Whither constructivism?—A chemistry teachers’ perspective

Gurol Irzik has provided a masterful review of my anthology Constructivism in Science Education: A Philosophical Examination (Kluwer, 1998) which could well serve as an Introduction to the volume. I of course agree with him that it is important to get the basic philosophical matters clear in the frequently heated and confused exchanges over constructivism in science education. This is what the anthology set out to do, and it is gratifying to read that Irzik thinks it has achieved its aim; or at least that the anthology’s contributors have not further muddied the already muddied epistemological waters of science education. Philosophical questions are thrust upon science educators both from within the practice of science education – What are scientific laws? What is scientific methodology? What is the difference between science and non-science? What constitutes a good explanation? How do scientific models relate to reality? What is the role of values in science? And so on. Students routinely ask these questions of teachers – ‘Miss, if no one has seen an atom how come we are drawing pictures of them?’, and curriculum writers standardly mention some or all of the questions and expect teachers to convey an understanding of them to students. Learning about ‘The Nature of Science’ is a ubiquitious goal of international science programmes. So teachers, and science educators who research teaching practice and who educate teachers, have philosophy thrust upon them from the inside. But philosophy is also thrust upon teachers and educators from the outside. Feminism, multiculturalism, environmentalism, religious interests, the Science Wars – all of these demand more or less explicitly philosophical responses from science teachers and from educators. But teachers and educators are put into an invidious position by these philosophical demands: precious little in their training equips them to answer the questions. Science teachers have little, if any, systematic training in philosophy. The same can be said for science educators: they are standardly trained in the sciences, have teacher training and teaching experience, and usually do their advanced degrees and research in science education. Having even an undergraduate major in philosophy is a rarity among science educators. The number world wide who have post-graduate degrees in philosophy could probably be counted on the fingers

In this study, concepts were constructed that express learning experiences in nursing master's degree programs utilized in occupational health nursing activities with the aim of clarifying those characteristics. This was based on the idea that elucidation of the characteristics of learning experiences in nursing master's degree programs used in occupational health nursing activities would be meaningful in providing high-quality occupational health services that respond to the needs of society. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 people who fulfilled the three conditions of having completed a master's degree programs, working as an occupational health nurse after completion of the program, and not continuing on to a doctoral program. The nursing conceptualization method of Naomi Funashima was used. From the obtained data, 512 code items expressing learning experiences in master's degree programs utilized in occupational health nursing activities were identified. These items included five core categories (concepts), 34 categories, and 69 subcategories. The five concepts constructed were "Pursuit of expertise and self-evaluation," "Mutual understanding of various people that leads to human resources utilization," "Theoretical and academic learning that influences changes in activities," "Research learning that lead to activities based on scientific evidence," and "Learning that leads to high-quality activities making use of expertise." It was found that various learning experiences in the master's program to pursue the specialty of occupational health nurses in order to recognize their roles as well as the experiences to take the initiative in learning had been integrated in their activities after completion of the course and had contributed to their high-quality occupational health nursing activities. It was suggested that the learning experiences in the master's program, which had been revealed in this study, were the experiences necessary for providing high-quality occupational health nursing activities to satisfy the social needs.

Background: The nursing master's degree program of the National Autonomous University of Mexico conducted this self-assessment as part of a larger evaluation research project. The results based on the Psychological Evaluation Manual (PEM), which is used since 2010 and which estimates the general characteristics of the psychological profile of the aspirant students, are shown. Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the levels of performance of the aspirants to the nursing master's degree program and simultaneously, identify the related academic trajectory variables, based on the Psychological Assessment Manual, and in line with the nursing master's degree formative self-evaluation frame. Methods: The study was descriptive and transversal. The sample was constituted by 169 aspirants to the nursing master's degree program from 2015 to 2020 generations. Results: Some dimensions of the Psychological Evaluation Manual are significant to predict a successful academic trajectory. From the linear regression, it was observed that the variables Abstract reasoning and Avoidance of challenging work explain 18.9% of the variance in the average of the master's, with Abstract reasoning having a higher positive impact beta = .011) while in Avoidance of challenging work it was -.014. According to the, the expected profile of the aspirants to the nursing master's degree program implies medium-high scores on the scales of Academic aptitude, Adjustment to the reference social norms, as well as with Facilitating aspect, while medium-low scores in the scales of Deviation from the reference social norms and Limiting aspects. Conclusions: The study is that the Psychological Assessment Manual inputs valuable information which contributes to better estimate the profile of the aspirants to the program.

Ufa State Petroleum Technological University is a well-known scientific and educational center on the world stage, where international students from different countries study at all levels of higher education. Currently, about 250 students from more than 20 countries are enrolled in master's degree programs. The article shows an analysis of the contingent of students from foreign countries for three years. Based on the analysis, it was revealed that there is a significant increase in the number of students from three Arabic-speaking countries: Egypt, Iraq and Yemen. It is assumed that this trend will continue in the future. The main factors that may affect the increase in the number of students from Arabic-speaking countries are Egypt's accession to the BRICS association and active meetings of university representatives with delegations from the Middle East. Given the growing number of students from Arabic-speaking countries, there is a need to create and use academic adaptation programs for foreign students. The University is currently transforming its Master's degree programs. The main changes in the Magistracy are: multi-track selection of an individual learning trajectory; a unified sequence of courses for the work on a master's thesis and the possibility of choosing new dissertation formats. It is very important to Inform all students about the sequence of stages of study in the master's degree and the specifics of work on master's theses. Therefore, the educational material adapted for students from Arabic-speaking countries will allow them to quickly and successfully start studying at the university. It will also increase the effectiveness of the tutor's work on the academic adaptation of students, reduce the amount of time needed to explain basic norms. The article presents an analysis of the most popular master's degree programs for students from Egypt, Iraq and Yemen. Based on this analysis, an adapted presentation on the choice of a master's degree track was made, in which the annotations of the main tracks were translated into Arabic. A presentation was made on the main methods of scientific research, the forms of final qualifying works and the sequence of completing a master's thesis while studying at the university. This presentation also has an Arabic translation. The made materials will allow Arabic-speaking students to better understand the principles of studying at the master's degree, it is easier to navigate the offered educational courses of the university.

Studies on ocean literacy in science education have gained increasing attention from scholars in recent years. To provide an overall understanding of these scientific contributions, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on 117 journal articles collected from the Scopus database. The analysis was carried out using Biblioshiny and VosViewer tools to investigate trends and patterns in the field of ocean literacy within science education. The results revealed that publications on ocean literacy in science education have increased exponentially, with an annual growth rate of 0.86%. Key terms related to ocean literacy in science education include education, literacy, oceanography, climate change, teaching, learning, ocean literacy, and students. Emerging study topics include sustainable development, citizen science, marine environment, communication, and environmental education. The findings provide an overview for science educators to develop research studies on ocean literacy and present a valuable framework for continuous research in this area. This study highlights aspects of ocean literacy that have not been extensively explored and can serve as a valuable resource for researchers, educators, and stakeholders engaged in the sustainable conservation of the ocean in the future.

Factors Influencing the Uptake of Taught Master's Programmes Among Physiotherapists

Textbook "The trajectory of the Master's degree in Economics: corporate Finance. Part I" will contribute to the deep and consistent development of the university master's program by future highly qualified economists, addressed to financial managers, managerial economists, individual entrepreneurs and heads of organizations, bachelors and specialists studying in the master's degree program "Corporate Finance".

In the area of tourism, the process of graduate programs consolidation is accelerated, because, in 2013, there were six programs offering masters and only two offering the doctorate; yet in 2018, there were eleven master's degree programs, including those of a professional and academic nature, and four programs offering the doctorate. Given the scenario, we questioned, in this study, how the programs of master's an doctor's degrees in tourism in Brazil are structured from the analysis of teaching production. The general objective of this study is the analysis of the bibliographic production of the professors of the programs of master's and doctor's degrees in tourism in Brazil from January 2013 to December 2016. The specific objectives define a quantitative and qualitative exam that (re)know the academic structure of these programs, from the know-how of their professors. The selected corpus was the set of data published in the curricula of the permanent professor, inactives and collaborators of nine programs of master's and doctor's degrees in tourism in Brazil: Universidade

Several papers have been written about the shortage of knowledgeable computer science teachers at the secondary and junior college level. Additional reports have been written describing workshops, courses, and various other methods to help reduce this shortage. See for example papers by Moursund, Dennis, Piorot and others in various publications by ACM and the proceedings of recent National Educational Computing Conferences.(l,2)Very few papers have reported on the existence of degree programs for teachers who are interested in developing the necessary background to teach computer science. Even fewer master's degree programs exist to help train teachers in computer science education. Moursund has described the master's degree at Oregon(3), Lykos has established a degree at Illinois Institute of Technology, and the University of Illinois has a degree for teachers.(2)This paper describes a unique master's degree program at Northwest Missouri State University. Details are given on the development and present status of the program. Also, several suggestions are indicated for possible future directions for such a program.

The purpose of this paper is to present the methodology and results of a study on the role played by higher education institutions — universities and business schools from different master's degree programs —, when responding to the demands of potential entrepreneurs who are seeking to get the tools and develop the skills necessary to eventually become successful. We have proposed the use of a methodology based on a survey of students currently enrolled in master's programs, to get to know their entrepreneurial drive, the tools they consider appropriate to achieve their degrees and what they think is the best way to start a new business. Also the ultimate goal of the study is based on the results: making a proposal of academic content, theoretical and / or practical as deemed necessary, to add to these programs in order to improve the training required by future entrepreneurs.

The object of this research is the professional training of Russian mediators within the framework of Master's Degree and vocational education. The subject of this research is the organizational and methodological problems of training and professional becoming of mediators, substantiated by the specificity of current legislation in this field, as well as the established practice of professional training. Application of general scientific methods allows examining the requirements of current Russian legislation in the sphere of professional training of mediators, comparing with the fundamental changes proposed in the draft law of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, and relevant practice. The author outlines the key vectors of professional training of future mediators offered by the Russian universities in the Master's Degree program. Based on the critical analysis of research and empirical methods (expert evaluation, survey), the authors determine the key personal and professional characteristics of the mediator, essential for successful their successful activity. The novelty of this work lies in drawing parallels between the requirements to professional training of mediators in the current legislation and according to the new draft law; as well as in the analysis of peculiarities and difficulties of professional training of mediators within the framework of the Master's Degree program “Mediation in Social Sphere” and competences that are considered of prime importance. The authors underline the need for raising requirements to the process of professional training of mediators, and their legislative consolidation. The top results can be achieved by acquiring basic legal or psychological education, as well as completion of the basic course of mediation prior to the advanced training.

ZusammenfassungZiel der Studie Ziel dieser Untersuchung war es, die derzeit akkreditierten Versorgungsforschungsstudiengänge in Deutschland im Hinblick auf ihre Strukturdaten und Inhalte zu analysieren. Methodik Im Rahmen eines deskriptiven qualitativen Designs wurden die aktuellen Studienverlaufspläne, die Modulhandbücher und die Steckbriefe akkreditierter Masterstudiengänge der Versorgungsforschung inhaltsanalytisch ausgewertet. Ergebnisse Die 6 analysierten Studiengänge zeigen sich hinsichtlich ihrer strukturellen Merkmale und lehr-lerninhaltlichen Ausrichtung in den wesentlichen Punkten als homogen. Ziel aller Studiengänge ist es, fach- und disziplinübergreifende personale und soziale Kompetenzen zu fördern, um Versorgungsbedarfe im Gesundheitswesen zu identifizieren, Innovationen der Versorgung zu entwickeln, zu initiieren, zu evaluieren und kritisch zu reflektieren. Schlussfolgerungen Trotz ähnlicher Lehr-Lerninhalte bestehen spezifische Ausrichtungen, für die sich die Studierenden vor dem Hintergrund ihrer individuellen Präferenzen entscheiden können. Diese Ergebnisse könnten unter Berücksichtigung aktueller Diskurse und weiterer Erkenntnisse als Grundlage für Empfehlungen zur Entwicklung eines Kerncurriculums dienen.

Advocates of constructivist science recommend that school science begins with children’s own constructions of reality. This notion of the way in which students’ knowledge of science grows is closely paralleled by recent research on teachers’ knowledge. This paper draws on case study evidence of teachers’ work to show how two experienced teachers’ attempts to develop alternative ways of teaching science involved reframing their previous patterns of understanding and practice. Two alternative interpretations of the case study evidence are offered. One interpretation, which focuses on identifying gaps in the teachers’ knowledge of science teaching, leads to theconstructivist paradox. The second interpretation explores theconstructivist parallel, an approach which treats the process of teachers’ knowledge growth with the same respect as constructivists treat students’ learning of science. This approach, the authors argue, is not only more epistemologically consistent but also opens up the possibilities of helping teachers lead students towards a constructivist school science.

A significant body of the literature in science education examines students' conceptions of the dissolution of ionic solids in water, often showing that students lack proper understanding of the particulate nature of dissolving materials as well as holding numerous misconceptions about the dissolution process. Consequently, chemical educators have explored several instructional strategies to address this issue including the use of multimedia, computer animations, and hands-on activities. In this paper, we describe the ways in which the use of physical 3D magnetic molecular models during a cooperative inquiry-based activity on chemical bonding prompted classroom discourse on what counts as chemically justifiable and appropriate representations of dissolved ionic solids in water. In so doing, we use the intersection of science education and technology to research the role of models in science teaching, the nature of classroom discourse initiated by modeling activities, and unfolding changes in student conceptions and ultimately student learning.

Connie Van Fleet is well known to RUSO readers. She edited the journal (in conjunction with Danny P Wallace) for twelve years. Upon completing her final term as editor, she assumed leadership for the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE). ALISE is the premier organization for faculty teaching in graduate programs in library and information science in North America. Connie graciously took time out of her busy schedule to respond to my questions about library education and LIS students. All of a sudden librarianship is becoming portrayed as a hot occupation. Last spring, U.S. News & World Report (see Best Careers for 2007, in the issue dated March 19, 2007) ranked librarianship as one of the top twenty-five careers for 2007. This summer, the New York Times (see A Hipper Crowd of Shushers, in the July 8, 2007 issue) ran a story on how librarianship is becoming a career choice for Generation Xers. Have library schools noticed a marked increase in applications over the last year or two? I loved those articles and really got quite a kick out of sharing the NYT piece with my students. It's great to see librarianship getting attention and respect. I think those articles, however, reflect recognition of a trend, rather than drive enrollment figures. Enrollment in ALA-accredited programs has been increasing steadily since an inexplicable dip in 1999. In fact, according to the ALISE statistics, enrollment in accredited masters' programs grew by about 8% per year between 1999 and 2006, resulting in an increase of over 65%. The 2007 statistics have just been collected from the schools and have not yet been analyzed, but it is my sense that this upward trend is continuing. Who is attending graduate programs in library and information science these days? Is there a demographic profile of the typical student enrolled in a master's degree program? Is librarianship a second career for many individuals? There is a very diverse group of individuals who attend graduate programs in library and information science for a variety of reasons. The profession may still be overwhelmingly female and white, but we are seeing more men and ethnic groups represented in the program. I think the data gathered in Fall 2006 probably gives a pretty accurate picture of this year's class. It shows that enrollment in MLIS programs was 71% female and 29% male. Of those students for whom ethnicity data is reported (such reporting is illegal in Canada), 74% of the students were identified as white, with about 4.4% black, 4.34% Hispanic, and 3.37% Asian. Nearly 5% were international students. Perhaps the most dramatic change is in the age of those attending graduate programs in library and information science: 40% were under the age of 30; 69% were under 40; and 87% under 50 years old. The majority (73.7%) of students reside in the state or province in which they attend school. Librarianship still remains a second career for many individuals. We don't have statistics on students who come into our programs with advanced degrees or from other careers, but my experience at three different universities and my impression from speaking with other faculty indicate that a number of students come to us from a variety of professions, including law, music, education, business, and retail sales. We also see a number of library workers who enroll in school for advancement or professional development. It appears that there has been an explosion in online course offerings in library and information science. Are there data on how many students are enrolled in distance versus residential programs? Are there some master's degree programs that are a hybrid? Has ALISE or any other body sponsored research evaluating the quality of online programs? We don't have figures that indicate the balance of enrollment in distance and residential programs that have been aggregated on the national level, nor do we have directly comparable data on those enrollments. …