Teaching mathematics and programming : new approaches with empirical evaluation

Programming and mathematics are core areas of computer science (CS) and consequently also important parts of CS education. Introductory instruction in these two topics is, however, not without problems. Studies show that CS students find programming difficult to learn and that teaching mathematical topics to CS novices is challenging. One reason for the latter is the disconnection between mathematics and programming found in many CS curricula, which results in students not seeing the relevance of the subject for their studies. In addition, reports indicate that students' mathematical capability and maturity levels are dropping. The challenges faced when teaching mathematics and programming at CS departments can also be traced back to gaps in students' prior education. In Finland the high school curriculum does not include CS as a subject; instead, focus is on learning to use the computer and its applications as tools. Similarly, many of the mathematics courses emphasize application of formulas, while logic, formalisms and proofs, which are important in CS, are avoided. Consequently, high school graduates are not well prepared for studies in CS. Motivated by these challenges, the goal of the present work is to describe new approaches to teaching mathematics and programming aimed at addressing these issues: Structured derivations is a logic-based approach to teaching mathematics, where formalisms and justifications are made explicit. The aim is to help students become better at communicating their reasoning using mathematical language and logical notation at the same time as they become more confident with formalisms. The Python programming language was originally designed with education in mind, and has a simple syntax compared to many other popular languages. The aim of using it in instruction is to address algorithms and their implementation in a way that allows focus to be put on learning algorithmic thinking and programming instead of on learning a complex syntax. Invariant based programming is a diagrammatic approach to developing programs that are correct by construction. The approach is based on elementary propositional and predicate logic, and makes explicit the underlying mathematical foundations of programming. The aim is also to show how mathematics in general, and logic in particular, can be used to create better programs.

Integrating environmental education in primary school education in Tanzania : teachers’ perceptions and teaching practices

The study focuses on primary school teachers’ perceptions of environmental education, its integration into primary school education and teachers’ teaching practices in Tanzania. The thesis is based on empirical research. The theoretical underpinnings of the study are based on Palmer’s (1998) model of environmental education. According to the model, meaningful environmental education should include education about, in or through and for the environment. The study is supported by national and international literature from research done on environmental education and education for sustainable development and policy statements. The study is qualitative in nature, adopting phenomenography and phenomenology as points of departure. The empirical data was collected from four primary schools in Morogoro region in Tanzania. The study sample consisted of 31 primary school teachers. Data was collected through interviews and lesson observations. According to the results of the study, primary school teachers expressed variations in their perceptions of environmental education and education for sustainable development. Most of the teachers focused on the aspect of knowledge acquisition. According to Tanzanian education and training policy, environmental education has to be integrated into all subjects. Although there is environmental education in the primary school curriculum, it is not integrated on an equal footing in all subjects. Some subjects like science, social studies and geography have more environmental content than other subjects. Teachers claim that the approach used to integrate environmental education into the school curriculum was not favoured because many claimed that what is to be taught as environmental education in the various subjects is not shown clearly. As a result, many teachers suggested that to ensure that it is taught properly it should be included in the curriculum as an independent subject or as specific topics. The study revealed that teachers’ teaching practices in integrating environmental education varied from one subject to another. Although most of the teachers said that they used participatory methods, lesson observations showed that they limited themselves to question and answer and group discussion. However, the teachers faced a number of barriers in the teaching of environmental education, some of which include lack of teaching and learning resources, time and large class size. The role of teachers in the implementation of environmental education in developing an environmentally literate citizenry is of great significance. The responsibility of the government in developing a curriculum with clear goals and content, developing teachers’ capacity in the teaching of environmental education and provision of teaching and learning materials needs to be taken seriously by the government in educational plans and programs.

Motivational differences in science course enrolment shown by males and females in grades 9 through OAC

A sample of 1,345 students enrolled in advanced-level science courses from Grades 9 through OAe was surveyed in order to gain perspective into the existence of motivational differences attributing to science course enrolment by gender. Records of enrolment were examined in order to detect patterns and trends. A questionnaire was devised and piloted. It measured five motivational variables - demographics, science and science-related experiences, science ability and attitudes, impressions about women in science, and importance of science and science-related skills. The students also provided some impressions about the image of scientists. Results of the questionnaire were analyzed for frequency of responses and for significant gender differences using the chi-square. Differences were found to exist in the areas of science anxiety as it relates to testing and oral participation; in motivation generated by the performance of extra-curricular science and science-related activities, and by the classroom environment; in impressions of women in science; in the importance of science skills, and in the area of teacher influence. The study also showed a differential enrolment of females, with an emphasis on biology and chemistry. The males were enrolled in courses of physics and chemistry. The findings lead to numerous suggested strategies and programs for encouraging the participation of females in science education and careers.

The impact of integrated programming on student attitude and achievement in grade 9 academic mathematics and science

This research studioo the effect of integrated instruction in mathematics and~ science on student achievement in and attitude towards both mathematics and science. A group of grade 9 academic students received instruction in both science and mathematics in an integrated program specifically developed for the purposes of the research. This group was compared to a control group that had received science and mathematics instruction in a traditional, nonintegrated program. The findings showed that in all measures of attitude, there was no significant difference between the students who participated in the integrated science and mathematics program and those who participated in a traditional science and mathematics program. The findings also revealed that integration did improve achievement on some of the measures used. The performance on mathematics open-ended problem-solving tasks improved after participation in the integrated program, suggesting that the integrated students were better able to apply their understanding of mathematics in a real-life context. The performance on the final science exam was also improved for the integrated group. Improvement was not noted on the other measures, which included EQAO scores and laboratory practical tasks. These results raise the issue of the suitability of the instruments used to gauge both achievement and attitude. The accuracy and suitability of traditional measures of achievement are considered. It is argued that they should not necessarily be used as the measure of the value of integrated instruction in a science and mathematics classroom.

Writing and science connections : integrated instruction and assessment

Learning to write is a daunting task for many young children. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a combined approach to writing instruction and assessment on the writing performance of students in two grade 3 classes. Five forms and traits of writing were purposefully connected during writing lessons while exhibiting links to the four strands of the grade 3 Ontario science curriculum. Students then had opportunities to engage in the writing process and to self-assess their compositions using either student-developed (experimental group/teacher-researcher's class) or teachercreated (control group/teacher-participant's class) rubrics. Paired samples t-tests revealed that both the experimental and control groups exhibited statistically significant growth from pretest to posttest on all five integrated writing units. Independent samples t-tests showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group on the persuasive + sentence fluency and procedure + word choice writing tasks. Pearson product-moment correlation r tests revealed significant correlations between the experimental group and the teacher-researcher on the recount + ideas and report + organization tasks, while students in the control group showed significant correlations with the teacher-researcher on the narrative + voice and procedure + word choice tasks. Significant correlations between the control group and the teacher-participant were evident on the persuasive + sentence fluency and procedure + word choice tasks. Qualitative analyses revealed five themes that highlighted how students' self-assessments and reflections can be used to guide teachers in their instructional decision making. These findings suggest that educators should adopt an integrated writing program in their classrooms, while working with students to create and utilize purposeful writing assessment tools.

Peer-Led Team Learning as an Instructional Strategy for Secondary School Science

This study investigated the impact of an instructional learning strategy, peer-led team learning (PLTL), on secondary school students' conceptual understanding of biology concepts related to the topic of evolution. Using a mixed methods approach, data were gathered quantitatively through pre/posttesting using a repeated measures design and qualitatively through observations, questionnaires, and interviews. A repeated measures design was implemented to explore the impact of PLTL on students' understanding of concepts related to evolution and students' attitudes towards PLTL implementation. Results from quantitative data comparing pre/posttesting were not able to be compared through inferential statistics as a result of inconsistencies in the data due to a small sample size and design limitations; however, qualitative data identified positive attitudes towards the implementation of PLTL, with students reporting gains in conceptual understanding, academic achievement, and interdependent work ethic. Implications of these findings for learning, teaching, and the educational literature include understanding of student attitudes towards PLTL and insight into the role PLTL plays in improving conceptual understanding of biology concepts. Strategies are suggested to continue further research in the area of PLTL.

Exploring the Current State of Grades 4 to 8 Science Education in Ontario

This study sought to explore the current state of Grades 4 to 8 science education in Ontario from the perspective of Junior/Intermediate (J/I) teachers. The study’s methodology was a sequential 2-phased mixed methods explanatory design denoted as QUAN (qual)  qual. Data were collected from an online survey and follow-up interviews. J/I teachers (N = 219) from 48 school boards in Ontario completed a survey that collected both quantitative and qualitative data. Interviewees were selected from the survey participant population (n = 6) to represent a range of teaching strategies, attitudes toward teaching science, and years of experience. Survey and interview questions inquired about teacher attitudes toward teaching science, academic and professional experiences, teaching strategies, support resources, and instructional time allotments. Quantitative data analyses involved the descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Qualitative data was coded inductively and deductively. Academic background in science was found to significantly influence teachers’ reported level of capability to teach science. The undergraduate degrees held by J/I science teachers were found to significantly influence their reported levels of capability to teach science. Participants identified a lack of time allocated for science instruction and inadequate equipment and facilities as major limitations on science instruction. Science in schools was reported to be of a “second-tiered” value to language and mathematics. Implications of this study include improving undergraduate and preservice experiences of elementary teachers by supporting their science content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.

La science historique et le rapport aux savoirs des manuels québécois du cours collégial «Histoire de la civilisation occidentale» : analyse épistémologique et critique

Alors que l’enseignement de l’histoire au Québec visait jadis à promouvoir l’acquisition par les élèves de contenus spécifiques, nationalistes et religieux, depuis plusieurs décennies des volontés scientifiques et politiques cherchent à réorienter la discipline. L’histoire enseignée doit dorénavant orienter son approche sur celle de la science histoire. D’une focalisation sur la transmission de contenus, on vise maintenant l’apprentissage d’un mode spécifique d’appréhension du réel : la pensée historienne. Cette étude soulève la question de la correspondance entre l’histoire enseignée et l’historiographie savante actuelle dans un contexte de changement de paradigme épistémologique et des rapports au savoir que cela implique. L’hypothèse posée est que l’histoire enseignée – telle qu’elle apparait dans les manuels d’histoire occidentale à l’usage des cégépiens et cégépiennes – n’a pas suivi l’évolution historiographique des dernières années, précisément quant à leur posture épistémologique.

A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE I/W-'ll/EA/6'1.-' OF GANDHIJI AND HIS TEACHING ON MODERN HINDI POETRY

Hindi

[Ressenya del llibre Rediscovering geography: new relevance for science and society, de Rediscovering Geography Committee, National Research Council]

El llibre ressenyat pretén ser una síntesi i una avaluació de la situació de la geografia als Estats Units. Estructurat en vuit capítols, els sis primers són una anàlisi de diversos aspectes de la geografia i els dos últims expliquen quina estratègia hauria de portar-se a terme per enfortir el paper de la geografia en el món acadèmic i en la societat en general

EdShare: collaboration in a University for learning and teaching

Poster for the School of Electronics and Computer Science, Learning Societies Lab Open Day, 27 February 2008 at the University of Southampton. Profile and presentation of the EdShare resource. The poster illustrates the philosophy of EdShare, how it relates to the Web 2.0 environment and its relationship to the education agenda in a University.

EdShare: collaboration in a University for learning and teaching

Poster for the Learning Societies Laboratory, School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton Open Day, Wednesday 27 February 2008.

EdShare: collaboration in a University for learning and teaching

Poster for the Learning Societies Laboratory, School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton Open Day, Wednesday 27 February 2008.

Scitable - Learn Science with Nature Education

Scitable is an open online teaching/learning portal combining high quality educational articles authored by editors at NPG with technology-based community features to fuel a global exchange of scientific insights, teaching practices, and study resources. Scitable currently contains articles in the field of genetics, and is intended for college undergraduate faculty and students. Future plans involve extension of Scitable to other fields within the life sciences, as well as to other audiences. Scitable brings together a library of scientific overviews with a worldwide community of scientists, researchers, teachers and students. Nature Education is a new division of Nature Publishing Group devoted to facilitating high quality, innovative, accessible science education in all countries of the world.