scholarly journals Primary School Student Teachers’ Perceived and Actual Knowledge in Biology

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 125-146
Author(s):  
Eija Yli-Panula ◽  
Elia Jeronen ◽  
Nonmanut Pongsakdi

Individuals’ perceptions of their knowledge can have an important role in shaping their cognition and influencing their behaviour. However, there has been a scarcity of studies in biology on how perceived knowledge relates to actual knowledge. The focus of this article is on quantitative results analysing and interpreting student teachers’ perceived knowledge of biological content in relation to their actual animal and species name knowledge linked to the ecosystem in which they live. K-means cluster analysis and ANOVA were used. The results show a high- and low-level perceived knowledge cluster group among the participants. They further indicate that the difference in actual animal and species name knowledge betweenthese cluster groups remained the same during the five years of the study. The student teachers with a higher level of perceived knowledge tended to have better actual animal and species name knowledge than those in the low-level group. The actual animal name knowledge in these cluster groups was similar with regard to the local Finnish ecosystems but differed concerning the exotic species by year. The year that the participants enrolled in the study programme had an impact on their actual animal and species name knowledge. Strategies for coping with work-related demands and maintaining engagement in one’s career would be important additions to the teacher education curriculum.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 87
Author(s):  
Matti Hiltunen ◽  
Sirpa Kärkkäinen ◽  
Tuula Keinonen

Prior research has shown that both teacher-led and recitation questions dominate in classrooms; teachers ask closed-ended questions more than open-ended questions. Even though classroom questioning has been studied in many previous studies there has been very limited research addressing the questioning of student teachers during inquiry-based biology lessons focusing on the inquiry stages: introduction, examination, and conclusion. In this study, a total of 21 lessons by 12 student teachers in primary and secondary schools were video- and audio-recorded. The recorded discussions were transcribed and the qualities of the questions were analyzed using content analysis, and the questions of student teachers were categorized into 10 different question categories. The findings revealed that primary school student teachers asked mainly for factual knowledge, concepts, and basic knowledge of species in all inquiry stages. Secondary school student teachers also asked mainly for concepts and basic knowledge of species. They also asked students to generate ideas and explain their answers, especially in the examination and conclusion stages. The present study indicates that student teachers’ questioning needs to be developed more towards higher-order questioning such as analyzing, synthetizing, and evaluating to scaffold students in inquiries and develop future teachers’ questioning skills in teacher education.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 44-47
Author(s):  
Zhaoqiong Qin

This study aims to investigate the literature in product distribution and channel competition. In this study, past work related to the product distribution through different channels is extensively reviewed. Based on the channel differentiation, channel competition is also reviewed. Finally, the study proposes that the future research may focus on helping the producer make a decision whether to sell the product through its own direct channel (online) through a physical channel or both based on the difference between these two channels.


Author(s):  
Roberto Zefferino ◽  
Francesca Fortunato ◽  
Addolorata Arsa ◽  
Sante Di Gioia ◽  
Gianfranco Tomei ◽  
...  

Due to work-related stress, today, work itself represents a daily challenge that must be faced in many occupations. While, in the past, the scientific community has focused on the helping professions, since, an increasing number of professions have since been investigated. Therefore, different approaches exist in order to assess this disorder, representing a scientific field wherein biological and psychological dimensions both need to be evaluated. In this paper, we consider three biological salivary markers: interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), cortisol, and melatonin. The choice derives from recent contributions to the literature in which the interplay between these markers has been verified. Briefly, such interplay could explain how the central nervous, endocrine, and immune systems communicate with each other, supporting a holistic concept of person. In 30 marine fishermen from the Apulia region of Italy, perceived stress was measured using the Professional Stress Scale (PSS) and sleep disturbances were assessed through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Salivary markers were collected at 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Those subjects reporting sleep disturbance and having altered scores in two PSS subclasses, home–work conflict and self-esteem, presented inverted salivary melatonin and cortisol nictemeral rhythms (with regard to melatonin levels at 8:00 a.m., those workers reporting values higher than the median showed 64.1% versus 48.6% home–work conflict with respect to cortisol levels, subjects having an inverted circadian rhythm showed 69.9% versus 52.5% home–work conflict, and these values resulted 47.7% versus 25.3% when the self-esteem was considered). As regards melatonin, PSQI score is statistically different in the two groups of subjects as identified by median melatonin at 8:00 a.m.; specifically, the subjects who had mean values higher than the median shared higher PSQI scores (10.8 versus 9.8). The same subjects reported more frequent home–work conflict and more sleep disorders. We found a negative correlation between IL-1β at 8:00 a.m. and Cortdiff (the difference between cortisol at 8:00 a.m.–cortisol at 2:00 p.m.), and that high IL-1β at 8:00 a.m. was associated with low Cortdiff. Based on our results we would like to propose this approach in health surveillance, in order to prevent mental and/or physical disorders, however our study is surely preliminary. The interesting perspectives and hypotheses cited in this paper, in which the roles of IL-1β and norepinephrine appear central and important, could remain hypothetical if not supported by more robust observation in order to produce, truly, new knowledge. In the future we will deepen this study with a larger sample, and if these results will be confirmed, this approach could allow preventing, not only mental and physical disorders, but also immuno-mediated diseases, and, perhaps, cancer.


2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 27667-27691
Author(s):  
I. Tegen ◽  
K. Schepanski ◽  
B. Heinold

Abstract. A regional-scale dust model is used to simulate Saharan dust emissions and atmospheric distributions in the years 2007 and 2008. The model results are compared to dust source activation events compiled from infrared dust index imagery from the geostationary Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite. The observed morning maximum in dust source activation frequencies indicates that the breakdown of nocturnal low-level jets is responsible for a considerable number of dust source activation events in the Sahara. The comparison shows that the time of the day of the onset of dust emission is delayed in the model compared to the observations. Also, the simulated number of dust emission events associated with nocturnal low level jets in mountainous regions is underestimated in the model. The MSG dust index observations indicate a strong increase in dust source activation frequencies in the year 2008 compared to 2007, the difference between the two years is less pronounced in the model. The quantitative comparison of simulated dust optical thicknesses with observations at stations of the sunphotometer network AERONET shows, however, good agreement for both years, indicating that the number of observed dust activation events is only of limited use for estimating actual dust emission fluxes in the Sahara.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-43
Author(s):  
Takawira Kazembe

Forty first-year primary school student teachers at a Teacher Training College in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe, participated in an action research study, employing the science student portfolio, during February to July, 2008 . They used the portfolio to record their prior knowledge about the lesson topic, new information learnt during the lesson, and how the new information related to their prior knowledge. Comments on lessons, monthly tests and assignment scores, reflections and a page-long conclusion were also recorded in the portfolio. The monthly test scores improved as the study progressed. Interviews revealed that alternative conceptions emanated from teachers, peers, textbooks, and the failure of students to understand teachers’ explanations. Students’ and administration’s comments revealed stakeholders’ satisfaction with the portfolio’s effectiveness.


Author(s):  
Fabian A. Ryffel ◽  
Werner Wirth

Abstract. The present two-study work aims to contribute to an understanding of the causes and consequences of perceived processing fluency. Regarding its causes, the experimental studies ( N1 = 399; N2 = 337) found that features of television reports (e.g., footage used, background music) can heighten perceptions of processing fluency. Regarding its consequences, it was found that heightened perceived fluency biases metacognitive judgments. Specifically, considering perceived knowledge in relation to actual knowledge, recipients experiencing fluency have been found to overestimate their knowledge about the issue depicted in the experimental stimuli. The resulting illusion of knowing was particularly pronounced under conditions of low involvement, indicating that the so-called ease-of-processing heuristic underlies the effect.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2S8) ◽  
pp. 1463-1468

Software program optimization for improved execution speed can be achieved through modifying the program. Programs are usually written in high level languages then translated into low level assembly language. More coverage of optimization and performance analysis can be performed on low level than high level language. Optimization improvement is measured in the difference in program execution performance. Several methods are available for measuring program performance are classified into static approaches and dynamic approaches. This paper presents an alternative method of more accurately measuring code performance statically than commonly used code analysis metrics. New metrics proposed are designed to expose effectiveness of optimization performed on code, specifically unroll optimizations. An optimization method, loop unroll is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the increased accuracy of the proposed metric. The results of the study show that measuring Instructions Performed and Instruction Latency is a more accurate static metric than Instruction Count and subsequently those based on it.


2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maija Ahtee ◽  
Liisa Suomela ◽  
Kalle Juuti ◽  
Jarkko Lampiselkä ◽  
Jari Lavonen

Scientific observation plays a central part in the formation of scientific knowledge and thus it has animportant role in the teaching and learning of science. Despite its importance there are only a few studies that focus on the problems in making observations. The paper begins with the collection offactors effecting scientific observation. In order to find out primary school student teachers’ conceptions of scientific observation 110 student teachers were asked to write what things they connect tomaking scientific observations. For the majority of the student teachers making observations seemsto mean in the first place just noticing things. Only about 30% of the student teachers connectedearlier experiences and knowledge with observations and only 30% of the student teachers mentioned processing of information. To become efficient at it, student teachers need plenty of practice and experience of the different features of scientific observation.


2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2381-2390 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Tegen ◽  
K. Schepanski ◽  
B. Heinold

Abstract. A regional-scale dust model is used to simulate Saharan dust emissions and atmospheric distributions in the years 2007 and 2008. The model results are compared to dust source activation events compiled from infrared dust index imagery from the geostationary Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite. The observed morning maximum in dust source activation frequencies indicates that the breakdown of nocturnal low level jets is an important mechanism for dust source activation in the Sahara. The comparison shows that the time of the day of the onset of dust emission is delayed in the model compared to the observations. Also, the simulated number of dust emission events associated with nocturnal low level jets in mountainous regions is underestimated in the model. The MSG dust index observations indicate a strong increase in dust source activation frequencies in the year 2008 compared to 2007. The difference between the two years is less pronounced in the model. Observations of dust optical thickness, e.g. at stations of the sunphotometer network AERONET, do not show such increase, in agreement with the model results. This indicates that the number of observed dust activation events is only of limited use for estimating actual dust emission fluxes in the Sahara. The ability to reproduce interannual variability of Saharan dust with models remains an important challenge for understanding the controls of the atmospheric dust load.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aristofanis Tsiringakis ◽  
Natalie Theeuwes ◽  
Janet Barlow ◽  
Gert-Jan Steeneveld

<p>The low-level jet (LLJ) is an important phenomenon that can affect (and is affected by) the turbulence in the nocturnal urban boundary layer (UBL). We investigate the interaction of a regional LLJ with the UBL during a 2-day period over London. Observations from two Doppler Lidars and two numerical weather prediction models (Weather Research & Forecasting model and UKV Met Office Unified Model) are used to compared the LLJ characteristics (height, speed and fall-off) between a urban (London) and a rural (Chilbolton) site. We find that LLJs are elevated (70m) over London, due to the deeper UBL, an effect of the increased vertical mixing over the urban area and the difference in the topography between the two sites. Wind speed and fall-off are slightly reduced with respect to the rural LLJ. The effects of the urban area and the surrounding topography on the LLJ characteristics over London are isolated through idealized sensitivity experiments. We find that topography strongly affects the LLJ characteristics (height, falloff, and speed), but there is still a substantial urban influence.</p>


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