Problems of Education in the 21st Century

5-7

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

In recent years attention to natural science education is not decreasing. In various information sources we can find a constantly expressed position that natural science – technological literacy of young generation is not only insufficient but also very often inadequate to the time requirements. We can claim with confidence, that the whole last decade (2000-2010) in one way or another was devoted to the discussion of the mentioned problem in various aspects. What is really important today and especially in perspective? The answers to natural science technological education problem questions are not easy at all. The so-called public opinion of giving priority to social sciences has a particularly negative influence. The process when a great majority of youth choose social science field programmes for their studies and significantly smaller part chooses natural science – technological profile studies, has already been observed for the second decade. The motives are various here. First of all, it is groundlessly thought that social sciences are easier to study than natural science subjects. There is a part of truth in this. However, we feel the absence of government’s clear strategic standpoint. Isn’t it, that physicists, chemists, biologists, engineers and so on are not necessary in Lithuania any more? We can mention, that similar tendencies are observed in the other countries as well. Secondly, representatives of social sciences (these are also representatives of education, educologists) rather often groundlessly ignore natural science - technological education and its importance to a man. Even the official discourse analyzes children’s rights, bullying, adaptation, motivation, social integration and other rather trendy questions more often than the second ones – guaranteeing natural science – technological education. There happen to be not rare cases when education communities do not acknowledge the researchers analysing natural science education problems, consider them to be “a substance”, “polluting” pedagogics. In Western literature such a phenomenon is called “Science war” from social scientists. Basically, we can ask – whether this war is progressive or reactionary?!

19-32

Authors: Murat Gökdere

This study aims to examine the knowledge levels of class and science teachers in primary schools about the education of gifted and talented children. As the sample in this study, 55 classroom teachers and 40 science teachers working at the city of Amasya in Turkey were selected, which was conducted within the scope of case study methodology. A test concerning the characteristics of gifted and talented children and a semi-constructed interview method were used in the collection of data. Considering the findings obtained, it can be stated that classroom teachers have a higher level of knowledge than science teachers do. In addition, it cannot be stated that classroom teachers have sufficient levels of knowledge about the education of gifted and talented children. Insufficiency in both teacher groups is considered to be due to the absence of any training concerning the concept of giftedness and the characteristics of these students in pre-service and in-service training processes in the past. In order not to have any hitches in the process for identification of gifted and talented children, studies should be made with respect to improving the knowledge levels and qualities of candidate teachers and the teachers on duty about the characteristics of gifted and talented children.

42-48

Authors: Milena Janakova

The objective of study was education system options such as Moodle. Education systems offer many activities with various procedures for implementation within a course. The benefit is an advantage of the relatively large variety of options, but the question stands on their utility and complexity of implementation. For the evaluation of individual activities, they must accept the dynamic and diverse needs of students. A good starting point is the variety of teaching materials and the addition of such activities such as Database, Glossary, or Link to file or web. An analysis of these options is realized by Petri Nets with support simulation. The profit is the availability of an additional analysis with an incidence matrix and reachable markings. Realized analysis confirms a less important of Database and Glossary activities compared with Link to file or web, or Test.

61-71

Authors: Agnieszka A. Kaczor

The purpose of this study is elaboration of computer classes for pharmacy or chemistry students on ADMET parameters of barbiturates and thiobarbiturates in the context of their molecular structure and gathering students’ feedback on the classes. Barbiturates and thiobarbiturates are derivatives of barbituric acid and thiobarbituric acid, respectively. These drugs, depending on clear differences in their structure, exert a variety of effects on the central nervous system, ranging from mild sedation to total anesthesia. Barbiturates may be used as hypnotics, anxiolytics and anticonvulsants whereas thiobarbiturates can be applied for the induction of general anesthesia. At present barbiturates are usually replaced by benzodiazepines which are less dangerous at overdose. Nevertheless, they remain a model group of drugs to discuss structure-activity relationship, in particular the effect of lipophilicity on the activity profile. The presented computer-assisted classes were designed by taking into consideration the common problems which many students experiense when they learn medicinal chemistry.The classes make use of freely available web services only and consist of the following steps: (1) calculation of lipophilicity of selected barbiturates and thiobarbiturates with several algorithms offered by Virtual Computational Chemistry Laboratory web service;(2) discussion of relationship between the lipophilicity value and activity profile;(3) calculation of other ADMET parameters (e.g. plasma protein binding, blood-brain barrier penetration, human intestinal absorption) of barbiturates and thiobarbiturates with PREADMET web service and ADMEBoxes web service (demo version) . The classes were highly approved by students and may be utilized in education of pharmacy and chemistry but also biology and medicine students.

84-95

Authors: Jordi Mongay Batalla, Maria Ledzińska

Among many positive aspects of the development of the Internet in the last decades, one may also find some damaging ones. This paper centers on the information flood, which any user must face whenever she/he approaches the Internet. The amount of information in the network is hastily increasing and it does not seem to have limits. New studies show that the amount of information in the Internet reaches a value near one zettabyte. Zettabyte is a unit of information equal to 10^21 bytes. Any searching in Internet is, ever increasing, an immersion in a sea of information that may bring high discomfort to the users, caused, especially, by the inability to process all the data read. This research analyses the issue of information flood and proposes a solution to be implemented as an interface between users and the Internet. The creation of this new tool takes into account the requirements from the psychological standpoint and the implementation issues from the telecommunication point of view. The cooperation between psychology and ICT (Information and Computer Technologies) seems crucial to improve the well-being of people in a as technical a society as the current one.

106-113

Authors: Ozden Sahin-Izmirli, Serkan Izmirli, Isil Kabakci-Yurdakul

In this research, it is aimed to determine the views of faculty members about sharing course materials on the web. Seven faculty members who published OpenCourseWare (OCW) are the participants of research. Participants are faculty members from two state universities in Turkey. This research attempts to find answers to these questions: “What are the general views of faculty members about OCW?” and “What are the views of faculty members about the process before, on and after adding OCW on the web?” This research is based on qualitative phenomenological research methodology. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The content analysis technique was used to analyze the data. Results were interpreted and described with direct quotations at the end of the analysis. According to results of the research, faculty members assessed that OCW increase the quality of education and bring new opportunities. Some faculty members prefer to add the existing course resources to the web without any modification. However the others prefer to modify the existing course resources. Faculty members support the use of OCW by others with proper citation. Faculty members also stated that OCW should be revised and updated, and students’ demands should be taken into consideration.

123-130

Authors: Silvana Vishkurti, Aida Spahiu, Margarita Paci

This paper aims to propose some ways on how to improve the relation between didactics and science in the field of science teaching in universities. Educating young people in sciences is one of the objectives of a general reform of programs that has swept Higher Education in Albania, due to the Bologna process. But this reform was originally conceived as training for teachers or students rather as an interactive process between these two actors. This paper argues that training teachers with the didactics of science would enable students to acquire knowledge more actively and efficiently. From a socio-constructivist perspective this study analyzes the situation in which vocational education is in Albania as well as the teacher’s role in helping students develop an independent intellectual thought. The results of this study are based on three sources: student questionnaires, teachers’ interviewing and class observations. Data analysis reveals that it is essential for teachers to be professionally trained with innovative methods of didactic research. Their implementation will allow the selection of those practices in science teaching which will facilitate the students’ knowledge acquisition.

5-8

Authors: Sonia Maria Vanzella Castellar, Núbia Moreno, Agnaldo Arroio

I am greatly honored to present some of the principal contributions from researchers who participated in the Rede de Investigação em Didática da Geografia (Investigation Network into the Didactic of Geography), at an event that took place at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, entitled Colóquio Internacional de Investigadores em Didática da Geografia (International Colloquy of Investigators into the Didactic of Geography) in the month of June 2010. The history that precedes this event and its realization is justified by the need to consolidate ongoing research projects and which take place as a result of partnerships among some Latin American Universities, as well as strengthening a research network on Geographic Education and the Didactic of Geography in Brazil.

20-29

Authors: Lana de Souza Cavalcanti

The text introduces an argument about teachers’ development and practice in Geography, trying to summarize some already reached advancements and highlighting some problems that should be better analyzed in order to improve the quality of this development. Taking the current legislation about teachers’ development courses in Brazil and their theoretical fundaments for granted, the article brings up principles of professional development to serve practice demands, such as the theoretical and practice integration in education projects, the research as an important education component and the school Geography problematization. Based in surveys that took place in post graduations in the country and to comprehend the practice challenges better, the text analyses approaches to the most indicated geographic content about Geography teaching and searches to apprehend daily difficulties faced by Geography teachers. Based in such argument, the text presents, yet, a set of topics to be considered in the graduation projects.

39-47

Authors: Helena Copetti Callai

This paper discusses the geographic education and, in this context approaches the geography didactics. Those two themes are inserted in the discussion over the school in modern times, considering that the 21st century presents remarkable differences from the 20th century and, the main one maybe is the speed of the information. It constitutes, then a new spatiality as a consequence of the globalization processes that demarcate the places where people live and lead them to incorporate a new kind of demand. The students (children and teenagers) arrive at school at this time presenting expectations that the school is not always able to fulfill. Those questions are discussed and, from the referential supports are presented extracts from a research conducted with docents and undergraduate students from licentiate program, in which emerge the tensions between the academic and docent interest, between the university and the school, among many others.

67-74

Authors: Alberto León Gutiérrez Tamayo

In Latin America, during the last 20 years, the political democratic project has become an achievable and desirable possibility to accomplish general wellbeing and hope for the population life quality improvement; to implement, constitute and strength such project towards this goal, the effective link of all the actors and their governmental, private, academic nongovernmental, social, civic, community and citizen life forces, is required within the territory where democracy is going to be implemented. Hence, for this democracy to be possible, it is indispensable to have individually and collectively thoughtful citizens, willing to exercise their citizenship, to build a democratic project and to possibly transform their reality. These citizens are not born, they are made and educated, rooted to the territory they inhabit, odify, and use and in which they set their social practices. The executed study suggests that in order to reach the citizen category, it is necessary, among other things, to appeal for the conscious processes theory, through the educational system, so that people, from early age, are allowed to know, understand, comprehend and put into practice citizen education potential as a pedagogical strategy to reach citizen status, exercise and promote citizenship and, strengthen a democratic political project. Emerging as so, the citizenship, territory and citizen education triad, pillar of the territorial citizen conception, essence of democratic consolidation.

82-93

Authors: Jerusa Vilhena de Moraes

For some years there have been theoretical debates concerning the role of school Geography. In Brazil, these questions came to prominence during the decade of the 80’s in the last century. In Europe, whilst the discussions had started previously, given that the development of Geography as a science starte in Germany in the 19th. century, questioning on the role of Geography in schools, its methods and specificities etc. in certain ways served to amplify our references and to question which Geography we want and which we are promoting. We consider that it is essential to encourage reflection as to what the purposes of an education in Geography are and the role of the teacher in this process so as to think not only about the direction we are giving to this process, but to verify if we are contributing to students being able to construct General and specific scientific reasoning in this area. The purpose of this article is to present that which, in terms of sciences in general, has been proposed, so that students can construct specific science concepts and to which geographic education can contribute, so that students and teachers can have a significant understanding of the concepts involved in this science.

100-111

Authors: Ana Claudia Ramos Sacramento, Gislaine Batista Munhoz

The proposition of this article is to analyze Geographical Education from the perspective of the use of the new Information and Communication Technologies, the ICTs, in the context of Learning Objects (LO). Also, how this use is being or may be used in a more effective manner, since in the teaching-learning of this discipline, a daily and effective use of practices that contemplate this is not perceived. The proof of this is that, in recent bibliographical research on this theme from the principal Geographical periodicals and even theses and dissertations (2005-2009), the number of articles about Geographical Education is still small, and even smaller in relation to the teaching-learning of this and the use of the New Technologies. Therefore, we discuss the question of Geography teaching, the importance of qualification and the construction of knowledge by the teacher from the Web 2.0 perspective, as well as presenting the concept of Learning Objects and how these multimedia interactive educational resources can contribute in an advantageous manner to Geographical Education. Such resources can contribute in a qualitative form, in the sense that they make possible the creation of an innovative environment, in which teachers and students simulate events, create problem situations, making these more positive and closer to reality, concepts often abstract and distant from the students’ reality.

5-8

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

It is obvious that the educational model to the XXI century is oriented at goals of Sustainable Development. This topic is becoming very trendy and urgent in and outside Lithuania. Recent correlation with nature carries a problematic character. D.Birnbacher proposes that “bearing in mind the increased people’s possibilities to influence the future of humankind and other conscious beings, responsibility for the future generations… is an incontrovertible duty” (Birnbacher, 1980). None of the environment protection laws could tackle problems of ecology as a huge part of a contemporary society produces a primitive ecologic culture and very often is completely illiterate. Therefore, the tasks of primary ecology education are to foster ecologic pupils’ culture and raise their ecologic consciousness because the past and present life offers a great number of lessons in ecology including ecology catastrophes, anthropogenesis impact on nature (20th century), etc. Moral responsibility for natural (environment) preservation is relevant as never before today. Hence, the ecologization of the world outlook of society is also crucial.

19-29

Authors: Anne Bonnevie Lund

In 1998 Norway ratified the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and in1999 the Romanies and four other minorities obtained the status of a national minority group The Romanies have lived in Norway for hundreds of years. But the assimilation policy was hard and lasted for more than hundred years with the aim to assimilate and eradicate differences from what was perceived as the "Norwegian". The school has been an important part in this assimilation policy. Although we can see a different political climate marked by multiculturalism, acceptance of diversity and greater understanding of minority groups today, the culture and history of the national minorities has been, and still remains absent from school. And still many students of Romani families drop out of school without any exams when they are 13-14 years old. In this article a developmental project with the aim to make a better school situation for Romani students is examined concerning an attempt using ICT in the travelling periods. The use of laptops have made changes in the relational and communication patterns connected to an intercultural understanding, but many pupils still drop out of school before ending the compulsory school.

42-51

Authors: Luljeta Buza, Hektor Buza, Elida Tabaku

The paper is an empirical study based on questionnaires of 450 postgraduates’ students, and 30 teachers enrolled in different courses in Tirana University. It aimed to identify the problems and to find out some solutions to the problem focused on the wide availability of information and communication, which makes learning take place wherever and whenever it suits the student. The study highlights the way how education can be organized to ensure quality and lifelong learning. The study, based on the analysis of questionnaires, pointed out that it is considered as not efficient if lifelong learning is focused only on short-term requirements. The teacher educators had quite a number of concepts on lifelong learning, and their perceptions were concentrated on: 1) developing a range of skills; 2) being able to identify problems; 3) ways of tackling, finding and using information effectively; 4) understanding and extending ways of learning to gain and apply new knowledge. The paper is divided into two parts. Part one outlines the key issues related to the importance of lifelong education and part two analyzes lifelong learning approaches, conclusions and recommendations.

66-78

Authors: Angela James

Pre-service Biology student teachers completed a module/course on Research and Service-Learning as part of their professional development. This module expected of student teachers to take new actions in that they were to work with the lecturer and a manager from a community organization to conduct a Research and Service-Learning project. This paper reports on two student teacher groups experiences of the project. The research questions that drove this paper are: What were the pre-service student teachers’ experiences of their Research and Service-Learning project? An interpretive and qualitative approach was used. An action research case study methodology with document analysis, reflective journals and class discussions was used. The data collected was analysed using a descriptive case study, providing narrative accounts for each of the student teacher groups. The data reveal the emotional, cognitive and social dynamics that the student teachers experienced. The conclusion reached is that this project is an essential component for the professional development of any Biology pre-service student teacher, especially in the South African. It is essential in that the pre-service student teachers can address poverty, hunger, impact of HIV/AIDS and develop an understanding of the learners that they teach.

90-102

Authors: Peter Odera, Rossette K. Murigande

This paper was based on survey research design that aimed at examining caregivers’ involvement in children’s play in Rwanda. Random sampling technique was used to sample out 89 respondents from 4 different locations. The sample of the study included 40 caregivers, 40 children and 9 social workers in Compassion assisted projects. Compassion is non profit making organization. Data was collected through interview schedules and observation. The findings revealed that the most important variables that influence the perceptions of caregivers were the age of children and education background of caregivers. Majority of caregivers were more favourable to children’s play, especially those children at a younger age. However, caregivers reported that as children grow older, they should take domestic chores and school work seriously rather than spending time in play. The more caregiver had formal education, the higher the likelihood that one would have a positive attitude toward children’s play. Besides, the gender of children, age and also, the gender of caregivers were found to be less significant factors. This study has concluded that the more caregivers were knowledgeable on the importance of play, the more they were willing to facilitate children’s play and the more they actively encouraged children to participate in play.

124-131

Authors: Agnese Rusakova, Andrejs Rauhvargers

One of the most important problems of the next decades in the context of lifelong learning is the integration non- formal and informal learning achievements of individuals with formal learning so that non- formal and informal learning can be used for their formal promotion –gaining credits and/or whole qualifications. One of the means for integrating the achievements is through translating knowledge, skills and competencies obtained through alternate forms of learning into learning outcomes (further in text- LO). It is necessary to implement LO approach in the formal system of education to prepare it for recognition of prior learning. The objective to be reached is understandable and so is the rationale to do so. However unclear is the way how to translate the theory into a working practice. In the following article the authors will address this problem by proposing and examining a methodology for implementing LO in a program, discussing the possibility to improve the quality of program through this action. The LO approach reflects change from „teacher-centered” to „student-centered” learning. The first results of surveying the lecturers involved in the analyzed program show that the LO are currently implemented rather formally. It is necessary to do more explanatory work in order to benefit from the LO as quality instrument.

5-9

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

It is obvious that many scientists nowadays speak about constructivistic approach in education. This topic is becoming very trendy. Is it correct to focus our attention only to the study of this topic? This is a really complicated issue. There are quite a large variety of opinions, as well as controversial. First of all it is obligatory to perceive the idea of integrated science education in the context of constructivism as a theory of learning. Secondly, it is important to understand and name the specificities of integrated science education implemented following the principles of constructivistic teaching/learning. Thirdly, it is necessary to be able to predict the possibilities of integrating the content of different subjects of science related to the specificities of students at different age stage as well as to material and human resources (Lamanauskas, Vilkonienė, 2008). Generally speaking previous studies implied that the development of a constructivist-learning environment could contribute positively to changing student attitudes toward science learning (Oh, Yager, 2004). However, we can not make an one-sided evaluation. Who can deny that the traditional teaching and learning is wrong?

21-28

Authors: Geert Franzenburg

The process of historical research, learning and teaching consists of data-sampling, interpretation and communication. Researchers, learners and teachers have to cope with de- and reconstructing historical experiences and their documentations as expressions of impressions. Therefore, the objectives of the study are historical experiences documented in autobiographical texts and in archival material. Following the different lessons/modules of a course about biographical history, students can learn how to become aware of certain aspects behind historical facts and events, which are often hidden in documents or neglected by textbooks. They become motivated to make their own experiences in this method by using oral history elements (interviews) and to look for alternative points of view in learning and research.

43-57

Authors: John Gowland-Mwangi, Agnes Oywaya Nkurumwa, Stephen Wambugu Maina

Kenya’s Jua-Kali sector offers an alternative to formal employment. Though one needs technical and soft skills to work effectively, the latter are critical for successful entrepreneurship and unless Jua-Kali operators are trained in soft skills, they cannot function effectively. A trainer requires knowledge of what they need, lack and extent of deficiency. A cross-sectional survey design involving 230 randomly selected operators was used to provide this information. Extension experts ascertained the questionnaire’s content validity whose reliability was 0.93α at 0.05 confidence level. The operators were 15-71years old with 69% married, 65% male, and 99% formally trained. Soft skills’ mean acquisition was 55% at primary, 61% at secondary and 71% at tertiary level and was independent of gender; >90% of the operators lacked but required all 18 soft skills. Males dominated jobs requiring higher capital and more physical strength while females dominated jobs requiring lower capital and less physical strength and also the food sector; The sector accommodated people of all ages, majority being self-employed; on-the-job training was inadequate; and teaching soft skills within curricula was the best training modality. The researchers recommended mainstreaming formal provision of soft skills; training using the best modality and encouraging more people to join the sector.

67-76

Authors: Peter Karlsudd

Special needs teacher education in Sweden has by tradition been pragmatic and action-oriented. The higher degree of academization the education is now undergoing has revealed deficiencies in the concluding essay project. A low problematization degree, poor grounding in theory as well as undeveloped analyses are among the explanations of the low quality. This article describes a development project conducted at Linnaeus University with a view to improving the quality of student essay writing. With the overarching aim of making students aware of the quality criteria involved in essay writing, students and teachers assessed essays on the basis of 24 different criteria. Initially worked out by teachers, the criteria were developed and supplemented in dialogue with students. After the appraisal the conformity of assessment between student-student, teacher-student and teacher-teacher was presented. The result demonstrates that disagreement exists in the assessment. Teachers and examiners assess the quality of the essays as being somewhat lower in certain respects than what students do, whereas they may give higher values on the basis of other criteria. However, individual differences in assessment among teachers are not fewer than among students. There are clear differences in the evaluation of method, theory grounding, innovativeness and creativity. Subsequent discussions have led to clearer quality requirements for essays and have also to some extent reduced the former interpretation gap.

87-98

Authors: Thomas J.J. McCloughlin, Philip S.C. Matthews

Repertory grid analysis was employed as a means of constructing representations of learners conceptions of living things (described in previous work). Experts in biology and secondary school science learners were probed for their representations of living things. Clearly, a theory is at work in the mind of the experts. The question now is: how many of the students share this theory? A record of commonality is required, and for that a social network framework is necessary. Therefore, representations were compared using the SOCIO program which measures the similarity between individuals and a visual network produced for the groups studied. This work is part of an overall project examining the learners’ innate ability to classify and categorize living things. Classification and categorization are neglected in science curricula which has implications with respect to the renewed emphasis in education on learning about biodiversity. It was found that whereas there is a commonality with respect to learners’ conceptions, the commonality is measurable and that learners often operate within a ‘pre-scientific’ or folk-biological mode, experts operate within a highly formalized mode based on their training, and that notwithstanding such a difference in modes, there remains a degree of commonality between learners and experts.

109-121

Authors: Viktorija Piscalkienė, Nijole Zinkeviciene

Methods of fairy tales could be applied not only for educational aims but also for diagnostics in socio educational practice. Analysis of children’s created fairy tales is one of the ways to know his/her inner and outer worlds. Child’s emotional state could be evaluated from his/her created fairy tale text. Child’s created fairy tales show his/her social skills and allow to evaluate cognitive sphere. Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder tend to have cognitive processes dysfunctions and lack of social skills. During the research, fairytales created by two groups of children were assessed. The first group was represented by primary forms pupils with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the other group consisted “natural” population children of the same age. The fairytale content analysis helped to disclose the tendency that in the group of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder positive psycho-social content of fairytales seldom predominates. Their fairy tales were with less developed consistency, simple sentences, and from the cognitive point of view less “mature”. The paper discusses the application possibilities of projective methodology – fairytale creation on the basis of visual stimulus – in assessment of children’s with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) cognitive sphere and psycho-social sphere. The authors point out that so far educational science both in Lithuania and abroad lacks methodologies of analyzing fairytales created by children.

138-150

Authors: Hasan Şeker

The study reveals that the beliefs of the prospective teachers related to learning-teaching approaches can not find reflections in their practices. The present study investigates whether the prospective teachers’ preferences and beliefs concerning the teaching approach find reflections in practices. The study was conducted with two study groups. The first group consists of 70 last-year student teachers of Primary School Teacher Education Department of Education Faculty, and the second group with 33 second-year student teachers at the same department. One of the measurement scales used in the study is the preference list for teacher behaviors consisting of 38 questions each of which is with two options, and the other is the lesson scenarios written by the prospective teachers. The inconsistency between the prospective teachers’ beliefs about teaching approaches and their practices can not be accounted for by the perceptions of teacher competences. Incorporating teaching practices into the curriculum of the prospective teachers can narrow the gap between the prospective teachers’ beliefs about teaching approaches and their practices.

162-173

Authors: Lyubov V. Cheremoshkina, Svetlana V. Murafa

Research results of mnemonic abilities of 7-12 years children with developmental delays are presented. Research aim was experimental investigation of productivity and qualitative identity of mnemonic abilities of younger students with developmental delays. The method of development of mnemonic activity by V.D. Shadrikov, L.V. Cheremoshkina and the technique of mnemonic abilities diagnosis developed on its basis by L.V. Cheremoshkina were used for the study of mnemonic abilities. Research consisted of several stages: pilot study, experimental research (the test task - memorizing of a card #1; the basic task - memorizing of cards #2 and #3; reproduction of cards #2 и #3; poll of students), mathematical data processing, classification and description of levels of mnemonic abilities development of younger students with developmental delays. Revealed, that the structure of the mnemonic abilities of 7-12 years children with developmental delays differs by underdevelopment of operational mechanisms. Memory functions are based on use of inborn mechanisms. There are children who differ by certain underdevelopment of perceptive abilities and attentional abilities. Operational mechanisms of mnemonic abilities of 7-12 years students with developmental delays are at early stages of the formation. At the analysis of results the effect of inability to copy a simple nonverbal material after its correct reproduction by subjects is revealed. Assumptions of its possible reasons are discussed. This effect needs the further explanation in terms of psychology of abilities, neuropsychology, and neurophysiology.

5-7

Authors: Andris Broks

As a result of tremendous development of science and technology our modern life has become very complex. Diversity and speed has become the main characteristics of our life today. Actual changes in life always are followed by corresponding changes (reforms and transformations) in education, because education means specially organized gaining of life experience for life. Life experience – it means not only knowledge, not only knowledge and skills, but all together knowledge, attitudes or values and skills (Broks, 2010). Education as a process of gaining life experience includes not only traditional learning/teaching, but also development of corresponding value orientation – attitudes. This note is very important today when globalization processes have initiated a loss of clear value orientation for future development of human’s life on global as well as on local scale. World needs more clever and honest people tomorrow when we have today.

19-29

Authors: Claudia Ayres, Celeste Ferreira, Agnaldo Arroio

The purpose of this research was to discuss and reflect about the use of a computer simulation in the learning of intermolecular forces. Simulations are dynamic representations of chemical processes or systems, and allow users to select values for input variables from within suitable ranges and observe the results on output variables. In this study we used free software named “Ligações Intermoleculares”, from http://nautilus.fis.uc.pt/molecularium/pt/ligintermol/index.html. The goal of this activity was to help students build internal representations (mental models) for course content. The research is qualitative. We applied a pre-test and a post-test to a class of students (n=30) from a secondary school trying to find what these internal representations are like. The research indicates that students’ pictographic representations of intermolecular forces improved substantially. These findings suggest that the use of this visual tool helped students to make a better connection between the chemical representations and the macroscopic phenomena presented during a mini-course about solubility.

38-48

Authors: António Barbot Silva, Cláudia Abrantes, Elisabete Oliveira, Carla Chumbo, António Alberto Silva, Maria João Silva

Because of their very nature, virtual models are usually more abstract than physical ones. Physical models may facilitate the use of virtual models, by making links to physical world. Tides come into play in a wide variety of curricular scopes, but they are not easy to understand, both in basic education and in initial teacher training. In addition to this, simple physical classroom experiments about tides are not easy to conceive, and they may even be misleading. In a previous work, one of the authors developed a virtual model: a computer simulation of tides. It reveled to be useful, although not covering some students’ learning needs: it was too abstract and mathematical for most of the students. There was a need of complementing the virtual model with material ones (“added reality”). Two physical devices were then developed: a “physical model for tides” and a “physical model of grass growing in artificial gravity”. The two physical models proved to be feasible and useful. The set of three models revealed to create synergies in learning.

58-65

Authors: Martin Bílek, Jarmila Kmeťová

In the article we deal with the topic of Virtual Measuring Devices working in the computer supported measuring system in general chemistry education. We discuss the theoretical base for application of experiments in the chemistry education and its computer support. Attention is focussed to specific features of chemistry, alike to other natural sciences lay in observations of the course of chemical experiments and in forming conditions for their repetition and changes. Then, it is clear that the intellectual activities participate in every senso-motoric (or only sensory, and only motoric) activity. Dominant, or rather starting, activities in the theoretical procedure will be intellectual ones, while sensorimotor activities work in the empirical procedure. When implementing the computer support into experimental activities, the adequate combination of measuring systems, simulations and “data-processing” programmes may result in a new environment for using experiments. The computer thus may make the inductive, deductive or combined procedures easier and evidently. One of the challenges for school chemistry experiments is so-called “single-step mode” measurement method. Three types of this mode are discussed and examples provided: single-step mode on one experiment, single-step mode on comparison of samples and single-step mode on a set of experiments. Presented examples of class chemical experiment were carried out in the Vernier system, very simple applied in computer labs with science orientation.

75-83

Authors: Solange Locatelli, Celeste Ferreira, Agnaldo Arroio

This paper is a theoretical discussion about three important concepts related with chemistry learning. The terms visualization, metacognition and metavisualization were reviewed in the literature, in regard to aspects of definition and importance as constructors of knowledge in science education, especially in chemistry. There is a stead growing body of research that recognizes the importance of being metacognitive in the learning process. Also, given the frequent use of visualization in chemistry instruction we began to encounter studies that suggest that metacognition in respect with visualization exits and it’s referred to as “metavisualization”. Particularly, this term has been perceived as a metavisual skill, where the student will monitor and regulate specifically their internal representations, helping him to build concepts in science. Many definitions have been found about these terms, however there seems to be a uniformity to consider its importance in the learning process of students, which allows us to conclude that there is still a great demand for research in this area to clarify many aspects regarding these cognitive and metacognitive processes.

95-105

Authors: Mateja Ploj Virtič, Mateja Pšunder

Different information and communication technologies have become part of the necessary competencies, as teachers are educators of the web generation, which is characterised by its members using the computer in each aspect of their lives. The use of the computer is specific for each individual field of teaching and as such cannot be directly compared. This article presents the results of a survey into how the field of study influences the use of ICT and the computer in future teachers. The participants in this study were 252 forth-year students from three faculties from University of Maribor, which educate future teachers: Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Education. Our research has shown that students of natural, technical and computer science provided the most positive feedback about the availability of computers at the faculty, their performance, software, internet access at the faculty and internet access in their town of study. Future teachers expressed a more positive opinion on statements relating to the necessity of using the computer in class than on statements relating to their competencies for using the computer in class.

114-119

Authors: Margarita V. Shishonok, Eugene V. Makarenko

The results of statistical analyze of the lectures form effect on the progress in studies are presented. Two variants of lecture material representation are compared: the classical lecture with the use of traditional blackboard and chalk and the lecture in the form of slide-show. The results of ten examinations (for the last eight years) on the discipline “Chemistry of high-molecular compounds” has been treated. The significant increase (54 %) of excellent marks share and the decrease (25 %) of unsatisfactory marks share has been revealed as a result of the progressive lecture form as slide-show.

130-138

Authors: Andrej Šorgo

This article describes a six-step approach used for the introduction of computer-supported laboratory exercises in Biology teaching. Following the model students will be guided from recognizing a problem question to the end report in a series of active tasks. The model was named APACER as an acronym of the six steps: Ask, Predict, Act, Comment, Evaluate and Report. The model was tested with 15 – 18-year-old secondary school students as group and individual work over a time span of ten years and several hundred students performing laboratory exercises in Biology. Work on development of the model can be described as reflective classroom practice. By observation of students’ work, grading of their reports and evaluation of results from exams, it was recognized that students achieved much higher grades because of better knowledge and improved reports. Transfer of the model to other Science subjects is suggested.