14 research outputs found
THE EVALUATION OF A TOOL FOR DISSEMINATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY CONCEPTS IN FORMAL EDUCATION
Since 2003, the CBME Scientific Dissemination Coordination hasdeveloped a project related to the production and distribution of a scientificdissemination newspaper, called CBME InFORMAÇÃO, directed to high-schoolstudents and teachers. It is a quarterly publication and shows the concepts andadvances of studies in molecular biology and biotechnology. In order to evaluatethe newspaper, a research was accomplished in 2005. It involved 177 studentsfrom six high schools of São Carlos and region. In addition, opinions of fivescience teachers that worked with the newspaper in their classrooms, as well aseight Biology undergraduates were collected. The teachers received somequestionnaires that had to be answered by them and their students after a specifyactivity with the periodical – basically, the activities consisted of three stages:individual reading of the newspaper; formulation of questions by the teacher and,finally, group discussion on the chosen theme. The research confirmed theimportance of the use of the periodical as a tool in the formation of critical readersof facts related to the biotechnology and molecular biology, what should contributewith the citizenship development in the students. Moreover, it provided a possibilityto reorganize the periodical
THE USE OF EDUCATIONAL MODELS OF DNA IN CLASSROOM BY TEACHERS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The importance of the teaching of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology is evidenced by the progress of those areas and it generates a demand in the updating of science and biology teachers. In that sense, a project was proposed inside of the Public Education Program of FAPESP, in partnership with CBME.The goal was evaluate, among other educational tools, the contribution of the plastic models "Building the molecules of the life: DNA and RNA" in the teaching and learning of these concepts. Nine science teachers of public elementary schools had an updating course after which they elaborated a diagnosis questionnaire in order to subsidize the application of the activities in the classroom. The activities were planned seeking contextualize the subject in classroom, taking into account the difficulties detected in the diagnosis questionnaire. A sheet of notes was elaborated, where the teachers could record their observations and thoughts after the application of the activities, as well as their possibilities and the students' difficulties. These registers indicated that the teachers were satisfied with the use of the material, which made possible a deepened study on the content and a greater interest and participation of the students. It also allowed a reflection on their practice, glimpsing new ways to teach
Conceptions of elementary and high school teachers on biotechnology
The progress in the areas of molecular biology and biotechnology has been demonstrating the importance of the teaching-learning of those subjects to students and teachers of the elementary and high school as well as to the society in general.In this sense, the Scientific Dissemination Coordination of CBME has as objective contributes for the dissemination and learning of techniques and basic concepts in that area of the knowledge, in order to awake in the public the scientific interest and the critical sense related to these advances. With the goal to offer elements for the elaboration of activities addressed to science teachers of elementary and high school, a survey of their conceptions on science and biotechnology was made. A questionnaire was applied to 30 teachers that participated in updating courses and training, being that 13 teachers belonged to the region of São Carlos city (SP), 8 belonged to the region of Campinas city (SP) and 9 belonged to Fortaleza city (CE). The questionnaire was applied to the teachers in the beginning of the courses and it was composed of different types of questions, which allowed capturing their personal reflections about science, their knowledge on basic concepts of cell and molecular biology, and their opinions about the applications of the biotechnology. In the analysis of the question What you think about using the modern biotechnology in the production of foods to increase its protein content, in order to turn it larger or to change its taste?, 57% of the teachers agreed partially that this application is useful for the society, 52% agreed totally that the application is morally acceptable while 70% totally disagree as for the encouragement of this application.Some conflicts presented in the registered answers reflect, in certain way, the conflict shown by the academic and scientific communities, as for the ethical aspects of some applications such as transgenic foods, genetic manipulation in animals and the possibility of human cloning
Set of Activities Addressed for Elementary School Students: Cells and the Genetic Material
The time lag between the progresses in the area of molecular biology reached in the last years and the schools science curricula can be reduced through initiatives of the university regarding the dissemina- tion of sciences. Inside of this context, one of the major objectives of the CBME has been the scientific education and dissemination on Molecular Biosciences. Among the strategies organized to promote the dissemination of this area, the Scientific Dissemination Coordination of CBME developed a set of playful activities for students from public and private elementary schools (7th and 8th grades). As a first step science teachers were interviewed in order to indicate which topics related to molecular bio- sciences they usually include in their curricula planning. The approach considered in the elaboration of the set of activities was the construction of knowledge of the concepts related to topics as cell types, their structures and organelles, and the importance of the nucleus and DNA. The set was offered to170 students. Students from private schools were evaluated by their performance through the classes, which were registered by the notes of the instructors. Students from public schools were evaluated through questionnaires containing basic concepts on the theme applied before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the set of activities in order to measure, respectively, the previous and acquired knowledge. The programming accomplished at the public school was partially modified due to the absence of a laboratory, microscopes and a room of computers, without, however, to alter the objectives and content of the activities. The comparative analysis of the pre- and post-tests revealed that, in this latter, there was an increase of the average percentage of correct answers and an improvement on the elaboration of the answers. These results assure the efficiency of the program and the methodology used. The students considered the organization, contents and methodology employed in the course as being satisfactory. Support by CNPq and FAPES
Differential Cross Sections for Neutron Elastic and Inelastic Scattering on 23
Measurements of neutron elastic and inelastic scattering from 23Na have been performed for sixteen incident neutron energies above 1.5 MeV with the 7-MV University of Kentucky Accelerator using the 3H(p,n) reaction as the neutron source. These measurements were complemented by γ-ray excitation functions using the (n,n'γ) reaction. The time-of-flight technique is employed for background reduction in both neutron and γ- ray measurements and for determining the energy of the scattered neutrons. Cross section determinations support fuel cycle and structural materials research and development. Previous reaction model evaluations [1] relied primarily on total cross sections and four (n,n0) and (n,n1) angular distributions in the En = 5 to 9 MeV range. The inclusion of more inelastic channels at lower neutron energies provides additional information on direct couplings between elastic and inelastic scattering as a function of angular momentum transfer. Reaction model calculations examining direct collective and statistical properties were performed