scholarly journals Reimagining the Introductory Math Curriculum for Life Sciences Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Sanders O’Leary ◽  
Hannah Whang Sayson ◽  
Casey Shapiro ◽  
Alan Garfinkel ◽  
William J. Conley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Life Science ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Math Curriculum ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
New Math

Description of an innovative new math curriculum for life science students and a study examining its cognitive and noncognitive impacts, including improved academic performance in math, higher grade outcomes in subsequent science courses, and increased interest in quantitative concepts and skills relevant to 21st-century biology.

scholarly journals Att börja tala ’biokemiska’ - Betydelsen av metaforer och hjälpord för meningsskapande kring proteiner

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 30-42
Author(s):  
Carl-Johan Rundgren
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Life Science ◽  
Visual Representations ◽  
Theoretical Description ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
Secondary School Education ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Scientific Terms

This paper deals with the process of acquiring a subject-specific language. When confronted with the visual representations and scientific terms of molecular life science, students try to make meaning using the language they have access to and their prior experience. In this process students use a kind of intermediate language, with frequent use of metaphors. Some metaphors can be traced back to the teaching they have experienced, while some are spontaneous metaphors created by the students. They also make use of words that seemingly have no meaning, here referred to as helpwords. The results from this study indicate that spontaneous metaphors and helpwords are important in learning situations, especially in an abstract discipline such as molecular life science. This paper aims to give a preliminary theoretical description of the phenomenon of helpwords, based on an interview study of 20 students taking natural science courses in their upper secondary school education.

scholarly journals Life Sciences teaching in the 21st century: A Paradigm shift

2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Louise Botha
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Life Science ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
High Quality Research ◽  
Educational Transformation ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Quality Of Learning ◽  
Excellence In Education

The development of a quality teaching corps is a ‘primary condition for educational transformation’ (NEPI 1993:235). According to McGrath (2008) the quality of teachers and their teaching has a significant impact on the quality of learning. The quality of learning could be linked to excellence in education and could be achieved through new, innovative reasoning. This could be obtained by implementing new and innovative skills and techniques that should adhere to the creative and innovative planning of the curriculum (DBE 2011:8). It is therefore expected of the educators (lecturers and teachers) to create and sustain a stimulating and supportive learning and teaching environment. Within the evolving world of education the focus has clearly moved from a teacher-centred classroom practice to a more learner-centred approach as reflected in the curriculum for Life Sciences (Department of Education 2003). The challenge is the confrontation of teachers to teach Life Sciences on a cognitive as well as affective level in order to reach all learners in the 21st century. New curriculum initiatives suggests adaption and changes in the educators’ practice. This article presents a theoretical study, aiming to report on rethinking Life Science education in the 21st century in South Africa. It is therefore imperative to take note of the needs and challenges in creative Life Science teaching and education for the 21st century. High quality research in Biological education is needed that could afford the chance to form and remould the profession of a Life Science educator.

scholarly journals Performance in grade 12 mathematics and science predicts student nurses’ performance in first year science modules at a university in the Western Cape

Curationis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katlego D.T. Mthimunye ◽  
Felicity M. Daniels
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Predictive Validity ◽  
Life Science ◽  
Student Nurses ◽  
First Year ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mathematics And Science ◽  
First Year Student

Background: The demand for highly qualified and skilled nurses is increasing in South Africa as well as around the world. Having a background in science can create a significant advantage for students wishing to enrol for an undergraduate nursing qualification because nursing as profession is grounded in scientific evidence.Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive validity of grade 12 mathematics and science on the academic performance of first year student nurses in science modules.Method: A quantitative research method using a cross-sectional predictive design was employed in this study. The participants included first year Bachelor of Nursing students enrolled at a university in the Western Cape, South Africa. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to analyse the data by using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences versions 24. Descriptive analysis of all variables was performed as well as the Spearman’s rank correlation test to describe the relationship among the study variables. Standard multiple linear regressions analysis was performed to determine the predictive validity of grade 12 mathematics and science on the academic performance of first year student nurses in science modules.Results: The results of this study showed that grade 12 physical science is not a significant predictor (p > 0.062) of performance in first year science modules. The multiple linear regression revealed that grade 12 mathematics and life science grades explained 37.1% to 38.1% (R2 = 0.381 and adj R2 = 0.371) of the variation in the first year science grade distributions.Conclusion: Based on the results of the study it is evident that performance in grade 12 mathematics (β = 2.997) and life science (β = 3.175) subjects is a significant predictor (p < 0.001) of the performance in first year science modules for student nurses at the university identified for this study.

scholarly journals Impact of intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional intelligence and self-directed learning on academic performance among pre-university science students

Heliyon ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. e06611
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Nkemakolam Okwuduba ◽  
Kingsley Chinaza Nwosu ◽  
Ebele Chinelo Okigbo ◽  
Naomi Nkiru Samuel ◽  
Chinwe Achugbu
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Directed Learning ◽  
University Science
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