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In this study testing was accomplished to measure the self concepts of a study population of biology teachers, measure their biological knowledge, determine their biology teaching proficiency and examine certain characteristics to find out if there was a correlation between any of these variables. To carry out this task 30 teachers who attended National Science Foundation supported institutes at Ball State University during 1969 and 1970 were tested. Over 1,400 of their students were also tested. In May, 1969, the Tennessee Self Concept Scale, Differential Aptitude Test, and Processes of Science Test were mailed to each teacher. Teachers took the Tennessee Self Concept Scale and administered the Differential Aptitude Test and the Processes of Science Test to their students. Tests were returned to Ball State University for scoring. Upon arriving at Ball State University, the teachers took a test covering nine aspects of biological knowledge. The knowledge test, Commission on Undergraduate Education in Biological Sciences Test, was constructed from items contained in the booklet of test items published by the.Commission on Undergraduate Education in Biological Sciences, November, 1967. The Differential Aptitude Test (Verbal Reasoning + Numerical Ability Portions) was used as a measure of the ability of students and the Processes of Science Test was used as a measure of their achievement. To bring all students' scores to a comparable level of equality and to measure the proficiency of teachers, a Biology Teachers Proficiency Index was developed. To produce this Biology Teachers Proficiency Index all students' scores were grouped by grade and converted to standard T scores. The mean for each teacher's students' scores were then determined for both the Differential Aptitude Test and the Processes of Science Test. The Processes of Science Test mean was then divided by the Differential Aptitude Test mean to produce each teacher's Biology Teachers Proficiency Index.Biology Teachers Proficiency Index = Mean POST Standard T Score Mean DAT Standard T ScoreThe variables of the study were then subjected to (1) pairwise correlation and (2) the stepwise multiple regression to determine relationships between simple pairs and groups of variables.Multiple correlations accomplished in the present study substantiate that a significant relationship exists between the teaching proficiency of a biology teacher and his self concept, his biological knowledge and between certain aspects of his background and characteristics. Additional multiple correlation reveal that the biology teacher's self concept is related positively to the number of semester hours of psychology, education and student teaching course work and to the number of years of teaching experience and to the number of dependents. Negative correlations were found to exist between the biology teacher's self concept and the number of semester hours he had completed in biology and to increased size of the college where he earned his bachelor's degree.Simple correlations performed in the study reveal a significance between aspects of the biology teacher's characteristic background and his self concept. Course work in organismal biology apparently has a negative impact upon the self concept of the biology teacher as does increasing number of preparations. The teacher's self variability is also affected negatively by the number of preparations and by the number of dependents he has.

The aim of this study was to investigate some learning and teaching problems of biology in Transkei Senior Secondary schools. The research focussed mainly on Biochemistry. Biochemistry was treated in the context of biology as a whole to show its relevance to other sections of the syllabus. Questionnaires were administered to standard 10 pupils in 15 senior secondary schools selected randomly from the Central Region of Transkei. Further information on pupils' understanding of concepts taught in Biochemistry , was gained through use of concept tests and concept maps. Interviews were conducted with standard 9 and 10 biology teachers, Subject committee members, Examiners, Subject advisers, Lecturers from the University of Transkei and the Transkei Teachers' In-service College and pupils. Data obtained through the use of those research methods was analysed and discussed. Concept mapping as a teaching strategy was introduced to some standard 9 and 10 teachers who attended courses (biology) at The Transkei Teachers ' In-service College. Some suggestions and recommendations for the learning and teaching of biology were then made

M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

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published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Arts in Education

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1939 J41 / Master of Science

There is no abstract available for this dissertation.

This research was motivated by introduction of the topic of evolution in the Grade 12 curriculum in South African schools in 2008. Overseas research shows that evolution is a very controversial topic to teach, raising serious concerns for teachers. The need for appropriate professional development was urgent, but many Life Sciences had been dissatisfied with government workshops they had attended in preparation for the new curriculum. Furthermore, the teachers were sceptical about their ability to explain the theory of evolution because they did not have adequate content knowledge to teach the subject. Curriculum change theory dealing with „stages of concern‟ suggests that teachers implementing a new curriculum move through a series types of concern, and that if their initial concerns are not addressed teachers will be slow to move on to more task-related matters. This study aimed to identify the early concerns and needs of teachers who had to teach evolution for the first time in a new Life Sciences school curriculum, in order to provide crucial information for service providers who have to design appropriate support workshops. Data were gathered using seven activity-based questionnaires, from a convenience sample of two groups of teachers (n = 45 and n = 74) from various districts in Gauteng, attending 2007 and 2008 in-service training workshops on the teaching of evolution. The data were analyzed using open coding and frequency counts. The data revealed that teachers had concerns on different levels, the majority of concerns identified being „self-concerns‟ dealing with personal worries and need for information. Late concerns were less prevalent. A further analysis of self-assessed knowledge levels of teachers as well as actual levels (based on definitions of biological evolution provided by the teachers and results of an evolution quiz designed to diagnose possible misconceptions) was done. The data showed that the knowledge of most teachers was poor, and that many teachers over-estimated the adequacy of their own knowledge. This information is useful for the teachers themselves, curriculum developers and those involved in professional development.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, South Africa. 14 October 2014. / Research investigations indicate that note-taking and note-making are related to academic performance. This study investigated four factors, in a first-year biology course at a South African University, that influence student note-making practices, and determined whether the quality of notes is related to their approach to learning and their academic performance. The factors that were assessed included: the impact of social and cultural capital of first and second generation students on their expectations of the University academic environment; the students’ experience with their construction of notes at school; the level of detail on slides provided by lecturers, the access that students had to slides on the intranet, and the influence of English as a first or second language. The study commenced at the beginning of semester two 2009 and ended after semester one 2011. Student questionnaires, interviews of students and lecturers, assessment of notes made, and test and examination results were interrogated and sample lectures were video-recorded. The study identified that the students’ high school experience in constructing notes provided the platform for these practices when they entered University. Second-generation students had a more accurate expectation of their ownership for their notes and learning in first year, and of the grades that they received compared to the expectations held by first generation students. Additionally data analysis lead to the inference that self-regulated students, who personalised their notes, performed better than the underprepared students, who learnt solely from the lecturers’ slides; but this statement is not a blanket generalisation. Two lecturers from each semester were interviewed before they commenced lecturing, and one each of their lectures was video-recorded for analysis with student notes. Findings indicated that the amount of detail that lecturers provided on presentation slides stemmed from their conception of the students’ role in learning. When skeletal lecture slides (i.e. slides containing only keywords or key points) were presented then students perceived that they needed to take ownership in constructing their notes, whereas when slides appeared to be detailed they saw them as a ‘complete’ set of notes, and reported being less attentive in class. In both cases students hardly noted any information other than that presented on the slides. Students had access to slides on the intranet in the first semester of each year, but not in the second semester. Although students reported that they were more attentive in class when they did not have access to slides on the intranet, there was only a slight difference in the students’ grades between semesters. In the first study cohort (i.e. 2009), first-language students performed better than second-language students, but performance evened out when an intervention, which used writing as a means to promote critical thinking, was provided in 2010 and 2011. The findings presented in this study would be useful to lecturers who wish to understand how students’ use and reconstruct their class notes during the process of learning. The findings could also be of benefit to student support programmes that seek a practical tool (the writing intervention) to deepen the students’ approach to their learning.