scholarly journals Educational Significance of Nanoscience–Nanotechnology: Primary School Teachers’ and Students’ Voices after a Training Program

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 724
Author(s):  
Anna Spyrtou ◽  
Leonidas Manou ◽  
Giorgos Peikos
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Content Structure ◽  
School Contexts ◽  
Teachers And Students

Most of the modern technological applications we use in our daily life originate from the progress of Nanoscience–Nanotechnology (NST). The projection, showing the great impact that these advances are going to have on society, exhorts science education researchers to incorporate the modern field into educational contexts. Among the several issues that have to be dealt with, NST’s educational significance comes to the fore. This pilot study aims to examine whether both nano-trained primary school teachers and nano-trained students acknowledge the need for the inclusion of the NST content to school contexts. Fourteen primary school teachers and ten students, after their participation in an NST training course, were interviewed in order to provide their justifications. The results show that the vast majority of the participants acknowledge the educational significance of NST. The main arguments were associated with career possibilities, the relevance of the content to everyday life, and the need for nanoliteracy attainment. The results of this study can be used by NST education researchers in order to formulate a NST content structure for primary school nanoeducation.

scholarly journals Strategies Used by Public Primary School Teachers for Enhancing Students’ Curiosity in Science

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-101
Author(s):  
Bakhtawer Nasrullah ◽  
Ghulam Fatima ◽  
Dur e Nayab
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
School Principal ◽  
School Level ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
The Subject

This qualitative study was planned to identify the curiosity enhancing strategies (CES) and explore the challenges faced by teachers during the use of strategies at primary school students in the subject of science. Curiosity is the desire to acquire new knowledge through exploration in order to grow and expand understanding. Curiosity refers to the tendency of children to ask, investigate, and find out the new knowledge obtained from their environment. The researchers did not find a study in the literature that specifically examined identification of curiosity related strategies used by teachers in Pakistan. This research study was conducted to identify the curiosity related strategies used by the public sector school teachers in teaching Science to students enrolled in primary classes in Lahore. Purposive sampling technique was used for selection of the participants of the study. Data was collected from teachers and students of primary school (5th grade) level in science subject. Data from teachers was collected personally and on telephone. Data from students was collected through interviews by visiting the respective schools and after taking consent of the school principal. Two semi structured interview protocols were developed for taking responses at primary school level teachers and students. Data was analyzed by using thematic analysis technique. Findings of the study reflected that primary school teachers of the study were using different strategies for enhancing curiosity in students in the subject of Science. During the use of these strategies public sector primary school teachers faced many challenges like lack of resources, large strength of students in a classroom, lack of students attention, lack of parents cooperation. This study recommended that teachers and parents may use these strategies for enhancing curiosity in students.

scholarly journals Slovenian Primary School Teachers' Opinion on Interdisciplinary Approach Between Fine Art and Science Education

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 435-443
Author(s):  
Robert Potočnik ◽  
Tanja Košir ◽  
Iztok Devetak
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Fine Art ◽  
Educational Goals ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Art And Science ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Teaching Content ◽  
Meaningful Connections

<p style="text-align: justify;">In this article we present research on Slovenian primary school teachers' opinion about the interdisciplinary approach between fine art and science education. With the help of questionnaires, interviews, and analysis of lesson plans, we determined how primary school teachers use this type of interdisciplinary approach, how often and what their views are. We included 138 primary school teachers from every region in Slovenia. It turned out that primary school teachers in Slovenia use an interdisciplinary approach between fine art and science teaching quite often and consider it useful to achieve different aspects of pupils' development. The study revealed that most teachers find it difficult to consider the educational goals of both fields (fine art, science). They often use the connection between the subjects only on an associative level - they only mention the teaching content of one subject quickly and carelessly, without making meaningful connections and without achieving the goals of both subjects. Content taught in this way cannot be considered a cross-curricular approach in the subject sense.</p>

scholarly journals An assessment of the reading motivation skills of Nigerian primary school teachers: Implications for language and science education

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Foluso Okebukola ◽  
Tunde Owolabi ◽  
Beatrice O.A. Onafowokan
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Reading Motivation ◽  
Reading Habits ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
News Reports ◽  
African Children ◽  
Good Reading

Recent studies and frequent news reports have expressed concerns about African children’s decreasing reading habits and dwindling achievement in language and primary science examinations. African children are not reading because they have reading difficulties or because they have no interest in books. This article focuses on the elementary schooling years, when the ability to read and comprehend and the love of reading are developed, using Nigeria as a case study. The article begins with a review of the literature on reading that underscores the importance of nurturing and supporting good reading habits amongst African children. Following a cursory exposition of the categories of schools in Nigeria and the place of reading and science in the National Policy on Education, the remainder of the article presents the findings of a study conducted to assess the reading motivation skills of primary school teachers and illustrates pedagogical ways of developing good reading habits amongst African children. Implications for language and science education are discussed.

scholarly journals Views of Primary School Teachers and Students about The Interactive Whiteboard

2015 ◽  
Vol 186 ◽  
pp. 1289-1297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nese (Isık) Tertemiz ◽  
Demet Sahin ◽  
Beyhan Can ◽  
Serkan Duzgun
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Interactive Whiteboard ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Teachers And Students

scholarly journals NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION PROCESS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL: ORGANISATION AND IMPROVEMENT ASPECTS

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-32
Author(s):  
Vincentas Lamanauskas
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Experimental Research ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Education Improvement ◽  
Natural Science Education ◽  
Education Process

Natural science education in primary school is not only important, but it is also problematic. The importance, first of all, lies in the fact, that natural science education is an inseparable part of general education. Natural science education involves various components - ecological, environmental, healthy lifestyle, harmonious development and other. Experimental- research activity is especially important. Effective all component integration into education process in primary classes remains problematic. This is actual not only in Lithuania. It is obvious, that in order to understand natural science education peculiarities working with the younger age children, exhaustive research are necessary and on their basis modelled, adjusted and developed natural science education in primary school. Only qualitative natural science education, acquired in primary school, can guarantee proper continuation of natural science education in basic and secondary school. Research aim is to analyse primary school teachers’ position on natural science education question, i.e., to ascertain how teachers value personal preparation according to major natural science education fields, what natural science education improvement ways they discern, and what activity ways in natural science education process they like best. The research is quantitative, pilot, of limited amount. The research was carried out between January and February 2018. Working primary school teachers from various Lithuanian primary schools participated in the research. Totally, there were 60 teachers (all women) from more than 25 schools. The carried-out research allows asserting, that primary school teachers’ professional preparation in natural science education sphere remains actual. Practical work organisation is considered the most appropriate activity. Individual students’ differences are tried to be satisfied and considered the least by the teachers. Though teachers tend to demonstrate various experiments (16.0%), research activity is not prevalent (2.3%). A similar situation is observed speaking about technology involvement in education process. Teacher preparation to organise and realise natural science education in primary school is basically valued positively, however, it is diverse. The best preparation is fixated in biology science spheres (e.g., “Green plants” /PI=0.83, SD=0.22/, “People and other animals” /PI=0.80, SD=0.21/, “Life (vital) processes” /PI=0.73, SD=0.21/ and other). The weakest preparation is fixated in physics science fields (e.g., “Electricity (electrical) phenomena” /PI=0.55, SD=0.26/, “Forces and movement” /PI=0.56, SD=0.25/, “Light and sound” /PI=0.57, SD=0.26/ and other). The preparation in chemistry science field is considered average e.g., “Substance changes” /PI=0.64, SD=0.24/, “Substance mixture separation” /PI=0.61, SD=0.23/ and other). Preparation in scientific research field is also valued as average (PI=0.63, SD=0.18) (PI – preparation index). Respondents consider resources/equipment the most important way of natural science education process improvement. Teacher professional improvement possibilities are considered the least important way of improvement. Lessons based on research (or other educational activities) are not considered a very important way of natural science education improvement. More exhaustive research are necessary in future for analysing primary school teacher natural science competence problems, also seeking to better understand experimental-research activity organisation peculiarities in education process. Keywords: pilot research, primary school, professional improvement, science education.

scholarly journals NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOL: TEACHERS’ COMPETENCE AND TRAINING

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-28
Author(s):  
Vincentas Lamanauskas ◽  
Dalia Augienė
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Research Result ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Science Field ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Subject Knowledge ◽  
Result Analysis ◽  
Natural Science Education

Schoolchildren’s natural science competence development is inseparable from teachers’ natural science competence, the integral part of which are subject, didactic and managerial abilities. Competence (es) acquisition during the studies at university is not a final process. Competence improvement, enrichment continues during the whole period of active pedagogical work. In the months of January-February 2018, a qualitative, limited amount research was carried out. 60 primary school teachers from more than 25 Lithuanian schools participated in the research. Research data were analysed using a content analysis method. Research results revealed that most primary school teachers value their knowledge in natural science field as sufficient. Teachers accentuate that their competences are proper and emphasize their lifelike and long work experience importance. Part of the teachers accentuate constant natural science education subject knowledge renewal. Only a small part of teachers notice that they lack knowledge in natural science field. Research result analysis showed that most of primary school teachers develop natural science competence independently using various information sources. A big part of teachers develop natural science competence participating in formal specially organised activities. Not a small part of teachers accentuate practical natural science competence development. Research results revealed that most primary school teachers give average evaluation to their competence in teaching natural science (world cognition). Only a small part of teachers attribute a high value to this competence of theirs. Research result analysis showed that primary school teachers teaching students natural sciences (world cognition), encounter various problems. The bigger part of teachers experience problems, related to the teaching process: lack of devices, low students’ teaching motivation, teaching content shortcomings. A big part of teachers teaching natural science subjects (world cognition) experience social – organisational problems: a lack of time, unfavourable conditions, a lack of support. Teacher opinion analysis of what needs to be changed /improved in natural science primary school teacher training/preparation revealed that the biggest part of teachers offer to improve future teachers’ practical abilities/skills. Part of teachers offer to better develop special competences, related to natural science education, to improve material supply of the study process. Keywords: content analysis, primary school, science education, subject knowledge.

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