Gamtamokslinis ugdymas / Natural Science Education

4-8

Authors: Eleonora Melnik

Problems of ecological education of school students exist and therefore among active part of teachers and experts in the field of environmental protection, there is a search of such methods and ways of education which could promote more active involvement of youth in the process of the world cognition. The modern idea of the new environment and the human as genetically determined integrity, in public consciousness of the younger generation, is for the present in a formation stage. Development of a new style of the relations of human being with the nature is based not only on the interrelation of various knowledge, but also is guided by certain instructions, norms, examples of behaviour and activity, various beliefs implanted in modern society. Thus, the ecological view of the nature is a sublimated and conscious way of the person who passed from an understanding of the general world order through awareness of the features of real time to the specifics of the present, in the future.

23-34

Authors: Violeta Šlekienė, Loreta Ragulienė

Science education is based on knowledge of natural sciences, such as biology, chemistry, physics and astronomy. One of the main tasks of natural science education – to be able to discover the connection between the natural science subjects, and to understand the nature processes and phenomena. Interdisciplinary science education emphasizes in general programs of basic and secondary education. Educational practice and research shows that not all science subjects’ teachers are equally prepared to use interdisciplinarity in their lessons. This analysis focuses on the searching of interdisciplinary links by experimentally exploring the phenomenon of photosynthesis. The process of photosynthesis was selected as one of the most important phenomena of nature, known and understandable for all students at different levels. In order to reveal and highlight the essential integration links of photosynthesis three stages research (an experimental exploring of photosynthesis, a semi-structured interview survey, graph-tree drawing) was carried out. Graph-tree of photosynthesis revealed as content of physics, chemistry and biology subjects are linked by integrative relations. Quite wide and deep interdisciplinary links of photosynthesis process was discerned: knowledge of each subject needed in order to properly understand and master the process of photosynthesis was shown; the main components of photosynthesis process were excluded and aspects of the development of the concept have been provided.

42-55

Authors: Edson Rodrigues Santana, Agnaldo Arroio

This analysis highlights the relevance of the nature of science (NoS) approach in a community of practice (CoP) with the use of film resources. This approach was created to develop a training course for science teachers who teach in basic education. The course took place in 2012 at the Faculty of Education at the University of São Paulo. The results show significant participation and involvement of teachers with both the theme of the nature of science and the interest growing in it for teaching purposes. The data acquisition was performed with the recording and transcription of the involvement of five teachers.

4-6

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

It is obvious, that collaboration plays an increasing role among science and mathematics teachers. It is quite useful if different ideas on science and mathematics teaching are shared among teachers. Teachers have better opportunities to experience collaboration. The collaborative process supports the transdisciplinarity of science and mathematics teaching. Teachers are able to develop an understanding of how mathematics and science concepts can be taught in creative, playful and effective way. The project MaT²SMc is implemented in the frame of EU Lifelong Learning Programme. The main idea of the project is to find a way to increase students' motivation to learn in the key subjects mathematics and science. From one side, mathematics teachers should understand that there is a meaningful and realistic context to use mathematics. From the other side, science teachers should understand that the mathematics competences required for more effective science teaching and learning. In such a context the collaboration of science and mathematics teachers is very relevant. Currently it is obvious that mathematics and natural science teachers‘ collaboration on integration purposes at school is limited by some factors. Collaboration of mathematics and natural science teachers should be expanded, for this purpose, it is necessary to create all necessary conditions and didactic providing (support). It is obvious, that collaboration of mathematics and science teachers is important for improvement of quality of natural science education.

17-22

Authors: Daiva Saladžiuvienė, Vaida Bureikienė

Does learning more about trees teaches a child to preserve them better? Lithuania is a land of forests. We simply cannot imagine our lives without trees and grasslands. They play a huge role in our lives and they are vital to nature in general. The experience of an educator, being able to observe children‘s day-to-day activities, has proven that the relationship between a nowadays child and nature is quite problematic. Not only do they not know much about it, sometimes they can become harmful to nature. Children like to play in a meadow, pick flowers, but sometimes they also like to violate trees and litter. Parents don‘t always have time to tell their children about environmental protection, so they leave it to the teachers. The main goal of this project was to give children knowledge about nature, the damage people can cause upon it and, most importantly, induce children‘s love towards the world around them and a desire to cherish nature. The project continued for 4 weeks in a pre-school group (age 6-7). In the course of this project we conversed, read children literature about nature, children made rules, created little books about trees, solved crosswords, searched encyclopedias, performed experiments and took photographs of various objects outdoors. We also visited a museum of Vilnius forests and an oak grove in Dūkštai, where children picked garbage, planted seeds and had a chance to create freely. The theme of our project proved itself to be quite relevant – children gained more knowledge about the nature and understood the harm people can cause on our environment.

32-41

Authors: Urška Godler

The pupils at the Hruševec Šentjur primary school learned the German language by using iPads, applications and online interactive exercises. They learned about rooms in the house, furniture, equipment and prepositions. The goals were: to learn German words together with their articles, use prepositions and describe a house or apartment and a room, which was the final and most desired goal. All the pupils were actively engaged and motivated and managed to achieve all the set goals.

48-52

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

This review is devoted to the 20th national scientific practical conference „Natural Science Education in a Comprehensive School – 2014“. It is obvious, that this conference is devoted to topical issues of natural science education. Every year teachers from different schools of Lithuania, and also the teachers and scientists from different foreign countries attending the conference. The first national conference “Natural science education in comprehensive school” took place in Upyte, Panevezys district, Antanas Belazaras basic school. At that time, the organisers did not have a clear vision concerning the future of that conference, because that was the time when Lithuanian education “construction” was going on. The beginning was very hard – there were no finances, no support. However, there was a clear perception – this is necessary, this is important. The years passed. The second conference took place in 1996, the third in1997… and now we have 2014. Owing to colleagues and like-minded people, this conference is up to now. The 20th national scientific practical conference took place. What is more, it “grew up” – both quantitatively and qualitatively. During the mentioned period, various natural science subject, primary class teachers, pre-school education, non-formal education specialists, education managers, high school teachers, scientists and so on took part in the conference. We were learning from each other. It is obvious, that natural science and technological education success and effectiveness are determined not only by current and newly written textbooks, computers and other modern technologies, renovated school material basis, but, first of all, by education managers’ and organisers’ attitude and understanding. Equally the same understanding should also get stronger in natural science subject teachers’ consciousness. I hope, that conferences contribute significantly to this, and all participating in them, carry out a noble mission – develop natural science and technological education movement not only in Lithuania, but also outside its borders. Time is ruthless, memory is not all-powerful. We must save the memory and future education activities’ reference point. Twenty years is a certain epoch, during which a lot of changes occurred in the field of natural science and technological education. Some of the changes were that gave good results, the others – poor. However, all this is experience. A man is great and powerful in his mind; however, very often of a poor soul. He does not lack willingness and possibilities to create, however, at the same time he does not lack the willingness to destroy what has been created. Nature scientists’ worry is absolutely grounded. Today, it is not only natural education that is discussed about. It is more and more often discussed in a very broad context: natural science – technological – noospheric education. Therefore, a personal responsibility falls on us, natural science education specialists, for natural science education system creation and development. This is our primary responsibility and duty.

4-6

Authors: Eleonora Melnik

The scientific journal “Natural Science Education” discusses important questions and problems which, anyway, concern needs of improvement of quality of education in the field of natural sciences, involvement of school students and youth to receiving this knowledge. Unfortunately, in practice, of the pedagogical activity, teachers began to use more often virtual reality – information and communication technologies which open large opportunities for school education. At such approach as psychologists specify, the nature and its various components are alienated, move away from the person, are formalized. There is a process of removal of the person by nature, and its objects became simpler to be considered in the form of movies. So, it is very important to provide training of children directly into the nature. One of the numerous functions of nature reservations is educational work. It is necessary to discuss more actively possibilities of effective teaching of children in nature reservations.

14-24

Authors: Solange Locatelli, Agnaldo Arroio

This paper reports a metavisual strategy proposed for 11 high school students. The investigation consisted of ascertaining to what extent the metavisual strategy can be effective in rebuilding their previous ideas. The investigated topic consists in understanding concepts in electrochemistry involved in the initial interaction of copper (II) ions with iron atoms. For this activity was proposed to students to draw the microscopic representation of this chemical interaction and then compare their drawing with a representation presented in the study. This activity was videotaped; data were collected from their statements and transcribed for subsequent analysis. The findings seem to show that the metavisual strategy may enable the reconstruction of ideas by students, leading them to a better understanding of the phenomenon studied and could contribute towards improving learning in electrochemistry.

32-38

Authors: Irena Čerčikienė, Jolanta Jurkevičiūtė, Dalė Židonytė

Currently in mass media and advertising we often hear about the importance of living water in human daily life. You may ask, “What is living water? Is it really living? Is it alkali-ne?” The importance of water to the human body can be determined by the oxidation – reduction potential (ORP) – a parameter characterizing the ability of the matter to give and connect electrons, which can be measured not only in water but also in food and in the air. Solutions, which contain negative ORP value (e.g. alkaline ionized water), are characterized by reduction features and have the ability to neutralize free radicals and stop the signs of aging. Solutions containing positive ORP value have oxidative properties, which are typical for the alkaline ionized water, which has bactericidal properties. Thus, the ionized water has two parameters: its pH and oxidation – reduction potential, which make it different from the ordinary water. Ionized water, like the raw, unprocessed food, is considered to be the body rejuvenating agent. The basic principle, which should be followed, is to consume food and water, which contain the lowest possible negative ORP. The authors provide the research results, although, it is known that most of water tests are difficult to reproduce due to objective reasons, as water, with the gases dissolved in it, represents a very complicated balanced oxidation – reduction system. Oxidation reduction potentials of drinking and mineral water, as well as other beverages, have been studied, and the dynamics of these parameters in ionized water over time has been determined.

44-52

Authors: Eleonora L. Melnik, Alla Y. Gudym

In the process of new personal consciousness formation it is very important to under-stand the necessity of development of new public conception of the environment as a common sphere of society and nature, which means understanding the significance of sustainable development of nature and society. Extracurricular environmental education implemented in the “Vodlozersky” National park helps to promote environmental knowledge of native region and fosters development of knowledge and skills for living and working in the environment. The content of educational programmes was divided into separate topics: “Avi-fauna of Vedlozero islands”, “Predators on the swamp”, “Vodlozero lichens”, “Mushroom hunting”, “Green pharmacy” and others. As an example, we suggest one of the lessons devoted to “Avifauna of Velikostrov Island” from the topic “Avifauna of Vedlozero islands”. It took much time for schoolchildren to get the skills in birds’ identification. Teachers and schoolchildren analyzed everything they saw and heard, made conclusions, wrote down their observations. As a result of fieldwork the expedition participants have managed to learn to recognize different kinds of birds in the nature of the National park. Schoolchildren expressed special interest while getting to know the life of invertebrates of the water reservoir: “Microcosmos in a drop of water”. The integrative approach lied in combination of methods of Japanese paper art of Origami used to represent generalized image of a bird. With the help of natural materials such as dry grass, flowers, branches, soil, moss, stones, etc. schoolchildren constructed the models of biocenosis. They created a meadow and semi-aquatic lake world. In biocenosis models birds and plants made of paper were settled in their natural habitats. In painting the images of nature schoolchildren were offered to use natural materials: pollen from plants, flower petals, sand and stones. Students also showed interest to such lessons as “Epics of Vedlozero” and “Ethnography and Toponymy of Vedlozero”. On the territory of the National park there are special “marks” of the ancient ethnic group of population – vodlozery. These are commemorative trees – Karsikko. Students got to know about their origin and significance for vedlozery from conversation with the teacher on ecological trail. Knowledge acquired on these lessons allowed schoolchildren to express their creativity in making dolls – spirits of the wood and lake. To generalize knowledge about nature students of the expedition camp made a trip along the ecological trail with the length of 1420 meters. The trail lied on the landscape consisting of different biocenosis: meadows, a sector of old forest, swamp. Walking along the trail they got acquainted with new representatives of flora and fauna – forest ants, poisonous and medical plants of swamp and forest. On one of the swamp sectors there was found carnivorous plant - (Drosera rotundifolia L). Having caught small dipterous insects students managed to feed this plant and observe the process of food capturing. Experience of ecological expedition camps organization allowed teachers and scientists for the first time to realize the work with children with special needs in the wild nature. As children had vision problems of different severity the teachers developed special educational programmes for them which included maximum use of their hearing, smell and touching. It was important to teach the children to identify the sounds of nature: voice of birds, insects, rustle of grass and reeds. But they also had the trips to the world of nature. They learnt to iden-tify different kinds of plants – to feel them (touching the plants with their hands and face, palming), to recognize and remember the smell of spicy plants. For kids with mild form of visual pathology teachers tried to use all senses in working in nature but for a short period of time. Analysis of comments left by children by the end of expedition shows that they prefer communication with each other to communication with nature. In accordance with the goals set by the specialists of the National park it is necessary to implement practical lessons in nature involving schoolchildren into them in more active forms. Integration of scientific, artistic, aesthetic and humanitarian knowledge into a coherent whole for cognition of nature will allow develop sustainable motivation for nature protection among children in the future. The primary educational experience of National park specialists in working with disabled children showed that such children may have unlimited possibilities to communicate with nature.

4-6

Authors: Lyudmila Korozhneva

Development of education system in various countries is based on some definite con-cepts which form its methodological foundation. Those include systematic, activity, subject, competence, learner-centered and culturological approaches. Natural science education is one of the education areas changing much more rapidly than the others; and the directions of these changes depend on the problems comprehension and selection of approaches to their solution. Content of natural science education and the process of its learning are among the problems whose solution could facilitate students’ cognitive activity. The content of natural science education of schoolchildren is presented in the textbook “The World around Us”. There are more than ten alternative editions of textbooks recom-mended for teaching in schools nowadays. Therefore we face the need to develop a system of basic (supportive) knowledge that could enable the schoolchildren to continue their natural science learning at the next stage. The present article gives a brief characteristic of basic knowledge on the school subject. The appropriate learning process organization is vital for the basic knowledge included in the educational programs and textbooks to become the supportive means in schoolchil-dren’s activity. It should be noted that while the content of education is pre-determined, a teacher determines the process of its learning and chooses the methods of teaching. Good results in natural science education could be achieved provided that the teacher’s activity is innovative and focused on educational process improvement. Scientists and teachers search innovative ways of teacher-student interaction as well as support for student’s position as the subject of the learning process.

21-27

Authors: Laima Railienė

In a modern geography lesson it is important to use the ICT. The usage of ICT not only makes the lesson more varied, gives more information, develops students‘ skills and common competences but it also deepens students‘ skills. The Internet in geography lessons helps to make students be more interested in geogra-phy, search for information deepening knowledge from their taught theme. There are lots of Internet geography teaching devices and web sites. The article deals with the Internet teaching devices for geography and gives the exam-ple of the lesson where one of the methods is ICT.

38-47

Authors: Anatoly V. Turlov, Sergei V. Teleshov

This article presents the history of the study of various periodic processes, related to physics and chemistry. A significant contribution to the study of oscillatory processes have made by German scientists from the 19th century. Then, the initiative passed to the scientists of other countries. For a long time it was thought that the vibrational response - it's just only a figment of the imagination. The greatest scientists have denied the possibility of their existence. Unfortunately, this was due to an incorrect interpretation of the second law of thermodynamics. The situation changed dramatically after the work of А.Zhabotinsky and his colleagues. Now, the reaction of this type is called «BG-reaction». Oscillatory movements even as physics course is replaced by natural sciences, are there proper place. This article deals with the review of different types of oscillating processes on metametodic level. Mod-ern computer technologies allow graphic images of oscillatory processes. However, students need to make sense of the image according to mathematical calculations and try to make the right conclusions. Use the metametodic approach is the way to success. We are of the view that the task of the school is not to teach one or the other branch of knowledge, but to teach the scientific method.

4-6

Authors: Eleonora Melnik

In many countries the interest to natural sciences among youth declines at the same time the interest to human sciences and management of human activity increases. Educational environment reflects those transformative mechanisms which influence the real sphere of human activity. Education being a socially significant institution should respond to human needs “here and now”, keep and develop fundamental knowledge using innovative means of education. Knowledge of some areas of physics, chemistry and biology remain conservative. New industries require professionals who can integrate different knowledge. This knowledge is acquired in the process of school education and the best time is primary school period. Forms of extracurricular work: traditional clubs, inter-class associations, interest cen-ters and so on. Teachers give less preference to research of natural objects and phenomena and more preference to use of video information. This includes different presentations development of which is encouraged and widely used in primary school. New technologies should be implemented in school education but we shouldn’t substitute live communication with nature by texts and pictures from the Internet. Observation of nature being a method of classical biology is still of great value because it allows a child to identify and explore the environment and become a discoverer of the world.

18-26

Authors: Solange Locatelli, Agnaldo Arroio

The purpose of the work presented is to analyze a way to introduce the concept of geometrical isomerism within a metacognitive perspective. This research was conducted with six students from high school, whose task was to build and distinguish geometric isomers with models made of plastic balls. The results indicate that this type of activity was favorable for expression of metacognition and metavisualization and, to some extent; this may have helped the students to identify the cis and trans isomers, allowing the construction of the initial concept of geometrical isomerism. Furthermore, there was the identification of other factors that affected the development of the task, in particular, the visual skills that seem very important for the student to become metavisual.

34-43

Authors: Laima Railienė

There are various teaching styles and methods that are used in the teaching process at school. They help students to achieve personal progress in learning. But it is very important to find such teaching strategy which could give the most effective results. Geography is the most integrated subject at school. It involves nature and human. It emphasizes man‘s activity in sociocultural environment. While developing students‘ geo-graphical competence it is important to seek for the wider geographical teaching i. e. to ac-quire more theoretical knowledge, to develop practical skills and human features. Thus, it is important to develop geography and common competences. Learning is an active creative process, so a student is simulated to know things, processes, phenomenon, to develop skills. It is important to teach a student to plan his (her) activity.