Gamtamokslinis ugdymas / Natural Science Education

5-10

Authors: Martin Bílek, Antonín Slabý

In the article we are presenting present state and new possibilities for chemistry in primary science curriculum development in the Czech republic with orientation towards ecological and environ-mental aspects. The new curricular reform is the most important field of the education reform in Czech Republic.

20-26

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas, Janis Gedrovics

In this article we analysed some tendencies of modern natural science education development in Lithuania and Latvia. This is a comparative research. The authors state, that in the past fifteen years, the Baltic States, including Latvia and Lithuania, experienced considerable changes in the educational system. Natural science education development has also experienced essential reforms. Also we indicate some differences among Lithuanian and Latvian pupils.

36-41

Authors: Rita Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė, Violeta Varnagirienė

Primary forms of reformed school of general education in Lithuania had a possibility to choose only one course of country study teaching until now. Present education is based on the principles of democracy, so it’s necessary to look for the alternative because teachers, pupils and their parents have a right to choose the content of education according to their needs and interests. Moreover, it is inspired by actively changed environment, regulations of society, long-lasted teachers’ discussions in seminars and conferences, articles in press. Teachers can best confirm the value of present course books of country study teaching and their use for the process of education. 684 primary teachers participated in the scientific research in 2002. The aim of it was to ascertain if the course books of country study correspond the needs of participators of the process of education, if the alternative is necessary and what it has to be. The research indicated that for 76,6 percent of teachers present course books are only partly suitable. They would like to choose the alternative if it would be possible. It is important to mention that Lithuania is one of the few Europe countries, which didn’t have the alternative set of country study teaching aids. The alternative set of country study teaching aids “Key” for the natural science and social literacy education for the first formers consists of: Course book (part I, part II); Workbook (part I, part II); Teacher’s book. Course book corresponds the aims and didactic principles of the Curriculum of Primary Education. It will help for pupils accomplish the requirements of natural science and social education that are gave in the Curriculum and achieve the certain level of the competences from Standards of Primary Education. Course book extends to interest the small readers. Its content consists of 5 characters: 4 children and uncle whose name is Juozas. Egle and Laurynas are the first formers from the city school. Aiste and Ignas live and study in the village. All of them are lively, interesting and clever, all of them have the serious point of view to the learning. They are also different. Children differ from each other in their interests, features of character, home environment, etc. New piece of information and new topics are presented during these characters. Uncle Juozas is an older person. He is the symbol of wisdom and life experience. He is in best relations with children. Preparing “Key” the principle of seasons is regarded, so we offer lessons of investigation for every part of the year. We also considered teachers’ needs for the alternative course book: evident link of course book and workbook, we offer more information from the field of natural sciences, more colorful and various tasks that incites positive emotions, critical thinking, pupils’ communication and parents’ participation in the process of education. All the tasks foster the abilities of nature research, teach to evaluate learned, understood and invented knowledge. There are two workbooks in the set. One part of tasks are access for the pupils’ individual work, others should be done in groups or discussing with desk-mate. Some tasks should be done with parents or other adults. Some tasks are given to use knowledge that pupils already have or to confirm new information, some educates pupils’ thinking, esthetic taste and practices creativeness, regulations of values. Doing the activities the most important thing should be child’s activeness, his/her frame for the work, responsibility for the final result. The numbers of tasks are given according to the topics. It means that teachers have a possibility to choose tasks that seems to be more expedient, more interesting and more attractive to their pupils. Some tasks will be useful organizing individual or differentiated work in a class. Teacher’s book gives not only practical advices and creative ideas but also theoretical material that protect teachers from the didactic mistakes. There is also a material that could be easily retelled for the pupils according to their level. Lesson schemes will help to prepare for the lessons easily and will make them more variable. The wide range of methods of evaluation will give an opportunity to evaluate teachers themselves and pupils. We hope that the alternative set of country study teaching aids “Key” will be interesting for everyone. We would like to see teachers and pupils not only as users but also as active participators of pedagogical experiment, researchers and evaluators. Only both-side communication will help to achieve the best results.

47-55

Authors: Rytis Vilkonis, Margarita Vilkonienė

The World varies, the society varies, the sight at education varies. In a consequence the process of education varies also. As shows a number of researches in Lithuania and abroad, changes in the field of natural science education are connected with such problems as prevalence of a social component, especially in the integrated primary natural science education, so prevalence of verbal methods in educational process, a uncooperative altitude of pupils to the subjects, realizing programs of natural-science education. It is connected with insufficient natural science literacy of a primary school teachers, with not sufficient understanding of the philosophy of the new concept of education, with the lack of the methodical information for independent development of the professional competence in sphere of primary natural science education. How the methodical information by teachers are especially well perceived in the form of examples of educational practice, the authors show to the reader the personal understanding of a modern primary natural-science education leaning on an example of the personal educational practice at one of the basic schools Siauliai.

62-65

Authors: Elena Gorodishenina

Selective approach to the teaching process is aimed at satisfying cognitive requirements of various groups of pupils and adapting if to their needs. Humanitarian, math and natural science subjects, are believed to be predominant of the middle and high grades of a secondary school. Consequently, these three types of subjects are taught at the educational establishment «BSU Lyceum». Analyzing some peculiarities of cognitive process in learning chemistry both in profile and non-profile groups the author points out that teaching chemistry at different levels requires special approach to the choice of content, form and methods. It is also stressed that chemistry should be regarded as a part of world’s culture and one of the sourced of creation activities. The author says about a lesson in one of the philological classes which was held in the Belarusian Art Museum. The topic of the lesson was as follows «Natural resources of hydrocarbons. Oil and ways of its processing». The article also contains pupils’ reviews and conclusions.