TITLE: The problematic of Fungi in the education on the primary level of the elementary school AUTHOR: Eliška Lucie Sochůrková DEPARTMENT: Department of Biology and Environmental Studies SUPERVISOR: RNDr. Jana Skýbová, Ph.D. ABSTRACT: This diploma thesis includes a summary of historical development in teaching natural science at the elementary school level, an analysis of the curricular documents, an analysis of the textbooks for 4th and 5th grade from different publishers with the focus on the topic Fungi, as well as nine interviews with the teachers about the specific realization of this topic in their lessons and a project Antibiotics - different kind of Fungi, which introduce a function of the antibiotics, their historical development and current challenges to the students. The aim of this paper is to find out the actual placement of the topic Fungi in the education on the primary level of the elementary school and to inspire teachers to use the great variety of this kingdom, for example by implementing the mould, yeast cells or wood-destroying fungi into their curriculum. The topic Fungi was in the Framework Education Program for Elementary Education and in some of the School Education Programs as well as in all the textbooks. It is part of the curriculum for most of the teachers, they concentrate...

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, 2014. / Outcomes-based education was introduced into South Africa almost 20 years ago amidst much controversy. During the period of my study, a modified version of the outcomes-based curriculum was in use, i.e. the Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R-9. In this curriculum, critical and learning outcomes were described and a learner-centred approach advocated which would enable learners to achieve the outcomes. Human reproduction was introduced as one of the content areas in the senior phase of the Natural Sciences. Human reproduction is a sensitive but very relevant topic in South Africa where HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy and child abuse are prevalent and so was selected as a Grade 7 topic in one educational district of Gauteng. In my study, I was interested in finding out what factors influenced Grade 7 teachers' implementation of outcomes-based approaches when teaching Human Reproduction. I explored the use of learner-centred approaches and the extent to which the critical and Natural Sciences learning outcomes could be achieved through these approaches. Firstly I wanted to know to what extent Grade 7 teachers used outcomes-based and learner-centred approaches when teaching human reproduction. Secondly I was interested in the factors that influenced the teaching of human reproduction. Thirdly I set out to find which factors affected the use of outcomes-based and learner-centred approaches during the teaching of human reproduction. Lastly the influence of teachers' behavioural, normative and control beliefs on their teaching of human reproduction in outcomes-based and learner-centred ways were of interest. My theoretical framework took into account the above-mentioned factors and beliefs about the influence of these factors and their possible impact on teaching human reproduction in outcomes-based and learner-centred ways. My research involved a workshop for Natural Sciences teachers on the teaching of human reproduction to Grade 7's, followed by a survey. Forty teachers completed the survey questionnaire in which they recorded their perceptions of the expected influence of the learners, the learning environment and support structures, as well as teachers' beliefs, on the teaching of human reproduction. Ten of these teachers participated as the case studies in my multiple case study, forming a convenience sample. I used a mixed methods approach in my investigation, starting with the survey questionnaire and then narrowing my focus to the ten case study teachers and becoming a participant observer in their classes. I recorded my data in field notes and as digital recordings of class discussions and when teachers had completed teaching human reproduction, I interviewed them. The data from the questionnaires, interview and lesson transcripts and field notes were analysed and conclusions drawn. I used profiles to assess the achievement of the critical and learning outcomes by each teacher and to assess the extent to which each teacher used learner-centred approaches when teaching human reproduction. A cross case analysis enabled me to compare the teachers with regard to each outcome and learner-centred feature. Some quantitative data from my surveys and mostly qualitative data from my observations and interviews were used to explore the influence of factors internal to the teacher, i.e. personal and professional factors, and those external to the teacher such as the learners, the iii learning environment and support structures. I also used the qualitative data to identify the influence of behavioural, normative and control beliefs about teaching human reproduction in outcomes-based ways on practice. My findings were that all teachers taught towards some outcomes and used some learner-centred approaches and these differed amongst teachers. The profiles enabled me to identify overall strengths of each teacher as an outcomes-based and learner-centred teacher, and the cross-case analysis indicated which outcomes were being met by learners through the teaching and learning approaches used. I found that the learning environment, and in particular the provision of or lack of learning support materials and other resources, impacted on the achievement of the outcomes. The school principals, colleagues, parents and friends proved to be mostly very supportive of the teaching of human reproduction and the need for strong communities of practice became evident. The choice of language was seen as a dilemma but my findings pointed to the use of home language or preferably code-switching to promote conceptual development and the development of English language skills. Cultural beliefs of learners contributed to their prior knowledge, and religious beliefs influenced some teachers who promoted more conservative values amongst their learners regarding sexuality. The need for clear boundaries on what could be discussed in class became evident, to protect both the teacher and learner from intrusion into their personal lives. Group work was seen as an important approach for this sensitive topic, and the need for workshops to strengthen teacher's subject content knowledge and thus their self efficacy when teaching human reproduction and to build strong communities of practice in which ideas and experiences could be shared amongst teachers, was a finding of this study. In conclusion, some teachers were more outcomes-based and learner-centred than others. Subject content knowledge, choice of an appropriate language or language mix for teaching and learning, suitable learning environments with adequate learning support materials, school, district and parental support for the teaching of human reproduction all promoted a teachers sense of self-efficacy and made a difference to their teaching of human reproduction using outcomes-based approaches.

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The presented thesis summarizes the geoarcheology of the area of so called Ústecká kotlina and it is written on two levels. This area studied is quite strictly specified. The first level covers the natural conditions followed by the hypotheses of human ecological strategies studied mainly on the base of (re)search and foot recognoscation. The second level of this thesis is based on my experiences with the rescue excavations which were held on the site Blok 004 right in the centre of the town Ústí nad Labem. I tried to interpret the information value of analysed sections on the base of pedogeochemical and micromorphological results.

Biological invasions are a leading cause of biodiversity loss and cause extensive economic losses. Since its introduction to Europe, the invasive Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas) has successfully established far-reaching populations in Scandinavia. This achievement can in part be attributed to the species’ high tolerance to a wide range of environmental conditions. However, the temperature range for survival and reproduction of this species has not been fully evaluated and is poorly understood. The relatively cold climate of northern Europe was initially deemed unsuitable for Pacific oyster populations as potential habitat. This would prove to be a vast underestimation of the species’ adaptability, however, since populations are now widely distributed in the region and their range still expanding. Nevertheless, exposure to severe winter conditions has been demonstrated to cause mortality events and change the contemporary distribution of oyster populations. Such conditions are common in Scandinavia and their effects on the oyster population are yet to be assessed. The purpose of this study was to estimate the extent to which mortality occurred among the Swedish Pacific oyster populations as a consequence of the relatively severe conditions during the 2020/2021 winter. Additionally, these surveys sought to investigate the relationship between winter mortality and the oyster settlement depth distribution. Our observations showed that survival probability generally increased with greater settlement depth. This was in accordance with previous findings. Furthermore, we found that there was considerable variation between geographical locations, with survival rates ranging between 63-98%. The average survival rate across all sampling sites was calculated to 87%. This suggested that the mortality of Pacific oysters in the winter 2020/2021 was influenced by other environmental factors in addition to depth. This project primarily aimed to provide an estimate of the relationship between the settlement depth of oysters and survival probability in a year with medium cold winter temperatures in Sweden. Additionally, a secondary purpose of this project was to develop standard procedures for analysing the survival probability of oysters in Scandinavia using generalised linear mixed models.

Detta arbete syftar till att samla forskningsresultat kring på vilket sätt utomhuspedagogik påverkar elevernas inlärning, hälsa och välmående. Arbetet undersöker vilka utmaningar som är kopplade till utomhuspedagogik ur lärares perspektiv. Grunden för arbetet utgörs av totalt 24 källor varav en kunskapsöversikt och en doktorsavhandling med inriktning på utomhuspedagogik, 8 böcker samt 14 vetenskapliga artiklar. De har samlats, noggrant undersökts och sammanställts genom systematisk och osystematisk sökning. Resultaten visar att utomhuspedagogik påverkar elevernas inlärning och hälsa mestadels positivt. Det kan dock diskuteras hur eleverna kan påverkas av utomhuspedagogikens intryck. Brist på forskningen i denna fråga har upptäckts. Flera negativa faktorer som påverkar lärarnas inställning och implementering av utomhuspedagogik i den vardagliga verksamheten har identifierats. Däribland brist på kunskaper, resurser, rädsla för faror och det oförutsedda samt avsaknaden av passande miljöer i närheten av skolor och inte minst lärares egna brister på koppling till naturen.

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The study investigated how the child centred approach is applied in teaching Natural Science (NS) in Johannesburg East schools. Most attention was paid on which teaching methods were used and how they were used to teach NS. Data was collected from 5 randomly selected schools in Johannesburg East through observations of Natural Science teachers teaching, and focus group discussion with them. Data presentation and analysis revealed that NS teachers who participated in the study used a limited range of child centred teaching methods. They only used experiments, class activities, as well as question and answer method. Literature review revealed that there are numerous child centred teaching methods that NS teachers can use. Some of these methods are brainstorming, discussions, games, group/pair work, field trips, case studies and assignments, using Information and Communication Technology (ICT), debates and facilitation. The majority of teachers still used the out-dated lecture method contrary to the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) 2012 documents that call for an end in the use of traditional teaching methods such as the lecture method. The study also revealed that there are certain challenges and factors that inhibit the implementation of the child centred approach in NS. These challenges among others include the teacher centred curriculum which dictates the pace and content to the child, lack of adequate NS resources, big volumes of learners in classes, different abilities, talents, interests and skills possessed by learners, learners’ lack of discipline, as well as shortage of qualified NS teachers. All these were seen as inhibiting factors in the implementation of the child centred approach in NS. The study among other recommendations recommended that, in order for the child centred approach to be implemented successfully the Ministry of Basic Education should develop a child centred curriculum that does not dictate the pace to the child. The Ministry as well should come up with a specific or customised child centred approach model that is relevant to NS as a subject, in-service all NS teachers and empower them with the child centred teaching methods, principles and strategies, capacitate all schools with all necessary resources such as qualified NS teachers as well as relevant chemicals, materials, apparatus and information and communication technology infrastructure designated for NS. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)