Nir Orion

Spatial abilities of high-school students in the perception of geologic structures

The specific spatial abilities required for the study of basic structural geology were characterized by quantitative and qualitative data analysis. A geologic spatial ability test (GeoSAT) was developed and administered to 115 comprehensive high-school students. Six of these students were interviewed. An analysis of students’ incorrect answers revealed two types of answers: (a) nonpenetrative answers, which were based on external exposures of the structure; and (b) penetrative answers, which indicated attempts at representing internal properties of the structure. Students who tended to give penetrative incorrect answers performed significantly higher than students who tended to give nonpenetrative incorrect answers. The reasoning of students for these types of answers, as determined by interviews, supported the initial assumption that these answers were given by students with different levels of ability mentally to penetrate the image of a structure, which was named visual penetration ability (VPA). The interview findings indicated that the VPA is one of two complementary factors needed to solve the problems of GeoSAT; the other factor is the ability to perceive the spatial configuration of the structure. It is concluded that the teaching and learning process should provide students with assistance in both of these areas. A great amount of research has been dedicated to the investigation of spatial abilities. One of the main reasons for this emphasis is the importance of these abilities in fields such as natural sciences, geometry, engineering, and architecture (McGee, 1979). In the earth sciences, spatial abilities play a fundamental role in several different topics. This role was considerably emphasized in Chadwick’s (1978) description of geologic thinking. Chadwick, a geologist and psychologist, claimed that:

Development and validation of an instrument for assessing the learning environment of outdoor science activities

The SOLEI (Science Outdoor Learning Environment Inventory) was developed and content-validated in high schools in Israel. The instrument consists of seven scales (55 items). Five of the scales are based on the Science Laboratory Learning Environment Instrument (SLEI) developed in Australia. The other two scales are unique to the learning environment existing in outdoor activities. The instrument was found to be a sensitive measure that differentiates between different types of field trips conducted in the context of different subjects (biology, chemistry, and earth science). It is suggested that the instrument could be an important addition to the research tools available for studies conducted in informal settings in science education.

Software for Assisting High-School Students in the Spatial Perception of Geological Structures

Spatial abilities are required in the study of structural geology. However, relatively few learning aids for teaching spatial topics in structural geology have been developed. Geo3D is a software that was designed to assist high-school earth-science students in perceiving geological structures and in envisioning cross sections through these structures. Geo3D provides the student with manipulative animated visual illustrations of three-dimensional fold and fault structures. The illustrations are used for “spatial investigation” of structures in the first module of Geo3D and as “hints” for solving “structural tasks” in the second module. The interaction period required for working with the software varies from one to three hours. The design process for Geo3D included investigating perceptions of geological structures; developing the first version of Geo3D; evaluating the early version; and developing an expanded improved version of the software.

Development of a High-School Geology Course Based on Field Trips.

The traditional use of field trips at the end of a geology course does not realise their learning potential. An introductory geology course for high school students in Israel has been tried as a method of integrating a course syllabus with a field geological inventory of the surrounding area. The course consists of three modules, each of which has a preparatory unit, a field trip and a summary unit. This structure takes into account the didactic desirability of: (1) a gradual move from the concrete to the abstract, (2) firsthand experiences, and (3) a learning cycle and the novelty factors that influence learning ability in the field.

Transforming Environmental Knowledge Into Behavior: The Mediating Role of Environmental Emotions

The present study was based on the premise that environmental knowledge can drive environmental behavior only if it arouses environmental emotions. Using a structural equations modeling approach, we tested the direct, as well as the indirect (mediated) effects of knowledge on behavior and assessed the mediating role of environmental emotions. We found that knowledge is an important but distal variable, whose significant effect is fully mediated by emotions. The high explanatory power and good fit indices of the model supported and validated the important role of emotions in the learning process.

Students’ Perception of Co‐operative Learning in Earth Science Fieldwork

Abstract This paper reports on a small‐scale study of students’ perceptions of selected aspects concerning the organisation of, and learning from, fieldwork. Two main findings emerge. (a) In the choke of working partners, students either seek partners whom they regard as capable of making positive contributions to the fulfilment of the learning tasks, or they opt for friendship groups. In the case of the former, the qualities looked for are predominantly subject knowledge and subject‐related skills: competence in the management of group learning does not appear as a major consideration. (b) Although the outcomes from group work were invariably judged to be positive, a large minority of students appeared to regard themselves as contributors to, rather than beneficiaries from, such work. These students judged the extent of their learning from group work as low or very low.

An Earth Systems Curriculum Development Model

A reform in science education has grown rapidly during the 1990s in several countries around the world. However, the infusion of the new focus of science education and the new learning and teaching strategies within the educational system still requires much work before it becomes a fully developed way for learning. It is suggested here that the Earth systems approach can serve as an effective holistic framework for science curricula.

Teachers’ Voices on Integrating Metacognition into Science Education

This study is an attempt to gain new insight, on behalf of science teachers, into the integration of metacognition (MC) into science education. Participants were 44 elementary school science teachers attending an in-service teacher-training (INST) program. Data collection was carried out by several data sources: recordings of all verbal discussions that took place during the program, teachers’ written reflections, and semi-structured individual interviews. Our study provides a qualitative analysis of the 44 teachers’ voices as a group, as well as a detailed case-study narrative analysis of three teachers’ stories The findings show that the teachers’ intuitive (pre-instructional) thinking was incomplete and unsatisfactory and their voices were skeptical and against the integration of MC. After teachers had mastered the notion of MC in the INST program, the following outcomes have been identified: (a) teachers expressed amazement at how such an important and relevant issue had been almost invisible to them; (b) teachers identified the affective character of metacognitive experiences as the most significant facet of MC, which acts as a mediator between teaching and learning; (c) the complete lack of learning materials addressing MC and the absence of supportive in-classroom guidance were identified as the major obstacles for its implementation; (d) teachers expressed a willingness to continue their professional development toward expanding their abilities to integrate MC as an inseparable component of the science curriculum. The implications of the findings for professional development courses in the field of MC are discussed.

Philosophical Approaches of Religious Jewish Science Teachers Toward the Teaching of ‘Controversial’ Topics in Science

This research examines the problems that religious Jewish science teachers in Israeli high schools have in coping with science subjects (such as geological time) which conflict with their religious beliefs. We do this by characterizing the philosophical approaches within Judaism that such teachers have adopted for dealing with such controversy. Thus, we surveyed 56 religious teachers using a Likert‐type questionnaire developed for this research, as well as interviewed 11 teachers to more deeply probe their approaches. In addition, we surveyed 15 religious scientists, so that we could both contrast their views with our teacher samples as well as to better understand their coping strategies when confronted by scientific topics that challenge their beliefs. Results indicated that no single philosophical approach earned overwhelming support from the teachers or scientists. Instead, most of the subjects relate separately to each source of possible conflict in accordance with the philosophical approach that appears to be the most fruitful for resolving such conflicts. Moreover, both the scientists and the teachers felt less conflicted toward the specific subject of geological time, in comparison to issues connected to creation of the earth and (especially) evolution. The teachers did differ from the scientists in their preference toward philosophical approaches which help them better integrate the domains of science and religion. Based on our findings, we are able to suggest a set of strategies to help teachers overcome their difficulties in teaching ‘controversial’ science topics to a religiously oriented student population.

Environmental literacy components and their promotion by institutions of higher education: an Israeli case study

The recognition of the key role and moral responsibility of higher education institutions (HEIs) in cultivating the environmental literacy (EL) of their students is growing globally. The current research examined the contribution of HEIs to their students’ EL by focusing on an Israeli college as a case-study. A survey was conducted among a representative sample of 1147 students from all departments in four phases of their academic studies. A moderate level of EL was found. The college’s green agenda attracted more pre-environmentally literate students, but its contribution to the development of students’ EL throughout the learning years was minor. Variation in pro-environmental behavior was better explained by students’ environmental values and attitudes than by their environmental knowledge. It seems that a combination of knowledge, values, and attitudes is needed in order to instill EL among students in HEIs. Commitment to environmental education must be translated into effective contents (what) and ways of teaching and learning (how) EL, which should be adapted to the varied populations of HEIs’ students in the various faculties and departments. Some recommendations are detailed.