Interest In Natural Sciences Research Articles

Non-formal science education: The relevance of science camps

Non-formal science education means goal-oriented learning outside of school. The use of out of school learning environments (e.g. science camps) has been found to increase motivation and interest in natural sciences. In this study, the relevance of non-formal science education in science camps has been analyzed from the perspectives of children and families, which has not been studied before. The analysis of relevance has been based on the relevance theory developed by Stuckey, Hofstein, Mamlok-Naaman & Eilks in 2013. The study focuses on the 46 science camps organized by the University of Helsinki LUMA Centre in the years 2015 and 2016, involving more than 900 schoolchildren and some of their parents (N=124). The study examined also the impact of children’s gender and children’s earlier interest in science on the relevance of chemistry related science camps. Survey and theme interview were both used as research methods.
 The results of the survey show that non-formal science education in science camps is relevant according to both the children and the families, mainly at the level of individual relevance, with emphasis on present and intrinsic dimensions of relevance. The tasks related to the camp themes, for example in chemistry camps, experimental work in the laboratory, and friends made in the science camps are the most relevant for children. The chemistry science camps are individually most relevant to those children who didn’t have much earlier interest in chemistry. Boys are more confident about their own interests at the individual relevance level than girls. At the level of societal relevance, boys are more focused on present-day relevance than girls when girls also consider the future. The levels of societal and vocational relevance were only slightly visible in the answers of the survey. However, based on theme interviews, camps were considered as relevant for all relevance levels of the relevance theory.
 The results of this research can be utilized in the development of out of school learning environments, especially in the development of science camps and in further research.

INTERCULTURAL LEARNING: CHALLENGES FOR CURRENT SCIENCE EDUCATION

In the time of curricular reforms across the Europe another chance appeared towards increasing learners´ interest in science education, particularly in relation to the future job selection in the field of natural sciences and technology. Innovations in natural science instruction can be conducted in various ways, e.g. (Bílek & Klečková, 2006): (1) learners´ interest in natural sciences and their instruction (What am I interested in?; What would I like to learn?; What learning content should be learned?) – answers to these questions were discussed i.e. in the analysis of the international comparative study ROSE (Relevance of Science Education) (ROSE Project, 2018), (2) context of instruction (optimally – “school science”, application context, social context, personality context), (3) learning content (standards; Framework and School programmes; traditions; new topics) or (4) competences (key competences; “scientific literacy“; activities in natural science).

The Prospects of Transdisciplinary Approach to Promote Learners’ Cognitive Interest in Natural Science for Sustainable Development

Abstract The use of transdisciplinary approach to promote learners’ interest in the acquisition of natural science at school provides new opportunities for a complex explanation of the phenomenon and improving the quality of the process of learning. The aim of the study is to explore the learners’ cognitive interest, personal participation and the approaches chosen by teachers from the perspective of transdisciplinary approach. The study characterises students’ subjective evaluations of their personal participation and cognitive interest in the subjects of biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, and the approaches used by teachers. The participants were 9th grade students from 17 Latvian schools (536 respondents) with the average age of 15.3 (SD=0.63). The results of the study showed that students’ evaluations concerning their personal participation in the process of learning were contradictory. They devote little of their free time to the acquisition of science subjects. As to teachers’ activity, a variety of teaching approaches are used. According to students’ subjective evaluations, the constructivist learning approach corresponds to the trends of sustainable education, whereas the overall context in which the development of learners’ cognitive interest in the acquisition of natural science subjects takes place at school highlights issues concerning the sustainable development of the system and the prospects of using the transdisciplinary approach.

ANGLŲ KALBOS IR INFORMACINIŲ TECHNOLOGIJŲ KOMPETENCIJŲ UGDYMAS PASITELKIANT GAMTOTYROS ELEMENTUS

The aim of the article is to present projects, lessons and other activities focused on rising students’ interest in natural science and carried out in informal education, English and IT lessons at Silute Martynas Jankus basic school. Students may learn in a wide variety of settings that is alternative to traditional classroom and this awakes their curiosity, desire to learn or know about their environment. The activities presented in this article, let us to develop not only science, but English and IT skills as well. The chosen themes for activities are actual nowadays, so we think, children should start from their close environmental research such as nature, cultural and historical heritage. The students observe, analyse, share their opinion on a particular issue, exchange ideas using innovative IT tools and developing English competencies such as speaking, listening, reading and writing. Nordplus Junior project “Global Education” lasted for three years and we analysed issues about global warming and biodiversity. The result influenced us to involve more students in international projects and we participated in the project “Glimpses at our home place”. The students took photos of famous natural or historical buildings, shared info about them, created legends and e-book of them. At the moment we are working on the Nordplus Junior project “Divided by Nature, United by Sea”. We analyse legends about mythical water creatures in different cultures and try to find out how our societies tried to explain natural phenomena. A part of the work is travelling to other countries, visiting Nature and Science centres, fishery enterprises, forestry objects, parks. The students of primary classes work on projects “National Pet Month”, “Colours in Spring”online and describe their pets and blooming nature after winter. The students discussed about pollution and green energy, made experiments in English lessons “Acid Rain”, “Alternative Energy”, “Egg – symbol of Life”, studied electrical chain and solar system in IT lessons. Integrating different subjects motivates students to cope with a challenge to work in a team, to overcome their fear to communicate in English, to use web 2.0 tools and reveal the main idea of discussing the theme. We use Natural Science as a tool in our lessons and projects to achieve goals of our subjects, to develop responsible and active citizens, broad minded youth tolerant to other cultures. A list of words: natural science, environment, alternative, develop, natural phenomena, research, curiosity, energy, acid rain, solar system, reveal, observe. Keywords: informal education, international projects, science education.

INTEREST IN SCIENCE AND SCIENCE SUBJECTS TEACHING – HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

This paper represents the attempt of the authors to understand and present, from historical perspective, the interest in natural and social sciences, and especially the interest in introducing their contents into teaching. Thus, the authors analyze the interest in natural and social sciences in Ancient Greek and Roman thought, then in Middle Ages and finally in 18th and 19th century when the solid grounds for science teaching was established. The paper points out to the existence of the first traces of science a couple of thousands years B. C., but the development of science connects to the ancient Greece and its major thinkers who made the first theories about the origin of the world. Further studies of nature were, in the Middle Ages, dominated by the Christian ideology in which the origin of the world and occurrence of living creatures were usually connected to the mystic forces. Only with the development of Renaissance, thinkers put the man and his real life problems in the center of their thought. Only then we can testify the stronger interest in natural sciences. In the circumstances of humanistic shaping of social life, entering of scientific contents into teaching and appearance of scientific subjects came naturally. The Modern Epoch brought the great advances in natural and social sciences. At the same time the demands for introducing scientific knowledge into teaching subjects became more prominent. Special credits for introducing science into teaching and development of methodology of science subjects are paid to the great scientists and thinkers of 18th and 19th century.

СИСТЕМА ПРОЕКТНОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ПО РАЗВИТИЮ ИНТЕРЕСА УЧАЩИХСЯ К ЕСТЕСТВЕННЫМ НАУКАМ

In this article the system of project activities on chemistry and energy saving disciplines which is developed and implemented by the authors for developing learners' interest in natural sciences is presented. The implemented system of projects to develop learners' interest in natural sciences integrates three interrelated blocks of project activities: project activities of learners under the guidance of teachers, project activities of students – pre-service teachers with aim to popularize science in online mode and the activities of university teachers on innovative career guidance projects for school students. The main feature of project activity of learners based on the personality-oriented approach is revealed, which is connected with its complication from mini-projects to design-research assignments. It was revealed that the conditions of elective courses are especially favorable for this purpose. The elective course, according to the Russian educational standard, is a compulsory course which is selected by the student's choice, one of the organizational forms of chemistry teaching. Elective courses of preprofile preparation target graduates of secondary school to perceived choice of the future major of education in high school. There are the following elective courses: subject-oriented, interdisciplinary (integrated) and applied feature. The subject-oriented elective courses are aimed to develop the cognitive interest in the subjects of the chosen profile, to expand and to deep the knowledge of students in the profile discipline. Interdisciplinary elective courses are designed to integrate knowledge into related disciplines, as a necessary condition for successful education in the high school. Elective courses of applied feature show the connection of the certain subject to life. The specifics of students' project activity on the development of school students' interest in natural sciences, related to the interactive popularization of science (chemical shows) are revealed. The main feature of the project activity of university teachers in the development of school students' interest in natural sciences is connected with the implementation of such innovative projects as the Small Chemical Institute and the project-oriented teaching of school students at the departments of the university. The effectiveness of the implemented system of project activities to develop the interest of learners in the natural sciences on the example of chemistry is experimentally proved. Keywords: natural science education, chemistry education, project activity, interest in science.

Editorial 27.2

This is the first editorial written by me in 2016 and likely to be one of the last. EE https://uk.sagepub. com/en-gb/eur/energy-environment/journal202462). Taking into account my long responsibility for E&E and advancing age, SAGE, with my full support, we are now looking for a new editor. Suggestions and offers are welcome. The politics of energy are unlikely to calm down in the near future. Geopolitics alone will make sure of this, though turbulence will be strongly supported (and confused) by ambitious agendas for technological and regulatory change, agendas that may well be driven increasingly by security rather than environmental concerns. I have been editor of E&E since the mid-1990s when David Everest handed the journal over to me (an E&E author on car emissions, acid rain and global warming) because of ill health. I could not have done this job without invaluable help of assistants: Cally Barker, Linda Love, Louise Purcell and now Cheryl Merritt. I accepted the editorship without any experience shortly after I had been appointed Reader in Environmental Management in the Geography Department at the University of Hull. The Department and University must also be thanked for the considerable support given to E&E which fortunately continues. I moved to Hull and E&E after having been a Senior Research Fellow at the Science Policy Unit at Sussex University and made this move after I had become increasingly ‘sceptical’ of environmental ideology (and hence some ‘green’ energy policy based on belief in planetary catastrophe) and did so on the basis of my own research experiences, as well as interest in natural science and politics. Becoming the editor of E&E included a bias towards publishing, voices critical of the increasingly persuasive ambitions of ‘environmentalists’, not an easy task, however attractive to engineers and investors. I continue noting the astonishing (to me) influence of environmentalist arguments on energy policy – combining fear of apocalypse with promises derived from new technology. There was much to do for bureaucracies who had been persuaded that the planet needed ‘saving’ from the evils of fossil fuels. As the proverbial ‘policy-maker’ they should not escape academic investigation! I do hope that this interdisciplinary and investigative approach can continue, though this may not be easy. I remain committed to Fuel for Thought at least for this year – time consuming but intellectual rewarding attempt to collect, sort and summarise ‘events’ related to energy decisions. It is meant to encourage a more contextual approach to energy studies and hence

A Most Glorious Ride: The Diaries of Theodore Roosevelt, 1877‐1886. Edited by Edward P.Kohn. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2015. 284 pp.

A Most Glorious Ride: The Diaries of Theodore Roosevelt, 1877-1886. Edited by Edward P. Kohn. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2015. 284 pp. Edward P. Kohn, assistant professor of history at Bilkent University in Turkey and author of two previous books on early political career of Theodore Roosevelt (or TR), has edited and annotated a collection of Roosevelt's diaries from 1877 to 1886, covering TR's Harvard years, early married life, entry into New York politics, first hunting trip to Dakota territory, years in New York state legislature, and escape to Western territories after tragic loss of his mother and wife on same day in 1884. Remarkably, considering how much has been written about fascinating and eventful of twenty-sixth president of United States, A Most Glorious Ride is first publication of his diaries. Kohn notes in book's preface that Carleton Putnam in Theodore Roosevelt: The Formative Years, 1858-1886 (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1958), Edmund Morris in The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (New York: Modern Library Paperbacks, 2001), and David McCullough in Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, A Vanished Way of Life and Unique Child who Became Theodore Roosevelt (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982) made good use of diaries in writing about TR's early years but claims that, for most part, diaries have been underused in exploring Roosevelt's early life (p. viii). Roosevelt began diaries in January 1877, when he eighteen years old and a first-year student at Harvard. The entries for that year are very brief and relate to observations of natural history (bird specimens and wildlife), vacations, friends, wrestling and boxing, sailing and rowing, and fishing and hunting. The diary entries show Roosevelt's intense interest in natural sciences and his very active outdoor life. The next year's entries are dominated by death of his father, Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., at age of forty-six, a devastating blow to young Roosevelt who worshipped his father. Three days after his father's death, Roosevelt wrote, felt as if I had been stunned, or as if part of my had been taken away (p. 19). A month later, he wrote that day his father died the blackest day of my life and oh, how I shall miss his sweet, sympathetic advice! (p. 22). At end of March, TR noted that his father was everything to me; father, companion, friend (p. 25). In early April, he wrote that realize now that days of unalloyed happiness are now forever over, and [s]ometimes when I fully realize my loss I feel as if I shall go wild (p. 26). In June, his grief continued: It is impossible to tell in words how terribly I miss him; O, Father, Father, how bitterly I miss you, mourn you and long for you; [t]here comes a dull pain at my heart whenever I think of dear lost one (p. 34). This mourning went on, month after month, his only solace being his Christian faith and his father's comforting words, Trust in Lord, and do good. …

NATURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION: VALUES COMPONENT

One cannot doubt in the importance of Natural science and Technology education. Over the last two or three decades, attention to Natural science and Technology education has been significantly growing. On the one hand, science and technology development was encouraging this, on the other hand, one can observe a decreasing young generation interest in natural sciences and technologies. Paradoxical contrast – in technologically developed countries youth interest in natural sciences is significantly decreased. Completely different situation is in so-called developing countries. About such a situation a lot has been written, discussed, plenty of scientific research have been carried out and so on. It is obvious, that such a situation is determined by a great number of factors. However, in spite of this, education system has to change, to search for effective natural science and technology education forms and methods. The most important goal is suitable and adequate natural science and technology education of the young generation. However, what does suitable and adequate mean? What is suitability and adequacy content? Is it only quantitatively and qualitatively new knowledge and abilities? Conception, oriented only to pragmatics (only to knowledge, qualifications and/or competencies) in a certain sense is faulty.

DIDACTIC POSSIBILITIES OF REALISATION OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RELATIONS: SUBJECT FRUIT JUICE PROPERTY

Natural Science Education improvement remains one of the most important current challenges in education system. In general, 21st century raises new challenges for Natural science, Mathematics, Technology teachers. Young generation interest in Natural Sciences and Technology is poor. It is predicted that in not so far future, a shortage of qualified specialists will be felt in this sphere. It is obvious, that Natural science and Technology education basics is being formed in general education school. How to strengthen the pupils’ Natural science and Technology learning motivation, to increase their interest? This is one of the most important questions of today’s education. On the other hand, improvement has to be carried out in different directions. Not only motivation strengthening is important, but also creating proper educational environments (spoken here about green environment, so-called outdoor didactics, teacher competence and so on). Extra didactic material preparation for teachers becomes an urgent question. It is very important to help teachers prepare for practical work lessons and to give them, using ordinary and digital devices for the performance of practical-experimental works. In this analysis, a didactic scenario is presented realising an interdisciplinary – integral teaching/learning. The investigated topic is “Juice properties”. Natural sciences and Mathematics teachers’ collaboration possibilities are revealed. Key words: interdisciplinary relations, natural science education, titration, vitamin C.

NATURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION: IMPORTANCE OF VALUES

In recent years, both in Lithuania and in other countries, natural science and technology development is given emphasis to. Decreasing youth interest in natural sciences and/or technology has become a big concern. On the one hand, such concern is reasonable, because youth motivation choosing the studies at universities is usually directed to social and humanitarian sciences. Such a situation is determined by a number of reasons. Anyway the choice of a further way is closely connected with the values of the younger generation. Progress in science and technology is very high. Progress in the sphere of formation of values of society sharply lags behind. So, value component of natural science and technology education should become a priority in all education system, at all its levels. Values should be systematically inoculated, directing young people to become mature personalities. This means the ability to apply the acquired knowledge and abilities practically, to solve everyday life problems, to educate self-confidence, feel responsibility and be able to adapt to the changing environment and seek to save the environment, suitable for the man’s existence. Values are formed not adapting to the situation “here and now”, but orienting to future perspective “there and then”. Value component of natural science and technology education should occupy a proper place in educational practice, and should be more exhaustively examined in a scientific sense. Key words: science education, technoogy education, values formation.

Innovative Approaches to Education in Natural Sciences at the Charles University in Prague

Number of students in natural sciences in the Czech Republic decreases steadily each year. Without proper intervention this trend would soon despoil the pool of human resources necessary for sustaining and further enhancing country technological competitiveness. To reverse this unfavourable trend, Charles University in Prague implements various methods of collaboration with both basic and high schools. The paper presents some innovative approaches focused on raising pupilś interest in natural sciences and on change of teacherś attitude in order to teach both in an understandable and attractive way.

Special Issue on Radiation Chemistry: In Memory of K. D. Asmus

Special Issue on Radiation Chemistry: In Memory of K. D. Asmus

Remessa de animais de Santa Catarina (1791) para a “Casa dos Pássaros” no Rio de Janeiro e para o Real Museu da Ajuda (Portugal)

The growing interest in Natural Sciences promoted by the Enlightenment would lead Dom Luís de Vasconcellos e Sousa, 4th Count of Figueiró and 12th Viceroy of the State of Brazil, to foster several measures directed both to the urbanization of Rio de Janeiro and to the better knowledge of the Colony’s natural products. He was the creator of the Passeio Público and the so-called Casa dos Pássaros, respectively the first public exhibit of animals and the first natural history museum in the New World. Dom Luís de Vasconcellos e Sousa and his successor, José Luís de Castro, 2nd Count of Resende, the 13th Viceroy of Brazil, received the incumbency of regularly sending specimens of the Brazilian fauna to the “Quintas Reais” and to the Ajuda Museum, in Lisbon. In the particular case of Santa Catarina, an “instruction” was elaborated in 1791, probably by the initiative of Francisco Xavier Cardoso Caldeira – the so-called “Xavier dos Pássaros” – to systematize and orient the collecting process, listing the desired animals and products of animal origin with commercial vale, also providing interesting details about techniques of preservation, packaging for transportation and the price paid for the specimens. Although very concise, this document constitutes a valuable testimony about Brazilian Natural History in the 18th century.

The Kansas Academy of Science - Née State Natural History Society

There were several involved and responsible for founding the organization. The ‘founding fathers’ were John D. Parker, a Congregational minister, natural scientist, and the instigator, Francis H. Snow, a natural scientist and strong advocate, with support from Benjamin F. Mudge, a lawyer with interest in natural science, and John Fraser, military general and mathematician (Bonwell, 1969; Merriam, 2012). All were associated with universities Parker at Lincoln (Washburn) College in Topeka, Snow and Fraser at KU in Lawrence, and Mudge at Kansas State Agriculture College (K-State) in Manhattan.

Improved Cooperation between Schools and Science Labs by Adapting Experiments to the Curriculum

Science labs have repeatedly shown their impact on high school students for increasing the interest in natural sciences and engineering. Due to the fact that pupils are experimenting independently, their natural interest in research can be re-activated due to improved intrinsic motivation. However, with the increasing density in school curricula - in Germany especially caused by the reduction of the high school duration by one year - many teachers do not find the time to visit science labs due to their often extracurricular topics. For our lab SinnTec, which is focused on sensors as the â??technical senses

When the pond turtle followed the reindeer: effect of the last extreme global warming event on the timing of faunal change in Northern Europe

Faunal communities have been shaped in different ways by past climatic change. The impact of the termination of the last Glacial and the onset of the present (Holocene) Interglacial on large-scale faunal shifts, extinction dynamics and gene pools of species are of special interest in natural sciences. A general pattern of climate-triggered range expansion and local extinction of vertebrate species is known for Europe, and shows that in the modern temperate zone the main faunal change took place mainly during the Late Glacial (14 700–11 700 years ago) and Early Holocene (11 700–9 100 years ago). Based on large datasets of new radiocarbon data, we present precise temporal dynamics of climate-driven disappearance and appearance of reindeer and pond turtle in southern Sweden. These two species are significant climate indicators in Late Quaternary biostratigraphy. Our data reveal that the reindeer disappeared from southern Sweden ca. 10 300 years ago, whereas the pond turtle colonized the area ca. 9 860 years ago, with a 450-year gap between each species. This provides evidence for a sudden environmental turnover, causing the replacement of an arctic faunal element by a thermophilic species. The postglacial range dynamics of pond turtle and reindeer are a unique model case, allowing insights into the faunal turnover of other vertebrates during the last dramatic natural global warming event at the Pleistocene–Holocene transition.

Effect of School on Interest in Natural Sciences: A comparison of the Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, and Norway based on PISA 2006

The theme of this paper is students’ interest in future natural sciences‐related careers. It is based on data from the Programme for International Student Assessment survey that in 2006 focused attention on the science literacy achievements of students. The paper uses the methods of linear regression modelling and structural equation modelling in analysing the impact of student family background on the formation of interest in future science‐related educational and occupational careers relative to the impact of school characteristics. An almost negligible impact of family on interest formation was found in the Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, and Norway. On the other hand, the impact of school from the point of view of preparing students for future educational and career trajectories was found to be strong in all countries studied due to their influence on the degree of student awareness of science‐related career opportunities (‘science’, as used in this paper, refers to the natural sciences). From the educational policy point of view, the results support the importance of career guidance.

When the pond turtle followed the reindeer: effect of the last extreme global warming event on the timing of faunal change in Northern Europe

Faunal communities have been shaped in different ways by past climatic change. The impact of the termination of the last Glacial and the onset of the present (Holocene) Interglacial on large-scale faunal shifts, extinction dynamics and gene pools of species are of special interest in natural sciences. A general pattern of climate-triggered range expansion and local extinction of vertebrate species is known for Europe, and shows that in the modern temperate zone the main faunal change took place mainly during the Late Glacial (14 700–11 700 years ago) and Early Holocene (11 700–9 100 years ago). Based on large datasets of new radiocarbon data, we present precise temporal dynamics of climate-driven disappearance and appearance of reindeer and pond turtle in southern Sweden. These two species are significant climate indicators in Late Quaternary biostratigraphy. Our data reveal that the reindeer disappeared from southern Sweden ca. 10 300 years ago, whereas the pond turtle colonized the area ca. 9 860 years ago, with a 450-year gap between each species. This provides evidence for a sudden environmental turnover, causing the replacement of an arctic faunal element by a thermophilic species. The postglacial range dynamics of pond turtle and reindeer are a unique model case, allowing insights into the faunal turnover of other vertebrates during the last dramatic natural global warming event at the Pleistocene–Holocene transition.

GenEthics and religion

GenEthics and religion