Journal of Baltic Science Education

441-442

Authors: Editorial Board

Cover page

444-445

Authors: Milan Kubiatko

Active learning is a form of learning in which teaching strives to involve students in the learning process more directly than in other methods. This term has got many synonyms like learning through play, technology based learning, activity based learning, group work, project method, etc. the underlying factor behind these are some significant qualities and characteristics of active learning. The term “active learning” was introduced by the English scholar R. W. Revans. The definition was developing through time. In more detail, in active learning, students must do more than just listen: They must read, write, discuss, or be engaged in solving problems. It relates to the three learning domains referred to as knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA). In particular, students must engage in such higher-order thinking tasks as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Active learning engages students in two aspects – doing things and thinking about the things they are doing (Renkl et al., 2002). Active learning should transform students from passive listeners to active participants, helps the student understand the subject through inquiry, gathering and analyzing data to solving higher order cognitive problems. There is intensive use of scientific and quantitative literacy across the curriculum, and technology based learning is also in high demand in concern with active learning.

459-471

Authors: Mehmet Demirbağ, Sevgi Kingir

In order to reach students who can efficiently use intended scientific understandings, it is important to have science teachers without conceptual difficulties. The aim of present research is to enhance pre-service science teachers’ conceptual understanding about boiling by dialogic teaching. The sample consisted of forty-three pre-service science teachers in their first year of teacher education. Dialog-based instructional activities were conducted in a chemistry laboratory course. Audio recordings of classroom discourse and written texts were used for data collection. Pre-service science teachers’ conceptions about boiling identified before and after dialogic teaching were analyzed using content analysis.. The findings showed that dialogic teaching efficiently supported pre-service science teachers’ understanding about boiling.

500-509

Authors: Gordana Miscevic Kadijevic

Adequate mental representations of animals are important for children’s personal development, because they result in their appropriate treatment of such animals, which would not, for example, compromise either animals’ or children’s safety. By using a convenient sample of 101 six- to seven-year old children, this research examined these representations regarding animals’ names, feeding habits, body coverings, and dangerousness. The representations were assessed using a questionnaire referring to 18 animals, and the research focused on the frequency of correct responses and gender differences in these responses for each animal. It was found that whereas the naming of animals was very successful, the mental representations of animals’ feeding habits and body coverings were less mature, including some misconceptions not found in previous studies. In addition, the participants’ explanations about why animals are dangerous or harmless revealed that their mental representations about different animals were correct to a moderate degree. Finally, gender differences in the mental representations were almost missing. Some implications for school or kindergarten work with children are given (e.g., reducing misconceptions about and fear of some animals).

524-532

Authors: Stanisława Katarzyna Nazaruk, Anna Klim-Klimaszewska

The contemporary theory of learning treats pre-school instruction as the first level of early child education. The pre-school age is seen as a very important period of life. A pre-school child grasps knowledge spontaneously, naturally, in all circumstances, thus, direct learning seems to be of particular importance. It may therefore seem that children living in the village have more stimuli for direct learning about nature, developing their knowledge and skills. However, children living in the city have more access to different amenities and financial resources to develop their talents and interests. The following studies have been conducted to determine whether there is a difference in the knowledge and skills about nature in 6-year-old children regarding the place of residence. The research covered 50 children in the city and 40 children in the village. The examination consisted of two stages: the pre-test and post-test. There were used age-appropriate flash cards. During 6 months, teachers systematically introduced a direct learning project on nature in four ecosystems: a meadow, a park, a forest, a zoo. The analysis of the data gathered in the research showed that direct cognition has an impact on increasing children's knowledge and skills.

549-561

Authors: Iwan Wicaksono, Wasis, Madlazim

VS-TM refers to a teaching model that applies virtual media aided scientific approach. VS-TM is required to prepare students who are trained problem-solving process through scientific creative thinking opportunities and complete physics concept mastery. The aim of this research is to analyze the effectiveness of VS-TM to improve student’s scientific creativity and concept mastery on Senior High School physics subject. This research involves 318 students from 3 State Senior High Schools in Jember Regency, Indonesia. Pre-test and post-test scores obtained using Sign Test and Paired Sample T-test are used to analyze VS-TM impact on student’s scientific and concept mastery improvement. Such impact consistency then is observed through the calculation of n-gain achieved by each testing class using ANOVA. The research of VS-TM application on Senior High School physics subject indicates that there is a high categorized significant improvement student’s scientific creativity (n-gain > 0.7) and concept mastery (n-gain > 0.8) on physics subject, before and after VS-TM application with p-value is < 0.05 and there is not any difference between 9 testing classes with p-value is > .05.

576-591

Authors: Ana Valdmann, Jack Holbrook, Miia Rannikmae

This research examined the effectiveness of a design-based, continuous professional development (CPD) programme intended to promote teachers’ self-confidence and teaching reflection skills. The CPD was associated with teacher implementation of theoretically devised, motivational, context-based, inquiry teaching modules, based on a justified 3-stage teaching model. The CPD programme was devised from prior identification of teacher needs, using a validated teacher questionnaire (TNQ) covering subject and pedagogical content knowledge, as well as other literature-identified, desirable teaching attributes. The effectiveness of the CPD provision was determined through two approaches - by re-administering the TNQ at the end of the programme and identifying significant self-confidence gains through application of the K-means clustering technique, and was also by the range of teacher reflections in, on and for action, provided by teachers after using modules in their teaching. Each teacher’s reflections were qualitatively grouped, based on comments made during a semi-structured interview about the teaching, opinions on students’ learning and attitudinal outcomes. Findings suggested a strong correlation between teaching confidence gained from the CPD programme and the range of identified types of reflective skills mentioned during the interview, which provided the depth of feedback related to classroom teaching in implementing the modules.

599-611

Authors: Mustafa Akilli, Murat Genç

It is well known affective, cognitive and psychomotor factors have positive effects on science learning process. All these factors have interaction between themselves. So it is important to research what is the size and direction of these interactions. The aim of this research is to analyze the effects of value, attitude and self-efficacy on active learning strategies and classroom activities using Structural Equation Model. The research was conducted by the analysis of students’ answers to questionnaires data using Structural Equation Modelling. Initially KMO and Bartlett’s tests were done to test appropriateness of scale to factor analysis. Then theoretical structural model was tested using LISREL. At the end of the SEM test, it was found that there are positive effects of selected affective factors on learning strategies and classroom activities.

281-282

Authors: Editorial Board

Cover page

284-288

Authors: Konstantinos Ravanis

The last twenty-five years have seen an increase in the development of an area of educational research and implementation which is known internationally as Early Childhood Science Education. In fact, this is a broad framework within which different theoretical trends coexist with corresponding research orientations and fields of teaching applications. These trends converge in an effort to study the mechanisms of initiation of children aged 4-8 years into the properties of the materials and objects and into the phenomena and concepts of Natural Sciences.

300-307

Authors: Naciye Somuncu Demir, Pelin Aksüt, Dündar Yener, Fatih Aydın, Özge Subaşı, Hilal Fidan, Mehmet Aygün

The purpose of research is to examine the changes in attitudes towards astronomy following alternative astronomy education among pre-service teachers with different cognitive styles. Accordingly, it was thought to be appropriate to use pre-and post-test control group design among the experimental designs. The sample of the study included 4th year students at Abant İzzet Baysal University Department of Science Teaching during 2015-2016 spring term (N=64). In the treatment group, a process enriched with activity-based astronomy practices was followed, while the control group used a 12-week program designed as consistent with the program developed by Higher Education Council. The results seem to evidence that at undergraduate level there is an urgent need to intensify the efforts, education and practices that focus on increasing the levels of attitudes towards astronomy regardless of cognitive styles and on transferring these attitudes to skill areas and these kinds of studies need to be encouraged and extended.

324-336

Authors: Tereza Horáková, Milan Houška, Ludmila Dömeová

Modern educational methods emphasize the necessity to transfer knowledge instead of data or information within the educational process. Thus it is important to the educational texts supporting the educational process contain knowledge in a particular textual representation. But it is not trivial to decide whether the particular piece of text contain knowledge or not. The solution is to measure the similarity between the particular text structure and a typical structure of a knowledge-designed text. This research aims at analysing the classification ability of three commonly-used classification techniques: artificial neural networks (ANNs), classification and regression trees (CARTs) and decision trees (bigMLs) to separate texts or text fragments into two groups. The texts in the first group contain mainly data and information (common texts), the texts in the other group contain knowledge in one of the particular knowledge representations (knowledge texts). The sample of 120 text fragments was used for the analysis. The results show that the ANN techniques are significantly more able to make the right classification of the text than the CART or bigML ones, and evidence good classification abilities. Thus the ANN approach could broaden the set of methods used for evaluation of difficulty of educational texts or textbooks.

350-365

Authors: Nilay Şener, Erol Taş

The aim of this research is to develop a guide material prepared according to Purdue Model for the ‘The Let's Solve the Puzzle of Our Body’ unit in the 5th grade Science class at secondary school and to research the effects of this guide material on students’ creative thinking. For this purpose, the research was carried out by using the quasi experimental model, with pre-test and post-test control groups. Experimental application was carried out with 43 experimental group and 44 control group students, in total 87 students in Turkey. While in the experimental group applications were carried out based on the Purdue Model, in the control group the course was taught according to the activities stated in 2013 Ministry of National Education Science Curriculum in Turkey. The data of the research were collected using Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Verbal Form A-B and Figural Form A-B. As a result of the research, it was determined that verbal and formal creative thinking levels of the experimental group and the control group students were significantly different in favour of the experimental group students. On the basis of the results obtained from this research, some suggestions have been made to the educators and future researchers.

379-394

Authors: Nyet Moi Siew, Ruslan Mapeala

This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of Thinking Maps (TM)-aided Problem-based Learning (PBL) teaching method (TM-PBL) on motivation towards science learning among Fifth Graders. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test non-equivalent control group design was employed to measure students’ motivation towards science learning (SMTSL) in motivational factors of self-efficacy, active learning strategies, science learning value, performance goal, achievement goal, and learning environment stimulation. The sample consisted of 270 Fifth Graders aged 11 years old. The students were randomly selected and assigned to TM-PBL (n=90), PBL (n=90), and Conventional Problem Solving (CPS) (n=90) teaching groups. The SMTSL questionnaire was administered prior to and after each intervention. A MANCOVA was conducted on the post-test measures of motivation using the students’ pre-test as the covariates. The result indicated that students taught via the TM-PBL teaching method gained significantly higher levels than their counterparts from the PBL group in Self-efficacy, Active learning strategies, Achievement Goal and Learning environment stimulation. Likewise, students taught via the TM-PBL teaching method gained significantly higher levels than their counterparts from the CPS group in all motivational factors. The findings suggest that the Thinking Maps-aided Problem-Based Learning method is effective in improving motivation towards science learning among Fifth Graders.

414-428

Authors: Hakki Kadayifci

Science lecturers usually do not pay special attention to giving students the chance to evaluate persistent unexpected experimental findings that they cannot explain with their existing theories, propose alternative hypotheses and develop new theories in inquiry tasks at schools, despite the importance of these processes in scientific discoveries. Students’ reactions to this type of findings have been a subject for conceptual change studies that new theories were presented to explain the findings. This research, in contrast, examined students’ ways of interpreting their unexpected experimental findings about the molar mass of the sulfur element while hiding a new theory, and their barriers to discovering the scientific explanation of these findings, which is new to them, in the framework of the creativity paradigm. The research was conducted with 155 first-year undergraduate students who were enrolled in a chemistry laboratory course. A majority of the participants said that the unexpected findings might have resulted from experimental errors or methodical problems. Few students stated that these findings might be valid and have a new explanation. The barriers to students' discovery of new scientific explanation for findings were classified as: lack of pre-knowledge, obstacles of existing structures, failure of creative cognitive processes and social-personal blocks.

438-441

Authors: Editorial Board

End page, JBSE, Vol. 16, No. 3, 2017

141-142

Authors: Editorial Board

Cover page

144-147

Authors: Uladzimir Slabin

Strictly speaking, knowledge for every object in educational Universe is limited by ignorance or, in other words, these two components co-exist. However, pedagogy primarily deals with knowledge, its acquisition and retention. It ignores the ignorance, leaving it as a subject for a more generic science of psychology. Similarly, atomic nuclei in real Universe are a subject for a more generic science of physics, being only slightly studied in chemistry. To research on knowledge is by far easier than on ignorance, same as chemical research involving mere electron shells is easier than physical research targeting atomic nuclei.

163-174

Authors: Tülay Şenel Çoruhlu

There has been various researchers focus on “heat transfer". "Convection, radiation and conduction" discussed as mere elements of the wider object of analysis in these research. Given the lack of sufficient emphasis on conduction in solids, no cross age research conducted with pre-service science teachers supported by drawings, interviews, and open-ended questions could be found. Employing a cross-age design, this research determined pre-service science teachers' (PSTs’) conceptions in the "conduction of heat in solid". The sample group of the research consists of 257 PSTs (first year student-n=55; second year student-n=76, third year student-n=56, and fourth year student-n=70) selected from Department of Science Education in Fatih Faculty of Education at the Karadeniz Technical University in the city of Trabzon in Turkey. Conceptual understanding test and semi-structured interview were used in the data collection process. The test including two questions was administered to 257 PSTs from different years. Semi-structured interview including one question was conducted with 16 voluntary PSTs (4 students from each grade level). The research found that PSTs had difficulties in terms of describing and showing the movement of the particles of solid under the impact of heat. In the light of the findings, it can be suggested that animations should be used to the teaching of the movement of the particles under the impact of heat.

188-198

Authors: Hui-Min Chien

In Taiwan, the Science Volunteer Locomotive (SVL) Program has been in operation for the past ten years. During these years of its implementation, the SVL Program has continued to participate in and co-ordinate various national scientific activities. This study examined the relationships between volunteers’ prime motivations, self-directed learning and satisfaction among Taiwanese science volunteers. To explore volunteers’ perspectives on their involvement in science service, in this research, we developed three questionnaires to investigate the relationships among volunteers’ motivation, self-directed learning and satisfaction with their science service. The study sample included 289 volunteers, taken from a project for science volunteers run by the Ministry of Science and Technology in Taiwan. The results indicate that the prime motivations and self-directed learning of science volunteers are focused on doing something meaningful for others and for society in general. It was found that the science volunteers’ motivation, self-directed learning and satisfaction all had significant positive correlations. The findings suggest that science training programs may provide some motivational support to enhance satisfaction, so that science volunteers will be more inclined to participate in collaborative scientific projects.

207-217

Authors: Meng-Fei Cheng, Jang-Long Lin, Shih-Yin Lin, Chi-Ho Cheng

This research explores how scaffolding students’ reflections on scientific modeling criteria influence the students’ views on scientific models, development of explanatory models, and understanding of scientific models. This research recruited treatment groups and comparison groups in middle schools and high schools. The treatment groups adopted a modeling curriculum that was intended to help students engage in scientific modeling by developing scientific models of magnetism while considering scientific modeling criteria. The comparison groups used the traditional curriculum, which offers students scientific models of magnetism. The results show that the modeling curriculum enhanced the students’ views on scientific models and the students’ ability to develop explanatory models of magnetism and modeling criteria. Thus, the findings indicate that the modeling curriculum might serve as a promising tool to facilitate teaching scientific modeling to middle school and high school students, and that the curriculum should be promoted as early as middle school.

228-240

Authors: Syuhendri Syuhendri

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of conceptual change learning approach based on conceptual change model over traditional instruction on the improvement of physics education undergraduate students’ conceptual understanding in Newtonian mechanics. A quasi experimental research method with pre-test and post-test control group design was employed. The sample chosen based on purposive technique sampling comprising of 73 students was in two groups selected randomly each as experimental and control group. Predict-Observe-Explain-Apply (POEA) and using Conceptual Change Texts (CCT) strategies were implemented in the experimental group. The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) in Indonesian was used to collect data before and after treatments. The results show that the conceptual understandings of students who were taught using strategies under conceptual change approach was significantly better than those of the traditional approach. The research confirmed that only learning based on conceptual change model could improve learners’ Newtonian mechanics conceptual understanding.

250-265

Authors: Uladzimir Slabin, Vasili Krasitski

Chemical eponyms possess important didactic and axiological potential that can be utilized for implementation of the principles of humanization and historicism manifested in national educational standards. This study focused on students’ knowledge and views of eponyms in the light of history of science. 22 general chemistry students of Belarusian State University, 131 students of general and 119 students of organic chemistry of University of Oregon, all different majors, were surveyed on their knowledge and views of eponyms using a 24-item online questionnaire. Mann-Whitney coefficients were calculated to establish significant differences and Pearson chi-square test was applied to find correlations. It was found that students’ knowledge and views of eponyms are defined mostly by major: students majoring in teaching chemistry showed higher knowledge and expressed more positive views of eponyms than those majoring in non-teaching, non-chemistry and especially non-science. Other factors include students’ learning experience and study intensiveness. While didactic potential of eponyms is utilized anyway, utilization of their axiological potential depends on instructor’s willingness and mastery and should not be exaggerated as vehicles for the principles of humanization and historicism.

278-280

Authors: Editorial Board

End page, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2017, JBSE

1-2

Authors: Editorial Board

Cover page

4-6

Authors: Todar Lakhvich

The initial period of Science was almost completely empirical. Both Science itself and Science Education were based on the experiment. Then Science gained the new paradigm which was rather formal by nature and fundamental in methodological meaning. Still the tool for interconversion between the empiric and theoretical moieties seems to be the core point of the consideration and can be associated with the problem of modeling, which is one of the most important in modern Science. Earlier we postulated (Lakhvich, Kostareva, Lehankova, 2009; Lakhvich, 2010) that adequate modelling and visualization in particular is to be the core element for the modern Educational model and paradigm for Science. A great number of publications, devoting to the problem, confirm dramatically its relevance. Still the discussion in many aspects manifested the initial stage of the recognition, models mostly being discussed in terms of object recognition and computational modeling.

20-31

Authors: Guntay Tasci, Halil Yurdugul

This research applied the learning strategies to predict in an effect longitudinal growth of cognitive structure of students in biology. The aim of the research is to assess the effect of activating learning strategies on cognitive structures regarding biology. The research was conducted by using control group design. The sample of research was composed of 60 prospective teachers randomly assigned to the experimental and the control groups. The longitudinal data were collected every 2 weeks and 4 times in total considering the concept maps. The data were quantitatively analysed in terms of the number of concepts, connections and central concepts. Latent growth modelling (LGM) was used to analyse change in cognitive structure over time. The findings suggested that the experimental group did better in cognitive structure than the control group in terms of forming connections and central concepts. Accordingly, teaching students self-regulated learning strategies and providing support in the written material to activate the strategies influence the development of cognitive structure in a positive way in terms of the extent and the integration. Therefore, activation of the use of self-regulated learning strategies in the teaching are thought to contribute to the learning of biology.

43-55

Authors: Hasan Bakırcı, Muammer Çalık, Salih Çepni

The aim of the present research was to explore the effect of the Common Knowledge Construction Model (CKCM)-oriented education on sixth grade students' views on the Nature of Science (NOS) and to compare it with the existing learning model (5Es learning model). The research was conducted with a total of 76 students (38 by 38--for experimental and control groups) in 2013-2014 school year. Within a quasi-experimental research design, the Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire (VNOS) and the Student Interview on the Nature of Science Aspects (SINOSA) were used for data collection. Quantitative data from the VNOS were exposed to independent t-test while qualitative data from the interview protocol were analyzed using content analysis. Results of pre-test and pre-interview denoted that both groups properly constructed ‘empirical’ aspect of the NOS while the other aspects of the NOS were naïve and transitional levels. After the intervention, it was found that the control group’s views of the NOS, except for the empirical aspect, were transitional level whilst those of the experimental group were informed level. Further, it was elicited that the experimental group performed the highest change in ‘imaginary and creative’ aspect of the NOS.

64-76

Authors: Kinga Orwat, Paweł Bernard, Anna Migdał-Mikuli

Reactions in aqueous solutions are an important part of chemistry education. As experience shows, they are particularly difficult for students to understand. Hydrolysis is one such reaction. It occurs in organic and inorganic compounds with either covalent and ionic structures, but salt hydrolysis is a special example. Salt hydrolysis is complex, and to understand it, students must consider the reaction equilibrium, dissociation process, and acid-base properties of reactants and products. Additionally, in the upper-secondary-school curriculum, hydrolysis is described only qualitatively, which can lead students to misinterpret hydrolysis and solution equilibrium. In this study, 235 upper-secondary-school students answered questions about the acidity of common salt solutions and tried to justify their responses by writing appropriate chemical equations. An analysis of the answers revealed the students’ alternative conceptions and misconceptions. The character of the misconceptions showed that they are school-based and largely caused by excessive simplification of the process as well as the usage of inappropriate analogies.

86-99

Authors: Hakan Kör, Hasan Erbay, Melih Engin, Emre Dünder

Lifelong learning can be defined as all of the activities which aim to develop an individual’s skills, knowledge and abilities, socially, individually and professionally. Previous research on lifelong learning has been about using computers, digital competence and the correlation between demographic characteristics and intelligence. However, only one scale was used in this research, and, in general, only scores for demographic characteristics and lifelong learning were compared. In this research, the correlation between distance-learning students’ attitudes to technology, their frequency of use of smartphones and their attitudes to lifelong learning were examined. Reliability studies were carried out prior to the study and the Turkish adaptations of the scales published in international journals were administered with permission. The study sample consisted of 881 students studying in 12 different units of Hitit University: six Vocational Schools, four Faculties and two Graduate Schools. The data were analysed by creating a structural equation model on the open source R analysis program. According to the research results, there was a significant correlation between the three scales, and the correlation between the ‘lifelong learning’ scores and the ‘frequency of of smartphone usage’ scores was greater than the ‘technology attitudes’ scores.

113-122

Authors: Eser Ültay

In recent years, while the context-based approach has been popular and the teachers have been using it in the classrooms, it is seen that they do not prefer using context-based evaluation techniques. This becomes a problem for students because they used to be taught in the context-based approach enriched by daily life examples and then they are measured by paper and pencil tests. From this point of view, the aim of this research was to examine the ability of the pre-service physics teachers creating context-based problem about pressure. A case study approach was used to answer the research questions. The research was carried out in a university on the north coast of Turkey. Participants were 25 pre-service physics teachers between 20-24 ages. Pre-service teachers were firstly taught the context-based approach and then to write context-based problems. In data collection process, they prepared context-based problems and they were evaluated by a rubric consisting six criteria and three categories. After data analysis, it was found that pre-service teachers remained in the middle level in terms of creating context-based problems. In undergraduate or graduate programs, pre-service teachers and teachers should be informed about the context-based approach and context-based evaluation techniques so that they can effectively use them.

140

Authors: Editorial Board

End page

657-658

Authors: Editorial Board

Cover page, Vol. 15, No. 6, 2016, JBSE

660-661

Authors: Raffaele Pisano

A long tradition concerning the causes of the planetary movements existed as to the movements on the earth: the so called problem de motu locali. Starting from late middle Ages many criticisms were carried out against the Aristotelian doctrine of natural and violent motions. A well accredited and historically coherent theory to explain the movement and the change of movement was the medieval theory of impetus substantially developed by Jean Buridan (ca. 1300–ca. 1360) and by Nicolas d’Oresme (1320? 1325?–1382) on the basis of ideas that came back to John Philoponus (490–570).

680-692

Authors: Cem Gerçek, Özgür Özcan, Nihan Ocak, Çise Ferhat, Sevgi Berberoğlu, Elif Çakır, Nuri Doğan, Kürşat Çağıltay

Smoking is the source of fundamental health problems. Activities have been organised throughout the world so that smokers and non-smokers do not encounter smoking-related health problems in society. One such activity is the combined health warnings designed to be printed on cigarette packets. The warnings on cigarette packets are considered as an instrument of education to develop the desired attitudes in individuals by improving their knowledge of health. This research aims to evaluate the effects of 14 combined health warnings printed on cigarette packets on smokers and non-smokers. This is a descriptive research, and it employs a correlation model. The research group was composed of 57 individuals participating in the research on the basis of volunteering. The data were collected through eye-tracking and by means of two forms. According to the findings, the combined warnings on cigarette packets were moderately influential and they were remembered at low levels. It was also found that the participants were familiar with the combined warnings on cigarette packets and that they avoided the warnings. These results demonstrate that the warnings should be re-evaluated by taking diverse demographic properties into consideration.

706-711

Authors: Xingming Ma, Lifeng Zhang, Jingqiu Wang, Yanping Luo, Yaling Liang, Yufeng Wu

This research assessed the perceptions of students to patient-oriented problem-solving (POPS) teaching strategy in a medical immunology course in China. Data were collected from second-year students (N=71; 58% males, 42% females) who were offered lecture-based instruction and POPS teaching strategy during October - November 2015 at Lanzhou University. Afterward, students’ response and capability perception scores to POPS teaching strategy were evaluated using questionnaires. The majority of students (89.02%) favored POPS teaching strategy over traditional lectures. Students responded that POPS improves their intrinsic motivation (91.55%), learning interest (94.37%), self-directed learning skills (92.96%) and feasible for medical education (87.32%). Compared to the traditional lectures, the POPS can improve markedly their learning motivation (p=0.03), clinical reasoning ability (p=0.01), and clinical problem-solving ability (p=0.02). The implementation of POPS in medical courses will help students improving their learning motivation, problem solving abilities, which is feasible for current medical immunology education in China.

725-737

Authors: Endang Susantini, Ulfi Faizah, Muji Sri Prastiwi, Suryanti

This research developed educational video that showed a modeling of using scientific approach in cooperative learning. The purpose of this research was (1) to describe how pre-service teachers implement scientific approach in cooperative learning after carrying out a modeling session through this educational video, and (2) to describe the views of those pre-service teachers in response to the learning process. The study involved 11 pre-service teachers in Biology Education program, The State University of Surabaya, Indonesia. The pre-service teachers were then asked to conduct teaching simulations according to the video they had observed with different topics. The results showed that the educational video was effective in training pre-service teachers to implement scientific approach in cooperative learning. They also showed positive views towards the video. This research implies that modeling through educational video is able to promote scientific approach teaching to the pre-service teachers.

746-758

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas, Dalia Augienė

Scientific research activity (SRA) of the future nature subject teachers during university studies is a significant their professionality / skilfulness component. Teacher research activity at school and education quality improvement are directly related. On the other hand, teacher as a researcher (research) competence is formed not only during studies at university or performing pedagogical practices, but also during continual professional improvement activities, as for example, reflexive research. It is obvious, that learners’ scientific research activity is one of the main activity directions in natural science education process. Such activity effectiveness, and also natural science education quality for the most part guarantees properly prepared teacher. A qualitative research was performed, in which 84 two Lithuanian university bachelor and master study programme students participated. The main research aim is to analyse SRA significance to teacher profession, contribution to professional readiness, and also to evaluate study process favourableness to scientist (researcher) career choice and personal student readiness for SRA. Data analysis was carried out applying content analysis method. It has been stated, that the biggest part of respondents relate SRA with professional improvement, and essential such activity contribution is professional readiness improvement (knowledge acquisition, experience and competence development). It has been fixed, that study process is partly favourable, however unsuitable conditions, teachers’ lack of interest and unfocused orientation to career hinder its improvement. Regardless of the fact that 50 % of research participants evaluated their personal readiness to participate in SRA as improper, still the attitude to researcher career remains positive.

776-780

Authors: Editorial Board

End page, Vol. 15, No. 6, 2016, JBSE