Alternative Teacher Certification Students’ Motivations of Teaching

The legal studies teaching methodology IRAC (issue, rule, application, conclusion) is widely used in universities by both law and business schools. This paper examines the effectiveness of IRAC from a teaching perspective and its usefulness for business students. Data is generated from an Australian university case study using teacher interviews and a student survey. The findings suggest that, because of its flexibility and logical structure, the practice of IRAC has become normalised. However it is only effective if teachers disseminate these features consistently in their teaching. Students in the study understood the usefulness of IRAC for classwork, but encountered application difficulties in assessment tasks. Although the study sample is limited, legal studies teachers in other tertiary and secondary settings can benefit from the findings, and the recommendations that periodic reflection and greater collaborative efforts are required when using IRAC to progress students’ legal studies skills

Motivations of Turkish Pre-service Teachers to Choose Teaching as a Career

This study was conducted to investigate the motivations of 974 Turkish pre-service teachers for choosing teaching as a career and to examine their perceptions about the teaching profession. Correlations, t test, ANCOVAs and MANCOVAs were used to explore the relationships among participants’ motivations and perceptions, and to make comparisons according to different characteristics such as gender, different specialism, number of times participants had entered the university entrance examination, and rank of their preference of teaching as a profession. The results showed that the social and personal utility value and prior teaching and learning experiences were the highly rated motivation factors. The findings also revealed how the general image of teaching as a career held in the social-cultural context of Turkish society shaped participants’ motivations and perceptions

Türk Biyoloji Öğretmenlerinin Eğitim Programı Uygulamasında Yaşadıkları Kısıtlılıklarla İlgili Algıları

The purpose of this cross-sectional descriptive study is to identify the constraints perceived by teachers in the implementation process of secondary school biology curriculum in Turkey. Sample of the study consists of 128 biology teachers working in 119 public schools in 12 provinces of Turkey. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and qualitative data analysis techniques were used to examine teachers’ beliefs and to make additional inferences about the constraints they experience. The results highlighted lack of alignments between curriculum change, teacher development, assessment practices, availability of the resources and the intended curriculum. The study discusses the implications of the results concerning policy, practice and further research.Bu çalışma biyoloji dersi eğitim programı uygulaması sürecinde öğretmenlerin karşılaştıkları sorunların belirlenmesi amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmanın örneklemini 12 ilde 119 genel lisede çalışmakta olan 128 biyoloji öğretmeni oluşturmaktadır. Veriler bir tarama anketi ile toplanmıştır. Verilerin çözümlenmesinde betimleyici ve yordayıcı istatistikler ile nitel veri analizi yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Bulgular program değişikliği, öğretmenlerin mesleki gelişimi, değerlendirme uygulamaları, kaynakların mevcudiyeti ve hedeflenen program arasındaki uyumsuzluğa işaret etmektedir. Bulgular eğitim politika ve uygulamaları ile gelecekte yapılacak bilimsel araştırmalara ışık tutması amacıyla tartışılmıştır

Biyoloji Öğretmenlerinin Hizmetiçi Eğitim İhtiyaçları ve Gözlemlenen Bölgesel Farklılıklar

This study was conducted to identify the in-service training needs of biology teachers working in seven geographical regions, and to make content and methodology related suggestions for future activities. Research questions guiding the data collection and analysis were used to identify the teachers’ in-service training needs, and beliefs and perceptions about the Ministry of Education’s current in-service training courses. Differences between the in-service training needs of teachers in different geographical regions were also searched in the study. A survey questionnaire was applied in Adana, Bursa, Konya, Samsun, Gaziantep, Malatya, Kocaeli, Kayseri, Manisa, Aydın, Uşak, Burdur, Karaman, Yalova, Kilis, Bayburt and Ardahan in 2005 to 338 teachers. Research results pointed at the differences between the in-service training needs and experiences of teachers working in Southeast, East and Black Sea Regions, where less inservice activities are organized, and teachers working in other regions. Therefore, the researcher suggests a school-based system where schools, national education offices and In-service Training Directorate take over the authority and responsibilities in turn.Bu araştırma, yedi coğrafi bölgede görev yapan biyoloji öğretmenlerinin hizmetiçi eğitim ihtiyaçlarının belirlenmesi ve düzenlenecek etkinliklere yöntem ve içerik konusunda önerilerde bulunmak amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Verilerin toplanması ve çözümlenmesinde kullanılan araştırma sorularında, biyoloji öğretmenlerinin hizmetiçi eğitim ihtiyaçları ve Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (MEB) bünyesinde gerçekleştirilen hizmetiçi eğitim kursları hakkındaki görüş ve düşünceleri belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Çalışmada ayrıca farklı coğrafi bölgelerde görev yapan biyoloji öğretmenlerinin hizmetiçi eğitim deneyim ve ihtiyaçları arasındaki farklılıklar da sorgulanmıştır. Geliştirilen anket 2005 yılında Adana, Bursa, Konya, Samsun, Gaziantep, Malatya, Kocaeli, Kayseri, Manisa, Aydın, Uşak, Burdur, Karaman, Yalova, Kilis, Bayburt ve Ardahan’ da görev yapan 338 biyoloji öğretmenine uygulanmıştır. Araştırma sonuçları, daha az sayıda etkinlik düzenlenen Güneydoğu Anadolu, Doğu Anadolu ve Karadeniz bölgelerinde görevli öğretmenlerle diğer bölgelerde görev yapan öğretmenlerin hizmetiçi eğitim deneyim ve ihtiyaçları arasında farklılıklar bulunduğuna işaret etmektedir. Bu amaçla araştırmacı, okul merkezli, yetki ve sorumlulukların okullardan milli eğitim müdürlüklerine ve Hizmetiçi Eğitim Dairesi Başkanlığı’na aşamalı devredildiği yeni bir yapılanmaya yönelinmesini önermektedir

Comparison of subconjunctivally injected bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and pegaptanib for inhibition of corneal neovascularization in a rat model

WOS: 000317873300005PubMed: 23638411AIM: To compare the efficacies of subconjunctival bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and pegaptanib sodium injections for the inhibition of corneal neovascularization in an experimental rat model. METHODS: Sixteen corneas of 16 rats were chemically cauterized and randomized into four groups: bevacizumab group that treated with 0.05mL/1.25mg bevacizumab, ranibizumab group that treated with 0.05mL/0.5mg ranibizumab, pegaptanib group that treated with 0.05mL/0.15mg pegaptanib sodium, and control group that treated with 0.05mL saline solution. Digital photographs of the corneas were taken and analyzed using an image analysis software program. All corneas were excised and examined histologically on the 15th day. RESULTS: Each treatment group had significantly less neovascularized corneal areas and fewer blood vessels than the control group (all P 0.05). CONCLUSION: Subconjunctival bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and pegaptanib sodium were effective with no corneal epitheliopathy for inhibiting corneal neovascularization after corneal burn in rats. Bevacizumab was more effective than ranibizumab and pegaptanib sodium

Targeted high-throughput sequencing for genetic diagnostics of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

Background: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rapid-onset, potentially fatal hyperinflammatory syndrome. A prompt molecular diagnosis is crucial for appropriate clinical management. Here, we validated and prospectively evaluated a targeted high-throughput sequencing approach for HLH diagnostics. Methods: A high-throughput sequencing strategy of 12 genes linked to HLH was validated in 13 patients with previously identified HLH-associated mutations and prospectively evaluated in 58 HLH patients. Moreover, 2504 healthy individuals from the 1000 Genomes project were analyzed in silico for variants in the same genes. Results: Analyses revealed a mutation detection sensitivity of 97.3 %, an average coverage per gene of 98.0 %, and adequate coverage over 98.6 % of sites previously reported as mutated in these genes. In the prospective cohort, we achieved a diagnosis in 22 out of 58 patients (38 %). Genetically undiagnosed HLH patients had a later age at onset and manifested higher frequencies of known secondary HLH triggers. Rare, putatively pathogenic monoallelic variants were identified in nine patients. However, such monoallelic variants were not enriched compared with healthy individuals. Conclusions: We have established a comprehensive high-throughput platform for genetic screening of patients with HLH. Almost all cases with reduced natural killer cell function received a diagnosis, but the majority of the prospective cases remain genetically unexplained, highlighting genetic heterogeneity and environmental impact within HLH. Moreover, in silico analyses of the genetic variation affecting HLH-related genes in the general population suggest caution with respect to interpreting causality between monoallelic mutations and HLH. A complete understanding of the genetic susceptibility to HLH thus requires further in-depth investigations, including genome sequencing and detailed immunological characterization.Peer reviewe

Inservice training needs of biology teachers and observed local differences

This study was conducted to identify the in-service training needs of biology teachers working in seven geographical regions, and to make content and methodology related suggestions for future activities. Research questions guiding the data collection and analysis were used to identify the teachers' in-service training needs, and beliefs and perceptions about the Ministry of Education's current in-service training courses. Differences between the in-service training needs of teachers in different geographical regions were also searched in the study. A survey questionnaire was applied in Adana, Bursa, Konya, Samsun, Gaziantep, Malatya, Kocaeli, Kayseri, Manisa, Aydin, Usak, Burdur, Karaman, Yalova, Kilis, Bayburt and Ardahan in 2005 to 338 teachers. Research results pointed at the differences between the in-service training needs and experiences of teachers working in Southeast, East and Black Sea Regions, where less inservice activities are organized, and teachers working in other regions. Therefore, the researcher suggests a school-based system where schools, national education offices and In-service Training Directorate take over the authority and responsibilities in turn

Automatic detection of learning styles for an e-learning system

A desirable characteristic for an e-learning system is to provide the learner the most appropriate information based on his requirements and preferences. This can be achieved by capturing and utilizing the learner model. Learner models can be extracted based on personality factors like learning styles, behavioral factors like user's browsing history and knowledge factors like user's prior knowledge. In this paper, we address the problem of extracting the learner model based on Felder-Silverman learning style model. The target learners in this problem are the ones studying basic science. Using NBTree classification algorithm in conjunction with Binary Relevance classifier, the learners are classified based on their interests. Then, learners' learning styles are detected using these classification results. Experimental results are also conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed automated learner modeling approach. The results show that the match ratio between the obtained learner's learning style using the proposed learner model and those obtained by the questionnaires traditionally used for learning style assessment is consistent for most of the dimensions of Felder-Silverman learning style. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Influence of Teacher Perceptions of Students on Teaching High School Biology

Problem Statement: The research question guiding the current study was "How do teachers' perceptions of students shape the way they teach biology?