¿Qué resultados de aprendizaje alcanzan los futuros maestros de Infantil cuando planifican unidades didácticas de ciencias?

En este trabajo se analizan los resultados de aprendizaje respecto a las ciencias, que alcanzan los futuros maestros y maestras de educación infantil cuando preparan unidades didácticas. Para ello, se ha construido un instrumento de análisis a partir de los resultados de aprendizaje que cabría esperar teniendo en cuenta las competencias que, para nuestra área de conocimiento, aparecen en la memoria de título de Grado de Maestro/a en Educación Infantil de la Universidad de Valencia. Tres investigadores independientes, haciendo uso de dicho instrumento, han analizado 19 unidades didácticas elaboradas por 76 alumnos del 4º curso durante dos cursos académicos consecutivos, cuando cursan la materia propia de Didáctica de las Ciencias. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto que, según aumenta la especificidad de los resultados de aprendizaje en el área de didáctica de las ciencias, menos consolidados están, lo que plantea una necesaria revisión tanto de los contenidos didácticos planteados, como de su desarrollo en los planes de estudio universitarios, con el fin de mejorar la formación inicial de maestros de educación infantil en el ámbito de la enseñanza de las ciencias. In this paper we analyze the learning results with regard to science that future teachers of early childhood education hope to obtain when they prepare teaching units while studying 'Teaching Science Education' as part of their Pre-school Education degree at the Valencia University. In order to carry out this objective, an analytical tool has been created, based on expected learning results, as regards the professional competencies specified by the accredited degree program for our area of knowledge. This tool has been used by three independent researchers to analyze 19 teaching units, prepared by 76 students during the last year of their degree during two academic years, when they studied the subject of Teaching Science. The results show that, as the specificity of expected learning results in the area of science increases, they become the less consolidated, which raises the necessity for a revision of teaching contents and their development in university curricula to improve the training of early childhood teachers in the field of teaching of science

Student understanding of the Special Theory of Relativity and design for a guided visit to a science museum

The present paper describes the design of teaching materials that are used as learning tools in school visits to a science museum. An exhibition on 'A century of the Special Theory of Relativity', in the Kutxaespacio Science Museum, in San Sebastian, Spain, was used to design a visit for first- year engineering students at the university and assess the learning that was achieved. The first part of the paper presents the teaching sequence that was designed to build a bridge between formal teaching and the exhibition visit. The second part analyses the potential of the exhibition and the aforementioned teaching sequence to influence the students' knowledge of three aspects of the Special Theory of Relativity. The results obtained show that the design of the visit, with both pre- visit and follow-up activities, was effective as a means of increasing students' understanding and stimulating their ability to argue scientifically

La puerta de Santa Lucía de Úbeda y su reconstrucción (Estudio histórico-arquitectónico)

Ubeda, como gran ciudad, inicia su importancia urbana paralelamente a la de su historia, en el medioevo, concretamente con la ocupación musulmana, hasta el punto de haber sido atribuida su fundación al califa Ab-al- Rahman I I, (años 822-852) con el nombre de "Ubbadat-al- Arab". ("Ubeda de los árabes")

Plasma Magnetohydrodynamics and Energy Conversion

Contains reports on three research project.U. S. Air Force (Aeronautical Systems Division) under Contract AF33 (615)-1083Air Force Aero Propulsion Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OhioNational Science Foundation (Grant G-24073

Teaching energy conservation as a unifying principle in physics

In this work we present the design and assessment of a teaching sequence aimed at introducing the principle of energy conservation at post-compulsory secondary school level (16-18 year olds). The proposal is based on the result of research into teaching-learning difficulties and on the analysis of the physics framework. Evidence is shown that this teaching sequence, together with the methodology used in the classroom, may result in students having a better grasp of the principle of energy conservation. Keywords Physics education · Energy conceptions · Teaching activitie

Comprensión de los estudiantes de la Teoría Especial de la Relatividad y diseño de una visita guiada a un museo de la ciencia

El problema que nos planteamos en este trabajo surge de tres diferentes preocupaciones: la importancia del ‘aprendizaje no formal’ de la ciencia como parte del currículo escolar, la necesidad de alfabetización científica y la importancia de las implicaciones sociales de la ciencia contemporánea. Se ha aprovechado una exposición en el Kutxaespacio de la Ciencia de San Sebastián sobre el centenario de la Teoría Especial de la Relatividad para diseñar una visita de estudiantes de primer curso de Ingeniería y evaluar el aprendizaje logrado. En la primera parte del trabajo se expone el diseño realizado para establecer puentes entre la docencia formal y la visita a la exposición. En la segunda parte se analiza el potencial de la exposición y del diseño realizado para influir en el conocimiento de los estudiantes en tres aspectos de la Teoría Especial de la Relatividad. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que el diseño de visita con actividades previas y posteriores a la misma resulta eficaz para aumentar la comprensión de los estudiantes y estimular su capacidad de argumentar científicamente.Palabras Clave: Aprendizaje en contextos no formales; Relatividad Especial; Visitas a Museos.Understanding of the students about the Special Theory of Relativity and designing science museum’s guided tourThe problem which we are tackling in this work emerges from three different concerns: the importance of ‘learning science ‘informally’ as part of the school curriculum, the need for scientific literacy and the importance of the social implications of contemporary science. An exhibition was used in the Kutxaespacio Science Museum in San Sebastian on the centenary of the Spatial Theory of Relativity to design a visit for first year Engineering students and assess the learning which is achieved. The first part of the work presents the design which was produced to build bridges between formal teaching and the exhibition visit. The second part analyses the potential of the exhibition and the aforementioned design to influence the student’s knowledge regarding three aspects of the Spatial Theory of Relativity. The results obtained demonstrate that the visit design with activities beforehand and afterwards is effective in terms of increasing students’ understanding and stimulating their ability to argue scientifically.Keywords: Informal learning; Special Relativity; Visits to Museum

Plasma Magnetohydrodynamics and Energy Conversion

Contains reports on five research projects.U. S. Air Force (Research and Technology Division) under Contract AF33(615)-1083 with the Air Force Aero Propulsion Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohi

Secondary School Students' Knowledge and Opinions on Astrobiology Topics and Related Social Issues

Astrobiology is the study of the origin of life on Earth and the distribution of life in the Universe. Its multidisciplinary approach, social and philosophical implications, and appeal within the discipline and beyond make astrobiology a uniquely qualified subject for general science education. In this study, student knowledge and opinions on astrobiology topics were investigated. Eighty-nine students in their last year of compulsory education (age 15) completed a written questionnaire that consisted of 10 open questions on the topic of astrobiology. The results indicate that students have significant difficulties understanding the origin of life on Earth, despite exposure to the topic by way of the assigned textbooks. The students were often unaware of past or present achievements in the search for life within the Solar System and beyond, topics that are far less commonly seen in textbooks. Student questionnaire answers also indicated that students had problems in reasoning and critical thinking when asked for their opinions on issues such as the potential for life beyond Earth, the question of whether UFOs exist, or what our place is in the Universe. Astrobiology might help initiate student awareness as to current thinking on these matters and should be considered for general science educatio

Plasma Magnetohydrodynamics and Energy Conversion

Contains reports on seven research projects.U. S. Air Force (Aeronautical Systems Division) under Contract AF33 (615)-1083 with the Air Force Aero Propulsion Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OhioNational Science Foundation (Grant GK-57