Gamtamokslinis ugdymas / Natural Science Education

3

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 18, No. 1, 2021, GU/NSE

7-12

Authors: Vanja Kolar Ivačič

Creativity is closely linked to 21st century competencies. For students in secondary education, it is important to maintain and encourage creativity as part of fine arts classes. This can be achieved through meaningful integration of information and communication technology, as this allows students to express themselves in a more engaging and in-depth way. To help empower class teachers, this research presents a successful example of good practice. Courses are planned in several stages, starting from goals of the subject in relation to digital competencies. The app for the tablet and the digital pen is selected according to the criteria of quality, simplicity of use and relevance. Technology is included in the lessons with the goal to achieve a significant upgrade of the learning experience. Students evaluate their artistic expression as positive and successful. With this activity, students develop their creative and artistic expression abilities to the greatest extent. Their graphic products meet the art task and are aesthetically perfective for their age. The expressive elements within the computer graphics are originally rhythmically arranged.

22-28

Authors: Elena Rudolf

Flipped learning represents an active and effective learning method with a focus on students, to whom new subject matter was introduced in advance. By using flipped learning, it is possible to evolve collaborative peer-work, explore the teaching content more efficiently, evolve students' critical thinking and create new opportunities for learning, in which students develop new mathematical problems by themselves, based on the discussed content. With the substitution of teacher's and student's role and preliminary autonomous studying of new teaching contents the student performing flipped learning gained new skills and was able to develop his autonomy. Other students from the experimental group played an active role in the process of studying at home and in the classroom, while the teacher was merely the moderator and advisor throughout the learning process. The time intended for checking homework in traditional lessons was spent on mutual collaboration, research of mathematical concepts and seeking answers to nascent questions. The findings of this mini research point to a significant difference in the understanding of discussed mathematical concepts and students' motivation for learning in favour of the experimental group. The method of flipped learning with use of ICT and teacher's support represents an effective and creative way of learning. The aim of this research is to examine how the student can take the role of flipped learning performer and, with support of the teacher, create his own video with interactive tasks in application EdPuzzle. The impact of flipped learning and use of applications on motivation for learning, understanding, permanence of knowledge and progress of self-regulation are brought to the centre of attention.

36-44

Authors: Sonja Trškan

The aim of the research is to evaluate a project on the subject of reliefs, which included the use of modern digital technology from the perspective of secondary school students. Since the formative assessment of students also includes a critical self-evaluation of the final products, anonymous surveys were used to determine how the students evaluated the project work, and the use and usefulness of digital technology in geography lessons. Results of this research showed that digital technology encourages students to become more engaged and interested in learning, to reflect on their work and learning, to follow the evaluation criteria, and to achieve better learning outcomes.

55-62

Authors: Darinka Žižek

This research presents one of many possibilities of how to check and repeat knowledge at the end of the school year and at the same time provide an answer to questions often asked by students who are disinterested in learning mathematics: "Where will we need it?" or "Why do we learn this?" To provide them with an answer and motivate them at the same time, this research focused on actively encouraging students to find the answers themselves and thus find the importance of learning mathematics. With a changed way of repeating and consolidating the material at the end of the school year, the aim of this research is to reduce the fear of mathematics and increase the motivation of students in the following year. Students, divided into groups, choose the topic or examples of the use of mathematical knowledge of the first year of secondary technical and professional education in everyday life, and thus shape the learning situation (LS). The goal of preparing the LS is for students to make sense of the subject matter with examples from everyday life. For the selected LS, they prepare a short story with tasks that they solve by calculation, prepare presentations and also, present the LS to the classmates. During the formation of the LS and the preparation of presentations, students are active (active learning methods: task search, knowledge of the subject matter, interviews, problem solving, use of mathematical applications, teamwork, problem solving…) and cooperate with each other. They are constantly developing more 21st century competencies (self-regulation, collaboration, problem solving) and digital competencies. With the formation of the LS, the world of mathematical knowledge gets a little closer to students, they lose their fear of mathematics and become more motivated.