In the field of Biology there is a reasonable amount of software available for educational use but in the researcher's experience there are few teachers who take the computer into the classroom/laboratory, Teachers will make use of video machines and tape recorders quite happily, but a computer is a piece of apparatus which they are not prepared to use in the classroom/laboratory. This thesis is an attempt to devise an educational package, consisting of a Selection Form and an Evaluation Form, which can be used by teachers to select and evaluate educational software in the field of Biology. The forms were designed specifically for teachers to use in preparation of a computer lesson. The evaluation package also provides the teacher with a means of identifying whether the lesson has achieved its objectives or not. The teacher may also be provided with feedback about the lesson. The data is gathered by means of a questionnaire which the pupils complete. It would appear that teachers are uncertain as regards the purchase of software for their subject from the many catalogues that are available. The evaluation package implemented in this research can be regarded as the beginnings of a data base for the accumulation of information to assist teachers with details on which software to select. Evidence is provided in this thesis for the practical application of the Selection and Evaluation Forms, using Biology software.

For the past few years, Namibian grade 11-12 learners’ achievement level in biology has not been very encouraging. Evidence to this effect is contained in recent examiners’ reports which outline misunderstanding and various misconceptions. The causes of these misunderstandings and misconceptions may be varied, but there is credible evidence that some of it is rooted in the language problem for learners. A classroom is a social unit where many social practices are acquired, including the use of English language. Equally, it is a place where errors in language are learnt and reinforced. Triggered by these challenges facing biology learners, a qualitative case study was conducted at two secondary schools in Ohangwena Region, Namibia. Its purpose was to investigate how biology teachers scaffold learners to make sense of biological language and concepts when English is used as the mediational tool. Underpinned by an interpretivist paradigm, the study made use of document analysis, observation (lessons were also video-taped) and interviews to generate the data. Several data generating techniques were used for triangulation and validation. To further validate the data, transcripts of video-taped lessons and interviews were sent back to the research participants for member checking. The data gathering methods were also used in data presentation, analysis and interpretation to determine the extent of scaffold that teachers provide to their biology learners. The main findings of my study are that, despite efforts by participant teachers to scaffold their learners in making sense of biological language and concepts, success rates in this regard remain disappointingly low due to their (teachers) limited pedagogical content knowledge. Teachers therefore require improved mentorship, monitoring and capacity building.

The purpose of this investigation was to establish the role of project work in the teaching of biology. Questionnaires were sent to biology teachers and judges of a project competition. Participants of this competition were asked for positive and negative aspects of project work. Teachers indicated that the entire range of objectives of biology teaching can be achieved by project work. Judges of Expo felt that most of the objectives were achieved. Pupils expressed similar sentiments. However, teachers felt that... (a) there were several factors which limited the use of project work as a regular teaching strategy. (b) objectives concerned with inquiry skills, attitudes and values were difficult to achieve in normal classroom teaching. It is therefore, imperative that educational authorities do all they can in promoting project work as a teaching strategy in biology. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

As pesquisas sobre o ensino da evolução biológica e as teorias evolutivas dos últimos 30 anos apontam para obstáculos no processo de ensino e aprendizagem, desde a Educação Básica até a Superior, em vários países. Dos diferentes aspectos relevantes sobre a evolução biológica investigados até o presente momento a dissertação visou responder a pergunta: como a evolução biológica e as teorias evolutivas se apresentam na organização dos nove livros didáticos de Biologia avaliados e recomendados pelo Programa Nacional do Livro Didático para o Ensino Médio 2007/2009? Objetivou-se, assim: (1) descrever a estrutura e o padrão de distribuição do conteúdo biológico compartilhado entre os nove livros didáticos de Biologia destinados ao ensino médio avaliados e recomendados pelo PNLEM (2007/2009) destacando a evolução biológica e Teorias Evolutivas; (2) descrever as unidades e/ou capítulos específicos dessas obras didáticas que tratem a evolução biológica e as teorias evolutivas como objeto de estudo; (3) localizar conceitos evolutivos pré-determinados ao longo de todas as obras didáticas amostradas de forma a identificar o padrão de distribuição dos assuntos que associem diretamente à evolução biológica. Para a execução do trabalho o quadro metodológico baseou-se na pesquisa qualitativa com as seguintes etapas: (1) levantamento do nome das unidades, capítulos, tópicos e sub-tópicos dos livros didáticos amostrados; (2) caracterização dos capítulos específicos por meio de categorias adaptadas da literatura; (3) localização de termos (unidades perceptíveis) diretamente relacionados aos conceitos evolucionismo, evolução biológica, seleção natural, adaptação biológica, ancestralidade, variação genética e filogenia no texto principal dos capítulos específicos e não-específicos da amostra. / During the last 30 years, the research about teaching of biological evolution and evolutionary theories, points out to obstacles in the process of teaching and learning. This can be noted from elementary school level all the way through college level education, and it is present in several countries. Despite others aspects of biological evolution so far investigated, this dissertation is aimed to answer the following question: How are biological evolution and evolutionary theories presented in the organization of the nine Biology textbooks that have been evaluated and recommended by the Brazilian National Program for High School Textbooks (PNLEM 2007/2009)? To answer this question, this study is intended to do the following: (1) Describe the structure and distribution pattern of biological content shared among the nine high school biology textbooks evaluated and recommended by PNLEM (2007/2009), highlighting the biological evolution and evolutionary theory. (2) Describe the sections and/or specific chapters of these textbooks that approach biological evolution and evolutionary theories as objects of study. (3) Localize the evolutionary concepts predetermined over all the textbooks surveyed, to identify the distribution pattern of matters directly involving biological evolution. In order to achieve the goals of the present work, a methodological framework based on a qualitative approach was established by using the following steps: (1) Identification of the name of the sections, chapters, topics and subtopics of the sampled textbooks. (2) Characterization of the specific sections through categories adapted from the literature. (3) Localization of terms (perceptible units) directly related to the concepts evolution, biological evolution, natural selection, biological adaptation, ancestry, genetic variation and phylogeny in the main body of the specific and non-specific sections of the sample textbooks.

Orientador: Henrique Cesar da Silva / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T21:10:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Finco_Gabriela_M.pdf: 3287179 bytes, checksum: 184631549d67b754dbc67ea44f13f0c2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Este trabalho de mestrado tem relação direta com a natureza da mediação do professor, e portanto, com seus saberes, e estes, com sua história, formação, contexto e condições de trabalho. Esta pesquisa buscou investigar as possibilidades e caminhos de uma abordagem geocientífica, ressaltando a importância de um olhar mais sintético, abrangente e interdisciplinar (característico das Geociências), na formação de indivíduos conscientes de seu ambiente, e da sua relação com o homem. Ao problematizar esta idéia anterior, este trabalho procurou compreender as relações entre a Biologia e as Geociências, considerando os saberes docentes de uma professora em formação continuada. Teve como objetivo principal analisar as interações entre a Biologia e as Geociências em aulas elaboradas e desenvolvidas por uma professora de Biologia, em processo de formação continuada e dentro de um contexto específico: o de um projeto de pesquisa colaborativo. Para contextualizar este trabalho, organizou-se um conjunto de idéias sobre as Geociências, descreveram-se suas particularidades e características, explicitando seu objeto de estudo e a relação com o ensino e a educação para os jovens do Ensino Médio. Atentou-se para como o professor constrói as relações Geociências/Biologia, em seu trabalho, considerando as características epistemológicas geocientíficas (sintética e abrangente), para se repensar e ressignificar o ambiente e suas relações antrópicas. Os procedimentos metodológicos desta pesquisa qualitativa consistiram, em um primeiro momento, no acompanhar do planejamento e produção de uma unidade didática piloto, junto a um projeto de pesquisa voltado para os processos avaliativos nacionais, e financiado pela CAPES / INEP / Observatório da Educação. Em um segundo momento, acompanhou-se, observou-se e registrou-se o desenvolvimento desta unidade didática, em aulas de Biologia, de uma professora da escola pública de Ensino Médio. Foi realizado ainda um questionário investigativo com esta professora participante (e bolsista), com o objetivo de obter informações, principalmente, sobre a sua história de formação profissional e a produção e desenvolvimento da Unidade Didática. Os dados apontaram para a relação dos saberes docentes com o processo de formação desse profissional e dentro desta relação foi possível compreender como a professora os utilizou para suas próprias adaptações sobre as aulas elaboradas em grupo. A pesquisa deu pistas de que aulas de Biologia mais abrangentes são possíveis, principalmente nas interfaces do tema Tempo Geológico, que permitiu uma aproximação dos limites entre essa ciência (Biologia) e as Geociências. A temporalidade, no sentido do referencial das análises, também contribuiu para que a professora fizesse aproximações interdisciplinares entre a Biologia e as Geociências, e dentro deste contexto, questões do ENEM foram trabalhadas em sala de aula. E a professora, na sua trajetória formativa, principalmente na formação continuada, adquiriu saberes disciplinares e experienciais, incorporados e adequados ao seu trabalho / Abstract: This master degree paper is directly related to the nature of the teacher's mediation, and therefore, with their knowledge, and these, with their history, training, background and work conditions. This research investigates the possibilities and ways of a geoscientific approach, emphasizing the importance of a more synthetic, comprehensive and interdisciplinary (characteristic of Geosciences), training of individuals conscious of their environment and their relationship with man. To discuss this former idea, this study sought to understand the relationship between Biology and Geosciences, considering the knowledge of a teacher in continuing education. The main target was analyzing the interactions between Biology and the Geosciences in classes developed by a professor of biology in the process of continuing education and within a specific context: that of a collaborative research project. To contextualize this work, we organized a set of ideas on Geosciences, described themselves and their particular characteristics, explaining the object of study and the relationship with education and education for young high school students. The methodological procedures of qualitative research consisted in a first moment in floow up the design and production of a pilot teaching unit, that raises along a research project focused on the national evaluation processes, and supported by CAPES / INEP / Observatório da Educação. In a second stage, it was followed up, observed and recorded the development of this teaching unit, in Biology classes of a teacher in a public high school. Was also carried out an investigative questionnaire with this teacher participant (and stock) with the purpose of obtaining information, especially about their history of training and development and production of the teaching unit. The data showed the relationship of teacher knowledge with the process of professional training and within this relationship was possible to understand how the teacher used their own adaptations to the lessons drawn in a group. The research hinted that broader biology classes are possible, mainly at the interfaces of Geological Time theme, which allowed an approximation of the boundaries between this science (Biology) and the Geosciences. Temporality, in the sense of referential analysis, also contributed to what the teacher did interdisciplinary approaches between biology and the geosciences, and within this context, ENEM's issues were worked into the classroom. And the teacher in his formative path, particularly in continuing education, acquired both disciplinary and experiential knowledge, built and suitable for their work / Mestrado / Mestre em Ensino e Historia de Ciencias da Terra

O presente trabalho investiga o conceito de Natureza sob uma perspectiva filosófica e de suas relações com o ensino de ciências. Embora seja um termo de uso corriqueiro, nas aulas de ciências, \"Natureza\" é um conceito de difícil definição e que, não raramente, comporta ambiguidades. As chamadas \"ciências da Natureza\" podem ser entendidas como forma de conhecimento sobre a Natureza. Assim, o entendimento que se faz do mundo natural é central para a compreensão do que vem a ser a própria ciência. Numa sala de aula de ciências, alunos e professores trazem suas visões de mundo, que podem ou não ser divergentes. Por um lado, a divergência nos entendimentos sobre a Natureza podem gerar dificuldades na compreensão da ciência por parte dos alunos. Por outro lado, o ensino da visão de mundo científica tende a excluir (intencionalmente ou não) as outras visões que os alunos possam trazer para a sala de aula, na medida em que são consideradas não válidas ou não legítimas pela ciência. Partindo dessa problemática, o presente estudo relata uma investigação das diferentes concepções de Natureza na história da filosofia, do século XVII até o presente, apontando como o conceito se transformou ao longo do tempo. Paralelamente, foram entrevistados quatro estudantes de licenciatura em Ciências Biológicas, com o intuito de se conhecer suas concepções sobre a Natureza. As entrevistas seguiram metodologia adaptada de Cobern (2000), com o uso de palavras e frases que estimulavam os entrevistados a falarem extensamente sobre sua visão de Natureza. As entrevistas foram gravadas em áudio, transcritas e categorizadas. Foram elaborados mapas conceituais que, por sua vez, orientaram a elaboração de narrativas em primeira pessoa construídas com falas dos próprios entrevistados obtidas das transcrições. Observamos que, embora haja características comuns entre as visões dos entrevistados, há também divergências marcantes. Os resultados corroboram a ideia de que há uma multiplicidade de conceitos possíveis relativos à Natureza. Propomos que o ensino de ciências não tenha como objetivo meramente a incorporação de uma visão de mundo científica. Tal visão pressupõe um conceito de Natureza, e seus significados, que não são absolutos. O ensino de ciências deveria proporcionar, ao aluno, uma nova perspectiva de conhecer e de apre(e)nder o mundo em que vive. / This work investigates the concept of Nature in a philosophical perspective and it\'s relationships with the science education. Although it is a term of everyday use in science classes, \"Nature\" is a concept of difficult definition and, not rarely, entails ambiguities. The so-called \"natural sciences\" can be understood as a way of knowing Nature. Thus, the conceptions one holds about what is the natural world and it\'s characteristics are central to the comprehension of what is science itself. Science students and teachers bring their worldviews to class, which may or may not be divergent. On the one hand, the differences among views of Nature may cause some difficulties in students\' comprehension of scientific concepts. On the other hand, the teaching of the scientific worldview tends to exclude (intentionally or not) other views that students may bring to the classroom, once they are considered not valid or not legitimate by science. Based on this problem, this study reports an investigation of the different conceptions of Nature in the history of philosophy, from the seventeenth century to the present, pointing out how the concept has changed over time. Also, we interviewed four undergraduate students who were about to obtain their qualification as Biology teachers in order to know their views on Nature. The interviews followed methodology adapted from Cobern (2000), using words and phrases that encouraged respondents to talk at length about his or her vision of Nature. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and categorized. Based on that, we elaborated conceptual maps that, in turn, guided the development of first-person narratives constructed with lines of those interviewed obtained from the transcripts. We observed that, although there are common traits among the views of respondents, there are also striking differences. The results support the idea that there is a multiplicity of possible concepts related to nature. We propose that science education does not merely aim for the incorporation of a scientific worldview. This view presupposes a concept of Nature, and their meanings, which are not absolute. Science education should provide to the student a new perspective of knowing and apprehend the world in which he lives.

M.Ed. / The purpose of this study was to investigate grade eleven Biology learners' conceptions of what academic learning in the school situation is, and how learning takes place in general and particularly in Biology. Educational phychologists, remedial educators, primary and secondary school educators, parents and learners are often confronted by the question: How do learners learn? Berry and Sahlberg (1996:20) argue that to be able to learn how to learn, learners should have some basic conceptual understanding of the answer to the question: What do we mean by learning? As a result of the excessive emphasis on rote learning and memorization, which seems to be a general practice in most South African schools, this study argues that learners' conceptions of learning (what learning is and how learning takes place) could be a contributing factor to the problematic nature of learning of natural sciences. Learners often experience difficulties with learning and studying. Common experience suggests that many attempts to assist learners to learn how to learn, fail. This may be ascribed to a variety of factors, one of which could be the learners' conception of what learning is and how they learn (Wood, 1988:75). In-depth, semi-structured individual interviews were used as the primary source of data collection and naïve sketches were used as an additional source. In this study, the approach that was followed for data analysis was mainly based upon the constant comparative method suggested by Maykut and Morehouse (1994:124-148). From the analysis of the data 21 categories were identified from which five main patterns (A to E) evolved, as indicated, each consisting of a number of categories. Pattern A: Conceptions of learning are interrelated and interdependent and appear to be on a continuum. In this study, scholastic academic learning was conceptualized as: prior knowledge, knowledge, rote learning, memorization and application. Pattern B: Learning is a complex and domain-specific process, implying that different subjects or learning areas should be learned differently. Pattern C: Learning is strategic. Pattern D: Perceptions of instructional context and evaluation requirements influence learning. Pattern E: Learning and studying are of a personal and idiosyncratic nature. iv.The implications of the findings can be summarized as follows: It is of the utmost importance that educators provide opportunities for learners to discuss their own conceptions/perceptions of learning in terms of learning in general and learning of specific subjects. This dialogue will assist learners to reflect on and become aware of their learning strategies, as well as their deficiencies and needs, therein. It is my contention that learners' conceptions/perceptions of what learning is and how they learn should initially be utilized in any intervention, which is meant to assist and guide learners to learn-how-to-learn. It is the fundamental responsibility of educators to guide individual learners to learn how to learn, utilizing subject specific metacognitive learning or study strategies, integrated with the subject content. Therefore, it is important that educators should assist learners to understand that learning Biology entails more than mere memorization and that it should not be seen merely as a learning subject.

M.Ed. (Media Science) / The influence of technology on our everyday lives and the increasing control that technology exerts over nature and people make mandatory the competencies of our society to evaluate and make- decisions about new technological discoveries. In this regard it is of importance to keep in mind what Toffler (1970:428) attempts to put in its right perspective by saying: "We cannot and must not turn off the switch of technological progress. Only romantic fools babble about returning to a state of nature. A state of nature is one in which infants shrivel and die for lack of elementary medical care, in which, as Hobbes reminded us, the typical life is poor, nasty, brutish and short. To turn our back on technology would be not only stupid but immoral."...

Curriculum 2005 was originally implemented in grade 1 in 1998. In 2002 it was implemented in grade 9. Similar problems and questions, which arose during the initial implementation, arose again during the implementation in grade 9. Implementation gave rise to many questions and uncertainties. Only in October 2001 was it finally decided to implement the curriculum for grade 9 in 2002. The result was that publishers, the national as well as provincial education departments as well as schools were not ready for the implementation in January 2002. This treatise aims to determine the amount of support offered to educators and the degree of uncertainty still being experienced by them. Information regarding these unnecertainties and problems has been obtained from educators by means of questionnaires, circulated to 38 schools in the Northern Cape Province, offering Natural Science. This sampling of schools is representative of schools offering Natural Science in the region. Data regarding the uncertainties from educators have been obtained from the SOC (Stages of Concern) questionnaires of Hall, George and Rutherford. The rest of the questionnaire concerned the biographical information regarding the educators as well as the support that educators have received during the implementation of the learning area. It emerged from the questionnaire that educators understand the importance of a new Natural Science curriculum for SA. They are however sceptical regarding the hasty manner in which the learning area was implemented; the fact that no textbooks or educational teaching aids were available prior to implementation was of concern. Educators are similarly concerned about the inadequate training prior to implementation and lack of support during implementation. Educators are also concerned about the administrative liability that the new curriculum will bring about.

D.Ed. (Didactics) / Please refer to full text to view abstract