Formation Of Scientific Concepts Research Articles

Establishment of Physical Science in Precarpathia: Events and Characters

The question of the development of physical science in the Carpathian region (end of the 18th - beginning of the 21st century) was studied, starting from the Tsar's Royal Gymnasium, organized in 1784, to the creation of a teacher's institute in 1940 in the city of Stanislaviv (Ivano-Frankivsk) and its gradual transformation into Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University. The role of science education and especially physics in the formation of a cohort of modern specialists, necessary for the restoration of the country and its rapid technological development, is indicated. The progress of physical education in Stanislaviv (Ivano-Frankivsk) and the development of methodological and organizational foundations for the training of future physics teachers is considered against the background of the dramatic historical and political transformations of the region in the period under study. It is shown that the beginning of the development of learning and teaching of physics was already laid in the activities of numerous gymnasium-type educational institutions, which were organized in the city since the 18th century and became training bases for future teachers or scientists, in particular natural sciences. Special attention is focused on the defining role of outstanding characters of scientists and pedagogues-physicists who made a significant contribution to the formation of modern scientific and pedagogical schools and concepts: professors Viktor Dushchenko, Petr Kyrychka, Ivan Kucheruk, Dmytro Freik, Ivan Klymyshyn, Bohdan Ostafiychuk. Despite the initiation and development of scientific directions, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University remains an important center for the development of pedagogical ideas and innovations in the field of natural sciences and comprehensively contributes to the improvement of the methodology and didactics of physics at various levels.

Building Scientific Knowledge in English: Integrating Content, Cognition and Communication in Secondary School CLIL Biology

Background: The focus of this paper is on Dalton-Puffer’s construct of the Cognitive Discourse Function (cdf) (2013), which offers clil teachers a practical framework through which they can more easily understand the complex idea of integrating the content, cognition, and language required for their subject. These functions have mainly been addressed from classroom observations or task prompts, and little is known about their teachability and effectiveness on students’ content knowledge.
 Purpose: This paper explores whether the cdf of ‘comparing’ (a subcategory of ‘classify’) can be taught to Spanish seventh-grade clil biology students (N = 37) and examines the effect of teaching it explicitly on their written performance.
 Method: An operational framework was developed to define this cdf and an exploratory study was performed in which students were asked to hand in written comparisons. Quantitative and qualitative pre-and post-tests were applied.
 Results: Significant results were obtained for the experimental groups, which improved in both content and language learning, scoring higher on inclusion of content points, justification of their scientific claims, concept formation and use of lexico-grammatical forms.
 Conclusion: These findings add to our understanding of the importance of integrating cognition and language in teaching and learning natural sciences, within which CDFs can be a useful starting point.

The Hidden and Invisible: Supporting Science Learning in Infant-Toddler Group Settings

ABSTRACT Science concept formation has a long history in early childhood educational research. Most of the studies in the field focus on the way children form science concepts as preschoolers. However, less is known about the nature of science concept formation for children under 3 years of age. This study explores how early childhood teachers create the conditions for the formation of science concepts for infants. The research design drew on the Conceptual PlayWorld model, a collective form of practice for learning and development through imagination and play. Thirteen infants with a mean age of 1.2 years (1 year and 3 months) participated in the study. Visual methods were used for digital data collection and analysis. The analysis drew upon the cultural-historical concepts of the interrelation between everyday and scientific concepts and the concept of real and ideal forms. The analysis foregrounded four key elements for introducing science concepts in infants’ everyday educational reality: 1) making meaningful interrelations between the everyday concept and the scientific concept, 2) consistently using scientific language, 3) using appropriate analogies, and 4) using early forms of a scientific method. The overall findings open new understandings about the nature of science concept formation of infants, informing pedagogical practice in this under-researched area.

To the History of Scientific Concepts of the XIX Century Domestic Psychiatry: P.A. Butkovskiy’s Textbook

Background: the elaboration of problems of clinical psychiatry in Russia had already begun in the end of the XVIII — beginning of the XIX centuries by professors of internal medicine and of other branches of medical academic institutions, and from the thirties years of XIX century gradually moved to the hands of the doctors who were specialized in psychiatry (V.F. Sabler, A.I. Gerzog, I.F. Rjul, I.P. Malinovskiy and others).The aim was to analyze the history of the formation of scientific concepts in Russian psychiatry in comparison with the relevant German and French psychiatric concepts at that time.Method: narrative review.Conclusion: the author of the first domestic textbook of psychiatry “Diseases of the soul” (1834) was Professor of department of surgery and mental diseases of Kharkov’s University P.A. Butkovskiy. Creating his textbook P.A. Butkovskiy grounded on the textbook of one of the founders of german “school of psychics” J.Ch. Heinroth (1818) and took as a basis of classification of mental diseases Heinroth’s systematics. The forms of mental diseases according to P.A. Butkovskiy and J.Ch. Heinroth were distinguished by two principal signs: predomination of affection of the one among three areas of psyche: imagination, intellect and volition, and due to the changes in its functions: amplification or weakening. Wherein P.A. Butkovskiy connected with the affection of the brain only the group of “paranoiс” diseases (general paranoia, ecnoia, paraphrosyne, moria) and acquired stupidity (anoia) that were explained by exaggeration or weakening of the brain functioning respectively. P.A. Butkovskiy also introduced in Russian psychiatry the notion of “dynamics” and “psychosomatic” that were borrowed from J.Ch. Heinroth, and the concept of “general feeling” (coenesthesis) of J. Reil. The forms of mental disorders distinguished by J.Ch. Heinroth represented the next progressive step in the differentiation of syndrome pictures of mental diseases (but not in psychiatric nosology as the author considered), and the fact that P.A. Butkovskiy, the author of the first Russian Textbook on Psychiatry, created the similar systematics on the same principles, contributed to the building of mutual understanding between national psychiatric schools that were in the process of being formed.

Психологический анализ компетентности учителя начальной школы в работе над предметными ошибками обучающихся

<p>The results of an empirical study of the competence of teachers of primary general education in working on students' subject mistakes are presented. The study sample consisted of 2,603 teachers engaged in the implementation of primary general education programs from 7 subjects of the Russian Federation. The sample of the study is referential to the general population of primary school teachers according to the criteria of gender, age, teaching experience, level of education, qualifications, implemented educational program. To study the competence of primary school teachers in working on subject mistakes, the cases were developed on the material of the courses "Mathematics" and "Natural science". Each case included the description of the problem in solving which the student made a mistake. The teacher was asked to identify the mistake made, identify the original ideas of the students behind them and suggest a way to work with it. The results obtained indicate the low competence of primary school teachers in working on subject mistakes. The initial ideas of students do not act as a means of working on mistakes and the starting point of pedagogical work on the formation of scientific concepts. The article shows the importance of the teacher's ability to identify the initial subject representations and their significance in the formation of students' subject thinking.</p>

Studying the readiness of teachers for personalized teaching of children with special educational needs

A multi-vector analysis of the history of the development of personalization and personification in various scientific fields is presented. The milestones in the formation of relevant scientific concepts and scientific schools in philosophy, history, culture, psychology and pedagogy are outlined. The trends and vectors of development of personalization in domestic defectology are outlined. Potential scientific, methodological and practical deficiencies of the professional community of teachers involved in the education and upbringing of children with disabilities, including those with chronic diseases and those undergoing long-term treatment, have been identified. A pilot version of a diagnostic program aimed at determining the readiness of teachers for personalized education of children with special educational needs is presented.

Science Concept Formation During Infancy, Toddlerhood, and Early Childhood: Developing a Scientific Motive Over Time

A substantial number of empirical studies in the field of Early Childhood Science Education have explored science concept formation in early childhood educational settings. Most of these studies focus on the process of science concept formation during a teaching intervention or a school year period. However, less is known about how children form science concepts over the first years of their lives. This longitudinal study aimed at studying the process of science concept formation during the first five years of children’s life within educational settings. Following a cultural–historical approach, the study explored how children develop a science motive from infancy, toddlerhood, and into early childhood and how teachers create the conditions for the development of a motive orientation towards science over time. A cohort of 50 children in Australia participated in the study. Indicative case examples are presented. The research design drew on the Conceptual PlayWorld model, a collective form of practice for learning and development through imagination and play. Digital visual methods were used for data collection and analysis. The findings illustrated that a science motive is developed when the motive of play and the motive of learning in science are dialectically interrelated over time. It was also shown that teachers create a motive orientation towards science by introducing, maintaining, and transforming an ideal form of science in the children’s environment and by stimulating children to interact with mature forms of science. The study concludes with insights into early childhood science education research methodology, and implications that inform practice are discussed.

Acquisition of naïve and scientific conceptions: How linguistic context matters in Singaporean children’s understanding of “animal”

312 Singaporean children aged 4, 7, and 10 years from four different home language backgrounds–English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil–were tested for their recognition of animals and non-animals. The Malay-speaking group of children was the notable group that showed a different developmental pattern from the other three groups. They performed significantly better on recognition of all animals and of non-archetypal animals, for both the English and the Malay test versions. Age-related patterns suggest a U-shaped performance curve, with 4-year-olds mostly scoring slightly higher than 7-year-olds, in line with the suggestion that archetypal definitions begin to emerge around 3-4 years of age. The notable exception was again the Malay-speaking children, who followed a simple linear improvement. Out of the four languages, Malay has the broadest archetypal definition of animal, which may help explain these effects, suggesting that home language exposure that has broader definitions may strengthen a child’s understanding when also learning in the context of a different instructional language. Overall, the study may have implications for understanding the role of language in the formation of scientific concepts as well as for instructional approaches by taking into consideration how everyday language may need to be taken into account when teaching about animals.

ANALYTICAL LOGISTICS AND CRIME QUALIFICATION ALGORITHM

The qualification of a crime is an analytical process of law enforcement activity aimed at establishing and legalizing the correspondence between the factual circumstances of the analyzed act and the characteristics of the specific crime provided for in the Special Part of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The qualification of a crime defines the «starting point» for activating criminal prosecution. The analytical logistics of the qualification subject undergoes successive stages formed by the qualification algorithm. The correct crime qualification using the developed algorithm justifies the correspondence between the factual circumstances of the act under analysis and the person charged with the crime. Purpose: to analyze crime qualification theory and practice, to develop an analytical logistics system and a model qualification algorithm. Methods: the author applies empirical methods of comparison, description, modeling, theoretical methods of formal and dialectical logic, synthesis, formation of scientific concepts, formulation of laws. The results of the research make it possible to determine the correlative factors influencing the qualification formula, to propose a universal crime qualification algorithm, applicable in both pre-trial and trial proceedings.

Conceptual engineering and operationalism in psychology

This paper applies conceptual engineering to deal with four objections that have been levelled against operationalism in psychology. These objections are: (i) operationalism leads to harmful proliferation of concepts, (ii) operationalism goes hand-in-hand with untenable antirealism, (iii) operationalism leads to arbitrariness in scientific concept formation, and (iv) operationalism is incompatible with the usual conception of scientific measurement. Relying on a formulation of three principles of conceptual engineering, I will argue that there is a useful form of operationalism that does not fall prey to these four objections.

Early Childhood Science Education from 0 to 6: A Literature Review

Over the past three decades, our understanding of science learning in early childhood has improved exponentially and today we have a strong empirically based understanding of science experiences for children aged three to six years. However, our understanding of science learning as it occurs for children from birth to three years, is limited. We do not know enough about how scientific thinking develops across the first years of life. Identifying what we do know about science experiences for our youngest learners within the birth to three period specifically, is critical. This paper reviews the literature, and for the first time includes children in the birth to three period. The results are contextualised through a broader review of early childhood science education for children aged from birth to six years. Findings illustrated that the empirical research on science concept formation in the early years, has focused primarily, on children aged three to six years. The tendency of research to examine the process of concept formation in the birth to three period is also highlighted. A lack of empirical understanding of science concept formation in children from birth to three is evident. The eminent need for research in science in infancy–toddlerhood is highlighted.

Understanding the complexity of young children's learning and development in science: A twofold methodological model building on constructivist and cultural-historical strengths

Abstract Young children's learning and development in Science is a complex process. Although a wide range of epistemological, theoretical and methodological frameworks have informed research in Early Childhood Science Education, capturing this complexity remains a challenge. New ways of conceptualizing and researching young children's engagement with Science are needed for responding to this fundamental challenge. The present study brings together the strengths of constructivist and cultural-historical research perspectives to provide deeper insight and a holistic understanding of the unique way young children experience, make sense of, and conceptualize the natural world. In line with the two basic research approaches, a twofold methodological model is introduced. Empirical data were collected in an early childhood setting during a collective science experience centred on the natural phenomenon of cloud formation. Following a constructivist perspective, the data on children's conceptual understanding of the phenomenon was initially analysed. Then, the same data set was analysed from a cultural-historical perspective. In this second step, the children's whole experience of the phenomenon was also captured. Findings reveal the critical role of the children's overall reality in the science concept formation. The study argues that a dialectical interrelation between the two research perspectives is feasible and essential for understanding children's conceptualizations in the moment, as well as how science concepts are formed in the overall reality of everyday life. This adds to the literature on Early Childhood Science Education, where studies have primarily focused on dividing, rather than bringing together the strengths of the two perspectives. The study contributes to the continual challenge of rethinking and overcoming traditional dichotomies in educational research.

UMA REFLEXÃO SOBRE O USO DE ANALOGIAS NO ENSINO DE CIÊNCIAS E O DESDOBRAMENTO MULTIMODAL DA REALIDADE: O EXEMPLO DE TÓPICOS DA TEORIA DA EVOLUÇÃO BIOLÓGICA

As analogias são uma fonte heurística de pensamento para compreensão ou transição de ideias para a formação dos conceitos científicos, sendo muito utilizadas por cientistas e no cotidiano. Neste ensaio, buscamos fazer uma aproximação do conceito de analogia modal da teoria dooyeweerdiana com a Metodologia de Ensino com Analogia (MECA), no intuito de enriquecer as percepções ordinárias dos signos e a abertura cultural analítica científica. Realizamos uma pesquisa de sondagem sobre métodos de ensino com uso de analogias, para em seguida expormos conceitos da teoria cosmonômica de Dooyeweerd buscando fundamentar o conceito de analogia modal, abertura cultural e princípio Shalom. Por fim, evidenciamos o diálogo dessa concepção filosófica dooyeweerdiana com o uso da MECA no exemplo da analogia da Árvore da Vida de Charles Darwin. Nessa interação percebemos o enriquecimento (abertura cultural) de relações analógicas já conhecidas de desenvolvimento evolutivo, extinção e aparecimento de espécimes em função dos órgãos vegetais gomos, folhas e ramos; a construção de novas relações analógicas modais para outros órgãos e situações em que o vegetal comumente sobrevive, como a presença dos seres nos meios ambientais distintos (aquáticos, terrestres e aéreos) e reprodução de caráter teleológico em relação aos órgãos de raízes e frutos; e também a discursividade do equilíbrio para o contexto social e ambiental por meio do princípio Shalom.

Scientific Explanation of Phenomenon, Imagination and Concept Formation as Correlates of Students’ Understanding of Physics Concepts

Knowledge of physics to many students is described in quantitative terms such as how much scientific vocabulary and how many formulae have been memorized. However, only few students can successfully make connections to apply the scientific knowledge in answering questions in physics. That is, physics students answer questions in relation to their emergent views mainly based on their prior knowledge about everyday experience which is at variance with scientific knowledge in a typical physics classroom. It is evident that teaching and learning of physics concepts introduced in verbal and mathematical definitions may not promote conceptual understanding of physics even after instruction. Therefore, no relationship exists between students, prior knowledge in physics and scientific understanding of physics concepts as they attempt to answer physics questions that probe their scientific understanding. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to ascertain if relationship exist among scientific explanation of phenomenon, imagination and concept formation (predictor variables) and students’ understanding of physics concepts (criterion) and amount of variation in the criterion variable that can be attributed to the predictor variables. The study adopted a correlation research design. The sample of the study was 385 respondents drawn from the population of Senior Secondary III Physics Students of 2016/2017 academic session in the government owned secondary schools in Akure Education Zone of Ondo State. The instruments for data collection were four namely: Students’ Scientific Explanation of Phenomenon Test (SSEPT), Students’ Scientific Imagination Scale (SSIS), Students’ Scientific Concept Formation Test (SSCFT), and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concept Test (SUPCT). SSEPT and SUPCT were ten (10) structured essay questions each. The internal consistency indices obtained were 0.81 and 0.86 respectively. An internal consistency of twenty (20) item structured questionnaire of (SSIS), modeled on a four (4) point rating was determined using Cronbach Alpha formula and was found to be scale 0.85.Also, the internal consistence index of SSCFT with twenty multiple choice items was determined using Kuder-Richardson 20 (K-R20) Formula and was found to be 0.82. The research questions were answered using Pearson-Product Moment Correlation and coefficient of determination The Null hypotheses were tested using Multiple-Regression analysis at.05 level of significance. Results showed that there was a statistically significant relationship among students’ scientific explanation of phenomenon, students’ scientific imagination, students’ scientific concept formation and students’ understanding of physics concepts. It was recommended among other things that Physics teachers should help in fostering conceptual understanding of physics concepts in physics students using scientific explanation of phenomenon to trigger students’ scientific imagination and students’ scientific concept formation. Keywords: Scientific Phenomenon, Scientific Imagination, Concept Formation, Understanding, Physics. DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/11-16-03 Publication date: August 31 st 2020

Технология проведения спецкурса по формированию методической компетентности будущих учителей физики

One of the most important tasks that the school is called to solve is to ensure that students learn the basic knowledge of science. The main components of the system of scientific knowledge: scientific facts, scientific concepts, theories, laws, research methods, applied issues. The main core of this system is scientific concepts. Without assimilation of concepts, there can be no conscious assimilation of the laws and theories of physics. All this leads to the conclusion about the importance of the problem of the formation of scientific concepts in school students and the formation of the competence of future teachers in this type of activity. To consciously control the process of the formation of concepts, it is necessary to know the main features, patterns. The article presents the experience of conducting a special course to prepare students for the formation of physical concepts in schoolchildren.

Conflicts during Science concept formation in early childhood: barriers or turning points?

Young children experience a wide range of conflicts during everyday educational reality. Instead of being intellectual barriers, conflicting situations have a critical role in young children’s learning and development in Science. The present study seeks to explore the kind of conflicts that occur during collective science experiences in early childhood settings and how conflicting situations act as turning points in child’s science concept formation. Empirical data were collected during a collective science experience centred on the natural phenomenon of cloud formation and cloud movement. One hundred and thirteen kindergarten students, aged 4.5 to 6.5 years old, from seven kindergarten classes in Greece participated in the overall study. Indicative case examples are presented. Methodological choices were determined by the dialectical-interactive method. The Cultural-Historical theory concepts of motives and demands and the interrelation between everyday concepts and scientific concepts were used as the main analytical tools. Three main categories of conflicts were noted: a) collisions, b) impasse situations, and c) provocative situations. The way children engaged with, managed and resolved the conflicting situations influenced the way children developed their thinking about the phenomena. It is argued that diverse conflicting situations opened a new space of thinking, created new learnings and led to new types of activity in science for the children. The study suggests that by highlighting, unpacking and facilitating conflicting situations, early childhood educators can create dynamic learning spaces within a pedagogical framework that respects and builds on each child’s perspective.

Correlation between concept comprehension and mental semantic networks for scientific terms

ABSTRACT Background We adopted a theoretical framework that the acquisition of a scientific concept comprises the development of connections among conceptual elements associated with a scientific term within a mental semantic network. Given this framework, the hypothesis that the surrounding words connected with a scientific term are relevant to the comprehension of that concept was considered. Purpose Students’ mental semantic networks through a word association test were examined, which experimentally revealed whether the quantitative and qualitative connection of scientific terminology with conceptual elements is related to concept comprehension. Sample We selected five scientific concept words – ‘force’, ‘motion’, ‘speed’, ‘mass’ and ‘gravity’ – and investigated the mental semantic networks of 1,189 students regarding these five words. Design and Methods We prepared a word association test and a concept comprehension test for the 5 words; further, we asked the subjects to write 10 words that are associated with each stimulus word. The concept comprehension test was conducted with multiple-choice questions, comprising 6 questions for each stimulus word. Additionally, this study examined the relation between the concept comprehension and word association test scores. Results All the values extracted from the word association test were significantly correlated with concept comprehension. Specifically, the concept comprehension score was higher when the relation between the scientific terminology and words that form the scientific context as well as the scientific terminology and other scientific terminologies were more closely and frequently connected in the mental semantic network. Conclusion This study experimentally verifies that word-level connections are related to concept comprehension in students’ mental semantic networks. This shows that a cognitive linguistic approach to the development and modification of students’ mental semantic networks can be applied effectively in science education. Moreover, it indicates the possibility of adopting linguistic strategies in science education for the formation and modification of scientific concepts.

Исследование региональных и городских политических конфликтов: основные концепты и перспективы развития субдисциплин

The article discusses the development of sub-disciplines of political conflictology –the regional and urban political conflicts studies – during the period of the 1990 s – 2020 s. The main trends in the formation of scientific concepts and approaches in these areas are indicated, the features of their evolution are revealed. By the regional political conflict resolution, they are associated with limited opportunities to use foreign developments in a similar orientation. Russian researchers have developed original concepts of “complex conflict” and “bloc conflict”, which have great cognitive potential and it has not been fully realized now. The conflictologies' scientists are working in the field of studying urban development processes are faced with the need to adapt science-based approaches to the analysis of Russian conflict practices. This, in particular, has led to the limited applicability of proven interests matching technologies. The solution of these problems is possible due to the results a number the scientific projects being implemented at the present time. According to the author, at the present stage there is a certain decline in studies of regional political conflicts, associated with a reduction in public policy space in the regions of the Russian Federation, as well as stagnation in the further development of basic concepts. In the field of urban political conflict research, on the contrary, there has been an increase in the number of scientific publications, the development of theoretical and political management approaches.

ЕВОЛЮЦІЯ ТЕОРІЙ ЕКОНОМІЧНОГО РОЗВИТКУ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ У СУЧАСНОМУ ВИМІРІ КОНЦЕПЦІЙ УПРАВЛІННЯ

The speed of economic change in the global environment is so great, and the inertia of modern thinking is so strong that the current economics in some cases simply does not keep up with the changes taking place in the object of its analysis. As a result, there is a conflict between outdated theories and the new reality, there are scientific claims about the systemic crisis of economic theory. The main purpose of the article is to generalize the genesis of theories, models of economic development of the national economy and the formation of a set of tools and mechanisms for the development of economic entities in the modern dimension of management concepts. The methodological basis of scientific research is general scientific and special methods of scientific knowledge (methods of scientific deduction and induction, comparison and systematization, synthesis). The author's team systematizes the evolutionary stages of formation of scientific theories, concepts and models of economic development of enterprises on the basis of research of both scientific schools and the provisions of individual representatives of this scientific hypothesis. The digression of basic theories of economic development testifies to the transition of scientific views from a set of models of economic development of closed space, to structural transformations of global scale, taking into account institutional and structural gaps that are inherent in certain countries at different stages of their development. In particular, Ukrainian and foreign practice of implementing national economic models has allowed generalizing the conceptual approaches to models of economic development adapted and based on programs and strategies of socio-economic development of economic entities in the modern dimension of management concepts. Economic development of the national economy as a dynamic complex socio-economic system, self-developing and characterized by cyclical stages of growth and decline of the economy is irreversible, aimed at qualitative and quantitative changes in national development is justified. In modeling the economic development of enterprises of the national economy should take into account the objective patterns of dynamic processes of the socio-economic system, modern management concepts and be based on a balanced assessment of driving forces, sources, resources, factors is defined in the article.

Cloud technologies as a way to form and develop evolutionary concepts in future teachers of biology

Aim. The article is devoted to the substantiation of theoretical and methodical principles of professional training of teachers of biology in the conditions of the informational and educational environment; multilevel and differentiated approaches in training with the possibility of continuous receipt of online and off-line assistance. Methods. Analysis of psychological and pedagogical, methodical literature; synthesis, a generalization; psycho-pedagogical observation, questionnaire, pedagogical experiment. Results. The authors proposed a methodology for involving information technologies, in particular cloud services, the inclusion of their varieties in all activities of the teacher in order to facilitate interaction between the subjects of the educational process, improve the content, forms and ways of interaction of the teacher and students in the process of formation and development of evolutionary concepts. Conclusions. Teaching and methodological support, developed in conditions of cloud-oriented environment, will be open and dynamic, elementarily variable and perceptible for the formation and development of scientific concepts, in particular, evolutionary ones.
 Keywords: "cloud technologies", formation, development, evolutionary concepts, means of training.