Group items tagged

Could help students develop their methods for observing children. This program asserts that the testing of a causal hypothesis involving cognitive development is best done through a combination of observational and experimentational methods. Kathy Sylva and Peter Bryant, both of the University of Oxford, and other researchers share their insights into categorizing and codifying patterns of play through observation, avoiding common experiment-related pitfalls such as covariation and unintentional bias, and mitigating artificiality, a challenge to practitioners of both approaches. (25 minutes)

The teaching of such a controversial social issue as evolution in the classroom presents difficulties to instructors, both on personal and professional levels. Griffith and Brem examined fifteen Arizona biology teachers, pulling their experiences from focus groups, interviews, and surveys. The study contains a great deal of anecdotal information dealing with both internal and external influences on instructors' teaching methods. This research investigates a whole new realm of the issue as it pertains to literacy by looking directly at those who control the flow of information and those who influence it. However, the researchers make little conclusive headway, suggesting simply that instructors should be made more comfortable with the topic by having access to better information and resources. Ultimately, the personal experiences are telling of the political climate and social stressors.

This article responds to many of the existing creationist arguments by refuting them with scientific evidence, including substantiation from reputable sources. Kessler, chair of the department of physics at Illinois Wesleyan University, discusses his personal experiences with teaching college freshmen, including an astounding case in which a student who had received a 32 on his ACT dropped out of college on the advice of his minister. At the heart of the issue was a belief system that could not be reconciled with Kessler's instruction. The article also focuses on the backgrounds of the students and the ways in which their limited (sometimes nonexistent and often misinformed) research illustrates a lack of understanding of the scientific method and the nature of experimental data. In this way, the creationist student mindset can be examined in context of his/her belief system.

The article explains the Reading First Initiative in the No Child Left Behind Act. The author further discusses the need for more in depth research on literature based education and teaching practices. The article touches on various classroom teaching methods and analyzes literacy in several Children's literature professional journals.

This article is about two teachers who used the literary devices associated with poetry to teach scientific writing to their students. The result was that students learned more about writing poetry and writing scientific reports. This article would be helpful for students researching the teaching of literacy using uncommon methods.

This article is concerned with what it may mean to individuals to engage in practices that are physically challenging and risky. The article questions the assumptions that psychological health is commensurate with maintaining physical safety, and that risking one's health and physical safety is necessarily a sign of psychopathology. The research was based upon semi-structured interviews with eight extreme sport practitioners. The interviews were analysed using Colaizzi's version of the phenomenological method. The article explicates the themes identified in the analysis, and discusses their implications for health psychology theory and practice. Also available through the Electronic Journal Center at OhioLINK.

This article is concerned with what it may mean to individuals to engage in practices that are physically challenging and risky. The article questions the assumptions that psychological health is commensurate with maintaining physical safety, and that risking one's health and physical safety is necessarily a sign of psychopathology. The research was based upon semi-structured interviews with eight extreme sport practitioners. The interviews were analysed using Colaizzi's version of the phenomenological method. The article explicates the themes identified in the analysis, and discusses their implications for health psychology theory and practice.