SECONDARY TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF DISTANCE EDUCATION IN SCIENCE: FOCUS ON LEARNER-CENTERED, ACTION-ORIENTED, AND TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING

The shift from conventional, face-to-face classroom teaching to distance education is a complex process that brings various challenges. To better understand the impact of this transition, the researchers examined the perceptions of secondary science teachers (n = 42) and students (n = 137). Specifically, the study focused on evaluating learner-centered, action-oriented, and transformative learning – referred to as LCAOT learning – in science distance education. The researchers developed a 26-item, 4-point Likert scale questionnaire that was distributed online to the target respondents. Additionally, the researchers interviewed teachers and students and analyzed various documents, such as self-learning modules and learners’ activity sheets, to triangulate the survey data. The findings revealed that the principles of LCAOT learning were apparent in science distance education and exemplified through tools such as the Know, Want to Know, and Learned charts and personal journals. The study also revealed that teachers and students faced challenges during the transition to distance education, including inadequate equipment and poor internet connectivity. However, they responded to these challenges by using various means of communication, collaborating with peers, and exploring new roles and identities. The researchers recommend using the developed instrument and continuing to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching strategies employed in distance education in science, as well as further studies on the impact of LCAOT learning on students’ academic achievement

Students’ Perception to Online Distance Learning (ODL) and Socio-Emotional Skills During Covid-19 Pandemic

This study assessed the perception of online distance learning and the socio-emotional learning skills of grade 11 chemistry students in the Philippines during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Socio-emotional Skills Domains of Science Students Questionnaire (SSD-SSQ) is administered at the end of the school year. The study revealed high average socio-emotional skills in all the socioemotional learning domains (TaskPerformance, Emotion Regulation, Collaboration, Openness, Extraversion, and Compound Skills). Thematic Analysis is utilized in the research to determine the perceptions of the students. Responses of the students in their E-Portfolio were collected and analyzed. The study generated the following themes: opportunities to express, awareness and management of emotions, variation of activities, and interaction and support system. This study revealed the importance of socio-emotional learning in developing resiliency

Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning on Secondary Students’ Achievement in Science: A Meta-Analysis

Preparing students for the real challenges in life is one of the most important goals in education. Constructivism is an approach that uses real-life experiences to construct knowledge. Problem-Based Learning (PBL), for almost five decades now, has been the most innovative constructivist pedagogy used worldwide. However, with the rising popularity, there is a need to revisit empirical studies regarding PBL to serve as a guide and basis for designing new studies, making institutional policies, and evaluating educational curricula. This need has led the researchers to do a meta-analysis to analyse the effectiveness of PBL on secondary students’ achievement in different scientific disciplines. Following the set of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 11 studies in Eurasia, Africa, and America conducted from 2016 to 2020 have qualified for this study. Six of which focused on JHS (n = 1047) and five on SHS (n = 375). Studies were obtained from various meta-search engines including Google, ERIC, and JSTOR. Further, the researchers used Harzing’s Publish and Perish software to exhaust the search process. Sample size, mean, and standard deviation were analysed using the Comprehensive MetaAnalysis version 3 to determine the effect sizes (Hedge’s g) and the results of moderator analysis, forest plot, funnel plot, and Begg-Mazumdar test. Findings have shown that PBL, as an approach to teaching science, had a large and positive effect (ES = .871) on the achievement of secondary students. However, grade levels and various scientific disciplines did not influence students’ learning achievement. The conduct of more studies on the different factors affecting PBL implementation and specific effects of PBL on various student domains is recommended to facilitate comparative educational research in the future

Sources of sedimentary PAHs in tropical Asian waters: differentiation between pyrogenic and petrogenic sources by alkyl homolog abundance

We collected surface sediment samples from 174 locations in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines and analyzed them for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and hopanes. PAHs were widely distributed in the sediments, with comparatively higher concentrations in urban areas (∑PAHs: ∼1000 to ∼100 000 ng/g-dry) than in rural areas (∼10 to ∼100 g-dry), indicating large sources of PAHs in urban areas. To distinguish petrogenic and pyrogenic sources of PAHs, we calculated the ratios of alkyl PAHs to parent PAHs: methylphenanthrenes to phenanthrene (MP/P), methylpyrenes + methylfluoranthenes to pyrene + fluoranthene (MPy/Py), and methylchrysenes + methylbenz[a]anthracenes to chrysene + benz[a]anthracene (MC/C). Analysis of source materials (crude oil, automobile exhaust, and coal and wood combustion products) gave thresholds of MP/P = 0.4, MPy/Py = 0.5, and MC/C = 1.0 for exclusive combustion origin. All the combustion product samples had the ratios of alkyl PAHs to parent PAHs below these threshold values. Contributions of petrogenic and pyrogenic sources to the sedimentary PAHs were uneven among the homologs: the phenanthrene series had a greater petrogenic contribution, whereas the chrysene series had a greater pyrogenic contribution. All the Indian sediments showed a strong pyrogenic signature with MP/P ≈ 0.5, MPy/Py ≈ 0.1, and MC/C ≈ 0.2, together with depletion of hopanes indicating intensive inputs of combustion products of coal and/or wood, probably due to the heavy dependence on these fuels as sources of energy. In contrast, sedimentary PAHs from all other tropical Asian cities were abundant in alkylated PAHs with MP/P ≈ 1–4, MPy/Py ≈ 0.3–1, and MC/C ≈ 0.2–1.0, suggesting a ubiquitous input of petrogenic PAHs. Petrogenic contributions to PAH homologs varied among the countries: largest in Malaysia whereas inferior in Laos. The higher abundance of alkylated PAHs together with constant hopane profiles suggests widespread inputs of automobile-derived petrogenic PAHs to Asian waters

Asia-Pacific mussel watch: monitoring contamination of persistent organochlorine compounds in coastal waters of Asian countries

Contamination of persistent organochlorines (OCs) such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), DDT and its metabolites (DDTs), HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) isomers (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs), and HCB (hexachlorobenzene) were examined in mussels collected from coastal waters of Asian countries such as Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Far East Russia, Singapore, and Vietnam in 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001 to elucidate the contamination status, distribution and possible pollution sources and to assess the risks on aquatic organisms and human. OCs were detected in all mussels collected from all the sampling sites investigated. Considerable residue levels of p,p′-DDT and α-HCH were found in mussels and the concentrations of DDTs and HCHs found in mussels from Asian developing countries were higher than those in developed nations suggesting present usage of DDTs and HCHs along the coastal waters of Asian developing countries. On the other hand, lower concentrations of PCBs detected in mussels from Asian developing countries than those in developed countries indicate that PCBs contamination in mussels is strongly related to industrial and activities. To our knowledge, this is a first comprehensive report on monitoring OCs pollution in the Asia-Pacific region

Women and ecology

Maricar Prudente of the Science Education Department conducted a lecture-seminar on Women and Ecology

Monitoring of Butyltin Compounds in the Aquatic Environments of the Philippines

A comprehensive perspective of Butyltin (BTs) contamination and its possible implications on the marine and coastal environments of the Philippines is presented using green mussels, marine mammals and skipjack tuna as bioindicators. BTs were detected in mussels from all the sampling locations investigated as part of the monitoring surveys under the Asia-Pacific Mussel Watch (APMW) Program conducted in the late 1990s. The BTs detected in green mussels collected in 1994, 1997 and 1998 from various aquaculture and coastal sites in the country were suggestive of considerable widespread pollution by BTs in the coastal waters. Among BTs, TBT was detected at all locations at relatively higher concentrations, whereas the concentrations of DBT and MBT were found to be at lower residual concentrations. This could be indicative that green mussels have limited ability of metabolize TBT to DBT and MBT. It could also be suggestive of recent TBT inputs into the aquatic environments and the presence of sources along the coastal waters. Concentrations of BTs (MBT+DBT+TBT) in green mussels were reported up to 790 ng g<-1>1 wet weight in a site where intensive maritime activities are occurring. Mussels from rural areas contained TBT at lower proportions indicating that TBT usage as antifouling agents is minimal. Tolerable Average Residue Level (TARL) for seafood in the Philippines was estimated at 173 ng g<-1> wet weight for an average person weighing 60 kg. Concentrations of TBT or the sum of TBT and DBT in some green mussels analysed revealed that some values exceeded TARL level, which could suggest that humans consuming this seafood from areas with high BTs contamination could be at risk from elevated exposure to BTs. BTs were likewise detected in skipjack tuna collected from the offshore waters of the Philippines, suggestive of the widespread contamination even in offshore waters. Considerable BTs levels (up to 220 ng g<-1> wet weight), with high percentages of BTs in total tin (ΣSn: inorganic tinorganic tin) were noted in the liver tissues. This finding indicates that the anthropogenic BTs represent the major source of Sn accumulation. On the other hand, relatively low concentrations of BTs were found in the liver of cetaceans from the coastal waters of the Philippines, which ranged at 42-98 ng g<-1>1 wet weight. Significantly lower hepatic BT concentrations in cetaceans in tropical waters were noted compared with those inhabiting temperate waters proximal to developed nations. This result could imply that, at present, usage of BTs in the Philippines is still minimal

Dr. Prudente was awarded the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)

Dr. Maricar Prudente of the Science Education Department was awarded the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) gold medal in a ceremony at the Department of Science and Technology

Toxic Contaminants in Coastal and Urban Areas in the Philippines

Abstracts of 3rd UNU-ORI joint international workshop for marine environment海洋環境国際ワークショップ講演要