Teaching and cognitive outcomes in A-levels and Advanced GNVQ's: Case studies from Science and Business Studies Classrooms

The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate how a research diary methodology, designed to analyse A-level and GNVQ classrooms, can be a powerful tool for examining pedagogy and quality of learning at the level of case study. Two subject areas, science and business studies, are presented as cases. Twelve teachers and thirty-four students were studied over a four-week period in May 1997 and contrasts were drawn between lessons from three A-level physics teachers/three Advanced GNVQ science teachers and two A-level business/economics teachers/four Advanced GNVQ business teachers. Lessons were analysed within a cognitive framework which distinguishes between conceptual and procedural learning and emphasizes the importance of metacognition and epistemological beliefs. Two dimensions of lessons were identified: pedagogical activities (e.g. teacher-led explanation, teacher-led guidance on a task, question/answer sessions, group discussions, working with IT) and cognitive outcomes (e.g. structuring and memorizing facts, understanding concepts and arguments, critical thinking, problem-solving, learning core skills, identifying values). Immediately after each lesson, teachers and students (three per class) completed structured research diaries with respect to the above dimensions. Data from the diaries reveal general and unique features of the lessons. Time-ofyear effects were evident (examinations pending in May), particularly in A-level classrooms. Students in business studies classes reported a wider range of learning activities and greater variety in cognitive outcomes than did students in science classes. Science students self-rating of their ability to manage and direct their own learning was generally low. The phenomenological aspects of the classrooms were consistently linked to teachers' lesson plans and what their teaching objectives were for those particular students at that particular time of the year.

Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Beliefs toward Mathematics and Mathematics Teaching

As they began their one-year teacher education program 138 elementary school teacher candidates completed a questionnaire designed to measure their beliefs concerning the nature of mathematics, measured on a scale from absolutist to fallibilist, and their beliefs concerning effective mathematics instruction, measured on a scale from traditional to constructivist. Interviews were conducted with volunteer questionnaire participants, with selection based on the questionnaire results and using two sets of criteria. Study 1. involved 8 teacher candidates showing distinct absolutist or fallibilist views of mathematics and individual interviews explored participants' beliefs concerning the use of information and communication technology, particularly interactive whiteboards (IWB), in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Participants with absolutist beliefs about the nature of mathematics tended to focus on the IWB as a presentation tool, while those with fallibilist beliefs appreciated the use of the IWB to support student exploration. Study 2. involved 8 teacher candidates with apparently misaligning absolutist beliefs concerning the nature of mathematics and constructivist beliefs concerning teaching. Interviews exploring participants' favoured instructional approaches, particularly those involving the use of manipulatives, showed that constructivist views involved essentially surface beliefs and that in fact manipulatives would be employed to support traditional direct instruction.

Space Science News: from archive to teaching resource, the secret life of newspapers

Worldwide, science education reform is aiming to promote 'scientific literacy' among young people. Typically, this is taken to include empowering them to engage critically with science in news media. This study explored the extent and nature of secondary science teachers' use of newspapers. It found that, though a great many use the resource, the majority do so incidentally and with the intention of showing the relevance of the subject rather than developing their students' criticality.

The ABC for Life Programme - Teaching Basic Life Support in Schools

Background Less than 1% of the general public know how to assess or manage someone who has collapsed. It has been estimated that if 15–20% of the population were capable of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), mortality of out of hospital cardiac arrest could be decreased significantly. Training basic life support (BLS) skills to school children would be the most cost effective way of achieving this goal and ensuring that a large proportion of the population acquire basic life saving skills. Aims To assess retention of knowledge of basic life support 6 months after a single course of instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation designed specifically for school children. Setting School pupils in a rural location in one region of the United Kingdom. Methods A course of instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation – the ‘ABC for life’ programme – specifically designed to teach 10–12-year-old school children basic life support skills. The training session was given to school pupils in a rural location in Northern Ireland. A 22 point questionnaire was used to assess acquisition and retention of basic life support knowledge. Results Children instructed in cardiopulmonary resuscitation showed a highly significant increase in level of knowledge following the training session. While their level of knowledge decreased over a period of 6 months it remained significantly higher than that of a comparable group of children who had never been trained. Conclusion A training programme designed and taught as part of the school curriculum would have a significant impact on public health.