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Chemistry; Entrepreneurship; STEM Education; Secondary School Curriculum; Secondary School Science; Curriculum Enrichment; Relevance (Education); Curriculum Development; Integrated Curriculum; Performance Factors; Barriers; Change Strategies; Educational Change; School Restructuring; Science Process Skills; Best Practices

Abstract:
This paper discussed the need to restructure STM (science, technology, and mathematics) education to reflect entrepreneurship. This is because the present STM education has not achieved its aim of making graduates self-reliant. Entrepreneurship education if introduced in the STM education will produce graduate who can effectively manage their personal businesses. Entrepreneurship education was explained and the advantages outlined. The paper gave an insight into what the chemistry education will look like when entrepreneurship education is included using secondary school chemistry. This situation applies to biology education and in the application of technology to teaching and learning. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Middle School Students; Grade 6; Grade 7; Grade 8; Science Achievement; Evidence; Scientific Concepts; Outcome Measures; Program Evaluation; Instructional Effectiveness; Science Process Skills; Science Activities

Abstract:
"Great Explorations in Math and Science"[R] ("GEMS"[R]) "The Real Reasons for Seasons" is a curriculum unit for grades 6-8 that focuses on the connections between the Sun and the Earth to teach students the scientific concepts behind the seasons. The unit utilizes models, hands-on investigations, peer-to-peer discussions, reflection, and informational student readings to help students understand science content and develop scientific investigation skills. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) identified one study on the effects of "GEMS"[R] "The Real Reasons for Seasons" on the science achievement of middle school students. The WWC reviewed this study against group design evidence standards. The study (Pyke, Lynch, Kuipers, Szesze, & Watson, 2004) is a randomized controlled trial that meets WWC evidence standards without reservations. This study is summarized in this report. Appended are: (1) Research details for Pyke et al. (2004); (2) Outcome measures for each domain; (3) Findings included in the rating for the general science achievement domain; and (4) Description of supplemental findings for the general science achievement domain. A glossary of terms is included. (Contains 4 tables, 6 endnotes and 2 additional sources.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Science Teachers; Preservice Teachers; Preservice Teacher Education; Middle School Teachers; Measurement; Mathematics Skills; Science Process Skills; Science Activities; Science Education; Science Instruction; Models; Instructional Design; Units of Study

Abstract:
Measurement is an essential skill that students need to develop in both mathematics and science classes. However, many students only develop very superficial understanding regarding the nature of measurement. Building upon modeling-based work, we construct a framework that views measurement as a complex set of knowledge and skills one can use to transform a model and/or a referent and their variations and bring them together in a coherent way. We use this framework to guide the design and implementation of a unit on measuring the volume of a tree with two cohorts of prospective teachers of middle grades. With selected examples, we illustrate our framework in terms of the relationship between modeling and measurement. We provide insights on how to design activities that enhance students' in-depth understanding of measurement. 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:
Science Education; Culturally Relevant Education; Global Approach; Indigenous Knowledge; Foreign Countries; Science Education History; Educational History; Educational Practices; Foreign Culture; Science Process Skills; Performance Factors; Educational Development; Integrated Curriculum

Abstract:
This paper is a study of historical foundations of science education in Igboland, its nature and scope as well as the challenges facing its integration into the 21st century school system in a globalized world. The authors found that there were many scientific activities in Igbo culture, but many problems hinder their integration into the basic needs of modern society. For instance, imposing the needs of a globalized world of the 21st century on modernized African (Igbo) science is like imposing industrial chemistry on non-industrialized society. Implications of the findings were discussed in this paper. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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International Organizations; Educational Improvement; Educational Objectives; Global Approach; Evaluation Methods; Achievement; Child Safety; Physical Health; Well Being; Social Development; Emotional Development; Interpersonal Competence; Art; Creative Activities; Cultural Education; Communication Skills; Literacy; Attention; Creativity; Critical Thinking; Numeracy; Mathematical Concepts; Technological Literacy; Science Process Skills

Abstract:
In the run-up to 2015 and beyond, the global education community must work together to improve learning and propose practical actions to deliver and measure progress. In response, UNESCO through its Institute for Statistics (UIS) and the Center for Universal Education (CUE) at the Brookings Institution have co-convened the Learning Metrics Task Force (LMTF). The project's main objective is to shift the focus of global education debates from access to access "plus" learning. Based on input from technical working groups and global consultations, the task force will make recommendations to help countries and international organizations measure and improve learning outcomes for children and youth worldwide. In the first phase of the project, the Standards Working Group prepared a series of initial recommendations to identify the competencies, knowledge or areas of learning that are important for all children and youth to master in order to succeed in school and life. This initial work (based on current discussions, policies and research) was then enriched following a broad consultation involving more than 500 individuals in 57 countries. The final Phase I recommendations from the task force are presented in its first report entitled, "Toward Universal Learning: What Every Child Should Learn," which presents a framework for what every child and youth should learn and be able to do by the time they reach postprimary age. Appended are: (1) Individuals Contributing to the Phase I Public Consultation Period; (2) Selected Global Dialogues and Frameworks on Learning Outcomes; (3) International, Regional and Cross-National Initiatives to Measure Learning; (4) Methodology; and (5) First Public Consultation Document. (Contains 4 figures, 3 tables, and 7 endnotes.) [This paper is a joint publication with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Additional funding for this paper was provided by Dubai Cares and the Douglas B. Marshall, Jr. Family Foundation.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Foreign Countries; Science Process Skills; Workshops; Scientists; Student Research; Seismology

Abstract:
The authors have been running UK-Japan Young Scientist Workshops at universities in Britain and Japan since 2001: for the past three years in England with Cambridge University and, last year, also with Kyoto University and Kyoto University of Education. For many years they have worked jointly with colleagues in a group of Super Science High Schools in Kyoto (as well as a number in Tokyo) but, since the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami of March 2011, they are now committed to working also with schools serving communities in the devastated Tohoku region. In this article, the author talks about the UK-Japan Young Scientist Workshop programme and the lessons learned for education. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Prior Learning; Animals; Museums; Video Technology; Exhibits; Family Involvement; Cognitive Processes; Science Process Skills; Logical Thinking; Interaction; Science Education; Children; Adolescents; Recreational Facilities; Teaching Methods

Abstract:
While the opportunity to engage in scientific reasoning has been identified as an important aspect of informal science learning (National Research Council, 2009), most studies have examined this strand of science learning within the context of physics-based science exhibits. Few have examined the presence of such activity in conjunction with live animal exhibits at zoos and aquariums. A video study of 41 families at four touch-tank exhibits, where visitors can observe and interact with live marine species, revealed that families engaged in making claims, challenging claims, and confirming claims as well as other actions associated with scientific reasoning such as applying prior knowledge, making and testing predictions and hypotheses, and constructing arguments. We provide examples of scientific reasoning and examine the role of claims in promoting scientific reasoning. Implications for rethinking learning opportunities and interpretational approaches at touch tanks, as well as examination of the unique characteristics of these and similar exhibits, are discussed. (Contains 4 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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Testing; Biology; Undergraduate Study; Educational Change; Scientific Literacy; Skill Analysis; Psychometrics; Program Development; Program Validation; Program Descriptions; Item Analysis; Student Evaluation; Evaluation Methods; Content Validity; Construct Validity; Interviews; Achievement Gains; Scientific and Technical Information; Science Process Skills

Abstract:
Life sciences faculty agree that developing scientific literacy is an integral part of undergraduate education and report that they teach these skills. However, few measures of scientific literacy are available to assess students' proficiency in using scientific literacy skills to solve scenarios in and beyond the undergraduate biology classroom. In this paper, we describe the development, validation, and testing of the Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS) in five general education biology classes at three undergraduate institutions. The test measures skills related to major aspects of scientific literacy: recognizing and analyzing the use of methods of inquiry that lead to scientific knowledge and the ability to organize, analyze, and interpret quantitative data and scientific information. Measures of validity included correspondence between items and scientific literacy goals of the National Research Council and Project 2061, findings from a survey of biology faculty, expert biology educator reviews, student interviews, and statistical analyses. Classroom testing contexts varied both in terms of student demographics and pedagogical approaches. We propose that biology instructors can use the TOSLS to evaluate their students' proficiencies in using scientific literacy skills and to document the impacts of curricular reform on students' scientific literacy. (Contains 4 figures and 6 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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Descriptors:
Majors (Students); Teaching Methods; Biology; Undergraduate Study; Science Course Improvement Projects; Change Strategies; Educational Change; Instructional Innovation; Achievement Gains; Academic Persistence; Science Process Skills; Curriculum Development; Inquiry; Curriculum Implementation; Course Content; Course Descriptions; Course Objectives; Course Organization; Portfolio Assessment; Instructional Development

Abstract:
We transformed our first-year curriculum in biology with a new course, Biological Inquiry, in which greater than 50% of all incoming, first-year students enroll. The course replaced a traditional, content-driven course that relied on outdated approaches to teaching and learning. We diversified pedagogical practices by adopting guided inquiry in class and in labs, which are devoted to building authentic research skills through open-ended experiments. Students develop core biological knowledge, from the ecosystem to molecular level, and core skills through regular practice in hypothesis testing, reading primary literature, analyzing data, interpreting results, writing in disciplinary style, and working in teams. Assignments and exams require higher-order cognitive processes, and students build new knowledge and skills through investigation of real-world problems (e.g., malaria), which engages students' interest. Evidence from direct and indirect assessment has guided continuous course revision and has revealed that compared with the course it replaced, Biological Inquiry produces significant learning gains in all targeted areas. It also retains 94% of students (both BA and BS track) compared with 79% in the majors-only course it replaced. The project has had broad impact across the entire college and reflects the input of numerous constituencies and close collaboration among biology professors and students. (Contains 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Secondary School Science; Science Process Skills; Teaching Methods; Instructional Effectiveness; Scientific Concepts; Foreign Countries; Grade 7; Grade 8; Cognitive Ability; Comparative Analysis

Abstract:
Students at age 11 or 12 took a course where scientific skills were taught discretely rather than in an integrated approach alongside scientific knowledge and understanding. There is evidence that this may be a more beneficial approach for developing scientific skills. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

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