Awareness of sustainability issues among science education and vocational education students at the Hashemite University in Jordan : an empirical investigation

The primary purpose of this study was to assess the level of students’ awareness about sustainability issues at the Hashemite University in Jordan. A 30-item instrument, adapted from Dunkerly-Kolb (1998), was used to collect data from a sample of 230 preservice science and vocational teachers during the academic year 2005-2006. Results indicated that preservice science and vocational teachers showed medium level of awareness about sustainability issues. Additionally, results indicated that participants appeared to be independent from their natural surroundings. The study suggested few practical solutions for faculty members and for the university administration to incorporate sustainability principles into university curricula.peer-reviewe

Why are we doing this? Preservice Science Teachers' Interpretations of the Role of Open Inquiry in Understanding Teaching

Abstract Echoing the current emphasis on examining changes in teacher beliefs, combined with the central role of inquiry in reform, this article argues that science education research experiences should hold promise in shaping preservice teachers' beliefs about the role of inquiry in understanding classroom science teaching. The aim of this research was to explore the beliefs of preservice teachers that shaped their interpretations of and actions within open inquiry in science teaching. In this research three prominent beliefs emerged as central in shaping the participants' interpretations: division of research and teaching, disdain for ambiguity and primacy of the individual. In this research we came to understand that these beliefs played such a central role in shaping participants' interpretations of their experiences that the act of researching science teaching was not recognised nor valued, as they often left this experience asking, 'Why are we doing this?' Keywords: Preservice Science Teachers, Open Inquiry, Teaching Beliefs, Educational Reform This study is about preservice science teachers' reactions to open-ended inquiry, and what these reactions reveal of their beliefs about science teaching and learning. We studied preservice science teachers engaged in a semester long openended inquiry project in an attempt to learn their reactions to the experience. Their answers, in turn, provided us with a window of insight into preservice science teachers' belief systems. We subscribe to Alan Journal of Institutional Given the emphasis that current research places on examining changes in teachers' beliefs and the central role that inquiry plays in current American and international science education reforms efforts (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989Science, , 1993 National Research Council, 1996 many science educators have seen a need to include preservice teachers in science research experiences. In part, this is in the hope that such experiences and practices might shape not only their understanding of inquiry and its role in teaching but also shape their beliefs about the importance of inquiry As an example of this call regarding inquiry experiences, Windschitl Mindful of In her review of the educational literature on the nature of preservice teachers' beliefs, Just as science research experiences seem to hold promise in shaping students' understandings of the role of inquiry in the science classroom, it seems that science education research experiences and, as suggested by Echoing the importance of reflection in science education, if we look at the broader literature on teacher education, the notion of a reflective practitioner (Schon, 1987) resonates with many. As teachers/educators we are often compelled to help students develop a reflective stance toward their practice in order that they continually refine what they do in their professional lives. Reflection can be a critically important tool for preservice teachers to assist them to improve their practice It has been theorised that novice science teachers need to reflect upon their practices in order to develop Classroom inquiries seem to be ideal vehicles for preservice science teachers, both for learning about inquiry as a process and for learning to reflect upon the classroom settings. Thus, this study intends to explore the beliefs of preservice science teachers that shape their interpretations and actions with open inquiries to learn how to teach science through inquiry. Action research has gained increasing popularity in preservice and inservice teacher preparation programs Methods The settings We conducted this research in the fall of 2003, in the context of a science teaching methods course at a large research university in the south-eastern United States. As this study involved preservice science teachers engaging in collaborative action research in classrooms, a significant portion of the context of the study was the K-12 school in which the preservice teachers worked toward their preservice field experiences. The school site involved in the research is a developmental research school associated with the university. Journal of Institutional 27 The school The K-12 school has approximately 1600 students. Its student selection process is carefully crafted to represent a cross-section of the demographics of the community, including the use of selection factors such as parents' level of education, economic class, and ethnicity. The free and reduced lunch program 1 supports approximately 11% of the students, and approximately 30% of their high school students plan on completing a university education after graduation. At the time of the study, the student body was composed of 60% European-American, 25% AfricanAmerican, 8% Hispanic, 4% Asian and 0.5% Native American students, a close reflection of the population of the local community. Participants Due to the collaborative nature of the research projects that form the context of this course, there were three different groups of participants in the research: preservice teachers and researchers (graduate students and the course instructor), and participating teachers. Preservice teachers were the focal point of our study as described in this article. The primary participants that shaped the entire research were twelve preservice teachers who were students in a methods course and who voluntarily participated in the research. Preservice teachers The twelve preservice teachers participating in the action research course in this study were enrolled as full-time students. Eleven were European-Americans and one was a native of Africa; there equal numbers of males and females in the study cohort. Most of the students were in their early twenties, and for 10 students the course was the last of three science methods courses required before beginning their student teaching. These 10 had completed a number of prior courses together and were quite familiar with one another as students within the two previous science teaching methods courses. The remaining two students took this course out of sequence, and this represented their first methods course. All of the preservice teachers were middle-or high-school teacher candidates from a variety of the science disciplines, and all were nearing completion of their science education coursework requirements. Practicing teachers The main role of the practicing teachers was to communicate with the preservice teachers and provide help and space for these preservice teachers' inquiries. The two practicing teachers who participated in this study were both veteran teachers who had taught a variety of high school science courses. Both were European-American, one was male, and one was female. The male teacher had been teaching for 26 years and specifically at that school for 13 years, while the female teacher had been teaching for 13 years and at the school for three years. The male teacher was the chairperson of the science department at the laboratory school. His areas of focus were alternative assessment and portfolio assessment. At the time of the study, he was teaching 10th grade chemistry

Complement Activation-Independent Attenuation of SARS-CoV-2 Infection by C1q and C4b-Binding Protein

The complement system is a key component of the innate immune response to viruses and proinflammatory events. Exaggerated complement activation has been attributed to the induction of a cytokine storm in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, there is also an argument for the protective role of complement proteins, given their local synthesis or activation at the site of viral infection. This study investigated the complement activation-independent role of C1q and C4b-binding protein (C4BP) against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The interactions of C1q, its recombinant globular heads, and C4BP with the SARS-CoV-2 spike and receptor binding domain (RBD) were examined using direct ELISA. In addition, RT-qPCR was used to evaluate the modulatory effect of these complement proteins on the SARS-CoV-2-mediated immune response. Cell binding and luciferase-based viral entry assays were utilised to assess the effects of C1q, its recombinant globular heads, and C4BP on SARS-CoV-2 cell entry. C1q and C4BP bound directly to SARS-CoV-2 pseudotype particles via the RBD domain of the spike protein. C1q via its globular heads and C4BP were found to reduce binding as well as viral transduction of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein expressing lentiviral pseudotypes into transfected A549 cells expressing human ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Furthermore, the treatment of the SARS-CoV-2 spike, envelope, nucleoprotein, and membrane protein expressing alphaviral pseudotypes with C1q, its recombinant globular heads, or C4BP triggered a reduction in mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines such as IL-1β, IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-α, and RANTES (as well as NF-κB) in A549 cells expressing human ACE2 and TMPRSS2. In addition, C1q and C4BP treatment also reduced SARS-CoV-2 pseudotype infection-mediated NF-κB activation in A549 cells expressing human ACE2 and TMPRSS2. C1q and C4BP are synthesised primarily by hepatocytes; however, they are also produced by macrophages, and alveolar type II cells, respectively, locally at the pulmonary site. These findings support the notion that the locally produced C1q and C4BP can be protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection in a complement activation-independent manner, offering immune resistance by inhibiting virus binding to target host cells and attenuating the infection-associated inflammatory response