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Descriptors:
Elementary Secondary Education; Energy; Role; Science Curriculum; Ecology; Science and Society; Scientific Concepts; Fuels; Botany; Biological Sciences; Environmental Education; Energy Conservation; Intellectual Development; Cognitive Structures

Abstract:
This article reports on our work of developing a learning progression focusing on K-12 students' performances of using energy concept in their accounts of carbon-transforming processes in socio-ecological systems. Carbon-transforming processes--the ecological carbon cycle and the combustion of biomass and fossil fuels--provide all of the energy for living systems and almost 90% of the energy for human economic activities. Energy, as a crosscutting concept across major disciplines, is a "tool for analysis" that uses the principle of energy conservation to constrain and connect accounts of processes and systems. Drawing on ideas from cognitive linguistics, the history of science, and research on students' energy conceptions, we identify two crucial practices that both scientists and students engage in when accounting for carbon-transforming processes: association and tracing. Using association and tracing as progress variables, we analyzed student accounts of carbon-transforming processes in 48 clinical interviews and 3,903 written tests administered to students from fourth grade through high school. Based on our analysis we developed a Learning Progression Framework that describes a progression from accounts that use energy as an ephemeral "force" that enables actors to make events happen to energy as a scientific tool for analysis. Successful students developed a "sense of necessity" with respect to accounts of carbon-transforming processes--a sense that energy MUST be conserved and degraded in every individual process and in the system as a whole. This level of success was achieved by less than 3% of the students in our sample. Implications for science standards, curriculum, and instruction are discussed. (Contains 2 tables, 10 figures and 2 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Educational Technology; Teaching Methods; Botany; Interviews; Majors (Students); STEM Education; Computer Software; Computer Uses in Education; Student Teachers; Foreign Countries; Light; Plants (Botany); Science Laboratories; Action Research

Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to develop a new approach and assess the application for the science and technology student-teachers to gain varied laboratory methods in science and technology teaching. It is also aimed to describe the computer-assisted POE application in the subject of "Photosynthesis-Light" developed in the context of this approach choosing the most appropriate design software called "Flash Player 10.1". The study was applied during the fall semester in the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic year with 188 science and technology student-teachers who attended the course of Science and Technology Laboratuvar Applications-I at the Karadeniz Technical University Fatih Faculty of Education based on action research methodology. The survey's data was analyzed with SPSS 16.00 using descriptive statistics based on mean and standard deviation. The interviewing data was analyzed according to common views. In this study, the implementation process of a developed approach was explained and an example of the computer-assisted POE application in the subject of "Photosynthesis-Light" was described. It was concluded that the developed approach introduces the science and technology student-teachers to an efficient and reflective process to gain varied methods in laboratory applications. (Contains 2 tables and 10 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Video Games; Teaching Methods; Botany; Barriers; Science Instruction; Secondary School Science; Science Education; Educational Technology; Educational Games; Computer Games; Instructional Effectiveness; Curriculum Implementation; Mixed Methods Research; Interviews; Pretests Posttests; Web Browsers; Web Based Instruction

Abstract:
Simulations and games are not new artifacts to the study of science in secondary school settings (Hug, Kriajcik and Marx 2005), however teachers remain skeptical as to their value, use and appropriateness (Rice 2006). The difficulty is not only the design and development of effective play environments that produce measurable changes in knowledge and/or understanding, but also in their on-the-ground use (Jaipal and Figg 2010). This paper reports on the use of a science-focused video game in five very different secondary school settings in Ontario, Canada. A mixed-methods approach was used in the study, and included data gathered on general gameplay habits and technology use, as well as informal interviews with teachers and students who played the game. In total, 161 participants played a series of games focused on the "life of a plant", and were given both a pre and post quiz to determine if the game helped them retain and/or change what they knew about scientific processes like plant cell anatomy and photosynthesis. Participants showed statistically significant improvement on quizzes that were taken after playing the game for approximately one-hour sessions, despite difficulties in some cases both accessing and playing the game for the full hour. Our findings also reveal the ongoing challenges in making use of technology in a variety of school sessions, even when using a browser-based game, that demanded very little other than a reliable internet connection. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Student Attitudes; Botany; Zoology; Biology; Foreign Countries; Grade 4; Elementary School Students; Science Instruction; Student Interests; Generational Differences; Grade 3; Elementary School Science; Questionnaires; Attitude Change

Abstract:
A decline in biology interest has often been claimed but seldom with an empirically substantiation. This study was based on a sample of 3rd and 4th grade pupils within the same geographical area as Lowe's (1987, 1992) previous results from southwest Germany from the year 1983. We used a four-point Likert-type questionnaire to assess interest with 30 items (zoology, botany, human biology). Here we show for the first time, that elementary school pupils have lower interest in biology than one generation before. This decline between 1983 and 2011 was about 10%, with only 3% in zoology and 12% in botany. As interest is an important variable, programs should be developed to foster pupils' interest already on the primary school level. (Contains 2 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Plants (Botany); Females; Educational History; Botany; Sexuality; Intellectual History; Young Adults; Gender Issues; Romanticism; Educational Philosophy; Womens Studies; Letters (Correspondence)

Abstract:
Central in the analyses of women's and gender studies within the history of education has been Rousseau's (Emil oder Uber die Erziehung, 12th edn. Ferdinand Schoningh, Paderborn 1762) educational novel Emile, especially Book 5, which deals with the education of Sophie, Emilie's future spouse. Given the lasting interest in the person of Rousseau and his work, it is astonishing that there is a work by him, that has not been a focus of analysis in studies on the history of education, namely, Rousseau's "Lettres elementaires sur la botanique". Linnaeus had early on espoused a classification bases on the sexuality of the plants. Their sexualizing plants was in keeping with the zeitgeist of the Enlightenment, which had also put the new order of human sexual relations on the agenda. The following article focusses on the question what importance Rousseau's letters on botany can be accorded in this controversy over the sexuality of the plants and the relations between the sexes. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Pedagogical Content Knowledge; Science Instruction; Biology; Heredity; Botany; Science Curriculum; Secondary School Teachers; Classroom Observation Techniques; Semi Structured Interviews; Lesson Plans; Instructional Materials; Science Teachers; Assignments; Educational Strategies; Grounded Theory; Integrated Activities; National Standards; State Standards; Data Analysis

Abstract:
This study explored the nature of the integration of the five components of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK): (a) Orientations toward Teaching Science, (b) Knowledge of Student Understanding, (c) Knowledge of Instructional Strategies and Representations, (d) Knowledge of Science Curriculum, and (e) Knowledge of Assessment of Science Learning. Given the topic and context specificity of PCK, this investigation was conducted in the context of the photosynthesis and heredity instruction of four teachers who were working at the same high school with the same curricular materials. Data sources included classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, lesson plans, instructional materials, and students' work samples. Data were analyzed through three different approaches: (a) in-depth analysis of explicit PCK, (b) enumerative approach, and (c) the constant comparative method. Data analysis indicated five salient features of the integration of the PCK components: (a) the integration of the components was idiosyncratic and topic-specific; (b) Knowledge of Student Understanding and Knowledge of Instructional Strategies and Representations were central in the integration; (c) Knowledge of Science Curriculum and Knowledge of Assessment of Science Learning had most limited connection with other components; (d) Knowledge of Assessment of Science Learning was more often connected with Knowledge of Student Understanding and Knowledge of Instructional Strategies and Representations than with the other components; and (e) Didactic Orientations toward Teaching Science directed Knowledge of Instructional Strategies and Representations inhibiting its connection with other components. This study highlights that the quality of PCK depends on the coherence among the components as well as the strength of individual components. From a methodological perspective, this study demonstrates the possibility to make PCK more visible and accessible by using a PCK Map, a pictorial representation of the interactions of the PCK components. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Botany; Scientific Research; Learning Experience; Science Teachers; Science Curriculum; Investigations; Science Activities; Secondary School Science; Measurement Objectives; Measurement Techniques; Spectroscopy; Energy Education; Instructional Innovation; Laboratory Experiments; Scientific Concepts; Scientific Methodology; Teaching Methods

Abstract:
The process of photosynthesis is central to science curriculum at all levels. This article describes an inquiry-based laboratory investigation developed to explore the impact of light quality on photosynthesis and to connect this process to current research on harvesting solar energy, including bioenergy, artificial photosynthesis, and solar cells. This laboratory was used with high-school science teachers who then took this experience back to their classrooms. During this exercise, teachers used an economical spectroradiometer to measure the solar spectrum and relate this to photosynthetic light absorption by determining the quality of light beneath trees. Following this investigation, teachers learned about the plant-inspired dye-sensitized solar cells and constructed one. To connect their light quality investigation to the efficiency of photosynthesis and solar cells, teachers then collected data at locations with varying quality and intensity of light. In sum, this investigation provides a crucial connection between photosynthesis and cutting edge research on solar energy technologies. Our learning experience provides a new instructional model for understanding a little investigated aspect of photosynthesis and connects to authentic scientific research. (Contains 3 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Botany; Physiology; Metabolism; Undergraduate Students; Science Instruction; College Science; Scientific Concepts; Concept Formation; Scores; Comparative Analysis; Teaching Methods; Foreign Countries

Abstract:
This article reports on conceptual difficulties related to photosynthesis and respiratory metabolism of a Plant Physiology course for undergraduate students that could hinder their better learning of metabolic processes. A survey of results obtained in this area during the last 10 academic years was performed, as well as a specific test, aimed to find out prior conceptual schemes in the students. The test included only basic, general questions on plant metabolism, and was passed on the first day of the course. Scores obtained by different groups of students were compared. Survey of students' performance in previous years shows that questions on plant metabolism result in significantly lower number of correct answers than for the rest of questions, despite reiteration of its teaching in prior educational levels. Some areas such as respiration or light-independent reactions of photosynthesis, as well as concepts and terminology related to electrochemistry, seem to be particularly difficult. The specific test also shows differences among the different groups of students included in this investigation. Our results point out that reiteration of a particular subject in the curricula at different educational levels does not result in a coherent enough conceptual scheme in the students. To help students in this task, it is recommended to teach the general processes also in advanced courses in which these processes are taught in great detail. In this way, settlement of the appropriate conceptual scheme may be reinforced. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Instructional Effectiveness; Botany; Misconceptions; Scripts; Attribution Theory; Scientific Concepts; Science Instruction; Incidence; Schemata (Cognition); Learning Processes; Teaching Methods

Abstract:
Studies exploring how students learn and understand science processes such as "diffusion" and "natural selection" typically find that students provide misconceived explanations of how the patterns of such processes arise (such as why giraffes' necks get longer over generations, or how ink dropped into water appears to "flow"). Instead of explaining the patterns of these processes as emerging from the collective interactions of all the agents (e.g., both the water and the ink molecules), students often explain the pattern as being caused by controlling agents with intentional goals, as well as express a variety of many other misconceived notions. In this article, we provide a hypothesis for "what" constitutes a misconceived explanation; "why" misconceived explanations are so prevalent, robust, and resistant to instruction; and offer one approach of "how" they may be overcome. In particular, we hypothesize that students misunderstand many science processes because they rely on a generalized version of narrative schemas and scripts (referred to here as a Direct-causal Schema) to interpret them. For science processes that are sequential and stage-like, such as cycles of moon, circulation of blood, stages of mitosis, and photosynthesis, a Direct-causal Schema is adequate for correct understanding. However, for science processes that are non-sequential (or emergent), such as diffusion, natural selection, osmosis, and heat flow, using a Direct Schema to understand these processes will lead to robust misconceptions. Instead, a different type of general schema may be required to interpret non-sequential processes, which we refer to as an Emergent-causal Schema. We propose that students lack this Emergent Schema and teaching it to them may help them learn and understand emergent kinds of science processes such as "diffusion". Our study found that directly teaching students this Emergent Schema led to increased learning of the process of "diffusion". This article presents a fine-grained characterization of each type of Schema, our instructional intervention, the successes we have achieved, and the lessons we have learned. (Contains 3 notes, 3 tables and 7 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Educational Technology; Computer Uses in Education; Botany; Curriculum Design; Energy; Visualization; Middle School Students; Scientific Concepts; Secondary School Science; Grade 7; Web Based Instruction; Inquiry; Interaction; Illustrations

Abstract:
Dynamic visualizations have the potential to make abstract scientific phenomena more accessible and visible to students, but they can also be confusing and difficult to comprehend. This research investigates how dynamic visualizations, compared to static illustrations, can support middle school students in developing an integrated understanding of energy in photosynthesis. Two hundred 7th-grade students were randomly assigned to either a dynamic or a static condition and completed a web-based inquiry unit that encourages students to make connections among energy concepts in photosynthesis. While working on the inquiry unit, students in the dynamic condition interacted with a dynamic visualization of energy transformation, whereas students in the static condition interacted with a series of static illustrations of the same concept. The results showed that students in both conditions added new, scientific ideas about energy transformation and developed a more coherent understanding of energy in photosynthesis. However, when comparing the two conditions, we found a significant advantage of dynamic visualization over static illustrations. Students in the dynamic condition were significantly more successful in articulating the process of energy transformation in the context of chemical reactions during photosynthesis. Students in the dynamic condition also demonstrated a more integrated understanding of energy in photosynthesis by linking their ideas about energy transformation to other energy ideas and observable phenomena of photosynthesis than those students in the static condition. This study, consistent with other research, shows that dynamic visualizations can more effectively improve students' understanding of abstract concepts of molecular processes than static illustrations. The results of this study also suggest that with appropriate instructional support, such as making predictions and distinguishing among ideas, both dynamic visualizations and static illustrations can benefit students. This study underscores the importance of curriculum design in ensuring that dynamic visualizations add value to science instructional materials. (Contains 3 figures, 7 tables and 1 note.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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