L'impact de l'enseignement de la biologie sur la construction de la distinction entre normal et pathologique chez les eleves du secondaire Marocain

Study of the distinction between the notions of the normal and the pathological among Moroccan high school students and their teachers of biology found that students confused the registers of the normal/abnormal with the healthy/pathological, a fact that is at odds with current teaching in biology. It also found a possible link to the values held by Moroccan society, which the biology teachers may have unintentionally passed on to students. = Les représentations de la distinction entre normal et pathologique ont été étudiées chez des élèves de l’enseignement fondamental (6ème et 9ème année), de l’enseignement secondaire (3ème année) et chez des enseignants de biologie au moyen d’un questionnaire, suivi par une analyse comparative entre ces 3 niveaux. Les représentations des enseignants ont également été analysées afin de mettre en évidence d’éventuelles corrélations avec celles des élèves. Cette analyse a permis de relever des similitudes et des différences dans ces représentations entre les élèves des différents niveaux et entre les élèves et les enseignants. Les représentations des élèves révèlent des confusions entre le registre ‘normal/ anormal’ et le registre ‘sain/pathologique’ et ne paraissent pas directement en rapport avec les conceptions actuelles des spécialistes de la biologie. En revanche, il semble exister un lien entre des valeurs propres à la société marocaine et les représentations des élèves que les enseignants de biologie pourraient contribuer à entretenir à leur insu. Enfin, une proposition prenant en compte les résultats de cette étude dans la formation des enseignants est suggérée.peer-reviewe

OPINIONS DES JEUNES MAROCAINS RELATIVES AU TABAGISME

Smoking is a major public health problem. Indeed, the tobacco’s impact on health and the environment is well established both in active smokers than among passive smokers. Morocco is considered as one of the biggest tobacco users in the Mediterranean and young children are the main victims of the tobacco trade. The smoking prevalence rate in Morocco is high among young people. Faced with this situation and therapeutic difficulties, prevention remains the best way to educate young people. We ask the following questions: - What are the causes that lead young people to give to smoking? - Do they know that passive smoking? - Are they aware of the anti smoking law? - In their opinion, what is the most efficient way to fight against this scourge? The tool of investigation and collection of information used is a questionnaire to young people (pupils and students) smokers and nonsmokers whose age varies between 13 and 25 years. The questionnaire was validated and tested well before administration. The results we collect might as well argue that young smokers are given to tobacco under the influence of a peer who push them to try cigarettes or other drugs. Family problems and social pressure were also the source of their smoking behavior and that contributed to the aggravation of tobacco use and the resurgence of the scourge. Similarly non smokers youth think also the same causes of smokers addictive behavior. These young people questioned whether smokers or non-smokers seem to ignore what is passive smoking. They are not aware of the anti-tobacco law that bans smoking in public places as well as its sales to minors and the legal provisions on sanctions. The respondents believe that the most effective way to reduce smoking especially among young people is education. Preventive education addictive behavior in the family, at school and on the streets to develop life skills for young people to make informed and responsible choices for themselves as screw towards others and the environment

DIDACTIC IMPLICATIONS OF USING HISTORICALAPPROACH IN TEACHING THE CONCEPT OF GENE

In this study, we present the results of the application of a historical approach in teaching the concept of gene. However, this is one of the most problematic concepts of genetics in both secondary and university levels. The approach consists of identifying and bringing out the conceptions of preservice teachers of biology. It aims in confronting the various historical models of the concept of "gene" built since its invention by Wilhelm Johansen in 1909 until the advent of molecular biology. These pre-service teachers act as scientists by carrying out a critical analysis of each of the six models listed in the literature. Also, they discussed its internal and external consistency as well as its limits. They suggest an alternative model which will be in turn analyzed and modified to reach the current model. Pre-service teachers are well aware of the cognitive processes and historical construction of this concept. They have the opportunity to review their spontaneous conceptions that hinder the construction of knowledge, in the consideration of historical scientific models. A test was administered to pre-service teachers before and after the activity. It consisted of a questionnaire about the concept of gene, its functions, and its related concepts. The same test was administered to a control group of pre-service teachers who received a classical instruction on the same subject. Therefore, this approach is more effective than the classical method because it allows an evolution of the conceptions of pre-service teachers

POINTS DE VUE ET PERCEPTIONS D’ADOLESCENTS MAROCAINS SUR L’ALIMENTATION ET L’OBESITE

This research aims to identify the representations of pupils about diet and obesity in the outlook for of health education. We have tried to understand the dietary practices through their representations on feeding. Interpretation and discussion of the data could lead to the idea that the viewpoints and perceptions might be connected with social representations. In order to collect data to answer to our problem namely, "what are the perceptions of diet and obesity, how to analyze and to describe them ? " we selected a sample of pupils from private secondary education and another among public school students and we used the questionnaire as a data collection tool. In the practice, paradoxically, young people do not necessarily act in relation to the definitions they give of eating well. The definitions encountered a healthy diet come from common norms in our society. Pupils perceive the food implication in the development certain disease (obesity, diabetes). They consider themselves well informed about the dangers of obesity and consequences of overweight. The results of our research showed that teens surveyed do not seem to be disparaging glances towards obese children

How MOOCs Are Perceived by Moroccan Students and Teachers?

The Moroccan university is increasingly experiencing a strong growth in the numbers of students. This process of massification alters the quality of learning, especially in open-access institutions where human resources and the capacity to host are increasingly limited. To improve the quality of learning, which first involves improving the quality of teaching within the University, Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech (UCAM) launched a platform of MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) in 2013. In this article, we question the opening of the Moroccan university on this technology. Our study is anchored in the context of the Cadi Ayyad University of Marrakech. We are particularly interested in the following question: what are the perceptions of students and teachers about this device? Do they feel that using MOOCs “changes something”? Our methodological approach describes all the stages of data collection and processing including the content analysis model. We distributed a questionnaire to a group of students and conducted semi-structured interviews with teachers. The questionnaires collected and the interviews made it possible for answers to be provided to the questions asked. The most salient results show that the students as well as the teachers who participated in our study appreciate the use of MOOCs as a support to the face-to-face class. However, this technology has disadvantages including lack of exchanges with teachers and between students. Ongoing product improvements were called for, including the design in association with MOOC of student activities, assessments and discussion forums, and on the other hand, recording the videos in the presence of the student

L’inclusion De L’éducation À La Santé En Éducation Physique Et Sportive: Représentations Et Contributions Des Enseignants

Physical and Athletic Education (PAE) provide students with knowledge and skills and contributes to their Health Education (HE). Its effects are to be invested outside the school in daily or professional activities and in the practice of physical activities. Health Education is part of a variety of health intervention strategies such as disease prevention and health promotion. In schools, it is presented in several forms and is articulated with several school disciplines. This research focuses on the inclusion of Health Education in Physical and Athletic Education in schools, particularly in secondary schools. It focuses on studying the representations that the teachers of the Physical and Athletic Education in this cycle convey about Health Education and Physical and Athletic Education. It aims to: (1) identify and describe those representations; (2) identify the objectives of the Physical and Athletic Education according to those teachers, and (3) identify the pedagogical approaches that these teachers use to teach Physical and Athletic Education in relation to Health Education. In order to carry out our qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research, we carried out semidirected interviews with ten (10) PAE teachers. Among our salient results is that there is a diversity of representations of teachers in HE education and PAE. On the other hand, majority of these teachers stated the need to mobilize the PAE to contribute to pupil’s HE. The results also show that their pedagogical practices are out of step with the prospect of the inclusion of HE in the field of PAE

Education à la sexualité : représentations sociales et conceptions d'enseignants et futurs enseignants, incidences sur les pratiques et la formation ?

International audienceThis paper presents the results of a questionnaire about teachers' and pre-teachers' representations coming from 17 countries (Europe, Africa, Middle-East) include in the European FP6 Biohead-Citizen research project which aims to understand how health and sex education can contribute to improving citizenship. School Sex Education is nowadays an important public health issue as it concerns not only youth AIDS prevention (and other sexually transmitted infections) and adolescent pregnancy prevention but also interpersonal relationships and psychosocial issues. Therefore school appears the best place to improve sex education and contributes to promote better citizenship. Questionnaire analyses the social representations and practices of teachers in several countries, focusing on their differences and associating them to controlled parameters (e.g. social context, religion, gender). In this communication we analyze data concerning teachers' and future teachers' conceptions on the topic of sex education derived from a questionnaire that was constructed and tested during the first year of the project. The questionnaire was completed by 5189 teachers and future teachers. We used statistical multivariate analyses, a method that has become standard for investigating complex data derived from many individuals that needs to be analyzed according to many variables (here we have used the responses to the questions as variables). The results show that the factors that correlate most closely with the teachers' and future teachers' conceptions are religion, the level of belief in God and the level of religious practices. It was also found that the level of teaching (primary versus secondary school) is also correlated with different conceptions on sex education. Detailed results will be presented and discussed.Cette communication présente les résultats de questionnaires recueillis auprès d'enseignants et futurs enseignants de 17 pays (Europe, Afrique et moyen-orient) dans le cadre du projet Biohead Citizen. Il s'agit d'identifier les différences de conception des enseignants sur l'éducation à la sexualité et de mettre en exergue les facteurs les influençant. L'éducation à la sexualité fait partie des missions confiées aux institutions scolaires. Elle concerne non seulement la santé publique à travers la prévention des infections sexuellement transmissibles, la prévention des grossesses précoces mais également la question de l'égalité de genre, des violences sexuelles, des rapports interpersonnels, du développement psychoaffectif et a des implications sociales conséquentes. L'école apparaît comme le lieu privilégié d'accès aux informations et aux connaissances scientifiques qui permettent de connaître et de comprendre les différentes dimensions de la sexualité. L'éducation à la sexualité vise aussi à susciter la réflexion des élèves et à les aider à développer des attitudes de responsabilité individuelle, familiale et sociale en partant de leurs conceptions et de leurs connaissances. Elle s'inscrit dans la construction du sujet, de l'élève et du citoyen et contribue à favoriser une meilleure citoyenneté. Le questionnaire a été renseigné par 5189 enseignants et futurs enseignants. Nous avons procédé par analyses en composantes principales qui ont montré l'importance des variables personnelles (genre, niveau de formation, niveau d'enseignement, discipline et statut) et l'incidence des variables sociales (pays, religion, niveau de croyance et de pratique religieuse) qui conduisent à des postions parfois très opposées sur l'enseignement et les contenus de l'éducation à la sexualité, sur l'égalité des sexes, sur les droits des personnes et sur la prévention. Certaines conceptions apparaissent comme des obstacles importants à la mise en place d'éducation à la sexualité et à la promotion de la santé. Les conceptions diffèrent significativement d'un pays à un autre mais également en fonction des convictions religieuses et du niveau de croyance des enseignants. Se pose alors la question des pratiques d'enseignement et de la formation des enseignants que nous discuterons

L'éducation à la santé : analyse comparative des manuels scolaires de biologie de 3 pays méditerranéens

International audienceCe travail présente une analyse comparative de manuels scolaires de trois pays méditerranéens (France, Liban et Maroc) en utilisant la même grille spécifique d'analyse. Nous travaillons principalement dans le domaine de la biologie et de la santé. Notre point de vue est résolument didactique, c'est à dire que nos analyses (et donc nos instruments) sont centrés sur des contenus et objectifs relatifs à un enseignement disciplinaire et à un thème précis au sein de cette discipline, celui de l'éducation à la santé et de la prévention. Quelle est la nature des images pour l'éducation à la santé ? Quel modèle d'éducation à la santé et de prévention est privilégié dans ces manuels? Quels sont les styles pédagogiques utilisés ? Telles sont les trois questions qui sont au centre des enjeux de la promotion et de l'éducation à la santé à l'école et auxquelles nos analyses essaient d'apporter une réponse

Sexual transmitted diseases and control of reproduction in biology textbooks: a comparative analysis in 15 countries

We present a comparative analysis in textbooks of different 15 countries on the topic “Human Reproduction and Sex Education” by using a specific grid of analysis. The focus is on two sub-topics associated to pupils’ development of responsible behaviour: the control of reproduction (e.g. choice of contraception) and the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). AIDS is presented in all textbooks analysed. Some countries, but not all, give also information about other STDs. We analysed condom images and how textbooks refer to the way of using it. Results show differences not only between countries but also between publishers of the same country.European project FP6 Biohead-Citizen CIT2-CT-2004-506015.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - LIBEC/CIFPEC - Unidade de investigação (16/644)

In search of a health education model: teachers’ conceptions in four Mediterranean countries

School programs are defined to promote the health of the pupils and to develop their competencies so that they can adopt behaviors favorable to their health. With the European project FP6 Biohead-Citizen (2004–2007), we analyzed the conceptions of teachers as regards health education, in France, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia, in reference to the biomedical model and the social health model. These four countries were selected because their school curricula represented different models of health education. Lebanon and Tunisia addressed health education with the biomedical model. In Morocco, the curriculum was also primarily based on the biomedical model and enclosed a few instructions issued from the social health model. In France, the health education curriculum declared an approach based on the health promotion model. Our study was based on multivariate statistical analyses of questionnaires filled out by 2537 in-service and pre-service teachers. Our analysis showed that the conceptions of the teachers concerning health education were not structured and related to a specific model. We also found that the dominating factors of influence on the choices expressed with regards to health education were, among different sociocultural variables, the religion, the home country, and, to a lesser extent, the level of training. Thus, the conceptions of the teachers were not integrated into comprehensive approaches but related to individual characteristics. Consequently health education implementation would require thorough training for pre-service and in-service teachers and should also explicitly take into account their conceptions and values.CIEC – FCT Research Unit 317.European project FP6 “BIOHEAD-CITIZEN” CIT2-CT-2004-506015CIE