Gamtamokslinis ugdymas / Natural Science Education

107

Authors: Editorial Board

Cover page

110-113

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

The importance of natural science and technology education does not raise any doubts, and probably no additional considerations or discussions. Education in this field is inevitably necessary for every contemporary man. Exhaustive enough and right understanding of nature and the processes taking place in it, a certain knowledge, helps not only understand the world in which we live but also forms particular value attitudes, the ability to adequately live in natural-technical environment. It is obvious, that natural science and technology education in a comprehensive school is an inseparable part of general education and total education. One of the main components of natural science and technology education process is the teacher. Their everyday and constant work developing, promoting natural science activity, realising purposeful nature conservation/environmental education, is undoubtedly important. Experienced, qualified teachers are necessary for such work. This short editorial article deals with some insights on the qualification questions of natural subject teachers. The importance of national scientific practical conference is being analysed. It is devoted to the teachers, willing to acquire knowledge and skills, creativity, positive thinking, willing to develop scientific-research activity, to apply innovative education strategies and so on. Conferences form conditions for the teachers to improve, to acquire new ideas, to share experience. The importance of pre-primary and primary natural science education is especially accentuated. The first investigations start namely in this education stage. Any knowledge becomes meaningful and valuable only in one way or another applying it in life, in other words, in practical activity. It is important, that the research work is carried out consistently and systematically, to ensure research and analytical skills education. For this purpose, high educators’ competence in this field is necessary. An indirect mission of the conference has to be mentioned. It is understandable, that one of education forms, promoting students’ scientific research cognitive activity is students’ scientific practical conferences, which become more and more popular. Such events contribute to the formation of more universal learners’ ideas about future professional activity, active creative thought, strengthen learning motivation. Teachers, preparing presentations and/or reports for the conference, most often prepare an article for publication as well. In this way educational experience is fixated, the possibilities are formed for the others, not taking part at the conference, to get acquainted. Finally, good teachers become great teachers “going outside” of the formal duties and/or textbooks/class boundaries. This is a universal truth. All natural science and technology education specialists get a personal responsibility for natural science and technology education improvement and development. In this context, comprehensive school natural science teacher preparation and constant professional improvement of the working ones, is unquestionably important. It is obvious, that the discussed scientific practical conference is one of the effective instruments of teacher professional improvement.

124-134

Authors: Elena Belnitskaya, Igor Svirshchevsky

Profile education involves the selection of subjects for learning. However, there is a problem of choice for many 15-year-old students in the conditions of profile education. The students' choice of the education profile is related to the motivation to study the subject. But the students' motives may be different. These are not always internal motives. Was the profile choice correct? What motivates students to study chemistry, biology, mathematics? What helps and what prevents the study of these subjects? The teacher can receive answers to these questions by means of diagnostics of students' motivation by specially developed method. The presented methodological and diagnostic materials to measure the motivation of 15-year-old students to study chemistry, mathematics and biology are aimed at increasing the effectiveness of pre-profile training of students.

65

Authors: Editorial Board

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68-69

Authors: Solange W. Locatelli

Have you ever studied really hard, felt prepared to take a test at school or college, and, when the result came out, you were disappointed? Many students face this problem daily. What might be reason for it? Is it possible to study better, that is, to do it more efficiently? Although this is a complex question, involving several factors, I would like to propose a discussion about some components of a possible 'utopian formula' that may be hindering your performance.

81-89

Authors: Jūratė Mikulevičiūtė, Darius Ratkevičius

The importance of natural scientific literacy is emphasized at both national and international levels. TIMSS (2016) study report highlights that in today’s world, citizens who want to make competent decisions about themselves and the world in which they live must aware of natural sciences. However interest in nature science is poor, and achievements of pupils in international research are significantly worse than a global average. The question is whether the concept of natural scientific literacy and assessment of achievements, as defined in the country’s general curricula and other educational documents, are in line with the concept of international research in the field of natural sciences and measured cognitive abilities and how natural sciences competence is developed, and which cognitive abilities dominate in the educational process. The article analyzes the concept of natural scientific literacy in national and international research documents and trends in teaching of nature and human subjects in grades 5-6, analyzing the use of tasks of EMA (www.epratybos.lt)

97-104

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

As every year, this year on April 21-22, the 23rd national scientific practical conference “Natural science education in a comprehensive school – 2017” took place. One of the essential ideas of the conference is - mobility. This time the most important conference partners were Pakruojis “Atžalynas” gymnasium and Pakruojis adult and youth education centre. It is pleasing, that the weekly “Green world” remains a faithful conference partner. Conference reports were on various topic areas, basically different natural science and technology education spheres were discussed. It is important, that the participants were active, intense discussions, sharing experiences took place. Most of the conference reports were presented in the form of articles and published in the conference proceedings volume. Full texts can be found in the databasis OAJI at the address: http://oaji.net/journal-archive-stats.html?number=1984&year=2017&issue=9810. Practical methodological seminars become a tradition as well. This time a seminar on the theme “How to promote the pleasure of finding?” took place. During the seminar teachers worked in groups, performed some practical works, got acquainted with the researched work methodology. The main idea of the seminar is that quite a lot of interesting, useful tests, practical tasks, having educational meaning can be performed in a very simple way, using quite ordinary devices and materials. It is certain, that natural science education movement continues. The 23rd conference having not started yet, the organisers received an invitation to another Lithuanian countryside, and namely, to the sea-coast region. Thus, 24th conference will take place in April 2018 in Šilutė. The host of the conference is Šilutė Martynas Jankus Basic school.

1

Authors: Editorial Board

Cover page

4-7

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

Natural science and technology education (NSTE) is reasonably considered one of the most important components of general education. What is more, natural science and technology education of young generation is an important guarantor of all society welfare. The importance of natural science and technology education is undoubted. Over the last two or three decades, attention to natural science and technology education in various countries has been increasing. On the one hand, science and technology development has encouraged this, on the other hand, the declining young generation interest in natural science and technologies has been observed. Besides, various scientific research have been conducted in this sphere, plenty of various projects have been implemented, modern ICT have been developed, etc. However, very often the expected effect, first of all, in a qualitative sense is hardly imaginative. An exhaustive scientific-didactic revision is necessary, a certain inspection, which would allow to reflect on both the achievements, and current problems or the emerging new challenges. Over the first half of 2017, various scientific events related to NSTE problems have taken place at both national and international level. This shows that the interest in NSTE actualities is not declining. In a rapidly changing social-economic-technological context, natural science technology education of a young generation remains the priority task of education system. Our society is facing more and more complex problems that remain to be solved for future generations. All this requires qualitatively new NSTE, new natural science and technological education approaches (e.g., interdisciplinary/integrated teaching (learning), natural science competence development in green learning areas, education organisation outside the classroom or school, self-learning and other non-formal natural science education forms and so on.).

25-36

Authors: Eisvydė Jurkevičiūtė, Rita Makarskaitė – Petkevičienė

Soil is the major support system of human life and welfare, a non-renewable nature source. This is a medium for plenty of microorganisms, animals and plants. Soil, like air, water, is very sensitive to environment pollution. The Organisation of United Nations announced 2015 – the International Year of Soils, because there is a fear, that society knows and understands a little about it. In Lithuanian primary education general programmes, air and water are given much more attention than soil. Even the concept of the latter is not mentioned in the programme. The aim of the research: to analyse soil subject expression in Lithuanian and foreign primary school. The main research questions are: 1) How is soil subject realised in Lithuanian primary education social and natural science education programme and foreign country (Great Britain, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago) analogical programmes?; 2) What similarities and differences are noticed in the 1st to 4th form natural science textbooks, regarding soil subject expression question?; 3) What is international practice of making children acquainted with the soil as an important part of every ecosystem, a medium for living organisms already at an early age? Foreign countries (USA, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Turkey) have accumulated a lot of experience, how at an early age to make children acquainted with the soil, how to make them interested in this secret object, what and how to teach. This can also be useful for Lithuania thinking over education content, renewing educational programmes, implementing Good school concept and propagating education “without boundaries”.

55-61

Authors: Angela James, Vincentas Lamanauskas

Rapid economic growth and globalisation have positive and also negative impacts on environmental aspects and people’s lives. And, people live in conditions of extreme change. This raises new requirements for living for every individual. In the current era of globalization it is necessary to stop the destructive processes of globalization, to create a different vision of globalization based on the principles of sustainable development, taking into account not only economic indicators but also social and ecological coherence. Sustainable development is a complex process that aims to ensure the well-being for present and future generations. However, the emerging economic and environmental challenges make this process more difficult. It is obvious, that sustainable development processes and problems should be analysed, having evaluated various global change conditions. The importance of complex attitude is undoubted. One can dare assert, that the focus of the conference was namely a complex attitude and an intention to form perception, that sustainable development is a significant sphere of not only scientific research but also practical (especially at the local community level) activity as well.