The impact of inquiry-based laboratories on improving pre-service teachers’ experimental competency

In the study we are presenting, the effects of inquiry-based laboratories on the experimental competency of pre-service physics teachers have been analyzed. An experimental quantitative analysis method, the static-group pretest-posttest design, has been utilized. A total of 32 pre-service physics teachers participated in the experimental group. To observe the experimental competency level development of pre-service physics teachers, Physics Lab Inventory of Critical thinking (PLIC) test and experimental competency test were used (Walsh et al., 2019). The PLIC is a standardized assessment instrument to determine the degree to which students develop these skills through instructional laboratories. The PLIC test is composed of four scales (evaluating models, evaluating methods, suggesting following-ups and normalized score) and these scales aim to test a part of experimental competencies. Inquiry-based laboratory (IBL) is understood as an organization method in which learners use experiments to acquire knowledge and form personal competency in different openness levels. IBL is considered as an inquiry-based learning method in the experimental module to develop student engagement (Smallhorn et al., 2015). IBL approaches are more student-involved and develop the scientific process skills (Kolkhorst et al., 2001).  IBL attracts the active participation of students for experimental modules. Students prefer to study IBL over traditional laboratory (Parappilly et al., 2013). IBL practices enable the learners who take part in the process to improve students' scientific process skills of pre-service science teachers (Yakar & Baykara, 2012). Therefore, in this study, we have used IBL in the General Physics Laboratory to develop students' experimental competency. Data obtained from data collection tools were evaluated using a variety of analysis methods available in SPSS 20. For the resolution of data and illustrating whether there was a meaningful difference between pretest and posttest scores, the PLIC test, experimental competency test, and paired Samples t-Test were used. In sum, the first result evaluated the effectiveness of IBL for the General Physics Laboratory course. IBL enhanced pre-service teachers' experimental competency. The second result is the development level of pre-service teachers’ behavioral indicators in the experimental competency framework. There were 14.63% pre-service teachers who achieved at behavioral level 3 and 85.37% pre-service teachers who achieved behavioral level 2. The most developed behavioral indicators of them were 1.3 Determine the purpose of the experiment and 2.1 Determine the experiment instruments to be used; and the least was 2.7 Suggest ideas for improving equipment laboratory. REFERENCES Kolkhorst, F. W., Mason, C. L., DiPasquale, D. M., Patterson, P., & Buono, M. J. (2001). An inquiry-based learning model for an exercise physiology laboratory course. Advances in physiology education, 25(2), 45-50. Siddiqui, S., Zadnik, M., Shapter, J., & Schmidt, L. (2013). An inquiry-based approach to laboratory experiences: Investigating students' ways of active learning. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 21(5). Smallhorn, M., Young, J., Hunter, N., & Da Silva, K. B. (2015). Inquiry-based learning to improve student engagement in a large first year topic. Student Success, 6(2), 65-72. Walsh, C., Quinn, K. N., Wieman, C., & Holmes, N. G. (2019). Quantifying critical thinking: Development and validation of the physics lab inventory of critical thinking. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 15(1), 010135. Yakar, Z., & Baykara, H. (2014). Inquiry-based laboratory practices in a science teacher training program. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 10(2), 173-183

ICT Support in Mathematics and Physics Integrated Teaching Based on Modeling Process

This article presents a part of the scientific missions of the Inter-Tetra project: Teaching based on modeling process has been published from many didactic researchers for mathematics, physics and math-physics integrated teaching. However, in many cases, the process of building model and the operating of the model is abstract to the students and even teachers. For a deeper understanding of modeling, the first part of the study will present an overview of modeling in mathematical and physical learning. The next part of this study will proposes the application at the steps of building model and operating model in teaching based on modeling process. In addition, this study also presents some examples of using these ICT tools in teaching some math-physics integrated topics and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of using them

ICT Support in Mathematics and Physics Integrated Teaching Based on Modeling Process

This article presents a part of the scientific missions of the Inter-Tetra project: Teaching based on modeling process has been published from many didactic researchers for mathematics, physics and math-physics integrated teaching. However, in many cases, the process of building model and the operating of the model is abstract to the students and even teachers. For a deeper understanding of modeling, the first part of the study will present an overview of modeling in mathematical and physical learning. The next part of this study will proposes the application at the steps of building model and operating model in teaching based on modeling process. In addition, this study also presents some examples of using these ICT tools in teaching some math-physics integrated topics and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of using them

STUDY ON METHOD TO DETERMINE THE LIFE OF TESTING GUN THAT FIRES 7.62x25mm AMMUNITION

The article presents a method to determine the life of a testing gun that fires 7.62x25mm ammunition. The scientific basis for determining the life of the test barrel is based on the wear of the rifling lands corresponding to the number of shots. The wear of the barrel is determined by the thermal and mechanical effects of the bullet's driving band on the lands and the grooves. The results show that: With the number of fires being 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, and 6000 respectively, the barrel wear is 0.334mm, 0.668mm, 1.002mm, 1.337mm, 1.671mm, 2.005mm, and the muzzle velocity is reduced respectively by 1.15%, 2.06%, 2.98%, 3.67%, 4.36%, 5.28%. The accuracy of the 7.62x25mm ammunition test results is reduced due to this change. In addition, to ensure the accuracy of the measurements, the barrel needs to be replaced when the number of shots is more than 5000 shots. The paper is an important theoretical basis for determining the gun life used to test infantry ammunition

Simulation Study of Mid-infrared Supercontinuum Generation at Normal Dispersion Regime in Chalcogenide Suspended-core Fiber Infiltrated with Water

We report simulation results of supercontinuum generation in the suspended-core optical fibers made of chalcogenide (As2S3) infiltrated with water at mid-infrared wavelength range. Applying water-hole instead of the air-hole in fibers allows improving the dispersion characteristics, hence, contributing to supercontinuum generations. As a result, the broadband supercontinuum generation ranging from 1177 nm to 2629 nm was achieved in a 10 cm fiber by utilizing very low input pulse energy of 0.01 nJ and pulse duration of 100 fs at 1920 nm wavelength

THERMAL PROTECTION SOLUTION FOR SOLID FUEL ROCKET ENGINES

This paper presents a new approach to the thermal protection of solid-fuel rocket engines. The method of thermal protection using coatings not only reduces the risk of damage to the engine casing but also increases the engine’s efficiency in working. Parameters such as thrust and the mass per square meter of the engine casing are used to compare the differences between engines with and without thermal protection coating. Numerical calculation applied to the cruise engine of the rocket 9M39. Calculation results show that the thickness of the thermal protective coating and the thickness of the combustion chamber have been optimized regarding rocket weight. The survey results showed that the mass per square meter of the engine casing decreased by 2.5 times, and the engine’s impulse total increased by 1.13% when using the thermal protective coating. These results are used as data to develop methods to improve the performance of solid propellant rocket engines

Conceptions of experiments in teaching mathematics and teaching physics in Vietnam

This article presents a part of the Inter-Tetra project. This study firstly reviews the literature on conceptions of experiments in didactics of math and didactics of physics to design questionnaires to survey the conceptions of experiments in teaching physics and teaching math in Vietnam. Thereafter, the survey has been conducted among the math and physics pedagogical students in the Hanoi National University of Education (HNUE). The results of the survey have revealed the similarities and differences of the concepts of an experiment in teaching math and physics. In addition, this study also discusses the causes and consequence of the similar and dissimilar concepts of experiments

Conceptions of experiments in teaching mathematics and teaching physics in Vietnam

This article presents a part of the Inter-Tetra project. This study firstly reviews the literature on conceptions of experiments in didactics of math and didactics of physics to design questionnaires to survey the conceptions of experiments in teaching physics and teaching math in Vietnam. Thereafter, the survey has been conducted among the math and physics pedagogical students in the Hanoi National University of Education (HNUE). The results of the survey have revealed the similarities and differences of the concepts of an experiment in teaching math and physics. In addition, this study also discusses the causes and consequence of the similar and dissimilar concepts of experiments

Fostering Teachers’ Competence of the Integrated STEM Education

For the successful implementation of integrated STEM education, teachers’ competence could be a key element. The purpose of this research is to identify necessary behaviors of competence for teachers’ teaching integrated STEM subjects more efficiently and their desire for professional development courses. The qualitative analysis was utilized to examine teachers’ competence and perceptions of effective STEM teacher professional developments (TPD). Semi-structure interview method with 15 teachers and survey method with 187 teachers were utilized to address our research questions in Vietnam. We found that teachers’ competence in integrated STEM education consists of four components namely, awareness, designing, implementing, assessing and adjusting the STEM teaching plan. Based on the research results, we propose an essential structural model of teachers’ competence to develop professional competence about integrated STEM education and some orientation for building the structure of the professional development program. Implications for effective STEM TPD were documented</p

Teachers’ feelings of safeness in school-family-community partnerships: Motivations for sustainable development in moral education

This study aims to get insights into teachers' safety feelings in families, schools, and communities’ partnerships to facilitate the Vietnam context’s moral education process. We used a survey method with the instrument having 19 Likert-scale items, namely teachers' feelings of safeness in SFC partnerships (SSFC). The data from 371 Vietnamese teachers followed a simple random sampling strategy. We conduct multiple regression analyses to get insight into the relationship between four groups of variables and teachers' feelings of safeness, namely teachers’ background, collaborated actions between teachers and families, families’ mental encouragement for teachers, and collaborated actions between families and communities. These results find that the school level, collaborated actions between teachers and families, and families’ mental encouragement for teachers are statistically significant to teachers’ feelings of safety. Moreover, the variable group of collaborated actions between teachers and families records the highest positive beta value in multiple regression analyses. In other words, the improvement of collaborated actions between teachers and families is a critical motivation to leverage teachers’ feelings of safeness in SFC partnerships. These results provide valuable information for sustainable development in moral education