor analysis yielded five dimensions: 1) Influence of ICT on teaching process, 2) Influence of ICT on human body and environment, 3) Using of ICT in teaching, 4) School and ICT, 5) ICT as didactic equipment. As a result, students from the Czech Republic, male students, sophomores, and students living in town showed more positive attitudes in comparison to other respective groups.

142-155

Authors: Walter Leal Filho, Paul Pace, Evangelos Manolas

This paper outlines the contribution the education sector can provide in meeting the challenges of climate change, worldwide. It offers an analysis of the means via which education, awareness and training can help the global efforts to tackle climate change and lists a set of practical activities which may assist various groups in handling climate matters as part of formal and non-formal education. The paper concludes by providing a warning: without proper emphasis to educational approaches, the desired (and indeed) changes in attitudes and behaviour as well as the motivation needed in order to engage people in reducing the impacts they may have on the climate, may not be fully achieved.

4-5

Authors: Martin Bílek

Implementation of ICT to the process of instruction does not mean eliminating real school experiments from school laboratory practice. Real living environment makes us face more and more items of virtual environment, worlds, mediated by infinite possibilities of computer networks. The mediated perception through virtual images has become an important cognitive channel for pupils. Real information from the existing reality is steadily replaced by virtual information. Is the remote (by computer network mediated) and virtual (by computer simulated) experiment able to meet requirements of the best school laboratory practice? How to blend an effective and meaningful application of real, indirect and simulative observation, measuring and experimenting according to didactic principles?

20-34

Authors: Serap Çalışkan, Gamze Sezgin Selçuk, Mustafa Erol

This study has investigated the effects of problem solving instruction on physics achievement, and physics self-efficacy beliefs in an introductory physics course at university level. In this study, pretest-posttest and quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group was used. Two groups of student teachers (n=77) participated in this study. During the study, one group received problem solving strategy instruction while the control group received traditional problem solving strategies. Data was collected using the Physics Achievement Test and Physics Self-Efficacy Scale. Results indicate that strategy instruction has positive effects on physics achievement, and physics self-efficacy beliefs. On the basis of the findings, it is strongly recommended that physics instructors use explicit problem solving strategy instruction in their lessons to develop students’ problem solving skills and related outcomes such as course achievement.

50-60

Authors: Konstantinos Ravanis, Panagiotis Pantidos, Evangelos Vitoratos

The study of students’ mental representations of Natural Sciences concepts and phenomena constitutes a central part of Science Education research, as they play a decisive role in teaching. In the study presented here, we investigate 157 ninth grade students’ mental representations of the magnetic field, after they were taught about it in school. The empirical data was gathered through an interview using 4 tasks which involved the evaluation of actual or hypothetical situations. The research data included mental representations that cause difficulty in the comprehension of the properties of the magnetic field.

72-74

Authors: Ivana Šimonová

The monograph “Interaction of Real and Virtual Environment in Early Science Education: Tradition and Challenges” is first outcome of the research project Challenges and limits of interacting real and virtual environments in early science education, which is supported by the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR), and it is Volume 5 of the Didactics of Science and Technical Subjects edition published by the Faculty of Education, University of Hradec Králové since 1999. The monograph, published in English, consists thirteen contributions of authors from four countries (Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic) and six universities (University of Hradec Králové, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznaň, Jagellonian University in Krakow and Šiaulai University).