Science Engagement Through Hands-On Activities that Promote Scientific Thinking and Generate Excitement and Awareness of NASA Assets, Missions, and Science

Science.gov (United States)

Graff, P. V.; Foxworth, S.; Miller, R.; Runco, S.; Luckey, M. K.; Maudlin, E.

2018-01-01

The public with hands-on activities that infuse content related to NASA assets, missions, and science and reflect authentic scientific practices promotes understanding and generates excitement about NASA science, research, and exploration. These types of activities expose our next generation of explorers to science they may be inspired to pursue as a future STEM career and expose people of all ages to unique, exciting, and authentic aspects of NASA exploration. The activities discussed here (Blue Marble Matches, Lunar Geologist Practice, Let's Discover New Frontiers, Target Asteroid, and Meteorite Bingo) have been developed by Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Science Engagement Specialists in conjunction with ARES Scientists at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Activities are designed to be usable across a variety of educational environments (formal and informal) and reflect authentic scientific content and practices.

Biomass I. Science Activities in Energy [and] Teacher's Guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Oak Ridge Associated Universities, TN.

Designed for science students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, the activities in this unit illustrate principles and problems related to biomass as a form of energy. (The word biomass is used to describe all solid material of animal or vegetable origin from which energy may be extracted.) Twelve student activities using art, economics,…

Interactive activities to stimulate debate and critical thinking about issues related to Earth sciences and sustainable development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandra Magagna

2012-07-01

Full Text Available During the International Year of Planet Earth (2007-2009, the Department of Earth Sciences of Turin University and a local Museum of Natural History promoted a project entitled, Understanding how the Earth works: from local situations to global processes. In this context, two geothematic exhibitions on the Cape Verde Archipelago were designed and staged in local museums. The exhibition called Getting to know a volcano in order to live with it was the subject of action research that involved the design of interactive activities and the analysis of data collected during guided tours conducted with students of different ages. This study allowed the demonstration of the effectiveness of teaching strategies in which relevant Earth sciences topics are proposed, like risk and sustainable development, thus stimulating debate among the students. This approach enhances the cultural experience of individuals by sharing it with other people. The aim was to widen their awareness of the cultural value of the territory, and to stimulate a new critical way of thinking about the Earth sciences. These didactic tools were further developed when they were proposed and pursued by experienced museum guides and teachers, who were able to involve not only institutions (museums and schools in the knowledge construction process, but also families, relatives and the local community.

The Effect of Physical Activity on Science Competence and Attitude towards Science Content

Science.gov (United States)

Klinkenborg, Ann Maria

This study examines the effect of physical activity on science instruction. To combat the implications of physical inactivity, schools need to be willing to consider all possible opportunities for students to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Integrating physical activity with traditional classroom content is one instructional method to consider. Researchers have typically focused on integration with English/language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of physical activity on science competence and attitude towards science. Fifty-three third grade children participated in this investigation; one group received science instruction with a physical activity intervention while the other group received traditional science instruction. Participants in both groups completed a modified version of What I Really Think of Science attitude scale (Pell & Jarvis, 2001) and a physical science test of competence prior to and following the intervention. Children were videotaped during science instruction and their movement coded to measure the proportion of time spent in MVPA. Results revealed that children in the intervention group demonstrated greater MVPA during the instructional period. A moderate to large effect size (partial eta squared = .091) was seen in the intervention group science competence post-test indicating greater understanding of force, motion, work, and simple machines concepts than that of the control group who were less physically active. There was no statistically significant attitude difference between the intervention and control groups post-test, (F(1,51) = .375, p = .543). These results provide evidence that integration can effectively present physical science content and have a positive impact on the number of minutes of health-enhancing physical activity in a school day.

Elementary Science and Reading Activities for Teacher Educators.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezba, Richard J.

The author suggests ways reading can be integrated with science and describes the reading activities in an elementary science methods course. The activities include: (1) selecting a science tradebook for children to review and for the teacher to analyze vocabulary; (2) helping children review science tradebooks; and (3) encouraging independent…

Collaborative activities for improving the quality of science teaching and learning and learning to teach science

Science.gov (United States)

Tobin, Kenneth

2012-03-01

I have been involved in research on collaborative activities for improving the quality of teaching and learning high school science. Initially the collaborative activities we researched involved the uses of coteaching and cogenerative dialogue in urban middle and high schools in Philadelphia and New York (currently I have active research sites in New York and Brisbane, Australia). The research not only transformed practices but also produced theories that informed the development of additional collaborative activities and served as interventions for research and creation of heuristics for professional development programs and teacher certification courses. The presentation describes a collage of collaborative approaches to teaching and learning science, including coteaching, cogenerative dialogue, radical listening, critical reflection, and mindful action. For each activity in the collage I provide theoretical frameworks and empirical support, ongoing research, and priorities for the road ahead. I also address methodologies used in the research, illustrating how teachers and students collaborated as researchers in multilevel investigations of teaching and learning and learning to teach that included ethnography, video analysis, and sophisticated analyses of the voice, facial expression of emotion, eye gaze, and movement of the body during classroom interactions. I trace the evolution of studies of face-to-face interactions in science classes to the current focus on emotions and physiological aspects of teaching and learning (e.g., pulse rate, pulse strength, breathing patterns) that relate to science participation and achievement.

Student Buy-In to Active Learning in a College Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanagh, Andrew J.; Aragón, Oriana R.; Chen, Xinnian; Couch, Brian; Durham, Mary; Bobrownicki, Aiyana; Hanauer, David I.; Graham, Mark J.

2016-01-01

The benefits of introducing active learning in college science courses are well established, yet more needs to be understood about student buy-in to active learning and how that process of buy-in might relate to student outcomes. We test the exposure–persuasion–identification–commitment (EPIC) process model of buy-in, here applied to student (n = 245) engagement in an undergraduate science course featuring active learning. Student buy-in to active learning was positively associated with engagement in self-regulated learning and students’ course performance. The positive associations among buy-in, self-regulated learning, and course performance suggest buy-in as a potentially important factor leading to student engagement and other student outcomes. These findings are particularly salient in course contexts featuring active learning, which encourage active student participation in the learning process. PMID:27909026

Overview of OECD-NEA Nuclear Science and Data Bank Activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gulliford, Jim

2012-01-01

Overview: • NEA Areas of Work, Standing Committees; • Nuclear Science & the Data Bank: – Working Parties & Expert Groups; – integral experiments databases; – linked Data Bank/Nuclear Science products. • Reactor Physics and Criticality Integral Experiments: – ICSBEP& IRPhE evaluations; – Database tools (DICE, IDAT, SFCOMPO-X). • Other Activities related to Fast Reactors: – WPRS SFR Task Force; – Nuclear Data, WPEC sub-group on data adjustment; – Fuel Cycle and Materials. • Looking Ahead: – Uncertainty Analysis for transient modelling; – Russian Accession to the NEA and Data Bank; – Impact of Fukushima on Nuclear Science Programmes of Work

Student Buy-In to Active Learning in a College Science Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanagh, Andrew J; Aragón, Oriana R; Chen, Xinnian; Couch, Brian; Durham, Mary; Bobrownicki, Aiyana; Hanauer, David I; Graham, Mark J

2016-01-01

The benefits of introducing active learning in college science courses are well established, yet more needs to be understood about student buy-in to active learning and how that process of buy-in might relate to student outcomes. We test the exposure-persuasion-identification-commitment (EPIC) process model of buy-in, here applied to student (n = 245) engagement in an undergraduate science course featuring active learning. Student buy-in to active learning was positively associated with engagement in self-regulated learning and students' course performance. The positive associations among buy-in, self-regulated learning, and course performance suggest buy-in as a potentially important factor leading to student engagement and other student outcomes. These findings are particularly salient in course contexts featuring active learning, which encourage active student participation in the learning process. © 2016 A. J. Cavanagh et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Student Buy-In to Active Learning in a College Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanagh, Andrew J.; Aragón, Oriana R.; Chen, Xinnian; Couch, Brian; Durham, Mary; Bobrownicki, Aiyana; Hanauer, David I.; Graham, Mark J.

2016-01-01

The benefits of introducing active learning in college science courses are well established, yet more needs to be understood about student buy-in to active learning and how that process of buy-in might relate to student outcomes. We test the exposure-persuasion-identification-commitment (EPIC) process model of buy-in, here applied to student (n =…

Communicate science: an example of food related hands-on laboratory approach

Science.gov (United States)

D'Addezio, Giuliana; Marsili, Antonella; Vallocchia, Massimiliano

2014-05-01

The Laboratorio Didattica e Divulgazione Scientifica of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV's Educational and Outreach Laboratory) organized activity with kids to convey scientific knowledge and to promote research on Earth Science, focusing on volcanic and seismic hazard. The combination of games and learning in educational activity can be a valuable tool for study of complex phenomena. Hands-on activity may help in engage kids in a learning process through direct participation that significantly improves the learning performance of children. Making learning fun motivate audience to pay attention on and stay focused on the subject. We present the experience of the hand-on laboratory "Laboratorio goloso per bambini curiosi di scienza (a delicious hands-on laboratory for kids curious about science)", performed in Frascati during the 2013 European Researchers' Night, promoted by the European Commission, as part of the program organized by the Laboratorio Didattica e Divulgazione Scientifica in the framework of Associazione Frascati Scienza (http://www.frascatiscienza.it/). The hand-on activity were designed for primary schools to create enjoyable and unusual tools for learning Earth Science. During this activity kids are involved with something related to everyday life, such as food, through manipulation, construction and implementation of simple experiments related to Earth dynamics. Children become familiar with scientific concepts such as composition of the Earth, plates tectonic, earthquakes and seismic waves propagation and experience the effect of earthquakes on buildings, exploring their important implications for seismic hazard. During the activity, composed of several steps, participants were able to learn about Earth inner structure, fragile lithosphere, waves propagations, impact of waves on building ecc.., dealing with eggs, cookies, honey, sugar, polenta, flour, chocolate, candies, liquorice sticks, bread, pudding and sweets. The

The relationship of mentoring on middle school girls' science-related attitudes

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Lynette M.

This quantitative study examined the science-related attitudes of middle school girls who attended a science-focused mentoring program and those of middle school girls who attended a traditional mentoring program. Theories related to this study include social cognitive theory, cognitive development theory, and possible selves' theory. These theories emphasize social and learning experiences that may impact the science-related attitudes of middle school girls. The research questions examined the science-related attitudes of middle school girls who participate in a science-related mentoring program. The hypotheses suggested that there are significant differences that exist between the attitudes of middle school female participants in a science-related mentoring program and female participants in a traditional mentoring program. The quantitative data were collected through a survey entitled the Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA) which measures science-related attitudes. The population of interest for this study is 11-15 year old middle school girls of various racial and socio-economic backgrounds. The sample groups for the study were middle school girls participating in either a science-focused mentoring program or a traditional mentoring program. Results of the study indicated that no significant difference existed between the science-related attitudes of middle school girls in a science-related mentoring program and the attitudes of those in a traditional mentoring program. The practical implications for examining the concerns of the study would be further investigations to increase middle school girls' science-related attitudes.

Cultural-Historical Activity Theory and Domain Analysis: Metatheoretical Implications for Information Science

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lin

2013-01-01

Background: Cultural-historical activity theory is an important theory in modern psychology. In recent years, it has drawn more attention from related disciplines including information science. Argument: This paper argues that activity theory and domain analysis which uses the theory as one of its bases could bring about some important…

Undergraduate female science-related career choices: A phenomenological study

Science.gov (United States)

Curry, Kathy S.

This qualitative phenomenological study used a modified Groenewald's five steps method with semi-structured, recorded, and transcribed interviews to focus on the underrepresentation of females in science-related careers. The study explored the lived experiences of a purposive sample of 25 senior female college students attending a college in Macon, Georgia. Ten major themes emerged from the research study that included (a) journey to a science-related career; (b) realization of career interest; (c) family support (d) society's role; (e) professors' treatment of students; (f) lack of mentors and models; (g) gender and career success; (h) females and other disadvantages in science-related careers; (i) rewards of the journey; and (j) advice for the journey. The three minor themes identified were (a) decision-making; (b) career awareness; and (c) guidance. The key findings revealed that females pursuing a science degree or subsequent science-related career, shared their experience with other females interested in science as a career choice, dealt with barriers standing in the way of their personal goals, lack role models, and received little or no support from family and friends. The study findings may offer information to female college students interested in pursuing science-related careers and further foundational research on gender disparities in career choice.

Engaging Youth in Climate Change Issues with Family Science Day Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Brevik, Corinne E.; Brevik, Eric C.; Steffan, Joshua J.

2016-04-01

Dickinson State University organizes four Family Science Day events each fall during the months of September, October, November, and December. Activities are geared toward elementary-aged children to increase student engagement in the sciences. Offered on Saturday afternoons, each event focuses on a different science-related theme. Families can attend these events free of charge, and the kids participate in a large variety of hands-on activities that center around the event's theme. This year, the November event focused on climate change, including an emphasis on the roles soil plays in the climate system. The timing of this topic was carefully chosen. 2015 has been declared the International Year of Soil by the United Nations, and the Soil Science Society of America theme for the month of November was Soils and Climate. This public outreach event was an amazing opportunity to help the youth in our community learn about climate change in a fun, interactive environment. Climate changes in the past, present, and future were emphasized. Activities including the Farming Game, painting with soils, taking Jello "cores", creating a cloud in a jar, and making a glacier in a bag helped children learn how science is a process of discovery that allows them to better understand the world they live in. In addition to the hands-on activities, a planetarium show focused on climate change was also offered during the event, surrounding the kids and their parents in a fully immersive, 360-degree show that allowed them to personally observe phenomena that are otherwise difficult to visualize. All of the activities at the Family Science Day event were staffed by university students, and this proved to be a very valuable experience for them as well. Some of the students who helped are majoring in a science field, and for them, the experience taught public communication. They learned to break complicated concepts down into simpler terms that young kids could understand. Education

The design of free activities for teaching science: A study with preservice teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puig-Gutiérrez María

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper studies a science teaching problem related to students in the Bachelor of Preschool Education at the Seville University, Spain. Preservice teachers face difficulties when designing child-guided activities (also called, free activities. This type of tasks is desirable in preschool classrooms, because they promote creativity, observation capacity, inquiry and children autonomy. With the aim of improving the formation in the Bachelor, two university teachers have asked 136 preservice teachers of the third course to design a ‘children´s corner in their future classroom’ about a specific issue related to the science area in preschool education, according to the Spanish legislation. It is shown the headings of the students´ report as a result of their work. It has been analyzed the quality of the child-guided designed activities. It has been observed the need of improving the explicit instruction about the design of free activities for the first educational level.

Stereotype activation is unintentional: Behavioural and event-related potenials evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Pei; Yang, Ya-Ping; Tan, Chen-Hao; Zhao, Xiang-Xia; Liu, Yong-He; Lin, Chong-De

2016-04-01

In this study, a priming Stroop paradigm was used to determine whether stereotype activation is unintentional. Priming conditions (priming/no-priming) and the relationship between priming and target (consistent/inconsistent/no-relation) were the independent variables; accuracy, reaction time and N400 amplitude were used as dependent variables. The reaction time revealed that stereotype activation is, to some extent, unintentional. Furthermore, the event-related potenial (ERP) results showed that N400 amplitude was larger for inconsistent conditions than for consistent conditions. This result supported the notion that stereotype activation is an unintentional and automatic process. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Merging science, engineering, and data with FUN: Recreational Drones in STEaM Education Activities and Science Fair Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Olds, S. E.; Mooney, M. E.; Dahlman, L. E.

2016-12-01

Recreational drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), provide an ideal platform for engaging students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) investigations for science fair projects, after-school clubs, and in-class activities. UAVs are very popular (estimate of >1 million received as gifts this past year), relatively inexpensive (Arduino board. This presentation will elaborate upon the year-long process of working with educators via webinars and a 1-day workshop at the 2016 ESIP summer meeting and beyond. It will also provide examples of student-led investigations, instructions for building the SABEL sensor package, insights gleaned from workshop feedback - and - the status of the new e-book compilation of student-focused activities using recreational drones to pursue STEM investigations!

Factors affecting implementation of practical activities in science ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Absence of separate and well equipped laboratory for each science, absence of efforts made by science teacher to use local material for practice of basic activities and less attention of local government and school administrative to existing problem results in less student motivation to practical activity which have influence ...

Learning Activities That Combine Science Magic Activities with the 5E Instructional Model to Influence Secondary-School Students' Attitudes to Science

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jang-Long; Cheng, Meng-Fei; Chang, Ying-Chi; Li, Hsiao-Wen; Chang, Jih-Yuan; Lin, Deng-Min

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate how learning materials based on Science Magic activities affect student attitudes to science. A quasi-experimental design was conducted to explore the combination of Science Magic with the 5E Instructional Model to develop learning materials for teaching a science unit about friction. The participants…

Science and technology related global problems: An international survey of science educators

Science.gov (United States)

Bybee, Rodger W.; Mau, Teri

This survey evaluated one aspect of the Science-Technology-Society theme, namely, the teaching of global problems related to science and technology. The survey was conducted during spring 1984. Two hundred sixty-two science educators representing 41 countries completed the survey. Response was 80%. Findings included a ranking of twelve global problems (the top six were: World Hunger and Food Resources, Population Growth, Air Quality and Atmosphere, Water Resources, War Technology, and Human Health and Disease). Science educators generally indicated the following: the science and technology related global problems would be worse by the year 2000; they were slightly or moderately knowledgeable about the problems; print, audio-visual media, and personal experiences were their primary sources of information; it is important to study global problems in schools; emphasis on global problems should increase with age/grade level; an integrated approach should be used to teach about global problems; courses including global problems should be required of all students; most countries are in the early stages of developing programs including global problems; there is a clear trend toward S-T-S; there is public support for including global problems; and, the most significant limitations to implementation of the S-T-S theme (in order of significance) are political, personnel, social, psychological, economic, pedagogical, and physical. Implications for research and development in science education are discussed.

Science and diplomacy a new dimension of international relations

CERN Document Server

Ruffini, Pierre-Bruno

2017-01-01

This book examines in depth science diplomacy, a particular field of international relations, in which the interests of science and those of foreign policy intersect. Building on a wealth of examples drawn from history and contemporary international relations, it analyzes and discusses the links between the world of scientists and that of diplomats. Written by a professor of economics and former Embassy counselor for science and technology, the book sets out to answer the following questions: Can science issues affect diplomatic relations between countries? Is international scientific cooperation a factor for peace? Are researchers good ambassadors for their countries? Is scientific influence a particular form of cultural influence on the world stage? Do diplomats really listen to what experts say when negotiating on the future of the planet? Is the independence of the scientist threatened by science diplomacy? What is a scientific attaché for?

Activation analysis in the environment: Science and technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenihan, J.

1989-01-01

Science is disciplined curiosity. Activation analysis was created more than 50 yr ago by Hevesy's curiosity and Levi's experimental skill. Technology is the exploitation of machines and materials for the fulfillment of human needs or wants. The early history of neutron activation analysis (NAA) was greatly influenced by military requirements. Since then the technique has found applications in many disciplines, including materials science, medicine, archaeology, geochemistry, agriculture, and forensic science. More recently, neutron activation analysts, responding to increasing public interest and concern, have made distinctive contributions to the study of environmental problems. Activation analysis, though it uses some procedures derived from physics, is essentially a chemical technique. The chemical study of the environment may be reviewed under many headings; three are discussed here: 1. occupational medicine 2. health of the general public 3. environmental pollution

An Assessment of Factors Relating to High School Students' Science Self-Efficacy

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Jakeisha Jamice

parental activities, and (c) the teachers rated student's interest in the science OST programs as high. Student comments on the survey and the qualitative analysis by trained coders revealed that success of the program was related to the collaborative and hands-on activities/projects of their OST program. In addition, students felt more involved in projects during after-school and weekend activities than in OST lunch break programs.

Government Relations: It's Not Rocket Science

Science.gov (United States)

Radway, Mike

2007-01-01

Many people in the early childhood education field are afraid of government relations work, intimidated by politicians, and believe the whole process is unseemly. The author asserts that they should not be afraid nor be intimidated because government relations is not rocket science and fundamentally officeholders are no different from the rest of…

Inter-level relations in computer science, biology, and psychology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boogerd, Fred; Bruggeman, Frank; Jonker, Catholijn; Looren de Jong, Huib; Tamminga, Allard; Treur, Jan; Westerhoff, Hans; Wijngaards, Wouter

2002-01-01

Investigations into inter-level relations in computer science, biology and psychology call for an *empirical* turn in the philosophy of mind. Rather than concentrate on *a priori* discussions of inter-level relations between “completed” sciences, a case is made for the actual study of the way

Inter-level relations in computer science, biology, and psychology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boogerd, F.; Bruggeman, F.; Jonker, C.M.; Looren de Jong, H.; Tamminga, A.; Treur, J.; Westerhoff, H.V.; Wijngaards, W.C.A.

2002-01-01

Investigations into inter-level relations in computer science, biology and psychology call for an empirical turn in the philosophy of mind. Rather than concentrate on a priori discussions of inter-level relations between 'completed' sciences, a case is made for the actual study of the way

Inter-level relations in computer science, biology and psychology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boogerd, F.C.; Bruggeman, F.J.; Jonker, C.M.; Looren De Jong, H.; Tamminga, A.M.; Treur, J.; Westerhoff, H.V.; Wijngaards, W.C.A.

2002-01-01

Investigations into inter-level relations in computer science, biology and psychology call for an empirical turn in the philosophy of mind. Rather than concentrate on a priori discussions of inter-level relations between "completed" sciences, a case is made for the actual study of the way

Assessment report on research and development activities. Activity: 'Advanced science research' (Interim report)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-11-15

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as 'JAEA') consulted an assessment committee, 'Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Advanced Science Research' (hereinafter referred to as 'Committee') for interim assessment of 'Advanced Science Research,' in accordance with 'General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities' by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, 'Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology' and 'Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities' by JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research programs and activities of the Advanced Science Research Center (hereinafter referred to as 'ASRC') for the period of two years from April 2010. The Committee evaluated the management and the research programs of the ASRC based on the explanatory documents prepared by the ASRC and the oral presentations with questions-and-answers by the Director and the research group leaders. This report summarizes the result of the assessment by the Committee with the Committee report attached from page 7. (author)

Assessment report of research and development activities. Activity: advanced science research' (Interim report)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-08-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as 'JAEA') consults an assessment committee, 'Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Advanced Science Research' (hereinafter referred to as 'Committee') for interim assessment of 'Advanced Science Research,' in accordance with General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities' by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, 'Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology' and 'Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities' by JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research program of the Advanced Science Research Center (hereinafter referred to as 'ASRC') during the period of two years from October 2005 to September 2007. The Committee evaluated the management and research activities of the ASRC based on the explanatory documents prepared by the ASRC, the oral presentations with questions-and-answers by the Director and the research group leaders, and interviews from group members through on-site visits by the Committee members. One CD-ROM is attached as an appendix. (J.P.N.)

Prioritizing Active Learning: An Exploration of Gateway Courses in Political Science

Science.gov (United States)

Archer, Candace C.; Miller, Melissa K.

2011-01-01

Prior research in political science and other disciplines demonstrates the pedagogical and practical benefits of active learning. Less is known, however, about the extent to which active learning is used in political science classrooms. This study assesses the prioritization of active learning in "gateway" political science courses, paying…

Seeding science success: Relations of secondary students' science self-concepts and motivation with aspirations and achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Chandrasena, Wanasinghe Durayalage

This research comprises three inter-related synergistic studies. Study 1 aims to develop a psychometrically sound tool to measure secondary students' science self-concepts, motivation, and aspirations in biology, chemistry, earth and environmental methodology to explicate students' and teachers' views, practices, and personal experiences, to identify the barriers to undertaking science for secondary students and to provide rich insights into the relations of secondary students' science self-concepts and motivation with their aspirations and achievement. Study 3 will detect additional issues that may not necessarily be identifiable from the quantitative findings of Study 2. The psychometric properties of the newly developed instrument demonstrated that students' science self-concepts were domain specific, while science motivation and science aspirations were not. Students' self-concepts in general science, chemistry, and physics were stronger for males than females. Students' self-concepts in general science and biology became stronger for students in higher years of secondary schooling. Students' science motivation did not vary across gender and year levels. Though students' science aspirations did not vary across gender, they became stronger with age. In general, students' science self-concepts and science motivation were positively related to science aspirations and science achievement. Specifically, students' year level, biology self-concept, and physics self concept predicted their science and career aspirations. Biology self-concept predicted teacher ratings of students' achievement, and students' general science self-concepts predicted their achievement according to students' ratings. Students' year level and intrinsic motivation in science were predictors of their science aspirations, and intrinsic motivation was a greater significant predictor of students' achievement, according to student ratings. Based upon students' and teachers' perceptions, the

21st Century Science as a Relational Process: From Eureka! to Team Science and a Place for Community Psychology

Science.gov (United States)

Tebes, Jacob Kraemer; Thai, Nghi D.; Matlin, Samantha L.

2014-01-01

In this paper we maintain that 21st century science is, fundamentally, a relational process in which knowledge is produced (or co-produced) through transactions among researchers or among researchers and public stakeholders. We offer an expanded perspective on the practice of 21st century science, the production of scientific knowledge, and what community psychology can contribute to these developments. We argue that: 1) trends in science show that research is increasingly being conducted in teams; 2) scientific teams, such as transdisciplinary teams of researchers or of researchers collaborating with various public stakeholders, are better able to address complex challenges; 3) transdisciplinary scientific teams are part of the larger, 21st century transformation in science; 4) the concept of heterarchy is a heuristic for team science aligned with this transformation; 5) a contemporary philosophy of science known as perspectivism provides an essential foundation to advance 21st century science; and 6) community psychology, through its core principles and practice competencies, offers theoretical and practical expertise for advancing team science and the transformation in science currently underway. We discuss the implications of these points and illustrate them briefly with two examples of transdisciplinary team science from our own work. We conclude that a new narrative is emerging for science in the 21st century that draws on interpersonal transactions in teams, and active engagement by researchers with the public to address critical accountabilities. Because of its core organizing principles and unique blend of expertise on the intersection of research and practice, community psychologists are extraordinarily well-prepared to help advance these developments, and thus have much to offer 21st century science. PMID:24496718

Urban school leadership for elementary science instruction: Identifying and activating resources in an undervalued school subject

Science.gov (United States)

Spillane, James P.; Diamond, John B.; Walker, Lisa J.; Halverson, Rich; Jita, Loyiso

2001-10-01

This article explores school leadership for elementary school science teaching in an urban setting. We examine how school leaders bring resources together to enhance science instruction when there appear to be relatively few resources available for it. From our study of 13 Chicago elementary (K-8) schools' efforts to lead instructional change in mathematics, language arts, and science education, we show how resources for leading instruction are unequally distributed across subject areas. We also explore how over time leaders in one school successfully identified and activated resources for leading change in science education. The result has been a steady, although not always certain, development of science as an instructional area in the school. We argue that leading change in science education involves the identification and activation of material resources, the development of teachers' and school leaders' human capital, and the development and use of social capital.

Understanding Science Teaching Effectiveness: Examining How Science-Specific and Generic Instructional Practices Relate to Student Achievement in Secondary Science Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Mikeska, Jamie N.; Shattuck, Tamara; Holtzman, Steven; McCaffrey, Daniel F.; Duchesneau, Nancy; Qi, Yi; Stickler, Leslie

2017-01-01

In order to create conditions for students' meaningful and rigorous intellectual engagement in science classrooms, it is critically important to help science teachers learn which strategies and approaches can be used best to develop students' scientific literacy. Better understanding how science teachers' instructional practices relate to student…

Understanding science teaching effectiveness: examining how science-specific and generic instructional practices relate to student achievement in secondary science classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Mikeska, Jamie N.; Shattuck, Tamara; Holtzman, Steven; McCaffrey, Daniel F.; Duchesneau, Nancy; Qi, Yi; Stickler, Leslie

2017-12-01

In order to create conditions for students' meaningful and rigorous intellectual engagement in science classrooms, it is critically important to help science teachers learn which strategies and approaches can be used best to develop students' scientific literacy. Better understanding how science teachers' instructional practices relate to student achievement can provide teachers with beneficial information about how to best engage their students in meaningful science learning. To address this need, this study examined the instructional practices that 99 secondary biology teachers used in their classrooms and employed regression to determine which instructional practices are predictive of students' science achievement. Results revealed that the secondary science teachers who had well-managed classroom environments and who provided opportunities for their students to engage in student-directed investigation-related experiences were more likely to have increased student outcomes, as determined by teachers' value-added measures. These findings suggest that attending to both generic and subject-specific aspects of science teachers' instructional practice is important for understanding the underlying mechanisms that result in more effective science instruction in secondary classrooms. Implications about the use of these observational measures within teacher evaluation systems are discussed.

Activities of the National Academy of Sciences in relation to the Radiation Effects Research Foundation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edington, C.W.

1991-02-01

The activities of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), in relation to the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF), has a long history and the specific time period supported by this contract is but a small piece of the long-term continuing program. As a background, in August 1945, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima (6 August) and Nagasaki (9 August). Shortly after the bombings, US medical teams joined forces with their Japanese counterparts to form a Joint Commission for the Investigation of the Effects of the Atomic Bombs. As a result of the Joint Commission's investigations, it was determined that consideration should be given to the establishment of a long-term study of the potential late health effects of exposure of the survivors to radiation from the bombs. The results obtained from RERF studies contribute the vast majority of information that provides a better understanding of radiation effects on humans. This information has been used extensively by national organizations and international committees for estimating risks associated with radiation exposures. The estimated risks developed by these independent organizations are used by government agencies around the world to establish standards for protection of individuals exposed in the occupational, medical, and general environment. Some of these results are described briefly in this report

God, design, and naturalism: Implications of methodological naturalism in science for science-religion relation

OpenAIRE

Piotr Bylica; Dariusz Sagan

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to analyze the implications flowing from adopting methodological naturalism in science, with special emphasis on the relation between science and religion. Methodological naturalism, denying supernatural and teleological explanations, influences the content of scientific theories, and in practice leads to vision of science as compatible with ontological naturalism and in opposition to theism. Ontological naturalism in turn justifies the acceptance of methodological na...

Promoting Female Students' Learning Motivation towards Science by Exercising Hands-On Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Wen-jin, Kuo; Chia-ju, Liu; Shi-an, Leou

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to design different hands-on science activities and investigate which activities could better promote female students' learning motivation towards science. This study conducted three types of science activities which contains nine hands-on activities, an experience scale and a learning motivation scale for data…

Field Training Activities for Hydrologic Science in West Java, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Agustina, C.; Fajri, P. N.; Fathoni, F.; Gusti, T. P.; Harifa, A. C.; Hendra, Y.; Hertanti, D. R.; Lusiana, N.; Rohmat, F. I.; Agouridis, C.; Fryar, A. E.; Milewski, A.; Pandjaitan, N.; Santoso, R.; Suharyanto, A.

2013-12-01

In hydrologic science and engineering, one challenge is establishing a common framework for discussion among workers from different disciplines. As part of the 'Building Opportunity Out of Science and Technology: Helping Hydrologic Outreach (BOOST H2O)' project, which is supported by the U.S. Department of State, nine current or recent graduate students from four Indonesian universities participated in a week of training activities during June 2013. Students had backgrounds in agricultural engineering, civil and environmental engineering, water resources engineering, natural resources management, and soil science. Professors leading the training, which was based at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) in west Java, included an agricultural engineer, civil engineers, and geologists. Activities in surface-water hydrology included geomorphic assessment of streams (measuring slope, cross-section, and bed-clast size) and gauging stream flow (wading with top-setting rods and a current meter for a large stream, and using a bucket and stopwatch for a small stream). Groundwater-hydrology activities included measuring depth to water in wells, conducting a pumping test with an observation well, and performing vertical electrical soundings to infer hydrostratigraphy. Students also performed relatively simple water-quality measurements (temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, and alkalinity) in streams, wells, and springs. The group analyzed data with commercially-available software such as AQTESOLV for well hydraulics, freeware such as the U.S. Geological Survey alkalinity calculator, and Excel spreadsheets. Results were discussed in the context of landscape position, lithology, and land use.

Sample classroom activities based on climate science

Science.gov (United States)

Miler, T.

2009-09-01

We present several activities developed for the middle school education based on a climate science. The first activity was designed to teach about the ocean acidification. A simple experiment can prove that absorption of CO2 in water increases its acidity. A liquid pH indicator is suitable for the demonstration in a classroom. The second activity uses data containing coordinates of a hurricane position. Pupils draw a path of a hurricane eye in a tracking chart (map of the Atlantic ocean). They calculate an average speed of the hurricane, investigate its direction and intensity development. The third activity uses pictures of the Arctic ocean on September when ice extend is usually the lowest. Students measure the ice extend for several years using a square grid printed on a plastic foil. Then they plot a graph and discuss the results. All these activities can be used to improve the natural science education and increase the climate change literacy.

Assessment report of research and development activities. Activity: 'Advanced science research' (Pre-review report)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-11-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as 'JAEA') consulted an assessment committee, 'Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Advanced Science Research' (hereinafter referred to as 'Committee') for prior assessment of 'Advanced Science Research,' in accordance with 'General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities' by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, 'Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology' and 'Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities' by JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research program and activities of the Advanced Science Research Center (hereinafter referred to as 'ASRC') for the period of five years from April 2010. The Committee evaluated the management and the research program of the ASRC based on the explanatory documents prepared by the ASRC and the oral presentations with questions-and-answers by the Director and the research group leaders. This report summarizes the result of the assessment by the Committee with the Committee report attached from page 7. (author)

Effect of an environmental science curriculum on students' leisure time activities

Science.gov (United States)

Blum, Abraham

Cooley and Reed's active interest measurement approach was combined with Guttman's Facet Design to construct a systematic instrument for the assessment of the impact of an environmental science course on students' behavior outside school. A quasimatched design of teacher allocation to the experimental and control groups according to their preferred teaching style was used. A kind of dummy control curriculum was devised to enable valid comparative evaluation of a new course which differs from the traditional one in both content and goal. This made it possible to control most of the differing factors inherent in the old and new curriculum. The research instrument was given to 1000 students who were taught by 28 teachers. Students who learned according to the experimental curriculum increased their leisure time activities related to the environmental science curriculum significantly. There were no significant differences between boys and girls and between students with different achievement levels.

Two-year study relating adolescents' self-concept and gender role perceptions to achievement and attitudes toward science

Science.gov (United States)

Handley, Herbert M.; Morse, Linda W.

To assess the developmental relationship of perceptions of self-concept and gender role identification with adolescents' attitudes and achievement in science, a two-year longitudinal study was conducted. A battery of instruments assessing 16 dimensions of self-concept/gender role identifications was employed to predict students' achievement and attitudes toward science. Specific behaviors studied included self-concept in school and science and mathematics, attitudes toward appropriate gender roles in science activities and careers, and self-perceptions of masculine and feminine traits. One hundred and fifty-five adolescents, enrolled, respectively, in the seventh and eighth grades, participated in the study. Through Fisher z transformations of correlation coefficients, differences in relationships between these two sets of variables were studied for males and females during the two years. Results indicated that students' self-concepts/gender role perceptions were related to both achievement and attitudes toward science, but more related to attitudes than achievement. These relationships became more pronounced for students as they matured from seventh to eighth graders.

Rockets: Physical science teacher's guide with activities

Science.gov (United States)

Vogt, Gregory L.; Rosenberg, Carla R. (Editor)

1993-01-01

This guide begins with background information sections on the history of rocketry, scientific principles, and practical rocketry. The sections on scientific principles and practical rocketry are based on Isaac Newton's three laws of motion. These laws explain why rockets work and how to make them more efficient. The background sections are followed with a series of physical science activities that demonstrate the basic science of rocketry. Each activity is designed to be simple and take advantage of inexpensive materials. Construction diagrams, materials and tools lists, and instructions are included. A brief discussion elaborates on the concepts covered in the activities and is followed with teaching notes and discussion questions. The guide concludes with a glossary of terms, suggested reading list, NASA educational resources, and an evaluation questionnaire with a mailer.

A Scale to Assess Science Activity Videos (SASAV): The Study of Validity and Reliability

Science.gov (United States)

Kara, Yilmaz; Bakirci, Hasan

2018-01-01

The purpose of the study was to develop an assessment scale for science activity videos that can be used to determine qualified science activity videos that can fulfill the objectives of activity based science education, help teachers to evaluate any science activity videos and decide whether to include into science learning process. The subjects…

The Contribution of Equitation Science to Minimising Horse-Related Risks to Humans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa Starling

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Equitation science is an evidence-based approach to horse training and riding that focuses on a thorough understanding of both equine ethology and learning theory. This combination leads to more effective horse training, but also plays a role in keeping horse riders and trainers safe around horses. Equitation science underpins ethical equitation, and recognises the limits of the horse’s cognitive and physical abilities. Equitation is an ancient practice that has benefited from a rich tradition that sees it flourishing in contemporary sporting pursuits. Despite its history, horse-riding is an activity for which neither horses nor humans evolved, and it brings with it significant risks to the safety of both species. This review outlines the reasons horses may behave in ways that endanger humans and how training choices can exacerbate this. It then discusses the recently introduced 10 Principles of Equitation Science and explains how following these principles can minimise horse-related risk to humans and enhance horse welfare.

Where Young People See Science: Everyday Activities Connected to Science

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerman, Heather Toomey; Bell, Philip

2014-01-01

This project analyses the prevalence and social construction of science in the everyday activities of multicultural, multilingual children in one urban community. Using cross-setting ethnographic fieldwork (i.e. home, museum, school, community), we developed an ecologically grounded interview protocol and analytical scheme for gauging students'…

Assessment report of research and development activities. Activity: 'Nuclear science and engineering research' (Interim report)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-11-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as 'JAEA') consults an assessment committee, 'Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Nuclear Science and Engineering' (hereinafter referred to as 'Committee') for interim assessment of 'Nuclear Science and Engineering,' in accordance with 'General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities' by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, 'Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology' and 'Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities' by the JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research program of the Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate (hereinafter referred to as 'NSED') and Center for Computational Science and e-Systems (hereinafter referred to as 'CCSE') during the period of about four years from September 2008 to September 2012. The Committee evaluated the management and research activities of the NSED and the CCSE based on explanatory documents prepared by the NSED and the CCSE, and oral presentations with questions-and-answers by unit managers etc. A CD-ROM is attached as an appendix. (J.P.N.)

Exhibitions as learning environments: a review of empirical research on students’ science learning at Natural History Museums, Science Museums and Science Centres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nils Petter Hauan

2014-04-01

Full Text Available One aim for many natural history museums, science museums and science centres is to contribute to school-related learning in science. In this article we review published empirical studies of this challenging area. The review indicates that the effectiveness of educational activities at different types of science-communication venues (SCV in supporting students’ science learning varies. There is also evidence of interesting differences between activities, depending on how these activities are designed. Firstly, these activities can stimulate interest and conceptual focus through a well-designed combination of structure and openness. Secondly, they can stimulate talks and explorations related to the presented topics. We have identified two possible areas which might prove fruitful in guiding further research: an exploration of the effects of different designs for guided exploratory learning, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of educational activities by studying the presence and quality of the learning processes visitors are engaged in. 

Quality-assurance and data-management plan for water-quality activities in the Kansas Water Science Center, 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, Teresa J.; Bennett, Trudy J.; Foster, Guy M.; Graham, Jennifer L.; Putnam, James E.

2014-01-01

As the Nation’s largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping information agency, the U.S. Geological Survey is relied on to collect high-quality data, and produce factual and impartial interpretive reports. This quality-assurance and data-management plan provides guidance for water-quality activities conducted by the Kansas Water Science Center. Policies and procedures are documented for activities related to planning, collecting, storing, documenting, tracking, verifying, approving, archiving, and disseminating water-quality data. The policies and procedures described in this plan complement quality-assurance plans for continuous water-quality monitoring, surface-water, and groundwater activities in Kansas.

DINFOS: Bibliography of Theses and Reports Related to Military Information Activities; Volume V, May 1976.

Science.gov (United States)

Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN. Defense Information School.

This bibliography lists theses and research reports related to military information activities. The listings are grouped according to the following subject categories: journalism, public and internal information, mass communications, political science, international communications, sociology, history, education, public relations, leadership,…

Materials Science Division activity report 1991-1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amarendra, G.; Tiwari, A.M.; Subramanian, N.; Venugopal Rao, G.

1995-01-01

This progress report gives an account of the various research and developmental activities carried out at the Materials Science Division of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam during 1991-93. It also gives a summary of the results of the research activities, describes the experimental facilities and also list the publications

An Inquiry-Based Vision Science Activity for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Research Scientists

Science.gov (United States)

Putnam, N. M.; Maness, H. L.; Rossi, E. A.; Hunter, J. J.

2010-12-01

The vision science activity was originally designed for the 2007 Center for Adaptive Optics (CfAO) Summer School. Participants were graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and professionals studying the basics of adaptive optics. The majority were working in fields outside vision science, mainly astronomy and engineering. The primary goal of the activity was to give participants first-hand experience with the use of a wavefront sensor designed for clinical measurement of the aberrations of the human eye and to demonstrate how the resulting wavefront data generated from these measurements can be used to assess optical quality. A secondary goal was to examine the role wavefront measurements play in the investigation of vision-related scientific questions. In 2008, the activity was expanded to include a new section emphasizing defocus and astigmatism and vision testing/correction in a broad sense. As many of the participants were future post-secondary educators, a final goal of the activity was to highlight the inquiry-based approach as a distinct and effective alternative to traditional laboratory exercises. Participants worked in groups throughout the activity and formative assessment by a facilitator (instructor) was used to ensure that participants made progress toward the content goals. At the close of the activity, participants gave short presentations about their work to the whole group, the major points of which were referenced in a facilitator-led synthesis lecture. We discuss highlights and limitations of the vision science activity in its current format (2008 and 2009 summer schools) and make recommendations for its improvement and adaptation to different audiences.

Experiments related to marine environmental science using a tandem Pelletron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitamura, A.; Hamamoto, S.; Ohtani, Y.; Furuyama, Y.; Taniike, A.; Kubota, N.; Yamauchi, T.; Mimura, H.

2003-01-01

Activities related to marine environmental science, which have been made in our laboratory using a 1.7MV Pelletron 5SDH2 accelerator, are reviewed. One is successful application of proton beams to radiation-induced graft polymerization for making amidoxime-type adsorbents that are very effective for collecting doubly charged ions of metal elements, such as uranium and vanadium, abundantly dissolved in seawater. The other is effective application of accelerator analyses to investigation of interaction of tributyltin (TBT) chloride, which had been used in self-polishing antifouling paints and are endocrine disrupter having mutagenicity, with a TBT resistant marine microorganism newly isolated from sediment of a ship's ballast water tank. (author)

At-Risk and Bilingual Fifth-Grade Students' On-Task Behavior and Conceptual Understanding in Earth Science-Related Topics during Inquiry-, Technology-, and Game-Based Activities

Science.gov (United States)

McNeal, K.; Vasquez, Y.; Avandano, C.; Moreno, K.; Besinaiz, J.

2007-12-01

The Graduate K-12 (GK12) program has been developed by NSF to support the national effort to advance scientific knowledge through educational partnerships. This paper highlights research conducted during the 2006-2007 school year with the Texas A&M University GK12 project. Two elementary schools with very high numbers of at risk students - those who are poor, speak English as their second language, and have a history of failing state-mandated tests were identified to be the field site for the GK12 project. In these two, high-minority (97% and 40% African American and Hispanic) schools, 80% and 56% of the children have been identified by the state as at risk; 94% and 52% are classified as economically disadvantaged; and 46% and 2% are limited English proficient, respectively. In the past year, 30% and 73% of fifth grade students in these schools passed the science portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. Data collected during a three- week period where GK12 fellows taught the fifth graders Earth science-related topics is presented. During the implementation, students were engaged in technology-, inquiry-, and game-based activities. Students were divided into low-, medium-, and high-abilities in one school, and regular and bilingual groups in the other. Pre- post open-ended multiple choice tests indicated that all but the low performing students' conceptual understanding (CU) significantly (p significantly improved during the inquiry activity, and the high and bilingual students' CU significantly improved for the game activities. Classroom observation assessments showed that there was a significant (p Significant differences between student groups' CU and on-task behavior indicated that technology-based activities showed greatest differences between the low- ability learners and the other students, whereas, inquiry-based activities tended not to show such extremes. In the case of the bilingual and regular students however, technology

Global Patterns in Students' Views of Science and Interest in Science

Science.gov (United States)

van Griethuijsen, Ralf A. L. F.; van Eijck, Michiel W.; Haste, Helen; den Brok, Perry J.; Skinner, Nigel C.; Mansour, Nasser; Savran Gencer, Ayse; BouJaoude, Saouma

2015-08-01

International studies have shown that interest in science and technology among primary and secondary school students in Western European countries is low and seems to be decreasing. In many countries outside Europe, and especially in developing countries, interest in science and technology remains strong. As part of the large-scale European Union funded `Science Education for Diversity' project, a questionnaire probing potential reasons for this difference was completed by students in the UK, Netherlands, Turkey, Lebanon, India and Malaysia. This questionnaire sought information about favourite courses, extracurricular activities and views on the nature of science. Over 9,000 students aged mainly between 10 and 14 years completed the questionnaire. Results revealed that students in countries outside Western Europe showed a greater interest in school science, in careers related to science and in extracurricular activities related to science than did Western European students. Non-European students were also more likely to hold an empiricist view of the nature of science and to believe that science can solve many problems faced by the world. Multilevel analysis revealed a strong correlation between interest in science and having such a view of the Nature of Science.

Elementary school science teachers' reflection for nature of science: Workshop of NOS explicit and reflective on force and motion learning activity

Science.gov (United States)

Patho, Khanittha; Yuenyong, Chokchai; Chamrat, Suthida

2018-01-01

The nature of science has been part of Thailand's science education curriculum since 2008. However, teachers lack of understanding about the nature of science (NOS) and its teaching, particularly element school science teachers. In 2012, the Science Institute of Thailand MOE, started a project of Elementary Science Teacher Professional Development to enhance their thinking about the Nature of Science. The project aimed to enhance teachers' understanding of NOS, science teaching for explicit and reflective NOS, with the aim of extending their understanding of NOS to other teachers. This project selected 366 educational persons. The group was made up of a teacher and a teacher supervisor from 183 educational areas in 74 provinces all Thailand. The project provided a one week workshop and a year's follow up. The week-long workshop consisted of 11 activities of science teaching for explicit reflection on 8 aspects of NOS. Workshop of NOS explicit and reflective on force and motion learning activity is one of eight activities. This activity provided participants to learn force and motion and NOS from the traditional toy "Bang-Poh". The activity tried to enhance participants to explicit NOS for 5 aspects including empirical basis, subjectivity, creativity, observation and inference, and sociocultural embeddedness. The explicit NOS worksheet provided questions to ask participants to reflect their existing ideas about NOS. The paper examines elementary school science teachers' understanding of NOS from the force and motion learning activity which provided explicit reflection on 5 NOS aspects. An interpretive paradigm was used to analyse the teachers' reflections in a NOS worksheet. The findings indicated that majority of them could reflect about the empirical basis of science and creativity but few reflected on observation and inference, or sociocultural embeddedness. The paper will explain the teachers' NOS thinking and discuss the further enhancing of their understanding

The effect of science demonstrations as a community service activity on pre-service science teachers' teaching practices

Science.gov (United States)

Gurel, Derya Kaltakci

2016-03-01

In the scope of this study, pre-service science teachers (PSST) developed and carried out science demonstrations with everyday materials for elementary school students as a community service activity. 17 PSST enrolled in the community services practices course at Kocaeli University comprised the sample of the present study. Community service practices aim to develop consciousness of social responsibility and professional skills, as well as to gain awareness of social and community problems and find solutions for pre-service teachers. With this aim, each PSST developed five science demonstration activities and their brochures during a semester. At the end of the semester, a total of 85 demonstrations were carried out at public elementary schools, which are especially located in socioeconomically poor districts of Kocaeli, Turkey. In the present case study, the effect of developing and carrying out science demonstrations for elementary school students on six of the PSST' teaching practices on density and buoyancy concept was investigated. 30-minute interviews conducted with each PSST, videos recorded during their demonstration performances, brochures they prepared for their demonstration activities, and reflection papers were used as data collection tools of the study. The results showed that community service practices with science demonstrations had positive effects on PSST' science content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.

Teaching about Israel in the Seventh Grade: How It Relates to the History/Social Science Framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, Cecile

1981-01-01

Describes an eight-week unit on Israel for seventh graders and shows how the unit relates to the 1981 "California History/Social Science Framework." The unit introduces students to framework content goals in history and the humanities. Activities include journal writing, artifact building, archaeological simulations, and a geographical…

Neutron activation analysis - an aid to forensic science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chattopadhyay, N.; Basu, A.K.; Tripathi, A.B.R.; Bhadkambekar, C.A.; Shukla, S.K.

2006-01-01

Forensic Science is oriented towards the examination of evidence specimens, collected from a scene of crime in order to establish the link between the criminal and the crime. This science therefore has a profound role to play in criminal justice delivery system. The importance of neutron activation analysis (NAA) as a specialised technique to aid crime investigation has emerged and has been recognised

Examination of Pre-Service Science Teachers' Activities Using Problem Based Learning Method

Science.gov (United States)

Ekici, Didem Inel

2016-01-01

In this study, both the activities prepared by pre-service science teachers regarding the Problem Based Learning method and the pre-service science teachers' views regarding the method were examined before and after applying their activities in a real class environment. 69 pre-service science teachers studying in the 4th grade of the science…

When Science Replaces Religion: Science as a Secular Authority Bolsters Moral Sensitivity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Onurcan Yilmaz

Full Text Available Scientific and religious thinking compete with each other on several levels. For example, activating one generally weakens the other. Since priming religion is known to increase moral behaviour and moral sensitivity, priming science might be expected to have the opposite effect. However, it was recently demonstrated that, on the contrary, science priming increases moral sensitivity as well. The present set of studies sought to replicate this effect and test two explanations for it. Study 1 used a sentence unscrambling task for implicitly priming the concept of science but failed to replicate its effect on moral sensitivity, presumably due to a ceiling effect. Study 2 replicated the effect with a new measure of moral sensitivity. Study 3 tested whether science-related words create this effect by activating the idea of secular authority or by activating analytic thinking. It was demonstrated that words related to secular authority, but not words related to analytic thinking, produced a similar increase in moral sensitivity. Religiosity level of the participants did not influence this basic finding. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that science as a secular institution has overtaken some of the functions of religion in modern societies.

When Science Replaces Religion: Science as a Secular Authority Bolsters Moral Sensitivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Yilmaz, Onurcan; Bahçekapili, Hasan G

2015-01-01

Scientific and religious thinking compete with each other on several levels. For example, activating one generally weakens the other. Since priming religion is known to increase moral behaviour and moral sensitivity, priming science might be expected to have the opposite effect. However, it was recently demonstrated that, on the contrary, science priming increases moral sensitivity as well. The present set of studies sought to replicate this effect and test two explanations for it. Study 1 used a sentence unscrambling task for implicitly priming the concept of science but failed to replicate its effect on moral sensitivity, presumably due to a ceiling effect. Study 2 replicated the effect with a new measure of moral sensitivity. Study 3 tested whether science-related words create this effect by activating the idea of secular authority or by activating analytic thinking. It was demonstrated that words related to secular authority, but not words related to analytic thinking, produced a similar increase in moral sensitivity. Religiosity level of the participants did not influence this basic finding. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that science as a secular institution has overtaken some of the functions of religion in modern societies.

Economic value analysis of the return from the Korean astronaut program and the science culture diffusion activity in Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Soyeon; Jang, Hyun-Jin; Lee, Hyo Suk; Yu, Jong-Phil; Kim, Soyeon; Lee, Joohee; Hur, Hee-Young

2013-06-01

In this study, we analyze the economic effects from the Korean Astronaut Program (KAP) and the subsequent Science Culture Diffusion Activity (SCDA). Korea has had a huge practical effect on the development of science and technology and has increased international awareness of Korea by producing Korea's first astronaut. There has also been a large, ripple effect on space related industries. In addition, the KAP has exercised a far-reaching influence on Korean society and culture by boosting all science and engineering and inspiring national pride. After the KAP, astronauts' outreach activities, such as lectures for the general public; interviews on television, newspapers and magazines; participating in children's science camps; and distributing publications and DVDs about astronaut program for general public, were instituted for diffusing science culture. Thus, positive effects such as the promotion of Korea's level of technology, student interest in science and engineering fields, and the expansion of the industrial base were reinforced after the KAP. This study is aimed at evaluating the economic significance and the value of return through analyzing the effects of the KAP and the subsequent Science Culture Diffusion Activity.

Investigating the status and barriers of science laboratory activities ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study aims at investigating the barriers encountered by science teachers in laboratory activities in Rwandan teacher training colleges (TTCs) using questionnaires and interviews. The results confirmed that teachers face barriers like time limitation, material scarcity and lack of improvising skills in their everyday science ...

Quality-assurance plan for groundwater activities, U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Water Science Center

Science.gov (United States)

Kozar, Mark D.; Kahle, Sue C.

2013-01-01

This report documents the standard procedures, policies, and field methods used by the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Washington Water Science Center staff for activities related to the collection, processing, analysis, storage, and publication of groundwater data. This groundwater quality-assurance plan changes through time to accommodate new methods and requirements developed by the Washington Water Science Center and the USGS Office of Groundwater. The plan is based largely on requirements and guidelines provided by the USGS Office of Groundwater, or the USGS Water Mission Area. Regular updates to this plan represent an integral part of the quality-assurance process. Because numerous policy memoranda have been issued by the Office of Groundwater since the previous groundwater quality assurance plan was written, this report is a substantial revision of the previous report, supplants it, and contains significant additional policies not covered in the previous report. This updated plan includes information related to the organization and responsibilities of USGS Washington Water Science Center staff, training, safety, project proposal development, project review procedures, data collection activities, data processing activities, report review procedures, and archiving of field data and interpretative information pertaining to groundwater flow models, borehole aquifer tests, and aquifer tests. Important updates from the previous groundwater quality assurance plan include: (1) procedures for documenting and archiving of groundwater flow models; (2) revisions to procedures and policies for the creation of sites in the Groundwater Site Inventory database; (3) adoption of new water-level forms to be used within the USGS Washington Water Science Center; (4) procedures for future creation of borehole geophysics, surface geophysics, and aquifer-test archives; and (5) use of the USGS Multi Optional Network Key Entry System software for entry of routine water-level data

Using Random Numbers in Science Research Activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlenker, Richard M.; And Others

1996-01-01

Discusses the importance of science process skills and describes ways to select sets of random numbers for selection of subjects for a research study in an unbiased manner. Presents an activity appropriate for grades 5-12. (JRH)

Leveraging Citizen Science and Information Technology for Population Physical Activity Promotion

Science.gov (United States)

King, Abby C.; Winter, Sandra J.; Sheats, Jylana L.; Rosas, Lisa G.; Buman, Matthew P.; Salvo, Deborah; Rodriguez, Nicole M.; Seguin, Rebecca A.; Moran, Mika; Garber, Randi; Broderick, Bonnie; Zieff, Susan G.; Sarmiento, Olga Lucia; Gonzalez, Silvia A.; Banchoff, Ann; Dommarco, Juan Rivera

2016-01-01

PURPOSE While technology is a major driver of many of society’s comforts, conveniences, and advances, it has been responsible, in a significant way, for engineering regular physical activity and a number of other positive health behaviors out of people’s daily lives. A key question concerns how to harness information and communication technologies (ICT) to bring about positive changes in the health promotion field. One such approach involves community-engaged “citizen science,” in which local residents leverage the potential of ICT to foster data-driven consensus-building and mobilization efforts that advance physical activity at the individual, social, built environment, and policy levels. METHOD The history of citizen science in the research arena is briefly described and an evidence-based method that embeds citizen science in a multi-level, multi-sectoral community-based participatory research framework for physical activity promotion is presented. RESULTS Several examples of this citizen science-driven community engagement framework for promoting active lifestyles, called “Our Voice”, are discussed, including pilot projects from diverse communities in the U.S. as well as internationally. CONCLUSIONS The opportunities and challenges involved in leveraging citizen science activities as part of a broader population approach to promoting regular physical activity are explored. The strategic engagement of citizen scientists from socio-demographically diverse communities across the globe as both assessment as well as change agents provides a promising, potentially low-cost and scalable strategy for creating more active, healthful, and equitable neighborhoods and communities worldwide. PMID:27525309

Technical activities, 1990: Surface Science Division

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Powell, C.J.

1991-05-01

The report summarizes technical activities and accomplishments of the NIST Surface Science Division during Fiscal Year 1990. Overviews are presented of the Division and of its three constituent groups: Surface Dynamical Processes, Thin Films and Interfaces, and Surface Spectroscopies and Standards. These overviews are followed by reports of selected technical accomplishments during the year. A summary is given of Division outputs and interactions that includes lists of publications, talks, committee assignments, seminars (including both Division seminars and Interface Science seminars arranged through the Division), conferences organized, and a standard reference material certified. Finally, lists are given of Division staff and of guest scientists who have worked in the Division during the past year

Assessment report on research and development activities. Activity: 'Advanced science research' (Interim report)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-11-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as “JAEA”) consulted an assessment committee, “Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Advanced Science Research” (hereinafter referred to as “Committee”) for interim assessment of “Advanced Science Research,” in accordance with “General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities” by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, “Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology” and “Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities” by JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research programs and activities of the Advanced Science Research Center (hereinafter referred to as “ASRC”) for the period of two years from April 2010. The Committee evaluated the management and the research programs of the ASRC based on the explanatory documents prepared by the ASRC and the oral presentations with questions-and-answers by the Director and the research group leaders. This report summarizes the result of the assessment by the Committee with the Committee report attached from page 7. (author)

474 Science Activities for Young Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Moira D.

This book uses a child-initiated, whole language approach to help children have fun while exploring the world of science. The activities are divided into 23 units. Each unit begins with an "Attention Getter," the purpose of which is to introduce the unit to children in a way that grabs their attention, stimulates their interest, and creates…

God, design, and naturalism: Implications of methodological naturalism in science for science-religion relation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piotr Bylica

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to analyze the implications flowing from adopting methodological naturalism in science, with special emphasis on the relation between science and religion. Methodological naturalism, denying supernatural and teleological explanations, influences the content of scientific theories, and in practice leads to vision of science as compatible with ontological naturalism and in opposition to theism. Ontological naturalism in turn justifies the acceptance of methodological naturalism as the best method to know the reality. If we accept realistic interpretation of scientific theories, then methodological naturalism conflicts science with religion. Theistic evolution does not seem to be a proper way to reconcile Darwinism and methodological naturalism with theism. Many of such propositions are boiled down to deism. Although evolution can be interpreted theistically, it is not the way in which majority of modern scientists and respectable scientific institutions understand it.

Teaching Primary Science: Emotions, Identity and the Use of Practical Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Cripps Clark, John; Groves, Susie

2012-01-01

This paper uses cultural historical activity theory to examine the interactions between the choices primary teachers make in the use of practical activities in their teaching of science and the purposes they attribute to these; their emotions, background and beliefs; and the construction of their identities as teachers of science. It draws on four…

In Defense of Engineering Sciences: On the Epistemological Relations Between Science and Technology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boon, Mieke

2011-01-01

This article presents an overview of discussions in the philosophy of technology on epistemological relations between science and technology, illustrating that often several mutually entangled issues are at stake. The focus is on conceptual and ideological issues concerning the relationship between

Socially situated activities and identities: Second-grade dual language students and the social construction of science

Science.gov (United States)

Bryce, Nadine

Latina and Latino American students are among the lowest achievers in science, when compared to European and Asian American students, and are highly underrepresented in science careers. Studies suggested that a part of this problem is students' lack of access to science, due to their status as English language learners and their perceived status as deficient students. This study investigated the social construction of science in a second grade dual language urban classroom that offered bilingual students access to science, while positioning them as competent, capable learners. What participants valued in science was interpreted from their stated beliefs and attitudes, as well as their patterned ways of reading, writing, and talking. A bilingual European American teacher and three Latina and Latino focal students were observed over the course of 10 weeks, as they enacted a science unit, in English, on habitats. Science lessons were videotaped, documented with field notes, and transcribed. Interviews with the teacher and students were audiotaped and transcribed, and relevant curriculum documents, and teacher- and student-generated documents, copied. Gee's (1999) d/Discourse analysis system was applied to the transcripts of science lessons and interviews as a way to understand how participants used language to construct situated activities and identities in science. Curriculum documents were analyzed to understand the positioning of the teacher and students by identifying the situated activities and roles recommended. Students' nonfiction writing and published nonfiction texts were analyzed for linguistic structures, semantic relationships and conventions of science writing. Results indicated that the teacher drew on traditional and progressive pedagogical practices that shaped her and her students' science activities and situated identities. The teacher employed traditional talk strategies to build science themes, while students enacted their roles as compliant

NASA/MSFC/NSSTC Science Communication Roundtable

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Mitzi L.; Gallagher, D. L.; Koczor, R. J.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

For the last several years the Science Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center has carried out a diverse program of Internet-based science communication. The Directorate's Science Roundtable includes active researchers, NASA public relations, educators, and administrators. The Science@NASA award-winning family of Web sites features science, mathematics, and space news. The program includes extended stories about NASA science, a curriculum resource for teachers tied to national education standards, on-line activities for students, and webcasts of real-time events. Science stories cover a variety of space-related subjects and are expressed in simple terms everyone can understand. The sites address such questions as: what is space weather, what's in the heart of a hurricane, can humans live on Mars, and what is it like to live aboard the International Space Station? Along with a new look, the new format now offers articles organized by subject matter, such as astronomy, living in space, earth science or biology. The focus of sharing real-time science related events has been to involve and excite students and the public about science. Events have involved meteor showers, solar eclipses, natural very low frequency radio emissions, and amateur balloon flights. In some cases broadcasts accommodate active feedback and questions from Internet participants. Information will be provided about each member of the Science@NASA web sites.

Incorporating Hot Topics in Ocean Sciences to Outreach Activities in Marine and Environmental Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Bergondo, D. L.; Mrakovcich, K. L.; Vlietstra, L.; Tebeau, P.; Verlinden, C.; Allen, L. A.; James, R.

2016-02-01

The US Coast Guard Academy, an undergraduate military Academy, in New London CT, provides STEM education programs to the local community that engage the public on hot topics in ocean sciences. Outreach efforts include classroom, lab, and field-based activities at the Academy as well as at local schools. In one course, we partner with a STEM high school collecting fish and environmental data on board a research vessel and subsequently students present the results of their project. In another course, cadets develop and present interactive demonstrations of marine science to local school groups. In addition, the Academy develops In another course, cadets develop and present interactive demonstrations of marine science to local school groups. In addition, the Academy develops and/or participates in outreach programs including Science Partnership for Innovation in Learning (SPIL), Women in Science, Physics of the Sea, and the Ocean Exploration Trust Honors Research Program. As part of the programs, instructors and cadets create interactive and collaborative activities that focus on hot topics in ocean sciences such as oil spill clean-up, ocean exploration, tsunamis, marine biodiversity, and conservation of aquatic habitats. Innovative science demonstrations such as real-time interactions with the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus, rotating tank simulations of ocean circulation, wave tank demonstrations, and determining what materials work best to contain and clean-up oil, are used to enhance ocean literacy. Children's books, posters and videos are some creative ways students summarize their understanding of ocean sciences and marine conservation. Despite time limitations of students and faculty, and challenges associated with securing funding to keep these programs sustainable, the impact of the programs is overwhelmingly positive. We have built stronger relationships with local community, enhanced ocean literacy, facilitated communication and mentorship between young

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) of Ozone and Related ...

Science.gov (United States)

EPA announced the availability of the final report, Integrated Science Assessment of Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants. This document represents a concise synthesis and evaluation of the most policy-relevant science and will ultimately provide the scientific bases for EPA’s decision regarding the adequacy of the current national ambient air quality standards for ozone to protect human health, public welfare, and the environment. Critical evaluation and integration of the evidence on health and environmental effects of ozone to provide scientific support for the review of the NAAQS for ozone.

Centro Regional de Ciencias Nucleares (a Brazilian regional center for nuclear sciences) - activities report - 1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-12-01

The annual activities report of 1999 of nuclear sciences regional center - Brazilian organization - introduces the next main topics: institutional relations; sectorial actions - logistic support and training, laboratory of radiation protection and dosimetry, laboratory of metrology, laboratory of chemical characterization; technical and scientific events; and financial resources and perspectives for 2000

Extracurricular activities: Investigating the affects of participation-nonparticipation on the Georgia High School Science Graduation Test

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Ray A.

Student achievement research suggests that participation in extracurricular activities has a positive impact on the academic and developmental outcomes for adolescents. Specifically, several studies reported that adolescents who participate in extra-curricular activities are more likely to experience increases in academic achievement, self-esteem, high school graduation rates, and pro-social behaviors. On the other hand, there is research suggesting that participation in extracurricular activities may distract students from their academic pursuits. The state of Georgia requires all eleventh grade students to participate in the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT). The GHSGT consists of five separate tests that include (a) English/language arts, (b) math, (c) writing, (d) social studies, and (e) science. Each comprehensive exam is worth 600 points. A high school diploma will be awarded if the student scores at least 500 points on each individual exam. Further, review of student outcomes on the GHSGT revealed that first-time test takers were failing the science portion of the test at a greater percentage than any other subject on the GHSGT. Specifically, the Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) reported that from 2002 through 2004, a total of 70,451 students or 30.3% of students that were first-time test takers failed the science portion of the GHSGT. As a result, investigating factors that potentially could increase student achievement in science became the impetus for this study. In particular, this study examined the relationships between the levels of student participation in school sponsored extracurricular activities in relation to the level of student achievement in the area of science.

Secondary school students' perceptions of working life skills in science-related careers

Science.gov (United States)

Salonen, Anssi; Hartikainen-Ahia, Anu; Hense, Jonathan; Scheersoi, Annette; Keinonen, Tuula

2017-07-01

School students demonstrate a lack of interest in choosing science studies and science-related careers. To better understand the underlying reasons, this study aims to examine secondary school students' perceptions of working life skills and how these perceptions relate to the skills of the twenty-first century. The participants in this study were 144 Finnish 7th graders (aged 13-14 years). Using a questionnaire and qualitative content analysis, we examined their perceptions of working life skills in 'careers in science' and 'careers with science'. Results reveal that although students have a great deal of knowledge about working life skills, it is often just stereotyped. Sector-specific knowledge and skills were highlighted in particular but skills related to society, organisation, time and higher order thinking, were often omitted. Results also indicate that students do not associate 'careers in science' with creativity, innovation, collaboration or technology and ICT skills. Conversely, according to the students, these careers demand more sector-specific knowledge and responsibility than 'careers with science'. We conclude that students need more wide-ranging information about scientific careers and the competencies demanded; such information can be acquired by e.g. interacting with professionals and their real working life problems.

Learning about Science Graphs and Word Games. Superific Science Book V. A Good Apple Science Activity Book for Grades 5-8+.

Science.gov (United States)

Conway, Lorraine

This packet of student materials contains a variety of worksheet activities dealing with science graphs and science word games. These reproducible materials deal with: (1) bar graphs; (2) line graphs; (3) circle graphs; (4) pictographs; (5) histograms; (6) artgraphs; (7) designing your own graphs; (8) medical prefixes; (9) color prefixes; (10)…

Incorporating Indonesian Students' "Funds of Knowledge" into Teaching Science to Sustain Their Interest in Science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.N. Md Zain

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of incorporating students’ funds of knowledge in the teaching of science in sustaining Indonesian students’ interest in science. The researchers employed mixed method approach in this study. This study took place within two suburban secondary schools in Indonesia. Two teachers and a total of 173 students (94 males and 79 females participated in this study. The findings revealed that initially, most students expected that the teaching process would mainly include science experiments or other hands-on activities. Their preferences revealed a critical problem related to science learning: a lack of meaningful science-related activities in the classroom. The findings showed that incorporating students’ funds of knowledge into science learning processes -and thus establishing students’ culture as an important and valued aspect of science learning was effective in not only sustaining but also improving students’ attitudes and increasing their interest in science.

Secondary School Students' Perceptions of Working Life Skills in Science-Related Careers

Science.gov (United States)

Salonen, Anssi; Hartikainen-Ahia, Anu; Hense, Jonathan; Scheersoi, Annette; Keinonen, Tuula

2017-01-01

School students demonstrate a lack of interest in choosing science studies and science-related careers. To better understand the underlying reasons, this study aims to examine secondary school students' perceptions of working life skills and how these perceptions relate to the skills of the twenty-first century. The participants in this study were…

Science Support: The Building Blocks of Active Data Curation

Science.gov (United States)

Guillory, A.

2013-12-01

While the scientific method is built on reproducibility and transparency, and results are published in peer reviewed literature, we have come to the digital age of very large datasets (now of the order of petabytes and soon exabytes) which cannot be published in the traditional way. To preserve reproducibility and transparency, active curation is necessary to keep and protect the information in the long term, and 'science support' activities provide the building blocks for active data curation. With the explosive growth of data in all fields in recent years, there is a pressing urge for data centres to now provide adequate services to ensure long-term preservation and digital curation of project data outputs, however complex those may be. Science support provides advice and support to science projects on data and information management, from file formats through to general data management awareness. Another purpose of science support is to raise awareness in the science community of data and metadata standards and best practice, engendering a culture where data outputs are seen as valued assets. At the heart of Science support is the Data Management Plan (DMP) which sets out a coherent approach to data issues pertaining to the data generating project. It provides an agreed record of the data management needs and issues within the project. The DMP is agreed upon with project investigators to ensure that a high quality documented data archive is created. It includes conditions of use and deposit to clearly express the ownership, responsibilities and rights associated with the data. Project specific needs are also identified for data processing, visualization tools and data sharing services. As part of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) and National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO), the Centre for Environmental Data Archival (CEDA) fulfills this science support role of facilitating atmospheric and Earth observation data generating projects to ensure

"helix Nebula - the Science Cloud", a European Science Driven Cross-Domain Initiative Implemented in via AN Active Ppp Set-Up

Science.gov (United States)

Lengert, W.; Mondon, E.; Bégin, M. E.; Ferrer, M.; Vallois, F.; DelaMar, J.

2015-12-01

Helix Nebula, a European science cross-domain initiative building on an active PPP, is aiming to implement the concept of an open science commons[1] while using a cloud hybrid model[2] as the proposed implementation solution. This approach allows leveraging and merging of complementary data intensive Earth Science disciplines (e.g. instrumentation[3] and modeling), without introducing significant changes in the contributors' operational set-up. Considering the seamless integration with life-science (e.g. EMBL), scientific exploitation of meteorological, climate, and Earth Observation data and models open an enormous potential for new big data science. The work of Helix Nebula has shown that is it feasible to interoperate publicly funded infrastructures, such as EGI [5] and GEANT [6], with commercial cloud services. Such hybrid systems are in the interest of the existing users of publicly funded infrastructures and funding agencies because they will provide "freedom and choice" over the type of computing resources to be consumed and the manner in which they can be obtained. But to offer such freedom and choice across a spectrum of suppliers, various issues such as intellectual property, legal responsibility, service quality agreements and related issues need to be addressed. Finding solutions to these issues is one of the goals of the Helix Nebula initiative. [1] http://www.egi.eu/news-and-media/publications/OpenScienceCommons_v3.pdf [2] http://www.helix-nebula.eu/events/towards-the-european-open-science-cloud [3] e.g. https://sentinel.esa.int/web/sentinel/sentinel-data-access [5] http://www.egi.eu/ [6] http://www.geant.net/

S.E.A. Lab. Science Experiments and Activities. Marine Science for High School Students in Chemistry, Biology and Physics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Kathy, Ed.

A series of science experiments and activities designed for secondary school students taking biology, chemistry, physics, physical science or marine science courses are outlined. Each of the three major sections--chemistry, biology, and physics--addresses concepts that are generally covered in those courses but incorporates aspects of marine…

One-Two Punch: Utilizing Teacher Research Experiences and Related Classroom Activities to Increase Student Interest in STEM

Science.gov (United States)

Wold-Brennon, R.; Cooper, S. K.

2014-12-01

Through collaborations between scientists and educators, the Consortium for Ocean Leadership developed a series of marine geosciences classroom activities and lesson plans -- including the Adopt-a-Microbe project, a collection of hands-on science lessons that use the sub-seafloor microbiology topics to provide engaging pathways for K-12 students to learn about the world around them. The goal of these activities has been to introduce youth to deep ocean exploration, inspire interest in microbial oceanography, and foster higher education goals and career paths in related sciences for our youth. From the beginning, these lessons were developed in close working relationships between scientists and educators, and the lessons geared towards middle school have been recently piloted with the intent to maximize sustained student interest in STEM topics. While teaching these units, educators used surveys, polls, group discussions, and interviews to shed light on correlations between student interest in STEM and their close proximity to exemplary and enthusiastic educators and student leaders who are active in STEM activities such as research projects and expeditions. Educators continue to use Adopt-a-Microbe and related expedition science-based lessons to explore the broader impacts of their professional development in the Geosciences on their students' professed interest in STEM.

Factors Impacting on Teachers' Job Satisfaction Related to Science Teaching: A Mixed Methods Study

Science.gov (United States)

Song, S.; Mustafa, M.

2015-01-01

Science teachers' job satisfaction is identified as a major factor that affects the quality of a science program. This research investigated to what extent a science program supports science teachers in terms of curriculum materials or extracurricular activities. It also examined the relationships among schools' curriculum support, the number of…

Assessing the impact participation in science journalism activities has on scientific literacy among high school students

Science.gov (United States)

Farrar, Cathy

As part of the National Science Foundation Science Literacy through Science Journalism (SciJourn) research and development initiative (http://www.scijourn.org ; Polman, Saul, Newman, and Farrar, 2008) a quasi-experimental design was used to investigate what impact incorporating science journalism activities had on students' scientific literacy. Over the course of a school year students participated in a variety of activities culminating in the production of science news articles for Scijourner, a regional print and online high school science news magazine. Participating teachers and SciJourn team members collaboratively developed activities focused on five aspects of scientific literacy: placing information into context, recognizing relevance, evaluating factual accuracy, use of multiple credible sources and information seeking processes. This study details the development process for the Scientific Literacy Assessment (SLA) including validity and reliability studies, evaluates student scientific literacy using the SLA, examines student SLA responses to provide a description of high school students' scientific literacy, and outlines implications of the findings in relation to the National Research Council's A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (2012) and classroom science teaching practices. Scientifically literate adults acting as experts in the assessment development phase informed the creation of a scoring guide that was used to analyze student responses. Experts tended to draw on both their understanding of science concepts and life experiences to formulate answers; paying close attention to scientific factual inaccuracies, sources of information, how new information fit into their view of science and society as well as targeted strategies for information seeking. Novices (i.e., students), in contrast, tended to ignore factual inaccuracies, showed little understanding about source credibility and suggested

Attitudes toward Science: Measurement and Psychometric Properties of the Test of Science-Related Attitudes for Its Use in Spanish-Speaking Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Navarro, Marianela; Förster, Carla; González, Caterina; González-Pose, Paulina

2016-01-01

Understanding attitudes toward science and measuring them remain two major challenges for science teaching. This article reviews the concept of attitudes toward science and their measurement. It subsequently analyzes the psychometric properties of the "Test of Science-Related Attitudes" (TOSRA), such as its construct validity, its…

Results of Needs Assessments Related to Citizen Science Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Buxner, Sanlyn; Bracey, Georgia; Glushko, Anna; Bakerman, Maya; Gay, Pamela L.; CosmoQuest Team

2017-01-01

The CosmoQuest Virtual Research Facility invites the public and classrooms to participate in NASA Science Mission Directorate related research that leads to publishable results and data catalogues. One of the main goals of the project is to support professional scientists in doing science and the general public--including parents, children, teachers, and students--in learning and doing science. Through the effort, the CosmoQuest team is developing a variety of supports and opportunities to support the doing and teaching of science. To inform our efforts, we have implemented a set of needs surveys to assess the needs of our different audiences. These surveys are being used to understand the interests, motivations, resources, challenges and demographics of our growing CosmoQuest community and others interested in engaging in citizen science projects. The surveys include those for teachers, parents, adult learners, planetarium professionals, subject matter experts (SMEs), and the general public. We will share the results of these surveys and discuss the implications of the results for broader education and outreach programs.

Remote Instrumentation for eScience and Related Aspects

CERN Document Server

Lawenda, Marcin; Meyer, Norbert; Pugliese, Roberto; Węglarz, Jan; Zappatore, Sandro

2012-01-01

Making scientific instruments a manageable resource over distributed computing infrastructures such as the grid has been a key focal point of e-science research in recent years. It is now known by the generic term ‘remote instrumentation’, and is the subject of this useful volume that covers a range of perspectives on the topic reflected by the contributions to the 2010 workshop on remote instrumentation held in Poznań, Poland. E-science itself is a complex set of disciplines requiring computationally intensive distributed operations, high-speed networking, and collaborative working tools. As such, it is most often (and correctly) associated with grid- and cloud-computing infrastructures and middleware. The contributions to this publication consider broader aspects of the theme of remote instrumentation applied to e-science, as well as exploring related technologies that enable the implementation of truly distributed and coordinated laboratories. Among the topics discussed are remote instrumentation and ...

The Effects of Aesthetic Science Activities on Improving At-Risk Families Children's Anxiety About Learning Science and Positive Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Zuway-R.; Lin, Huann-shyang; Chen, Hsiang-Ting; Wang, Hsin-Hui; Lin, Chia-Jung

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of aesthetic science activities on improving elementary school at-risk families' children's positive thinking, attitudes toward science, and decreasing their anxiety about learning science. Thirty-six 4th-grade children from at-risk families volunteered to participate in a 12-week intervention and formed the experimental group; another 97 typical 4th graders were randomly selected to participant in the assessment and were used as the comparison group. The treatment for experimental group children emphasized scaffolding aesthetic science activities and inquiry strategies. The Elementary School Student Questionnaire was administered to assess all children's positive thinking, attitudes toward science, and anxiety about learning science. In addition, nine target children from the experimental group with the lowest scores on either positive thinking, or attitudes toward science, or with the highest scores on anxiety about learning science in the pre-test were recruited to be interviewed at the end of the intervention and observed weekly. Confirmatory factor analyses, analyses of covariance, and content theme analysis assessed the similarities and differences between groups. It was found that the at-risk families' children were motivated by the treatment and made significant progress on positive thinking and attitudes toward science, and also decreased their anxiety about learning science. The findings from interviews and classroom observations also revealed that the intervention made differences in children's affective perceptions of learning science. Implication and research recommendation are discussed.

Classroom Activities: Simple Strategies to Incorporate Student-Centered Activities within Undergraduate Science Lectures

Science.gov (United States)

Lom, Barbara

2012-01-01

The traditional science lecture, where an instructor delivers a carefully crafted monolog to a large audience of students who passively receive the information, has been a popular mode of instruction for centuries. Recent evidence on the science of teaching and learning indicates that learner-centered, active teaching strategies can be more effective learning tools than traditional lectures. Yet most colleges and universities retain lectures as their central instructional method. This article highlights several simple collaborative teaching techniques that can be readily deployed within traditional lecture frameworks to promote active learning. Specifically, this article briefly introduces the techniques of: reader’s theatre, think-pair-share, roundtable, jigsaw, in-class quizzes, and minute papers. Each technique is broadly applicable well beyond neuroscience courses and easily modifiable to serve an instructor’s specific pedagogical goals. The benefits of each technique are described along with specific examples of how each technique might be deployed within a traditional lecture to create more active learning experiences. PMID:23494568

Classroom Activities: Simple Strategies to Incorporate Student-Centered Activities within Undergraduate Science Lectures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lom, Barbara

2012-01-01

The traditional science lecture, where an instructor delivers a carefully crafted monolog to a large audience of students who passively receive the information, has been a popular mode of instruction for centuries. Recent evidence on the science of teaching and learning indicates that learner-centered, active teaching strategies can be more effective learning tools than traditional lectures. Yet most colleges and universities retain lectures as their central instructional method. This article highlights several simple collaborative teaching techniques that can be readily deployed within traditional lecture frameworks to promote active learning. Specifically, this article briefly introduces the techniques of: reader's theatre, think-pair-share, roundtable, jigsaw, in-class quizzes, and minute papers. Each technique is broadly applicable well beyond neuroscience courses and easily modifiable to serve an instructor's specific pedagogical goals. The benefits of each technique are described along with specific examples of how each technique might be deployed within a traditional lecture to create more active learning experiences.

Adolescent Girls' Experiences and Gender-Related Beliefs in Relation to Their Motivation in Math/Science and English

Science.gov (United States)

Leaper, Campbell; Farkas, Timea; Brown, Christia Spears

2012-01-01

Although the gender gap has dramatically narrowed in recent decades, women remain underrepresented in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This study examined social and personal factors in relation to adolescent girls' motivation in STEM (math/science) versus non-STEM (English) subjects. An ethnically diverse…

Place-Based Science Teaching and Learning: 40 Activities for K-8 Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Buxton, Cory A.; Provenzo, Eugene F., Jr.

2011-01-01

Grounded in theory and best-practices research, this practical text provides elementary and middle school teachers with 40 place-based activities that will help them to make science learning relevant to their students. This text provides teachers with both a rationale and a set of strategies and activities for teaching science in a local context…

Elements of Design-Based Science Activities That Affect Students' Motivation

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Brett D.; Chittum, Jessica R.; Akalin, Sehmuz; Schram, Asta B.; Fink, Jonathan; Schnittka, Christine; Evans, Michael A.; Brandt, Carol

2015-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which a 12-week after-school science and engineering program affected middle school students' motivation to engage in science and engineering activities. We used current motivation research and theory as a conceptual framework to assess 14 students' motivation through questionnaires,…

Assessment report of research and development activities in FY2014. Activity: 'Quantum beam science research' (Result evaluation)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-09-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereafter referred to as 'JAEA') consulted an assessment committee, 'Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Quantum Beam Science' (hereafter referred to as 'Committee') for result evaluation of 'Quantum Beam Science', in accordance with 'General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities' by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, 'Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology' and 'Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities' by JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research program of the Quantum Beam Science Center (hereafter referred to as 'QuBS') during the period from April 2010 to September 2014. The Committee evaluated the management and research activities of QuBS based on the explanatory documents and oral presentations. (author)

Assessment report of research and development activities FY2014. Activity: 'Advanced science research' (Final report)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-09-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as 'JAEA') consulted an assessment committee, 'Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Advanced Science Research' (hereinafter referred to as 'Committee') for final evaluation and prior assessment of 'Advanced Science Research,' in accordance with 'General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities' by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, 'Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology' and 'Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities' by JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research programs and activities of the Advanced Science Research Center (hereinafter referred to as 'ASRC') for the period of five years from April 2010 and the research programs from April 2015. The Committee evaluated the management and the research programs of the ASRC based on the explanatory documents prepared by the ASRC and the oral presentations with questions-and-answers by the Director and the research group leaders. This report summarizes the results of the assessment by the Committee with the Committee report attached. (author)

Adolescents' Motivation to Select an Academic Science-Related Career: The Role of School Factors, Individual Interest, and Science Self-Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Taskinen, Päivi H.; Schütte, Kerstin; Prenzel, Manfred

2013-01-01

Many researchers consider a lacking interest in science and the students' belief that science is too demanding as major reasons why young people do not strive for science-related careers. In this article, we first delineated a theoretical framework to investigate the importance of interest, self-concept, and school factors regarding students'…

Exploring the Relations of Inquiry-Based Teaching to Science Achievement and Dispositions in 54 Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Cairns, Dean; Areepattamannil, Shaljan

2017-06-01

This study, drawing on data from the third cycle of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and employing three-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) as an analytic strategy, examined the relations of inquiry-based science teaching to science achievement and dispositions toward science among 170,474 15-year-old students from 4780 schools in 54 countries across the globe. The results of the HLM analyses, after accounting for student-, school-, and country-level demographic characteristics and students' dispositions toward science, revealed that inquiry-based science teaching was significantly negatively related to science achievement. In contrast, inquiry-based science teaching was significantly positively associated with dispositions toward science, such as interest in and enjoyment of science learning, instrumental and future-oriented science motivation, and science self-concept and self-efficacy. Implications of the findings for policy and practice are discussed.

Radiation-related information at science exhibitions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bannai, Tadaaki [Inst. for Environmental Sciences, Rokkasho, Aomori (Japan)

1999-09-01

The aim of the present report was to promote an efficient utilization of science museums providing with educational information concerning radiations. Investigations were made on radiation-related materials exhibited at 38 museums including PR event sites between April 1996 and July 1998 mainly located on Kanto and Tohoku area in Japan. The investigation concerned as to whether the displays on radiation-related material (cosmic rays, X-rays, etc) existed or not, and as to the background of the display as well. As the result, 14 locations had no relevant displays, 10 of them not having things about atomic energy at all. The locations belonging to electricity company mostly had displays related to radiations and atomic energy power generation. A spark chamber was exhibited at 9 locations and a cloud chamber at 3 locations, but only one location among them displayed both. Displays on the actual use of X-radiation were found at 4 locations. Needs to prepare further improved displays exist at the sites visited. (S. Ohno)

Developing Preservice Science Teachers' Self-Determined Motivation toward Environment through Environmental Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Karaarslan, Guliz; Sungur, Semra; Ertepinar, Hamide

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop pre-service science teachers' self-determined motivation toward environment before, after and five months following the environmental course activities guided by self-determination theory. The sample of the study was 33 pre-service science teachers who participated in an environmental science course. This…

Journal of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Journal of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology covers research activities and development in the field of Applied Sciences and Technology as it relates to Agricultural Engineering, Biotechnology, Computer Science and Engineering Computations, Civil Engineering, Food Science and Technology, Electrical ...

Data Management Activities of Canada's National Science Library - 2010 Update and Prospective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary Zborowski

2011-01-01

Full Text Available NRC-CISTI serves Canada as its National Science Library (as mandated by Canada's Parliament in 1924 and also provides direct support to researchers of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC. By reason of its mandate, vision, and strategic positioning, NRC-CISTI has been rapidly and effectively mobilizing Canadian stakeholders and resources to become a lead player on both the Canadian national and international scenes in matters relating to the organization and management of scientific research data. In a previous communication (CODATA International Conference, 2008, the orientation of NRC-CISTI towards this objective and its short- and medium-term plans and strategies were presented. Since then, significant milestones have been achieved. This paper presents NRC-CISTI's most recent activities in these areas, which are progressing well alongside a strategic organizational redesign process that is realigning NRC-CISTI's structure, mission, and mandate to better serve its clients. Throughout this transformational phase, activities relating to data management remain vibrant.

Starguides plus a world-wide directory of organizations in astronomy and related space sciences

CERN Document Server

Heck, André

2004-01-01

StarGuides Plus represents the most comprehensive and accurately validated collection of practical data on organizations involved in astronomy, related space sciences and other related fields This invaluable reference source (and its companion volume, StarBriefs Plus) should be on the reference shelf of every library, organization or individual with any interest in these areas The coverage includes relevant universities, scientific committees, institutions, associations, societies, agencies, companies, bibliographic services, data centers, museums, dealers, distributors, funding organizations, journals, manufacturers, meteorological services, national norms & standard institutes, parent associations & societies, publishers, software producers & distributors, and so on Besides astronomy and associated space sciences, related fields such as aeronautics, aeronomy, astronautics, atmospheric sciences, chemistry, communications, computer sciences, data processing, education, electronics, engineering, en...

NASA'S Earth Science Data Stewardship Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Lowe, Dawn R.; Murphy, Kevin J.; Ramapriyan, Hampapuram

2015-01-01

NASA has been collecting Earth observation data for over 50 years using instruments on board satellites, aircraft and ground-based systems. With the inception of the Earth Observing System (EOS) Program in 1990, NASA established the Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project and initiated development of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). A set of Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) was established at locations based on science discipline expertise. Today, EOSDIS consists of 12 DAACs and 12 Science Investigator-led Processing Systems (SIPS), processing data from the EOS missions, as well as the Suomi National Polar Orbiting Partnership mission, and other satellite and airborne missions. The DAACs archive and distribute the vast majority of data from NASA’s Earth science missions, with data holdings exceeding 12 petabytes The data held by EOSDIS are available to all users consistent with NASA’s free and open data policy, which has been in effect since 1990. The EOSDIS archives consist of raw instrument data counts (level 0 data), as well as higher level standard products (e.g., geophysical parameters, products mapped to standard spatio-temporal grids, results of Earth system models using multi-instrument observations, and long time series of Earth System Data Records resulting from multiple satellite observations of a given type of phenomenon). EOSDIS data stewardship responsibilities include ensuring that the data and information content are reliable, of high quality, easily accessible, and usable for as long as they are considered to be of value.

Taking an active stance: How urban elementary students connect sociocultural experiences in learning science

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhyay, Bhaskar; Maruyama, Geoffrey; Albrecht, Nancy

2017-12-01

In this interpretive case study, we draw from sociocultural theory of learning and culturally relevant pedagogy to understand how urban students from nondominant groups leverage their sociocultural experiences. These experiences allow them to gain an empowering voice in influencing science content and activities and to work towards self-determining the sciences that are personally meaningful. Furthermore, tying sociocultural experiences with science learning helps generate sociopolitical awareness among students. We collected interview and observation data in an urban elementary classroom over one academic year to understand the value of urban students' sociocultural experiences in learning science and choosing science activities.

Investigation the opinions of the primary science teachers toward practice of teaching and learning activities in science learning area

Science.gov (United States)

Chamnanwong, Pornpaka; Thathong, Kongsak

2018-01-01

In preparing a science lesson plan, teachers may deal with numerous difficulties. Having a deep understanding of their problems and their demands is extremely essential for the teachers in preparing themselves for the job. Moreover, it is also crucial for the stakeholders in planning suitable and in-need teachers' professional development programs, in school management, and in teaching aid. This study aimed to investigate the primary school science teachers' opinion toward practice of teaching and learning activities in science learning area. Target group was 292 primary science teachers who teach Grade 4 - 6 students in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand in the academic year of 2014. Data were collected using Questionnaire about Investigation the opinions of the primary science teachers toward practice of teaching and learning activities in science learning area. The questionnaires were consisted of closed questions scored on Likert scale and open-ended questions that invite a sentence response to cover from LS Process Ideas. Research findings were as follow. The primary science teachers' level of opinion toward teaching and learning science subject ranged from 3.19 - 3.93 (mean = 3.43) as "Moderate" level of practice. The primary school science teachers' needs to participate in a training workshop based on LS ranged from 3.66 - 4.22 (mean = 3.90) as "High" level. The result indicated that they were interested in attending a training course under the guidance of the Lesson Study by training on planning of management of science learning to solve teaching problems in science contents with the highest mean score 4.22. Open-ended questions questionnaire showed the needs of the implementation of the lesson plans to be actual classrooms, and supporting for learning Medias, innovations, and equipment for science experimentation.

Determining Effect of Digital And Media Activities On Media And Science Literacy Of Middle-School Students And Parents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bilge CAN

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This research aims determining effect of digital and media activities on media and science literacy of middle-school students and parents and identifying the relationship between them. Quasi- experimental model has been used by which pretest-posttest studies have been held on one group by using quantitative data during research. The sample of the research consists of 60 students and 119 parents who attend a school in the province of Bursa in the academic year of 2013-2014. According to data analysis obtained in the research, there is a significant relation between pretests and posttests about scientific literacy of middle-school students and parents relating to Digital and Media Activities. There is a relation between media and scientific literacy of students and mothers as parents. There is a difference between the applied PISA and TIMSS exams and the students' science literacy. In the light of these results, some suggestion has been offered with regard to focusing on the importance of 21st century skills and literacy, developing scientific and media literacy level and obtaining more comprehensive results.

Midwest Science Festival: Exploring Students' and Parents' Participation in and Attitudes Toward Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Dippel, Elizabeth A; Mechels, Keegan B; Griese, Emily R; Laufmann, Rachel N; Weimer, Jill M

2016-08-01

Compared to national numbers, South Dakota has a higher proportion of students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Interest in science can be influenced by exposure to science through formal and informal learning. Informal science activities (including exposures and participation) have been found to elicit higher levels of interest in science, likely impacting one's attitude towards science overall. The current study goal is to better understand the levels and relationships of attitude, exposure, and participation in science that were present among students and parents attending a free science festival. The project collected survey data from 65 students and 79 parents attending a science festival ranging from age 6 to 65. Informal science participation is significantly related to science attitudes in students and informal science exposure is not. No relationship was found for parents between science attitudes and participation. Students who indicated high levels of informal science participation (i.e., reading science-themed books) were positively related to their attitudes regarding science. However, informal science exposures, such as attending the zoo or independently visiting a science lab, was not significantly associated with positive attitudes towards science.

Assessment report of research and development activities in FY2014. Activity: 'Quantum beam science research' (In-advance evaluation)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-09-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereafter referred to as 'JAEA') consulted an assessment committee, 'Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Quantum Beam Science' (hereafter referred to as 'Committee') for result evaluation of 'Quantum Beam Science', in accordance with 'General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities' by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, 'Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology' and 'Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities' by JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research program of the Quantum Beam Science Center (hereafter referred to as 'QuBS') during the period from April 2015 to March 2022. The Committee evaluated the management and research activities of QuBS based on the explanatory documents and oral presentations. (author)

Microdevelopment during an activity-based science lesson

Science.gov (United States)

Parziale, Jim

1997-11-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the microdevelopment of task-related skills during a classroom science activity. Pairs of fifth and pairs of seventh grade students were videotaped as they constructed marshmallow and toothpick bridges. A skill theory based system of analysis was developed and used to detect the construction of new understandings. Patterns of change observed in these understandings were used to infer three means of self-construction: shifts of focus, bridging mechanisms and distributed cognition. Shift of focus is a mechanism used by students to efficiently explore a web of possibilities, collect ideas and make observations for later coordination as new understandings. Bridging mechanisms are partially built conversational structures that scaffolded the construction of higher level thinking structures. Students used the distributed cognition mechanism to test the adaptiveness of their design ideas without the need to fully coordinate an understandings of these designs. An integrated model of these three mechanisms is proposed specific to this task. This model describes how these mechanisms spontaneously emerged and interacted to support the construction of mental representations.

Creating a virtual community of practice to investigate legitimate peripheral participation by African American middle school girls in science activities

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Leslie D.

How do teenage girls develop an interest in science? What kinds of opportunities can science teachers present to female students that support their engagement with learning science? I studied one aspect of this issue by focusing on ways students could use science to enhance or gain identities that they (probably) already valued. To do that I created technology-rich activities and experiences for an after school class in science and technology for middle school girls who lived in a low socio-economic urban neighborhood. These activities and experiences were designed to create a virtual community of practice whose members used science in diverse ways. Student interest was made evident in their responses to the activities. Four conclusions emerged. (1) Opportunities to learn about the lives and work of admired African American business women interested students in learning by linking it to their middle-class aspirations and their interest in things that money and status can buy. (2) Opportunities to learn about the lives and work of African American women experts in science in a classroom context where students then practiced similar kinds of actual scientific tasks engaged students in relations of legitimate peripheral participation in a virtual and diverse community of practice focused on science which was created in the after-school classes. (3) Opportunities where students used science to show off for family, friends, and supporters of the after-school program, identities they valued, interested them enough that they engaged in long-term science and technology projects that required lots of revisions. (4) In response to the opportunities presented, new and enhanced identities developed around becoming a better student or becoming some kind of scientist.

Middle school children's game playing preferences: Case studies of children's experiences playing and critiquing science-related educational games

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Dolly Rebecca Doran

The playing of computer games is one of the most popular non-school activities of children, particularly boys, and is often the entry point to greater facility with and use of other computer applications. Children are learning skills as they play, but what they learn often does not generalize beyond application to that and other similar games. Nevertheless, games have the potential to develop in students the knowledge and skills described by national and state educational standards. This study focuses upon middle-school aged children, and how they react to and respond to computer games designed for entertainment and educational purposes, within the context of science learning. Through qualitative, case study methodology, the game play, evaluation, and modification experiences of four diverse middle-school-aged students in summer camps are analyzed. The inquiry focused on determining the attributes of computer games that appeal to middle school students, the aspects of science that appeal to middle school children, and ultimately, how science games might be designed to appeal to middle school children. Qualitative data analysis led to the development of a method for describing players' activity modes during game play, rather than the conventional methods that describe game characteristics. These activity modes are used to describe the game design preferences of the participants. Recommendations are also made in the areas of functional, aesthetic, and character design and for the design of educational games. Middle school students may find the topical areas of forensics, medicine, and the environment to be of most interest; designing games in and across these topic areas has the potential for encouraging voluntary science-related play. Finally, when including children in game evaluation and game design activities, results suggest the value of providing multiple types of activities in order to encourage the full participation of all children.

An integrative review of in-class activities that enable active learning in college science classroom settings

Science.gov (United States)

Arthurs, Leilani A.; Kreager, Bailey Zo

2017-10-01

Engaging students in active learning is linked to positive learning outcomes. This study aims to synthesise the peer-reviewed literature about 'active learning' in college science classroom settings. Using the methodology of an integrative literature review, 337 articles archived in the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) are examined. Four categories of in-class activities emerge: (i) individual non-polling activities, (ii) in-class polling activities, (iii) whole-class discussion or activities, and (iv) in-class group activities. Examining the collection of identified in-class activities through the lens of a theoretical framework informed by constructivism and social interdependence theory, we synthesise the reviewed literature to propose the active learning strategies (ALSs) model and the instructional decisions to enable active learning (IDEAL) theory. The ALS model characterises in-class activities in terms of the degrees to which they are designed to promote (i) peer interaction and (ii) social interdependence. The IDEAL theory includes the ALS model and provides a framework for conceptualising different levels of the general concept 'active learning' and how these levels connect to instructional decision-making about using in-class activities. The proposed ALS model and IDEAL theory can be utilised to inform instructional decision-making and future research about active learning in college science courses.

77 FR 16846 - National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity Meeting; Office of Biotechnology Activities...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-22

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity Meeting; Office of Biotechnology Activities, Office of Science Policy, Office of.... Contact Person: Ronna Hill, NSABB Program Assistant, NIH Office of Biotechnology Activities, 6705...

Developing Science Communication in Africa: Undergraduate and Graduate Students should be Trained and Actively Involved in Outreach Activity Development and Implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Karikari, Thomas K; Yawson, Nat Ato; Quansah, Emmanuel

2016-01-01

Despite recent improvements in scientific research output from Africa, public understanding of science in many parts of the continent remains low. Science communication there is faced with challenges such as (i) lack of interest among some scientists, (ii) low availability of training programs for scientists, (iii) low literacy rates among the public, and (iv) multiplicity of languages. To address these challenges, new ways of training and motivating scientists to dialogue with non-scientists are essential. Developing communication skills early in researchers' scientific career would be a good way to enhance their public engagement abilities. Therefore, a potentially effective means to develop science communication in Africa would be to actively involve trainee scientists (i.e., undergraduate and graduate students) in outreach activity development and delivery. These students are often enthusiastic about science, eager to develop their teaching and communication skills, and can be good mentors to younger students. Involving them in all aspects of outreach activity is, therefore, likely to be a productive implementation strategy. However, science communication training specifically for students and the involvement of these students in outreach activity design and delivery are lacking in Africa. Here, we argue that improving the training and involvement of budding scientists in science communication activities would be a good way to bridge the wide gap between scientists and the African public.

Why Change to Active Learning? Pre-Service and In-Service Science Teachers' Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

O'Grady, Audrey; Simmie, Geraldine Mooney; Kennedy, Therese

2014-01-01

This article explores pre-service and in-service science teachers' perceptions on active learning, and examines the effectiveness of active learning by pre-service science teachers in the Irish second level classroom through a two-phase study. In the first phase, data on perceptions were gathered from final year pre-service teachers and in-service…

Climate change and related activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The production and consumption of energy contributes to the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and is the focus of other environmental concerns as well. Yet the use of energy contributes to worldwide economic growth and development. If we are to achieve environmentally sound economic growth, we must develop and deploy energy technologies that contribute to global stewardship. The Department of Energy carries out an aggressive scientific research program to address some of the key uncertainties associated with the climate change issue. Of course, research simply to study the science of global climate change is not enough. At the heart of any regime of cost-effective actions to address the possibility of global climate change will be a panoply of new technologies-technologies both to provide the services we demand and to use energy more efficiently than in the past. These, too, are important areas of responsibility for the Department. This report is a brief description of the Department's activities in scientific research, technology development, policy studies, and international cooperation that are directly related to or have some bearing on the issue of global climate change

Quality-assurance plan for water-quality activities in the U.S. Geological Survey Washington Water Science Center

Science.gov (United States)

Conn, Kathleen E.; Huffman, Raegan L.; Barton, Cynthia

2017-05-08

In accordance with guidelines set forth by the Office of Water Quality in the Water Mission Area of the U.S. Geological Survey, a quality-assurance plan has been created for use by the Washington Water Science Center (WAWSC) in conducting water-quality activities. This qualityassurance plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the WAWSC for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of water-quality data. The policies and procedures documented in this quality-assurance plan for water-quality activities complement the quality-assurance plans for surface-water and groundwater activities at the WAWSC.

Capturing citation activity in three health sciences departments: a comparison study of Scopus and Web of Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkozy, Alexandra; Slyman, Alison; Wu, Wendy

2015-01-01

Scopus and Web of Science are the two major citation databases that collect and disseminate bibliometric statistics about research articles, journals, institutions, and individual authors. Liaison librarians are now regularly called upon to utilize these databases to assist faculty in finding citation activity on their published works for tenure and promotion, grant applications, and more. But questions about the accuracy, scope, and coverage of these tools deserve closer scrutiny. Discrepancies in citation capture led to a systematic study on how Scopus and Web of Science compared in a real-life situation encountered by liaisons: comparing three different disciplines at a medical school and nursing program. How many articles would each database retrieve for each faculty member using the author-searching tools provided? How many cited references for each faculty member would each tool generate? Results demonstrated troubling differences in publication and citation activity capture between Scopus and Web of Science. Implications for librarians are discussed.

Philosophy, history and sociology of science: interdisciplinary relations and complex social identities.

Science.gov (United States)

Riesch, Hauke

2014-12-01

Sociology and philosophy of science have an uneasy relationship, while the marriage of history and philosophy of science has--on the surface at least--been more successful I will take a sociological look at the history of the relationships between philosophy and history as well as philosophy and sociology of science. Interdisciplinary relations between these disciplines will be analysed through social identity complexity theory in oider to draw out some conclusions on how the disciplines interact and how they might develop. I will use the relationships between the disciplines as a pointer for a more general social theory of interdisciplinarity which will then be used to sound a caution on how interdisciplinary relations between the three disciplines might be managed.

Development of a Large-Format Science-Grade CMOS Active Pixel Sensor, for Extreme Ultra Violet Spectroscopy and Imaging in Space Science

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Waltham, N. R; Prydderch, M; Mapson-Menard, H; Morrissey, Q; Turchetta, R; Pool, P; Harris, A

2005-01-01

We describe our programme to develop a large-format science-grade CMOS active pixel sensor for future space science missions, and in particular an extreme ultra-violet spectrograph for solar physics...

The role of informal science centers in science education: attitudes, skills, and self-efficacy

OpenAIRE

Sasson, Irit

2014-01-01

Informal learning relates to activities that occur outside the school environment. These learning environments, such as visits to science centers provide valuable motivational opportunities for students to learn science. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the pre-academic center in science education and particularly to explore its effects on 750 middle-school students' attitudes toward science, their scientific thinking skills and self-efficacy. Pre and post-case based q...

The Influence of Extracurricular Activities on Middle School Students' Science Learning in China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Danhui; Tang, Xing

2017-01-01

Informal science learning has been found to have effects on students' science learning. Through the use of secondary data from a national assessment of 7410 middle school students in China, this study explores the relationship among five types of extracurricular science activities, learning interests, academic self-concept, and science…

Abandoning evolution. The forgotten history of antievolution activism and the transformation of American social science.

Science.gov (United States)

Lienesch, Michael

2012-12-01

From its inception, antievolution activism has been aimed not only at the natural sciences but also, and almost as often, at the social sciences. Although almost entirely overlooked by scholars, this activism played a significant part in the development of American social science in the early twentieth century. Analyzing public writings and private papers of antievolution activists, academic social scientists, and university officials from the 1920s, this essay recalls this forgotten history, showing how antievolution activism contributed to the abandonment of evolutionary theory and the adoption of a set of secular, scientific, and professional characteristics that have come to define much of modern social science.

Activities, productivity, and compensation of men and women in the life sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

DesRoches, Catherine M; Zinner, Darren E; Rao, Sowmya R; Iezzoni, Lisa I; Campbell, Eric G

2010-04-01

To determine whether professional activities, professional productivity, and salaries of life sciences faculty differ by gender. The authors undertook this study because previous studies found differences in the academic experiences of women and men. In 2007, the authors conducted a mailed survey of 3,080 life sciences faculty at the 50 universities whose medical schools received the greatest amount of National Institutes of Health funding in 2004. The response rate was 74% (n = 2,168). The main outcome measures were a faculty member's total number of publications; number of publications in the past three years; average impact score of the journals in which he or she had published; professional activities; work hours per week; the numbers of hours spent specifically in teaching, patient care, research, professional activities, and administrative activities; and annual income. Among professors, the women reported greater numbers of hours worked per week and greater numbers of administrative and professional activities than did the men. Female faculty members reported fewer publications across all ranks. After control for professional characteristics and productivity, female researchers in the life sciences earned, on average, approximately $13,226 less annually than did their male counterparts. Men and women in the academic life sciences take on different roles as they advance through their careers. A substantial salary gap still exists between men and women that cannot be explained by productivity or other professional factors. Compensation and advancement policies should recognize the full scope of the roles that female researchers play.

Analyzing Science Activities in Force and Motion Concepts: A Design of an Immersion Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Ayar, Mehmet C.; Aydeniz, Mehmet; Yalvac, Bugrahan

2015-01-01

In this paper, we analyze the science activities offered at 7th grade in the Turkish science and technology curriculum along with addressing the curriculum's original intent. We refer to several science education researchers' ideas, including Chinn & Malhotra's (Science Education, 86:175--218, 2002) theoretical framework and Edelson's (1998)…

Disclosure Day on Relativity: A Science Activity beyond the Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Aragoneses, Andres; Salan, M. Nuria; Hernandez-Fernandez, Antonio

2017-01-01

An important goal for students in engineering education is the ability to present and defend a project in front of a technical audience. We have designed an activity for helping students to work the independent learning and communication skills, while they are introduced in the dynamics of a conference. In this activity, students prepare and…

Spain: Marine sciences information activity report for 1999/2000

OpenAIRE

Wulff, Enrique

2002-01-01

This 99/00 marine sciences-relevant activities report is a portrait of research information available within Spain. From the least available electronic information on such subjects as vaccines to a flood of information on thematics like Spanish Antartic research.

Confronting Ambiguity in Science

Science.gov (United States)

Emery, Katherine; Harlow, Danielle; Whitmer, Ali; Gaines, Steven

2015-01-01

People are regularly confronted with environmental and science-related issues presented to them in newspapers, on television, or even in their own doctor's office. Often the information they use to inform their decisions on matters of science may be ambiguous and contradictory. This article presents an activity that investigates how students deal…

Local climate activities in co-operation between municipality, civil society and science shop

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard

The Science Shop at DTU co-operates with the local municipal administration and the local branch of an environmental NGO about climate change. The co-operation was initiated by a proposal to the Science Shop from the municipal administration. Since the Science Shop requests civil society...... involvement in projects it was proposed to involve the local branch of the environmental NGO. The starting point was topics developed by the administration and the NGO together and announced to students as part of the Science Shop project supply. The focus is climate impact of local activities and strategies...... are initiated and co-ordinated by a group with members from municipal administration, the local NGO and the Science Shop. All projects have involved student projects, but most projects have also contributed to ongoing research activities. The projects up till now have focused on the municipal food supply...

Report of the Integrated Program Planning Activity for the DOE Fusion Energy Sciences Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

None

2000-01-01

This report of the Integrated Program Planning Activity (IPPA) has been prepared in response to a recommendation by the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board that, ''Given the complex nature of the fusion effort, an integrated program planning process is an absolute necessity.'' We, therefore, undertook this activity in order to integrate the various elements of the program, to improve communication and performance accountability across the program, and to show the inter-connectedness and inter-dependency of the diverse parts of the national fusion energy sciences program. This report is based on the September 1999 Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee's (FESAC) report ''Priorities and Balance within the Fusion Energy Sciences Program''. In its December 5,2000, letter to the Director of the Office of Science, the FESAC has reaffirmed the validity of the September 1999 report and stated that the IPPA presents a framework and process to guide the achievement of the 5-year goals listed in the 1999 report. The National Research Council's (NRC) Fusion Assessment Committee draft final report ''An Assessment of the Department of Energy's Office of Fusion Energy Sciences Program'', reviewing the quality of the science in the program, was made available after the IPPA report had been completed. The IPPA report is, nevertheless, consistent with the recommendations in the NRC report. In addition to program goals and the related 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year objectives, this report elaborates on the scientific issues associated with each of these objectives. The report also makes clear the relationships among the various program elements, and cites these relationships as the reason why integrated program planning is essential. In particular, while focusing on the science conducted by the program, the report addresses the important balances between the science and energy goals of the program, between the MFE and IFE approaches, and between the domestic and international aspects

76 FR 57762 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed New Collection-Social Science Assessment and...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-16

... Information Collection Activities: Proposed New Collection--Social Science Assessment and Geographic Analysis...: OMB Control Number: 1024-NEW. Title: Social Science Assessment and Geographic Analysis of Marine... for Coastal Science and Policy, Mail Stop 250, Flanagan, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC...

An Integrative Review of In-Class Activities That Enable Active Learning in College Science Classroom Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Arthurs, Leilani A.; Kreager, Bailey Zo

2017-01-01

Engaging students in active learning is linked to positive learning outcomes. This study aims to synthesise the peer-reviewed literature about "active learning" in college science classroom settings. Using the methodology of an integrative literature review, 337 articles archived in the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) are…

Enhancing Diversity in Undergraduate Science: Self-Efficacy Drives Performance Gains with Active Learning

OpenAIRE

Ballen, Cissy J.; Wieman, Carl; Salehi, Shima; Searle, Jeremy B.; Zamudio, Kelly R.

2017-01-01

Efforts to retain underrepresented minority (URM) students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have shown only limited success in higher education, due in part to a persistent achievement gap between students from historically underrepresented and well-represented backgrounds. To test the hypothesis that active learning disproportionately benefits URM students, we quantified the effects of traditional versus active learning on student academic performance, science self...

Hands On Earth Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Weisgarber, Sherry L.; Van Doren, Lisa; Hackathorn, Merrianne; Hannibal, Joseph T.; Hansgen, Richard

This publication is a collection of 13 hands-on activities that focus on earth science-related activities and involve students in learning about growing crystals, tectonics, fossils, rock and minerals, modeling Ohio geology, geologic time, determining true north, and constructing scale-models of the Earth-moon system. Each activity contains…

Integrating Vygotsky's theory of relational ontology into early childhood science education

Science.gov (United States)

Kirch, Susan A.

2014-03-01

In Science Education during Early Childhood: A Cultural- Historical Perspective, Wolff-Michael Roth, Maria Inês Mafra Goulart and Katerina Plakitsi explore the practical application of Vygotsky's relational ontological theory of human development to early childhood science teaching and teacher development. In this review, I interrogate how Roth et al. conceptualize "emergent curriculum" within the Eurocentric cultural-historical traditions of early childhood education that evolved primarily from the works of Vygotsky and Piaget and compare it to the conceptualizations from other prominent early childhood researchers and curriculum developers. I examine the implications of the authors' interpretation of emergence for early childhood science education and teacher preparation.

Acid Rain: Science Projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Stubbs, Harriett S.

1989-01-01

Presented is a science activity designed to help students monitor the pH of rainfall. Materials, procedures and follow-up activities are listed. A list of domestic and foreign sources of information is provided. Topics which relate to acid precipitation are outlined. (CW)

Innovative Project Activities in Science [From the NSTA Study of Innovative Project Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Science Teacher, 1975

1975-01-01

Describes four projects chosen as innovative project activities in science which exhibited identification of unique or novel problems and creative approaches to their solutions. Projects included a study of fish in Lake Erie, a goat raising project, an analysis of terrestrial plant ecology and soil composition, and a study of marine and wetlands…

Activities in KURRI. Aim to realize the concept of 'Kumatori science park'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiroya, S.

2007-01-01

In Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute (KURRI), activities for the dissemination of knowledge on radiation and atomic energy are considered to be important to realize the future plan based on the conception of Kumatori science park', which will open to the world with roots in the neighboring area. Activities include technical tours of facilities in KURRI, science experiments for kids, lectures on fruits of research for public, courses of reactor physics experiments for the graduate and under-graduate students majoring nuclear engineering, and so on. (author)

Science Teacher Beliefs and Classroom Practice Related to Constructivism in Different School Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Savasci, Funda; Berlin, Donna F.

2012-01-01

Science teacher beliefs and classroom practice related to constructivism and factors that may influence classroom practice were examined in this cross-case study. Data from four science teachers in two schools included interviews, demographic questionnaire, Classroom Learning Environment Survey (preferred/perceived), and classroom observations and…

Science identity possibilities: a look into Blackness, masculinities, and economic power relations

Science.gov (United States)

Rosa, Katemari

2018-02-01

This forum paper dialogues with Sheron Mark's A bit of both science and economics: a non-traditional STEM identity narrative. In her paper, she discusses the development of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) identity by a young African American male during an informal STEM for Social Justice Program. Here, the discussion focuses on Black masculinities, identity formation, and the role of science educators in making STEM fields a welcoming place for young Black men. Drawing from Mark's data and discussion, this paper is a dialogue between science identity possibilities in the United States and in Brazil when we look at the intersections of race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Using the shared colonial past of both countries a connection is established to address race relations within science education. The main argument in this paper is that racism can no longer be denied and dismissed by the science education community worldwide and that intersectional approaches are needed to face this issue.

Career-Related Learning and Science Education: The Changing Landscape

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchinson, Jo

2012-01-01

Pupils ask STEM subject teachers about jobs and careers in science, but where else do they learn about work? This article outlines career-related learning within schools in England alongside other factors that influence pupils' career decisions. The effect of the Education Act 2011 will be to change career learning in schools. The impact on…

NASA SMD STEM Activation: Enabling NASA Science Experts and Content into the Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, Hashima; Erickson, Kristen

2018-01-01

The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) restructured its efforts to enhance learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content areas through a cooperative agreement notice issued in 2015. This effort resulted in the competitive selection of 27 organizations to implement a strategic approach that leverages SMD’s unique assets. Three of these are exclusively directed towards Astrophysics. These unique assets include SMD’s science and engineering content and Science Discipline Subject Matter Experts. Awardees began their work during 2016 and span all areas of Earth and space science and the audiences NASA SMD intends to reach. The goal of the restructured STEM Activation program is to further enable NASA science experts and content into the learning environment more effectively and efficiently with learners of all ages. The objectives are to enable STEM education, improve US scientific literacy, advance national educational goals, and leverage efforts through partnerships. This presentation will provide an overview of the NASA SMD STEM Activation landscape and its commitment to meeting user needs.

NASA/MSFC/NSSTC Science Communication Roundtable

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, M. L.; Gallagher, D. L.; Koczor, R.; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Science Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) conducts a diverse program of Internet-based science communication through a Science Roundtable process. The Roundtable includes active researchers, writers, NASA public relations staff, educators, and administrators. The Science@NASA award-winning family of Web sites features science, mathematics, and space news to inform, involve, and inspire students and the public about science. We describe here the process of producing stories, results from research to understand the science communication process, and we highlight each member of our Web family.

Daily practical activities and science teaching at EJA: Teacher and students' perception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise Westphal Merazzi

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The main theme of this paper is the science teaching in Adults and Youth Education. It was investigated the students' perceptions of adult and youth education (elementary school and their teachers, from science content's development through the works involving practical activities of everyday life. In this context, the methodology used in the research process was based on a survey of qualitative and quantitative approach, with hermeneutic content analysis' methodology and technique. In quantitative terms, we used the average ranking and statistical tests of Wilcoxon. Analyzing the data obtained, it was observed that the use of practical activities in science teaching in adult education is a satisfactory strategy for teaching and learning process and that there is a need to instill these practices in young and adults' education

Barrier Island Activity to Illustrate Hands-On Science

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, Suzanne H.

revealed that although boys and girls are equally interested in certain areas of the subject, there are areas in Physics where boys and girls interests are significantly different. No differences were found in intensity of boys' and girls' interests towards suggested Physics topics at primary P6/P7 level, S3 and S5/S6 levels. At S2 and S4 levels a significant decline of girls' interests relative to boys interests was observed. S2 and S4 stages are decision making ones when pupils have the opportunity to select courses for the future. It was also revealed that the ratio of boys to girls in Physics once established at S2 level remains unchanged through the years of Standard Grade and Higher Grade Physics courses. This may indicate that if the number of girls in Physics is an issue for concern then attention should be paid to the primary and, especially early secondary years to attract girls to Physics. School Physics courses in Scotland revealed a high retention rate of girls in Physics. Analyses of preferred activities revealed that practical work is the most enjoyable activity in Science/Physics lessons for both girls and boys at every stage of schooling and studying the theory was found to be the least enjoyable activity at school for both genders at every age. The picture was almost the reverse with university Physics students.

White paper on science and technology, 1996. Striving to become a front-runner in research activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

This is the first report on policy measures implemented with regard to the promotion of science and technology, in accordance with Article 8 of the Science and Technology Basic Law, which was enacted in November 1995. Parts 1 and 2 of this report discuss trends in a wide range of scientific and technological activities to help the reader understand the policy measures implemented to promote science and technology. Part 1, titled 'Striving to become a front-runner in research activity', attempts and analysis of the public's expectations and demands concerning science and technology; of the state of affairs at institutions engaged in R and D; and of the issues that require attention in the pursuit of future of research activity. In Part 2, various types of data are used to compare Japan's scientific and technological activities with those in other major nations. And, Part 3 contains Policies implemented for the promotion of science and technology. (G.K.)

Edible Earth and Space Science Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Lubowich, D.; Shupla, C.

2014-07-01

In this workshop we describe using Earth and Space Science demonstrations with edible ingredients to increase student interest. We show how to use chocolate, candy, cookies, popcorn, bagels, pastries, Pringles, marshmallows, whipped cream, and Starburst candy for activities such as: plate tectonics, the interior structure of the Earth and Mars, radioactivity/radioactive dating of rocks and stars, formation of the planets, lunar phases, convection, comets, black holes, curvature of space, dark energy, and the expansion of the Universe. In addition to creating an experience that will help students remember specific concepts, edible activities can be used as a formative assessment, providing students with the opportunity to create something that demonstrates their understanding of the model. The students often eat the demonstrations. These demonstrations are an effective teaching tool for all ages, and can be adapted for cultural, culinary, and ethnic differences among the students.

Active assistance technology for health-related behavior change: an interdisciplinary review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Catriona M; Powell, John; Payne, Thomas H; Ainsworth, John; Boyd, Alan; Buchan, Iain

2012-06-14

Information technology can help individuals to change their health behaviors. This is due to its potential for dynamic and unbiased information processing enabling users to monitor their own progress and be informed about risks and opportunities specific to evolving contexts and motivations. However, in many behavior change interventions, information technology is underused by treating it as a passive medium focused on efficient transmission of information and a positive user experience. To conduct an interdisciplinary literature review to determine the extent to which the active technological capabilities of dynamic and adaptive information processing are being applied in behavior change interventions and to identify their role in these interventions. We defined key categories of active technology such as semantic information processing, pattern recognition, and adaptation. We conducted the literature search using keywords derived from the categories and included studies that indicated a significant role for an active technology in health-related behavior change. In the data extraction, we looked specifically for the following technology roles: (1) dynamic adaptive tailoring of messages depending on context, (2) interactive education, (3) support for client self-monitoring of behavior change progress, and (4) novel ways in which interventions are grounded in behavior change theories using active technology. The search returned 228 potentially relevant articles, of which 41 satisfied the inclusion criteria. We found that significant research was focused on dialog systems, embodied conversational agents, and activity recognition. The most covered health topic was physical activity. The majority of the studies were early-stage research. Only 6 were randomized controlled trials, of which 4 were positive for behavior change and 5 were positive for acceptability. Empathy and relational behavior were significant research themes in dialog systems for behavior change, with

Objectively measured walkability and active transport and weight-related outcomes in adults: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Grasser, Gerlinde; Van Dyck, Delfien; Titze, Sylvia; Stronegger, Willibald

2013-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate which GIS-based measures of walkability (density, land-use mix, connectivity and walkability indexes) in urban and suburban neighbourhoods are used in research and which of them are consistently associated with walking and cycling for transport, overall active transportation and weight-related measures in adults. A systematic review of English publications using PubMed, Science Direct, Active Living Research Literature Database, the Transportation Research Information Service and reference lists was conducted. The search terms utilised were synonyms for GIS in combination with synonyms for the outcomes. Thirty-four publications based on 19 different studies were eligible. Walkability measures such as gross population density, intersection density and walkability indexes most consistently correlated with measures of physical activity for transport. Results on weight-related measures were inconsistent. More research is needed to determine whether walkability is an appropriate measure for predicting weight-related measures and overall active transportation. As most of the consistent correlates, gross population density, intersection density and the walkability indexes have the potential to be used in planning and monitoring.

Developing a Repertoire of Activities for Teaching Physical Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Cain, Peggy W.

This activity manual is divided into 15 units which focus on: the nature of science; metric measurements; properties of matter; energy; atomic structure; chemical reactions; acids, bases, and salts; temperature and heat; readioactivity; mechanics; wave motion, sound, and light; static charges and current electricity magnetism and electromagnetism;…

A Cultural Historical Activity Theory Approach in Natural Sciences Education Laboratory Lessons towards Reforming Teachers Training

Science.gov (United States)

Kolokouri, Eleni; Theodoraki, Xarikleia; Plakitsi, Katerina

2012-01-01

This paper focuses on connecting natural sciences education with Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). In this sense, natural sciences education is considered as a lifelong learning procedure, not seen as an individual but as a collective activity. Moreover, learning becomes a human activity in which theory and praxis are strongly connected…

Enhancing Diversity in Undergraduate Science: Self-Efficacy Drives Performance Gains with Active Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Ballen, Cissy J; Wieman, Carl; Salehi, Shima; Searle, Jeremy B; Zamudio, Kelly R

2017-01-01

Efforts to retain underrepresented minority (URM) students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have shown only limited success in higher education, due in part to a persistent achievement gap between students from historically underrepresented and well-represented backgrounds. To test the hypothesis that active learning disproportionately benefits URM students, we quantified the effects of traditional versus active learning on student academic performance, science self-efficacy, and sense of social belonging in a large (more than 250 students) introductory STEM course. A transition to active learning closed the gap in learning gains between non-URM and URM students and led to an increase in science self-efficacy for all students. Sense of social belonging also increased significantly with active learning, but only for non-URM students. Through structural equation modeling, we demonstrate that, for URM students, the increase in self-efficacy mediated the positive effect of active-learning pedagogy on two metrics of student performance. Our results add to a growing body of research that supports varied and inclusive teaching as one pathway to a diversified STEM workforce. © 2017 C. J. Ballen et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2017 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

A Study of the Ways of Spending Leisure Time and Its Related Variables in the Students of Qom University of Medical Sciences in 2015, Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parisa Sarraf

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Leisure time is an opportunity allowing a person to fill his/her time with mental or entertaining activity according to his/her interest and incentive, when he/she is relatively free. The current study aimed to assess and prioritize the activities of the students of Qom University of Medical Sciences in their leisure time. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 405 students of Qom University of Medical Sciences in 2015. A total of 325 students were selected using random stratified sampling method. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire, which its reliability and validity had been confirmed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. Results: Ninety percent of the students had leisure time during the day, which was more than 1 hour in 78% of them. The most important priorities of the students for spending their leisure time was recreation and having fun in 261 subjects (70.5%, rest in 239 (64.6%, using social networks in 239 (64.6%, reading non-school related materials in 229 (61.9%, reading school related materials in 220 (59.5%, sport in 201 (54.3%, and using game software in 193 (52.2%, among which, reading school related materials was significantly different between males and females (p<0.05. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, most of the students of Qom University of Medical Sciences do not make effective use of cell phone, social networks, and computer games. Also, sport and studying activities have not considerable place in their leisure activities, which necessitates providing accurate planning.

Measuring relative efficiency of applied science and technology universities in province of Semnan, Iran and providing suggestions for merging units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abolfazl Danaei

2013-03-01

Full Text Available University of applied science and technology has been designed to create a platform for multilateral activities such as industrial, military and academic in developing countries to promote science and scientific research applications. These universities are responsible to promote practical training in quantitative and qualitative indicators and they provide appropriate infrastructure to implement theoretical graduates to solve practical problems to build necessary infrastructure to transfer modern technology into developing countries. During the past few years, there have been tremendous development on these units but some of them have not been efficient. In this paper, we present an empirical study to measure the relative efficiencies of various units of applied science and technology universities using data envelopment analysis. The proposed model of this paper uses two inputs including human resources as well as total assets and two outputs including the number of graduate students as well as operating profit. The results of the study have indicated that some of the units are inefficient and need to be merged with other units to increase the relative efficiency of these universities.

Evaluation of Changes in Ghanaian Students' Attitudes Towards Science Following Neuroscience Outreach Activities: A Means to Identify Effective Ways to Inspire Interest in Science Careers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yawson, Nat Ato; Amankwaa, Aaron Opoku; Tali, Bernice; Shang, Velma Owusua; Batu, Emmanuella Nsenbah; Asiemoah, Kwame; Fuseini, Ahmed Denkeri; Tene, Louis Nana; Angaandi, Leticia; Blewusi, Isaac; Borbi, Makafui; Aduku, Linda Nana Esi; Badu, Pheonah; Abbey, Henrietta; Karikari, Thomas K

2016-01-01

The scientific capacity in many African countries is low. Ghana, for example, is estimated to have approximately twenty-three researchers per a million inhabitants. In order to improve interest in science among future professionals, appropriate techniques should be developed and employed to identify barriers and correlates of science education among pre-university students. Young students' attitudes towards science may affect their future career choices. However, these attitudes may change with new experiences. It is, therefore, important to evaluate potential changes in students' attitudes towards science after their exposure to experiences such as science outreach activities. Through this, more effective means of inspiring and mentoring young students to choose science subjects can be developed. This approach would be particularly beneficial in countries such as Ghana, where: (i) documented impacts of outreach activities are lacking; and (ii) effective means to develop scientist-school educational partnerships are needed. We have established an outreach scheme, aimed at helping to improve interaction between scientists and pre-university students (and their teachers). Outreach activities are designed and implemented by undergraduate students and graduate teaching assistants, with support from faculty members and technical staff. Through this, we aim to build a team of trainee scientists and graduates who will become ambassadors of science in their future professional endeavors. Here, we describe an approach for assessing changes in junior high school students' attitudes towards science following classroom neuroscience outreach activities. We show that while students tended to agree more with questions concerning their perceptions about science learning after the delivery of outreach activities, significant improvements were obtained for only two questions, namely "I enjoy science lessons" and "I want to be a scientist in the future." Furthermore, there was a

Materials Sciences Division long range plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-12-01

The intent of this document is to provide a framework for programmatic guidance into the future for Materials Sciences. The Materials Sciences program is the basic research program for materials in the Department of Energy. It includes a wide variety of activities associated with the sciences related to materials. It also includes the support for developing, constructing, and operating major facilities which are used extensively but not exclusively by the materials sciences

African Journal for Physical Activity and Health Sciences - Vol 21 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

African Journal for Physical Activity and Health Sciences - Vol 21, No 3 (2015) ... Factors Influencing the Health of Men in Polygynous Relationship · EMAIL FULL ... Views of HIV Positive Pregnant Women on Accessibility of the Prevention of ...

Database and Related Activities in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Izumi; Kato, Daiji; Kato, Masatoshi; Sakaue, Hiroyuki A.; Kato, Takako; Ding, Xiaobin; Morita, Shigeru; Kitajima, Masashi; Koike, Fumihiro; Nakamura, Nobuyuki; Sakamoto, Naoki; Sasaki, Akira; Skobelev, Igor; Tsuchida, Hidetsugu; Ulantsev, Artemiy; Watanabe, Tetsuya; Yamamoto, Norimasa

2011-01-01

We have constructed and made available atomic and molecular (AM) numerical databases on collision processes such as electron-impact excitation and ionization, recombination and charge transfer of atoms and molecules relevant for plasma physics, fusion research, astrophysics, applied-science plasma, and other related areas. The retrievable data is freely accessible via the internet. We also work on atomic data evaluation and constructing collisional-radiative models for spectroscopic plasma diagnostics. Recently we have worked on Fe ions and W ions theoretically and experimentally. The atomic data and collisional-radiative models for these ions are examined and applied to laboratory plasmas. A visible M1 transition of W 26+ ion is identified at 389.41 nm by EBIT experiments and theoretical calculations. We have small non-retrievable databases in addition to our main database. Recently we evaluated photo-absorption cross sections for 9 atoms and 23 molecules and we present them as a new database. We established a new association ''Forum of Atomic and Molecular Data and Their Applications'' to exchange information among AM data producers, data providers and data users in Japan and we hope this will help to encourage AM data activities in Japan.

Effective and responsible teaching of climate change in Earth Science-related disciplines

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Z. P.; Greenhough, B. J.

2009-04-01

Climate change is a core topic within Earth Science-related courses. This vast topic covers a wide array of different aspects that could be covered, from past climatic change across a vast range of scales to environmental (and social and economic) impacts of future climatic change and strategies for reducing anthropogenic climate change. The Earth Science disciplines play a crucial role in our understanding of past, present and future climate change and the Earth system in addition to understanding leading to development of strategies and technological solutions to achieve sustainability. However, an increased knowledge of the occurrence and causes of past (natural) climate changes can lead to a lessened concern and sense of urgency and responsibility amongst students in relation to anthropogenic causes of climatic change. Two concepts integral to the teaching of climate change are those of scientific uncertainty and complexity, yet an emphasis on these concepts can lead to scepticism about future predictions and a further loss of sense of urgency. The requirement to understand the nature of scientific uncertainty and think and move between different scales in particular relating an increased knowledge of longer timescale climatic change to recent (industrialised) climate change, are clearly areas of troublesome knowledge that affect students' sense of responsibility towards their role in achieving a sustainable society. Study of the attitudes of university students in a UK HE institution on a range of Earth Science-related programmes highlights a range of different attitudes in the student body towards the subject of climate change. Students express varied amounts of ‘climate change saturation' resulting from both media and curriculum coverage, a range of views relating to the significance of humans to the global climate and a range of opinions about the relevance of environmental citizenship to their degree programme. Climate change is therefore a challenging

DUSEL-related Science at LBNL Program and Opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauer, Christian; Detweiler, Jason; Freedman, Stuart; Gilchriese, Murdock; Kadel, Richard; Koch, Volker; Kolomensky, Yury; Lesko, Kevin; von der Lippe, Henrik; Marks, Steve; Nomura, Yasunori; Plate, David; Roe, Natalie; Sichtermann, Ernst; Ligeti, Zoltan

2009-01-01

neutrinoless double beta decay searches. The Nuclear Physics Long Range Plan strongly endorses DUSEL and the associated nuclear physics programs. It mentions, in particular, neutrinoless double beta decay, and accelerator-based nuclear astrophysics measurements as key elements of the DUSEL nuclear physics experimental program. There are numerous fundamental scientific questions that experiments which can naturally be sited at DUSEL can address. LBNL has a long tradition and track record of successful experiments in all of these areas: neutrino physics, dark matter searches, and nuclear astrophysics. Clearly, DUSEL presents many scientific opportunities, and the committee was charged to present a roadmap for LBNL participation, the impact that LBNL is likely to have on experiments at the present level of effort, the value of additional manpower, and opportunities for synergistic Detector R and D activities. The Berkeley community is already deeply involved in a number of experiments and/or proposals, shown in Table 1, that will be relevant to science at DUSEL. The approximate time lines for all projects considered in this report are shown in Table 2. For the DUSEL-related experiments the depth at which they would be located is also shown. Section 2 of this report deals with nuclear astrophysics. Section 3 discusses neutrinoless double beta decays. Section 4 focuses on neutrino oscillations, including the search for CP violation and proton decay. Section 5 deals with dark matter searches. In each section we give a brief overview of that field, review the present Berkeley efforts, and discuss the opportunities going into the future. Section 6 contains our recommendations.

The Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) capabilities for serving science

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Thomas R.

1990-01-01

Results of research on potential science applications of the NASA Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) are presented. Discussed here are: (1) general research on communications related issues; (2) a survey of science-related activities and programs in the local area; (3) interviews of selected scientists and associated telecommunications support personnel whose projects have communications requirements; (4) analysis of linkages between ACTS functionality and science user communications activities and modes of operation; and (5) an analysis of survey results and the projection of conclusions to a national scale.

Political Science--Yugoslav Theory and Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Spadijer, Balsa

1979-01-01

Examines political science teaching and research in Yugoslavia and relates developments within the teaching of this discipline to the Yugoslav social and political system. Concludes that political science activities should aim toward reinforcing the trend toward socialist self-management. Journal availability: see SO 507 303. (Author/DB)

Exploring the Solar System Activities Outline: Hands-On Planetary Science for Formal Education K-14 and Informal Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, J. S.; Tobola, K. W.; Lindstrom, M. L.

2003-01-01

Activities by NASA scientists and teachers focus on integrating Planetary Science activities with existing Earth science, math, and language arts curriculum. The wealth of activities that highlight missions and research pertaining to the exploring the solar system allows educators to choose activities that fit a particular concept or theme within their curriculum. Most of the activities use simple, inexpensive techniques that help students understand the how and why of what scientists are learning about comets, asteroids, meteorites, moons and planets. With these NASA developed activities students experience recent mission information about our solar system such as Mars geology and the search for life using Mars meteorites and robotic data. The Johnson Space Center ARES Education team has compiled a variety of NASA solar system activities to produce an annotated thematic outline useful to classroom educators and informal educators as they teach space science. An important aspect of the outline annotation is that it highlights appropriate science content information and key science and math concepts so educators can easily identify activities that will enhance curriculum development. The outline contains URLs for the activities and NASA educator guides as well as links to NASA mission science and technology. In the informal setting educators can use solar system exploration activities to reinforce learning in association with thematic displays, planetarium programs, youth group gatherings, or community events. Within formal education at the primary level some of the activities are appropriately designed to excite interest and arouse curiosity. Middle school educators will find activities that enhance thematic science and encourage students to think about the scientific process of investigation. Some of the activities offered are appropriate for the upper levels of high school and early college in that they require students to use and analyze data.

Digital Materials Related to Food Science and　Cooking Methods for Preparing Eggs

OpenAIRE

沼田, 貴美子; 渡邉, 美奈; ヌマタ, キミコ; ワタナベ, ミナ; Numata, Kimiko; Watanabe, Mina

2009-01-01

We studied methods that were effective for teaching cooking to elementary school pupils using home economics materials. The subject was "Iritamago (scrambled eggs)". We researched the relationship between cookery science and experimental methods of making Iritamago. The various differences in condition and texture of Iritamago were compared among the different cooking utensils, conditions, and preparations of eggs. We created digital materials related to cookery science and the cooking method...

Imaginative science education the central role of imagination in science education

CERN Document Server

Hadzigeorgiou, Yannis

2016-01-01

This book is about imaginative approaches to teaching and learning school science. Its central premise is that science learning should reflect the nature of science, and therefore be approached as an imaginative/creative activity. As such, the book can be seen as an original contribution of ideas relating to imagination and creativity in science education. The approaches discussed in the book are storytelling, the experience of wonder, the development of ‘romantic understanding’, and creative science, including science through visual art, poetry and dramatization. However, given the perennial problem of how to engage students (of all ages) in science, the notion of ‘aesthetic experience’, and hence the possibility for students to have more holistic and fulfilling learning experiences through the aforementioned imaginative approaches, is also discussed. Each chapter provides an in-depth discussion of the theoretical background of a specific imaginative approach (e.g., storytelling, ‘wonder-full’ s...

Atomic energy and science disclosure in Cordoba

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Hugo R.

2011-01-01

In September 2009, considering the existing interest in public communication of scientific activities that are developed locally, a group of researchers and communicators from Córdoba, decided to form the Network of Outreach of Córdoba. Its stated objectives of the Constitutive Act are presented in this paper along with the main activities undertaken to date and plans for the future. Since that time, the Management of Institutional Relations of the CNEA in Córdoba became involved in public circulation of scientific knowledge, in what has proven to be a framework that ensures an adequate level of debate to present nuclear national activities. This will involve collaborative efforts with professional institutions involved in research, teaching and communicating science. The main objective was to encourage the transfer of knowledge to optimize available resources, improving the methodological approaches and generating creative products tailored to regional needs, in order to promote the democratization of science and nuclear technology. This paper consists of two parts. On the one hand describes the activities of the Network during the year 2011 shows results with particular emphasis on topics related to atomic energy, and secondly, shows the desirability of promoting such activities in the CNEA. Among the main actions considered, highlighting the institutional participation in the official Ministry of Science and Technology Fair participation in Science and Technology Provincial Cordoba 2011, issue of the radio program 'Green Light: Science and technology everyday life' by National Technological University Radio and a network of forty provincial stations, and active participation in the Course of Specialization in Public Communication of Science and Scientific Journalism, organized by the School of Information Sciences and the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, National University of Cordoba, among others. (author) [es

Student Motivation from and Resistance to Active Learning Rooted in Essential Science Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, David C.; Sadler, Troy D.; Barlow, Angela T.; Smith-Walters, Cindi

2017-12-01

Several studies have found active learning to enhance students' motivation and attitudes. Yet, faculty indicate that students resist active learning and censure them on evaluations after incorporating active learning into their instruction, resulting in an apparent paradox. We argue that the disparity in findings across previous studies is the result of variation in the active learning instruction that was implemented. The purpose of this study was to illuminate sources of motivation from and resistance to active learning that resulted from a novel, exemplary active-learning approach rooted in essential science practices and supported by science education literature. This approach was enacted over the course of 4 weeks in eight sections of an introductory undergraduate biology laboratory course. A plant concept inventory, administered to students as a pre-, post-, and delayed-posttest indicated significant proximal and distal learning gains. Qualitative analysis of open-response questionnaires and interviews elucidated sources of motivation and resistance that resulted from this active-learning approach. Several participants indicated this approach enhanced interest, creativity, and motivation to prepare, and resulted in a challenging learning environment that facilitated the sharing of diverse perspectives and the development of a community of learners. Sources of resistance to active learning included participants' unfamiliarity with essential science practices, having to struggle with uncertainty in the absence of authoritative information, and the extra effort required to actively construct knowledge as compared to learning via traditional, teacher-centered instruction. Implications for implementation, including tips for reducing student resistance to active learning, are discussed.

Perspectives on the Contribution of Social Science to Adapted Physical Activity: Looking Forward, Looking Back

Science.gov (United States)

Causgrove Dunn, Janice; Cairney, John; Zimmer, Chantelle

2016-01-01

In this article, we reflect on the contributions of the social sciences to the field of adapted physical activity by examining the theories and methods that have been adopted from the social science disciplines. To broaden our perspective on adapted physical activity and provide new avenues for theoretical and empirical exploration, we discuss and…

An analysis of laboratory activities found in "Applications In Biology/Chemistry: A Contextual Approach to Laboratory Science"

Science.gov (United States)

Haskins, Sandra Sue

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively determine whether the material found in ABC promotes scientific inquiry through the inclusion of science process skills, and to quantitatively determine the type (experimental, comparative, or descriptive) and character (wet-lab, paper and pencil, model, or computer) of laboratory activities. The research design allowed for an examination of the frequency and type of science process skills required of students in 79 laboratory activities sampled from all 12 units utilizing a modified 33-item laboratory analysis inventory (LAI) (Germane et al, 1996). Interrater reliability for the science process skills was completed on 19 of the laboratory activities with a mean score of 86.1%. Interrater reliability for the type and character of the laboratory, on the same 19 laboratory activities, was completed with mean scores of 79.0% and 96.5%, respectively. It was found that all laboratory activities provide a prelaboratory activity. In addition, the science process skill category of student performance is required most often of students with the skill of learning techniques or manipulating apparatus occurring 99% of the time. The science process skill category observed the least was student planning and design, occurring only 3% of the time. Students were rarely given the opportunity to practice science process skills such as developing and testing hypotheses through experiments they have designed. Chi-square tests, applied at the .05 level of significance, revealed that there was a significant difference in the type of laboratory activities; comparative laboratory activities appeared more often (59%). In addition the character of laboratory activities, "wet-lab" activities appeared more often (90%) than any of the others.

Managing the Future Imaginary: Does ‘Post-Normal’ Science need Public Relations?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Michael MacFarlane

2018-03-01

Existing literature in this area has typically focused on perceived benefits of social-scientist driven AG as ‘Real Time Technology Assessment’ (RTTA, rather than address how such participation — in line with STS’s contemporary post-social, object-centred, anti-normative research character — relates to a lack of institutional protection for most STS practitioners today. I argue the activities of social science researchers enrolled in AG-styled programmes appears to closely resemble those of PR professionals, and as such, in today’s knowledge economy the field could have much to gain by turning to clarify and formalise the unique cognitive-base and normative horizons befitting of a closed occupational group. I suggest an occupational restructuring in line with the ‘professional project’ (Macdonald, 1995 could bring about increased autonomy for STS practitioners, as well as purposeful direction for future research.

Suited for spacewalking: Teacher's guide with activities for physical and life science

Science.gov (United States)

Vogt, Gregory L.; Manning, Cheryl A.; Rosenberg, Carla B.

1994-01-01

Space walking has captured the imagination of generations of children and adults since science-fiction authors first placed their characters on the Moon. This publication is an activity guide for teachers interested in using the intense interest many children have in space exploration as a launching point for exciting hands-on learning opportunities. The guide begins with brief discussions of the space environment, the history of space walking, the Space Shuttle spacesuit, and working in space. These are followed by a series of activities that enable children to explore the space environment as well as the science and technology behind the functions of spacesuits. The activities are not rated for specific grade levels because they can be adapted for students of many ages. The chart on curriculum application at the back of the book is designed to help teachers incorporate activities into various subject areas.

J-ACTINET activities of training and education for actinide science research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miato, Kazuo; Konashi, Kenji; Yamana, Hajimu; Yamanaka, Shinsuke; Nagasaki, Shinya; Ikeda, Yasuhisa; Sato, Seichi; Arita, Yuji; Idemitsu, Kazuya; Koyama, Tadafumi

2011-01-01

Actinide science research is indispensable to maintain sustainable development of innovative nuclear technology, especially advanced fuels, partitioning/reprocessing, and waste management. For actinide science research, special facilities with containment and radiation shields are needed to handle actinide materials since actinide elements are γ-, α- and neutron-emitters. The number of facilities for actinide science research has been decreased, especially in universities, due to the high maintenance cost. J-ACTINET was established in 2008 to promote and facilitate actinide science research in close cooperation with the facilities and to foster many of young scientists and engineers to be actively engaged in the fields of actinide science. The research program was carried out, through which young researchers were expected to learn how to make experiments with advanced experimental tools and to broaden their horizons. The summer schools and computational science school were held to provide students, graduate students, and young researchers with the opportunities to come into contact with actinide science research. In these schools, not only the lectures, but also the practical exercises were made as essential part. The overseas dispatch program was also carried out, where graduate students and young researchers were sent to the international summer schools and conferences. (author)

Gifted and Talented Students' Views about Biology Activities in a Science and Art Center

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Özarslan, Murat; Çetin, Gülcan

2018-01-01

The aim of the study was to determine gifted and talented students' views about biology activities in a science and art center. The study was conducted with 26 gifted and talented students who studied at a science and art center in southwestern Turkey. Students studied animal and plant genus and species in biology activities. Data were collected…

Hands-on science methods class for pre-service elementary teachers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manner, B.M. [Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

1994-12-31

If elementary teachers are to be comfortable teaching science, they must have positive pre-service experiences. A science methods class that is activity-based and student-centered, rather than lecture-based and teacher-centered, peaks their interest in science and alleviates their fears. Activities conducted by the students illustrate science concepts or integrate science with children`s literature books such as The Grouchy Ladybug. These activities are conducted by each student with the rest of the class and the professor acting as an elementary class. Each activity is then evaluated as to the science concept, what was done well, and how it could be improved. The students also relate how the activity would be integrated with other subjects such as social studies, art, math, and language arts. Student feedback indicates this method is enjoyable, educational, and valuable in preparing them to teach science. The {open_quotes}oohs{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}I didn`t know that!{close_quotes} during activities are positives, but students have also learned some science, lost most of their science anxiety, and will teach science with the confidence and enthusiasm that was lacking at the beginning of the course.

NASA's Earth Science Enterprise: Future Science Missions, Objectives and Challenges

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Habib, Shahid

1998-01-01

NASA has been actively involved in studying the planet Earth and its changing environment for well over thirty years. Within the last decade, NASA's Earth Science Enterprise has become a major observational and scientific element of the U.S. Global Change Research Program. NASA's Earth Science Enterprise management has developed a comprehensive observation-based research program addressing all the critical science questions that will take us into the next century. Furthermore, the entire program is being mapped to answer five Science Themes (1) land-cover and land-use change research (2) seasonal-to-interannual climate variability and prediction (3) natural hazards research and applications (4) long-term climate-natural variability and change research and (5) atmospheric ozone research. Now the emergence of newer technologies on the horizon and at the same time continuously declining budget environment has lead to an effort to refocus the Earth Science Enterprise activities. The intent is not to compromise the overall scientific goals, but rather strengthen them by enabling challenging detection, computational and space flight technologies those have not been practically feasible to date. NASA is planning faster, cost effective and relatively smaller missions to continue the science observations from space for the next decade. At the same time, there is a growing interest in the world in the remote sensing area which will allow NASA to take advantage of this by building strong coalitions with a number of international partners. The focus of this presentation is to provide a comprehensive look at the NASA's Earth Science Enterprise in terms of its brief history, scientific objectives, organization, activities and future direction.

Uncovering Students' Environmental Identity: An Exploration of Activities in an Environmental Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Blatt, Erica

2014-01-01

This study at a public high school in the Northeastern United States explores how students' environmental identities are affected by various activities in an Environmental Science course. Data was collected as part of an ethnographic study involving an Environmental Science teacher and her tenth-twelfth grade students. The results focus on…

Caring Science or Science of Caring.

Science.gov (United States)

Turkel, Marian C; Watson, Jean; Giovannoni, Joseph

2018-01-01

The concepts caring science and science of caring have different meanings; however, they are often used interchangeably. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the synthesis of the scholarly literature on the definitions of the science of caring and caring science and to affirm the authors' perspective relating to the language of caring science. Caring science advances the epistemology and ontology of caring. Ideas related to caring science inquiry are presented, and the authors acknowledge the future of caring science as unitary caring science.

Primary Science Interview: Science Sparks

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Lynne

2016-01-01

In this "Primary Science" interview, Lynne Bianchi talks with Emma Vanstone about "Science Sparks," which is a website full of creative, fun, and exciting science activity ideas for children of primary-school age. "Science Sparks" started with the aim of inspiring more parents to do science at home with their…

A Science for Citizenship Model: Assessing the Effects of Benefits, Risks, and Trust for Predicting Students' Interest in and Understanding of Science-Related Content

Science.gov (United States)

Jack, Brady Michael; Lee, Ling; Yang, Kuay-Keng; Lin, Huann-shyang

2017-10-01

This study showcases the Science for Citizenship Model (SCM) as a new instructional methodology for presenting, to secondary students, science-related technology content related to the use of science in society not taught in the science curriculum, and a new approach for assessing the intercorrelations among three independent variables (benefits, risks, and trust) to predict the dependent variable of triggered interest in learning science. Utilizing a 50-minute instructional presentation on nanotechnology for citizenship, data were collected from 301 Taiwanese high school students. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and paired-samples t-tests were used to analyze the fitness of data to SCM and the extent to which a 50-minute class presentation of nanotechnology for citizenship affected students' awareness of benefits, risks, trust, and triggered interest in learning science. Results of SCM on pre-tests and post-tests revealed acceptable model fit to data and demonstrated that the strongest predictor of students' triggered interest in nanotechnology was their trust in science. Paired-samples t-test results on students' understanding of nanotechnology and their self-evaluated awareness of the benefits and risks of nanotechology, trust in scientists, and interest in learning science revealed low significant differences between pre-test and post-test. These results provide evidence that a short 50-minute presentation on an emerging science not normally addressed within traditional science curriculum had a significant yet limited impact on students' learning of nanotechnology in the classroom. Finally, we suggest why the results of this study may be important to science education instruction and research for understanding how the integration into classroom science education of short presentations of cutting-edge science and emerging technologies in support of the science for citizenship enterprise might be accomplished through future investigations.

The influence of gender and academic training int he entrepreneurial intention of physical activity and sport sciences students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Huertas González Serrano

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The objective of this article is to know if there are differences in the variables that explain the entrepreneurial intention of the Physical Activity and Sport Science students addressing academic training and gender of them. Design/methodology/approach: To know entrepreneurial intentions and the different variables related to entrepreneurship, a questionnaire previously validated was used. The questionnaire was provided to 578 students pre-graduated (1st-4th course and post-graduate of Physical Activity and Sport Science degree of Valencia. Findings: Statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05 in the variables that predict entrepreneurial intention of Physical Activity and Sport Science students by gender and training were found. In both genders, the attitude towards entrepreneurship and the perceived behavior control were the predictors of entrepreneurial intentions and in men also the subjective norms. Research limitations/implications: The students sample belongs only to the Physical Activity and Sport Science degree of Valencia, so the results cannot be extrapolated to the entire population. Practical implications: It should be developing the attitude toward the behavior of entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control to promote entrepreneurship. In this way, the graduates will be more prepare for insertion into the working world. Social implications: To increase the number of entrepreneurs (male and female in the sports sector throughout the education, reducing the gender gap in entrepreneurship and improve the quality of entrepreneurship, as this is a key issue because of the positive impact that this phenomenon generates on the economy Originality/value: It is interesting to know the predictor variables of entrepreneurial intentions, and to know if there are differences based on education and gender due to the massive entry of women into the sport workplaces and low intention to undertake of the. So it is quite

Attitudes toward science: measurement and psychometric properties of the Test of Science-Related Attitudes for its use in Spanish-speaking classrooms

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Navarro, Marianela; Förster, Carla; González, Caterina; González-Pose, Paulina

2016-06-01

Understanding attitudes toward science and measuring them remain two major challenges for science teaching. This article reviews the concept of attitudes toward science and their measurement. It subsequently analyzes the psychometric properties of the Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA), such as its construct validity, its discriminant and concurrent validity, and its reliability. The evidence presented suggests that TOSRA, in its Spanish-adapted version, has adequate construct validity regarding its theoretical referents, as well as good indexes of reliability. In addition, it determines the attitudes toward science of secondary school students in Santiago de Chile (n = 664) and analyzes the sex variable as a differentiating factor in such attitudes. The analysis by sex revealed low-relevance gender difference. The results are contrasted with those obtained in English-speaking countries. This TOSRA sample showed good psychometric parameters for measuring and evaluating attitudes toward science, which can be used in classrooms of Spanish-speaking countries or with immigrant populations with limited English proficiency.

Teórie vrodenosti a ich vzťah k vede (Innateness Theories and their Relation to Science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarína Hrnčiarová

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of my contribution will be to describe how the contemporary philosophy of mind and philosophy of language are connected with the knowledge of modern science while meeting the problem of innateness. However strong their relation is, we can still call these approaches philosophical, not scientific in essence. The relation between philosophy and science of those problems is not only the issue of contemporary philosophy, but it has been developing since Modern times when the innateness theories were connected to the contemporary physics and optics. Nowadays, this relation is transferred to relation with other sciences, such as neurobiology. The contemporary philosophy is inconceivable without the cooperation with science regarding the problem of innateness.

Enhancing Teacher and Student Engagement and Understanding of Marine Science Through Classroom Citizen Science Projects

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Goodale, T. A.

2016-02-01

Overview This paper presentation shares findings from a granted funded project that sought to expand teacher content knowledge and pedagogy within the fields of marine science and coastal resource management through the implementation of classroom citizen science projects. A secondary goal was to increase middle and high school student interest and participation in marine science and natural resources research. Background A local science & engineering fair has seen a rapid decline in secondary student participants in the past four years. Research has demonstrated that when students are a part of a system of knowledge production (citizen science) they become much more aware, involved and conscious of scientific concepts compared to traditional school laboratory and nature of science activities. This project's primary objectives were to: (a) enhance teacher content expertise in marine science, (b) enrich teacher professional learning, (c) support citizen science classroom projects and inspire student activism and marine science engagement. Methods Project goals were addressed through classroom and meaningful outdoor educational experiences that put content knowledge into field based practices. Teachers learned to apply thier expanded content knowlege through classroom citizen science projects that focus on marine resource conservation issues such as fisheries management, water quality, turtle nesting and biodiversity of coastal ecosystems. These projects would eventually become potential topics of citizen science research topics for their students to pursue. Upon completion of their professional development, participants were urged to establish student Marine Science clubs with the goal of mentoring student submissions into the local science fair. Supplemental awards were possible for the students of project participants. Findings Based on project measures participants significantly increased their knowledge and awareness of presented material marine science and

Aspects of science engagement, student background, and school characteristics: Impacts on science achievement of U.S. students

Science.gov (United States)

Grabau, Larry J.

Science achievement of U.S. students has lagged significantly behind other nations; educational reformers have suggested science engagement may enhance this critical measure. The 2006 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) was science-focused and measured science achievement along with nine aspects of science engagement: science self-efficacy, science self-concept, enjoyment of science, general interest in learning science, instrumental motivation for science, future-oriented science motivation, general value of science, personal value of science, and science-related activities. I used multilevel modeling techniques to address both aspects of science engagement and science achievement as outcome variables in the context of student background and school characteristics. Treating aspects of science engagement as outcome variables provided tests for approaches for their enhancement; meanwhile, treating science achievement as the outcome variable provided tests for the influence of the aspects of science engagement on science achievement under appropriate controls. When aspects of science engagement were treated as outcome variables, gender and father's SES had frequent (significant) influences, as did science teaching strategies which focused on applications or models and hands-on activities over-and-above influences of student background and other school characteristics. When science achievement was treated as the outcome variable, each aspect of science engagement was significant, and eight had medium or large effect sizes (future-oriented science motivation was the exception). The science teaching strategy which involved hands-on activities frequently enhanced science achievement over-and-above influences of student background and other school characteristics. Policy recommendations for U.S. science educators included enhancing eight aspects of science engagement and implementing two specific science teaching strategies (focus on applications or models

Invitations to Life's Diversity. Teacher-Friendly Science Activities with Reproducible Handouts in English and Spanish. Grades 3-5. Living Things Science Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Camp, Carole Ann, Ed.

This booklet, one of six in the Living Things Science series, presents activities about diversity and classification of living things which address basic "Benchmarks" suggested by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for the Living Environment for grades 3-5. Contents include background information, vocabulary (in…

Science Hobbyists: Active Users of the Science-Learning Ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Corin, Elysa N.; Jones, M. Gail; Andre, Thomas; Childers, Gina M.; Stevens, Vanessa

2017-01-01

Science hobbyists engage in self-directed, free-choice science learning and many have considerable expertise in their hobby area. This study focused on astronomy and birding hobbyists and examined how they used organizations to support their hobby engagement. Interviews were conducted with 58 amateur astronomers and 49 birders from the midwestern…

Science Fiction and Science Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanaugh, Terence

2002-01-01

Uses science fiction films such as "Jurassic Park" or "Anaconda" to teach science concepts while fostering student interest. Advocates science fiction as a teaching tool to improve learning and motivation. Describes how to use science fiction in the classroom with the sample activity Twister. (YDS)

Science, news, and the public tackling the 'red shift' in science communication

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Nguyen, An; Thompson, Shelley

2019-01-01

As the rate of scientific discoveries and developments accelerates, it becomes increasingly difficult to understand and relate these events to our everyday lives. The day-to-day activities of science now lie obscured behind an ever-thickening screen of corporate, civil and military secrecy, whilst the news media the only major space left for public engagement in science development represent it in a way that tends to drive people away from science rather than attract them to its issues and debates. This book explores this shift in science news communication. It demonstrates that journalism needs to change the way it deals with science altering its traditional mindsets and abandoning its much discredited techniques if it is to maintain or regain its role as a principal force that encourages discussion and understanding of science in the public sphere."

Home and Motivational Factors Related to Science-Career Pursuit: Gender Differences and Gender Similarities

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Jongho; Lee, Hyunjoo; McCarthy-Donovan, Alexander; Hwang, Hyeyoung; Yim, Sonyoung; Seo, EunJin

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine whether gender differences exist in the mean levels of and relations between adolescents' home environments (parents' view of science, socio-economic status (SES)), motivations (intrinsic and instrumental motivations, self-beliefs), and pursuit of science careers. For the purpose, the Programmed for…

Color Visions from the Past in Science Teaching within a Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) Context

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Kolokouri, Eleni; Plakitsi, Katerina

2012-01-01

This study uses history of science in teaching natural sciences from the early grades. The theoretical framework used is Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), which is a theory with expanding applications in different fields of science. The didactical scenario, in which history of science is used in a CHAT context, refers to Newton's…

The influence of professional development on informal science educators' engagement of preschool-age audiences in science practices

Science.gov (United States)

Crowl, Michele

There is little research on professional development for informal science educators (ISEs). One particular area that ISEs need support in is how to engage preschool-age audiences in science practices. This study is part of a NSF-funded project, My Sky Tonight (MST), which looked at how to support ISEs in facilitating astronomy-themed activities with preschool-age audiences. This dissertation focuses on the influence of a six-week, online professional development workshop designed for ISEs working with preschool-age audiences. I used three primary sources of data: pre/post interviews and a video analysis task from data of 16 participants, as well as observations of implementation from a subset of seven participants who agreed to participate further. I developed and used the Phenomena-driven Practices of Science (PEPS) Framework as an analysis tool for identifying engagement in science practices. Findings from this study show that ISEs identified affective goals and rarely goals that reflect science practice engagement for their preschool-age audiences. They maintained these initial goals after the professional development workshop. ISEs describe the ways in which they engage children in science using primarily science practice-related words, but these descriptions did not show full use of science practices according to the PEPS framework. When observed implementing science activities with their preschool audiences, the ISEs demonstrated a variety of forms of science engagement, but only a few used science practices in ways consistent with the PEPS framework. Engagement in the professional development workshop did not result in a transition in the ways ISEs talk about and implement science with young children. While the write-ups for MST activities were not written in a way that supported engagement in science practices, a subset of MST activities were designed with it in mind. The professional development workshop included little time focusing on how ISEs could

Early Childhood: Fall Harvest and Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Science and Children, 1982

1982-01-01

Provides instructional strategies for using fall fruits/vegetables in science lessons, including activities related to melons, pumpkins, grapes, pears, squash, and yams. Suggests extending the activities over a month or more to allow children time to explore and investigate. (JN)

Social science and the public agenda: reflections on the relation of knowledge to policy in the United States and abroad.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilensky, H L

1997-10-01

It is tempting to oversell the practical value of applied research. A hard look at the effects of U.S. social science on public policy in areas such as active labor market policies (training, job creation, placement, etc.), crime prevention, fiscal policy, poverty reduction, and health care reform suggests an inverse relationship between social science consensus and policy and budgetary decisions. Fragmented and decentralized political economies (e.g., the United States) foster policy segmentation and isolated, short-run single-issue research--often politicized and misleading. More corporatist democracies (such as Sweden, Norway, Austria, and Germany) evidence a tighter relation between knowledge and power in which a wider range of issues is connected, longer-range effects are sometimes considered, and research is more often actually used for planning and implementation. Even in less hospitable societies, however, social science does make its way in the long run. Favorable conditions and examples are discussed.

Interest in science: a RIASEC-based analysis of students' interests

Science.gov (United States)

Dierks, Pay O.; Höffler, Tim N.; Blankenburg, Janet S.; Peters, Heide; Parchmann, Ilka

2016-01-01

Considering the reported lack of interest in the STEM-domain and the consequential difficulties in recruiting talented and interested young academics, the development of effective enrichment measures is indispensable. This requires a precise picture of students' interests. The paper presents an approach to characterize interest profiles in explicitly science-related activities. Adapting Holland's RIASEC-model, an instrument was developed and tested which allows the description of interest in activities along Holland's dimensions (and a seventh dimension networking) within the confined science domain. The findings of a study with N = 247 students (age cohorts 12-19 years) uncovered interest differences for the environments school, enrichment, and (prospective) vocation. The mutual importance of the performed activity and the environment the activity is performed in is confirmed by a cross-classified model. Contrasting different subgroups revealed multiple results, e.g., girls showed more interest in artistic and social activities within the science domain. High achieving students showed more interest in science-related activities in all dimensions. In conclusion, using our adapted model, students' interest structure can be described in a differentiated manner. This could lay the foundation for further analyses of students' interest profiles and thereby contribute to future development of effective and congruent enrichment measures, thus enhancing interest in science.

Activating social strategies: Face-to-face interaction in technology-mediated citizen science.

Science.gov (United States)

Cappa, Francesco; Laut, Jeffrey; Nov, Oded; Giustiniano, Luca; Porfiri, Maurizio

2016-11-01

The use of crowds in research activities by public and private organizations is growing under different forms. Citizen science is a popular means of engaging the general public in research activities led by professional scientists. By involving a large number of amateur scientists, citizen science enables distributed data collection and analysis on a scale that would be otherwise difficult and costly to achieve. While advancements in information technology in the past few decades have fostered the growth of citizen science through online participation, several projects continue to fail due to limited participation. Such web-based projects may isolate the citizen scientists from the researchers. By adopting the perspective of social strategy, we investigate within a measure-manipulate-measure experiment if motivations to participate in a citizen science project can be positively influenced by a face-to-face interaction with the scientists leading the project. Such an interaction provides the participants with the possibility of asking questions on the spot and obtaining a detailed explanation of the citizen science project, its scientific merit, and environmental relevance. Social and cultural factors that moderate the effect brought about by face-to-face interactions on the motivations are also dissected and analyzed. Our findings provide an exploratory insight into a means for motivating crowds to participate in online environmental monitoring projects, also offering possible selection criteria of target audience. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Listening and empowering crossing the social inclusion and the science in society agendas

CERN Document Server

Mignan, Vanessa; Rodari, Paola

2015-01-01

This book collects a series of papers originally published in JCOM, the Journal of Science Communication or presented at the PCST 2014 conference They are all related to the project “SiS Catalyst — Children as change agents for science in society”, funded within the framework of the FP7 Mobilisation and Mutual Learning actions. Some of these papers are more focused on case studies, others are more theoretical, but all of them relate to the main objective of the SiS Catalyst project: to cross science in society and social inclusion agendas, focusing on science communication activities that involve children. The collection of papers has been organised into three parts. The first is devoted to the importance of listening to young people in science communication activities. The second part delves deeper into the issue of social inclusion in science in society activities involving direct contact with audiences. The final part indicates some training and activity options that promote the value of child partic...

Relation of Astronomy to other Sciences, Culture and Society

Science.gov (United States)

Harutyunian, H. A.; Mickaelian, A. M.; Farmanyan, S. V.

2015-07-01

The book contains the Proceedings of XIII Annual Meeting of the Armenian Astronomical Society "Relation of Astronomy to other Sciences, Culture and Society". It consists of 9 main sections: "Introductory", "Astronomy and Philosophy", "Astrobiology", "Space-Earth Connections", "Astrostatistics and Astroinformatics", "Astronomy and Culture, Astrolinguistics", "Archaeoastronomy", "Scientific Tourism and Scientific Journalism", and "Armenian Astronomy". The book may be interesting to astronomers, philosophers, biologists, culturologists, linguists, historians, archaeologists and to other specialists, as well as to students.

SCIENCE TEACHERS’ INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL LEARNING RELATED TO IBSE IN A LARGE-SCALE, LONG- TERM, COLLABORATIVE TPD PROJECT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Birgitte Lund; Sillasen, Martin Krabbe

2014-01-01

It is acknowledged internationally that teachers’ Professional Development (TPD) is crucial for reforming science teaching. The Danish QUEST project is designed using widely agreed criteria for effective TPD: content focus, active learning, coherence, duration, collaborative activities and collec......It is acknowledged internationally that teachers’ Professional Development (TPD) is crucial for reforming science teaching. The Danish QUEST project is designed using widely agreed criteria for effective TPD: content focus, active learning, coherence, duration, collaborative activities...... and collective participation, and is organised on principles of situated learning in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). QUEST-activities follow a rhythm of full day seminars followed by a period of collaborative inquiries locally. A major theme in the first year has been Inquiry Based Science Education......-on experiences and fewer including students’ minds-on. Teachers’ reflections indicate that many are positive towards QUEST seminars based on trying out activities directly applicable in the classroom. Case studies indicate a potentially more sustainable development, where the teachers collaboratively re...

Home and Motivational Factors Related to Science-Career Pursuit: Gender differences and gender similarities

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Jongho; Lee, Hyunjoo; McCarthy-Donovan, Alexander; Hwang, Hyeyoung; Yim, Sonyoung; Seo, EunJin

2015-06-01

The purpose of the study was to examine whether gender differences exist in the mean levels of and relations between adolescents' home environments (parents' view of science, socio-economic status (SES)), motivations (intrinsic and instrumental motivations, self-beliefs), and pursuit of science careers. For the purpose, the Programmed for International Student Assessment 2006 data of Korean 15-year-old students were analysed. The results of the study showed that girls had lower levels of science intrinsic and instrumental motivations, self-beliefs, and science-career pursuit (SCP) as well as their parents' values in science less than boys. Gender similarities, rather than gender differences, existed in patterns of causal relationship among home environments, motivations, and SCP. The results showed positive effects for parents' higher value in science and SES on motivations, SCP, and for intrinsic and instrumental motivations on SCP for girls and boys. These results provide implications for educational interventions to decrease gender differences in science motivations and SCP, and to decrease adolescents' gender stereotypes.

Development of Contextual Mathematics teaching Material integrated related sciences and realistic for students grade xi senior high school

Science.gov (United States)

Helma, H.; Mirna, M.; Edizon, E.

2018-04-01

Mathematics is often applied in physics, chemistry, economics, engineering, and others. Besides that, mathematics is also used in everyday life. Learning mathematics in school should be associated with other sciences and everyday life. In this way, the learning of mathematics is more realstic, interesting, and meaningful. Needs analysis shows that required contextual mathematics teaching materials integrated related sciences and realistic on learning mathematics. The purpose of research is to produce a valid and practical contextual mathematics teaching material integrated related sciences and realistic. This research is development research. The result of this research is a valid and practical contextual mathematics teaching material integrated related sciences and realistic produced

Citizen science participation in research in the environmental sciences: key factors related to projects' success and longevity.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunha, Davi G F; Marques, Jonatas F; Resende, Juliana C DE; Falco, Patrícia B DE; Souza, Chrislaine M DE; Loiselle, Steven A

2017-01-01

The potential impacts of citizen science initiatives are increasing across the globe, albeit in an imbalanced manner. In general, there is a strong element of trial and error in most projects, and the comparison of best practices and project structure between different initiatives remains difficult. In Brazil, the participation of volunteers in environmental research is limited. Identifying the factors related to citizen science projects' success and longevity within a global perspective can contribute for consolidating such practices in the country. In this study, we explore past and present projects, including a case study in Brazil, to identify the spatial and temporal trends of citizen science programs as well as their best practices and challenges. We performed a bibliographic search using Google Scholar and considered results from 2005-2014. Although these results are subjective due to the Google Scholar's algorithm and ranking criteria, we highlighted factors to compare projects across geographical and disciplinary areas and identified key matches between project proponents and participants, project goals and local priorities, participant profiles and engagement, scientific methods and funding. This approach is a useful starting point for future citizen science projects, allowing for a systematic analysis of potential inconsistencies and shortcomings in this emerging field.

Enhancing Science Education through Extracurricular Activities: A Retrospective Study of "Suzy Science and the Whiz Kids[C]"

Science.gov (United States)

Kralina, Linda M.

2009-01-01

Extracurricular activities (ECA) are informal settings offering free-choice experiences that are generally voluntary, open-ended, non-sequential, self-directed, hands-on, and evaluation-free. This mixed methods study investigates participation in a high school science ECA by collecting the memories of former student members for their perceptions…

The correlation between physical activity and grade point average for health science graduate students.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, Eugenia C; Hernandez, Erika C; Coltrane, Ambrosia K; Mancera, Jayme M

2014-01-01

Researchers have reported positive associations between physical activity and academic achievement. However, a common belief is that improving academic performance comes at the cost of reducing time for and resources spent on extracurricular activities that encourage physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-reported physical activity and grade point average (GPA) for health science graduate students. Graduate students in health science programs completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and reported their academic progress. Most participants (76%) reported moderate to vigorous physical activity levels that met or exceeded the recommended levels for adults. However, there was no significant correlation between GPA and level of physical activity. Negative findings for this study may be associated with the limited range of GPA scores for graduate students. Future studies need to consider more sensitive measures of cognitive function, as well as the impact of physical activity on occupational balance and health for graduate students in the health fields. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Support of an Active Science Project by a Large Information System: Lessons for the EOS Era

Science.gov (United States)

Angelici, Gary L.; Skiles, J. W.; Popovici, Lidia Z.

1993-01-01

The ability of large information systems to support the changing data requirements of active science projects is being tested in a NASA collaborative study. This paper briefly profiles both the active science project and the large information system involved in this effort and offers some observations about the effectiveness of the project support. This is followed by lessons that are important for those participating in large information systems that need to support active science projects or that make available the valuable data produced by these projects. We learned in this work that it is difficult for a large information system focused on long term data management to satisfy the requirements of an on-going science project. For example, in order to provide the best service, it is important for all information system staff to keep focused on the needs and constraints of the scientists in the development of appropriate services. If the lessons learned in this and other science support experiences are not applied by those involved with large information systems of the EOS (Earth Observing System) era, then the final data products produced by future science projects may not be robust or of high quality, thereby making the conduct of the project science less efficacious and reducing the value of these unique suites of data for future research.

NASA Science Served Family Style

Science.gov (United States)

Noel-Storr, Jacob; Mitchell, S.; Drobnes, E.

2010-01-01

Family oriented innovative programs extend the reach of many traditional out-of-school venues to involve the entire family in learning in comfortable and fun environments. Research shows that parental involvement is key to increasing student achievement outcomes, and family-oriented programs have a direct impact on student performance. Because families have the greatest influence on children's attitudes towards education and career choices, we have developed a Family Science program that provides families a venue where they can explore the importance of science and technology in our daily lives by engaging in learning activities that change their perception and understanding of science. NASA Family Science Night strives to change the way that students and their families participate in science, within the program and beyond. After three years of pilot implementation and assessment, our evaluation data shows that Family Science Night participants have positive change in their attitudes and involvement in science.  Even after a single session, families are more likely to engage in external science-related activities and are increasingly excited about science in their everyday lives.  As we enter our dissemination phase, NASA Family Science Night will be compiling and releasing initial evaluation results, and providing facilitator training and online support resources. Support for NASA Family Science Nights is provided in part through NASA ROSES grant NNH06ZDA001N.

Understanding Preschool Emergent Science in a Cultural Historical Context through Activity Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Sundberg, Bodil; Areljung, Sofie; Due, Karin; Ekström, Kenneth; Ottander, Christina; Tellgren, Britt

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore how cultural factors interact with preschool teachers' shaping of activities with science content, and also how Activity Theory (AT) as a theoretical framework can be useful for examining interrelations within preschool systems. Qualitative data was collected from three preschools in the form of guided group…

Reconceptualizing context from a situated perspective: Teacher beliefs and the activity of teaching within the context of science reform

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Leigh K.

An increasing interest in illuminating the relationships between context and educational reform has led researchers to examine the various interconnected factors that constitute different teaching contexts and the relationships between these elements and teachers' beliefs. The challenge is to identify those aspects of context that facilitate change in teachers' thinking and the way they approach science instruction. This study investigated the relationships between elementary teachers' science-related beliefs and the external forces within the context of their teaching. Using a situated perspective from which to view context, the activity of teaching and the related beliefs of 2 elementary teachers was examined in an effort to better understand the role of context in teachers' thinking about what science is, what it means to teach and learn science, what is involved in reform-based practices, and what science instruction might look like in their classrooms based on their interpretation of reform. Comparative case studies were developed and analyzed using a constant comparative method of analysis. Cross-ease analyses revealed a number of major themes: (a) teachers' science-related beliefs vary in level of commitment; (b) more deeply held beliefs about what it means to teach and learn science, or guiding beliefs, are profoundly resistant to change and are derived primarily from teachers' personal histories both in and outside of schools; (c) guiding beliefs are also shaped by science methods courses, teacher development, and practical classroom experience; (d) less deeply held beliefs, or perceptions of control, are teachers' beliefs about their ability to teach science according to their guiding beliefs in the presence of physical, social, or structural factors within the context of their teaching; (e) guiding beliefs are likely to override perceptions of control, enabling teachers to adapt their teaching contexts; and (f) although all aspects of context impact

International Conference on Bio-Medical Instrumentation and related Engineering and Physical Sciences (BIOMEP 2015)

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-01

The International Conference on Bio-Medical Instrumentation and related Engineering and Physical Sciences (BIOMEP 2015) took place in the Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Athens, Greece on June 18-20, 2015 and was organized by the Department of Biomedical Engineering. The scope of the conference was to provide a forum on the latest developments in Biomedical Instrumentation and related principles of Physical and Engineering sciences. Scientists and engineers from academic, industrial and health disciplines were invited to participate in the Conference and to contribute both in the promotion and dissemination of the scientific knowledge.

The Description of Problems Relating to Analogies Used in Science and Technology Textbooks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahmi YAĞBASAN

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the problems concerning the use of analogies ingeneral and analogies used in primary school science and technology lessons inparticular. In this study, descriptive method was used. 4th, 5th, and 8th classes Scienceand Technology course books; 7 th, 8 th classes Science Books were used as a source.Analogies in the course books were classified according to the literature and theproblems found related to the analogies are pointed out in the study. In this study itwas seen that eighty-nine analogies were used in Science and Technology and inScience course books. These analogies were used in descending order as 8, 4, 6, 7, 5class groups. Also it was seen that these analogies were generally at simple andpictorial analogies.

Nitrate Water Activities, Science Study Aid No. 4.

Science.gov (United States)

Agricultural Research Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

Intended to supplement a regular program, this pamphlet provides background information, related activities, and suggestions for other activities on the subject of nitrate as a water pollutant. Two activities related to plant nutrient pollution, nitrate filtration and measuring mitrate used by plants, are explained in detail, outlining objectives,…

Proceedings of the 44. annual Alberta Soil Science Workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao, X.; Shaw, C.

2007-01-01

The Alberta Soil Science Workshop is held annually in order to provide a forum for the discussion of issues related to soil sciences in Alberta. Attendees at the conference discussed a wide range of subjects related to soil sciences and measuring the environmental impacts of oil and gas activities in the province. The role of soil science in sustainable forest management was also examined. Issues related to acid deposition were reviewed, and recent developments in soil chemistry analysis for agricultural practices were discussed. Other topics included wildland soil analysis methods; the long-term impacts of sulphate deposition from industrial activities; and water chemistry in soils, lakes and river in the Boreal regions. Projects initiated to assess cumulative land use impacts on rangeland ecosystems were outlined along with a review of tools developed to optimize soil analysis techniques. One of the 46 presentations featured at this conference has been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. refs., tabs., figs

Coproductive capacities: rethinking science-governance relations in a diverse world

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorrae E. van Kerkhoff

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Tackling major environmental change issues requires effective partnerships between science and governance, but relatively little work in this area has examined the diversity of settings from which such partnerships may, or may not, emerge. In this special feature we draw on experiences from around the world to demonstrate and investigate the consequences of diverse capacities and capabilities in bringing science and governance together. We propose the concept of coproductive capacities as a useful new lens through which to examine these relations. Coproductive capacity is "the combination of scientific resources and governance capability that shapes the extent to which a society, at various levels, can operationalize relationships between scientific and public, private, and civil society institutions and actors to effect scientifically-informed social change." This recasts the relationships between science and society from notions of "gaps" to notions of interconnectedness and interplay (coproduction; alongside the societal foundations that shape what is or is not possible in that dynamic connection (capacities. The articles in this special feature apply this concept to reveal social, political, and institutional conditions that both support and inhibit high-quality environmental governance as global issues are tackled in particular places. Across these articles we suggest that five themes emerge as important to understanding coproductive capacity: history, experience, and perceptions; quality of relationships (especially in suboptimal settings; disjunct across scales; power, interests, and legitimacy; and alternative pathways for environmental governance. Taking a coproductive capacities perspective can help us identify which interventions may best enable scientifically informed, but locally sensitive approaches to environmental governance.

Science education and everyday action

Science.gov (United States)

McCann, Wendy Renee Sherman

2001-07-01

This dissertation addresses three related tasks and issues in the larger field of science education. The first is to review of the several uses of "everydayness" at play in the science education literature, and in the education and social science literatures more generally. Four broad iterations of everydayness were found in science education, and these were traced and analyzed to develop their similarities, and contradictions. It was concluded that despite tendencies in science education research to suppose a fundamental demarcation either between professional science and everyday life, or between schools and everyday life, all social affairs, including professional science and activity in schools, are continuous with everyday life, and consist fundamentally in everyday, ordinary mundane actions which are ordered and organized by the participants to those social activities and occasions. The second task for this dissertation was to conduct a naturalistic, descriptive study of undergraduate-level physics laboratory activities from the analytic perspective of ethnomethodology. The study findings are presented as closely-detailed analysis of the students' methods of following their instructions and 'fitting' their observed results to a known scientific concept or principle during the enactment of their classroom laboratory activities. Based on the descriptions of students' practical work in following instructions and 'fitting'. The characterization of school science labs as an "experiment-demonstration hybrid" is developed. The third task of this dissertation was to synthesize the literature review and field study findings in order to clarify what science educators could productively mean by "everydayness", and to suggest what understandings of science education the study of everyday action recommends. It is argued that the significance of the 'experiment-demo hybrid' characterization must be seen in terms of an alternate program for science education research, which

Discovering Science through Art-Based Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Alberts, Rebecca

2010-01-01

Art and science are intrinsically linked; the essence of art and science is discovery. Both artists and scientists work in a systematic but creative way--knowledge and understanding are built up through pieces of art or a series of labs. In the classroom, integrating science and visual art can provide students with the latitude to think, discover,…

Students interest in learning science through fieldwork activity encourage critical thinking and problem solving skills among UPSI pre-university students

Science.gov (United States)

Jamil, Siti Zaheera Muhamad; Khairuddin, Raja Farhana Raja

2017-05-01

Graduates with good critical thinking and problem solving (CTPS) skills are likely to boost their employability to live in 21st century. The demands of graduates to be equipped with CTPS skills have shifted our education system in focusing on these elements in all levels of education, from primary, the secondary, and up to the tertiary education, by fostering interesting teaching and learning activities such as fieldwork activity in science classes. Despite the importance of the CTPS skills, little is known about whether students' interests in teaching and learning activities, such as fieldwork activity, have any influence on the students CTPS skills. Therefore, in this investigation, firstly to examine students interests in learning science through fieldwork activity. Secondly, this study examined whether the students' interest in learning science through fieldwork activity have affect on how the students employ CTPS skills. About 100 Diploma of Science students in Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) were randomly chosen to participate in this study. All of the participants completed a survey on how they find the fieldwork activity implemented in their science classes and it relevents towards their CTPS skills development. From our findings, majority of the students (91%) find that fieldwork activity is interesting and helpful in increasing their interest in learning science (learning factor) and accommodate their learning process (utility). Results suggest that students' interest on the fieldwork activity in science classes does have some influence on the students development of CTPS skills. The findings could be used as an initial guideline by incorporating students' interest on other teaching and learning activities that being implemented in science classes in order to know the impacts of these learning activities in enhancing their CTPS skills.

Science Alive!: Connecting with Elementary Students through Science Exploration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aarti Raja

2016-05-01

Full Text Available A novel program called Science Alive! was developed by undergraduate faculty members, K–12 school teachers, and undergraduate students to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM literacy at community schools located near the university. The ultimate goal of the program is to bolster the scientific knowledge and appreciation of local area students and community members and serve as a model for similar programs. Through the program, we observed that elementary school students made gains toward learning their grade-level science curricula after a hands-on learning experience and had fun doing these hands-on activities. Through the program, undergraduate students, working with graduate students and alumni, build scientific learning modules using explanatory handouts and creative activities as classroom exercises. This helps better integrate scientific education through a collaborative, hands-on learning program. Results showed that elementary school students made the highest learning gains in their performance on higher-level questions related to both forces and matter as a result of the hands-on learning modules. Additionally, college students enjoyed the hands-on activities, would consider volunteering their time at such future events, and saw the service learning program as a benefit to their professional development through community building and discipline-specific service. The science modules were developed according to grade-level curricular standards and can be used year after year to teach or explain a scientific topic to elementary school students via a hands-on learning approach.

Science Alive!: Connecting with Elementary Students through Science Exploration.

Science.gov (United States)

Raja, Aarti; Lavin, Emily Schmitt; Gali, Tamara; Donovan, Kaitlin

2016-05-01

A novel program called Science Alive! was developed by undergraduate faculty members, K-12 school teachers, and undergraduate students to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) literacy at community schools located near the university. The ultimate goal of the program is to bolster the scientific knowledge and appreciation of local area students and community members and serve as a model for similar programs. Through the program, we observed that elementary school students made gains toward learning their grade-level science curricula after a hands-on learning experience and had fun doing these hands-on activities. Through the program, undergraduate students, working with graduate students and alumni, build scientific learning modules using explanatory handouts and creative activities as classroom exercises. This helps better integrate scientific education through a collaborative, hands-on learning program. Results showed that elementary school students made the highest learning gains in their performance on higher-level questions related to both forces and matter as a result of the hands-on learning modules. Additionally, college students enjoyed the hands-on activities, would consider volunteering their time at such future events, and saw the service learning program as a benefit to their professional development through community building and discipline-specific service. The science modules were developed according to grade-level curricular standards and can be used year after year to teach or explain a scientific topic to elementary school students via a hands-on learning approach.

Leisure and Pleasure: Science events in unusual locations

Science.gov (United States)

Bultitude, Karen; Margarida Sardo, Ana

2012-12-01

Building on concepts relating to informal science education, this work compares science-related activities which successfully engaged public audiences at three different 'generic' locations: a garden festival, a public park, and a music festival. The purpose was to identify what factors contribute to the perceived success of science communication activities occurring within leisure spaces. This article reports the results of 71 short (2-3 min) structured interviews with public participants at the events, and 18 structured observations sessions, demonstrating that the events were considered both novel and interesting by the participants. Audience members were found to perceive both educational and affective purposes from the events. Three key elements were identified as contributing to the success of the activities across the three 'generic venues': the informality of the surroundings, the involvement of 'real' scientists, and the opportunity to re-engage participants with scientific concepts outside formal education.

OECD/NEA Ongoing activities related to the nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cornet, S.M.; McCarthy, K.; Chauvin, N.

2013-01-01

As part of its role in encouraging international collaboration, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency is coordinating a series of projects related to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. The Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle (WPFC) comprises five different expert groups covering all aspects of the fuel cycle from front to back-end. Activities related to fuels, materials, physics, separation chemistry, and fuel cycles scenarios are being undertaken. By publishing state-of-the-art reports and organizing workshops, the groups are able to disseminate recent research advancements to the international community. Current activities mainly focus on advanced nuclear systems, and experts are working on analyzing results and establishing challenges associated to the adoption of new materials and fuels. By comparing different codes, the Expert Group on Advanced Fuel Cycle Scenarios is aiming at gaining further understanding of the scientific issues and specific national needs associated with the implementation of advanced fuel cycles. At the back end of the fuel cycle, separation technologies (aqueous and pyrochemical processing) are being assessed. Current and future activities comprise studies on minor actinides separation and post Fukushima studies. Regular workshops are also organized to discuss recent developments on Partitioning and Transmutation. In addition, the Nuclear Development Committee (NDC) focuses on the analysis of the economics of nuclear power across the fuel cycle in the context of changes of electricity markets, social acceptance and technological advances and assesses the availability of the nuclear fuel and infrastructure required for the deployment of existing and future nuclear power. The Expert Group on the Economics of the Back End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle (EBENFC), in particular, is looking at assessing economic and financial issues related to the long term management of spent nuclear fuel. (authors)

The law for the establishment of Science and Technology Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

The law provides for the scope of the administrative activities and the powers and authority of the Science and Technology Agency. This law also assists, the agency to perform its administrative work efficiently. The Agency is set up for purpose of promoting science and technology, thereby contributing to the advancement of the national economy, by carrying out the administrative function regarding science and technology in the most efficient way possible. The range of activities by the STA includes the following : basic policy for science and technology such as atomic energy, subsidies, etc. for science and technology, the relations of disaster prevention science, aviation and space science and technology, utilization of atomic energy, and so on. (Kubozono, M.)

The law for the establishment of Science and Technology Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The law provides for the scope of the administrative activities and the powers and authority of the Science and Technology Agency. This law also assists, the agency to perform its administrative work efficiently. The Agency is set up for purpose of promoting science and technology, thereby contributing to the advancement of the national economy, by carrying out the administrative function regarding science and technology in the most efficient way possible. The range of activities by the STA includes the following: basic policy for science and technology such as atomic energy, subsidies, etc. for science and technology, the relations of disaster prevention science, aviation and space science and technology, utilization of atomic energy, and so on. (Mori, K.)

Children and their 4-H animal projects: How children use science in agricultural activity

Science.gov (United States)

Emo, Kenneth Roy

Many children are introduced to science through informal educational programs. 4-H, an educational youth program, has a history of introducing scientific practices into agriculture. The purpose of this ethnographically-driven case study is to examine how science informs the actions of children raising market animals in a 4-H project. For two years the researcher collected data on 4-H children with market animal projects. Observations, interviews, and artifacts gathered are interpreted using the framework of activity theory. This study provides evidence for how the context of an activity system influences individual actions. Rules developed by the organization guide the actions of children to incorporate physical and psychological tools of science into their project to achieve the object: producing animals of proper weight and quality to be competitive in the county fair. Children learn the necessary actions from a community of practitioners through which expertise is distributed. Children's learning is demonstrated by the way their participation in their project changes with time, from receiving assistance from others to developing expertise in which they provide assistance to others. The strength of this educational experience is how children apply specific tools of science in ways that provide meaning and relevancy to their 4-H activity.

A Reconstructed Vision of Environmental Science Literacy: The case of Qatar

Science.gov (United States)

Khishfe, Rola

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) develop a conceptual framework for environmental science literacy; and consequently (b) examine the potential of science standards/curricula to prepare environmentally literate citizens. The framework comprised four pillars: science content knowledge, scientific inquiry, nature of science (NOS), and socioscientific issues (SSI). A conceptual understanding of these pillars as interconnected was presented and justified. Then the developed framework was used to examine the potential of the Qatari science standards to prepare environmentally literate citizens. Results showed that the secondary Qatari science standards generally take up the pillars of science content and scientific inquiry in an explicit manner. The NOS pillar is rarely addressed, while the SSI pillar is not addressed in the objectives and activities in a way that aligns with the heavy emphasis given in the overall aims. Moreover, the connections among pillars are mostly manifested within the activities and between the science content and scientific inquiry. The objectives and activities targeting the environment were less frequent among the four pillars across the Qatari standards. Again, the connections related to the environment were less frequent in conformity with the limited environmental objectives and activities. Implications from this study relate to the need for the distribution of the four pillars across the standards as well as the presentation of the different pillars as interconnected.

Science, Public Engagement with

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Irwin, Alan

2015-01-01

regarding their definition in institutional practice. Science and technology studies scholars have been especially active in challenging prevailing policy assumptions in this area and in considering how science–public relations might be reinterpreted and reconstructed. This article presents some of the key...

Taming Typhon: Advancing Climate Literacy by Coordinating Federal Earth System Science Education Investments Through the U.S. Climate Change Science Program

Science.gov (United States)

Karsten, J. L.; Niepold, F.; Wei, M.; Waple, A. M.

2008-12-01

Thirteen Federal agencies in the United States invest in research, communication, and education activities related to climate and global change. The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) works to integrate the research activities of these different agencies, with oversight from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Council on Environmental Quality, the National Economic Council and the Office of Management and Budget. The CCSP is the result of a Presidential initative in 2001 to build on the Global Change Research Program, which exists as a result of the Global Change Research Act of 1990. This initiative was to shift the focus of the Program from 'discovery and characterization' to 'differentiation and strategy investigation.' With this shift, CCSP's focus is now on evaluating optimal strategies for addressing climate change risks, improving coordination among the Federal agencies, communicating research results to all stakeholders (including national policy leaders and local resource managers), and improving public debate and decision-making related to global change. Implicit to these activities is the need to educate the general public about the science of climate change and its consequences, as well as coordinate Federal investments related to climate change education. This is no small task, given the variety of missions and approaches of the participating agencies. Recognizing that its Communications Interagency Working Group (CIWG) does not have the expertise or focus to adequately address issues related to science education, the CCSP recently established an ad-hoc Education Interagency Working Group (EIWG), comprising representatives from all 13 agencies, that will work closely with the CIWG to enhance education goals. Its mission is to advance literacy in climate and related sciences and increase informed decision making for the Nation. The EIWG envisions that its primary activities in the near-term will be focused on establishing: (1) a

Social power and approach-related neural activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Boksem, Maarten A S; Smolders, Ruud; De Cremer, David

2012-06-01

It has been argued that power activates a general tendency to approach whereas powerlessness activates a tendency to inhibit. The assumption is that elevated power involves reward-rich environments, freedom and, as a consequence, triggers an approach-related motivational orientation and attention to rewards. In contrast, reduced power is associated with increased threat, punishment and social constraint and thereby activates inhibition-related motivation. Moreover, approach motivation has been found to be associated with increased relative left-sided frontal brain activity, while withdrawal motivation has been associated with increased right sided activations. We measured EEG activity while subjects engaged in a task priming either high or low social power. Results show that high social power is indeed associated with greater left-frontal brain activity compared to low social power, providing the first neural evidence for the theory that high power is associated with approach-related motivation. We propose a framework accounting for differences in both approach motivation and goal-directed behaviour associated with different levels of power.

Stewardship of NASA's Earth Science Data and Ensuring Long-Term Active Archives

Science.gov (United States)

Ramapriyan, Hampapuram K.; Behnke, Jeanne

2016-01-01

Program, NASA has followed an open data policy, with non-discriminatory access to data with no period of exclusive access. NASA has well-established processes for assigning and or accepting datasets into one of 12 Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) that are parts of EOSDIS. EOSDIS has been evolving through several information technology cycles, adapting to hardware and software changes in the commercial sector. NASA is responsible for maintaining Earth science data as long as users are interested in using them for research and applications, which is well beyond the life of the data gathering missions. For science data to remain useful over long periods of time, steps must be taken to preserve: (1) Data bits with no corruption, (2) Discoverability and access, (3) Readability, (4) Understandability, (5) Usability' and (6). Reproducibility of results. NASAs Earth Science data and Information System (ESDIS) Project, along with the 12 EOSDIS Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), has made significant progress in each of these areas over the last decade, and continues to evolve its active archive capabilities. Particular attention is being paid in recent years to ensure that the datasets are published in an easily accessible and citable manner through a unified metadata model, a common metadata repository (CMR), a coherent view through the earthdata.gov website, and assignment of Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) with well-designed landing product information pages.

Science in Society in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mejlgaard, Niels; Bloch, Carter Walter

2012-01-01

This paper introduces a special section of Science and Public Policy on science in society in Europe. Based on extensive data collected for the Monitoring Policy and Research Activities on Science in Society in Europe (MASIS) project, contributions to this special section explore pertinent issues...... related to the location, role and responsibility of science across EU member states and associated countries. By developing analytical typologies and classifying countries, the collection of papers provides a novel and detailed picture of Europe. It reveals considerable variation regarding...... the interactions of science and society at the national level, and it offers a platform for international learning. The identification of patterns and trends concerning the place of science in society may also feed into emerging European discussions about ‘responsible research and innovation’....

Professional development and poststructural analysis: Stories of African-American science teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Felicia Michelle

2003-10-01

This interpretivist study focused on the professional development of three African American science teachers from a small rural school district, Carver School District (pseudonym), in the southeastern United States. Stories teachers shared of their experiences in teaching and learning science and in their professional development were analyzed using a feminist poststructural analysis of power, knowledge/meaning, language, and difference. For science teaching, power was viewed as a form of ownership or possession and also as effect and processes that impact teaching, learning, and professional development. Teachers through instructional practices exerted a certain amount of power in their classrooms. Teaching practices heavily influenced student learning in science classrooms. For teacher professional development, power was viewed as effecting relationships between administration, peers, and students as a shifting force within different social contexts. Science teachers were perceived as objects of the system and as active social agents who in particular relations of power acted in their best interests as they developed as science teachers. Teachers negotiated for themselves certain power relations to do as they wished for teaching science and for participating in teacher professional development activities. Power was an inherent and critically important aspect in understanding what science teachers do in their classrooms, in teaching and learning science, and in developing as science teachers. Knowledge was closely tied to relations of power in that teachers acquired knowledge about themselves, their teaching of science, and their students from their past experiences and professional development activities. Through language, interactions between teachers and students enabled or disabled access to the culture of power via instructional practices. Language was implicated in teacher professional development as a powerful force for advancing or hindering teachers

Inquiry Learning in the Singaporean Context: Factors affecting student interest in school science

Science.gov (United States)

Jocz, Jennifer Ann; Zhai, Junqing; Tan, Aik Ling

2014-10-01

Recent research reveals that students' interest in school science begins to decline at an early age. As this lack of interest could result in fewer individuals qualified for scientific careers and a population unprepared to engage with scientific societal issues, it is imperative to investigate ways in which interest in school science can be increased. Studies have suggested that inquiry learning is one way to increase interest in science. Inquiry learning forms the core of the primary syllabus in Singapore; as such, we examine how inquiry practices may shape students' perceptions of science and school science. This study investigates how classroom inquiry activities relate to students' interest in school science. Data were collected from 425 grade 4 students who responded to a questionnaire and 27 students who participated in follow-up focus group interviews conducted in 14 classrooms in Singapore. Results indicate that students have a high interest in science class. Additionally, self-efficacy and leisure-time science activities, but not gender, were significantly associated with an increased interest in school science. Interestingly, while hands-on activities are viewed as fun and interesting, connecting learning to real-life and discussing ideas with their peers had a greater relation to student interest in school science. These findings suggest that inquiry learning can increase Singaporean students' interest in school science; however, simply engaging students in hands-on activities is insufficient. Instead, student interest may be increased by ensuring that classroom activities emphasize the everyday applications of science and allow for peer discussion.

When I grow up: the relationship of science learning activation to STEM career preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Dorph, Rena; Bathgate, Meghan E.; Schunn, Christian D.; Cannady, Matthew A.

2018-06-01

This paper proposes three new measures of components STEM career preferences (affinity, certainty, and goal), and then explores which dimensions of science learning activation (fascination, values, competency belief, and scientific sensemaking) are predictive of STEM career preferences. Drawn from the ALES14 dataset, a sample of 2938 sixth and eighth grade middle-school students from 11 schools in two purposefully selected diverse areas (Western Pennsylvania & the Bay Area of California) was used for the analyses presented in this paper. These schools were chosen to represent socio-economic and ethnic diversity. Findings indicate that, overall, youth who are activated towards science learning are more likely to have affinity towards STEM careers, certainty about their future career goals, and have identified a specific STEM career goal. However, different dimensions of science learning activation are more strongly correlated with different aspects career preference across different STEM career foci (e.g. science, engineering, technology, health, etc.). Gender, age, minority status, and home resources also have explanatory power. While many results are consistent with prior research, there are also novel results that offer important fodder for future research. Critically, our strategy of measuring affinity towards the specific disciplines that make up STEM, measuring STEM and health career goals separately, and looking at career affinity and career goals separately, offers interesting results and underscores the value of disentangling the conceptual melting pot of what has previously been known as 'career interest.' Study findings also have implications for design of science learning opportunities for youth.

Determining the Factors That Affect the Objectives of Pre-Service Science Teachers to Perform Outdoor Science Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Karademir, Ersin; Erten, Sinan

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine whether pre-service teachers have an aim to perform outdoor education activities within the scope of science and technology course; by which factors this aim is affected, through The Theory of Planned Behaviour and the opinions of pre-service teachers. Accordingly, the study was designed as mixed research…

Exoplanet Science in the Classroom: Learning Activities for an Introductory Physics Course

Science.gov (United States)

Della-Rose, Devin; Carlson, Randall; de La Harpe, Kimberly; Novotny, Steven; Polsgrove, Daniel

2018-03-01

Discovery of planets outside our solar system, known as extra-solar planets or exoplanets for short, has been at the forefront of astronomical research for over 25 years. Reports of new discoveries have almost become routine; however, the excitement surrounding them has not. Amazingly, as groundbreaking as exoplanet science is, the basic physics is quite accessible to first-year physics students, as discussed in previous TPT articles. To further illustrate this point, we developed an iOS application that generates synthetic exoplanet data to provide students and teachers with interactive learning activities. Using introductory physics concepts, we demonstrate how to estimate exoplanet mass, radius, and density from the app output. These calculations form the basis for a diverse range of classroom activities. We conclude with a summary of exoplanet science resources for teachers.

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) of Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (Second External Review Draft, Sep 2011)

Science.gov (United States)

EPA has released the Integrated Science Assessment of Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (Second External Review Draft) for independent peer review and public review. This draft document represents a concise synthesis and evaluation of the most policy-relevant scienc...

Focused Campaign Increases Activity among Participants in "Nature's Notebook," a Citizen Science Project

Science.gov (United States)

Crimmins, Theresa M.; Weltzin, Jake F.; Rosemartin, Alyssa H.; Surina, Echo M.; Marsh, Lee; Denny, Ellen G.

2014-01-01

Science projects, which engage non-professional scientists in one or more stages of scientific research, have been gaining popularity; yet maintaining participants' activity level over time remains a challenge. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential for a short-term, focused campaign to increase participant activity in a…

Magic vs. Science in the Historiography of Science: The Social-Historical Construction of Rationality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Alvarez Maia

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The historiography of scientific studies has suffered from a great impact, that is rarely referred to, from anthropological analyses of magic in so-called primitive societies. The emphasis brought by criticism during the 1950/1960’s of Evans-Pritchard’s 1937 classic, Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic among the Azande, brought a fresh look at certainties already consolidated in Western thought, especially those relating to rational human characteristics and science. For the history, these criticisms were interesting because they were presented science as a historically situated activity, in the same way as magic. It favours, therefore, the proximity of historians tout court with the history of the sciences that resists its absences even today. This renewal helped to create a scenario that would enable David Bloor to develop the strong program of Sociology of Knowledge in the 1970s. Such a program indicates the analogous process that involves both the social production of beliefs and that of scientific truths. The comparison between magic and science usually presents them in a hierarchy. As if there were an evolutionary process in which magical thinking necessarily preceded scientific thought. The one, more precarious, would belong to the prehistory of the scientific thought, which would be the climax of modern rational action. In this paper I evaluate the proximity of magic-science from the point of view of contemporary studies about scientific activity, questioning the concepts of rationality and logic as if they were exclusive qualities of scientific activity. A kind of metaphysical gift that would show the superiority of individuals over others, as much as of science over magic. I give special emphasis to the exposition of how rationality and logic are socio-historical characteristics acquired throughout history by human subjects in their experiential practices, and which are present both in magic and technical activities; these, an embryo of

Senator Fred Harris's National Social Science Foundation proposal: Reconsidering federal science policy, natural science-social science relations, and American liberalism during the 1960s.

Science.gov (United States)

Solovey, Mark

2012-03-01

During the 1960s, a growing contingent of left-leaning voices claimed that the social sciences suffered mistreatment and undue constraints within the natural science-dominated federal science establishment. According to these critics, the entrenched scientific pecking order in Washington had an unreasonable commitment to the unity of the sciences, which reinforced unacceptable inequalities between the social and the natural sciences. The most important political figure who advanced this critique, together with a substantial legislative proposal for reform, was the Oklahoma Democratic Senator Fred Harris. Yet histories of science and social science have told us surprisingly little about Harris. Moreover, existing accounts of his effort to create a National Social Science Foundation have misunderstood crucial features of this story. This essay argues that Harris's NSSF proposal developed into a robust, historically unique, and increasingly critical liberal challenge to the post-World War II federal science establishment's treatment of the social sciences as "second-class citizens."

76 FR 5391 - Office of Biotechnology Activities, Office of Science Policy, Office of the Director

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-31

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Office of Biotechnology Activities, Office of Science Policy, Office of the Director Amended Notice of Meeting Notice is hereby given of a change in the meeting of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB), February...

Education of natural science in the work of the Municipal Center for Extracurricular Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Jokin, I.

2012-04-01

In the description of my work I presented my own experience in the organizing and carrying out of extracurricular activities with the students, the used modes and methods of work, the obtained results and some good practices in the field of natural sciences. Organizing and carrying out of scientific festivals, participation in joint projects together with scientific organizations. Key words: European dimension, interactive methods, key competences, natural sciences, extracurricular activities. We are witnesses of a fundamental change in the pedagogical culture and practice in our schools to establish the parameters of the quality of training. The good scientific culture is an important part of the students' education. Unfortunately, at the present time the scientific and technological culture is on a low level. One of the contemporary problems and realities of the education in natural science school subjects, as a whole and in particular in the secondary education, is the decreased interest for the training in them and in particular in physics, as well as synchronization of the interrelations: school environment - society. In many countries there is a drop in the orientation of the students towards the science and technology - the problem of Science and Technology (S&T). The training of the young people often creates some problems. The teachers meet with the problem of insufficient motivation of the learners for study and difficulties that they encounter in the process of training. The students find it difficult to apply the mastered knowledge to an applied context. The knowledge is rather academic and rather remote from the context, in which the children live and communicate, which makes it nonfunctional. At present there are not enough extracurricular activities that should meet these necessities of the Bulgarian school. The reasons are various, but they mainly consist in the lack of a material base, an exchange of experience and good practices and motivation

Report of the surface science workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somorjai, G.A.; Yates, J.T. Jr.; Clinton, W.

1977-03-01

A three-day workshop was held to review the various areas of energy development and technology in which surface science plays major roles and makes major contributions, and to identify the major surface-science-related problem areas in the fields with ERDA's mission in the fossil, nuclear, fusion, geothermal, and solar energy technologies and in the field of environmental control. The workshop activities are summarized

Human Research Program Science Management: Overview of Research and Development Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Charles, John B.

2007-01-01

An overview of research and development activities of NASA's Human Research Science Management Program is presented. The topics include: 1) Human Research Program Goals; 2) Elements and Projects within HRP; 3) Development and Maintenance of Priorities; 4) Acquisition and Evaluation of Research and Technology Proposals; and 5) Annual Reviews

Rockets: An Educator's Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

This educational guide discusses rockets and includes activities in science, mathematics, and technology. It begins with background information on the history of rocketry, scientific principles, and practical rocketry. The sections on scientific principles and practical rocketry focus on Sir Isaac Newton's Three Laws of Motion. These laws explain…

Fascinating! Popular Science Communication and Literary Science Fiction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meyer, Gitte

2017-01-01

Some see literary Science Fiction as a possible vehicle for critical discussions about the future development and the ethical implications of science-based technologies. According to that understanding, literary Science Fiction constitutes a variety of science communication. Along related lines, ......, popular science communication with science fiction features might be expected to serve a similar purpose. Only, it is far from obvious that it actually works that way.......Some see literary Science Fiction as a possible vehicle for critical discussions about the future development and the ethical implications of science-based technologies. According to that understanding, literary Science Fiction constitutes a variety of science communication. Along related lines...

The relation between cognitive and metacognitive strategic processing during a science simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dinsmore, Daniel L; Zoellner, Brian P

2018-03-01

This investigation was designed to uncover the relations between students' cognitive and metacognitive strategies used during a complex climate simulation. While cognitive strategy use during science inquiry has been studied, the factors related to this strategy use, such as concurrent metacognition, prior knowledge, and prior interest, have not been investigated in a multidimensional fashion. This study addressed current issues in strategy research by examining not only how metacognitive, surface-level, and deep-level strategies influence performance, but also how these strategies related to each other during a contextually relevant science simulation. The sample for this study consisted of 70 undergraduates from a mid-sized Southeastern university in the United States. These participants were recruited from both physical and life science (e.g., biology) and education majors to obtain a sample with variance in terms of their prior knowledge, interest, and strategy use. Participants completed measures of prior knowledge and interest about global climate change. Then, they were asked to engage in an online climate simulator for up to 30 min while thinking aloud. Finally, participants were asked to answer three outcome questions about global climate change. Results indicated a poor fit for the statistical model of the frequency and level of processing predicting performance. However, a statistical model that independently examined the influence of metacognitive monitoring and control of cognitive strategies showed a very strong relation between the metacognitive and cognitive strategies. Finally, smallest space analysis results provided evidence that strategy use may be better captured in a multidimensional fashion, particularly with attention paid towards the combination of strategies employed. Conclusions drawn from the evidence point to the need for more dynamic, multidimensional models of strategic processing that account for the patterns of optimal and non

Geology for youth in Lithuania: International Year of Planet Earth-related and other activities

Science.gov (United States)

Skridlaite, Grazina; Guobyte, Rimante; Skrinskas, Skirmantas; Nemaniene, Jurgita

2010-05-01

A great number of Lithuanian secondary and high schools devoted a range of activities to Earth sciences on September 22 (autumn equinox), 2008 proclaimed by the Lithuanian National Committee for IYPE and Ministry of Education and Science of Lithuania as "Earth's day". Beforehand, the 11 IYPE brochures were translated, supplemented with relevant Lithuanian data and placed on the website www.zemesmetai.lt. The activities comprised lessons, competitions, performances, field trips, seminars, excursions to museums and nature sites, meetings with geologists and naturalists etc. In many schools the 10 scientific themes were expanded, transformed and included into different school programmes such as geography, chemistry, physics, biology, Lithuanian language etc. The other schools preferred to organise discussions, performances and concerts where children expressed their concern about future of the Earth and suggested ways to save it. Several schools invited geologists, ecologists or other representatives of Earth sciences or local authorities to provide with information on environmental and geological issues in Lithuania and their own surroundings. Several museums and nature sites were visited. The "Earth's day" was advertised and broadcasted on TV and radio, reflected in the press. The reports from schools were placed on the Lithuanian IYPE website. The Board acknowledged the best participants with special letter of thanks. It turned out that despite the provided information on different subjects of geology only few of them were chosen. School teachers encountered some problems relating the Earth's interior with its surface, recognising modern geological processes etc. They found some brochures to be too complicated for non-specialists. Biodiversity was much easier to explain and present as geodiversity. Nevertheless, everybody admitted the great importance of geosciences in society and insufficient knowledge, and greatly acknowledged the initiative of the IYPE. The

Test Every Senior Project: Evidence of Cognitive Processes Related to Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Nardine, Frank E.

Reported is a study designed to evaluate differences in cognitive processes related to science among (1) college bound high school students who had studied both physics and chemistry, (2) college bound students who had not studied either subject, and (3) non-college bound students who had not studied either subject. The test used to assess the…

Ciência e arte: relações improváveis? Science and art: unlikely relations?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Claudio Reis

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Este artigo discute as relações entre ciência e arte, principalmente entre física e pintura, com o objetivo de apresentar uma abordagem cultural para a ciência. Dessa forma, entendemos que a compreensão dos conteúdos da ciência torna-se mais significativa. Abordamos diferentes momentos da história desde a revolução científica até o século XX. As relações aqui salientadas não buscam uma relação causal entre ciência e arte, mas sim uma visão mais significativa do que é o processo de construção do conhecimento. Assim, a ciência se desnuda para nós como parte da cultura e pode nos ajudar a compreender melhor o processo histórico que nos trouxe até aqui.With the goal of presenting a cultural approach to science, the article discusses relations between science and art, especially between physics and painting. From this standpoint, we can see how understanding the substance of science becomes more important. Different moments in history are examined, from the scientific revolution down through the twentieth century. The relations highlighted herein are not chosen in an effort to undercover a causal relation between science and art but to arrive at a more meaningful understanding of how knowledge is constructed. Science is thus revealed to be part of culture, which can help us better understand the historical process through which we have come to this point.

Revisiting the "American Social Science" – Mapping the Geography of International Relations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Peter Marcus

2015-01-01

International Relations (IR) knows itself as an American social science. The paper first traces how the self-image as a uniquely dividing and American social science was established in the postwar period and is reproduced to this day. Second, it employs bibliometric methods to challenge this image....... It confirms the dominance of Americans in a comprehensive sample of IR journals, but in contrast to previous studies, the paper also compares IR to other disciplines only to find that it is actually one of the least American social sciences. It further studies the geography of IR over time and finds that IR...... has become less American since the 1960s—mainly because Anglo-Saxon and European countries account for a larger share of IR production. The final part uses novel visualization tools to map the geographical network structures of authorship and coauthorship in the discipline’s leading journals...

Preparing graduate student teaching assistants in the sciences: An intensive workshop focused on active learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Roden, Julie A; Jakob, Susanne; Roehrig, Casey; Brenner, Tamara J

2018-03-12

In the past ten years, increasing evidence has demonstrated that scientific teaching and active learning improve student retention and learning gains in the sciences. Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), who play an important role in undergraduate education at many universities, require training in these methods to encourage implementation, long-term adoption, and advocacy. Here, we describe the design and evaluation of a two-day training workshop for first-year GTAs in the life sciences. This workshop combines instruction in current research and theory supporting teaching science through active learning as well as opportunities for participants to practice teaching and receive feedback from peers and mentors. Postworkshop assessments indicated that GTA participants' knowledge of key topics increased during the workshop. In follow-up evaluations, participants reported that the workshop helped them prepare for teaching. This workshop design can easily be adapted to a wide range of science disciplines. Overall, the workshop prepares graduate students to engage, include, and support undergraduates from a variety of backgrounds when teaching in the sciences. © 2018 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2018. © 2018 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Lessons Learned from Real-Time, Event-Based Internet Science Communications

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, T.; Myszka, E.; Gallagher, D. L.; Adams, M. L.; Koczor, R. J.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

For the last several years the Science Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center has carried out a diverse program of Internet-based science communication. The Directorate's Science Roundtable includes active researchers, NASA public relations, educators, and administrators. The Science@NASA award-winning family of Web sites features science, mathematics, and space news. The program includes extended stories about NASA science, a curriculum resource for teachers tied to national education standards, on-line activities for students, and webcasts of real-time events. The focus of sharing science activities in real-time has been to involve and excite students and the public about science. Events have involved meteor showers, solar eclipses, natural very low frequency radio emissions, and amateur balloon flights. In some cases, broadcasts accommodate active feedback and questions from Internet participants. Through these projects a pattern has emerged in the level of interest or popularity with the public. The pattern differentiates projects that include science from those that do not, All real-time, event-based Internet activities have captured public interest at a level not achieved through science stories or educator resource material exclusively. The worst event-based activity attracted more interest than the best written science story. One truly rewarding lesson learned through these projects is that the public recognizes the importance and excitement of being part of scientific discovery. Flying a camera to 100,000 feet altitude isn't as interesting to the public as searching for viable life-forms at these oxygen-poor altitudes. The details of these real-time, event-based projects and lessons learned will be discussed.

A multi-instructor, team-based, active-learning exercise to integrate basic and clinical sciences content.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolluru, Srikanth; Roesch, Darren M; Akhtar de la Fuente, Ayesha

2012-03-12

To introduce a multiple-instructor, team-based, active-learning exercise to promote the integration of basic sciences (pathophysiology, pharmacology, and medicinal chemistry) and clinical sciences in a doctor of pharmacy curriculum. A team-based learning activity that involved pre-class reading assignments, individual-and team-answered multiple-choice questions, and evaluation and discussion of a clinical case, was designed, implemented, and moderated by 3 faculty members from the pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy practice departments. Student performance was assessed using a multiple-choice examination, an individual readiness assurance test (IRAT), a team readiness assurance test (TRAT), and a subjective, objective, assessment, and plan (SOAP) note. Student attitudes were assessed using a pre- and post-exercise survey instrument. Students' understanding of possible correct treatment strategies for depression improved. Students were appreciative of this true integration of basic sciences knowledge in a pharmacotherapy course and to have faculty members from both disciplines present to answer questions. Mean student score on the on depression module for the examination was 80.4%, indicating mastery of the content. An exercise led by multiple instructors improved student perceptions of the importance of team-based teaching. Integrated teaching and learning may be achieved when instructors from multiple disciplines work together in the classroom using proven team-based, active-learning exercises.

Science Teachers' Misconceptions in Science and Engineering Distinctions: Reflections on Modern Research Examples

Science.gov (United States)

Antink-Meyer, Allison; Meyer, Daniel Z.

2016-10-01

The aim of this exploratory study was to learn about the misconceptions that may arise for elementary and high school science teachers in their reflections on science and engineering practice. Using readings and videos of real science and engineering work, teachers' reflections were used to uncover the underpinnings of their understandings. This knowledge ultimately provides information about supporting professional development (PD) for science teachers' knowledge of engineering. Six science teachers (two elementary and four high school teachers) participated in the study as part of an online PD experience. Cunningham and Carlsen's (Journal of Science Teacher Education 25:197-210, 2014) relative emphases of science and engineering practices were used to frame the design of PD activities and the analyses of teachers' views. Analyses suggest misconceptions within the eight practices of science and engineering from the US Next Generation Science Standards in four areas. These are that: (1) the nature of the practices in both science and engineering research is determined by the long-term implications of the research regardless of the nature of the immediate work, (2) engineering and science are hierarchical, (3) creativity is inappropriate, and (4) research outcomes cannot be processes. We discuss the nature of these understandings among participants and the implications for engineering education PD for science teachers.

A concept for performance management for Federal science programs

Science.gov (United States)

Whalen, Kevin G.

2017-11-06

The demonstration of clear linkages between planning, funding, outcomes, and performance management has created unique challenges for U.S. Federal science programs. An approach is presented here that characterizes science program strategic objectives by one of five “activity types”: (1) knowledge discovery, (2) knowledge development and delivery, (3) science support, (4) inventory and monitoring, and (5) knowledge synthesis and assessment. The activity types relate to performance measurement tools for tracking outcomes of research funded under the objective. The result is a multi-time scale, integrated performance measure that tracks individual performance metrics synthetically while also measuring progress toward long-term outcomes. Tracking performance on individual metrics provides explicit linkages to root causes of potentially suboptimal performance and captures both internal and external program drivers, such as customer relations and science support for managers. Functionally connecting strategic planning objectives with performance measurement tools is a practical approach for publicly funded science agencies that links planning, outcomes, and performance management—an enterprise that has created unique challenges for public-sector research and development programs.

The effects of a science intervention program on the attitudes and achievement of high school girls in science

Science.gov (United States)

Steakley, Carrie Capers

This study investigated the effects of a high school science intervention program that included hands-on activities, science-related career information and exposure, and real-world experiences on girls' attitudes and achievement in science. Eighty-four girls, 44 ninth-graders and 40 tenth-graders, and 105 parents participated in the study. Survey data was collected to assess the girls' attitudes toward science in seven distinct areas: social implications of science, normality of scientists, attitude toward scientific inquiry, adoption of scientific attitudes, enjoyment of science lessons, leisure interest in science, and career interest in science. Additional questionnaires were used to determine the extent of the girls' participation in sports and the attitudes of their parents toward science. The girls' cumulative science semester grade point averages since the seventh grade were used to assess academic science achievement. This study found no evidence that participation in the program improved the girls' attitudes or achievement in science. Parent attitudes and years of participation in sports were not accurate predictors of science achievement. Additionally, no significant relationship was detected between the girls' and their parents' perceptions of science. However, the study did suggest that extended participation in sports may positively affect science achievement for girls. This study holds implications for educational stakeholders who seek to implement intervention methods and programs that may improve student attitudes and achievement in science and attract more youth to future science-related careers.

White paper on science and technology, 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

From now on, science and technology is expected to play the role of finding solutions to a variety of problems, such as the grave situation of global environment and the problems specific to Japan like aging population and declining birth rate. However, young people are losing their interest in science and technology, and it is an extremely grave concern. The White Paper in this year adopts the relation of young people with science and technology as its main theme, and the declining popularity of science and technology among young people, the danger of its consequence, its background and others are analyzed. The measures toward the society in which science and technology come in contact with daily life are discussed. As to the present status of science and technology in Japan and other countries, research and development expenditures, research personnel and the trend related to research performance are reported. As to the development of science and technology policy in Japan, the general guideline, the Council for Science and Technology, the structures for promoting science and technology and the promotion of research activities are described. (K.I.)

Benefits from an exchange of knowledge in the treaty-related science and technologies: A personal perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marshall, P.D.

1999-01-01

This paper describes benefits from an exchange of knowledge in the non-proliferation treaty related science and technologies concerning science and technology development. Benefits to State Parties are concerned with non-treaty uses of seismic, hydro acoustic, infrasound and radionuclides data, their evaluation and measuring techniques

Report of the surface science workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Somorjai, G.A.; Yates, J.T. Jr.; Clinton, W.

1977-03-01

A three-day workshop was held to review the various areas of energy development and technology in which surface science plays major roles and makes major contributions, and to identify the major surface-science-related problem areas in the fields with ERDA's mission in the fossil, nuclear, fusion, geothermal, and solar energy technologies and in the field of environmental control. The workshop activities are summarized. (GHT)

Task value profiles across subjects and aspirations to physical and IT-related sciences in the United States and Finland.

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, Angela; Eccles, Jacquelynne S; Salmela-Aro, Katariina

2012-11-01

Two independent studies were conducted to extend previous research by examining the associations between task value priority patterns across school subjects and aspirations toward the physical and information technology- (IT-) related sciences. Study 1 measured task values of a sample of 10th graders in the United States (N = 249) across (a) physics and chemistry, (b) math, and (c) English. Study 2 measured task values of a sample of students in the second year of high school in Finland (N = 351) across (a) math and science, (b) Finnish, and (c) the arts and physical education. In both studies, students were classified into groups according to how they ranked math and science in relation to the other subjects. Regression analyses indicated that task value group membership significantly predicted subsequent aspirations toward physical and IT-related sciences measured 1-2 years later. The task value groups who placed the highest priority on math and science were significantly more likely to aspire to physical and IT-related sciences than were the other groups. These findings provide support for the theoretical assumption regarding the predictive role of intraindividual hierarchical patterns of task values for subsequent preferences and choices suggested by the Eccles [Parsons] (1983) expectancy-value model.

Report on the activities of the PAU Commission on the History of Science in 2015/2016

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michał Kokowski

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The report discusses the activities of the Commission on the History of Science of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2015/2016. It presents the lists of: scientific meeting, administrative-election meetings, new members, and new publications.

Science Study Aids 7: Fermentation - Activities of a Fabulous Fungus.

Science.gov (United States)

McConnell, Bill

This publication is the seventh of a series of seven supplementary investigative materials for use in secondary science classes providing up-to-date research-related investigations. This unit is structured for grades 7 through 10. It is concerned with the roles of fermentation processes in the agriculture and food industry. The guide enables…

Teaching science to 8th graders by engaging them in a design and technology activity: A case study

Science.gov (United States)

Sidawi, Mai M.

This study described how students can apply science concepts to a Design and Technology task. It also examined whether the students could transfer their scientific knowledge to their design of technology. The study was conducted at an urban school in Philadelphia where a sample of 36 eighth grade students were taught a science unit, Energy, Machines, and Motion, and engaged in a technology design task that was chosen based on the scientific content of the unit. Two approaches of relating teaching science to technological design were observed and described. Through the first approach, the students were given technology lessons in addition to their science lessons. This was to provide them with the technological knowledge that they needed in designing technology such as learning about the design process, selection of appropriate materials, and selection of appropriate tools and how to use them. Also, the students were taught the social skills that will enable them to develop an effective collaborative relationship with their peers such as conflict-management and brainstorming. Through the second approach, the students were taught the science unit and then at the end of the unit the students were given the design task as an assessment of their scientific knowledge. The students' experience of designing technology for each approach was described. The study was conducted using multiple tools and instruments such as observation, videotaping, interviews, and testing. The students were also given the survey PATT-USA to measure their attitude toward technology. The study showed that the students' learning of science was impacted by their weak prerequisite knowledge in science, their poor verbal and written communication skills and their style as dependent learners. Also, the study showed the great impact of the school and classroom cultures on the participation of the students in a Design and Technology activity. The students in this study showed great resistant to

Relational benefits and quality of relation – towards understanding of the ties between science and business

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Małgorzata Grzegorczyk

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The goal of this article is to answer the question in what way relational marketing and in particular, the concept of relational benefits, as well as quality of relation may influence the transfer of knowledge and technologies from universities to business. Another goal is to highlight significant, future directions of research in this area. Integration of the theory of relational marketing and technology transfer may create a new framework for fuller understanding of the ties between science and business. Research in this area may contribute to the expansion and development of the theory of relational marketing, which until now was limited to the analysis of relations within a single sector. The results of conducted research show that ties characterized by high relational engagement are common, recognized by both academic and business environment as precious and play an important role in stimulating innovations. The quality of relations and relational benefits may play an important role in building long-term ties between universities and the industry. Integration of behavioural theories with the theory of technology transfer may contribute to a better understanding of the behaviour of particular participants of the transfer on the individual level.

Environmental science and technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-07-01

The environmental Science and Technology Program was structured based on the continuous growth of environmental activities on areas related to nuclear programs at IPEN. The program comprehends five main areas: Environmental analysis: Chemical technology; Polymer technology nucleus: Chemical and Isotope characterization and Analytical Chemistry for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle samples.

The power of play: Innovations in Getting Active Summit 2011: a science panel proceedings report from the American Heart Association.

Science.gov (United States)

Lieberman, Debra A; Chamberlin, Barbara; Medina, Ernie; Franklin, Barry A; Sanner, Brigid McHugh; Vafiadis, Dorothea K

2011-05-31

To examine the influence active-play video gaming (also referred to as exergaming, exertainment, and active gaming) might have on improving health-related skills, enhancing self-esteem and self-efficacy, promoting social support, and ultimately motivating positive changes in health behaviors, the American Heart Association convened The Power of Play: Innovations in Getting Active Summit. The summit, as well as a follow-up science panel, was hosted by the American Heart Association and Nintendo of America. The science panel discussed the current state of research on active-play video gaming and its potential to serve as a gateway experience that might motivate players to increase the amount and intensity of physical activity in their daily lives. The panel identified the need for continued research on the gateway concept and on other behavioral health outcomes that could result from active-play video games and considered how these games could potentially affect disparate populations. The summit represented an exciting first step in convening healthcare providers, behavioral researchers, and professionals from the active-play video game industry to discuss the potential health benefits of active-play video games. Research is needed to improve understanding of processes of behavior change with active games. Future games and technologies may be designed with the goal to optimize physical activity participation, increase energy expenditure, and effectively address the abilities and interests of diverse and targeted populations. The summit helped the participants gain an understanding of what is known, identified gaps in current research, and supported a dialogue for continued collaboration.

PLRP-3: Operational Perspectives of Conducting Science-Driven Extravehicular Activity with Communications Latency

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Matthew J.; Lim, Darlene S. S.; Brady, Allyson; Cardman, Zena; Bell, Ernest; Garry, Brent; Reid, Donnie; Chappell, Steve; Abercromby, Andrew F. J.

2016-01-01

The Pavilion Lake Research Project (PLRP) is a unique platform where the combination of scientific research and human space exploration concepts can be tested in an underwater spaceflight analog environment. The 2015 PLRP field season was performed at Pavilion Lake, Canada, where science-driven exploration techniques focusing on microbialite characterization and acquisition were evaluated within the context of crew and robotic extravehicular activity (EVA) operations. The primary objectives of this analog study were to detail the capabilities, decision-making process, and operational concepts required to meet non-simulated scientific objectives during 5-minute one-way communication latency utilizing crew and robotic assets. Furthermore, this field study served as an opportunity build upon previous tests at PLRP, NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), and NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) to characterize the functional roles and responsibilities of the personnel involved in the distributed flight control team and identify operational constraints imposed by science-driven EVA operations. The relationship and interaction between ground and flight crew was found to be dependent on the specific scientific activities being addressed. Furthermore, the addition of a second intravehicular operator was found to be highly enabling when conducting science-driven EVAs. Future human spaceflight activities will need to cope with the added complexity of dynamic and rapid execution of scientific priorities both during and between EVA execution to ensure scientific objectives are achieved.

Modeling the Activities of Scientists: Prospective Science Teachers' Poster Presentations in An STS Course

Science.gov (United States)

Dogan, Alev; Kaya, Osman Nafiz; Kilic, Ziya; Kilic, Esma; Aydogdu, Mustafa

2004-01-01

In this study, prospective science teachers' (PSTs) views about their poster presentations were investigated. These posters were developed through PSTs' online and library research and scientific mini-symposiums in chemistry related topics in the framework of science, technology and society course (STS). During the first four weeks of STS course,…

Marine Biology Activities. Ocean Related Curriculum Activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Pauls, John

The ocean affects all of our lives. Therefore, awareness of and information about the interconnections between humans and oceans are prerequisites to making sound decisions for the future. Project ORCA (Ocean Related Curriculum Activities) has developed interdisciplinary curriculum materials designed to meet the needs of students and teachers…

Social power and approach-related neural activity

OpenAIRE

Boksem, Maarten; Smolders, Ruud; Cremer, David

2009-01-01

textabstractIt has been argued that power activates a general tendency to approach whereas powerlessness activates a tendency to inhibit. The assumption is that elevated power involves reward-rich environments, freedom and, as a consequence, triggers an approach-related motivational orientation and attention to rewards. In contrast, reduced power is associated with increased threat, punishment and social constraint and thereby activates inhibition-related motivation. Moreover, approach motiva...

The Science of a Sundae: Using the Principle of Colligative Properties in Food Science Outreach Activities for Middle and High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Wickware, Carmen L.; Day, Charles T.C.; Adams, Michael; Orta-Ramirez, Alicia; Snyder, Abigail B.

2017-01-01

The opportunities for outreach activities for professionals and academics in food science are extensive, as too are the range of participants' experience levels and platforms for delivery. Here, we present a set of activities that are readily adaptable for a range of students (ages 10 to 18) in multiple platforms (demonstration table and hands-on…

Experiences of high school Hispanic girls in pursuit of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related coursework and careers

Science.gov (United States)

Vijil, Veronica G.

2011-12-01

An overall increased awareness of the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has prompted attention toward the continued underrepresentation of Hispanic women in this field. The purpose of this collective case study was to explore the support systems, perceived barriers, and prior experiences influencing high school Hispanic girls' decisions to pursue advanced coursework and related careers through a career pathway in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) areas. Specifically, participants were interviewed regarding their mathematics and science experiences in elementary and middle schools, as well as perceived supports and barriers to their choices to pursue STEM careers and advanced coursework. Results indicated that the participants linked their elementary and middle school experiences with their teachers rather than specific activities. Accolades such as certificates and good grades for academic achievement contributed to the girls' strong self-efficacy at an early age. The participants possessed self-discipline and self-confidence, using intrinsic motivation to pursue their goals. Support systems included families and a few teachers. Barriers were revealed in different forms including derogatory comments by boys in class, difficult curricula with limited tutors available for higher level courses, and receipt of financial assistance to attend a university of their choice.

Promoting Translational Research Among Movement Science, Occupational Science, and Occupational Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sainburg, Robert L; Liew, Sook-Lei; Frey, Scott H; Clark, Florence

2017-01-01

Integration of research in the fields of neural control of movement and biomechanics (collectively referred to as movement science) with the field of human occupation directly benefits both areas of study. Specifically, incorporating many of the quantitative scientific methods and analyses employed in movement science can help accelerate the development of rehabilitation-relevant research in occupational therapy (OT) and occupational science (OS). Reciprocally, OT and OS, which focus on the performance of everyday activities (occupations) to promote health and well-being, provide theoretical frameworks to guide research on the performance of actions in the context of social, psychological, and environmental factors. Given both fields' mutual interest in the study of movement as it relates to health and disease, the authors posit that combining OS and OT theories and principles with the theories and methods in movement science may lead to new, impactful, and clinically relevant knowledge. The first step is to ensure that individuals with OS or OT backgrounds are academically prepared to pursue advanced study in movement science. In this article, the authors propose 2 strategies to address this need.

STREAMS - Supporting Underrepresented Groups in Earth Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho-Knighton, K.; Johnson, A.

2009-12-01

In Fall 2008, STREAMS (Supporting Talented and Remarkable Environmental And Marine Science students) Scholarship initiative began at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, the only public university in Pinellas County. STREAMS is a partnership between the University of South Florida St. Petersburg’s (USFSP) Environmental Science and Policy Program and University of South Florida’s (USF) College of Marine Science. The STREAMS Student Scholarship Program has facilitated increased recruitment, retention, and graduation of USFSP environmental science and USF marine science majors. The STREAMS program has increased opportunities for minorities and women to obtain undergraduate and graduate degrees, gain valuable research experience and engage in professional development activities. STREAMS scholars have benefited from being mentored by USFSP and USF faculty and as well as MSPhDs students and NSF Florida-Georgia LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate graduate fellows. In addition, STREAMS has facilitated activities designed to prepare student participants for successful Earth system science-related careers. We will elucidate the need for this initiative and vision for the collaboration.

Diversity in laboratory animal science: issues and initiatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Alworth, Leanne; Ardayfio, Krystal L; Blickman, Andrew; Greenhill, Lisa; Hill, William; Sharp, Patrick; Talmage, Roberta; Plaut, Victoria C; Goren, Matt

2010-03-01

Since diversity in the workplace began receiving scholarly attention in the late 1980s, many corporations and institutions have invested in programs to address and manage diversity. We encourage laboratory animal science to address the challenges and to build on the strengths that personal diversity brings to our field and workplaces. Diversity is already becoming increasingly relevant in the workplace and the laboratory animal science field. By addressing issues related to diversity, laboratory animal science could benefit and potentially fulfill its goals more successfully. To date, diversity has received minimal attention from the field as a whole. However, many individuals, workplaces, and institutions in industry, academia, and the uniformed services that are intimately involved with the field of laboratory animal science are actively addressing issues concerning diversity. This article describes some of these programs and activities in industry and academia. Our intention is that this article will provide useful examples of inclusion-promoting activities and prompt further initiatives to address diversity awareness and inclusion in laboratory animal science.

Centro Regional de Ciencias Nucleares (a Brazilian regional center for nuclear sciences) - activities report - 1999; Centro Regional de Ciencias Nucleares - relatorio de atividades - 1999

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-12-01

The annual activities report of 1999 of nuclear sciences regional center - Brazilian organization - introduces the next main topics: institutional relations; sectorial actions - logistic support and training, laboratory of radiation protection and dosimetry, laboratory of metrology, laboratory of chemical characterization; technical and scientific events; and financial resources and perspectives for 2000.

Students' science attitudes, beliefs, and context: associations with science and chemistry aspirations

Science.gov (United States)

Mujtaba, Tamjid; Sheldrake, Richard; Reiss, Michael J.; Simon, Shirley

2018-04-01

There is a widespread concern that relatively few students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, continue to study chemistry and other science subjects after compulsory education. Yet it remains unclear how different aspects of students' background and home context, their own attitudes and beliefs, and their experiences of particular teaching approaches in school might limit or facilitate their studying aspirations; concurrently, less research has specifically focused on and surveyed disadvantaged students. In order to gain more insight, 4780 students were surveyed, covering those in Year 7 (age 11-12 years) and in Year 8 (age 12-13) from schools in England with high proportions of those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Predictive modelling highlighted that the students' aspirations to study non-compulsory science in the future, and to study the particular subject of chemistry, were strongly associated with their extrinsic motivation towards science (their perceived utility of science, considered as a means to gain particular careers or skills), their intrinsic interest in science, and their engagement in extra-curricular activities. Additionally, their self-concept beliefs (their confidence in their own abilities in science), some teaching approaches, and encouragement from teachers and family alongside family science capital had smaller but still relevant associations.

Female science teacher beliefs and attitudes: implications in relation to gender and pedagogical practice

Science.gov (United States)

Zapata, Mara; Gallard, Alejandro J.

2007-10-01

Beliefs and attitudes resulting from the unique life experiences of teachers frame interactions with learners promoting gender equity or inequity and the reproduction of social views about knowledge and power as related to gender. This study examines the enactment of a female science teacher's pedagogy (Laura), seeking to understand the implications of her beliefs and attitudes, as framed by her interpretations and daily manifestations, as she interacts with students. Distinct influences inform the conceptual framework of this study: (a) the social organization of society at large, governed by understood and unspoken patriarchy, present both academically and socially; (b) the devaluing of women as "knowers" of scientific knowledge as defined by a western and male view of science; (c) the marginalization or "feminization" of education and pedagogical knowledge. The findings reflect tensions between attitudes and beliefs and actual teacher practice suggesting the need for awareness within existing or new teachers about their positions as social agents and the sociological implications related to issues of gender within which we live and work, inclusive of science teaching and learning.

The Relation between Science Student Teachers' Approaches to Studying and Their Attitude to Reflective Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Efe, Rifat

2018-01-01

In this study, the relation between science student teachers' approaches to studying and their attitude to reflective practice were investigated. The participants were 345 science student teachers on teacher education course during 2015-2016 academic year. The data was collected through Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST)…

Learning Activity Package, Physical Science. LAP Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, G. J.

These four units of the Learning Activity Packages (LAPs) for individualized instruction in physical science cover measuring techniques, operations of instruments, metric system heat, matter, energy, elements, atomic numbers, isotopes, molecules, mixtures, compounds, physical and chemical properties, liquids, solids, and gases. Each unit contains…

Learning Activity Package, Physical Science. LAP Numbers 8, 9, 10, and 11.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, G. J.

These four units of the Learning Activity Packages (LAPs) for individualized instruction in physical science cover nuclear reactions, alpha and beta particles, atomic radiation, medical use of nuclear energy, fission, fusion, simple machines, Newton's laws of motion, electricity, currents, electromagnetism, Oersted's experiment, sound, light,…

Living science: Science as an activity of living beings.

Science.gov (United States)

MacLennan, Bruce J

2015-12-01

The philosophy of science should accommodate itself to the facts of human existence, using all aspects of human experience to adapt more effectively, as individuals, species, and global ecosystem. This has several implications: (1) Our nature as sentient beings interacting with other sentient beings requires the use of phenomenological methods to investigate consciousness. (2) Our embodied, situated, purposeful physical interactions with the world are the foundation of scientific understanding. (3) Aristotle's four causes are essential for understanding living systems and, in particular, the final cause aids understanding the role of humankind, and especially science, in the global ecosystem. (4) In order to fulfill this role well, scientists need to employ the full panoply of human faculties. These include the consciousness faculties (thinking, sensation, feeling, intuition), and therefore, as advocated by many famous scientists, we should cultivate our aesthetic sense, emotions, imagination, and intuition. Our unconscious faculties include archetypal structures common to all humans, which can guide scientific discovery. By striving to engage the whole of human nature, science will fulfill better its function for humans and the global ecosystem. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Negotiating science and engineering: an exploratory case study of a reform-minded science teacher

Science.gov (United States)

Guzey, S. Selcen; Ring-Whalen, Elizabeth A.

2018-05-01

Engineering has been slowly integrated into K-12 science classrooms in the United States as the result of recent science education reforms. Such changes in science teaching require that a science teacher is confident with and committed to content, practices, language, and cultures related to both science and engineering. However, from the perspective of the science teacher, this would require not only the development of knowledge and pedagogies associated with engineering, but also the construction of new identities operating within the reforms and within the context of their school. In this study, a middle school science teacher was observed and interviewed over a period of nine months to explore his experiences as he adopted new values, discourses, and practices and constructed his identity as a reform-minded science teacher. Our findings revealed that, as the teacher attempted to become a reform-minded science teacher, he constantly negotiated his professional identities - a dynamic process that created conflicts in his classroom practices. Several differences were observed between the teacher's science and engineering instruction: hands-on activities, depth and detail of content, language use, and the way the teacher positioned himself and his students with respect to science and engineering. Implications for science teacher professional development are discussed.

The use of parent involved take-home science activities during student teaching: Understanding the challenges of implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Zarazinski, Jill

had agreed to implement it, not because they appreciated its worth to students and their families. Altering candidate beliefs in one semester prior to student teaching proved difficult, especially when cooperating teachers were demonstrating and encouraging methodologies which were frowned upon during the science methods coursework. Therefore, this study also raised issues with teacher education and identified the need to better align educational philosophies taught throughout the program and those showcased by cooperating teachers if science education reform is to transpire. Teacher candidates very often abandoned the inquiry-based modes of instruction taught to them during the science methods course prior to student teaching and replaced them with ideas and suggestions from their cooperating teacher, approaches which were more traditional and teacher-centered. Cooperating teacher opinions and suggestions appeared to take precedence over what was taught and practiced during their preparation coursework. Candidates' prior beliefs and experiences with education appeared to dominate their teaching repertoire. The culmination of their own K-12 education and much of their undergraduate courses made altering their beliefs toward inquiry-based methodologies difficult during only one semester prior to student teaching. Therefore, all candidates reverted back to some level of teacher-centered, recipe-like science lessons and tasks. It was also noted that the candidates' understanding of hands-on versus inquiry learning was often blurred. Hands-on learning was often demonstrated and applauded by cooperating teachers, as well as parents, once they responded to Science in a Bag surveys and interviews, further supporting this misconception by praising hands-on learning and in some cases stating it was the way students learned best. Most parents were willing to and enjoyed performing these take-home family activities. Some of the most frequent parent comments related to family

The Related Science of Cosmetology.

Science.gov (United States)

Wasserman, Edward

Intended as an instructional guide for the use of a science teacher or beauty culture shop teacher in teaching the scientific aspects in a 1-year prevocational cosmetology program at area vocational high schools, this state curriculum guide was developed by a committee of vocational instructors and field tested in three vocational schools. An…

Astrobiology outreach and the nature of science: the role of creativity.

Science.gov (United States)

Fergusson, Jennifer; Oliver, Carol; Walter, Malcolm R

2012-12-01

There is concern in many developed countries that school students are turning away from science. However, students may be choosing not to study science and dismissing the possibility of a scientific career because, in the junior secondary years, they gain a false view of science and the work of scientists. There is a disparity between science as it is portrayed at school and science as it is practiced. This paper describes a study to explore whether engaging in science through astrobiology outreach activities may improve students' understanding of the nature and processes of science, and how this may influence their interest in a career in science. The results suggest that the students attending these Mars research-related outreach activities are more interested in science than the average student but are lacking in understanding of aspects of the nature of science. A significant difference was detected between pre- and posttest understandings of some concepts of the nature of science.

van Eijck and Roth's utilitarian science education: why the recalibration of science and traditional ecological knowledge invokes multiple perspectives to protect science education from being exclusive

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Michael P.; Tippins, Deborah J.

2010-12-01

This article is a philosophical analysis of van Eijck and Roth's (2007) claim that science and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) should be recalibrated because they are incommensurate, particular to the local contexts in which they are practical. In this view, science maintains an incommensurate status as if it is a "fundamental" basis for the relative comparison of other cultural knowledges, which reduces traditional knowledge to a status of in relation to the prioritized (higher)-status of natural sciences. van Eijck and Roth reject epistemological Truth as a way of thinking about sciences in science education. Rather they adopt a utilitarian perspective of cultural-historical activity theory to demonstrate when traditional knowledge is considered science and when it is not considered science, for the purposes of evaluating what should be included in U.S. science education curricula. There are several challenges for evaluating what should be included in science education when traditional knowledges and sciences are considered in light of a utilitarian analysis. Science as diverse, either practically local or theoretically abstract, is highly uncertain, which provides opportunities for multiple perspectives to enlarge and protect the natural sciences from exclusivity. In this response to van Eijck and Roth, we make the case for considering dialectical relationships between science and TEK in order to ensure cultural diversity in science education, as a paradigm. We also emphasize the need to (re)dissolve the hierarchies and dualisms that may emerge when science is elevated in status in comparison with other knowledges. We conclude with a modification to van Eijck and Roth's perspective by recommending a guiding principle of cultural diversity in science education as a way to make curriculum choices. We envision this principle can be applied when evaluating science curricula worldwide.

The Teachers Academy for Mathematics and Science. Executive summary and program activities update

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-09-01

In his State of the Union address on January 31, 1990, President Bush set a goal for US students to be number one in the world in mathematics and science achievement by the year 2000. The Teachers Academy for Mathematics and Science in Chicago is an experiment of unprecedented boldness and scale that can provide a means to the President`s goal, both for the Chicago area and as a national model. This document covers organization and governance, program activities, future training goals, and evaluation programs.

MANAJEMEN PUBLIC RELATIONS PENDIDIKAN ISLAM (Kajian Tematik Al Qur’an dan Al Hadits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dian Iskandar Jaelani

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Public Relations (PR has two senses. First, in terms of public relations as communication techniques. And second, public relations as a method of communication. The concept of Public Relations with respect to understanding through knowledge creation activities, and through these activities that impact the changes will appear. Public Relations itself is a combination of various immunization and included in the ranks of the social sciences such as political science, economics, history, psychology, sociology, communication and others.

The report on the activities of the PAU Commission on the History of Science in 2016/2017

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michał Kokowski

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The report discusses the activities of the Commission on the History of Science of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016/2017. It presents the lists of: scientific meeting, conferences, and new publications.

Teaching Grade Eight Science with Reference to the Science Curriculum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rasel Babu

2016-08-01

Full Text Available A mixed methodological approach was used to explore to what extent the science curriculum was being reflected in science teaching-learning of grade VIII students in Bangladesh. 160 students were randomly selected and 10 science teachers were purposively selected as study respondents. Fifteen science lessons were observed. Data were collected via student questionnaires, teacher interviews, and classroom observation checklists. Grade VIII science teaching-learning activities were not conducted according to the instructions of the science curriculum. Most teachers did not adhere to the curriculum and teacher's guide. Teachers mainly depended on lecture methods for delivering lessons. Learning by doing, demonstrating experiments, scientific inquiry, rational thinking, and analysing cause-effect relationships were noticeably absent. Teachers reported huge workloads and a lack of ingredients as reasons for not practising these activities. Teachers did not use teaching aids properly. Science teaching-learning was fully classroom centred, and students were never involved in any creative activities. 

Examining Dark Triad traits in relation to mental toughness and physical activity in young adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabouri S

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sarah Sabouri,1 Markus Gerber,2 Dena Sadeghi Bahmani,3 Sakari Lemola,4 Peter J Clough,5 Nadeem Kalak,3 Mahin Shamsi,1 Edith Holsboer-Trachsler,3 Serge Brand2,3 1Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, AllamehTabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran; 2Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Sport Science Section, University of Basel, 3Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders, Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, 4Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; 5Department of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK Objective: The Dark Triad (DT describes a set of three closely related personality traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Mental toughness (MT refers to a psychological construct combining confidence, commitment, control, and challenge. High MT is related to greater physical activity (PA and, relative to men, women have lower MT scores. The aims of the present study were 1 to investigate the association between DT, MT, and PA, and 2 to compare the DT, MT, and PA scores of men and women.Methods: A total of 341 adults (M=29 years; 51.6% women; range: 18–37 years took part in the study. Participants completed a series of questionnaires assessing DT, MT, and PA.Results: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy were all significantly associated with higher MT scores (rs =0.45, 0.50, and 0.20, respectively. DT traits and MT were associated with more vigorous PA. Compared to men, women participants had lower scores for DT traits (overall score and psychopathy, while no differences were found for MT or PA in both sexes.Conclusion: DT traits, high MT, and vigorous PA are interrelated. This pattern of results might explain why, for instance, successful professional athletes can at the same time be tough and ruthless. Keywords: dark triad, mental toughness, physical activity, young adults, sex

Japan's patent issues relating to life science therapeutic inventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Tessensohn, John A

2014-09-01

Japan has made 'innovation in science and technology' as one of its central pillars to ensure high growth in its next stage of economic development and its life sciences market which hosts regenerative medicine was proclaimed to be 'the best market in the world right now.' Although life science therapeutic inventions are patentable subject matter under Japanese patent law, there are nuanced obviousness and enablement challenges under Japanese patent law that can be surmounted in view of some encouraging Japanese court developments in fostering a pro-patent applicant environment in the life sciences therapeutic patent field. Nevertheless, great care must be taken when drafting and prosecuting such patent applications in the world's second most important life sciences therapeutic market.

Science Lab Restructuring of a Public School Elementary and High School

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisiane da Costa Moro

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the process of restructuring the science lab of a state school in Caxias do Sul, whose main objective was to create a space where teachers could develop practical and experimental activities with their students. The restructuring of the science lab this school, was only possible through the project "More and Better Students and Teachers in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technologies" Initiation Program in Science and Mathematics, Engineering, Creative Technologies and Letters - PICMEL sponsored jointly by the University of Caxias do Sul, the SEDUC-RS, FAPERGS and CAPES. The project was developed at school by a teacher of physics and three high school students. Through the restructuring of the science lab, practical activities were developed and workshops where students had the opportunity to be more active in the process of teaching and learning. With the development of such activities was observed that the students were more willing to learn Science and Mathematics and could relate scientific knowledge to their daily lives, giving greater meaning to their learning.

Mars Science Laboratory relative humidity observations: Initial results.

Science.gov (United States)

Harri, A-M; Genzer, M; Kemppinen, O; Gomez-Elvira, J; Haberle, R; Polkko, J; Savijärvi, H; Rennó, N; Rodriguez-Manfredi, J A; Schmidt, W; Richardson, M; Siili, T; Paton, M; Torre-Juarez, M De La; Mäkinen, T; Newman, C; Rafkin, S; Mischna, M; Merikallio, S; Haukka, H; Martin-Torres, J; Komu, M; Zorzano, M-P; Peinado, V; Vazquez, L; Urqui, R

2014-09-01

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) made a successful landing at Gale crater early August 2012. MSL has an environmental instrument package called the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) as a part of its scientific payload. REMS comprises instrumentation for the observation of atmospheric pressure, temperature of the air, ground temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity (REMS-H), and UV measurements. We concentrate on describing the REMS-H measurement performance and initial observations during the first 100 MSL sols as well as constraining the REMS-H results by comparing them with earlier observations and modeling results. The REMS-H device is based on polymeric capacitive humidity sensors developed by Vaisala Inc., and it makes use of transducer electronics section placed in the vicinity of the three humidity sensor heads. The humidity device is mounted on the REMS boom providing ventilation with the ambient atmosphere through a filter protecting the device from airborne dust. The final relative humidity results appear to be convincing and are aligned with earlier indirect observations of the total atmospheric precipitable water content. The water mixing ratio in the atmospheric surface layer appears to vary between 30 and 75 ppm. When assuming uniform mixing, the precipitable water content of the atmosphere is ranging from a few to six precipitable micrometers. Atmospheric water mixing ratio at Gale crater varies from 30 to 140 ppmMSL relative humidity observation provides good dataHighest detected relative humidity reading during first MSL 100 sols is RH75.

Fostering nurses' political knowledges and practices: education and political activation in relation to lesbian health.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonnell, Judith A

2009-01-01

This article describes findings from a qualitative policy study focused on female nurses' activism in relation to lesbian health. Critical feminist analysis and comparative life history methodology were applied to career histories obtained from 10 diversely situated female nurses across Ontario, Canada. The findings show that nursing activist practices are informed by advocacy experiences that foster inclusive professional and community education plus formal education processes that shape their political socialization. Implications for nursing theory include the development of political knowledges and practices that support caring science, sociopolitical knowing, and primary healthcare nursing practice in a community context.

Investigate the relation between the media literacy and information literacy of students of communication science and information science and knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elham Esmaeil Pounaki

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The new millennium is called Information Age, in which information and communication technologies have been developed. The transfer from industrial society to information society has changed the form and level of education and information from those of the past times. In the past, literacy meant the ability of reading and writing, but today the meaning of literacy has been changed through the time and such a type of literacy is not enough to meet people’s needs in the industrial society of the 21st century. Today’s life requires media and information literacy especially for the students, whose duty is to research and who have a significant role in the development of their country from any perspective. This research aims to study the relation between the media literacy and information literacy of the students of the fields of communication science and information science and knowledge. This is an applied research in terms of its objective and uses a survey-correlation method. The statistical population of this research consists of the postgraduate students studying in the fields of study of information science and knowledge and communication science at Tehran University and Allameh Tabatabai University. The data required for this research were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire has been evaluated by Cronbach’s Alpha, which was equal to 0.936. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistic methods. The results showed that the level of media literacy and information literacy of students is desirable. There is a significant relationship between the economic status of students and their media literacy. However, the social status of students was directly related to their "ability to communicate" variable of media literacy. Also the Pearson correlation test showed a significant relationship between the variables of media literacy and information literacy.

Science and technology roadmap for graphene, related two-dimensional crystals, and hybrid systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ferrari, A.C.; Dekker, C.; Vandersypen, L.M.K.; Van Der Zant, H.S.J.

2014-01-01

We present the science and technology roadmap for graphene, related two-dimensional crystals, and hybrid systems, targeting an evolution in technology, that might lead to impacts and benefits reaching into most areas of society. This roadmap was developed within the framework of the European

High school and college introductory science education experiences: A study regarding perceptions of university students persisting in science as a major area of study

Science.gov (United States)

Fredrick, L. Denise

The focus of this study was to investigate college students' perception of high school and college introductory science learning experiences related to persistence in science as a major area of study in college. The study included students' perceptions of the following areas of science education: (1) teacher interpersonal relationship with students, (2) teacher personality styles, (3) teacher knowledge of the content, (4) instructional methods, and (5) science course content. A survey research design was employed in the investigative study to collect and analyze data. One hundred ninety two students participated in the research study. A survey instrument entitled Science Education Perception Survey was used to collect data. The researcher sought to reject or support three null hypotheses as related to participants' perceptions of high school and college introductory science education experiences. Using binomial regression analysis, this study analyzed differences between students persisting in science and students not persisting in science as a major. The quantitative research indicated that significant differences exist between persistence in science as a major and high school science teacher traits and college introductory science instructional methods. Although these variables were found to be significant predictors, the percent variance was low and should be considered closely before concluded these as strong predictors of persistence. Major findings of the qualitative component indicated that students perceived that: (a) interest in high school science course content and high school science teacher personality and interpersonal relationships had the greatest effect on students' choice of major area of study; (b) interest in college introductory science course content had the greatest effect on students' choice of major area of study; (c) students recalled laboratory activities and overall good teaching as most meaningful to their high school science

Neural activation in stress-related exhaustion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gavelin, Hanna Malmberg; Neely, Anna Stigsdotter; Andersson, Micael

2017-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the association between burnout and neural activation during working memory processing in patients with stress-related exhaustion. Additionally, we investigated the neural effects of cognitive training as part of stress rehabilitation. Fifty...... association between burnout level and working memory performance was found, however, our findings indicate that frontostriatal neural responses related to working memory were modulated by burnout severity. We suggest that patients with high levels of burnout need to recruit additional cognitive resources...... to uphold task performance. Following cognitive training, increased neural activation was observed during 3-back in working memory-related regions, including the striatum, however, low sample size limits any firm conclusions....

Teachers' Mastery Goals: Using a Self-Report Survey to Study the Relations between Teaching Practices and Students' Motivation for Science Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Vedder-Weiss, Dana; Fortus, David

2018-02-01

Employing achievement goal theory (Ames Journal of Educational psychology, 84(3), 261-271, 1992), we explored science teachers' instruction and its relation to students' motivation for science learning and school culture. Based on the TARGETS framework (Patrick et al. The Elementary School Journal, 102(1), 35-58, 2001) and using data from 95 teachers, we developed a self-report survey assessing science teachers' usage of practices that emphasize mastery goals. We then used this survey and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses to study the relations between 35 science teachers' mastery goals in each of the TARGETS dimensions, the decline in their grade-level 5-8 students' ( N = 1.356) classroom and continuing motivation for science learning, and their schools' mastery goal structure. The findings suggest that adolescents' declining motivation for science learning results in part from a decreasing emphasis on mastery goals by schools and science teachers. Practices that relate to the nature of tasks and to student autonomy emerged as most strongly associated with adolescents' motivation and its decline with age.

Issues in Informal Education: Event-Based Science Communication Involving Planetaria and the Internet

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Mitzi L.; Gallagher, D. L.; Whitt, A.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

For the last several years the Science Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center has carried out a diverse program of Internet-based science communication. The program includes extended stories about NASA science, a curriculum resource for teachers tied to national education standards, on-line activities for students, and webcasts of real-time events. The focus of sharing real-time science related events has been to involve and excite students and the public about science. Events have involved meteor showers, solar eclipses, natural very low frequency radio emissions, and amateur balloon flights. In some cases broadcasts accommodate active feedback and questions from Internet participants. Panel participation will be used to communicate the problems and lessons learned from these activities over the last three years.

Using the Activity Model of Inquiry to Enhance General Chemistry Students' Understanding of Nature of Science

Science.gov (United States)

Marchlewicz, Sara C.; Wink, Donald J.

2011-01-01

Nature of science refers to the processes of scientific activity and the social and cultural premises involved in the creation of scientific knowledge. Having an informed view of nature of science is important in the development of scientifically literate citizens. However, students often come to the classroom with misconceptions about nature of…

The Clubbers' Guide: A Treasure Trove of Science Activities/A Treasure Hunt through Time and Space

Science.gov (United States)

Howarth, Sue; Scott, Linda; Carter, Liz

2013-01-01

This issue of Clubbers' Guide contains an article written by Liz Carter, Senior Science Technician at the Warwick School, Redhill, Surrey (UK), describing some of the wide variety of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) based activities that her school puts on during an eight-day summer school in the holidays for prospective…

Adventures in Rocket Science. EG-2007-12-179-MSFC

Science.gov (United States)

Huegele, Vince; Hill, Kristy; Terry, Brenda

2008-01-01

This guide was prepared as a tool useful for informal education venues (4-H, Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.), science clubs and related programs, and can be adopted for formal education settings. An exciting and productive study in rocket science can be implemented using the selected activities for the above-mentioned…

Extracurricular activities do little for pupils

Science.gov (United States)

Tesh, Sarah

2017-06-01

Science-related extracurricular activities do not encourage more students to study science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) subjects at high school, according to a study by researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK.

Parents' and children's beliefs about science and science careers

Science.gov (United States)

Telfer, Jo Ann

Science has become an essential part of our cultural, social and technological lives. Around the world economic policies are giving high priority to the production of new knowledge generated by scientists. Unfortunately, gender equality in science-related careers has not been achieved. Women who possess high intellectual and personal abilities are succeeding in many occupational areas previously closed to all but the most impervious women, but females are still largely underrepresented in physical science and mathematics related careers. The purpose of the current study was to examine the reasons for this underrepresentation of women in science-related careers. Participants included a subset of mothers (n = 174), fathers (n = 132) and children (n = 186) from a larger study at the University of Calgary entitled Gender Differences in Student Participation and Achievement in the Sciences: Choice or Chance ? Telephone interview and survey questionnaire data were examined for gender and achievement level differences, focusing on high achieving girls who are most likely to succeed in science-related careers. Relationships between parents' and children's responses were also examined using the theoretical construct of Eccles' Model of Achievement Related Choices. Gathered data were studied using factor analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, analysis of variance as well as categorical analysis of qualitative results. Girls and boys achieved similar grades on all academic measures except the Alberta Science Achievement Test, where boys scored significantly higher than girls. Mothers, fathers, and children indicated positive attitudes towards science, no gender stereotyping about science and science careers, and gender neutral beliefs about science achievement. Gender differences were found in expressed possibility of future career choice. Science/Professional Careers were viewed as male occupations by mothers and children, but as gender neutral occupations by fathers

Numerical Relativity as preparation for Industrial Data Science, a personal perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Kenneth

2014-03-01

Much of the conversation in commercial enterprises these days revolves around industry buzz words such as Big Data, Data Science, and being Data Driven. Beyond the hype surrounding these terms, there is a real, continuously growing movement for organizations to make better use of the data assets they have to inform decisions, strategy, and policy. This push is not unique to the commercial sector; governmental and academic organizations are also embracing such initiatives. The skills required to staff a Data Science project typically come from a number of disciplines, ranging from computer science, statistics, modeling and simulation, to information technology, but the emerging wisdom in the community is that the rigor and discipline of a scientific background often makes for the best data scientists. In this talk, I will offer a personal perspective on making the transition from a career in computational physics (specifically Numerical Relativity) to a career in industry, where I have focused on helping organizations make more informed decisions through better access and analysis of data at their disposal. I will identify the skills and training that carry over from a background in physics, discuss the gaps in that preparation, hypothesize as to where this industry is headed, and offer a frank look at a life outside of academia.

NASA science communications strategy

Science.gov (United States)

1995-01-01

In 1994, the Clinton Administration issued a report, 'Science in the National Interest', which identified new national science goals. Two of the five goals are related to science communications: produce the finest scientists and engineers for the 21st century, and raise scientific and technological literacy of all Americans. In addition to the guidance and goals set forth by the Administration, NASA has been mandated by Congress under the 1958 Space Act to 'provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination concerning its activities and the results thereof'. In addition to addressing eight Goals and Plans which resulted from a January 1994 meeting between NASA and members of the broader scientific, education, and communications community on the Public Communication of NASA's Science, the Science Communications Working Group (SCWG) took a comprehensive look at the way the Agency communicates its science to ensure that any changes the Agency made were long-term improvements. The SCWG developed a Science Communications Strategy for NASA and a plan to implement the Strategy. This report outlines a strategy from which effective science communications programs can be developed and implemented across the agency. Guiding principles and strategic themes for the strategy are provided, with numerous recommendations for improvement discussed within the respective themes of leadership, coordination, integration, participation, leveraging, and evaluation.

NASA's Global Change Master Directory: Discover and Access Earth Science Data Sets, Related Data Services, and Climate Diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Aleman, Alicia; Olsen, Lola; Ritz, Scott; Morahan, Michael; Cepero, Laurel; Stevens, Tyler

2011-01-01

NASA's Global Change Master Directory provides the scientific community with the ability to discover, access, and use Earth science data, data-related services, and climate diagnostics worldwide. The GCMD offers descriptions of Earth science data sets using the Directory Interchange Format (DIF) metadata standard; Earth science related data services are described using the Service Entry Resource Format (SERF); and climate visualizations are described using the Climate Diagnostic (CD) standard. The DIF, SERF and CD standards each capture data attributes used to determine whether a data set, service, or climate visualization is relevant to a user's needs. Metadata fields include: title, summary, science keywords, service keywords, data center, data set citation, personnel, instrument, platform, quality, related URL, temporal and spatial coverage, data resolution and distribution information. In addition, nine valuable sets of controlled vocabularies have been developed to assist users in normalizing the search for data descriptions. An update to the GCMD's search functionality is planned to further capitalize on the controlled vocabularies during database queries. By implementing a dynamic keyword "tree", users will have the ability to search for data sets by combining keywords in new ways. This will allow users to conduct more relevant and efficient database searches to support the free exchange and re-use of Earth science data. http://gcmd.nasa.gov/

Forensic psychology and correctional psychology: Distinct but related subfields of psychological science and practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Neal, Tess M S

2018-02-12

This article delineates 2 separate but related subfields of psychological science and practice applicable across all major areas of the field (e.g., clinical, counseling, developmental, social, cognitive, community). Forensic and correctional psychology are related by their historical roots, involvement in the justice system, and the shared population of people they study and serve. The practical and ethical contexts of these subfields is distinct from other areas of psychology-and from one another-with important implications for ecologically valid research and ethically sound practice. Forensic psychology is a subfield of psychology in which basic and applied psychological science or scientifically oriented professional practice is applied to the law to help resolve legal, contractual, or administrative matters. Correctional psychology is a subfield of psychology in which basic and applied psychological science or scientifically oriented professional practice is applied to the justice system to inform the classification, treatment, and management of offenders to reduce risk and improve public safety. There has been and continues to be great interest in both subfields-especially the potential for forensic and correctional psychological science to help resolve practical issues and questions in legal and justice settings. This article traces the shared and separate developmental histories of these subfields, outlines their important distinctions and implications, and provides a common understanding and shared language for psychologists interested in applying their knowledge in forensic or correctional contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Science and technology roadmap for graphene, related two-dimensional crystals, and hybrid systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ferrari, Andrea C.; Bonaccorso, Francesco; Falko, Vladimir

2015-01-01

We present the science and technology roadmap (STR) for graphene, related twodimensional (2d) crystals, and hybrid systems, targeting an evolution in technology, that might lead to impacts and benefits reaching into most areas of society. The roadmap was developed within the framework of the Euro...

Recent Electric Propulsion Development Activities for NASA Science Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Pencil, Eric J.

2009-01-01

(The primary source of electric propulsion development throughout NASA is managed by the In-Space Propulsion Technology Project at the NASA Glenn Research Center for the Science Mission Directorate. The objective of the Electric Propulsion project area is to develop near-term electric propulsion technology to enhance or enable science missions while minimizing risk and cost to the end user. Major hardware tasks include developing NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT), developing a long-life High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HIVHAC), developing an advanced feed system, and developing cross-platform components. The objective of the NEXT task is to advance next generation ion propulsion technology readiness. The baseline NEXT system consists of a high-performance, 7-kW ion thruster; a high-efficiency, 7-kW power processor unit (PPU); a highly flexible advanced xenon propellant management system (PMS); a lightweight engine gimbal; and key elements of a digital control interface unit (DCIU) including software algorithms. This design approach was selected to provide future NASA science missions with the greatest value in mission performance benefit at a low total development cost. The objective of the HIVHAC task is to advance the Hall thruster technology readiness for science mission applications. The task seeks to increase specific impulse, throttle-ability and lifetime to make Hall propulsion systems applicable to deep space science missions. The primary application focus for the resulting Hall propulsion system would be cost-capped missions, such as competitively selected, Discovery-class missions. The objective of the advanced xenon feed system task is to demonstrate novel manufacturing techniques that will significantly reduce mass, volume, and footprint size of xenon feed systems over conventional feed systems. This task has focused on the development of a flow control module, which consists of a three-channel flow system based on a piezo-electrically actuated

Science supporting Gulf of Mexico oil-spill response, mitigation, and restoration activities-Assessment, monitoring, mapping, and coordination

Science.gov (United States)

Kindinger, Jack; Tihansky, Ann B.; Cimitile, Matthew

2011-01-01

The St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigates physical processes related to coastal and marine environments and societal implications related to natural hazards, resource sustainability, and environmental change. Immediately after the Deepwater Horizon event, the USGS began responding to data requests, directing response personnel, and providing coastal and shelf geophysical data to coastal-resource managers. The USGS provided oil-spill responders with up-to-date coastal bathymetry, geologic data, and maps characterizing vulnerability and levels of risk from potential spill impacts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Baseline conditions prior to any spill impacts were documented through programs that included shoreline sampling and sediment coring from east Texas to the east coast of Florida and aerial photography of many environmentally sensitive Gulf coastal areas. The USGS responded to numerous verbal and written data requests from Federal, State, and local partners and academic institutions with USGS scientific staff participating in the Coast Guard Unified Commands (UC) and Operational Science Advisory Teams (OSAT). The USGS conducted technical review of reports and plans for many response activities. Oil-spill responders, managers, and personnel on the ground, including partners such as the National Park Service, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Chandeleur Islands Refuge, and State agencies, continue to rely on USGS products.

Astrobiology Outreach and the Nature of Science: The Role of Creativity

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, Carol; Walter, Malcolm R.

2012-01-01

Abstract There is concern in many developed countries that school students are turning away from science. However, students may be choosing not to study science and dismissing the possibility of a scientific career because, in the junior secondary years, they gain a false view of science and the work of scientists. There is a disparity between science as it is portrayed at school and science as it is practiced. This paper describes a study to explore whether engaging in science through astrobiology outreach activities may improve students' understanding of the nature and processes of science, and how this may influence their interest in a career in science. The results suggest that the students attending these Mars research–related outreach activities are more interested in science than the average student but are lacking in understanding of aspects of the nature of science. A significant difference was detected between pre- and posttest understandings of some concepts of the nature of science. Key Words: Science education—School science—Creativity—Nature and processes of science—Attitudes—Astrobiology. Astrobiology 12, 1143–1153. PMID:23134090

A well-started beginning elementary teacher's beliefs and practices in relation to reform recommendations about inquiry-based science

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Avraamidou, Lucy

2017-01-01

Given reform recommendations emphasizing scientific inquiry and empirical evidence pointing to the difficulties beginning teachers face in enacting inquiry-based science, this study explores a well-started beginning elementary teacher's (Sofia) beliefs about inquiry-based science and related

Science Education at Riverside Middle School A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Smiley, Bettie Ann Pickens

For more than thirty years the gender gap in science and related careers has been a key concern of researchers, teachers, professional organizations, and policy makers. Despite indicators of progress for women and girls on some measures of achievement, course enrollment patterns, and employment, fewer women than men pursue college degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. According to the results of national assessments, the gender gap in science achievement begins to be evident in the middle school years. Gender and school science achievement involve a complex set of factors associated with schools and child/family systems that may include school leadership, institutional practices, curriculum content, teacher training programs, teacher expectations, student interests, parental involvement, and cultural values. This ethnographic case study was designed to explore the context for science education reform and the participation of middle school girls. The study analyzed and compared teaching strategies and female student engagement in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade science classrooms. The setting was a middle school situated in a district that was well-known for its achievement in reading, math, and technology. Findings from the study indicated that while classroom instruction was predominantly organized around traditional school science, the girls were more disciplined and outperformed the boys. The size of the classrooms, time to prepare for hands-on activities, and obtaining resources were identified as barriers to teaching science in ways that aligned with recent national science reform initiatives. Parents who participated in the study were very supportive of their daughters' academic progress and career goals. A few of the parents suggested that the school's science program include more hands-on activities; instruction designed for the advanced learner; and information related to future careers. Overall the teachers and

The Science of Chocolate: Interactive Activities on Phase Transitions, Emulsification, and Nucleation

Science.gov (United States)

Rowat, Amy C.; Hollar, Kathryn A.; Stone, Howard A.; Rosenberg, Daniel

2011-01-01

Nearly everyone loves chocolate, which makes this an excellent topic for communicating scientific concepts to the general public and to students in the classroom. Here we present the outline and activities for an interactive presentation on the science of chocolate for nonspecialists and their children ages 6 and up. We design the presentation…

Popularization of science and nuclear technology in Cordoba

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Hugo R.

2012-01-01

Whereas in our country's scientific and technological development are essentially in the hands of the State, conducting scientific outreach massive level, involve a degree of commitment by the state led to that effect. Responding to this premise, in 2012, took place in Cordoba some outdoors communication actions. This paper describes the main characteristics of them, specifying those aspects related to the spread of national nuclear activities within that framework. From a focus on science popularization and under the names of 'Scientific and Technological Cordoba Tourism' and 'Science and Technology in the popular events of Cordoba', dissemination events were held in places accessible to the public: beaches, rivers and pedestrian areas of the main cities of the province. It was organized by the Direction of Disclosure and Science Education, Ministry of Science and Technology of Cordoba, which called for researchers from participating institutions, among whom were those related to national nuclear activities. Simple experiments were presented, video projections, street and dissertations astronomical observations with discussion on various topics. The objective was to capitalize on the potential attractiveness of some physical and chemical phenomena curious, to summon people who were enjoying their free time. Those responsible for the activities were researchers, in several cases with doctoral level and calling for the release, as well as professionals in educational sciences. Some of the activities involved in the group's visit transcendent opportunity celebrations in the interior provincial, or events with massive public support. In the case of atomic energy the approach used was based on natural radioactivity and radiation. From the point of view of the results obtained, it can be said that the popularization of science and technology has begun to present itself as an alternative learning of citizenship, which has been well received

The psychological science of addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Gifford, Elizabeth; Humphreys, Keith

2007-03-01

To discuss the contributions and future course of the psychological science of addiction. The psychology of addiction includes a tremendous range of scientific activity, from the basic experimental laboratory through increasingly broad relational contexts, including patient-practitioner interactions, families, social networks, institutional settings, economics and culture. Some of the contributions discussed here include applications of behavioral principles, cognitive and behavioral neuroscience and the development and evaluation of addiction treatment. Psychology has at times been guilty of proliferating theories with relatively little pruning, and of overemphasizing intrapersonal explanations for human behavior. However, at its best, defined as the science of the individual in context, psychology is an integrated discipline using diverse methods well-suited to capture the multi-dimensional nature of addictive behavior. Psychology has a unique ability to integrate basic experimental and applied clinical science and to apply the knowledge gained from multiple levels of analysis to the pragmatic goal of reducing the prevalence of addiction.

It's not rocket science : developing pupils’ science talent in out-of-school science education for primary schools

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geveke, Carla

2017-01-01

Out-of-school science educational activities, such as school visits to a science center, aim at stimulating pupils’ science talent. Science talent is a developmental potential that takes the form of talented behaviors such as curiosity and conceptual understanding. This dissertation investigates

It's not rocket science : Developing pupils’ science talent in out-of-school science education for Primary Schools

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geveke, Catherina

2017-01-01

Out-of-school science educational activities, such as school visits to a science center, aim at stimulating pupils’ science talent. Science talent is a developmental potential that takes the form of talented behaviors such as curiosity and conceptual understanding. This dissertation investigates

A New Lens for Supporting and Studying Science Teacher Reflections: Situating the Self in the [Activity] System

Science.gov (United States)

Criswell, Brett; Calandra, Brendan; Puvirajah, Anton; Brantley-Dias, Laurie

2015-01-01

This paper presents a new lens for analyzing written reflections on the teaching experiences of pre-service [science] teachers. The lens, which borrows heavily from Activity Theory, allows science education researchers and teacher educators to identify tensions, disturbances, conflicts, and contradictions within teachers' written reflections as a…

Applications of Nuclear Science for Stewardship Science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cizewski, Jolie A

2013-01-01

Stewardship science is research important to national security interests that include stockpile stewardship science, homeland security, nuclear forensics, and non-proliferation. To help address challenges in stewardship science and workforce development, the Stewardship Science Academic Alliances (SSAA) was inaugurated ten years ago by the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U. S. Department of Energy. The goal was to enhance connections between NNSA laboratories and the activities of university scientists and their students in research areas important to NNSA, including low-energy nuclear science. This paper presents an overview of recent research in low-energy nuclear science supported by the Stewardship Science Academic Alliances and the applications of this research to stewardship science.

The role of public relations activities in hospital choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Tengilimoglu, Dilaver; Yesiltas, Mehmet; Kisa, Adnan; Dziegielewski, Sophia F

2007-01-01

Public relations activities for all organizations can have an important effect on consumer decision-making when buying goods or services. This study examines the effect that public relations activities can have regarding consumer decisions and choice. To explore exemplify this relationship a questionnaire was given to 971 patients within public, university and private hospitals in Ankara, Turkey. Study results show that public relations activities were a crucial factor in determining consumer hospital choice. The majority of respondents reported that the behaviors and attitude of personnel as public relations activities that support the hospital's reputation within the public were the primary variables in hospital choice. Health care managers can use these findings to further understand how patients make informed choices related to usage of a health care facility and to develop and/or improve public relations activities.

Factors significantly related to science achievement of Malaysian middle school students: An analysis of TIMSS 1999 data

Science.gov (United States)

Mokshein, Siti Eshah

The importance of science and technology in the global economy has led to growing emphasis on math and science achievement all over the world. In this study, I seek to identify variables at the student-level and school-level that account for the variation in science achievement of the eighth graders in Malaysia. Using the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) 1999 for Malaysia, a series of HLM analysis was performed. Results indicate that (1) variation in overall science achievement is greater between schools than within schools; (2) both the selected student-level and school-level factors are Important in explaining the variation in the eight graders' achievement In science; (3) the selected student-level variables explain about 13% of the variation in students' achievement within schools, but as an aggregate, they account for a much larger proportion of the between-school variance; (4) the selected school-level variables account for about 55% of the variation between schools; (5) within schools, the effects of self-concept In science, awareness of the social implications of science, gender, and home educational resources are significantly related to achievement; (6) the effects of self-concept in science and awareness of social implications of science are significant even after controlling for the effects of SES; (7) between schools, the effects of the mean of home educational resources, mean of parents' education, mean of awareness of the social implications of science, and emphasis on conducting experiments are significantly related to achievement; (8) the effects of SES variables explain about 50% of the variation in the school means achievement; and (9) the effects of emphasis on conducting experiments on achievement are significant even after controlling for the effects of SES. Since it is hard to change the society, it is recommended that efforts to Improve science achievement be focused more at the school-level, concentrating on variables that

Learning Environment, Attitudes and Achievement among Middle-School Science Students Using Inquiry-Based Laboratory Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, Stephen J.; Fraser, Barry J.

2008-01-01

This study compared inquiry and non-inquiry laboratory teaching in terms of students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment, attitudes toward science, and achievement among middle-school physical science students. Learning environment and attitude scales were found to be valid and related to each other for a sample of 1,434 students in…

Computer Science Research Institute 2004 annual report of activities.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeLap, Barbara J.; Womble, David Eugene; Ceballos, Deanna Rose

2006-03-01

This report summarizes the activities of the Computer Science Research Institute (CSRI) at Sandia National Laboratories during the period January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004. During this period the CSRI hosted 166 visitors representing 81 universities, companies and laboratories. Of these 65 were summer students or faculty. The CSRI partially sponsored 2 workshops and also organized and was the primary host for 4 workshops. These 4 CSRI sponsored workshops had 140 participants--74 from universities, companies and laboratories, and 66 from Sandia. Finally, the CSRI sponsored 14 long-term collaborative research projects and 5 Sabbaticals.

Computer Science Research Institute 2003 annual report of activities.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeLap, Barbara J.; Womble, David Eugene; Ceballos, Deanna Rose

2006-03-01

This report summarizes the activities of the Computer Science Research Institute (CSRI) at Sandia National Laboratories during the period January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2003. During this period the CSRI hosted 164 visitors representing 78 universities, companies and laboratories. Of these 78 were summer students or faculty members. The CSRI partially sponsored 5 workshops and also organized and was the primary host for 3 workshops. These 3 CSRI sponsored workshops had 178 participants--137 from universities, companies and laboratories, and 41 from Sandia. Finally, the CSRI sponsored 18 long-term collaborative research projects and 5 Sabbaticals.

Computer Science Research Institute 2005 annual report of activities.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watts, Bernadette M.; Collis, Samuel Scott; Ceballos, Deanna Rose; Womble, David Eugene

2008-04-01

This report summarizes the activities of the Computer Science Research Institute (CSRI) at Sandia National Laboratories during the period January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2005. During this period, the CSRI hosted 182 visitors representing 83 universities, companies and laboratories. Of these, 60 were summer students or faculty. The CSRI partially sponsored 2 workshops and also organized and was the primary host for 3 workshops. These 3 CSRI sponsored workshops had 105 participants, 78 from universities, companies and laboratories, and 27 from Sandia. Finally, the CSRI sponsored 12 long-term collaborative research projects and 3 Sabbaticals.

A quantitative evaluation of the relative status of journal and conference publications in computer science.

OpenAIRE

Coyle, Lorcan; Freyne, Jill; Smyth, Barry; Cunningham, Padraig

2010-01-01

While it is universally held by computer scientists that conference publications have a higher status in computer science than in other disciplines there is little quantitative evidence in support of this position. The importance of journal publications in academic promotion makes this a big issue since an exclusive focus on journal papers will miss many significant papers published at conferences in computer science. In this paper we set out to quantify the relative importance of journ...

Enhancing Teachers' Awareness About Relations Between Science and Religion. The Debate Between Steady State and Big Bang Theories

Science.gov (United States)

Bagdonas, Alexandre; Silva, Cibelle Celestino

2015-11-01

Educators advocate that science education can help the development of more responsible worldviews when students learn not only scientific concepts, but also about science, or "nature of science". Cosmology can help the formation of worldviews because this topic is embedded in socio-cultural and religious issues. Indeed, during the Cold War period, the cosmological controversy between Big Bang and Steady State theory was tied up with political and religious arguments. The present paper discusses a didactic sequence developed for and applied in a pre-service science teacher-training course on history of science. After studying the historical case, pre-service science teachers discussed how to deal with possible conflicts between scientific views and students' personal worldviews related to religion. The course focused on the study of primary and secondary sources about cosmology and religion written by cosmologists such as Georges Lemaître, Fred Hoyle and the Pope Pius XII. We used didactic strategies such as short seminars given by groups of pre-service teachers, videos, computer simulations, role-play, debates and preparation of written essays. Along the course, most pre-service teachers emphasized differences between science and religion and pointed out that they do not feel prepared to conduct classroom discussions about this topic. Discussing the relations between science and religion using the history of cosmology turned into an effective way to teach not only science concepts but also to stimulate reflections about nature of science. This topic may contribute to increasing students' critical stance on controversial issues, without the need to explicitly defend certain positions, or disapprove students' cultural traditions. Moreover, pre-service teachers practiced didactic strategies to deal with this kind of unusual content.

Disentangling longitudinal relations between physical activity, work-related fatigue, and task demands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, J.D. de; Claessens, B.J.C.; Hooff, M.L.M. van; Geurts, S.A.E.; Bossche, S.N.J. van den; Kompier, A.J.

2016-01-01

Purpose This longitudinal study examined ‘normal’, ‘reversed’, and ‘reciprocal’ relationships between (1) physical activity and work-related fatigue; and (2) physical activity and task demands. Furthermore, the effects of across-time change in meaningful physical activity groups on levels of

Science and Orthodox Christianity:

Science.gov (United States)

Nicolaidis, Efthymios; Delli, Eudoxie; Livanos, Nikolaos; Tampakis, Kostas; Vlahakis, George

2016-09-01

This essay offers an overview of the history of the relations between science and Eastern Christianity based on Greek-language sources. The civilizations concerned are the Byzantine Empire, the Christian Orthodox communities of the Ottoman Empire, and modern Greece, as a case study of a national state. Beginning with the Greek Church Fathers, the essay investigates the ideas of theologians and scholars on nature. Neoplatonism, the theological debates of Iconoclasm and Hesychasm, the proposed union of the Eastern and Western Churches, and the complex relations with the Hellenic past all had notable impacts on the conception of science held by the Byzantine Orthodox. From the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, the Christian Orthodox world did not actively participate in the making of the new science that was developing in modern Europe. It had to deal with the assimilation of scientific ideas produced by Western Christianity, and its main concern was the “legitimacy” of knowledge that did not originate directly from its own spiritual tradition. Finally, with regard to the Greek state, beyond the specific points of contact between the sciences and Orthodox Christianity—pertaining, for example, to materialism, evolution, and the calendar—the essay presents the constant background engagement with religion visible in most public pronouncements of scientists and intellectuals.

Intermediate Trends in Math and Science Partnership-Related Changes in Student Achievement with Management Information System Data

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrov, Dimiter M.

2009-01-01

This substudy in the evaluation design of the Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Program Evaluation examines student proficiency in mathematics and science for the MSPs' schools in terms of changes across three years (2003/04, 2004/05, and 2005/06) and relationships with MSP-related variables using Management Information System data with the…

Science access, career choices, achievement, and motivation: Perceptions of female science olympians

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Kelly Rae

Women remain under-represented in science career fields and this is especially evident in the physical sciences. Female students maintain equal science interest and achievement to male students in elementary school but by middle and high school they fall behind their male peers. Reasons cited for girls' declining interest in science include battling traditional gender stereotypes, lack of encouragement, and lack of female role models. Four main science concerns related to girls/women as indicated by research literature were science access, career choices, achievement, and motivation. In Georgia, some girls have made a break from the research trends by demonstrating their fervor for science through participation in the academic activity, Science Olympiad. The purpose of this study was to examine the science perceptions of girls who demonstrated science success by their participation in Science Olympiad. Utilizing phenomenological and feminist perspectives, the qualitative research method of focus group interviewing was used to address the research questions comprising the four science concerns of female science access, career choices, achievement, and motivation. The study participants were all girls/women who participated in Science Olympiad. A total of five focus groups were studied. One of the focus groups had current college undergraduates, former Science Olympians, in it while the others were composed of high school girls. Through the description of their science experiences, the participants shared their perceptions of the four science concerns. When addressing these science concerns, the participants revealed four factors that had most affected their science perceptions: the importance of support, science needs Serious Fun, teachers matter, and the bonuses of extracurricular involvement. In their experiences, the participants found success in science because they had teachers, parents, and peers who supported their academic interests, including science, and

Materials science symposium 'heavy ion science in tandem energy region'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikezoe, Hiroshi; Yoshida, Tadashi; Takeuchi, Suehiro

2003-10-01

The facility of the JAERI tandem accelerator and its booster has been contributing to advancing heavy ion science researches in the fields of nuclear physics, nuclear chemistry, atomic and solid state physics and materials science, taking advantage of its prominent performances in providing various heavy ions. This meeting, as well as the previous ones held twice, offered scientists from the fields of heavy ion science, including nuclear physics, solid-state physics and cross-field physics, an opportunity to have active discussions among them, as well as to review their research accomplishments in the last two years. Oral presentations were selected from a wider scope of prospective fields, expecting a new step of advancing in heavy ion science. Main topics of the meeting were the status of the JAERI-KEK joint project of developing a radioactive nuclear beam (RNB) facility and research programs related to the RNB. This meeting was held at Advanced Science Research Center in JAERI-Tokai on January 8th and 9th in 2003, and successfully carried out with as many as 190 participants and a lot of sincere discussions. The proceedings are presented in this report. The 51 of the presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

Activity-related parenting practices: development of the Parenting Related to Activity Measure (PRAM) and links with mothers' eating psychopathology and compulsive exercise beliefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Haycraft, Emma; Powell, Faye; Meyer, Caroline

2015-01-01

This is a two-study paper that developed a measure to assess parenting practices related to children's physical activity and explored maternal predictors of such parenting practices. Study 1: A self-report measure of parents' activity-related practices (the Parenting Related to Activity Measure) was developed, and a principal component analysis was carried out using data from 233 mothers of 4.5- to 9-year-old children. The results supported a six-factor model and yielded the following subscales: Responsibility/monitoring; Activity regulation; Control of active behaviours; Overweight concern; Rewarding parenting; and Pressure to exercise. Study 2: Mothers (N = 170) completed the Parenting Related to Activity Measure, alongside measures of eating psychopathology and compulsive exercise, to identify predictors of activity-related parenting practices. Mothers' eating psychopathology and exercise beliefs predicted activity parenting practices with their sons and daughters, but different predictors were seen for mothers of daughters versus sons. Mothers' eating and exercise attitudes are important predictors of their activity-related parenting practices, particularly with girls. Identifying early interactions around activity/exercise could be important in preventing the development of problematic beliefs about exercise, which are often a key symptom of eating disorders. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

High School Physics Students' Personal Epistemologies and School Science Practice

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Alpaslan, Muhammet Mustafa; Yalvac, Bugrahan; Loving, Cathleen

2017-11-01

This case study explores students' physics-related personal epistemologies in school science practices. The school science practices of nine eleventh grade students in a physics class were audio-taped over 6 weeks. The students were also interviewed to find out their ideas on the nature of scientific knowledge after each activity. Analysis of transcripts yielded several epistemological resources that students activated in their school science practice. The findings show that there is inconsistency between students' definitions of scientific theories and their epistemological judgments. Analysis revealed that students used several epistemological resources to decide on the accuracy of their data including accuracy via following the right procedure and accuracy via what the others find. Traditional, formulation-based, physics instruction might have led students to activate naive epistemological resources that prevent them to participate in the practice of science in ways that are more meaningful. Implications for future studies are presented.

Connecting university science experiences to middle school science teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Gordon; Laughran, Laura; Tamppari, Ray; Thomas, Perry

1991-06-01

Science teachers naturally rely on their university science experiences as a foundation for teaching middle school science. This foundation consists of knowledge far too complex for the middle level students to comprehend. In order for middle school science teachers to utilize their university science training they must search for ways to adapt their college experiences into appropriate middle school learning experience. The criteria set forth above provide broad-based guidelines for translating university science laboratory experiences into middle school activities. These guidelines are used by preservice teachers in our project as they identify, test, and organize a resource file of hands-on inquiry activities for use in their first year classrooms. It is anticipated that this file will provide a basis for future curriculum development as the teacher becomes more comfortable and more experienced in teaching hands-on science. The presentation of these guidelines is not meant to preclude any other criteria or considerations which a teacher or science department deems important. This is merely one example of how teachers may proceed to utilize their advanced science training as a basis for teaching middle school science.

Technology in the curriculum: A vehicle for the development of children's understanding of science concepts through problem solving

Science.gov (United States)

Jane, Beverley; Smith, Leanne

1992-12-01

This research was carried out over a period of ten months with children in Grades 2 and 3 (aged 7 and 8) who were participating in a sequence of technology activities. Since the introduction into Victorian primary schools of The Technology Studies Framework P-10 (Crawford, 1988), more teachers are including technology studies in their classrooms and by so doing may assist children's understanding of science concepts. Children are being exposed to science phenomena related to the technology activities and Technology Studies may be a way of providing children with science experiences. ‘Technology Studies’ in this context refers to children carrying out practical problem solving tasks which can be completed without any particular scientific knowledge. Participation in the technology activities may encourage children to become actively involved, thereby facilitating an exploration of the related science concepts. The project identified the importance of challenge in relation to the children's involvement in the technology activities and the conference paper (available from the first author) discusses particular topics in terms of the balance between cognitive/metacognitive and affective influences (Baird et al., 1990)

Perceptions of Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, and Possible Consequences Relate Mainly to Self-Valuation of Science Knowledge.

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael; Pittfield, Taryn; Jeitner, Christian

2016-05-01

This study examines perceptions of climate change and sea level rise in New Jersey residents in 2012 and 2014. Different surveys have shown declines in interest and concern about climate change and sea level rise. Climate change and increasing temperatures have an anthropogenic cause, which relates to energy use, making it important to examine whether people believe that it is occurring. In late 2012 New Jersey experienced Super storm Sandy, one of the worst hurricanes in its history, followed by public discussion and media coverage of stronger more frequent storms due to climate change. Using structured interviews, we tested the null hypotheses that there were no differences in perceptions of 1260 interviewees as a function of year of the survey, age, gender, years of education, and self-evaluation of science knowledge (on a scale of 1 to 5). In 2012 460 of 639 (72%) rated "global warming occurring" as "certain" (#4) or "very certain" (#5) compared with 453 of 621 (73%) in 2014. For "due to human activities" the numbers of "certain" or "very certain" were 71% in 2012, and 67% in 2014 and for sea level rise the numbers were 64% and 70%. There were some inconsistent between-year differences with higher ratings in 2012 for 3 outcomes and higher ratings in 2014 for 5 outcomes. However, for 25 questions relative to climate change, sea level rise, and the personal and ecological effects of sea level rise, self-evaluation of science knowledge, independent of years of education, was the factor that entered 23 of the models, accounting for the most variability in ratings. People who believed they had a "high knowledge" (#4) or "very high knowledge" (#5) of science rated all issues as more important than did those people who rated their own scientific knowledge as average or below average.

White paper on science and technology, 1997. Striving for an open research community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

This report concerns the policy measures intended to promote science and technology, pursuant to Article 8 of the Science and Technology Basic Law (Law No. 130), enacted in 1995. This report is constituted from three parts. Part 1 and 2 discuss trends in a wide range of scientific and technological activities to help the reader understand the policy measures implemented to promote science and technology, which are then discussed in Part 3. Part 1, titled 'striving for an open research community', attempt an analysis of reform and current and future issues addressed in the Science and Technology Basic Plan, which was enacted in July, 1996. Part 2 uses various data to compare scientific and technological activities in Japan with those in other selected countries. Part 3 relates to policies implanted for the promotion of science and technology in the Science and Technology Agency, Japan Government. Here is described on science and technology policy development, development of comprehensive and systematic policies and promotion of research activities. (G.K.)

Using Family Science Day Events to Inspire Future Scientists

Science.gov (United States)

Brevik, Corinne

2015-04-01

Dickinson State University organizes four Family Science Day events each fall to increase student engagement in the sciences. Offered on Saturday afternoons, each event focuses on a different science-related theme. Families can attend these events free of charge, and the kids participate in a large-variety of hands-on activities which center around the event's theme. Previous themes include The Amazing Telescope, Night of the Titanic, Dinosaur Prophecy, and Space Exploration. These events are amazing opportunities to show young children how much fun science can be. Many of the kids come from schools where science is neither interactive nor engaging. The activities help the children learn that science is a process of discovery that helps us better understand the world around us. University students staff all of the activity booths at these events, and this has proven to be a very valuable experience for them as well. Some of the students who help are majoring in a science field, and for them, the experience teaches public communication. They learn to break complicated concepts down into simpler terms that young kids can understand. Other students who help with these events are not science majors but may be taking a science course as part of their college curriculum. For these students, the experience reinforces various concepts that they are learning in their science class. For many of them, it also opens their eyes to the idea that science can be engaging. Some of them even discover that they have a true gift for teaching.

How can ethics relate to science? The case of stem cell research.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Ana Sofia; Ramalho-Santos, João

2013-06-01

We live in an era of an important turning point in the relationship between ethics (or, more accurately, bioethics) and science, notably due to both public interest and the gradual tightening of the gap in time between scientific discoveries and ethical reflection. The current bioethics debates of emerging situations (pluripotent stem cells, gene therapy, nanotechnology) have undoubtedly contributed to this change. Today, science happens and bioethics reflects on the possibilities, considers the risks, and advances proposals, which, without being scientific, can also imprint a mark on the path of scientific development. In this article, through the narrative of stem cell research, we will try to illustrate how bringing a bioethical viewpoint to the scientific debate can become a healthy exercise in both ethics and science, especially as narratives shift, as was the case in this field due to the introduction of induced pluripotent stem cells, the advent of which is not easily dissociated from the controversies related to embryo research. We should perhaps welcome this trend as promising for the future relationship between ethics and scientific research, providing a stimulus (and not a block) to the ever-evolving scientific discourse.

Examination of Science and Technology Teachers’ Attitude and Opinions Related Giftedness and Gifted Education in Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kürşat KUNT

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, it is aimed to examine the Science and Technology teachers’ attitude and views related giftedness and gifted education. This research used both qualitative and quantitative research designs, is a mixed pattern research. The study group of the research consists of 111 Science and Technology teachers in the academic year 2011- 2012 in the province of A. These participants were applied Teacher Attitude Scale towards Gifted Education (TASGE as collection of quantitative data. For obtaining qualitative data, semi-structured interview was used with four science and technology teachers. For the analysis of quantitative data, percentage, frequency, t-test and analysis of variance were used. The data obtained from the interview were subjected to content analysis. As a result, science and technology teachers' attitudes towards gifted education were found to be slightly above the undecided attitude. In addition, science and technology teachers stated that supportive education for gifted children in Science and Art Centers (SACs was insufficient and they adequately could not cooperated with this institution.

Relation Between Higher Physical Activity and Public Transit Use

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Vernez Moudon, Anne; Kang, Bumjoon; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Zhou, Chuan

2014-01-01

Objectives. We isolated physical activity attributable to transit use to examine issues of substitution between types of physical activity and potential confounding of transit-related walking with other walking. Methods. Physical activity and transit use data were collected in 2008 to 2009 from 693 Travel Assessment and Community study participants from King County, Washington, equipped with an accelerometer, a portable Global Positioning System, and a 7-day travel log. Physical activity was classified into transit- and non–transit-related walking and nonwalking time. Analyses compared physical activity by type between transit users and nonusers, between less and more frequent transit users, and between transit and nontransit days for transit users. Results. Transit users had more daily overall physical activity and more total walking than did nontransit users but did not differ on either non–transit-related walking or nonwalking physical activity. Most frequent transit users had more walking time than least frequent transit users. Higher physical activity levels for transit users were observed only on transit days, with 14.6 minutes (12.4 minutes when adjusted for demographics) of daily physical activity directly linked with transit use. Conclusions. Because transit use was directly related to higher physical activity, future research should examine whether substantive increases in transit access and use lead to more physical activity and related health improvements. PMID:24625142

Toulmin's argument pattern as a "horizon of possibilities" in the study of argumentation in science education

Science.gov (United States)

Erduran, Sibel

2018-01-01

Kim and Roth (this issue) purport to draw on the social-psychological theory of L. S. Vygotsky in order to investigate social relations in children's argumentation in science topics. The authors argue that the argumentation framework offered by Stephen Toulmin is limited in addressing social relations. The authors thus criticize Toulmin's Argument Pattern (TAP) as an analytical tool and propose to investigate the genesis of evidence-related practices (especially burden of proof) in second- and third-grade children by studying dialogical interactions. In this paper, I illustrate how Toulmin's framework can contribute to (a) the study of "social relations", and (b) provide an example utilizing a theoretical framework on social relations, namely Engeström's Activity Theory framework, and (c) describe how we have used the Activity Theory along with TAP in order to understand the development of argumentation in the practices of science educators. Overall, I will argue that TAP is not inherently incapable of addressing social relational aspects of argumentation in science education but rather that science education researchers can transform theoretical tools such as Toulmin's framework intended for other purposes for use in science education research.

Health status, physical activity, and orthorexia nervosa: A comparison between exercise science students and business students.

Science.gov (United States)

Malmborg, Julia; Bremander, Ann; Olsson, M Charlotte; Bergman, Stefan

2017-02-01

Orthorexia nervosa is described as an exaggerated fixation on healthy food. It is unclear whether students in health-oriented academic programs, highly focused on physical exercise, are more prone to develop orthorexia nervosa than students in other educational areas. The aim was to compare health status, physical activity, and frequency of orthorexia nervosa between university students enrolled in an exercise science program (n = 118) or a business program (n = 89). The students completed the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and ORTO-15, which defines orthorexia nervosa as a sensitive and obsessive behavior towards healthy nutrition. The SF-36 showed that exercise science students scored worse than business students regarding bodily pain (72.8 vs. 82.5; p = 0.001), but better regarding general health (83.1 vs. 77.1; p = 0.006). Of 188 students, 144 (76.6%) had an ORTO-15 score indicating orthorexia nervosa, with a higher proportion in exercise science students than in business students (84.5% vs. 65.4%; p = 0.002). Orthorexia nervosa in combination with a high level of physical activity was most often seen in men in exercise science studies and less often in women in business studies (45.1% vs. 8.3%; p orthorexia nervosa in exercise science students may cause problems in the future, since they are expected to coach others in healthy living. Our findings may be valuable in the development of health-oriented academic programs and within student healthcare services. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outrageous Outreach — Unconventional Ways of Communicating Science

Science.gov (United States)

Sandu, O.; Christensen, L. L.

2011-07-01

The golden rule of communication, advertising, public relations and marketing is "follow your target group". In this article, we look at how this mantra is applied in science communication and public outreach. Do we really follow our target groups? Do we regularly research the behaviour, interests and preferences of the individuals behind the demographic categories? Or do we just believe that we are following them when in fact we are "preaching to the converted" — the demographic group that is already intrinsically interested in science and actively scours the science sections of the national newspapers?

Can a Three-Day Training Focusing on the Nature of Science and Science Practices as They Relate to Mind in the Making Make a Difference in Preschool Teachers' Self-Efficacy Engaging in Science Education?

Science.gov (United States)

Meacham, Colleen

As technology and our world understanding develop, we will need citizens who are able to ask and answer questions that have not been thought of yet. Currently, high school and college graduates entering the workforce demonstrate a gap in their ability to develop unique solutions and fill the current technology-driven jobs. To address this gap, science needs to be prioritized early in children's lives. The focus of this research was to analyze a science training program that would help pre-school teachers better understand Mind in the Making life skills, the nature of science, science practices, and improve their self-efficacy integrating science education into their classrooms and curriculum. Seventy-one teachers enrolled in two three-day, professional development trainings that were conducted over three, five-hour sessions approximately one month apart... During that training the teachers learned hands-on activities for young children that introduced life and physical science content. They were also given the task of developing and implementing a science-based lesson for their students and then analyzing it with other participants. The information from the lesson plans was collected for analysis. After the last training the teachers were given a pre/post retrospective survey to measure effective outcomes. The results from the lesson plans and surveys indicate that the trainings helped improve the teachers' understanding of Mind in the Making, the nature of science, and science practices. The results also show that the teachers felt more comfortable integrating science education into their classrooms and curriculum.

Career-Related Instruction Promoting Students' Career Awareness and Interest towards Science Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Salonen, Anssi; Kärkkäinen, Sirpa; Keinonen, Tuula

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate how career-related instruction implemented in secondary school chemistry education concerning water issues influences students' career awareness and their interest towards science learning. This case study is part of a larger design-based research study for the EU-MultiCO project, which focuses on promoting…

[Activities of Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Anthony R. (Technical Monitor); Leiner, Barry M.

2001-01-01

The Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS) carries out basic research and technology development in computer science, in support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations missions. RIACS is located at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. RIACS research focuses on the three cornerstones of IT research necessary to meet the future challenges of NASA missions: 1. Automated Reasoning for Autonomous Systems Techniques are being developed enabling spacecraft that will be self-guiding and self-correcting to the extent that they will require little or no human intervention. Such craft will be equipped to independently solve problems as they arise, and fulfill their missions with minimum direction from Earth. 2. Human-Centered Computing Many NASA missions require synergy between humans and computers, with sophisticated computational aids amplifying human cognitive and perceptual abilities. 3. High Performance Computing and Networking Advances in the performance of computing and networking continue to have major impact on a variety of NASA endeavors, ranging from modeling and simulation to analysis of large scientific datasets to collaborative engineering, planning and execution. In addition, RIACS collaborates with NASA scientists to apply IT research to a variety of NASA application domains. RIACS also engages in other activities, such as workshops, seminars, visiting scientist programs and student summer programs, designed to encourage and facilitate collaboration between the university and NASA IT research communities.

Enhancing Diversity in Undergraduate Science: Self-Efficacy Drives Performance Gains with Active Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Ballen, Cissy J.; Wieman, Carl; Salehi, Shima; Searle, Jeremy B.; Zamudio, Kelly R.

2017-01-01

Efforts to retain underrepresented minority (URM) students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have shown only limited success in higher education, due in part to a persistent achievement gap between students from historically underrepresented and well-represented backgrounds. To test the hypothesis that active learning…

An Inquiry-Based Science Activity Centred on the Effects of Climate Change on Ocean Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Boaventura, Diana; Guilherme, Elsa; Faria, Cláudia

2016-01-01

We propose an inquiry-based science activity centred on the effects of climate change on ocean ecosystems. This activity can be used to improve acquisition of knowledge on the effects of climate change and to promote inquiry skills, such as researching, reading and selecting relevant information, identifying a problem, focusing on a research…

Life Sciences Division annual report, 1988

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marrone, B.L.; Cram, L.S. (comps.)

1989-04-01

This report summarizes the research and development activities of Los Alamos National Laboratory's Life Sciences Division for the calendar year 1988. Technical reports related to the current status of projects are presented in sufficient detail to permit the informed reader to assess their scope and significance. Summaries useful to the casual reader desiring general information have been prepared by the Group Leaders and appear in each group overview. Investigators on the staff of the Life Sciences Division will be pleased to provide further information.

Life Sciences Division annual report, 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marrone, B.L.; Cram, L.S.

1989-04-01

This report summarizes the research and development activities of Los Alamos National Laboratory's Life Sciences Division for the calendar year 1988. Technical reports related to the current status of projects are presented in sufficient detail to permit the informed reader to assess their scope and significance. Summaries useful to the casual reader desiring general information have been prepared by the Group Leaders and appear in each group overview. Investigators on the staff of the Life Sciences Division will be pleased to provide further information

Science Policies as principal-agent games; Institutionalization and path dependency in the relation between government and science

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Meulen, Barend

1998-01-01

National science policies seem to converge in policing the double-edged problem of how to get policy and industry interested in the conduct of science and how to get science interested in the problems of policy and industry. However, similarity in the labels of institutes and instruments for science

Life Sciences Centrifuge Facility assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, Robert H.

1994-01-01

This report provides an assessment of the status of the Centrifuge Facility being developed by ARC for flight on the International Space Station Alpha. The assessment includes technical status, schedules, budgets, project management, performance of facility relative to science requirements, and identifies risks and issues that need to be considered in future development activities.

Determination of Pre-Service Science Teachers' Level of Awareness of Environmental Ethics in Relation to Different Variables

Science.gov (United States)

Keles, Özgül; Özer, Nilgün

2016-01-01

The purpose of the current study is to determine the pre-service science teachers' awareness levels of environmental ethics in relation to different variables. The sampling of the present study is comprised of 1,023 third and fourth year pre-service science teachers selected from 12 different universities in the spring term of 2013-2014 academic…

Collaborative CPD and inquiry-based science in the classroom

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Birgitte Lund

on the teaching of science and on collaboration. Qualitative data obtained by following the same teacher teaching Science & Technology from 4th to 6th grade are used to discuss changes in her classroom practice; in particular concerning inquiry-based methods shown in earlier QUEST-research to be understood......Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is crucial for reforming science teaching, but more knowledge is needed about how to embed CPD in teachers’ daily work. The Danish QUEST-project is a long-term collaborative CPD-project designed informed by research and with activities changing rhythmically...... between seminars, individual trials in own classroom, and collaborative activities in the science-team at local schools. The QUEST research is aimed at understanding the relation between individual and social changes. In this study, quantitative data are used to compare the perceived effect from QUEST...

Constructing a philosophy of science of cognitive science.

Science.gov (United States)

Bechtel, William

2009-07-01

Philosophy of science is positioned to make distinctive contributions to cognitive science by providing perspective on its conceptual foundations and by advancing normative recommendations. The philosophy of science I embrace is naturalistic in that it is grounded in the study of actual science. Focusing on explanation, I describe the recent development of a mechanistic philosophy of science from which I draw three normative consequences for cognitive science. First, insofar as cognitive mechanisms are information-processing mechanisms, cognitive science needs an account of how the representations invoked in cognitive mechanisms carry information about contents, and I suggest that control theory offers the needed perspective on the relation of representations to contents. Second, I argue that cognitive science requires, but is still in search of, a catalog of cognitive operations that researchers can draw upon in explaining cognitive mechanisms. Last, I provide a new perspective on the relation of cognitive science to brain sciences, one which embraces both reductive research on neural components that figure in cognitive mechanisms and a concern with recomposing higher-level mechanisms from their components and situating them in their environments. Copyright © 2009 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Features of Active Stress Overcoming Behavior among Civil Servants and Students of Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T S Pilishvili

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The study is devoted to the active overcoming of everyday stress by civil servants and students of Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty, focused on a similar professional activity. Different behavioral coping strategies are shown in terms of personal activity and their relationship with vitality.

Integrating art into science education: a survey of science teachers' practices

Science.gov (United States)

Turkka, Jaakko; Haatainen, Outi; Aksela, Maija

2017-07-01

Numerous case studies suggest that integrating art and science education could engage students with creative projects and encourage students to express science in multitude of ways. However, little is known about art integration practices in everyday science teaching. With a qualitative e-survey, this study explores the art integration of science teachers (n = 66). A pedagogical model for science teachers' art integration emerged from a qualitative content analysis conducted on examples of art integration. In the model, art integration is characterised as integration through content and activities. Whilst the links in the content were facilitated either directly between concepts and ideas or indirectly through themes or artefacts, the integration through activity often connected an activity in one domain and a concept, idea or artefact in the other domain with the exception of some activities that could belong to both domains. Moreover, the examples of art integration in everyday classroom did not include expression of emotions often associated with art. In addition, quantitative part of the survey confirmed that integration is infrequent in all mapped areas. The findings of this study have implications for science teacher education that should offer opportunities for more consistent art integration.

Liaison activities with the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences: FY 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delegard, C.H.; Elovich, R.J.

1997-09-01

The Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences is conducting a program of fundamental and applied research into the chemistry of the actinides and technetium in alkaline media such as are present in the Hanford Site underground waste storage tanks. This work is being coordinated and the results disseminated through a technical liaison maintained at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The technical liaison is performing laboratory studies on plutonium chemistry in alkaline media. The activities at the Institute of Physical Chemistry and through the liaison are pursued to improve understanding of the chemical behavior of key long-lived radioactive elements under current operating and proposed tank waste processing conditions. Both activities are supported by the Efficient Separations and Processing Crosscutting Program under the Office of Science and Technology of the U.S. Department of Energy

National Center for Mathematics and Science - links to related sites

Science.gov (United States)

Mathematics and Science (NCISLA) HOME | WHAT WE DO | K-12 EDUCATION RESEARCH | PUBLICATIONS | TEACHER Modeling Middle School Mathematics National Association of Biology Teachers National Association for Mathematics National Science Teachers Assocation Show-Me Center Summit on Science TERC - Weaving Gender Equity

The Role of Informal Science Centers in Science Education: Attitudes, Skills, and Self-efficacy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irit Sasson

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Informal learning relates to activities that occur outside the school environment. These learning environments, such as visits to science centers provide valuable motivational opportunities for students to learn science. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the pre-academic center in science education and particularly to explore its effects on 750 middle-school students' attitudes toward science, their scientific thinking skills and self-efficacy. Pre and post-case based questionnaires were designed to assess the students’ higher order thinking skills – inquiry, graphing, and argumentation. In addition, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to assess students' attitudes and self-efficacy. The research results indicated a positive effect of the pre-academic science center activities on scientific thinking skills. A significant improvement in the students' inquiry and graphing skills was found, yet non significant differences were found in argumentation skill. The students significantly improved their ability to ask research questions based on reading a scientific text, and to describe and analyze research results that were presented graphically. While no significant differences were found between girls and boys in the pre-questionnaire, in the post-questionnaire the girls' scores in inquiry skill were significantly higher than boys' scores. Increases in students' positive attitudes toward science and self-efficacy were found but the results were not statistically significant. However, the program length was found to be an important variable that affects achievement of educational goals. A three-dimension-based framework is suggested to characterize learning environments: organizational, psychological, and pedagogical.

Inquiry Coaching: Scientists & Science Educators Energizing the Next Generation

Science.gov (United States)

Shope, R. E.; Alcantara Valverde, L.

2007-05-01

A recent National Academy of Sciences report recommends that science educators focus strategically on teaching the practice of science. To accomplish this, we have devised and implemented the Science Performance Laboratory, a collaborative research, education, and workforce model that brings scientists and science educators together to conduct scientific inquiry. In this session, we demonstrate how to form active inquiry teams around Arctica Science Research content areas related to the International Polar Year. We use the term "Arctica Science Research" to refer to the entire scope of exploration and discovery relating to: polar science and its global connections; Arctic and Antarctic research and climate sciences; ice and cryospheric studies on Earth; polar regions of the Moon, Mars, and Mercury; icy worlds throughout the Solar System, such as Europa, Enceladus, Titan, Pluto and the Comets; cryovolcanism; ice in interstellar space, and beyond. We apply the notion of teaching the practice science by enacting three effective strategies: 1) The Inquiry Wheel Game, in which we develop an expanded understanding of what has been traditionally taught as "the scientific method"; 2) Acting Out the Science Story, in which we develop a physicalized expression of our conceptual understanding; and 3) Selecting Success Criteria for Inquiry Coaching, in which we reframe how we evaluate science learning as we teach the practice of science.

Social Relations of Science and Technology: perceptions of teachers of technical training, PARFOR course participants

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