Amos Dreyfus

The ‘ostension-teaching’ approach as a means to develop junior-high student attitudes towards biotechnologies

The present paper refers to a study in which biotechnologies were used as a channel to teach 9th grade pupils (15 years of age) about intra-cellular biological processes, by means of ‘ostension’ or, literally, by ‘showing’. This teaching method, instead of dealing with proofs for the existence of any abstract theory based on the molecular (micro) level, shows the ‘theory in action’. Three modules were developed for the study, all of them designed along the same pattern. After studying the modules, the students were requested to ask questions about specific biotechnologies, then to permit or to prohibit their use. The students were able to foresee various types of arguments for and against the use of a given biotechnology. Most of the students displayed moderate attitudes towards biotechnologies, and established clear priorities in situations of moral dilemma.

Biological knowledge as a prerequisite for the development of values and attitudes

In a democratic society which has become increasingly ‘scientified’, biology-related technologies interfere at all levels of the personal and social life of human beings. Some basic scientific knowledge is necessary for the development of sound and defensible attitudes concerning civic decision-making. Attitudes cannot be only valueladen; they must also be knowledge-laden. The interrelations between knowledge and values may therefore be deeply relevant to curricular decisions.

A Comparison of the ‘Prompting Effect’ of Out‐of‐School with that of In‐School Contexts on Certain Aspects of Critical Thinking

Summaries English The teaching of science closely linked to everyday situations has been strongly recommended in order to achieve stronger motivation, and, in particular for the less intellectually gifted, easier cognitive development. The development of critical‐thinking habits has long been regarded as a task for which science education is particularly suited. Such habits have been said to possess inherent non‐specific transfer value. This opinion rests on the assumption that the logical structures of contextually different situations are perceived as equivalent by pupils. This contention was queried in this study by means of two tests, which permitted: (1) the diagnosis of pupils’ recognition of logical fallacies in everyday, as compared with that in logically equivalent biological situations; and (2) a comparison of pupils’ ‘disposals of unsound proposals’ who had first encountered such proposals in everyday situations, with pupils’ having encountered them in biological situations. The effect exerted ...

Diagnostic instruments for determining junior high‐school science teachers’ understanding of functional relationships within the ‘living cell’

Two unobtrusive diagnostic game‐like instruments, especially designed to determine junior high school science teachers’ meaningful understanding of functional relationships, between some of the basic concepts related to the abstract notion of the ‘living cell’, are described in this paper. The basic assumption was that teachers, although apparently familiar with each of the relevant concepts separately, do not perceive many of the relationships which confer upon them their ‘meaning’, in an Ausubelian sense. A concept map, specifically adapted to the level expected from junior high‐school teachers, was designed and validated by scientists. While readily playing the ‘games’, individual teachers displayed the type and the relevance of the relationships which they established between concepts, their level of meaningful understanding (area covered on the exemplary concept‐map), and its availability (spontaneity of use). The main outcomes of this study show that quite often, teachers do not spontaneously establ...

Manipulating and diversifying the levels of difficulty and task‐sophistication of one and the same laboratory exercise

Teaching in heterogeneous classes is often a perplexing enterprise for the teacher who must cope simultaneously with children of various abilities and motivations. The recommended strategies endeavour to adapt specific tasks to individual needs. However, experienced teachers, while never challenging the theoretical validity of such strategies, tend to question their practical feasibility. The activity presented here deals with the potential of laboratory‐based science teaching for mixed‐ability classes. It will show that even a relatively simple experiment may become a rich source of different tasks which can be adapted to the wishes of the teacher and the needs of the pupils. The factors which bear on the difficulty of these tasks can be defined. The difficulty of a laboratory activity will depend mainly on the cognitive level and the technical skills required and on the burden imposed on the pupils. The teacher may increase, reduce or rearrange the elements of difficulty all along the activity which can...

The electronic spreadsheet and cognitive skills in inquiry oriented biology

From a cognitive point of view, a spreadsheet is essentially a tool which enables learners to express intentions by means of formal instructions to a machine, and to assess the consequences of their instructions. While the objectives of “computer-integrated” science teaching remain essentially the same as those of today’s traditional science teaching, the integration of the computer into the science teaching-learning processes requires, and provides opportunities to enhance, cognitive skills related to what could be called aspects of the scientific language and culture. These cognitive skills refer to both declarative and procedural knowledge.

Teachers’ Self‐reflection as a Prerequisite to their Professional Development

Abstract This paper considers the critical position of teachers in school improvement projects whose success depends on their ability and willingness to innovate. The paper describes a supportive framework for innovating teachers based on interactive collaboration between researchers and teachers in a mixed ability teaching project in an Israeli comprehensive school. Within this framework the teachers’ ability to reflect in action was enhanced. Implications of the project are considered.

Keyboard instructions as concepts of the language of quantitative biology in spreadsheet-assisted activities

The potential contribution of the electronic spreadsheet to science teaching is well recognized, especially concerning various aspects of data presentation (e.g. graphing skills). However, its introduction into the science classroom often seems awkward as students and teachers must learn the technique of its use. We challenged this attitude while developing a series of computer-assisted activities, based on the LOTUS 123 electronic spreadsheet which aimed to enhance the skills of students concerning crucial quantitative aspects of secondary school biology.

Content analysis of school textbooks: the case of a technology‐oriented curriculum

A technology‐oriented curriculum is a curriculum which teaches a scientific discipline in a technological context. Should the school textbooks which accompany such programmes be different from those which are intended to be used in ‘conventional’ programmes? To address this question I: (a) examined the conventional definition of a textbook; (6) redefined the role of the textbook according to a curriculum‐developer approach; (c) designed a system of textbook analysis adapted to this new definition; (d) applied this system to a specific curriculum of the technology‐oriented type. The crucial keywords in the analysis were (i) the nature of the problems dealt with in the curriculum, (ii) the nature of the concepts taught, and (iii) the extent of their applicability.

Becoming a university in changing and challenging times

Abstract This article examines the ways in which a former polytechnic has managed the transition to university status while retaining some of its traditional commitments to vocational education. There are three principal elements in the success of this transition: flexible course structures (with multiple entry and exit points), pedagogical practices rooted in an enculturation model, and the adoption of a research culture focused on teaching and professional practice.