Social Science Courses Research Articles

O Evento “ciclo de saberes: Experiências com o Ensino de Sociologia no Curso de Licenciatura em Ciências Sociais da UFMT”, Cuiabá/MT

The Cycle of Knowledge Experiences Sociology of Education aims to increase dialogue between the students of Degree of Social Sciences Course and teachers of state and federal public as well as reflect on the experiences of students from the stages in schools and in acting as fellows through the undergraduate program (PIBID). It is an extension activity consisting lectures, working groups, workshops and experience reports.

Use of Jigsaw Technique to Teach the Unit "Science within Time" in Secondary 7th Grade Social Sciences Course and Students' Views on This Technique.

The aim of this study is to apply the jigsaw technique in Social Sciences teaching and to unroll the effects of this technique on learning. The unit “Science within Time” in the secondary 7th grade Social Sciences text book was chosen for the research. It is aimed to compare the jigsaw technique with the traditional teaching method in teaching of the unit. The sampling of the research was conducted with total of 53 students, in two different classes, studying in 7th grade of a secondary school located in the Erzurum province of Turkey during 2014 to 2015 academic years. Pre-test/Post-test control group design was used as a method in the research (Karasar, 2006). A control group was formed with students randomly picked from both classes, and the rest of the students were the experimental group. While the lessons were taught to the control group using the traditional teaching method, cooperative learning technique (jigsaw technique) was used on the experimental group. The lessons were taught to the control and experimental group by the researcher. To determine prior knowledge of students’ in both groups, Prior Knowledge Test (PKT) was given, and Science within Time Achievement Test (swtAT) was administered to identify their conceptual understanding in the unit “Science within Time”. Later, Jigsaw Opinion Scale (JOS) was given to the students in the experimental group and their opinions on the implementation of jigsaw technique were identified. At the end of the research, to determine students’ achievement, swtAT was administered to all of the students (control and experimental group) again as the post-test and the same test was applied again as the retention test to examine the retention of knowledge after eleven weeks. The achievement level of students obtained from both the traditional teaching method and cooperative learning using jigsaw technique was compared with this research. When the statistical analysis of the research is examined, the achievement level of students in the unit “Science within Time”, which was taught with the jigsaw technique, has a significant difference in favor of the experimental group. Key words: Cooperative learning, Jigsaw technique, time and science, Social Sciences.

A Model of Information Systems Success for Assessing the Effectiveness of Statistical Learning Tool on University Students Performance in Statistics

The purpose of the study was to validate the DeLone and McLean Information systems (IS) success model to determine the effectiveness of statistical learning tool (SLT) in facilitating learning statistics among graduate students. In order to test the model, a quantitative method was employed such as distributing questionnaires. A total of 129 graduate students registered for statistics in social science course from selected faculties in Universiti Putra Malaysia were chosen based on stratified random sampling. In this study, structural equation modeling (SEM) which is a data analysis method was employed to provide the info of statistics performance through the analysis of direct and indirect effect. The results of the study demonstrated that service quality was the most influential variable in this model (followed by system quality), thus highlighting the importance of service quality for students’ performance in statistics; nevertheless, the findings did not support the mediation of an intention to use and users’ satisfaction. Implications of our findings will enable future researchers to continue studies on SLT on a broader basis of theoretical support. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n2p271

College and Career Readiness: Course Taking Of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Secondary School Students.

Research shows that deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students frequently enter college and the workplace relatively unprepared for success in math, science, and reading. Based on data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), the present study focused on DHH students' college and career readiness by investigating their opportunities in secondary school to acquire college and career skills. DHH students earned more credits overall than hearing peers; both groups earned a similar number of credits in academic courses. However, DHH students took more vocational and nonacademic courses and fewer courses in science, social science, and foreign languages. There was evidence that DHH students' academic courses in math lacked the rigor of those taken by hearing peers, as DHH students earned more credits in basic math and fewer credits in midlevel math courses, and even fewer in advanced math courses, than hearing peers.

Pendekatan Pembelajaran Pengetahuan Sosial dalam Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi

In the structure of the competency-based curriculum for junior secondary school (SMP/MTs), Social Science is offerred to grade VII, VIII, and IX, covering Economics, Geography, and History. This indicates that an interdisciplinary approach needs to be implemented. In the 1994 curriculum, social science was taught by a team of teachers, with each still focusing on their own specialization. In contrast, in the competency-based curriculum, social science should be really team taught, with a group of teachers teaching together. Therefore, to make the teaching and learning process run well, it is suggested that social science teachers be trained prior to the implementation of the competency-based curriculum in their classroom. The old approach is incompatible with the social science concept. In order to make the competence-based curriculum run well, especially in the social science course, it is necessary to organize trainings for the social science teachers.

Interactive Learning Environments (ILEs) as Effective Tools for Teaching Social Sciences

Schoolteachers could enhance learning in social science courses by using teaching tools that favour a methodological approach focused on the topics’ basic structure rather than on facts. An innovative system dynamics social-based ILE built with a social constructivist approach is presented here. The pedagogical futures of this ILE are then analysed. The effective impact of different instructional approaches inspired by social-based ILEs on student learning outcomes is also discussed. The ILE and the related inquiry-based instructional approach seem to help students understand fundamental concepts more easily, thus making the topic more comprehensible and helping students place the social facts into a structured scheme.

Comparison of social studies, Turkish Republic Revolution History and Kemalism, History of Kazakhstan and World History curricula in the secondary education in Turkey and the Republic of Kazakhstan

The aim of this study is to make a comparison between history topics in Social Sciences course, Ataturk's Principles and History of Turkish Revolution course in secondary schools in Turkey and History of Kazakhstan and World History courses in secondary schools in Kazakhstan. This study that has adopted qualitative research methods is a comparative educational research. Data has been collected through data analysis method. In the study, the curriculum of Social Sciences course and Ataturk's Principles and History of Turkish Revolution course in secondary schools in Turkey and the curriculum of History of Kazakhstan and World History courses in secondary schools in Kazakhstan have been compared in terms of objectives, content and weekly course schedule.<br />Findings show that subject that is based on historical content take place as units in 5th, 6th and 7th grade Social Sciences course. Social Sciences course is three hours per week for 5th and 6th graders. History topics in Social Sciences course include first states in Anatolia, Huns that is the first Turkish state, Turkish states founded in Central Asia, Turks' migration to Anatolia, foundation and development of Ottoman states, science, art and economic structure. Additionally, the rise of Islam, states founded by Muslims, conversion of the Turks to Islam, development of science and art are among the history topics, as well. In 8th grade, for Ataturk's Principles and History of Turkish Revolution course, students attend two hours of lecture per week. This course covers foundation of the Republic of Turkey, Ataturk's life, Ataturk's Principles and political developments of the related period. In Turkish secondary schools, there is not a course on world history. On the other hand, in Kazakhstan, for the History of Kazakhstan, 5th grade students attend one hour of lecture while 6th, 7th and 8th grade students attend two hours of lecture per week. In the curriculum of the History of Kazakhstan, Turkish states founded in Kazakhstan starts with the Sakas and it covers Turkish states in history, their foundation, development and improvements in science, art and economy. Additionally, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students attend one hour of lecture for the World History course. This course includes topics such as states founded in Asia, Europe, America and Africa, foundation and development of Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey that are among states founded by Turks in Anatolia and developments in science, art and economic structure of the related states.

ALA Library Schools and Subject Reference Coursework: A Short Communication

Reference librarians are exposed to the literature of different disciplines in a number of ways including advanced degrees, on the job training, and intellectual inquisitiveness. As students, many reference librarians were also exposed to library science programs offering coursework specializing in information sources and research within other disciplines. A brief study of current library science programs in the United States reveals that approximately half of these programs offer specialized reference coursework in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Comparing these results to a previous study, one finds that humanities and social sciences courses have proportionately diminished while medical and health sciences courses have increased. These changes have implications for LIS educators preparing students for reference work.

Lincoln Park Survey Instrument

In fall 2013, students in Metropolitan State University of Denver’s advanced research in social science course, under the supervision of Dr. Nicholas Recker, responded to the Campus & Community Civic Health initiative by conducting a survey of businesses in the nearby La Alma/Lincoln Park neighborhood. Businesses were selected as the study’s focus due to their important community role and their being understudied in civic engagement research.

Social Science in Forestry Curricula: A Case Study of Colombia Forestry Programs

Tropical forest management depends greatly on complex social interactions. To understand the underlying human causes of deforestation and to plan forest management, it is of great importance to incorporate social science in the study of forestry. There is insufficient information about the incorporation of social sciences in undergraduate forestry programs. Foresters are well prepared in ecology, silviculture, forest measurements, and operational topics such as logging, but their knowledge of basic elements of social sciences is limited. This study explored the extent to which tertiary forestry education programs in Colombia include social science. It also examined students’ perceptions of social sciences courses in the curriculum. About 10% of course credits are in economics, administration, and foreign language, courses on social science are listed as optional. A high percentage of current sophomore (fifth semester), junior, and senior students do not have clear knowledge of basic social research methods, although a majority have used social science techniques at some point in their academic careers.

The Continuing Significance of History: An Active-Learning Simulation to Teach About the Origins of Racial Inequality

ABSTRACTWe propose that instructors utilize a variation of the game Monopoly, Ships and Shoes, to teach students how legacies of discrimination affect current racial inequality. To accomplish this goal, Ships and Shoes uses a multistage exercise in which students are arbitrarily assigned different game pieces, receive unequal compensation and are subject to different rules based on those assignments. In the second half of the exercise, we end the original unequal policies and make nominal improvements to the situation of the disadvantaged game pieces. The activity approximates the experiences of racial minorities and whites in the United States during two time periods: before and after the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which ended legal segregation. Through our review of qualitative and quantitative data from an introductory social science course, we find that participants of Ships and Shoes better understand how historic discriminatory policies influence modern-day racial inequality.

Entrepreneurship Is a General Education Course! The Why, How and Transferability of the Concept

We describe the development and implementation of an innovative university undergraduate course entitled Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I). Our purpose is to explain and justify how the new E&I course adds a fresh dimension to undergraduate general education by emphasizing student integrative learning of opportunity recognition and creativity knowledge and skills within a classroom of students from many academic disciplines and majors. We describe the lengthy and ultimately successful university approval process that we traversed to create the first entrepreneurship course in the United States to be granted university general education (usually consisting of liberal arts and sciences courses) degree graduation requirement status. The E&I course was included as an approved general education social and behavioral science course in 2004. We view the designation of an introductory entrepreneurship course as a general education course as a significant milestone for college and university entrepreneurship education. The core general education curricula of most U.S. colleges and universities have been limited to conventional liberal arts courses and thus exclude professional school courses. We propose that the core concepts of entrepreneurial thinking are consistent with the purpose of university general education and therefore belong in the core undergraduate curriculum model. Our proposals in this article are supported by recent studies undertaken by the American Association of University Professors, the Association of American Colleges and Universities and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. These studies address significant gaps in U.S. undergraduate general education and liberal arts core curriculum. Traditional general education courses typically are designed as introductory courses for liberal arts and sciences majors and as such are understandably less likely to assimilate ideas across disciplines and integrate multidisciplinary learning. Our E&I course, by contrast, is inherently multidisciplinary and designed to present and integrate ideas and concepts from divergent academic disciplines and sources as its subject focus. The E&I course adds new capacity to university general education by emphasizing opportunity recognition, creativity knowledge and skills, and integrative learning and thus fills an educational gap defined by educational leaders who seek to reinvigorate general and liberal education and thereby prepare university students for leadership in the 21st Century. We conclude the article with recommendations suggesting faculty at other colleges and universities can utilize our concepts and experience to create their own variation of an E&I course to improve their undergraduate curriculum initiatives.

Comparison of curriculum and degree conferment in higher medical education between Germany and China

The higher medical education in China starts late and needs further exploration and improvement. While in Germany, it is elite education with a long history. Compared with China, in curriculum setting, Sociology, Medical health security, Humanities and Social Sciences and Organ system classification courses are more emphasized, and in terms of degree, it only has Doctor degree but with higher quality in Germany. Higher medical education in China will also take the path of the elite education. We can learn from the German medical education development experience and pay attention to solving the lack of the curriculum by supplementing social medicine and medical health security, increase the autonomy of the instructors in the training process, strengthen the medical students' social responsibility, and improve the quality of higher medical education in China. Key words: Medical education; Curriculum setting; Confer degree; China; Germany

Complexity and social sciences

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to give an outline of the main topics of an introductory course in complexity and social sciences. Design/methodology/approach – This paper consists of a survey of the main issues and some of the classical literature for an audience with no background in philosophy of science, social philosophy, the literature on complex systems and social choice. Findings – In the didactical framework of the article, it would be more accurate to speak of learning objectives rather than findings. The learning objectives are the acquisition of the basic knowledge for understanding the features, the possibilities and the limitations of scientific explanations and predictions and their applications in the long-term perspective of complex social systems. Research limitations/implications – Again, the implications are didactic. The basic knowledge that constitutes the learning objective of the course serves to give students the instruments for recognizing the main opportunities and obstacles in social forecasting. Practical implications – The practical implications of this paper include making students aware of complexity-related problems in their working environment and of the opportunities and constraints involved in solving them. Social implications – Operators who are aware of the main issues involved can contribute to a more balanced approach to social forecasting: avoiding to raise unrealistic expectations and making more efficient use of the available instruments. Originality/value – This paper summarizes an original combination of elements from the philosophy of science, epistemology, social philosophy and social choice.

Whence cometh the revolution

Whence cometh the revolution

Aspects of Students about Information Technology Courses in Social Science

Information Technology (IT) is used in almost every area of higher education. However, it can be clearly seen that number of courses intended to teach the use of IT in social science is quite low in Turkey. There is a gap between generations who design curriculum and who take classes at universities. If we consider digital natives will attend universities soon, it is very important to redesign the curriculums including topics about IT. Besides the number of IT courses in science curriculum is more than the number of IT courses in social science curriculum.In this study, authors aimed to determine the aspects of students about IT courses in social science. In this scope, a questionnaire is conducted to fourth grade students of Philosophy Department at Istanbul University who have taken Logic and Computer Practices II class. The questionnaire consists of 19 questions and it is conducted to 140 students.According to study results, students expressed that IT courses are vital for their future professional life and workplace. They believe that it is necessary to add various IT courses such as office programs, information management, web design, database, and programming languages to curriculum in social science at higher education institutions.

Social Science Subjects’ Inclusion in the Main Curricular of Medical Students, Views from Nigeria

This paper discusses the training of medical students in the light of social science courses’ inclusion in the curricula of medical students alongside with organ and academic approaches. The objectives of this study are twofold: 1) to share the data on the views of both faculty and students on the desirability of including social science courses in the main curricula of medical students’ training in two medical schools; 2) to report the extent of social science course inclusion in the training of medical students in the curricula of the two medical schools. Results of the study showed faculty members disapproval of inclusion of social science subjects in the curricular for training medical students. However, students were of the opinion that there should be less of rigorous scientific approach and more of social science courses in their main curricular not just passing attachments.

Politics in East Asia: explaining change and continuity

This systematic, innovative introduction to the dynamic politics and political economies of China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan teaches students how to think analytically, critically, and independently about the most significant developments in the region. It offers in-depth coverage of the unique experiences of each country, all within the framework of an explicit comparative perspective. Throughout, the five countries are contrasted with one another to maximise opportunities for learning. Covering the intertwined issues of politics, economics, and culture, this is a book that is ideally suited for assignment in any social science course on East Asia.

Nanoethics and Policy Education: a Case Study of Social Science Coursework and Student Engagement with Emerging Technologies

The article analyzes the integration of a module on nanotechnology, ethics, and policy into a required second-year social science course at a technological university. It investigates not simply the effectiveness of student learning about the technical aspects of nanotechnology but about how issues explored in an interdisciplinary social science course might influence student opinions about the potential of nanotechnology to benefit the developing world. The authors find a correlation between student opinions about the risks and benefits of nanotechnology for the developing world with their judgment of whether nanotechnology fits comparative, historical models for development.

Uma antropologia não ortodoxa

This article summarizes three author’s articles, which, although published in journals are not the result of their ethno-graphic research. The first one refers to a female demon adopted as matron of an American women’s movement, Lilith. According to this myth, Lilith would have been Adam’s first wife. The second text refers to popular interpretations regarding artificial insemination. The third text was originally published and presented as the Master Class of the Postgraduate Course in Social Sciences at the Federal University of Santa Maria (Universidade Federal de Santa Maria), RS, on March 14, 2014. A version of the analyzed myth was published in Carl Sagan’s book, Billions and billions. (Portuguese version, Companhia das Letras, 1997).