Science Student Teachers’ Ideas About Biological Diversity

The significance of the biodiversity in biology and environmental education has gradually increased in the last years. The main reason is the increasing of the effect of the human activities on the biodiversity and global environmental issues. The aim of this study is to analyze the ideas of the science student teachers on the biological diversity. The data was collected by means of free word association test from 143 science student teachers who are studying in an Education Faculty of a state university during the fall semester. The free association test revealed the conceptual frameworks of the participants regarding the biological diversity. The results indicated the lack of the awareness of the science student teachers regarding the thorough meaning of this concept despite their good knowledge of importance of the biological diversity. The results were discussed with the relevant literature and suggestions were developed. Keywords: biological diversity, science student teachers, free word association test

Why do Education Vouchers Fail?

We examine quantitatively why uniform vouchers have repeatedly su¤ered electoral defeats against the current system where public and private schools coexist. We argue that the topping-up option available under uniform vouchers is not sufficiently valuable for the poorer households to prefer the uniform vouchers to the current mix of public and private education. We then develop a model of publicly funded means-tested edu- cation vouchers where the voucher received by each household is a linearly decreasing function of income. Public policy, which is determined by majority voting, consists of two dimensions: the overall funding level (or the tax rate) and the slope of the means testing function. We solve the model when the political decisions are sequential ?households vote ?rst on the tax rate and then on the extent of means testing. We establish that a majority voting equilibrium exists. We show that the means-tested voucher regime is majority preferred to the status-quo. These results are robust to alternative preference parameters, income distribution parameters and voter turnout.

Education Choice, Endogenous Growth and Income Distribution

This paper studies the dynamic evolution of an economy in which parents can choose to send their child to a public or private school and vote over taxes used to fund public schools. The objective is to study growth and the evolution of income distribution in a model where alternative education systems coexist. In the model studied, the endogenous distribution of income is bimodal and connot be fully analytically characterized. Equilibrium is characterized and the dynamics studied analytically. Simulations of the model calibrated to US data are used to complement this analysis. A bimodal income distribution based on education emerges. Public education student converge to a low income equilibrium while private education students experience endogenous growth and have higher incomes. However, public education students also experience long run growth through a spillover from the growth experienced by private education students. the model identifies possible problems with the existence of a private alternative to public education, such as the emergence of an eduction based class structure. However, such an institutional setting can raise incomes and growth relative to a compulsory public education system while still reducing income inequality.Education Expenditures and Choice, Voting Equilibria, Endogenous Growth, Income Distribution.

High School Students’ Ideas About Endangered Animals

Students’ ideas about endangered animals are of great importance both in biology and environmental education. The main reason of this is increasing human effect on biodiversity and natural environment. Respecting nature, enhancing life quality and protecting biodiversity on the earth are among the principles of a sustainable society. The purpose of this study is to reveal high school students’ ideas about endangered animals. In line with this purpose, 404 high school students were given a measurement tool consisting of open ended questions. Data collected were evaluated according to the content analysis method. According to the students’ ideas the endangered animals were mainly mammalians. The students offered rather local than global examples on the endangered animals. The students associated the main reason of endangerment of the animals to the environmental issues, specifically to the environmental pollution. It was revealed that the knowledge resources of the students on the endangered animals were mainly the visual-audio media. The results were discussed with literature and suggestions were developed. Keywords: student ideas, endangered animals, biodiversity education.

Why do education vouchers fail at the ballot box?

We compare a uniform voucher regime against the status quo mix of public and private education, focusing on the distribution of welfare gains and losses across house- holds by income. We argue that the topping-up option available under uniform vouchers is not sufficiently valuable for the poorer households, so the voucher regime is defeated at the polls. Our result depends critically on the opting-out feature in the current system.Education ; Households

Why do education vouchers fail at the ballot box?

We compare a uniform voucher regime against the status quo mix of public and private education, focusing on the distribtuion of welfare gains and losses across households by income. We argue that the topping-up option available under uniform vouchers is not su¢ ciently valuable for the poorer households, so the voucher regime is defeated at the polls. Our result depends critically on the opting-out feature in the current system.vouchers, political economy, opting out, education finance

High School Students’ Images of “Biology Teacher”

Images of the individuals about any matter are one of the most important factors influencing learning. In this regard, images have become of the mainly discussed matters in education. Teacher is one of the most important factors of education. Since teacher is a natural role model for students, students’ “teacher” images influence their academic achievements, personality development, perspectives about science and nature. In this respect, it is highly important to reveal how biology teachers are perceived by the students. The purpose of this study is to reveal the images developed by high school teachers about biology teacher by means of the Draw a Biology Teacher Test. In line with this purpose, 254 high school students in Konya province were applied the “Draw a biology teacher” scale as a single question in the academic year 2016-2017. As a result of the analyses of the drawings, it was revealed that the biology teacher image of the students was rather a “biology teacher making site research in nature”, a “biology teacher doing experiments in the laboratory”, a “biology teacher using technology in the classroom”. Additionally, the biology teachers had a camera, telescope and microscope in the student drawings. The results showed that there was a change in the students’ traditional-stereotype biology teacher images. Keywords: Biology teacher images

An Evaluation of the Computer Technology and Programming Curriculum in the Vocational Higher Education System in Turkey

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the “Computer Technology and Programming” curriculum offered at vocational colleges with a focus on the goals of the curriculum and student thoughts. Document analysis and semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather the data. Results revealed that there were mainly four problematic issues related to the “Computer Technology and Programming” curriculum. These were: poor quality of education, inadequacy of industry-based education, limited areas of specialization, and poor environment and inadequate opportunities. Results were discussed extensively and recommendations were offered regarding the structural problems of vocational colleges and the “Computer Technology and Programming” curriculum

Student Science Teachers’ Ideas of the Digestive System

The aim of this research is to reveal the levels of understanding of student science teachers regarding the digestive system. In this research, 116 student science teachers were tested by applying the drawing method. Upon the analysis of the drawings they made, it was found that some of them had misconceptions such as ‘the organs of the digestive system have no relationships with each other’ and ‘it is an open-ended structure by which oral nutrients arrive at the stomach’. Additionally, it was concluded that some of them had insufficient knowledge. The importance of the findings was analysed in detail in the light of literature information. Suggestions for how to  eliminate these problems were provided