ISSN 1648-3898. 2004, No. 2 (6)
JOURNAL OF BALTIC SCIENCE EDUCATION
GEOGRAPHY AND BIOLOGY AND TEACHER EDUCATION IN FINLAND
Abstract.
Since 1990 the Finnish society, the school system and the teacher education have
strongly changed. The aim of the article is to discuss what kind geographical
and biological teacher education has been and how it is nowadays in the
University of Oulu. The study reported here is a qualitative case study. The
resultant data is based on reflective diaries written by 74 student teachers in
1998-2003. The data was analysed by using inductive and deductive content
analysis methods. According to the student teachers, the programme of the
geographical and biological teacher education in the University of Oulu creates
a good basement for the development of teacher identity and for acting as a
teacher.
The most of the reflections in study diaries concerned
the subject education. This is understandable for the student teachers wrote
their thoughts about modules in connection of subject education.
Based on the study diaries of the geographical and biological student teachers,
there seems to be a gap between theory and practice, especially between the
educational sciences and the other parts of the pedagogical studies. The bridges
both between educational sciences and subject education and subject education
and the school practice seem to be quite strong. The educational sciences form
the theoretical framework for the wholeness of the pedagogical studies.
Therefore it is natural that it is more theoretical than the subject education
and school practice are. However, we must try to find ways to link the
educational studies more tightly to the other parts of the pedagogical studies.
Otherwise there is a danger that student teachers reject the theory as a base of
their profession.
Key words: education process, integration, geography, biology, subject didactics, school practice.
Correspondence: Eila Jeronen, Ph.D., University lecturer, Department of Educational Sciences and Teacher Education, University of Oulu; P.O.B. 2000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
Phone: +358 8 553 3702; E-mail: Eila.Jeronen@oulu.fi
APPLICATION OF A QUESTIONNAIRE TO DESCRIBE TEACHER COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOUR AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH STUDENTS IN SCIENCE IN TURKEY
Esra Özay, Ercan Kaya, Fatih Sezek
Atatürk University, Kazim Karabekir Education Faculty, Turkey
Abstract.
Teachers contribute enormously to a positive social climate at science classes,
particularly through their communication with students.
In the study described in this article, a
questionnaire (The Teacher Communication Behaviour Questionnaire (TCBQ))
developed by She and Fisher (2000) was applied. TCBQ can be used to assess
students' perceptions of science teachers' interpersonal communication
behaviours in their classroom learning environments. TCBQ has five scales:
Challenging, Encouragement and Praise, Non-Verbal Support, Understanding and
Friendly, and Controlling. The TCBQ was applied with a large sample of secondary
science students in
Turkey. Girls perceived their
teachers as more understanding and friendly, encouragement and praise than did
boys, and teachers in biological and chemistry science classrooms exhibited more
favourable behaviour toward their students than did those in physical science
classrooms.
This study can suggest some
implications for practice, personnel development, and
research. TCBQ can be applied
for observing teachers and classifying them. Also, this
questionnaire provides training in sensitivity to average and controlling
teachers and less redirective and more elaborative to increase the overall
quality of the classroom environment and to increase the percentage of student
engaged. Teachers can use
this supplement to promote an atmosphere of positive interaction in their
science classrooms and improve student learning.
Key words:
teacher communication,
students’ perceptions, sex differences, subject differences.
Correspondence: Esra Özay,
Research Assistant in the Department of Biology
Education in Education Faculty
Mailing address: Atatürk University, Kazim Karabekir
Education Faculty, Department of Biology Education, Erzurum, 25240, Turkey
Phone: +90 (442) 231 4036; Fax: +90(442) 236 0955;
E-mail:
esraozay@atauni.edu.tr
Ercan Kaya, Assistant
Professor in the Department of Biology Education in Education Faculty
Mailing address: Atatürk University, Kazim Karabekir
Education Faculty, Department of Biology Education, Erzurum, 25240, Turkey
Phone: +90 (442) 231 4034; E-mail:
ercan25kaya@hotmail.com
Fatih Sezek, Assistant
Professor in the Department of Science Education in Education Faculty
Mailing address: Atatürk University, Kazim Karabekir
Education Faculty, Department of Biology Education, Erzurum, 25240, Turkey
Phone: +90(442) 231 4034; E-mail:
fsezek@yahoo.com
Science teaching and the school - when concepts meet context
Jan Schoultz, Glenn Hultman
Department of Educational Science, Linköping University, Sweden
Abstract.
With this paper we want to discuss possibilities and problems for pupils to
learn science. Exploratory studies have been carried in science classrooms. The
science lesson exists in a context of its own but classroom interaction reveals
parallel discourses and many research studies show that pupils have great
difficulties to move from an everyday discourse into a science discourse and to
acquire the special language of science and the special ways of seeing the
world.
Learning and progress in science mean that you acquire concepts and
knowledge, which have been developed during a long period of time in cultures
with specific terms and rules. In this perspective learning can be regarded as
the individual increasing his/her familiarity with the area of knowledge. This
is a slow and demanding process for the learner. But in a science classroom
with 30 pupils and one teacher this is rather problematic. The teacher has not
time to help every student to go further into the science “arena”. For many
pupils the experimental work ends up with the fact that the pupils learn the
method and how to handle the material but get no opportunity learn more science.
In conclusion we must say that the result of the work in the science classroom
depends on the combination of pupils, teachers and materials. The pupil, the
teacher and the material are not components, which can be described separately.
They are variables, which affect each other and at the same time form a whole,
which is affected by the surrounding milieu.
Key
words: science
education, experimental work, concepts, school science project, culture of
school science.
Correspondence:
Glenn Hultman,
Phd, Professor at
the Department of Educational Science, Head of Graduate School in Pedagogic
Practices*, Linköping University
S- 581 83 LINKÖPING, Sweden; E-mail:
glehu@iuv.liu.se
Jan Schoultz, Ph.D, associate professor at the Department of Educational Science, Linköping University, S- 581 83 LINKÖPING, Sweden; E-mail: jansc@iuv.liu.se
* A multidisciplinary field, within teacher training, at the faculty of Educational Science/Teacher training
The Role of Researchers in the Implementation of Educational Policies: The Finnish LUMA Programme (1996-2002) as a Case Study
Jari Lavonen, Veijo Meisalo, Kalle Juuti
University of Helsinki, Department of Applied Sciences of Education, Finland
Abstract.
The Finnish LUMA Joint National Action (1996–2002)
and related action, organised by the National Board of Education are introduced
in general. A number of professional development projects for science teachers
have been run through the Department of Applied Sciences of Education at the
University of Helsinki in the context of the LUMA programme. Properties that
made these projects successful are discussed and compared to previous research
on how educational innovations are adopted for general use.
Based on the official LUMA evaluation and our experiences in the PD-projects,
some conclusions may be drawn. It is important that enough time be allocated for
co-planning the whole project and each phase of the project. Teachers' beliefs,
current practices (teaching or learning methods used), and open questions should
be identified and discussed during the goal-setting process of the PD-project.
Meetings or training situations should be designed together with the teachers
and organised in interesting places, such as factories or other places of work
where principles can be demonstrated in a practical way. Moreover, the project
itself should be run long-term.
Keywords:
educational policy, adoption of educational innovations, in-service training of
science teachers.
Correspondence: Jari Lavonen,
Ph.D., professor, Department
of Applied Sciences of Education, University of Helsinki,
P.O.Box 9, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
E-mail:
jari.lavonen@helsinki.fi
Veijo Meisalo, Ph.D.,
professor emeritus, Department of Applied Sciences of
Education, University of Helsinki,
P.O.Box 9, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
E-mail:
veijo.meisalo@helsinki.fi
Kalle Juuti, Phil. Lic.,
Senior lecturer of physics and chemistry education,
Department of Applied Sciences of Education, University
of Helsinki, P.O.Box 9, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki,
Finland
E-mail:
kalle.juuti@helsinki.fi
ASSESMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT IN A CONTEMPORARY TEACHING/LEARNING MODEL OF CHEMISTRY IN BASIC SCHOOLS OF LATVIA
Aira Bartusevièa, Dagnija Cçdere
University of Latvia, Faculty of Chemistry, The Center of Chemistry Education of Latvia
Rudîte Andersone
University of Latvia, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Latvia
Abstract. Pedagogic
investigation, situation study and analysis are presented on one aspect of the
previously developed teaching/learning model „Society – Nature – Technology”.
The attitude of 600 Latvian students of the 8th and 9th
grades towards environmental education, their understanding about particular
environmental problems and their place in chemistry teaching and learning
content are evaluated in the paper. Comparative research was done resulting in
the assessment of the increase in the comprehension of environmental problems
of those students who have participated in the approbation of the
teaching/learning model.
Situation analysis before the approbation of our teaching/learning model
„Society – Nature – Technology” (Bartusevièa, Cçdere, 2004) confirms
insufficient comprehension of environmental issues and problems among
respondents in the 8th and 9th grades in schools of
Latvia.
The developed approach – teaching/learning model considering three mutually
joint aspects (society, nature, and technology) is proved in practice. Students’
comprehension about chemistry increased during the pedagogic experiment. The
test results have shown that students’ acquisition level has increased by 38.4%
in the 8th–9th grades (during two school years), and by
26.8% in the 9th grades (during one school year).
Approbation results validate the following approaches:
 |
considerably increased proportion of applied chemistry in chemistry curriculum; |
|
environmentally friendly laboratory exercises in chemistry classes; |
|
methods that stimulate thinking and emphasize the significance of chemistry in everyday life. |
Key words: chemistry education,
environmental education, teaching/learning model, basic school.
Correspondence:
Aira Bartusevièa,
Doctor’s Degree Candidate,
University of Latvia, The
Center of Chemistry Education,
K. Valdemara Str.48, Riga,
LV-1013, Latvia,
Phone: +371 7378719;
E-mail:
aira.bartusevica@lu.lv
Dagnija Cçdere,
Dr. chem.,
University of Latvia, The
Center of Chemistry Education,
K. Valdemara Str.48, Riga,
LV-1013, Latvia,
Phone: +371 7378719;
E-mail:
dagnija.cedere@lu.lv
Rudîte Andersone,
Dr. paed.,
University of Latvia,
Faculty of Education and Psychology,
Jurmalas Str. 74/76, Riga, LV-1083, Latvia,
Phone/Fax: +371 7034896;
E-mail:
ruditean@latnet.lv
THE STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS: ESSAY VERSUS MULTIPLE-CHOICE TYPE EXAMS
Dogan Tozoglu, Musavver D. Tozoglu
College of Education, Instructional Systems Program, Florida State University, USA
Ahmet Gurses, Cetin Dogar
Atatürk University, Department of Chemistry Education, Turkey
Abstract.
The purpose of this study was to
examine students’ perceptions toward essay versus multiple-choice exams. Fifty
students from a science education department participated in this study. Overall
student-rating data revealed that students showed significantly (p<0.001) more
favorable attitudes towards multiple choice test format compared to essay type
formats in terms of the most critical dimensions assessed. These findings
suggest that student perceptions should be taken into consideration while
planning and constructing classroom testing. Suggestions for future research and
implications for having students’ perceptions are also discussed.
Students are the most affected by the educational
testing. Therefore, teachers and measurement specialists should take into
consideration of students’ attitudes and perceptions regarding test formats,
because they are good sources of information about a test’s face validity
besides its content, construct, and predictive validity. It is important to have
evidence for face validity of the tests developed by the teachers from the
students’ critical perspectives.
Feedback from the students on various components or facets of classroom tests is
valuable source of information, because their perspectives affect test
preparation behavior, student cooperation and test motivation during the exam,
and influence the level of test performance and attainment on the exam (Zeidner,
1987). If students have a positive tendency toward a particular test format, the
possibility of student cooperation, teacher-student rapport, and test motivation
would be enhanced, while aversive emotional reactions and harmful motivational
tempers would be lessened.
Since students had strong preference for multiple choice over essay type formats
in this study, teachers should pay attention and give careful consideration and
weight to the multiple choice format, when they are initially planning a
classroom test and deciding appropriated item format in a previously planned
test.
Keywords:
test
attitudes, essay exams, multiple choice exams, test format.
Correspondence:
Dogan Tozoglu,
College of Education, Instructional Systems Program,
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306 USA
E-mail:
dogantozoglu@yahoo.com
Musavver D. Tozoglu, College of Education, Instructional Systems Program, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306 USA
Ahmet Gurses, Department of Chemistry, K.K.Egitim Faculty, Ataturk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey
Cetin Dogar,
Department of Science Education, Erzincan Egitim Faculty, Ataturk University,
24030 Erzurum, Turkey
E-mail:
chemistcetin@yahoo.co.uk
Rasa Hage, Alona Rauckienë
Klaipeda University, Faculty of Pedagogy, Lithuania
Abstract.
The aim of the article is to
analyse the kind of knowledge, values and activity changes of the ecological
consciousness toward ecocentric ideas, to explain a new ecocentric worldview
paradigm which has to be the main view in the modern education philosophy and
theory and to motivate the importance of a reconstruction of ecological
consciousness in contemporary education. Ecological consciousness is described
as “new rationality, real wisdom and knowledge of real human” that means the
perception of ecological “me”. It is stated that ecology crisis is the one of
thinking where the solution is the normalization of man and nature’s relations
and is possible only with the reconstruction of consciousness. The ecology
crisis lays the basements of antropocentristic consciousness. If we want to
change our relations with nature, we should reconstruct our consciousness. The
basis of the ecocentric consciousness is the values of holistic philosophy and
humanistic psychology. The methods used are comparative analysis, analytic
induction and deduction.
The ecology crisis lays the
basements of antropocentristic consciousness. If we want to change our relations
with nature, we should reconstruct our consciousness. The basis of the
ecocentric consciousness is the value of holistic philosophy and humanistic
psychology and the fundamental ecological principles including strength in
diversity; continuous movement and fluctuations; energy flows, cycles, and
undulations; countless forms of partnership; co-evolution through the processes
of creation and mutual adaptation; the tensile dynamic between the assertive and
integrative tendencies of any organism, sub-group, or sub-system.
The main goal of education is to formulate new goals, principles, objectives and
practice that could reconstruct or educate consciousness to a new level.
Holistic education, particularly biocentric global education containing such
features as interdisciplinarity and integrated knowledge, individuality and
appreciation of a student like a human, the participation of all institutions in
the process of education, morality and ecologic methods of learning is a start
of the fundamental changes of worldview in science, society and education.
Key words:
ecological ecocentric consciousness, holism, reconstruction, ecocentric values,
ecological and environmental education, biocentric global education, ecology
crisis.
Correspondence:
Alona Rauckienë,
Doctor of Social
Sciences, Asociate Professor of the Department of Teaching Methods of Klaipëda
University /Lithuania/; S. Nëries Str. 5, LT-92227, Klaipëda;
Phone: +370 46 39 86 34;
E-mail:
ugdmet@pf.ku.lt
Rasa Hage, Assistent and Doctoral student of the Department of Teaching Methods of the Faculty of Pedagogy of Klaipëda University / Lithuania /, S. Nëries Str. 5, LT-92227, Klaipëda; Phone: +370 46 39 86 34; E-mail: ugdmet@pf.ku.lt
THE INFLUENCE OF STL TEACHING AND SCIENCE TEACHERS’ TEAMWORK ON CHANGE OF STUDENTS’ CREATIVITY
Anne Laius, Miia Rannikmäe
University of Tartu, Faculty of Biology and Geography, Estonia
Abstract.
For any paradigm change, and certainly for reflecting on STL
(scientific and technological literacy) ideas, it is essential for teachers to
be involved in professional development. One form of professional development
that was used to promote STL teaching was to guide teachers, through workshops,
to create their own teaching materials, based on the STL philosophy. The current
research was carried out during the 2002 school year with teachers of science
subjects and their 9th grade students in different Estonian schools.
The experimental schools were divided into three groups (3 schools per each): in
Group 1, one teacher participated, in Group 2 two teachers participated and in
Group 3 three teachers participated in the courses and taught the same students,
at the same time, in different science classes.
The experimental teachers enrolled in the 8-month STL teaching intervention
study and in the course of that their students were exposed to an 8-week STL
teaching module. The results of creativity tests, undertaken before and after
the intervention study, showed, that the students’ creativity mean changes
during the 8-week STL teaching module, depended upon the number of teachers. Of
importance is that the collaboration of two or three teachers can significantly
more increase the creativity f students – a further aim of the STL teaching
approach.
Key words: STL teaching,
collaboration of teachers, creativity.
Correspondence:
Anne
Laius,
Researcher at
University of Tartu, Faculty of Biology and Geography, Institute of Cell and
Molecular Biology, Science Didactics Division;
Vanemuise Str. 46-226, Tartu 51014,
Estonia;
Phone: +3727375083; fax: +3727374082;
E-mail:
anne.laius@ut.ee
Miia Rannikmäe,
Senior researcher
at University of Tartu, Faculty of Biology and Geography, Institute of Cell and
Molecular Biology, Science Didactics Division;
Vanemuise Str. 46-226, Tartu 51014,
Estonia;
Phone: +3727375083; fax: +3727374082;
E-mail:
miia@ut.ee