scholarly journals Abstraction and embodiment: exploring the process of grasping a general

Author(s):  
Svanhild Breive

AbstractThis paper reports from a case study which explores kindergarten children’s mathematical abstraction in a teaching–learning activity about reflection symmetry. From a dialectical perspective, abstraction is here conceived as a process, as a genuine part of human activity, where the learner establishes “a point of view from which the concrete can be seen as meaningfully related” (van Oers & Poland Mathematics Education Research Journal, 19(2), 10–22, 2007, p. 13–14). A cultural-historical semiotic perspective to embodiment is used to explore the characteristics of kindergarten children’s mathematical abstraction. In the selected segment, two 5-year-old boys explore the concept of reflection symmetry using a doll pram. In the activity, the two boys first point to concrete features of the sensory manifold, then one of the boys’ awareness gradually moves to the imagined and finally to grasping a general and establishing a new point of view. The findings illustrate the essential role of gestures, bodily actions, and rhythm, in conjunction with spoken words, in the two boys’ gradual process of grasping a general. The study advances our knowledge about the nature of mathematical abstraction and challenges the traditional view on abstraction as a sort of decontextualised higher order thinking. This study argues that abstraction is not a matter of going from the concrete to the abstract, rather it is an emergent and context-bound process, as a genuine part of children’s concrete embodied activities.

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 578-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef de Beer ◽  
Neal Petersen

This article describes a problem-based, cooperative learning activity, where students investigate the role of ethylene in flower senescence. The cooperative learning activity is contextualized in an authentic problem experienced in the cut flower industry: how can the shelf life of cut flowers be prolonged? We describe the procedure for conducting the experiment and show the affectiveness of contextualized science that includes indigenous knowledge—an approach that Gibbons calls “mode 2 knowledge production.” In addition we also give suggestions on how this type of problem-based, cooperative teaching-learning activity can be used in a school biology classroom.


Author(s):  
Alcina Silva ◽  
Marsyl Mettrau ◽  
Márcia Barreto

Propõe-se a refletir sobre as relações que envolvem o lúdico e o ensino-aprendizagem das Ciências, a partir de uma perspectiva em que as concepções prévias de conceitos científicos sejam compreendidas como ponto de partida e parte ativa de um processo para a construção de novos conhecimentos. Nesta perspectiva, coerente com a Epistemologia Genética e com uma abordagem socioconstrutivista, o objeto é apreendido por meio de uma estrutura cognitiva constituída pelo sujeito a partir de seus interesses e necessidades. A motivação vem a ser o elemento propulsor neste processo, tendo em vista que despertar o interesse implica envolver o indivíduo/estudante em algo que tenha significado para si. As seguintes questões norteiam esta reflexão: Qual o significado de motivar? Este significado passa apenas por proporcionar prazer por meio de atividades lúdicas ou vai para além de sua relação com o lúdico? Qual o papel do professor ao trabalhar com atividades lúdicas? Palavras-chave: lúdico; aprendizagem; motivação; conhecimento científico. Abstract The objective of this paper is to reflect upon the relations involving the ludic activities and the teaching-learning process of sciences, from a perspective in which the pre-conceptions of scientific notions are recognized as the starting point and also as an active part of a process for the construction of new knowledge. From this point of view, which is coherent with the Genetic Epistemology and with a socio-constructivist approach, the object is seized by means of a cognitive structure elaborated by the subject based on his interests and needs. The motivation becomes the propelling element in this process, considering that stirring the interest implies involving the individual/student in something meaningful to himself. The following questions guide this reflection: What is the meaning of motivating? Does this meaning have the sole purpose of providing pleasure by means of ludic activities or does it surpass its relation with the ludic activities? What is the role of the teacher while working with ludic activities? Keywords: ludic; learning process; motivation; scientific knowledge.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Girmono Girmono ◽  
Nusa Putra ◽  
Nanang Fattah

<p class="Affiliation">The purposes of this study are: First, to know how the role of supervisors in supervising learning administrations and academic supervision to Islamic education teachers at school. Second, to know supervisors’ performance based on standard. Third, to know the handicaps in doing supervisors’ duties. Fourth, to know supervisors’ strategy in solving the problems. The Method used in this research is descriptive analysis with qualitative approaches. Based on the research goals above, it can be conluded: First, based on document analysis and teachers’ administration observation that teachers have had complete documents as guide lines in doing teaching learning process. However, most of teachers still adopted lesson planning they made from other schools. Second, that the supervisors of Islamic Relegious Education in doing their tasks is not maximum yet, such as monitoring eight national standards of education and assessing teachers’ performance. There are even other tasks, such as the activity of guiding and evaluating professional teachers which were not carried out. Third, the handicaps faced by supervisors were (1) the teachers who were absent in teachers’ forum, (2) the difficulties of changing teachers’ mindset in arranging program, and (3) the weakness of mastering Information Communication Technology. Fourth, the solutions offered are (1) the supervision goal is supposed to be communicated and comprehended by teachers, principals, and supervisors, (2) the supervision should be well-planned, constructive, and democratic, (3) the teachers should be involved in the process of planning and implementing supervision so that they understand procedures and advantages of supervision in developing their professionalism, (4) the supervision program should motivate to the changes in the teaching learning activity.</p><p class="Affiliation"><strong><em>Kata kunci</em></strong><em>: supervisi, akademik, PAI, profesionalisme.</em></p>


Author(s):  
Olga Bălănescu

The present paper intends to analyze the institutional educational verbal interaction from the pragmatics point of view, as pragmatics is that linguistic discipline focused on the dialogized communication performed by real speakers: the teacher (instructor, trainer) and his students. I was interested in emphasizing the type of verbal; interaction established during this special form of communication, the way the principles of communication are kept or broken during the dialogue between teacher and student, different types of discourse performed by the teacher while discussing with his students. I was also interested in underlining the role of the deictic elements (especially the subjective ones) in the communication performed within the didactic process of teaching-learning. The present paper intends to outline the importance of pragmatics in achieving an efficient teaching-learning process for the both sides implied: both for the teachers who will succeed in teaching easier their subject matters, and for the students who will understand faster the theoretic concepts and thus will be able to turn them into efficient and useful knowledge for their future career. Owing to my university teaching experience, I have faced lots of situations when pragmatics helped me out. In this paper I will focus my attention upon my didactic activities performed when teaching the Romanian language for foreign students (as I also teach Pragmatics, Advertising and Politic Discourse to the Romanian students of my Faculty). The present paper contains four parts as it follows: introduction, literature review, case study and conclusions (accompanied by limitations of the paper and recommendations).


Author(s):  
N.V. Belov ◽  
U.I. Papiashwili ◽  
B.E. Yudovich

It has been almost universally adopted that dissolution of solids proceeds with development of uniform, continuous frontiers of reaction.However this point of view is doubtful / 1 /. E.g. we have proved the active role of the block (grain) boundaries in the main phases of cement, these boundaries being the areas of hydrate phases' nucleation / 2 /. It has brought to the supposition that the dissolution frontier of cement particles in water is discrete. It seems also probable that the dissolution proceeds through the channels, which serve both for the liquid phase movement and for the drainage of the incongruant solution products. These channels can be appeared along the block boundaries.In order to demonsrate it, we have offered the method of phase-contrast impregnation of the hardened cement paste with the solution of methyl metacrylahe and benzoyl peroxide. The viscosity of this solution is equal to that of water.


2009 ◽  
pp. 4-27
Author(s):  
A. Cohen ◽  
G. Harcourt

The article written by the well-known theorists and historians of economic thought contains a detailed overview of the Cambridge capital controversy, which had raged from the mid-1950-s through the mid-1970-s. The authors track the origins of the controversy and cover arguments of both sides in chronological order. From their point of view, the discussion hasnt been resolved, and its main underlying aspects were ideological beliefs and fundamental methodological controversies on the nature of equilibrium and on the role of time in economic theory. The article is published with comments written by other leading theoreticians.


2019 ◽  
pp. 22-29
Author(s):  
Н. В. Фрадкіна

The purpose and tasks of the work are to analyze the contemporary Ukrainian mass culture in terms of its value and humanistic components, as well as the importance of cultural studies and Ukrainian studies in educational disciplines for the formation of a holistic worldview of modern youth.Analysis of research and publications. Scientists repeatedly turned to the problems of the role of spirituality in the formation of society and its culture. This problem is highlighted in the publications by O. Losev, V. Lytvyn, D. Likhachev, S. Avierintsev, M. Zakovych, I. Stepanenko and E. Kostyshyn.Experts see the main negative impact of mass culture on the quality approach, which determines mass culture through the market, because mass culture, from our point of view, is everything that is sold and used in mass demand.One of the most interesting studies on this issue was the work by the representatives of Frankfurt School M. Horkheimer and T. Adorno «Dialectics of Enlightenment» (1947), devoted to a detailed analysis of mass culture. Propaganda at all socio-cultural levels in the form is similar in both totalitarian and democratic countries. It is connected, according to the authors, with the direction of European enlightenment. The tendency to unify people is a manifestation of the influence of mass culture, from cinema to pop. Mass culture is a phenomenon whose existence is associated with commerce (accumulation in any form – this is the main feature of education), in general, the fact that it exists in this form is related to the direction of the history of civilization.Modern mass culture, with its externally attractive and easily assimilated ideas and symbols, appealing to the trends of modern fashion, becomes a standard of prestigious consumption, does not require intense reflection, allows you to relax, distract, not teach, but entertains, preaches hedonism as the main spiritual value. And as a consequence, there are socio-cultural risks: an active rejection of other people, which leads to the formation of indifference; cruelty as a character trait; increase of violent and mercenary crime; increase in the number of alcohol and drug addicts; anti-patriotism; indifference to the values of the family and as a result of social orphanhood and prostitution.Conclusions, perspectives of research. Thus, we can conclude that modern Ukrainian education is predominantly formed by the values of mass culture. Namely, according to the «Dialectic» by Horkheimer and Adorno, «semi-enlightenment becomes an objective spirit» of our modern society.It is concluded that only high-quality education can create the opposite of the onset of mass culture and the destruction of spirituality in our society. It is proved that only by realizing the importance of cultivating disciplines in the educational process and the spiritual upbringing of the nation, through educational reforms, humanitarian knowledge will gradually return to student audiences.Formation of youth occurs under the influence of social environment, culture, education and self-education. The optimal combination of these factors determines both the process of socialization itself and how successful it will be. In this context, one can see the leading role of education and upbringing. It turns out that the main task of modern education is to spread its influence on the development of spiritual culture of the individual, which eventually becomes a solid foundation for the formation of the individual. Such a subject requires both philosophical and humanitarian approaches in further integrated interdisciplinary research, since the availability of such research will provide the theoretical foundation for truly modern educational and personal development.


2020 ◽  
pp. 75-79
Author(s):  
R. M. Gambarova

Relevance. Grain is the key to strategic products to ensure food security. From this point of view, the creation of large grain farms is a matter for the country's selfsufficiency and it leading to a decrease in financial expense for import. Creation of such farms creates an abundance of productivity from the area and leads to obtaining increased reproductive seeds. The main policy of the government is to minimize dependency from import, create abundance of food and create favorable conditions for export potential.The purpose of the study: the development of grain production in order to ensure food security of the country and strengthen government support for this industry.Methods: comparative analysis, systems approach.Results. As shown in the research, if we pay attention to the activities of private entrepreneurship in the country, we can see result of the implementation of agrarian reforms after which various types of farms have been created in republic.The role of privateentrepreneurshipinthedevelopmentofproduction is great. Тhe article outlines the sowing area, production, productivity, import, export of grain and the level of selfsufficiency in this country from 2015 till 2017.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 161-179
Author(s):  
Outi Paloposki

The article looks at book production and circulation from the point of view of translators, who, as purchasers and readers of foreign-language books, are an important mediating force in the selection of literature for translation. Taking the German publisher Tauchnitz's series ‘Collection of British Authors’ and its circulation in Finland in the nineteenth and early twentieth century as a case in point, the article argues that the increased availability of English-language books facilitated the acquiring and honing of translators' language skills and gradually diminished the need for indirect translating. Book history and translation studies meet here in an examination of the role of the Collection in Finnish translators' work.


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