scholarly journals Chemistry in crisis? Perspectives on teaching and learning chemistry in Swedish upper secondary schools

1970 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Broman ◽  
Margareta Ekborg ◽  
Dan Johnels
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
School Students ◽  
Advanced Level ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Subject Areas ◽  
Upper Secondary Level ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

Explanations for a decline in the number of students studying chemistry at advanced level all over the world have been sought for quite some time. Many students do not find chemistry relevant and meaningful and there have been difficulties in developing school chemistry courses that engage students sufficiently and tempt them to further studies in the field. In this study, Swedish upper secondary school students (Ns=372) and their teachers (Nt=18) answered a questionnaire on their experiences of the content and the working methods of their chemistry course. They were also given the opportunity to express ideas on how to make chemistry courses more interesting and meaningful. The results point out some subject areas as both easy and interesting, e.g. atomic structure; while other areas are hard to understand but still interesting, e.g. biochemistry. The students find chemistry lessons teachercentred, something they appreciate. When teachers and students gave suggestions on how to improve the relevance of chemistry education at upper secondary level, more laboratory work and connections to everyday life were the most common proposals. But on the whole, these students seem quite satisfied with their chemistry courses.

scholarly journals Inquiring chemistry teacher: The teaching and learning of chemistry concepts and phenomena (part V): Historical approach to chemistry teaching 2

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-424
Author(s):  
Simo Tolvanen ◽  
Maija Aksela ◽  
Maija Ahola ◽  
Outi Haatainen ◽  
Jarkko Huusko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Upper Secondary School ◽  
Chemistry Teaching ◽  
Historical Approach ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
History Of

In spring 2013, students attending the course The Central Areas of Chemistry Education II studied the history of key chemistry concepts as well as the research on the use of historical approach to chemistry teaching. Based on the research literature, they produced materials for chemistry teaching in secondary and upper secondary school. In addition to teaching the concepts and phenomena of chemistry, the historical approach was used to deal with nature of chemistry as a science. In the articles, the students present the theoretical background for historical approach and history related to the produced material. The teaching materials (in Finnish) can be found online from the site of KEMMA Centre for Chemistry Education: http://www.luma.fi/kemma.

scholarly journals On Assessing Laboratory Work

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-123
Author(s):  
Aija Ahtineva
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Systematic Study ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
Laboratory Work ◽  
Upper Secondary School ◽  
Learning Method ◽  
Current Frame ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Evaluation Models ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

As an integral part of scientific way of thinking, practical laboratory tasks are a pivotal part of chemistry education. element of chemistry education. The first section begins with a discussion of how to assess laboratory work according to the current frame curricula for comprehensive and upper secondary schools. The second section discusses laboratory work as a learning method. Several studies have shown, that laboratory work is used mostly to liven up the lessons and to arouse interest rather that to teach something in a goal oriented way. The systematic study on what students learn from laboratory tasks has begun as recently as the 2000s. This paper focuses on the results of two separate studies. In interconnected papers, Abrahams and Millar (2008) as well as Abrahams and Reiss (2012) analyze learning in laboratory tasks using a 2 x 2 effectiveness matrix for practical work. Lewthwaite (2014) discusses the teachers’ choice of laboratory tasks. Both studies highlight the influence of evaluation practices on learning. At the end section, the paper presents some tasks and evaluation models suited for comprehensive and upper secondary school chemistry education. These tasks are based on the levels of learning and taxonomy of leaning presented by Doran and colleagues (2002).

scholarly journals Secondary school students’ attitudes to phrasal verbs

2020 ◽  
pp. 73-94
Author(s):  
Dorota Góreczna
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
School Students ◽  
Phrasal Verbs ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

Phrasal verbs are an essential, though difficult to teach and learn, part of the English language. Although phrasal verbs are commonly used by native speakers, for English learners they pose a considerable challenge as far as their acquisition and use are concerned. The aim of this study is to examine students’ attitude towards phrasal verbs taught at the B2 level in upper-secondary schools, and to analyse the significance of these multi-word verbs. The paper presents an excerpt of a survey conducted among secondary school students, which examined their understanding of phrasal verbs and analysed students’ opinions about the importance of acquiring these demanding multi-word verbs.

scholarly journals Excelling in Exam Through Narrative Writing: A Connection of Creative and Descriptive Expressions

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Roseline David ◽  
Joseph Alagiaraj Thambu Raj
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Limited English Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Upper Secondary Level

This paper discusses the impacts of an action research on how students can excel in writing skills regardless of their level of competency especially for those taking the English Language paper (SPM 1119) in the Malaysian Secondary School Public Exam in 2018. This action research aims to exert the need for realigning our focus to incorporate an approach of teaching and learning at upper secondary level. The research was carried out from January to October in a secondary school in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Two classes of 37 Limited English Proficiency students and 24 High English Proficiency Students who were sitting for SPM 1119 in 2018 were the subjects. The students were exposed to creative expressions under various topics which were then emphasized to be utilized in continuous writing. As a result, the performance of students had improved significantly in their continuous writing where they eventually scored 100 percent pass in SPM1119 in 2018. All 24 Highly Competent students were able to score ranging from “A-” to “A+” with grade A being the median grade. On the other hand, all the students from the Limited English Proficiency students passed with grades ranging from “A”+ to “E” (minimum passing grade) with grade “B” as the median.

scholarly journals Economics Knowledge, Attitudes and Experience of Student Teachers in Scotland

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-188
Author(s):  
Catherine Fagan
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Business Management ◽  
Upper Secondary School ◽  
Economic Literacy ◽  
Approaches To Teaching ◽  
Teaching Economics ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Subject Areas

There is a move away from teaching Economics as a separate subject in Scotland. It is now mainly taught within Business Management courses in upper secondary school and is embedded within several subject areas in both primary and early secondary curricula, a move that is in step with broader curricular aims to break down artificial barriers among subjects. This writing discusses the need for clearly situated teaching and learning of economics, provided by teachers who have sufficient background knowledge to devise effective contexts for learning, whether or not it is taught as a discrete subject. The results of a survey of student teachers' levels of economic literacy are analysed and recommendations made for the preparation of teachers to deal effectively with embedded approaches to teaching about economics.

scholarly journals Subjective Understanding and Individual Interpretation of the Life Value “HEALTH” by the Second-Year Students of Lower Secondary Schools and of the First- and Second-Year Students of Upper Secondary Schools in Slovakia

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Slávka Krásna
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Upper Secondary School ◽  
School Students ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools ◽  
Individual Interpretation ◽  
Lower Secondary Schools

AbstractThe article focuses on the value “health”, as a component of the value orientation of students of lower secondary schools and upper secondary schools in our country. At the same time, it focuses on the presentation and interpretation of the results of a research conducted on a sample of students of selected schools, which was a part of a more comprehensive research on subjective understanding and individual interpretation of selected life values of lower secondary and upper secondary school students in Slovakia.

scholarly journals What Kind of Feedback is Perceived as Encouraging by Finnish General Upper Secondary School Students?

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Toni Mäkipää ◽  
Raili Hildén
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teacher Assessment ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
School Students ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

Our main aim in this study was to compare encouraging feedback practices in Finnish general upper secondary foreign language classes and examine how students perceive language teachers’ assessment practices. The participants were 160 students of English, 95 students of Swedish, and 27 students of French from six general upper secondary schools. The data comprised one open-ended question and one Likert scale question with nine items. Both qualitative and quantitate methods were used to analyze the data. The results showed that content was the most important feature in feedback that was perceived as encouraging by students. The results further indicated that students considered teacher assessment practices to be primarily summative, but differences were also found between schools. The evidence from this study suggests that students appreciate teacher feedback, but do not perceive it to be an intrinsic part of teacher assessment practices. The importance of formative assessment and feedback should be more heavily emphasized in foreign language teacher education.

scholarly journals Finnish Upper Secondary School Students’ Perceptions of Their Teachers’ Assessment Practices

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-42
Author(s):  
Toni Mäkipää ◽  
Najat Ouakrim-Soivio
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Assessment Literacy ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Upper Secondary School ◽  
School Students ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Traditional Assessment ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

The paper addresses Finnish students’ perceptions of assessment practices in upper secondary school. We study what experiences students have about assessment, and how they assess their ability to use and understand teachers’ feedback. The data were gathered on a web-based questionnaire to 918 students in four upper secondary schools. The questionnaire contained both closed-ended and open-ended questions. According to students’ responses, most students consider that they are able to use and understand their teachers’ feedback, and that teachers are prone to apply traditional assessment methods. The results pave the way for enhancing versatility in assessment practices. At the end of this paper, we will discuss the important role of assessment in teaching and how teachers’ assessment literacy could be enhanced and made more visible. We also ponder whether alongside teachers’ assessment literacy we should also consider students’ assessment literacy.

scholarly journals Why do upper secondary school students study chemistry – and why they do not?

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-54
Author(s):  
Veli- Matti Vesterinen ◽  
Maija Aksela ◽  
Toni Rantaniitty
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Working Life ◽  
Upper Secondary School ◽  
Utility Value ◽  
School Students ◽  
University Admission ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Advanced Courses

This study investigated the Finnish upper secondary school students’ opinions on the rationale of chemistry education and their reasons for choosing or not choosing advanced courses in chemistry. In first phase of the research 49 pre-service chemistry teacher students answered open questions about their opinions about the rationale of chemistry education as well as reasons for choosing advanced courses in chemistry in upper secondary school. The same students then interviewed 44 upper secondary students about their opinions on the topic. The survey used for the second phase of the study was based on the content analysis of the answers of chemistry teacher students and the transcriptions of the interviews of upper secondary school students. Four categories of rationales were found in the first phase of the study: (i) everyday life and health, (ii) environmental issues, (iii) general knowledge, and (iv) further studies and working life. Based on the data from the survey (N = 137), further studies and working life related reasons for teaching chemistry were considered most important. The reasons for choosing advanced courses in chemistry were divided in four categories: (i) interest, (ii) self-efficacy, (iii) utility value for university admission, further studies and working life, (iv) influence of parents, peers and teacher. Results indicate that interest in chemistry and utility value for university admission and further studies were the most important reasons for choosing advanced courses in chemistry. Boys and students with good grades in chemistry emphasized self-efficacy significantly more than the others. Girls emphasized utility value for university admission and further studies more than the boys. Influence of parents, peers and teacher was in average considered the least important category of reasons. The main reasons for not choosing advanced courses in chemistry were being more interested in other subjects and not needing chemistry for university admissions. To improve the number of people choosing advanced courses in chemistry, there is a need to improve interest in chemistry – especially as part of general knowledge of every citizen.

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