Report on a Boston University Conference December 7-8, 2012 on 'How Can the History and Philosophy of Science Contribute to Contemporary U.S. Science Teaching?'

This is an editorial report on the outcomes of an international conference sponsored by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) (REESE-1205273) to the School of Education at Boston University and the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University for a conference titled: How Can the History and Philosophy of Science Contribute to Contemporary U.S. Science Teaching? The presentations of the conference speakers and the reports of the working groups are reviewed. Multiple themes emerged for K-16 education from the perspective of the history and philosophy of science. Key ones were that: students need to understand that central to science is argumentation, criticism, and analysis; students should be educated to appreciate science as part of our culture; students should be educated to be science literate; what is meant by the nature of science as discussed in much of the science education literature must be broadened to accommodate a science literacy that includes preparation for socioscientific issues; teaching for science literacy requires the development of new assessment tools; and, it is difficult to change what science teachers do in their classrooms. The principal conclusions drawn by the editors are that: to prepare students to be citizens in a participatory democracy, science education must be embedded in a liberal arts education; science teachers alone cannot be expected to prepare students to be scientifically literate; and, to educate students for scientific literacy will require a new curriculum that is coordinated across the humanities, history/social studies, and science classrooms.Comment: Conference funded by NSF grant REESE-1205273. 31 page

Polynomial algorithms for p-dispersion problems in a 2d Pareto Front

Having many best compromise solutions for bi-objective optimization problems, this paper studies p-dispersion problems to select $p\geqslant 2$ representative points in the Pareto Front(PF). Four standard variants of p-dispersion are considered. A novel variant, denoted Max-Sum-Neighbor p-dispersion, is introduced for the specific case of a 2d PF. Firstly, it is proven that $2$-dispersion and $3$-dispersion problems are solvable in $O(n)$ time in a 2d PF. Secondly, dynamic programming algorithms are designed for three p-dispersion variants, proving polynomial complexities in a 2d PF. The Max-Min p-dispersion problem is proven solvable in $O(pn\log n)$ time and $O(n)$ memory space. The Max-Sum-Min p-dispersion problem is proven solvable in $O(pn^3)$ time and $O(pn^2)$ space. The Max-Sum-Neighbor p-dispersion problem is proven solvable in $O(pn^2)$ time and $O(pn)$ space. Complexity results and parallelization issues are discussed in regards to practical implementation

A Qualitative Exploration of Early Educator Retention and Within-Year Turnover

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs are experiencing high turnover, resulting in lower teacher retention rates. High turnover hinders program quality, creates financial strain, and adversely affects program sustainability. Despite efforts to increase educator retention, a rural midwestern ECEC program’s administrative team continues to experience declining retention and high within-year turnover. This study aims to explore early educators’ perceptions of the organizational factors that contribute to teacher retention and within-year turnover in the selected ECEC site. The research study explores organizational factors using Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation. The qualitative data collected from current and previous early educators employed at the midwestern ECEC center indicated a gap in practice that influenced educator retention and within-year turnover. Inconsistent onboarding practices create challenges that impact the collective efficacy of the program and influence educator retention and turnover. A professional development curriculum designed to facilitate comprehensive, data-driven onboarding was created to address the gap. ECEC centers play an essential role in local communities. Understanding organizational factors can contribute to teacher retention and generate positive social change in the lives of children, their families, and their local community