Gamtamokslinis ugdymas / Natural Science Education

5-13

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas, Margarita Vilkonienė, Rytis Vilkonis

Many researches of last years specify necessity of perfection of natural science education at all levels of an education system. For more than the last two decades, Western countries have tried to advance teaching techniques of natural sciences and suggest using a constructive system instead of didactical one (Zoller, Tsaparlis, 1997). However, in general, there is little research on the secondary school learners’, university students` would-be teachers achievements, motivation for learning chemistry/physics and the peculiarities of concept and phenomenon perception. The object of research is the university students would-be teachers ability to perceive physical/chemical phenomena. This pilot research focuses on how students would-be teachers understand such everyday phenomena as the impact of temperature on the flow of particles (diffusion), evaporation and condensation, material solution, combustion, air expansion and reduction caused by the fluctuation in temperature conditions. Research was carried out in February-March, 2007. The students would-be teachers of Siauliai university participated in the survey. Concerning the format of the pilot research, the survey sample was limited. 87 students representing Faculty of Education were involved in research. Such sample complies with capacity requirements for the pilot research. The five tasks (phenomena: diffusion, air expansion and reduction, combustion, evaporation and condensation, solution) have been evaluated applying the proportion scale (no comments made - 0 points, a wrong option is chosen – 0.25 points, the phenomenon is perceived but failed to be fully explained – 0.5 points, the task is almost correctly completed – 0.75 points, the task is successfully accomplished – 1 point). Three experts have individually evaluated the tasks by general agreement. We can state that a total general evaluation of the accomplishment of all tasks correlates with an individual task. The high correlation coefficients show that all the tasks are basically of a similar complexity and none of them can be singled out from the whole system of 5 tasks. Research is of a local character and the reached conclusions are not applied for the whole population. The examination and evaluation of the respondents’ results disclosed that the tasks were rather complicated and the surveyed participants' knowledge was insufficient to explain the introduced phenomena. The most unfavourable comments are made interpreting nature phenomenon 4, which is the air qualities. The respondents have failed to explain why the heated air expands and the iced air – reduces. The best results are obtained describing situation 2 which is the evaporation of heated water and condensation of cooled water vapour.

24-28

Authors: Irena Čerčikienė, Sigita Švedienė

The education program "The technology of the chemical analysis" of the Chemistry department of Vilnius' College is described in this article. This program includes such modules of the natural sciences: The Security of the Environment, The Analysis of the Environmental Objects, The Analytical Control of the Green and Processed Products, The Technology of the Preparation of the Samples. The authors share their experience in the organizing of the natural science and the environmental investigation subjects studies. They accent the problem, which takes part in the most high schools of Lithuania - the shortage of the powerful experimental base. The authors are looking for the solutions of this problem. One of them - to organize the profession practices on the bases of the Social Partners of the College. The fragment of one such practice "The Estimation of the Pollution of the Cedronas brook" takes part in this article.

34-39

Authors: Laima Railienė

According scientists, assessment is tightly connecting teachers, students, parents, school administration. Teacher’s (assessor’s) role is becoming especially important because school reform has changed attitude towards assessment and has created favourable conditions for new ways of assessment. Assessment can show student’s achievement qualitative and quantitative value. Students’ knowledge assessment shows what is known well or weak. Knowledge testing and assessing have a positive result when it is being checked systematically. But it is not good to assess only acquired knowledge. It is very important to make knowledge system, to deepen, to activate students. It is also important to find out how students use theory in practice. If you want to assess correctly, you need to know the forms and kinds of assessment. It is very important not to forget that students must know what they are to remember, because it is impossible to memorize everything. All students want to get good marks. There are several reasons why students react sensitively. From marks parents judge about their child’s abilities and even future profession. On the one hand knowledge assessment gives positive emotions, on the other hand, it gives negative ones. Thus, teachers have to be very careful while checking and assessing. Students themselves need to be assessed, because they can’t know if they study well. Geography teacher has got very wide possibilities to check students’ knowledge and skill. But the most important thing is that students’ knowledge become deeper and stronger if they are checked up systematically and interestingly.

46-52

Authors: Arnis Voitkans

Use of ICT can provide many opportunities for physics education, and one of these opportunities is a use of physics simulations. Physicists professionals use complex simulations to solve real world problems, but for educational use simulations/animations not always have to be so complex. More lightweight simulations and animations can be used. Such simulations usually are more easily distributable through the Internet. Simulations and animations are important in physics education because they can help to visualize different physical processes and to provide some interactivity. This paper is focusing on a use of Physlets – small portable Java Applets, which can be used to simulate and animate different physical phenomena. The purpose of this paper is to give a brief overview of Physlets and to demonstrate in few examples the possibilities of adaption and customization of Physlets in the learning material.