Subject Matter Of Course Research Articles

Student‐teachers' Learning Outcomes during Science Subject Matter Courses

This paper is about a longitudinal study to investigate how student‐teachers developed understanding of some key ecological concepts during a teacher education programme. Another aim was to interpret the student‐teachers' intentions in respect of the programme and to examine how these intentions influenced their learning. A group of students were followed through 2.5 years of a teacher education programme. The whole student group (n = 47–60) answered a questionnaire three times. Their understanding of scientific concepts, relevant to environmental education, was examined. Fourteen students were interviewed three times about a newspaper article discussing the use of surplus heat from a crematorium. The students were also asked about expectations of the teaching programme and of learning experiences from their science courses and from school practice. It is concluded that many of the student‐teachers did not develop the conceptual understanding necessary to be able to engage with the socio‐scientific issue presented to them. It also concludes that many of the student‐teachers approach the learning of science content from the perspective of their personal notions of the tasks of a primary schoolteacher, which is significantly different from the perspectives underpinning the curriculum and the intention of teacher educators. The connection between these two conclusions is discussed.

Engaging Students in Research: The Use of Professional Dialogue

Graduate students frequently have difficulty defining, developing, and resolving research problems in a manner consistent with the agricultural economics community. We report on a seminar that focuses on professional dialogue to assist graduate students to integrate subject matter courses into independent research proposals. Professional dialogue involves developing arguments to explain and resolve questions where the explanations are supported by warranted evidence and appropriately qualified. The premise of the seminar is that more active problem solvers are developed using professional dialogue to sharpen critical thinking and writing skills.

Decision-making in Construction of Courses Combining Classroom-based and Internet-based Learning and Teaching Strategies in Mathematics Teachers' Education

An assortment of courses from the mathematics teaching training programs for primary and secondary schools is presented, in which various forms of Internet-mediated and/or computer-mediated teaching and learning are involved. We relate to considerations that led course developers to choose a specific form and measure of e-learning for each course. We also relate to the conclusions based on our experience, as to the impact of these changes on the teaching and learning quality and to the choice of ‘dosage’ of each form of teaching that is most appropriate for every course. The main observation may be summed up by the words ‘it works’, provided the developer of the course is the same person who used to teach it in the traditional form, and who is going to teach it in a new combined form, whatever the pattern of the new form may be. We do believe a teacher to be indispensable in subject matter courses and in most didactic courses, but we find our experience in computer and Internet usage in these courses promising as well.

From page to stage: How theories of genre and situated learning help introduce engineering students to discipline‐specific communication

This article describes a discipline‐specific communication course for engineering students offered by a Canadian university. The pedagogy of this course is based on North American theories of genre and theories of situated learning. In keeping with these theories, the course provides a context in which students acquire rhetorical skills and strategies necessary to integrate into a discipline‐specific discourse community. The authors argue that such a pedagogical approach can be used to design communication courses tailored to the needs of any discipline if the following three key conditions are met: assignments are connected to subject matter courses, a dialogic environment is provided, and the nature of assignments allows students to build on their learning experiences in the course.

Claiming Space for Literature/Culture and Academic Writing in the Foreign Language Composition Class

This paper discusses the concept of academic writing and its role in Foreign Language (FL) curricula in general and in FL composition courses in particular. The discussion points out the importance of linking reading and writing assignments in the FL composition class, in order to introduce students to the type of writing they will be expected to do in subject matter courses, namely literature and culture courses. The objectives of FL composition classes are examined in light of the demands students will encounter in literature/culture courses. These objectives are further examined in contrast to the objectives of ESL composition classes. Space for literature in the FL composition class is claimed not only on grounds that literature is the subject that many FL minors and majors study the most, but also on the basis that literary texts, if appropriately chosen, are a source of authentic linguistic and cultural information, as well as a tool to generate critical thinking.

Writing across the curriculum: putting theory into practice in animal science courses.

Founded on the premise that "learning to write" and "writing to learn" are parallel processes, Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) programs advocate the use of writing activities to enhance learning in subject matter courses across the university curriculum. Application of WAC theory to creating assignments and evaluating writing in undergraduate animal science courses is the primary focus of this paper. Although a variety of writing-to-learn activities are promoted by WAC programs, this discussion is confined to reader-based, applied or real-world assignments completed by students outside the classroom. Writing assignments of this type are effective learning tools because they guide students toward appropriate information, language, and organization, present writing as communication, not artifact, and allow students to see how classroom study of concepts can be applied to the real world. Additionally, they provide opportunity for feedback during the writing process. Although considerable effort is required to create such writing assignments and to design evaluation and grading strategies that will provide constructive feedback, animal science teachers have a responsibility to provide students with expanded opportunities for improving critical thinking and communication skills. Sharing writing assignments, like the ones included in this paper, is one way to accomplish these objectives while minimizing aggregate faculty effort.

Foreign Language Policy and Teacher Education

Policymaking in American foreign language education is affected by a variety of factors, among them the increasing influence of outside forces such as politicians and business leaders, poor communication between high-level policymakers and practitioners, the paradox of national curricular and standardization efforts and local and state restructuring movements, and the diversity of policies governing teacher education. In view of projected teacher shortages, recruitment efforts need to be expanded and alternate routes to traditional teacher certification need to be explored. The wide diversity in subject-matter and pedagogical courses and experiences required for teacher certification across the fifty states is a matter of grave concern. The efforts of language organizations to create generic teacher education guidelines and language proficiency standards will be instrumental in providing needed leadership and guidance to reform efforts in foreign language instruction. Unfortunately, these reform efforts are being undertaken without the extensive policy and planning discussions needed to ensure that reform responds to future needs rather than to the status quo.

Reading for Independence

Reading authentic texts, especially those associated with their subject-matter courses, poses continuing difficulty for ESL university students. One way to help these students develop efficient, independent reading skills is to develop their strategic competence. This article outlines a direct teaching approach which aims to teach students to efficiently and effectively apply their knowledge of the English language and of good reading behaviour to the second language reading task. In this approach, students are introduced to procedures that require them to apply language and skill knowledge to solve such second language reading problems as unfamiliar words or an inflexible reading style. Through the experience of using these procedures, it is hypothesized that students will develop their own routines for making effective use of the knowledge sources available.

Analytical chemistry teaching in the USSR

The paper reviews the state of analytical chemistry teaching at Soviet higher educational establishments, discussing specifics of teaching techniques at various schools of higher learning, viz. universities and technological and non-chemical institutes. It describes the curricula and methods of continuous assessment. Particular attention is paid to the subject matter of courses in analytical chemistry and its future improvement, with special focus on problems related to training specialists in analytical chemistry at universities and other institutions of higher education. The paper also deals with facilities and opportunities offered for research projects, and finally touches on the problem of text books.

Applied Word Processing: Notes on Authority, Responsibility, and Revision in a Workshop Model

The popularity of word processing in the teaching of writing offers an opportunity to reinvent the workshop classroom model in the context of the new technology. The combination of lecture and discussion, of reading assignments and writing assignments allocated to two or three weekly meetings, has been the legacy of the days when composition was indistinguishable from introductory literature, or stylistics, or some other subject-matter course. But inasmuch as composition is a skill requiring more practice than anything else, it is best taught according to a workshop model, which allocates time for writing and revising, for brainstorming, freewriting, and rehearsing, for exchanging drafts and evaluating the audience, for consulting and polishing-in short, for active participation by all students in the writing process itself. Moreover, when writers perform such activities in a room full of computers, rather than in solitary confinement, they form a community in which their work becomes a public act. This community of writers provides a nearly ideal setting for collaborative learning, enabling freshman composition courses to liberate students from the idea that what they write is for teachers to evaluate. Writing for various purposes and audiences in the future will demand of them keen independent judgment-a skill that can be practiced through collaborative efforts such as group brainstorming, peer evaluation, and the agony of being misunderstood even by peers; much professional writing is altogether collaborative. In the word-processing classroom and laboratory everyone's work is, so to speak, on display electronically or in print, inviting the contributions of others and requiring the author to not only revise but to judge and revise. All of this reinforces the idea that writing is a social activity rather than fulfillment of a bizarre requirement in basic literacy. Even more reinforcement comes if faculty members use the same equipment and can be observed going through the same struggles with thought and language. A room full of word-processing computers not only brings writers together,

A need for changes, particularly the introduction of quantum mechanical treatments, into the University teaching of electrochemistry

1. (1) The subject matter of courses in electrochemistry at universities in western countries is incompatible with (a) the nature of the subject (interfacial charge transfer); (b) the extent to which electrochemical considerations play a part in surface phenomena in chemistry, metallurgy, and biology. 2. (2) What is called electrochemistry could with advantage be limited to material corresponding with the following definition: Electrochemistry is the field dealing with the relations between the passage of electric currents across interfaces and chemical surface reactions (such as a field is sometimes called electrodics). Ionics, the study of the behavior of ionic charges in condensed phases, might with advantage be taught as a part of the physical chemistry of solutions. The basic concepts of the effects of potential differences at interfaces, and the rate of charge transfer accross them, together with an outline of the basic principles of electrocatalysis, the conversion of chemical energy to electricity, and the electrochemical control of the stability of surfaces, should be a part of undergraduate courses in physical chemistry. Having regard to the many areas, the basis of which is given by such material. some half of the time on heterogeneous reactions should be used to describe interfacial electron transfer reactions. 3. (3) The basis treatment of electron transfer at interfaces was made in 1931 by Gurney. It was one of the first applications of quantum mechanics to chemistry. The treatment was misunderstood and hence neglected. 4. (4) Electrochemical reactions must always be treated quantally. 5. (5) Some chemical surface reactions have fuel cell-like mechanisms, i.e., consist of two partial reactions each of which involved electron transfer. It is speculated that such reactions may constitute the origin of currents observed in the brain.

Scale Properties of the Interest Index

Extensive research by John French on the Interest Index produced a 12-scale interest test with 16 items per scale. The present study investigated certain scale properties of the Interest Index. Internal consistency coefficients were found to cluster about .91, item-scale assignment was verified for 99% of the items, scale test-retest correlations (three-week interval) were found to cluster about .86, and the individual scales were found to be remarkably independent of one another. It was concluded that, on all these measures, the Interest Index performs at least as well as any comparable test and, in addition, has three advantages over most. It is a very efficient instrument (in terms of number of items per scale), it utilizes subject matter experiences familiar to most students, and it measures interest in a wide variety of subject matter course areas. Partial confirmation of the construct validity of this test is provided, and it is recommended that (a) appropriate norms be developed and (b) further validation studies be conducted.

Beware the Elephants

However, the prospect of completing such preparation in the usual four-year period is somewhat greater. Much of what is now considered family life or sex education material falls very naturally into other subject-matter courses and is appropriately emphasized in courses already in established departments. The teacher who has majored in sociology and teaches high school social science should be expected to deal with the family as a social institution and to design units of study appropriate to a sociology course. Individual growth and development, personality needs and expressions, and interpersonal relationships (including sex as an interpersonal relationship!) falls within the social science or psychology sequence of study and in literature and the arts. Care of the body, health, and disease are a part of health study. Reproductive systems and functions are a part of natural science.

SCALE PROPERTIES OF THE INTEREST INDEX

ABSTRACTExtensive research by John French on the Interest Index produced a 12‐scale interest test with 16 items per scale. The present study investigated certain scale properties of the Interest Index. Internal consistency coefficients were found to cluster about .91, item‐scale assignment was verified for 99% of the items, scale test‐retest correlations (three‐week interval) were found to cluster about .86, and the individual scales were found to be remarkably independent of one another. It was concluded that, on all these measures, the Interest Index performs at least as well as any comparable test and, in addition, has three advantages over most. It is a very efficient instrument (in terms of number of items per scale), it utilizes subject matter experiences familiar to most students, and it measures interest in a wide variety of subject matter course areas. Partial confirmation of the construct validity of this test is provided, and it is recommended that (a) appropriate norms be developed and (b) further validation studies be conducted.

The Rutgers Program for Retraining in Mathematics of College Graduate Women

This program was started at Rutgers three and one half years ago, primarily because of the shortage of mathematics teachers. It was sponsored by the Ford Foundation in the belief that college graduate women who have raised families would be both able and eager to retrain for some of the many jobs requiring mathematical ability and up-to-date knowledge. It was preceded by a year-long survey in which school principals and teachers, college teachers, industrial personnel managers, and more than 21,000 college graduate women in the area of northern New Jersey were questioned as to their interests and needs. Now, at the end of the first three and one half years, there are 188 women and 2 men who have successfully completed one or more semesters in the program. To some of these, retraining has meant a single course, to some it has meant several courses, and to 30 it has meant enrolling (either subsequently or concurrently) in graduate school. Some women enroll with teaching as a very definite goal, some wish to do anything but teach, and some have no idea what they would like to do. Some study in the hope of an immediate job, and others study so they will be prepared to work when their children are older. Mathematical backgrounds vary all the way from one college course to an M.A., and from as little as five years ago to thirty years ago. The 6 courses which now constitute the program have been designed, insofar as possible, to help all of these women. Statistics and/or Computer Programming are the courses taken by most who plan to get jobs in industry, and a professionalized subject-matter course called Background for Teaching the New is taken by most who plan to teach. Background for Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School will be offered for the first time in 1964-65. The noncredit course called Review, College Freshman and Sophomore has been the most popular, and this is frequently followed by the course in Calculus. All courses are offered at both the Newark and New Brunswick campuses, scheduled at the times most convenient for women with families. All courses are staffed with top-notch professors. (The bright and busy 40-year-old is hardly a captive audience!) Scholarships have been given where needed. In spite of the wide range in ages (25-68) and the diversity in backgrounds and goals, these women have a sort of self-selective homogeneity: they are well above average in intelligence, they are highly motivated, and they share a common courage and desire to do something constructive with their talents. Among those who consider their retraining complete, 60 are already holding jobs as a fairly direct result of their courses and the counseling and placement help which they received in the program. Thirty-five are teaching in junior or senior high schools, 3 are teaching in college, and most of the other 22 have jobs with industrial research. Nine are already on second jobs since completing their retraining, and others have received promotions and raises.

Gas Company Uses Cathodic Protection Training Program

Abstract Describes one gas company's experience in planning and setting up a training course for its personnel in cathodic protection installation. Explains importance of planning a training course to achieve desired results. Outlines principles of training, methods of instruction used, subject matter of course and methods of evaluating course. Presents a 51-question test on cathodic protection and corrosion control in general which was given to company personnel to determine need for training and also used after the training course to evaluate how much knowledge had been acquired by participants. 1.7.1, 5.2.1

Use of Harmful Health Misconceptions as a Basis for the Selection of Subject-Matter Areas and Course Content in College Health Classes

Abstract The Borozne Health Information Opinionnaire was used to determine the amount and kind of harmful health misconceptions believed by students in basic health information classes in four-year colleges in the state of Indiana, and whether they were affected by the following factors: age, grade level, sex, race, course background, rural or urban background, marital status, major area of academic preparation, school attended, geographic location, and religion. Findings revealed (a) the most prevalent harmful health misconceptions; (b) subject-matter areas which contained the greatest percentage of harmful health misconceptions believed by the students; and (c) the existence of significant differences between the mean harmful health misconception scores of the sex, race, marital status, grade level, major area of acadmic preparation, and course background subgroups.

Poultry Majors in North America

SINCE the peak enrollment years of the immediate post-World War II period, numerous Poultry Husbandry (Poultry Science) staff members at many colleges and universities have evinced lively interest and considerable concern in the dwindling numbers of students majoring in poultry curricula. The concern has been occasioned by two increasing difficulties: (1) obtaining sufficient undergraduate students to justify many specific poultry subject matter courses and (2) filling graduate fellowships, scholarships and assistantships with students having undergraduate training in the poultry field.Another factor which, to the writer, required most careful evaluation for accurate interpretation, is the large numbers of unfilled employment opportunities which through 1957 at least, have been available for undergraduate poultry majors.College and university administrators and governing boards are already more closely scrutinizing both curricula and subject matter courses with sub-marginal enrollment. This suggests the necessity of at least three possible alternatives or combined actions by organized poultry …

Learning to live

for these various combinations of subjects by having greater breadth of background. The correlation program is not solely responsible, however, for this need for breadth. Critics of modern education are vociferous concerning the preparation of the teacher. They maintain that teachers do not know enough about the subject that they are attempting to teach. They argue that it is the duty of the teacher's college to give to the future teacher a great deal of knowledge in his specific field. These critics do not seem to realize that even in a single subject matter course it is necessary that the teacher know a good deal about the many related subjects. Can you do a good job of teaching English literature without some knowledge of English history? The answer is obvious. Unfortunately the public hears the shouting voice of the well-meaning but misinformed person who states and restates that one of the troubles with today's schools is that they are staffed with teachers who do not have enough knowledge in a particular subject. Included in this public audience is the future high school teacher. This person does not realize that it is the teacher's responsibility to be qualified in several subject matter areas so that he can adequately teach pupils. The teacher education institutions have a responsibility to the student in education to bring to the awareness of the future teacher the responsibilities which he is expected to assume. The student in education must be capable of making an intelligent decision regarding his preparation which will best fit him for his teaching position. Only through the guidance of his counselors and his instructors will this be possible. When the institution accepts the responsibility of supplying this information, one of the more perplexing problems facing the student will disappear.

Professionalized Subject Matter for Junior High School Mathematics Teachers

Much has been written concerning the training of secondary school mathematics teachers. Leaders in mathematics education have had many words to say about both the educational and mathematical training of prospective teachers. Usually the latter training is divided into pure mathematics and professional mathematics. The concern of this paper is the professional mathematics training of junior high school teachers. Of approximately fifty references that were examined in the preparation of this paper, there were only two that treated explicitly the content of a professionalized subject-matter course.1 The others made recommendation that such a course ought to be given or that it should be included in a professional-training program but did not give specific information. The question of what to include in a professionalized subject-matter course or how far to go with such a course is still an open question. In this paper an effort will be made to indicate with two or three topics how far to go in such a course. No attempt will be made to indicate what to include in a semester or full-year course.