Coordination of aproximations in secondary school students’ understanding of limit concept

The aim of this research is to characterize the coordination of the processes of approximation related to the understanding of the limit of a function. We analyze the answers of 64 post-secondary school students to 7 problems considering the dynamic and metric conception of limit of a function. Results indicate that the metric understanding of the limit in terms of inequality supports that the student is capable of coordinating the approximations in the domain and in the range when lateral approximations coincide. However, the student is not capable of this coordination when lateral approximations do not coincide. This indicates that the metric understanding of the limit begins with the previous construction of the dynamic conception in case of coincidence of the lateral approximations in the range.

Children's understanding of the concept of physical activity

This study evaluated 4th-grade students' understanding of the concept of physical activity and assessed the effects of two interventions to enhance the students' understanding of this concept. Students were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: the video group (n = 40) watched a 5-min video describing physical activity; the verbal group (n = 42) listened to a generic description of physical activity; the control group received no instruction (n = 45). Students completed a 17-item checklist testing their understanding of the concept of physical activity. Compared to controls, students in the verbal and video group demonstrated significantly higher checklist scores, with the video group scoring significantly higher than the verbal group. Only 35.6% of the controls, compared to 52.4% and 70.0% of the verbal and video groups respectively, could classify greater than or equal to 15 of the checklist items correctly, The results indicate that, without intervention, children have a limited understanding of the concept of physical activity.

Environmental judgment in early childhood and its relationship with the understanding of the concept of living beings

The evidence collected concerning the biocentric judgment that young children express when evaluating human actions on the environment leads some scholars to suggest that an essential understanding of the notion of living beings should appear earlier than previously believed. This research project aims to study that assumption. To this end, young children’s choice when they are put in situation of having to compare and choose the most negative option between environmentally harmful actions and the breaking of social conventions are examined. Afterwards, the results are categorized in relation to those obtained from the study of children’s grasp of the distinction between living beings and inanimate entities. The data is analysed according to the individuals’ age and overall, it suggests a lack of relationship between environmental judgment and the understanding of the concept of living beings. The final results are discussed in keeping with recent research in the field of moral development that underscores the role that unconscious emotional processing plays in the individual’s normative judgment.

Toward a better understanding of family enterprising

By integrating stewardship theory and entrepreneurial orientation perspectives we contribute to the understanding of the concept of family enterprising. Using excerpts from a single case study we provide insight into how a third generation Australian family has evolved and transformed by embracing the notion of family enterprising, which, we suggest, places them in a strong position for sustainability across generations.

Indonesian LIS professionals’ understanding of Library 2.0 : a pilot study

The concept of Library 2.0 with its participatory and user-centred focus increasingly has been incorporated in library practice around the world. However, research on this topic is either limited or non-existent in developing countries which are often restricted by tight budgets and varying levels of technological infrastructure. This poster presents the findings of an ongoing pilot project which investigates Library 2.0 in the specific cultural context of Indonesia as well as strengthens the general evidence base in this research area. Data was collected through an online survey with library and information (LIS) professionals from across the information sector in Indonesia. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to explore their understanding of the concept of Library 2.0. The preliminary data collected from this study will be used to inform a more complex future research project. As well, findings are intended to aid in LIS curriculum development in Indonesia to support the education of LIS students.

Video evidence : what gestures tell us about students' understanding of rate of change

This paper reports on insights into students’ understanding of the concept of rate of change, provided by examining the gestures made, by 25 Year 10 students, in videorecorded interviews. Detailed analysis, of both the sound and images, illuminates the meaning of rate-related gestures. Findings indicate that students often use the symbols and metaphors of gesture to complement, supplement, or even contradict verbal descriptions. Many students demonstrated, by the combination of their words and gestures, a sound qualitative understanding of constant rate, with a few attempting to quantify rate. The interpretation of gestures may provide teachers with a better understanding of the progress in their students’ thinking.

La comprensión de la aproximación a un número en el acceso al significado de límite de una función en un punto

Esta investigación estudia la influencia de la comprensión de la aproximación a un número y de los modos de representación en la construcción de la concepción dinámica del límite en estudiantes de Bachillerato. El análisis de realizó usando el análisis implicativo (Gras, Suzuki, Guillet y Spagnolo, 2008). Los resultados indican que la construcción paulatina de la concepción dinámica del límite se realiza mediante procesos diferenciados de aproximación en el dominio y en el rango, y, dentro de estos últimos, aquellos en los que las aproximaciones laterales coinciden de las que no coinciden. Además, nuestros resultados indican que el modo numérico o el modo algebraico-numérico desempeñan un papel relevante en el desarrollo de la comprensión de la concepción dinámica de límite.

Phytophthora parasitica transcriptome, a new concept in the understanding of the citrus gummosis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Developing pre-service teachers’ noticing of students’ understanding of the derivative concept

This research study examines the development of the ability of pre-service teachers to notice signs of students’ understanding of the derivative concept. It analyses preservice teachers’ interpretations of written solutions to problems involving the derivative concept before and after participating in a teacher training module. The results indicate that the development of this skill is linked to pre-service teachers’ progressive understanding of the mathematical elements that students use to solve problems. We have used these results to make some suggestions for teacher training programmes.

Redefining 'media' using a 'media-as-a-constitutional-component' concept:an evaluation of the need for the European Court of Human Rights to alter its understanding of 'media' within a new media landscape

This paper considers the impact of new media on freedom of expression and media freedom within the context of the European Convention on Human Rights and European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence. Through comparative analysis of US jurisprudence and scholarship, this paper deals with the following three issues. First, it explores the traditional purpose of the media, and how media freedom, as opposed to freedom of expression, has been subject to privileged protection, within an ECHR context at least. Secondly, it considers the emergence of new media, and how it can be differentiated from the traditional media. Finally, it analyses the philosophical justifications for freedom of expression, and how they enable a workable definition of the media based upon the concept of the media-as-a-constitutional-component.

A holistic understanding of web design elements

Web design elements are significantly important for web designers to understand target users in terms of effective communication design and to develop a successful web site. However, web design elements generally known are broad and various that are hardly conceived and classified, so many practitioners and design researchers approach to web design elements based on graphic and visual design that mainly focus on print media design. This paper discusses about web design elements in terms of online user experience, as web media certainly differs from print media. It aims to propose a fundamentally new concept, called 'UEDUs: User Experience Design Units' which enables web designers to define web design elements and conceptualise user experience depending on the purpose of web site development.

Fiji pre-service primary teachers' understanding of physical science : a cultural perspective

Science and technology are promoted as major contributors to national development. Consequently, improved science education has been placed high on the agenda of tasks to be tackled in many developing countries, although progress has often been limited. In fact there have been claims that the enormous investment in teaching science in developing countries has basically failed, with many reports of how efforts to teach science in developing countries often result in rote learning of strange concepts, mere copying of factual information, and a general lack of understanding on the part of local students. These generalisations can be applied to science education in Fiji. Muralidhar (1989) has described a situation in which upper primary and middle school students in Fiji were given little opportunity to engage in practical work; an extremely didactic form of teacher exposition was the predominant method of instruction during science lessons. He concluded that amongst other things, teachers' limited understanding, particularly of aspects of physical science, resulted in their rigid adherence to the text book or the omission of certain activities or topics. Although many of the problems associated with science education in developing countries have been documented, few attempts have been made to understand how non-Western students might better learn science. This study addresses the issue of Fiji pre-service primary teachers' understanding of a key aspect of physical science, namely, matter and how it changes, and their responses to learning experiences based on a constructivist epistemology. Initial interviews were used to probe pre-service primary teachers' understanding of this domain of science. The data were analysed to identify students' alternative and scientific conceptions. These conceptions were then used to construct Concept Profile Inventories (CPI) which allowed for qualitative comparison of the concepts of the two ethnic groups who took part in the study. This phase of the study also provided some insight into the interaction of scientific information and traditional beliefs in non-Western societies. A quantitative comparison of the groups' conceptions was conducted using a Science Concept Survey instrument developed from the CPis. These data provided considerable insight into the aspects of matter where the pre-service teachers' understanding was particularly weak. On the basis of these preliminary findings, a six-week teaching program aimed at improving the students' understanding of matter was implemented in an experimental design with a group of students. The intervention involved elements of pedagogy such as the use of analogies and concept maps which were novel to most of those who took part. At the conclusion of the teaching programme, the learning outcomes of the experimental group were compared with those of a control group taught in a more traditional manner. These outcomes were assessed quantitatively by means of pre- and post-tests and a delayed post-test, and qualitatively using an interview protocol. The students' views on the various teaching strategies used with the experimental group were also sought. The findings indicate that in the domain of matter little variation exists in the alternative conceptions held by Fijian and Indian students suggesting that cultural influences may be minimal in their construction. Furthermore, the teaching strategies implemented with the experimental group of students, although largely derived from Western research, showed considerable promise in the context of Fiji, where they appeared to be effective in improving the understanding of students from different cultural backgrounds. These outcomes may be of significance to those involved in teacher education and curriculum development in other developing countries.