The Advantages of an Inquiry Approach for Science Instruction in Middle Grades

The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the Iowa Chautauqua Professional Development Program in terms of changes in concept mastery, use of process skills, application of science concept and skills, student attitudes toward science, student creativity, and student perceptions regarding their science classrooms. Participants were 12 teachers who agreed to participate in an experimental study where an inquiry approach was utilized with one section and traditional strategies in another section. A total of 24 sections of students were enrolled in inquiry sections (365 students) and traditional sections (359 students). The data collected were analyzed using quantitative methods. The results are tabulated and contrasted for students enrolled in the two sections for each teacher. The results indicate that student use and understanding of science skills and concepts in the inquiry sections increased significantly more than they did for students enrolled in typical sections in terms of process skills, creativity skills, ability to apply science concepts, and the development of more positive attitudes.     

The Advantages of an STS Approach Over a Typical Textbook Dominated Approach in Middle School Science

Two sections of middle school science were taught by two longtime teachers where one used an STS approach and the other followed the more typical textbook approach closely. Pre‐ and post assessments were administered to one section of students for each teacher. The testing focused on student concept mastery, general science achievement, concept applications, use of concepts in new situations, and attitudes toward science. Videotapes of classroom actions were recorded and analyzed to determine the level of the use of STS teaching strategies in the two sections. Information was also be collected that gave evidence of and noted changes in student creativity and the continuation of student learning and the use of it beyond the classroom. Major findings indicate that students experiencing the STS format where constructivist teaching practices were used to (a) learn basic concepts as well as students who studied them directly from the textbook, (b) achieve as much in terms of general concept mastery as students who studied almost exclusively by using a textbook closely, (c) apply science concepts in new situations better than students who studied science in a more traditional way, (d) develop more positive attitudes about science, (e) exhibit creativity skills more often and more uniquely, and (f) learn and use science at home and in the community more than did students in the textbook dominated classroom.     

Scientists Taking a Nature of Science Course: Beliefs and Learning Outcomes of Career Switchers

The purpose of the study was to examine what scientists studying to become teachers know about the nature of science (NOS) before, during and after a course focused on NOS. The 16 scientists had an average of 9.7 years of work experience. The course was structured to teach knowledge about the aspects of NOS, demonstrate effective methods of teaching NOS, provide examples of successful attempts at meaningfully incorporating NOS into science content, and give students an opportunity to design and teach their own lessons incorporating NOS. Data sources collected include a prepost test of Views of Science and Education, electronic discussion postings, written class assignment of a clinical interview with an adolescent about NOS, video recordings of teaching, and individual interviews conducted three months after the course. Quantitative and qualitative data indicate that the scientists entered the course with much knowledge regarding the tentativeness of science and the nature of observations. There were significant gains in sophistication of view of NOS with regard to the following aspects of NOS: (a) knowing that variety of scientific methods exist, (b) the role of theories and laws, (c) the use of imagination, and (d) the role of subjectivity and objectivity in science.     

Representations of Nature of Science in Selected Histories of Science in the Integrated Science Textbooks in China

This study aimed to examine the representations of nature of science (NOS) in the eight histories of science selected from three series of integrated science textbooks used in junior high school in China. Ten aspects of NOS were adopted in the analytical framework. It was found that NOS had not been well treated in the selected histories of science in the three series of science textbooks. Specifically, it was found that the empirical and inferential aspects were treated better than other aspects, and discrepancies existed among the three series of science textbooks and among the eight histories of science in terms of dealing with the target NOS aspects. Implications for addressing NOS in historical materials in science textbooks were discussed in the final part of this paper.     

Science and Mathematics Instruction in a Reform‐based Teacher Preparation Program

This study examined the science and mathematics instruction of teachers who were initially prepared by the Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation program (CETP). The focus of this study was on examining the extent to which science and mathematics teachers used more reform‐oriented instructional practices in their classes when they entered the teaching profession. Data were gathered from twelve different CETP projects across the United States. A quasi‐experimental design was used where science and mathematics teachers who were initially prepared by the CETP program were followed into the field and compared to teachers who were not prepared by the CETP program. The results indicate that the teachers prepared by the CETP program used slightly more reform‐oriented instructional practices than teachers who were not prepared by the CETP program, although both mathematics and science teachers reported low levels of reform‐oriented instruction. Implications of results for large‐scale reform of science and mathematics teacher preparation are discussed.     

Taiwanese Gifted Students' Views of Nature of Science

This study examined the conceptions of nature of science (NOS) possessed by a group of gifted seventh‐grade students from Taiwan. The students were engaged in a 1‐week science camp with emphasis on scientific inquiry and NOS. A Chinese version of a NOS questionnaire was developed, specifically addressing the context of Chinese culture, to assess students' views on the development of scientific knowledge. Pretest results indicated that the majority of participants had a basic understanding of the tentative, subjective, empirical, and socially and culturally embedded aspects of NOS. Some conflicting views and misconceptions held by the participants are discussed. There were no significant changes in students' views of NOS after instruction, possibly due to time limitations and a ceiling effect. The relationship between students' cultural values and development of NOS conceptions and the impact of NOS knowledge on students' science learning are worth further investigation.     

Optimization of Poincaré sections for discriminating between stochastic and deterministic behavior of dynamical systems

This paper studies the problem of finding optimal parameters for a Poincaré section used for determining the type of behavior of a time series: a deterministic or stochastic one. To reach that goal optimization algorithms are coupled with the Poincaré & Higuchi (P&H) method, which calculates the Higuchi dimension using points obtained by performing a Poincaré section of a certain attractor. The P&H method generates distinctive patterns that can be used for determining if a given attractor is produced by a deterministic or a stochastic system, but this method is sensitive to the parameters of the Poincaré section. Patterns generated by the P&H method can be characterized using numerical measures which in turn can be used for finding such parameters for the Poincaré section for which the patterns produced by the P&H method are the most prominent. This paper studies several approaches to parameterization of the Poincaré section. Proposed approaches are tested on twelve time series, six produced by deterministic chaotic systems and six generated randomly. The obtained results show, that finding good parameters of the Poincaré section is important for determining the type of behavior of a time series. Among the tested methods the evolutionary algorithm was able to find the best Poincaré sections for use with the P&H method.     

Assessing the Use of Graphing Calculators in College Algebra: Reflecting on Dimensions of Teaching and Learning

This article considers various aspects of teaching and learning stemming from the integration of graphing calculator use in a semester-long college algebra course. The project examined four class sections, in which two instructors each taught one section using graphing calculators and one section using a traditional approach. Achievement and attitude data showed no significant differences for treatment or instructor; a significant difference in achievement was found for gender. Students in the calculator sections responded to an open-ended questionnaire about their use of the calculator and were generally supportive of the technology. Students were in agreement about specific topics for which the technology was most useful. Overall, findings indicated that the technology use had a positive impact on various dimensions of student learning.     

多因素最优化的重大突破——简记正交表方法的发展史(下半篇)

多因素最优化的重大突破——简记正交表方法的发展史（下半篇）张里千张建方（中国科学技术大学研究生院，北京，１０００３９）（四）正交法的发展进程至少有以下三方面的原因，就笔者的认识与了解所及、记载下正交法的发展过程。不当之处，欢迎专家补充、批评与指正。...     

A study of the vestigial records of cosmic rays in lunar rocks using a thick section technique

An experimental technique has been developed for systematic measurements of fossil tracks along selected planes cut from grains and rocks. With controlled etching, the technique allows successive revelation of tracks in different minerals in the same section, a typical sequence being olivine, anorthite, clinopyroxene. It thus becomes possible to study precisely the cosmic ray track density variations over dimensions much greater than those of individual crystals. The technique also provides accurate information on the relative recording characteristics of different minerals present in a rock and cosmic ray tracks can be studied with a minimum interference of tracks due to spontaneous fission of uranium and transuranic elements. Continuous chains of sections, each section measuring approximately 1 cm., have been cut along several different planes in fifteen rocks from Mare Tranquillitatis, Oceanus Procellarum and Fra Mauro region. The cosmic ray track measurements from these sections have provided dramatic evidence for a number of processes affecting lunar rocks. The statistical, and non-uniform nature of erosion by micrometeorite bombardment can be seen in sections intersecting exposed surface which show regions of very steep track density gradients interspersed with eroded regions having lower track densities. The thick section technique permits determination of the energy spectrum of VH nuclei from track density gradients that extend over distances limited only by the dimensions of the rock, and, more important, in samples of identical orientation. The latter is particularly important in higher energy regions (deeper within the rock) where variations in crystal orientation cause track density differences of the same order as real changes in the gradient. Also in the near surface regions of rocks where low energy particles produce steep track density gradient, the thick section method has proved indispensable since it permits accurate depth determinations not possible in the spot sampling procedure. In this paper the technique of studying track profiles in thick sections is described. Although developed primarily for studying lunar samples, the thick section technique is also useful for similar studies in meteorites, particularly for gas-rich meteorites containing irradiated grains. In contrast to single grain studies, thick sections preserve the grain boundaries and permit accurate depth—density measurements. In addition thick section studies have revealed occasional large uniformly irradiated lithic fragments which would not have been possible to discover by spot sampling methods.     

Promoting Equitable Biology Lab Instruction by Engaging All Students in a Broad Range of Science Practices: An Exploratory Study

This study examines what students enrolled in the honors and general sections of a high school biology course offered at the same school learn when they have an opportunity to participate in a broad or narrow range of science practices during their laboratory experiences. The results of our analysis suggest that the students enrolled in the general sections of the course made similar or larger gains than the students enrolled in the honors section of the course in their abilities to plan and carry out an investigation, argue from evidence, and write a science‐specific persuasive essay when these students had an opportunity to participate in a broad range of science practices. These findings suggest that laboratory experiences that give students an opportunity to participate in a broad range of science practices, although considered challenging by many teachers, have the potential to help all students become more proficient in science. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of this study for classroom instruction and educational policy.     

Optimisation of the structure of the clinical laboratory

In many clinical laboratories span of control problems make it necessary to divide the clinical laboratory into sections (departments, job shops). A section is in fact a set of workstations where tests are performed on samples. A mathematical programming model is described which clusters workstations in such way that the maximum idle time of staff in staff assignment periods is minimized. An example demonstrates the usefulness of the approach.     

The Flow Lab: A Simple Activity for Generating NOS Principles

While there is near universal agreement within the science education community that a strong understanding of nature of science (NOS) ‐ both as a student goal and a teacher attribute ‐ is critical, we still struggle with how to achieve these aims. Barriers range from pragmatic logistics to fundamental curricular tensions. In this paper, we share a classroom activity designed to aid in the learning of key NOS principles that we have found constructive. We discuss the basic activity, connections to science studies literature, and opportunities for explicit reflection on nature of science.     

The Five Point Conic Section: Exploration with Computer Software

This article investigates computer graphing of conic sections. It is shown how five points determine the formula of a conic section, and the determinant is used as a computational device to find the coefficients in the formula. The article is written in the “rule-of-threeform” using symbolic, numerical and graphical techniques. It is suitable for classroom enrichment where a computer is available.     

Sharing costs in highways: A game theoretic approach

This paper introduces a new class of games, highway games, which arise from situations where there is a common resource that agents will jointly use. That resource is an ordered set of several indivisible sections, where each section has an associated fixed cost and each agent requires some consecutive sections. We present an easy formula to calculate the Shapley value, and we present an efficient procedure to calculate the nucleolus for this class of games.     

Writing Collaborative Laboratory Reports in Ninth Grade Science: Three Case Studies of Social Interactions

The purpose of this study was to investigate how collaborative peer discussion provided cognitive support for writing laboratory reports in ninth grade general science. The discourse of three pairs of students during collaborative writing sessions was analyzed to identify the types of social interactions in which the students engaged. These interactions were examined in relation to various intellectual demands of the laboratory reports and similarities and differences between the three pairs. Five types of interactions were identified and labeled as sounding board, peer teaching, supplies answer, debate, and incorporation. In general, student pairs used the constructive interactions of sounding board, peer teaching, and incorporation when writing difficult explanation and application sections of the reports. These interactions involved the processes of elaboration, explanation, and interpretation. Debate was used less frequently than the other interaction types, overall, and was hardly ever used by female pairs in the study. The results point to a high degree of interconnection between social interaction and cognitive processing.     

The Effect of a Modified Moore Method on Attitudes and Beliefs in Precalculus

As part of a study on the effects of teaching with a Modified Moore Method (MMM), a survey containing 20 items from Schoenfeld's (1989 ) investigation of attitudes and beliefs about mathematics was administered to students in undergraduate precalculus classes. The study included one section of precalculus taught with an MMM, a student‐centered and inquiry‐based teaching method, and two sections taught using traditional lecture methods. The survey was administered one week into the semester, following the drop/add date, and during the last week of classes. In this paper, we discuss the findings of the attitudes and beliefs portions of the survey and correlations with scores on a common final exam. We looked for differences between the MMM and traditional sections as well as gender differences. There were only a few differences in the attitudes and beliefs among the students, although there were more changes for females than males and all the significant differences were positive. The correlation between attitudes and beliefs and final exam scores was much stronger in the traditionally taught classes than in the MMM class. When separated by gender, only the reported attitudes and beliefs of the females in the traditional class significantly correlated with final exam scores.     

The Effects on Students' Cognitive Achievement When Using the Cooperative Learning Method in Earth Science Classrooms

This study investigated the effects of cooperative learning instruction versus traditional teaching methods on students' earth science achievement in secondary schools. A total of 770 ninth-grade students enrolled in 20 sections of a required earth science course participated in this nonequivalent control group quasi-experiment. The control groups (n= 10) received a traditional approach, while the experimental groups (n= 10) used cooperative strategies. Study results include (a) no significant differences were found between the experimental groups and the control groups when overall achievement (F= 0.13, p > .05), knowledge-level (F= 0.12, p > .05), and comprehension-level (F= 0.34, p > .05) test items were considered; and (b) students who worked cooperatively performed significantly better than students who worked alone on the application-level test items (F= 4.63, p < .05). These findings suggest that cooperative-learning strategies favor students' earth science performance at higher but not lower levels of cognitive domains in the secondary schools.     

Intervals of 1-Lipschitz aggregation operators, quasi-copulas, and copulas with given affine section

Best lower and upper bounds for 1-Lipschitz aggregation operators with a given affine section are given. These are used to determine best bounds for quasi-copulas and copulas with a given affine section. However, in general there is no greatest copula with a given non-decreasing affine section. These results are used to study (quasi-)copulas with arbitrary affine sections.     

The Influence of Mind Mapping on Eighth Graders’ Science Achievement

This study assessed the influence of using mind maps as a learning tool on eighth graders’ science achievement, whether such influence was mediated by students’ prior scholastic achievement, and the relationship between students’ mind maps and their conceptual understandings. Sixty‐two students enrolled in four intact sections of a grade 8 science classroom were randomly assigned to experimental and comparison conditions. Participants in the experimental group received training in, and constructed, mind maps throughout a science unit. Engagement with mind mapping was counterbalanced with involving the comparison group participants with note summarization to control for time on task as a confounding variable. Otherwise, the intervention was similar for both groups in all respects. A multiple choice test was used to measure student gains across two categories and three levels of achievement. Data analyses indicated that the experimental group participants achieved statistically significant and substantially higher gains than students in the comparison group. The gains were not mediated by participants’ prior scholastic achievement. Analyses also indicated that iconography was not as central to participants’ mind maps as often theorized. Depicting accurate links between central themes and major and minor concepts, and using colors to represent concepts were the major aspects that differentiated the mind maps built by students who achieved higher levels of conceptual understanding.