The Impact of Teaching Physics via Modeling on Modifying Alternative Conception of Energy and Momentum Conservation among 11th Grade Female Students

This study investigated the impact of teaching physics via modeling on theacquisition of energy and momentum conservation concepts. The sample consisted of 91 female students selected from 11th grade female students in two schools in Al-Dakhiliyah Governorate in Oman. The experimental group (n = 45) was taught via the modeling method, and the control group (n = 46) was taught using a traditional method. The study lasted six weeks during the second semester of the academic year 2013/2014. A teacher guide for teaching by models was designed and validated by a group of experts. To measure the acquisition of physics concepts, energy and momentum, an achievement test was used. The test consisted of 20 multiple-choice questions. Its reliability was measured by test-retest method (r = 0.79). The results revealed a statistically significant difference (p < .05) between the means of the experimental and control groups in favor of the experimental group. The study recommends that science teachers ought to use models and modeling in their teaching. Workshops to train supervisors, in-service teachers and pre-service teachers in the construction and development of scientific models need to be conducte

The Effectiveness of Engineering Design in Developing Engineering Habits of Mind among Eight Grade Students in Sultanate of Oman

This research investigates the effect of engineering design on the development of the engineering habits of mind among eighth grade students in the Sultanate of Oman. The study adopted the semi-experimental research design. The study sample had two experimental groups; the first group (23 students) was enrolled in a special program of engineering design; and the second group was a control group (25 students) which had not participated in any engineering design programs. The quantitative results revealed statistically significant differences at the level of significance (  between the performance of students of the two groups in identifying problem habits, optimization and development, and system thinking in favour of the experimental group in the scale of the habits of the engineering mind. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the performance of the two groups in the habits of visualizing, creativity in problem solving, and adaptation. Analysis of qualitative data reached similar findings. Taken together, these findings suggest a set of recommendations, including the integration of engineering design into science curricula for contribution to the development of engineering habits of mind. Further surveyed studies can be conducted to discover the most common engineering habits of mind among students of all stages in the study

Carbon Neutrality Implementation Practices and Challenges in the School Environment in the Sultanate of Oman from the Point of View of Principals and Teachers

ملخص: هدفت الدراسة الكشف عن ممارسات تطبيق الحياد الكربوني، وتحدياته في البيئة المدرسية، بسلطنة عمان من وجهة نظر مديري المدارس والمعلمين، حيث اعتمدت الدراسة المنهج المختلط، ولتحقيق الأهداف المرجوة منها؛ اُستُخدِمت أداتان لجمع البيانات: أولاهما الاستبيان، وقد طبق على (412) معلم ومعلمة، وثانيهما المقابلات البؤرية، وطُبقت على عينة مكونة من (12) مديرًا ومديرة، و(12) معلمًا ومعلمة من مدارس الحلقة الثانية للتعليم الأساسي في محافظتي جنوب الباطنة والداخلية بسلطنة عمان. كشفت نتائج الدراسة عن وجود ممارسات بدرجة متوسطة في تطبيق الحياد الكربوني في البيئة المدرسية من وجهة نظر المديرين والمعلمين، كما كشفت عن وجود بعض التحديات بدرجة كبيرة، مثل: قلة الدعم المالي، والوسائل التعليمية المتاحة، كما أظهرت النتائج عدم وجود فروق دالة إحصائية في وجهات نظر المعلمين تعزى للجنس والتخصص والمحافظة التعليمية.  وفي ضوء النتائج السابقة، أوصت الدراسة بتعزيز الوعي بأهمية الحياد الكربوني لجميع العاملين في البيئة المدرسية، وتدريب المعلمين على استراتيجيات تدريس تتناسب والممارسة العملية لتطبيق الحياد الكربوني في التعليم المدرسي.Abstract: The study aimed to explore the practices of implementing carbon-neutral practices and its challenges in the school environment in the Sultanate of Oman from the viewpoint of principals and teachers. The study adopted the mixed method approach, using two data collection tools to achieve its objectives. The first tool was a questionnaire applied to (412) male and female teachers, besides focus group interviews with a sample consisting of (12) male and female principals and (12) male and female teachers, from cycle II basic education schools in the governorates of Al Batinah South and Al Dakhiliyah. The results showed that carbon neutrality practices are moderately practiced in school education from the point of view of principals and teachers. The results also revealed that there are some major challenges, such as the lack of financial support and available educational means. Additionally, the results showed that there are no statistically significant differences in teachers’ viewpoints based on gender, specialization, and educational governorates. Considering this, the study recommended promoting awareness of the importance of carbon neutrality among all workers in the school environment and training teachers on appropriate teaching strategies for the practice of carbon neutrality in school education

Basic Education Students’ Perceptions on Sustainable Healthy Lifestyles and Disease Prevention Methods in Light of Some Variables in the Sultanate of Oman

هدفت الدراسة تعرف تصورات طلبة التعليم الأساسي بسلطنة عُمان عن الأنماط الصحية المستدامة وطرائق الوقاية من الأمراض في ضوء بعض المتغيرات. استخدمت الدراسة المنهج الوصفي. ولتحقيق هدف الدراسة؛ طُبِّقَتْ أداة الاستبانة، التي تكوَّنت من (36) عبارة، موزَّعة على محورين؛ هُمَا: الأنماط الصحية، والوقاية من الأمراض. وحُسِبَ ثبات الأداة؛ باستخدام طريقتَيْ: ثبات الاتساق الداخلي؛ حيث بلغ معامل كرونباخ ألفا (0.808)، وثبات التجزئة النصفية، وبلغ (0.753). وقد طُبِّقَتِ الدراسة على عَيِّنَة مكوَّنة من (3570)؛ من طلبة الصفين التاسع، والعاشر الأساسيَّيْنِ. وخَلُصَتْ نتائج الدراسة إلى وجود تصورات إيجابية لدى طلبة التعليم الأساسي عن محور الأنماط الصحية المستدامة، حيث حصل نمط النظافة الشخصية على أعلى نمط صحي، يليه نمطي النشاط الرياضي، والتغذية، ثم يأتي نمط النوم باعتباره أقل نمط صحي، وتظهر النتائج أيضًا وجود تصورات إيجابية في محور طرائق الوقاية من الأمراض، كما كشفت الدراسة عن عدم وجود فروق دالة إحصائيًّا في متغيِّرات: النَّوْع الاجتماعي، والمحافظة التعليمية في محوري: الأنماط الصحية، وطرائق الوقاية من الأمراض، وعليه أَوْصَتْ الدراسة بتعزيز وَعْي طلبة التعليم الأساسي بأهمية ممارسة الأنماط الصحية المستدامة

A Survey of Biology Alternative Conceptions among General Education Students in the Sultanate of Oman

This study aimed at investigating Omani general education alternative conceptions in some biological concepts. To achieve this aim, a two-tier MCQs biology test, consisting of 40 items, was constructed. The test was verified by a panel of experts in science teaching to check its validity, whereas the reliability was calculated using Cronbach alpha for internal consistency. Alpha value was 0.85. The test was administered to 1013 students, randomly selected from four educational governorates in the Sultanate of Oman in the 2010/2011 school year. The results of the study showed that Omani general education students held several alternative conceptions in all four domains of the biology: systems and life processes, reproduction and heredity, cell and its functions and diversity and adaptation. Accordingly, the study proposed several recommendations based on the results

KIAA1109 Variants Are Associated with a Severe Disorder of Brain Development and Arthrogryposis.

Whole-exome and targeted sequencing of 13 individuals from 10 unrelated families with overlapping clinical manifestations identified loss-of-function and missense variants in KIAA1109 allowing delineation of an autosomal-recessive multi-system syndrome, which we suggest to name Alkuraya-Kučinskas syndrome (MIM 617822). Shared phenotypic features representing the cardinal characteristics of this syndrome combine brain atrophy with clubfoot and arthrogryposis. Affected individuals present with cerebral parenchymal underdevelopment, ranging from major cerebral parenchymal thinning with lissencephalic aspect to moderate parenchymal rarefaction, severe to mild ventriculomegaly, cerebellar hypoplasia with brainstem dysgenesis, and cardiac and ophthalmologic anomalies, such as microphthalmia and cataract. Severe loss-of-function cases were incompatible with life, whereas those individuals with milder missense variants presented with severe global developmental delay, syndactyly of 2nd and 3rd toes, and severe muscle hypotonia resulting in incapacity to stand without support. Consistent with a causative role for KIAA1109 loss-of-function/hypomorphic variants in this syndrome, knockdowns of the zebrafish orthologous gene resulted in embryos with hydrocephaly and abnormally curved notochords and overall body shape, whereas published knockouts of the fruit fly and mouse orthologous genes resulted in lethality or severe neurological defects reminiscent of the probands' features.This article is freely available via Open Access. Click on the Additional Link above to access the full-text via the publisher's site

The influence of environmental education on Omani students self-reported environmental attitudes and behaviours

The objective of this research is to consider the self-reported environmental attitudes and behaviours of Omani students and identify the factors that determine them. This research aims to explore the current environmental education curriculum in Oman. Specifically, this research is designed to identify school-related factors that might influence Omani students’ self-reported environmental attitudes and behaviours. An explanatory sequential mixed method research design is adopted to gather information from primary and secondary sources. A questionnaire of 53 items was designed and tested on 212 students from four secondary schools in Oman, and then 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted with students, teachers and heads from the same four secondary schools. The data generated from the questionnaires were analysed using two methods: descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. The data generated from the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The major findings of this research indicate that the environmental curriculum appears to be a moderate contributor to environmental attitudes and behaviours, whereas environmental knowledge appears to be a positive contributor to environmental attitudes and behaviours. Overall, this study suggests that including environmental education in schools improves students’ environmental attitudes and behaviours.</p

Omani twelfth grade students' most common misconceptions in chemistry

The current study, undertaken in the Sultanate of Oman, explored twelfth grade students' common misconceptions in seven chemistry conceptual areas. The sample included 786 twelfth grade students in Oman while the instrument was a two-tier test called Chemistry Misconceptions Diagnostic Test (CMDT), consisting of 25 items with 12 items incorporating visual representations and eight items used sub-microscopic representations. In addition, nine items required participants to study the visual diagram(s) in order to answer the questions. The results confirmed several misconceptions that had been identified in previous studies, as higher percentages of the misconceptions were recorded compared to the findings of previous studies. Misconceptions receiving the highest percentages were associated with combustion, chemical equilibrium, and electrochemistry. The results also indicated that twelfth graders had a difficulty dealing with visual test items. These findings are serious alerts to the practice of chemistry education at the secondary level in Oman. Recommendations are given to improve the teaching of chemistry by taking research-diagnosed misconceptions into account when designing instructional materials and classroom activities