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.

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 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>

CONNECTIONS OF ARTISTIC AND NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION: GAMES EMPLOYING DEPICTION MEANS AS A STIMULUS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 35-38
Author(s):  
Ida Mitkevičienė
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Natural Science Education

According to the primary school natural science education curricula cognitive activity has to be diverse and its content must be permanently changed. It is purposeful to supplement the educational process with children’s literature, music, folklore, acting, drawing and games (General Curricula and Education Standards, 2003). Game is one of the most universal and efficient child’s primary education strategies. Creative and orientated combination of game and artistic activities in the process of natural science education enables to seek that primary school students both perceive the environment as the aesthetic totality and get used to take care of it, both notice the beauty of nature phenomena and objects and feel the need to take care of nature, both perceive the interdependence of animate and inanimate nature and feel the interrelation of nature with various arts and artistic activities. Observation is the activity that is accessible to primary class pupils and serves as a basis for more complex steps in the teaching and learning process. Because the observation of the nearest environment can be strongly encouraged by the wish to depict the objects of the nearest environment in various ways, this article presents the examples of games employing depiction means, which not only integrate natural science education and artistic education but also promote active cognitive environmental research activity. Key words: primary education, cognitive activity, game employing depiction means.

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.

THE METHODICAL COMPETENCIES’ PROPAEDEUTIC OF THE FUTURE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS AT THE NATURAL SCIENCE LECTURES IN HIGH SCHOOL

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 491
Author(s):  
Tatiana Solovyeva ◽  
Olesia Karpovich
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Future Teachers ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Instructional Activities ◽  
The Future

The article characterizes and experimentally substantiates the criteria, indicators and levels of methodical competence of future teachers; illustrated by didactic means propaedeutic training of students for the instructional activities in primary school. The influence of metaprofessional (universal) instrumental competences formed by future teachers at Nature Science lectures on the unconscious, on the intuitive level, through the "insight", their acquisition of the methodological experience is proved.  

scholarly journals THE IMPORTANCE OF FEATURES FORMING THE SYSTEM OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT NATURE

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-107
Author(s):  
Rita Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Natural Object ◽  
Primary School Students ◽  
Feature Identification ◽  
School Students ◽  
Natural Science Education ◽  
Object Features

Today, increasingly more attention is given to knowledge construction. In this article it is discussed how much nature, its objects and phenomena features are important forming a certain system of knowledge about nature. Research show that features cannot be ignored, one should focus and reconsider how our students are guided towards feature identification. During the first years of life, the child already experiences specific environmental features. Later, the knowledge of features (to remember, cognize, define…) and understanding (to retell, explain...) guide further: teach to compare, group, classify. The analysis aim was to give methodological advice to primary school teachers and to all interested in natural science education on how to teach students to cognize and understand the features of natural objects, phenomena and to develop comparison, grouping and classification abilities. Aims: 1) to discuss what it is a feature; 2) to analyse what the feature’s expression is in preschool and pre-primary education programmes; 3) to present activity episodes, task examples on how to teach during nature cognition lessons to recognize features according to which the procedures of comparison, grouping, and classification are possible. Introducing what the feature is, the synonyms of features are introduced as well (feature, peculiarity, criterion, symptom), it is explained what the feature defines, what the difference is between quantitative and qualitative features. Discussing the feature expression in education programmes, 4 programmes were analysed on this question (preschool, pre-primary school, primary school world cognition programme and standardised world cognition programme). Clarity, accuracy, attention to detail of the discussed question has been noticed in the standardised world cognition programme. The questions of how to teach primary school students to be observant and to find natural object features, and what to do having found them are shared in the third part of the article. Several concrete recommendations are given here on how to teach to recognize some or other animate and inanimate natural object and phenomena features. Together are presented orientation questions, objective commentaries, possible students’ answers because the author has already tried these activities with the primary school students. Keywords: natural science education, classification abilities, comparison abilities, object features, primary education.

scholarly journals INTEGRATION OF NATURAL SCIENCE AND LINGUISTIC EDUCATION USING NATURAL SCIENCE INFORMATION SOURCES

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-49
Author(s):  
Margarita Vilkonienė
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Education Standards ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Natural Science Education ◽  
Science Education Standards

The requirements of Lithuanian Natural Science Education standards for a primary school are quite difficult to implement. The conducted research has demonstrated that natural science education of the primary school graduates in Šiauliai city and Šiauliai region did not correspond to national primary natural science education standards (Vilkonienė, Vilkonis ir Lamanauskas, 2005). Some researchers (Klimienė, 2001; Lamanauskas, 1996) maintain that the planned results can be achieved through integrated teaching. In their opinion the objectives and the tasks of natural science education can be implemented through regular and optimal usage of the content of various teaching subjects. The content of native language education contains the activity called subject text reading. Choosing subject texts it is purposeful to consider their content. It is an excellent possibility to integrate the knowledge of natural science into the content of native language education. Reading, discussion and the analysis of the writings presented in the article during the classes of native language would enable effective integration of the points of natural science education. The article also contains the fragments of natural science education standards, which could be purposefully used as a basis for organising integrated education/self-education, and the proposed information sources, which could be purposefully used by pupils and teachers, searching for the answers to the arisen questions. Key words: natural science education, linguistic education, integration, sources of additional information.

scholarly journals IMPORTANCE AND NECESSITY OF STRENGTHENING OF NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION IN A PRIMARY SCHOOL

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-7
Author(s):  
Vincentas Lamanauskas
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Natural Sciences ◽  
School Level ◽  
The World ◽  
Natural Science Education ◽  
Primary School Level

Natural science education (NSE) - one of the most actual fields of activity of a comprehensive school. One of most acute problems of today's education - low interest to natural sciences and especially to chemistry. This problem is actual not only in Lithuania, but also all over the world. Many researches of last years specify necessity of perfection of natural science education at all levels of an education system and especially at a level of a primary school. Acquaintance to natural sciences in a primary school does not meet today's requirements. It is necessary to return teaching of natural sciences in primary schools. The main accent of process of natural science education in a primary school should become a different sort of researches and experiments. The teaching and learning process in primary school level should have strong focus on constructivist learning and the role of social interaction in learning. The teachers should be able to improve motivation for learning through enjoyment and giving children some control of their science activities. The primary goal of natural sciences in an primary school is acquaintance of pupils to world around, formation of a complete picture of the world to all complex interrelations that further, in the basic school, to pass to studying separate subjects of a natural cycle (for example, chemistry, physics, biology). One of many reasons of low interest to chemistry - insufficient attention to a component of chemistry in the content of a primary education. For the period of primary school pupils does not receive the basic initial knowledge in chemistry and research skills. On the other hand, teachers of primary classes are not prepared at a sufficient level in sphere of modern natural science education. We should help children learn more about the chemicals that surround them in their everyday life. Also we should to complete the design of equipment and supporting materials for chemistry at the primary school level. It is obvious, that science remains abstract and alien to young students and they are not attracted to further study. We should try to change such a situation. First of all, a complete system for doing practical work from grade 1 to 4 in science must be carefully designed. Finally, we can note, that encouraging interest in the natural sciences is the priority of education (teaching and learning) process in primary school. Key words: science education, primary school, priority of education.

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