No description available.

During the past decade, direct instruction has been cited as one characteristic of effective schools. In response to increased accountability, many school districts and schools have incorporated the methods of direct instruction as a way to improve teaching performance and student achievement. This study was designed to determine if the teachers who were identified as effective would naturally practice the elements of direct teaching to a greater extent than less effective teachers where neither the effective nor the less effective teachers had been trained in specific models of direct instruction. / Ed. D.

Explores the implementation of inquiry into the science classroom and presents a model for incrementally changing the traditional (behavioralist) instruction found in the science class to inquiry-based (constructivist) instructional strategies.

No description available.

The present thesis investigates to what extent contemporary ELT textbooks include reading materials as well as what types of texts are being used and what reading strategies they seemingly promote. Additionally, the study analyzes whether there is a noticeable discrepancy in teaching materials designed for the vocational and university preparatory and considers whether the design of the current textbook is representative of the current view of reading as a teaching tool as reflected in official policy documents. Through the means of a content analysis of a total of six in use ELT textbooks, the study discovers that few ELT textbooks include a satisfactory amount of reading materials and that there is a significant discrepancy between teaching materials intended for the separate orientations of upper secondary school in Sweden. It is also discovered that the set of textbooks largely reflect the current view of language teaching. The study concludes that the current practice of language teaching is ill-suited to counter the development of declining reading literacy and suggests an alternative methodology in extensive reading.

The problem of this study was to determine the relationship between preference of experienced secondary teachers to instruct by the Group or Lecture method, their subject field, and selected personality traits.

The primary purpose of this study was to compare regular classroom instruction which used Guided Mental Imagery (GMI) to a non-GMI teaching method. This comparison was expected to yield data which would provide insights relating to the potential of GMI as a useful and effective instructional strategy. Quasi-experimental research methods were followed. The experimental design was a modified "post-test only control group design." Two-hundred-four students in naturally occurring in tact classes formed the experimental and control groups. All groups received instruction in identical science/health content. Two parallel post-tests were administered to all students. Post-test "A" was given immediately after instruction to measure learning acquisition. Post-test "B" was given four weeks later to measure retention of learning. Means for test scores were grouped according to treatment and sub-grouped by the variables: IQ, handedness, identified learning disability, and intellectual giftedness. T_ tests for differences between independent means were conducted. Students' acquisition of basic academic content, when instructed with GMI methodology, was found to differ significantly from students' acquisition of the same content with non-GMI instruction. No statistically significant differences based on instructional methodology were found for content retention. The investigator concluded that GMI instruction may increase learning. Although measures of retention did not show significant differences between groups, a review of the mean scores revealed a minimal difference. This was interpreted to indicate equality of retention between the two methods. Recommendations for further investigation were offered. Post-testing of subjects at additional intervals, and increased training of students and teachers in GMI prior to collection of data were suggested.

M.Cur. / The learning accompanists (nurse educator), in the didactic situation within the context of a nursing college, is midst a process of transformation. This transformation has a direct influence on the learning accompanists didactic role fulfilment. Didactic support systems enables the learning accompanist to fulfil her/his didactic role. These didactic support systems should be managed during the process of transformation, in such a way that it enables the learning accompanist to fulfil her/his didactic role. A new creative approach to the management of the didactic situation is necessary. The goal of this study is to describe guidelines for the management of didactic support systems, at a nursing college, to enable the learning accompanist to fulfil her/his didactic role. An inductive, qualitative, contextual, exploring, descriptive strategy is used to reach the goal of the study. The background and rationale of the study are described, the problem is stated as well as a central theoretical statement. The assumptions of the study are described within the framework of the nursing theory for the whole person. No explicit theoretical assumptions are made, so that the researcher is open to empirical findings and to prevent pre-conceived ideas. The methodological assumptions is based on the Botes research model. No explicit conceptual framework is used as point of departure. Because the participants are midst a process of transformation, their knowledge and experience are used as source of data, as they can express their needs and views the best. The goal of this study is reached by setting four objectives. Objective I is to explore and describe the learning accompanists need for didactic support systems, within the context of a nursing college. Objective II is to explore and describe the managements views with regard to the way they can give didactic support, within the context of a nursing college. Objective III is to describe a conceptual framework. Objective IV is derived from objective I, objective II and objective III. Objective IV is the description of guidelines for the management of didactic support systems at a nursing college. To attain objective I, exploring is done by means of interviews with learning accompanist's. One semi-structured question is: "What are your needs for didactic support systems in the college?" To attain objective II, exploring is done by means of individual interviews with role players. One central question is set: "How can you give didactic support to the learning accompanist?" The interviews are conducted by an independent moderator/interviewer and assistant. Data is recorded by means of audio tapes and field notes, whereafter transcription takes place. Data is coded by the researcher and an assistent coder. The data analysis is done through a systematic approach of text analysis, as described by Tesch (in Cresswell, 1995:155). Thereafter the empirical findings of objective I and objective II are described. The interpretations are grounded by statements from the empirical data. Statements (n = 57) are formulated from the empirical findings of objective I and objective II. From these statements (n = 57) a list of concepts are generated. These concepts are utilized to attain objective III, the describing of a conceptual framework. The survey list of Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach (1968) is utilized to describe the conceptual framework in a structured manner. Data collection is done through a literature search to correlate the empirical findings with the literature. During the description of the conceptual framework conclusion statements (n = 15) are made. These conclusion statements are utilized to attain objective IV. Objective IV is to describe guidelines for the management of didactic support systems at a nursing college. Through logical inferention 12 guidelines and possible operationalisation of each are described. The uniqueness of the study lies in the relevance within the current time frame context and that it expresses the needs of the learner accompanists and the views of the managers at a nursing college. An abundance of possibilities for further research are created.

A coleta de dados por meio da anamnese e do exame físico é etapa indispensável para a implementação do Processo de Enfermagem; para realização do exame físico empregam-se as técnicas de inspeção, palpação, percussão e ausculta, que permitem confirmar padrões de normalidade ou a presença de alterações. É de interesse, neste estudo, o exame dos linfonodos, componentes que podem, a partir de suas alterações, nortear a terapêutica e as ações de enfermagem a serem executadas. Tais estruturas são avaliadas pelas técnicas de inspeção e palpação, além da anamnese. Considerando a necessidade de criação de estratégias cada vez mais interativas, baseadas na proposta da aprendizagem experiencial, este estudo experimental, randomizado, controlado e mascarado tem como objetivo avaliar a contribuição de um Módulo Instrucional na aquisição de conhecimentos sobre a avaliação de características de linfonodos, por estudantes de enfermagem. A intervenção educativa foi composta pela utilização de um módulo instrucional, formado por um protótipo de palpação e um instrumento-guia de registro. Participaram do estudo 68 estudantes dos cursos de graduação em enfermagem de uma instituição pública paulista que estavam cursando a disciplina de semiologia e semiotécnica. Em ambos os grupos (experimento e controle) foi realizada inicialmente a palpação dos linfonodos em um protótipo (A) seguindo-se o registro livre das características e número das estruturas avaliadas. O grupo controle seguiu para avaliação final, similar à inicial, em outro protótipo (C) utilizando o instrumento de registro livre. O grupo experimento foi submetido à intervenção educativa, que consistiu no manejo do módulo instrucional (protótipo B e instrumento-guia de registro dos dados) e, após, realizou a avaliação final, similar à do grupo controle. Após a avaliação final, o grupo controle foi apresentado à intervenção educativa. Por último, em ambos os grupos, os estudantes registraram sua opinião sobre a atividade educativa realizada. Utilizou-se para análise os registros realizados nas fases inicial e final; os dados foram categorizados e, para avaliar idade, curso e sexo, utilizou-se frequência, média, mediana e desvio-padrão; para verificar a interação entre os acertos das variáveis pelos grupos nos tempos, optou-se pelo modelo de regressão linear mista. A análise de interação entre os grupos permite concluir que o grupo experimento apresentou significativa diferença com relação ao grupo controle no acerto de tamanho (p <= 0,0001), consistência (p <= 0,0001), mobilidade (p <= 0,0001) e coalescência (p = 0,0021). Ainda, os estudantes avaliaram positivamente a atividade, destacando sua capacidade de relacionar a teoria com a prática, sua facilidade e boa representação da realidade. Os resultados positivos do grupo experimento, bem como a aceitação referida pelo público-alvo reforçam a utilização do módulo instrucional como estratégia de ensino complementar às aulas de semiologia e semiotécnica no ensino da avaliação de características de linfonodos / The data colleta through anamnesis and physical examination is an indispensable step for the implementation of the Nursing Process; to perform the physical examination are used the techniques of inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation, which allow to confirm patterns of normality or the presence of changes. It is of interest, in this study, the examination of the lymph nodes, components that can, from their alterations, guide the therapeutics and the nursing actions to be performed. Such structures are evaluated by the techniques of inspection and palpation, in addition to anamnesis. Considering the need to create increasingly interactive strategies based on the proposal of experiential learning, this experimental, randomized, controlled and double blind study aims to evaluate the contribution of an Instructional Module in the acquisition of knowledge about the evaluation of lymph node characteristics, by nursing students. The educational intervention was composed by the use of an instructional module, formed by a prototype of palpation and a guide instrument of registration. The participants of the study were 68 undergraduate nursing students from a public institution in São Paulo who were attending the discipline of semiology and semitechnical. In both groups (experiment and control) the palpation of the lymph nodes was initially performed in a prototype (A) followed by the free registration of the characteristics and number of the structures evaluated. The control group followed for final evaluation, similar to the initial one, in another prototype (C) using the free registry instrument. The experimental group was submitted to the educational intervention, which consisted in the management of the instructional module (prototype B and instrument guide of data recording) and, afterwards, made the final evaluation, similar to that of the control group. After the final evaluation, the control group was presented to the educational intervention. Finally, in both groups, the students recorded their opinion about the educational activity performed. We used for analysis the records made in the initial and final phases; the data were categorized and, to evaluate age, course and sex, we used frequency, mean, median and standard deviation; to verify the interaction between the correctness of the variables by the groups in the times, we opted for the mixed linear regression model. The analysis of interaction between the groups allows to conclude that the experiment group presented a significant difference in relation to the control group in the variables size of the lymph node (P <= 0.0001), consistency (p <= 0.0001), mobility (p <= 0.0001) and coalescence (p = 0.0021). Still, the students positively evaluated the activity, highlighting their ability to relate theory to practice, its easy and good representation of reality. The positive results of the experiment group as well as the acceptance reported by the target public reinforce the use of the instructional module as a complementary teaching strategy to the semiology and semi-technical classes in teaching the evaluation of lymph node characteristics

Estudos têm mostrado que pode haver um grande distanciamento entre a forma como a sociedade compreende o trabalho da ciência e o modo como esse se realiza. Desse modo, as pessoas, incluindo professores e alunos, têm visões limitadas, ingênuas e confusas sobre o que é a ciência e o conhecimento científico, o que compromete o ensino de ciências. Uma área científica na qual essas discussões podem ser particularmente relevantes é a ecologia, que tem sido historicamente confundida com outros campos. Autores apontam que os professores têm dificuldade de ensinar essa disciplina e que isso pode estar atrelado à falta de compreensão desses profissionais sobre como a ecologia produz conhecimento. Pensando nisso, esse projeto de pesquisa teve como objetivo: identificar como professores compreendem a natureza da ecologia e analisar se e como essas compreensões epistêmicas estão relacionadas a abordagens usadas no ensino dessa disciplina. Para identificar as concepções epistêmicas, elaboramos questionários fechados (do tipo Likert) e abertos e enviamos a 80 professores da educação básica (todos formados em biologia). Tratamos os dados provenientes dos questionários Likert por meio da análise fatorial e análise de agrupamento (cluster) com o auxílio do software R. Com essas análises, validamos estatisticamente os instrumentos e mapeamos perfis de concepções epistêmicas entre os respondentes. Para as questões dissertativas usamos a análise lexical (computacional) do software Alceste complementada por uma análise de conteúdo clássica (manual). Para analisar abordagens usadas no ensino de ecologia, selecionamos, a partir da nossa amostra inicial de respondentes (n=80), duas professoras que demonstraram concepções epistêmicas distintas ao responderem os questionários. Então, por meio de entrevistas e filmagens, caracterizamos o processo de cognição epistêmica dessas professoras ao planejarem uma sequência didática de ecologia e executarem-na com as suas respectivas turmas de alunos. Nossos resultados sugerem que muitos professores possuem uma visão limitada sobre a ciência ecologia, entendendo, por exemplo, que essa ciência não é capaz de produzir conhecimento de modo similar a outras ciências naturais por ela ter uma natureza holística, descritiva, qualitativa e entendendo que o trabalho dos ecólogos é realizar o manejo (e não apenas o estudo) do meio ambiente. Quanto ao ensino de ecologia, muitos professores parecem confundi-lo com educação ambiental. Sobre a relação entre as concepções/cognições epistêmicas das duas professoras investigadas e suas abordagens para ensinar ecologia, percebemos que a professora que mostrou uma cognição epistêmica melhor informada sobre a natureza da ecologia foi aquela que efetivamente executou uma abordagem alinhada com os pressupostos do ensino por investigação, enquanto a outra professora, que demonstrou uma cognição não-informada, não conseguiu implementar uma abordagem de ensino investigativo. A partir dos resultados encontrados, concluímos que os aspectos epistêmicos estudados na presente pesquisa podem realmente configurar-se como obstáculos ao ensino de ecologia e que os cursos de formação de professores de ciências naturais precisam formar profissionais com compreensões epistêmicas mais sofisticadas sobre as ciências que irão ensinar, para que esses sejam mais críticos e reflexivos no momento de planejar, executar e avaliar suas práticas pedagógicas, e possam realmente superar o ensino tradicional e promover abordagens mais significativas e mais condizentes com a alfabetização científica dos alunos. / Studies have shown that there is a gap between how society understands the doing science and how science actually works. Many people, including teachers and students, may have limited, naïve and confused views about what is science and scientific knowledge, and this can affect the science teaching. These discussions are particularly relevant in ecology, since this specific scientific area has historically been confused with other fields. Authors point out that teachers have difficulty teaching this discipline and that this may be related to their lack of understanding of how ecology produces knowledge. Thus, this research aimed to identify how teachers understand the nature of ecology, and to analyze if and how these epistemic understandings are related to approaches to teaching ecology. In order to identify the epistemic beliefs, we elaborated closed (Likert-type) and open questionnaires and sent to 80 teachers of basic education (all graduated in biology). Data from the Likert questionnaires were treated using factor analysis and cluster analysis in the R software package. These statistical analyses allowed validating the questionnaires and mapping profiles of epistemic beliefs among the respondents. For the open answers (qualitative data) we used lexical (computational) analysis of Alceste software complemented by classical (manual) content analysis. In order to analyze approaches used in teaching ecology, we selected, from our initial sample of respondents (n = 80), two teachers who demonstrated different epistemic beliefs when answering the questionnaires. Then, through interviews and filming, we characterized the epistemic cognition of these teachers during the planning and application of a didactic sequence of ecology. Our results suggest that many teachers have a limited view of ecology science, understanding, for example, that this area is not able to produce knowledge in a similar way to other natural sciences because of its holistic, descriptive, and qualitative nature, and understanding that the work of ecologists is to manage (and not only study) the environment. And about teaching ecology, many teachers seem to confuse it with environmental education. On the relation between the epistemic beliefs and cognitions of the two investigated teachers and their approaches to teaching ecology, we observed that the teacher who showed a more informed epistemic cognition was the one who effectively performed an approach aligned with the assumptions of teaching by inquiry, while the other teacher, who demonstrated an uninformed cognition, was unable to implement an investigative teaching approach. We conclude that the epistemic aspects studied in the present research may constitute obstacles to teaching ecology and that the teachers training courses need to train professionals with more sophisticated epistemic understandings about the natural sciences (including ecology). Teachers need to be more critical and reflexive when planning, executing and evaluating their pedagogical practices, and need to be able to overcome the traditional teaching and promote approaches aligned with the studentsscientific literacy.