Nastava iz prirodoslovnog područja za slijepu djecu i djecu s oštećenjima vida

Nowadays, science education is based predominantly on the principle of constructivism, according to which children should be active participants in the learning process and construct their knowledge based on experience. For blind or visually impaired children, science education methods and educational tools must be adapted according to their perceptual needs, in order for these children to be active participants in the learning process. The aim of the current paper is to describe the latest view on active and inquiry-based learning in science education for blind or visually impaired children while simultaneously minimizing misconceptions. Further, the paper compiles the recent research that enables prosperous and high-quality adaptive educational approaches and tools. Thus, the content of this paper will be useful for both science teachers and researchers of inclusive classrooms.Nastava iz prirodoslovnog područja danas se najčešće temelji na principima konstruktivizma prema kojima djeca trebaju biti aktivni sudionici procesa učenja i izgrađivati svoje znanje na temelju iskustva. Metode i sredstva korištena u nastavi prirodoslovnog područja moraju biti prilagođeni perceptivnim potrebama slijepe djece i djece s oštećenjima vida kako bi im se omogućilo aktivno sudjelovanje u procesu učenja. Cilj ovoga rada je opisati posljednje spoznaje o aktivnom i istraživačkom učenju slijepe djece i djece s oštećenjima vida u nastavi prirodoslovnog područja te otkloniti postojeće zablude. Nadalje, rad predstavlja recentna istraživanja koja ukazuju na prilagođene uspješne i visokokvalitetne odgojno-obrazovne pristupe i metode. S obzirom na navedeno, sadržaj rada bit će od koristi nastavnicima iz prirodoslovnog područja, kao i istraživačima inkluzivnih učionica

The effect of outdoor lessons in natural sciences on students’ knowledge, through tablets and experiential learning

© 2020, Scientia Socialis Ltd. All rights reserved. Experiential learning was intro-duced to support a child’s concept development towards evolution scientific literacy. This study examined the effect of an experiential learning model (The Mobile Natural Science Learning-MNSL) on the knowledge of 4th grade primary school students in Slovenia, during natural science school lessons at the seashore through the use of tab-lets. Mobile technology provides authentic learning, assisting outdoor lessons provid-ing material and environmental context in learning, which support the experience of a learner. In the experimental group (N = 95), outdoor learning in the seashore included Kolb’s experiential learning cycle with the integration of tablets. In the control group (N=97), the teachers used concrete experience for exploring the seashore, excluding the Kolb’s cycle. The data were collected by using two science knowledge pre and post – tests. The test items were classified into three TIMSS’ cognitive domains: 1) factual knowledge, 2) conceptual understanding, and 3) reasoning and analysis. Differences between groups were analysed through Mann-Whitney U-test and showed that the experimental group had better learning outcomes than the control group. Findings indicate that the MNSL-model had a positive effect on students’ achievement in science, more precisely in knowledge on marine organisms and life at the seashore

Antioxidant Effects of Xanthohumol and Functional Impact on Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Therapeutic effects of dietary flavonoids have been attributed mainly to their antioxidant capacity. Xanthohumol (1), a prominent flavonoid of the hop plant, Humulus lupulus, was investigated for its antioxidant potential and for its effect on NF-kB activation. To examine the biol. relevance of 1, a hepatic ischemia/reperfusion model was chosen as a widely accepted model of oxidative stress generation. The impact of 1 on endogenous antioxidant systems, on the NF-kB signal transduction pathway as well as on apoptotic parameters, and on hepatic tissue damage was evaluated. Compd. 1 markedly decreased the level of reactive oxygen species in vitro. Furthermore, levels of enzymic and nonenzymic antioxidants were restored after pretreatment in postischemic hepatic tissue, and lipid peroxidn. was attenuated. NF-kB activity was reduced in vitro as well as in hepatic tissue after ischemia/reperfusion upon pretreatment with 1. In addn., the phosphorylation of Akt was markedly inhibited. Surprisingly, 1 decreased the expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-X and increased caspase-3 like-activity, a proapoptotic parameter. Moreover, hepatic tissue damage as well as TNF-alpha levels increased in xanthohumol-pretreated liver tissue after ischemia/reperfusion. In summary, xanthohumol did not protect against ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat liver, despite its antioxidant and NF-kB inhibitory properties