Information and Communication Technology Emerges as a Beacon of Hope in Online Teaching

ICT based pedagogy plays a vital role in making school science more relevant, exciting and motivating for students, and it offers opportunities to dissolve the boundaries between school and society. ICT has become a powerful tool that has revolutionised the work of scientists. It is now possible to handle more critical data, and more complex models and simulations can be developed and tested. The communication processes within the scientific community are speeded up because of more accessible access to research results in online scientific journals. With access to the Internet, it is easier to collaborate with fellow researchers across geographical boundaries. The application of ICT can support the quality improvement of the teaching and learning process, facilitating curriculum design and the development of educational skills. Digital tools in teaching and learning can increase students’ concentration, communication, motivation and creativity. ICT can facilitate and enable teachers to communicate their information and develop understanding in students. ICT has an important aspect of developing competencies needed for teaching in science education. Since it can be used as an enabler in the delivery and delivery of instruction in science teaching and learning. ICT can enhance science’s objectives and goals and at the same time encourage the development of some science skills.

Junior High School Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Inquiry-Based Science Teaching: Enabling or Disabling Dispositions?

This study sought to examine whether junior high school teachers’ attitudes are enabling or disabling dispositions toward inquiry-based science teaching. We used concurrent triangulation mixed methods design involving surveys and multiple case studies to collect quantitative and qualitative data. We sampled 308 integrated science teachers and a subsample of 18 teachers from junior high schools in urban and rural areas. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were satisfactory for research. Credibility and dependability of the semi-structured interview schedule were also sufficient. Findings suggest that most junior high school teachers in the study context hold weak unfavourable attitudes that are disabling dispositions toward inquiry-based science teaching. Findings also suggest that the combination of societal subjective norms, perceived context dependency, and weak unfavourable attitudes of most junior high school teachers adversely influence their intentions and behaviours toward inquiry-based science teaching. Findings further suggest that most teachers in the study context developed weak unfavourable attitudes partly because they never had inquiry-based science teaching and learning experiences when they were students. Again, the teachers developed weak general attitudes toward science teaching partly because most science teaching and learning experiences they had were in specific subjects such as biology, chemistry, and physics instead of general (integrated) science. We recommend frequent attitude-focused inquiry-based science in-service trainings for junior high school teachers. We also recommend reforms in education that engages preservice teachers in attitude-focused inquiry-based science teaching and learning experiences.

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION ON THE INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN SCIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNING (SED209 & SED317) ON THEIR ICT AND TEACHING SKILLS

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to explore students’ perception on the influence of ICT in science teaching and learning (SED 209 and SED 317) on their ICT and teaching skills. Methodology: The study employed a qualitative study design as a means of carrying out the research. The population consisted of all 300 level and graduating students in the Department of Science Education of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. Three research questions were designed to guide the study.The sample of the study was made up of 31 respondents from Science Education Department of the University which were selected using purposive sampling technique. Interview schedule was used to collect data from the respondents. Data collected was analyzed using content analysis. Results: Findings revealed that the two ICT courses influence ICT skills of science education students. Findings also revealed that the knowledge gained from the two courses have really influenced students’ teaching skills during teaching practice. Unique Contribution to Theory and Practice: Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that parent should encourage their children to develop their ICT skills before getting admission so as to enhance learning while taking SED 209 and 317. It was also recommended that government should sanction budgets in ICT head available for students to facilitate teaching and learning of science subjects

The Review of Science Education in China

Science education is paid more attention nowadays. This article describes the current situation of Science education in China. As a concept paper, it is divided into some aspects, such as the history and development, the Necessity of Science history, incorporate the history of science into today's science education, the future trend of science education, the goal and significance of science education, also, it states the problems and solutions in science education as well. More importantly, science education in the 21st Century is introduced in the end which combines the advanced technology in science teaching and learning process. Conclusion comes lastly with the enlightenment for future development of science education.

Weaving a web of connections through online citizen science

This article explores how the funding process of New Zealand’s Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) has catalysed the coming together of an interdisciplinary research team of education researchers, information systems researchers, and teacher practitioners. Through two funded research projects, a large and growing web of connections is being woven, benefiting the research partnership and outcomes. Our collective aim is to investigate the affordances of online citizen science projects to enhance science teaching and learning. Using examples, we trace the development of some key lines of inquiry that have been made possible because of the interdisciplinary foundation of the projects.