NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION IN A COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL

3-4

Authors: Editorial Board

GAMTAMOKSLINIS UGDYMAS BENDROJO LAVINIMO MOKYKLOJE-2009 XV nacionalinės mokslinės praktinės konferencijos straipsnių rinkinys, Kėdainiai, 2009 m. balandžio mėn. 24–25 d. NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION AT A GENERAL SCHOOL-2009 Proceedings of the Fifteenth National Scientific-Practical Conference, Kedainiai, 24–25 April, 2009

12-21

Authors: Zosė Aškinienė, Giedrė Kvietkauskienė

The meaning of teaching and learning in education system is indicated as interacted activity. Success of learning depends on how student is able to work in team where they are prepared for learning all the time and also are able to adapt to the changing environment. The world needs people who can think critically, who can collaborate, take decisions on their own and who are responsible for their actions. Education is an integral process for seeking maturity of personality. Constantly developing society requires perfection from each person specially from a teacher so that knowledge and ability correspond to work market and motivate progress of student and teacher. Natural science is concurrent from education in school. The aim is to introduce students with basic nature laws, to teach to recognize them in the environment. Experimental works help a lot for training students‘ logical skills. During experimental works besides of solidifying knowledge and finding reasons of main laws also skills are being trained. Integration of disciplines help teachers to work more effectively, creatively, correspond to students‘ needs, make equal opportunity to all the students to reach best results. Integration of disciplines is a factor which determine a success of education content individualization. It is important to develop students‘ interest in nature science, to perform tasks on their own, to seek for the information in various sources and structurize it, to work with alternative sources, to qualify. Integration gives an opportunity to analyse problem in different contexts, helps to educate objective and general abilities, requires a new organization of education content and process, motives to reach for balance and collaboration.

25-31

Authors: Renata Bilbokaitė

Motivation is one of the main research areas in education because it helps to learn. External visualization could foster to learn difficult things and to create internal desire to learn. All these types of motivation could be gathered as a general background of learning in science education. According to the research the students like to learn biology and physics. Pupils do not like to learn chemistry because it is very difficult and they do not understand it. In this situation visualization can serve for the aim to foster motivation. It is possible to say that students mostly like to learn biology because lots of phenomena are visible in the nature or they are visualized in the books. The biological objects are clear comparing them with chemistry or physics. The other science disciplines are more difficult that biology because students must ode and encode visual and verbal information; also they must be able to use their knowledge in the practice. As the solution of this problem there in the education process could be used computer based visualization. It could foster students’ motivation to learn difficult phenomena. Also, computer based visualization could help to remember thing and to hold information in the long term memory. Visualization could educate visual thinking and to help perceiving information.

38-45

Authors: Ana Diadiūra, Renata Miliauskaitė, Danuta Paškevič, Laimutė Salickaitė-Bunikienė, Andrej Rožkov

Today secondary education schools face increasingly higher standards. One of the most important tasks is to set the level of education, determine the ability level of students, their interests and wishes, desire towards future profession, provide with opportunity to try different ways of studying. Here Information Technologies is what we have to use at our lessons as a part of a lesson delivering the necessary message from other subjects. IT help to make a lesson more interesting and informative. It helps to find new ways of studying, reveal hidden talents and learn to study individually and in a team either. There have already been used some special programs at chemistry lessons, such as Moodle, Atotour, Hot Potatoes and Crocodile Chemistry. Recently dr. Laimutė Salickaitė-Bunikienė from Vilnius University Chemistry Department kindly suggested to participate in the international Socrates Comenius 2.1 project what made us stronger in our decision to use all those programs mentioned above at chemistry lessons and integrate some other subjects into our lessons. Special attention was paid to the information from archives of some Vilnius museums. Our chemistry teachers undertook EVOLUTION program courses then and started planning the contents of their lesson with that educational program. For example, at the lesson about metals a lot of additional materials about metal’s chemical and physical features, its production and use in industry, pollution problems, etc. were used. Our students had a very good chance to visit the Restoration Centre at Vilnius University Chemistry Department with its head Pranas Gudynas. There were presented some samples of metals collected by professor Kazis Daukšas. The students interviewed dr. Laimutė Salickaitė–Bunikienė about metal restoration, and what chemicals are used to restore different kinds of metals. After that we searched for some extra information in the Internet and made some tests for self–assessment on acquainted material. It was easy to join all sorts of information that students had got from University museum, however, for some students it was really hard to learn the subject. One of the reasons is that our adult students cannot do full–time at school and have to spend most of the time at work and with their families. Some students find it too difficult for them to work with the program. Also, proper tools and approaches should be used to create a successful virtual lesson. Students of 11 m, o, p, 12a, b classes actively participated in the excursions to Vilnius Technical Museum accurately examined the first exhibits of calculating machines produced in Lithuania, took many pictures and some videos. Much useful information was found on the website designed to present the calculation technical opportunities in the history of the „Sigma“ company – http://www.sigma–vsmg–skb.org Learning to work with EVOLUTION program and present useful information for the lesson gave the students an opportunity for active learning activity and information processing skill’s development. Also, working with this program required good computer skills. The most difficult for the students to understand was: program tree, tree components locking and copying, photographs and picture reduction with Paint and Irfan View programs. Together with students we had to learn and get used to operate with the main tools of the program and create an interactive lesson. EVOLUTION program let you do this: - Together with students prepare interactive virtual lessons so that the students would not be passive participants during the lesson but actively participate in the activity; - During the lesson students could learn main theoretical materials, which are richly illustrated by visual materials; sound and video materials make lesson more attractive and visual; - Students can study at their convenient time and pace, individually learn the program topics, and check their knowledge completing some tests and practical tasks. Running the project „Development of Computer Equipment in Lithuania“ following stages were used – preparation, data collection, tasks formation, project completing, summarising. The lesson can be saved in a data base and used by individually studying students as a useful way in distant education. The International Socrates Comenius 2.1 project „Museumscouts“ promotes new ways of teaching and education in general. With the help of „EVOLUTION“ program a virtual lesson was created, were a lot of in-formation from museum archives was used

52-58

Authors: Danuta Golnis

The UN General Assembly proclaimed the year 2007–2009 as International Year of Planet Earth in order to turn people’s attention to global changes of the nature and to make planet Earth safer. One of the goals of teachers who teach natural sciences is to make this subject more attractive, clear and easy to understand. The aim of the research is to find out how deep is students’ knowledge about Planet Earth and how students (forms 7–8) understand and explain natural phenomena. The respondents were given tasks and questions about Planet Earth and natural phenomena. Conclusions. Summarizing the results of the carried out research the following conclusions can be drawn: • The quality of teaching natural sciences is still considered to be relevant. It is difficult for students to explain everyday phenomena which they observe. So it means that the teaching material is not related to real life. • The knowledge of students’ about natural phenomena is not thorough Such and similar researches is one of the ways to evaluate students’ competences, to find out their strengths and weaknesses and to help students to observe the level of their knowledge. Traditional teaching methods, presentation of the new material and individual students’ work don’t guarantee that all students will gain the basic knowledge. Methods and teaching material should be chosen according to students’ abilities.

66-70

Authors: Rita Kareivienė, Auksė Kavaliauskienė, Gražina Masandavičienė

Project activity at school is the powerful tool of modern process of teaching/learning. Project „Travel of a droplet of water“ offers many more interdisciplinary environmentally educational activities for educators and learners. The goal of Project is to facilitate and promote awareness, appreciation, knowledge and stewardship of water resources through water–related activities that are hands–on, easy to use etc. Project is focusing on the teacher as a facilitator for learning. This modern approach steers away from the traditional method of teachers passing down knowledge to their students. The main project idea was implementation different educational activities in action (learning by doing). It is emphasized that project activity should be as continuous process, as such activity is long–term educational process at school.

74-78

Authors: Regina Kaušienė

Projects in sciences are very important. Students learn how to search, select, and evaluate new in-formation in science, environment, and new technologies. Teachers have to spend much time in leading of them. It is easier to do this job using distance learning courses. How it is possible? I use my Moodle course of Organic Chemistry for 11’Th form for project „Petroleum and Alternative Sources of Energy“ a few years. There is special forum for discussing themes and problems, which student are ready to solve. First steps doing this project they have to find interesting item for themselves, think about hypothesis, research plan. Distance learning course is good place to give calendar of works, evaluation criteria for students. I use Rubric’s for evaluations, which are very popular in America. It is difficult to take a look on all works in lessons. If there are many students it is even impossible. Consulting is effective than teacher have enough time to study what students had done. This is possible if students send works by email or put them in distance learning course. Finally students get advices for their projects at much shorter time, because they don’t need time to wait for chemistry lesson. They can ask for help by email or in discussion board. Students can help each other too. Schedule of project helps to plan time and better prepare for presenting their works. In summary all the work is more effective and better organized thanks to distance learning course.

84-94

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

In recent years, science education has been frequently accepted as an inseparable and extremely important part of comprehensive schooling. On the other hand, science education is very often interrelated with technology and humanitarian education which means it is necessary to develop general rather than specific teaching of sciences in school so that every student should receive science and technology education adequate for our time. All of us should remember that science is the quest for knowledge, not the knowledge itself (D. Roller, cited by Duschl, R. A. 1990). Natural science education can be characterised by a variety of content provisions, forms and methods of teaching/learning, practical activities. All these are expected to make the process more effective to widen intellectual knowledge and skills of students, to provide conditions for students activities, to develop students reasoning skills, to influence their aesthetical outlooks etc. The natural science education is very actual today in both developing and developed countries. Qualitative natural science education is necessary for each person living in the modern world. Various researches show, that natural sciences have lost former charm in the developed countries. On the contrary, youth in developing countries have positive interest to natural sciences. An assessment of the researched results reveals a clear objection. The findings of students’ achievements at national level announced that the priorities of teaching sciences in basic school were gradually changing as orientation towards knowledge was declining and achievements in abilities to perceive sciences were getting better. However, otherwise research showed that the learners’ achievements in the field of sciences still were not remarkable enough and a part of those did not manage to conduct even the simplest experiments. It is obvious, that the role of teachers in the science education process is invaluably important. If the student shows interest to natural sciences first of all it is a merit of the teacher. On the other hand, a duty of scientists, managers of education is to create all necessary conditions for effective work of the teacher. Also adequately to pay for the important and hard work. Another main point is that it is very important to transfer the information to students, but it is much more important to learn them to think. Usually students are not capable to acquire a teaching material in appropriate level. In total 442 scientific and methodical publications were analysed in research. All articles published in collections of 15 conferences during 1995–2009 are analysed. Having summarized the results of the carried out research the following conclusions can be drawn: • the changing and development of natural science education in the comprehensive schools in Lithuania is sufficiently quick, but not effective enough; • the analysis of publications in all collections displays that the main topic of interests is science education process. The area of environmental and ecological education is on the second position. That reflects the popularity and urgency of these two areas; • the pressing of the subjects of science education stimulates the educators to work with creative power, to look for the new teaching/learning methods and strategies; • the majority of publications are prepared by the Lithuanian authors – scientists and teachers, other experts in the field of science education. It is obvious that all 15th collections of scientific and methodical papers will be of great use for all – both teachers–practicians (in the theoretical sense of the competence), and scientists (in the sense of the connections with the secondary school), and to those, who works in the field of development of the natural science education. The topics of articles very wide.

101-106

Authors: Laima Railienė

ICT in Republic‘s secondary schools are closely connected with the development of the society, common informative culture, students‘ outlook widening, etc. Modern geograpfy is variable and integral sphere of perception. Nowadays it is different to imagine life without geography. Geography knowledge is of practical type, because it is very important for all of us to know the world where we live in, be able to orientate in the space, social environment, etc. ICT, in this case the Internet, helps to give knowledge, widen outlook. The article shows how it helps to learn new material, systemize already known things and review them.

117-125

Authors: Violeta Šlekienė, Loreta Ragulienė

Information and communication technologies (ICT) become one of popular fumiest object of discussion of late years. Technologies of computers make influence to many live ranges, especially for system of education. Computers are use wide in process of physics education. One possibility of computer’s appliance is electronic educational implements. This paper deals with the electronic educational implement opportunities to use for education. The electronic educational implement „Electromagnetic Phenomena“ is presented and discussed. It is adapted for the studies of physics. Educational material, as theory, tasks, tests, experiments, visualized phenomena, laboratory works are presented. This is good educational mean which helps to realize appointed educational goals for teachers while teaching about Electromagnetic Phenomena in the lessons of physics for pupils of 9th grades. This implement can be used for various educational goals: explanation of new topics, as additional demo–mean, mean of the phenomena visualization, for revision, fixation and control of the knowledge. Implement of computer learning makes ease work of teacher; helps for learner assimilate introduced information. This educational computer implement gives biggest facility self teaching. This implement is simple to use and therefore teachers or pupils knowing not so much about Informational Technologies should not be embarrassed.

129-135

Authors: Zinaida Žvinklienė

The environmental education of pre-school children is based on their personal experience and their knowledge. Good conditions should be created for environmental education: for observation, experiments, games. Under the guidance of their personal experience children find the answers to the questions and make conclusions. The adults give examples of the correct behavior with the environment, they encourage children to notice the negative influence to the environment , find the reasons and solve the problems. Children observe, they arrange and clear-up the environment. Different actions take place, children take party in traditional holidays, environmental activities. Environmental knowledge is integrated into the children’s activities. We have seminars and projects and share the experience with the teachers of the district, representatives of the community.

145-153

Authors: Janis Gedrovics, Dagnija Cedere

In the 1990s Latvia started experiencing essential changes in the whole education system, including what regards the subject of chemistry. In 1993 the University of Latvia established the Centre of Chemistry Didactics, with the main aim to train chemistry teachers in accordance with the new educational paradigm. The centre offered courses for teachers’ further education and created new methodological materials. Students taking their MSc in chemistry didactics also took part in working out new teaching-learning methods and researching the teaching-learning processes. A significant role in the development of chemistry education has been played by the project „Science, maths and technologies subjects - development of the curricula and the further education of teachers”, which was carried out with the support from European Social Foundation (2005–2008). Currently chemistry education focuses on increasing pupils’ activity and cognitive interest as well as on the development of their researching and problem solving skills. School chemistry is more closely linked to practical life. A survey has been carried out comparing pupils’ (9th and 11th formers’) answers, given in 1998 and 2008, to basic questions about chemical transformations. The comparison reveals that during these ten years no significant change has taken place. Pupils still display quite poor understanding of the basic issues in chemistry. This allows for the conclusion that the majority of pupils are still learning chemistry without understanding the subject properly, but only to get a good mark.

162-165

Authors: Irina Zhikina, Inna Portyanskaya

In this article one of the variations of transiton from subject integration to out-of-school project-analyse activity of students is being examined .A concrete example is given as the „A lyrical point of view on physical phenomena’s ” project , the goal of which is the foundation of a multimedia composition of phenomena’s or processes and conceptions which should be presented from the point of view of different educational disciplines. Originally designed to motivate weaker students to study exact sciences, the project caused a huge interest among students and schools with different specialization therefore evolved into a city project within the past few years. At the moment the multimedia database is successfully growing.

170-177

Authors: Eleonora Melnik, Irina Schekoldina

Surrounding environment with its subjects, processes and phenomena is perceived by a child holistically. Understanding of the world is developed on the basis of his or her personal experience and knowledge in accordance with the law of natural and attitude of society to the world. Regular and systematic knowledge is acquired by children during their school years. In primary school knowledge is based on emotional peculiarities of children at the age of 9-10. This is the age when child’s subject features start to form, they continue to grow and develop during the whole life giving a person autonomy and social significance. Child’s skill to recognize different subjects, phenomena of natural and social character of the world around and to find existing connections in this environment indicates his or her understanding of the complete picture of real world. Personal identity as subject of activity and communication in the environment is important for children of primary-school age because it helps to understand and accept the world around, realize its content and define significance for themselves. Conclusions: 1. One of the positive results of the research conducted is that children define „place as space” with which a child connects his or her appearance in this world. The category of place is used as a tool indicating the character of „borders” between a person and physical environment and defining the person’s status of „Openness-restraint” concerning the world around. However, places different in scale (city, republic and country) were clearly described as place of birth. 2. Place does not contain subject characteristic. 3. Place does not contain description of natural and social phenomena. 4. All participants of the research denied the suggestion to make a story.

182-191

Authors: Margarita Shishonok, Eugene Makarenko, Vladimir Pankov

The article has information-analytical character and is devoted to an actual problem of natural science education: the admission of students-chemists in classical university. The demand for chemists is great today. The stuff of entrants-chemists, their knowledge level, the competition for chemical faculty, the lowest passing score determine the quality and quantity of the future specialists who are potential workers at European countries since the integration processes. For the first time entrance campaign in Belarus was carried out without examinations at faculty, and entrants were taken in just on the basis of the centralized testing results. The analytical handling of the entrance campaign results has been executed in the form of diagrams. As a result, the total admission on budgetary and paid training forms on „Chemistry“ specialty came to 154 persons. The lowest passing score – 255. The competition for one budgetary study vacancy is equal to 1,74. The majority of entrants was taken in „Research-and-production activity” and „Pharmaceutical activity” qualifying directions. There has been taken twice less persons in „Research and educational activity” direction, as it has turned out, than in pharmaceutical one. The minimal entrants’ number was taken in „Preservation of the environment“ qualifying direction.

199

Authors: Editorial Board

GAMTAMOKSLINIS UGDYMAS BENDROJO LAVINIMO MOKYKLOJE - 2009 XV nacionalinės mokslinės-praktinės konferencijos straipsnių rinkinys, Kėdainiai,2009 m. balandžio mėn. 24–25 d. *** NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION AT A GENERAL SCHOOL - 2008 Proceedings of the Fifteenth National Scientific-Practical Conference, Kedainiai, 24-25 April, 2009

3-4

Authors: Editorial Board

GAMTAMOKSLINIS UGDYMAS BENDROJO LAVINIMO MOKYKLOJE-2008 XIV nacionalinės mokslinės-praktinės konferencijos straipsnių rinkinys, Utena, 2008 m. balandžio mėn. 25–26 d. *** NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION AT A GENERAL SCHOOL-2008 Proceedings of the Fourteenth National Scientific-Practical Conference, Utena, 25–26 April, 2008

9-12

Authors: Nerutė Augustonytė

Environmental studies in a basic school is an essential part of the education necessary for better preparing students for independent life. The world of nature is all-in-one, that is why educating students one cannot teach only some particular environmental subjects. Environmental school programs are created to help the schools doing practical environmental activities, encourage school communities to take an active part in them, develop students’creativity. Environmental schools is an ideal program realizing a place of agenda in 21 schools. Here are seven steps how to become an environmental school: 1. Establish the school’s environmental committee; 2. Audit the school’s environment; 3. Create and realize the plan action; 4. Do the evaluation of the work; 5. Integrate environmental studies into the learning process; 6. Involve the school’s community; 7. Create the environmental statute-book. Every years the Intarnational Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) award the schools successfully working in the field of environment. Pasvalys Levens basic school has been participating in the program for 3 years (since 2005). For the environmental work the school has been awarded with the International Green flags twice.

17-20

Authors: Irina Barabanova

Modern school is made of constant changes, experiments, approbation of various teaching methods and forms. There is a constant change of educational content and educational process. These changes are determined by the development of science, society and the need for information and communication technologies, therefore the requirements for the teacher and school itself are increasing. The appearance of information and communication technologies appropriately is supposed to change the methods of teaching and education, as the existing methods do not substitute the needs of new generation neither in their content nor in their dynamism. Work at school is a content creation. Biology is very interesting and dynamic science. The biology teacher has to be the first who leads his students and make the first step. The possibilities of using IT in contemporary school. The success of the lesson where IT is used depends upon the wish of the teacher to enliven the lesson and increase students wish to study. This is possible preparing the presentation of 5–8 minutes introducing the material of the lesson. According to the didactics of the biology students are able to concentrate their attention up to several minutes. Therefore it is necessary to change the activities in the lesson. Due to new information and communication technologies it is possible to present the bigger natural variety. The material is prepared by the teacher or students themselves using the internet. Such educational material might be more extended talking in the terms of time. IT allows showing the natural processes dynamically. Computer technologies are useful preparing practical works. Conclusions: 1. Information and communication technologies used in biology lessons allow using the time of the lesson efficiently. 2. IT helps to broaden the horizon of students and increases their wish for knowledge. 3. The motivation of students is increased by using the appropriate educational material. 4. The newest information and communication technologies help to imbibe the concepts of biology easier and also to see the biological processes dynamically. 5. IT makes biology more attractive and perceivable.

27-39

Authors: Ramunė Burškaitienė

Just recently children became the subjects of law and gained some rights. Such volatile attitude towards a child, as a human who has the birthrights and is the citizen of the state, is proclaimed in a lot of different documents (Prokopčik, 2000). As it is stated in the document of “Programming child‘s rights“ (2002), everyone has to contribute to the education process, so has a child. „The free“ education releases the child from the adults‘ dependence and makes opening for the changes of adults‘ creed, habits and priorities while changing the trend of general education: education “going from a schoolmaster“ into education “going from a child“. The integration of the different things into the integral teaching/ learning process is a difficult task raised to the teacher. Besides, this process is much more complicated than the traditional way of teaching. This research aimed at revealing the integration possibilities on the basis of the analysis of child‘s rights teaching and Natural Science education contents in the aspect of “the free“ education. The methodology of the research: the analysis of the documents which regulate LR education and protection of children‘s rights, the analysis of scientific sources of information, the comparative analysis, systematic and content analysis. After summarizing the results of the research, it can be stated that success of Natural Science education and child‘s rights teaching/ learning integration depends upon teacher‘s trust in child, his free interaction with surroundings because exactly in these lessons children ventilate the themes related with the understanding of civil duty, people‘s intercultural and international relations, the use and urgency of the social security. With the view of the equal relationship between the teacher and the child, it is not enough to know/ to learn/ to get to know with the documents which regulate the human rights. Human rights and duties have to become the priority of the whole school community.

46-50

Authors: Irina Ivanova

Adaptive chemistry teaching – is the chemistry teaching, taking into account the individual characteristics of students (predominating modalities, information processing styles, different levels of knowledge), as much as possible adapting for them educational process. Stages of adaptive chemistry teaching are: 1. Diagnosing predominating modalities, information processing styles and level of students’ chemical knowledge etc. 2.Studying new material (in the form of frontal or group work in view of dominating modalities, information processing styles and levels of knowledge). 3. Monitoring of the quality of learning new material. 4. Correction of knowledge (getting rid of mistakes and gaps in knowledge, application of studying material, generalization and systematization of knowledge). 5. Inspection and self–appreciation. According to the above–mentioned modalities and information processing styles, we selected the most preferable methods and means of adaptive chemistry teaching. Our system will make it possible to achieve steady quality of chemistry education of students.

53-56

Authors: Birutė Katryna Krivickienė

Human spiritual values determine his relation with nature. Human ecological culture and values depend on his attitude to the world, how he communicates with an environment. Knowledge about beauty and harmony of nature takes an important role developing pupils’ values and moral. Knowledge of nature is based on lessons of various subjects and out-of-school activities. At this point of view lessons of biology, art, literature and music are especially valuable. Often children harm frogs, kick and torture them. It is necessary to know, that amphibias are very important part of nature link. We can hear the alarm – the amphibias are dying in all over the world because they can’t manage with changing environment and pollution. I chose a topic for the Art lesson “A frog – The Queen of a Meadow”. I decided to stimulate at least the respect for this cold blooded animal. The goals of this lesson were to awake a respect for amphibias, to introduce with their structure, to teach to represent experienced impressions and feelings with art measures. I brought a frog to the class. Pupils were exited about this live example. They draw a frog coming near it and exploring its eyes, how many fingers it had, what was the position of limbs. Teacher’s task is to extend the sphere of pupils’ respect and love by involving animals and plants, forests and rivers. The purpose of ecological education is a strong moral: respect and responsibility for the life, acceptable behavior and lifestyle. As every other education what upholds admitted moral standards ecological education is a very important factor of fight against criminality. Without a contact with the nature we can not educate a child. Even Plato said “Punish the child who killed a bug because this is the beginning of a murder”.

66-69

Authors: Elona Činikienė, Loreta Levanauskienė

The purpose of the project is to reveal peculiarities of ecological education at preschool institution and introduce the project „The nature is one of the most powerful elements of education“. The preschool age is extremely important for becoming a person as well as being sociable. Rapid physical growth, intensive development of psychical functions influence child‘s sensitivity and vulnerability. It is necessary to say that during this preschool age basics of child‘s personality are formed and they rarely change later. The nature is inexaustible reservoir of psychic and physical perfection. Anywise, children come into contact with nature. Particularly interesting and diversified world of nature awakes life interest and curiosity of child, as well as gives incentives to play, work or create something artistic. However, child does not properly understand some things while communicating with nature independently. Besides, positive relationship with flora, fauna or inanimate nature is not always formed too. Moreover, ecological education can be determined as child‘s physical features training. Forming skills how to protect nature is also very important procedure during the education process. For this reason, the relationship between child and nature should be organized purposefully. What is more, this relationship should be consistently managed in order to apply eco-logical knowledge in practise in elder preschool age. The purpose of the project is to reveal peculia-rities of ecological education during the process of environment recognition in elder preschool age.

74-77

Authors: Ina Kytrienė, Janina Morkevičienė

Our school has been taking part in the programme of Ecological schools for four years. We have been trying to interest our students in ecological problems. We have taught how to sort out waste, we have stimulates our students to use an ecological vehicle – bicycle. Students made Christmas trees from paper, bags, waste. Students have learn to apply their knowledge and abilities to solve every day problems. We have involved our students families into our ecological projects.

82-86

Authors: Rita Nekrošienė

Importance of environmental education is more and more often stressed. Educational paths must be considered one of the main means of this sphere, as they could help to harmonize the relationship between nature and society. Babrungas community of families „Tėviškė“ in cooperation with various environmental and scientific institutions, botanical gardens implemented some projects. One of the aim of such projects was to create Nature cognitive path in Jodėnai village. The young people of the community participated in environmental educational programme „Green School“, in summer camp „Natural science lessons in grange“ and others. All these activities have a positive influence for environmental knowledge of the children.

93-98

Authors: Danutė Plytnykienė

Pre-school children are interested in everything starting with one’s surroundings; moreover, they are amazed by natural phenomena, flora and fauna. While studying nature children learn to concentrate, sense, absorb, solve problems and develop critical thinking skills. Observation, experiments, tests and research comprise an active practise during which children get the basic knowledge about nature, learn how to adapt to changing environment, become more flexible and learn the basics of ecological culture. Pre-school children sense in an ensemble way. When children observe objects and phenomenon in their environment, they recognise them, connect them altogether, solve problems using their experience and choose problem-solving ways that they already know or think of new methods. Children study while experimenting in nature, they can predict the outcomes of experiments, they get more experienced, they create and test various ways of experiments. Researching helps children to intellectualise, express their ideas, cooperate, express and share their experience. The first picture shows the amplitude of a child’s performance. Every child performs in an individual way and it depends on a child’s personality, interests, likings and experience. The second picture presents the environment that stimulates nature study. It is based on basic didactic principles. The third picture illustrates the development of nature study.

107-111

Authors: Laima Railienė

Training process is organized with the help of lesson and a non lesson, school and after school forms. The unit of this process is a lesson. Didactic lesson‘s unit is closer connected with the main teaching activities. Teaching methods are one of the main pedagogical – both theory and practice – questions that are being discussed. Method, as a means of creation, can be expressed by other terms – style, fashion, genre, direction. Such method meaning is closer to a pedagogical reality – everybody works similarity, but in a different way. Nowadays teaching method is more often counted with the training system, style, technology emphasizing its total. Teaching methods are increasing. One of such teaching methods is school debates, which can be used successfully in natural science teaching. They teach students to cooperate, to analyze the theme deeply and versatily, to think independently, to discuss or check up their knowledge in practice. There are very similar topics in physics, chemistry, geography and biology subjects school programs, so it is possible to analyze them using integration and debates.

113-118

Authors: Laimutė Salickaitė-Bunikienė, Andrej Rožkov, Justinas Teišerskas, Ana Diadiūra, Irena Stankevičienė

The text describes different approaches to integrate information technologies (IT) into the teaching process of chemistry in the secondary school in order to raise teachers’ competence and students’ motivation. The project MuseumsScouts – a part of Socrates Comenius 2.1 program – as well as the software EVOLUTION – an essential tool of the project – are introduced. The educological idea of the project in the context of the active involvement of museums is discussed. Museums serve as a database of valuable and easily accessible information. EVOLUTION represents an environment to create multimedia (including video, animation, audio) presentations as a result of a team work of teachers and students. Presentations are virtually intercombined under the topic of water preservation or other relevant subject. Presentations are accessible via internet with passwords, thus, enabling teacher to supervise the presentation creation process being conducted in any appropriate distant place. Presentations are introduced to classes during lessons or the informal learning. Authors analyze possible results of the integration of IT into chemistry classes as an innovative way to improve the teaching process at secondary schools.

123-128

Authors: Ramunė Vėželytė

While travelling one gets acquainted with the surrounding world, finds places unseen before. In travels and trips we discover unknown and most secret parts of our soul. Our soul invites us to be curious, to pry, to look for new things and to poke around asking numerous questions. Trips give us capacities of noticing, admiring, analysing, recognising, enjoying, marvelling and making an attitude of mind. Within the period of 2007–2008, I have created and at present I am implementing the preschool children group project “The World of Nature in Child’s Artistic Self–expression”. Trips are among the priorities of the project. As an educator’s aim is not only to create proper conditions for children to be curious but also to be active within the nature (i. e. to observe, wonder, analyse, experiment and search actively for information on the surroundings), it is important that the personal experience should be immediately expressed on the sheet of paper. The aim of the trips involved in the project is to make children to observe, discover and express by artistic means the relations between the human beings, the nature and the surrounding urban area. In this article I present a most successfully efficient component of the project – the excursion to Belmontas stud farm of police horses. At that day children were observing horses, were touching and stroking them. The children also discussed, studied horses and spoke to the horse–handlers. Then the children also had an opportunity to watch the horse riders ‘training in the drill–hall. In conclusion it should be said that children living in urban areas get the largest proportion of knowledge about animals from literature, TV, movies and other means of media. Therefore, the trips and excursions make an essential influence on their knowledge of live nature, art, observation, active attitude and communication.

131-142

Authors: Margarita Vilkonienė, Vincentas Lamanauskas

Recently, competencies have become a priority area of discussions. Acquiring appropriate competencies in higher school is a guarantee of successful pedagogical work. Therefore, accurate defining of competencies as well as their content and structure is very important. It should be taken into consideration that the majority of competencies gained during studies at university level will be developed in comprehensive schools i.e. achieving competencies is not a finalized process as it lasts long – the whole time of active pedagogical activities. For example, such teachers’ strengths as the ability to individualize educational content, the ability to teach how to learn and communicate with other people, the ability to purposefully apply the learning strategy and different methods in the teaching / learning process for collaboration purposes, the ability to apply varying methods evaluating students’ achievements and progress in the educational process etc. are absolutely crucial points. The content of competencies revealed that the experts from different countries highlighted the same elements of competencies using various methods of combining them into certain units. The content of individual competencies includes components that in terms of semantics reach the notional framework of other competencies. Science teacher’s competence to be a teacher should be confirmed by his / her gained knowledge, developed abilities and formed value-based orientation. These are the main points to be considered discussing competencies necessary for teachers of sciences. A summary of the findings of the carried out research reveals the possibility of modeling a list of competencies of an ideal science teacher organizing the educational process on the basis of the principles of constructivistic teaching / learning. It is clear that complete unification will hardly be reached; moreover, the latter project is not aimed at achieving these objectives. This principled and weighty question should be seriously considered in common European space. Such a need directly reflects the problems of today’s school. Novelties and financial support are received and information communication technologies should improve students’ abilities in schools; however, research carried out at national and international level in different countries show that not all learners improve their results. The tendency that the results achieved by the teachers using modern technologies in the classroom are worse can be noticed. The teachers of sciences are not always effective users of ICT as they frequently feel lack of competencies in this field. Nevertheless, students’ involvement in sciences is tendentiously decreasing (in the classes of upper-secondary school in particular), there is shortage of attractive science teaching and learning material etc. based on reality-based problems and ICT. Therefore, a baseless thing is an over-focus on teacher’s competencies linked with modern ICT. In this case, researcher’s competence remains one of the most important points. The ability to plan, organize and conduct various investigations involving students is certainly one of the most important competencies. Natural sciences have been, are and carry on staying an experimental area. The process of science education, which is too much theoretical and remote from reality, determined the situation that the interest in sciences and technologies reached a very low level in developed countries.

148-154

Authors: Janis Gedrovics, Gunita Praulite, Janis Butins

An understanding of ergonomics is incorporating into the school practice and together with it increased attention is being turned to such terms as work safety and labor protection. At the same time great focus is put on such basic categories of ergonomics as efforts and work and concepts connected with it such as working environment, working posture and so forth. To obtain the relevant knowledge on these issues in a more successful way a range of experimental options taken from natural sciences’ subjects as physics and biology are offered, especially options from the course of anatomy and human physiology. The experiments discussed in the article are simple and in principle available for any reader and are also accepted by students with interest. As these experiments in general are derived from the courses of anatomy and human physiology they can be used in two ways – directly in the lessons of human physiology and also in extracurricular activities of interest groups as well as like a method for project activities a.o. If the above mentioned natural science experiments are combined with explanations and descriptions on ergonomic aspects of work in general, not only the view of students would broaden but they would also obtain some skills in organizing their working environment. And that in its turn would enhance the socialization process of students which is one of the main aims in the teaching of youth.

160-164

Authors: Vera Kapranova, Natalia Sukhankina

In present time chemistry is take up a central academic discipline in the natural science. Recognized the enormous practical meaningfulness of chemistry in the creation new materials and technologies, it necessary permanently underline cognitive and cultural role chemical science in contemporary civilization. Science and education are interconnected narrowly. This is expressed in science textbooks on separate chemical discipline. Graduating students of the university able to work as in science so in education sphere, technology or in administration sphere. The most effective reports multilevel education model of chemical education: general training of admission basic courses, special training courses and strictly specialized courses in type of independent scientific work.

169-173

Authors: Aivars Krons

Methods of visual physics education and thesis are discussed in this manuscript. Specific elements of visual education, development and implementation methods are mentioned as well. The concepts of visual physics, models, its methods of teaching and presentation, and their interrelations are emphasized. Some educational problems in physics in Latvia are mentioned as well. The structure is implemented using visual physics course navigation methods.

179-187

Authors: Todar Lakhvich, Olha Leganykova, Volga Traunikava

Various aspects of implementation of formal-logic schemes in the framework of continuous science (i.a. chemistry) education are discussed. The special attention is given to psychological acceptability of such kind of modeling for different stages of Science education, in particular for pre- and primary school. The study is based on new highly effective educational technology (Condensed Visualization Technology - CVT) which introduces chemistry information within the academic process in condensed form. The latter interconnects with modeling and visualization techniques. The basic unit of CVT includes condensed theoretical part based on the original technology: successive introduction of condensed chemical information according to following: formal-logic schemes Formal-abstract chemical schemes  Formal-subject chemical schemesBasic Chemistry Information. We consider CVT formalization is acceptable both for high school and University students, and finally for primary school pupils, and psychologically the latter corresponds the “commix”-type of mentality familiar to recent generation. Authors consider, that psycho -physiological and socio-cultural adaptation of pupils can be provided, by institutional vertical interaction between different educational levels which should imply the system of semantic subunits for chemical language which correspond the formulae and some other formal-logic schemes. The latter form a propaedeutic background followed by successive study of systematic Chemistry courses.

192-195

Authors: Eduard Zlotnikov

In this resume we have considered the possibilities to form propaedeutical experimental chemistry competence of the future chemistry teacher in the process of teaching in pedagogical high school in the context of special laboratory practice "Introduction to chemical experimental activity". The main objectives of propaedeutical training: forming of competence in equipping of school chemistry laboratory; mastering of theoretical basic foundations of chemical experiment; training of chemical experimental competences of the future chemistry teacher in the field of school chemical experiment; incorporation in organization work of laboratory assistant in the chemistry laboratory; adjustment of organization and conducting abilities of practical chemistry lessons provided by chemistry syllabuses for secondary general education school. There are nine modules in the table of contents: introduction; structure and equipment of chemistry laboratory in the secondary school; laboratory equipment of chemistry laboratory; chemical agents and its purposes; technique of the main laboratory procedures; preparation of the equipment for chemical experiment to the lessons; practical chemistry lessons for secondary school students; working with projecting equipment, computer techniques and machine-computing techniques in school chemistry laboratory; organization of laboratory assistant’s work in the chemistry laboratory.