Would YOU want to talk to a scientist at a party? High school students’ attitudes to school science and to science

This paper describes a four-year project involving the development of a new instrument, the Attitudes to School Science and Science instrument, and its use to collect baseline attitudinal data from 280 students aged 11, 14 and 16. A key feature of the instrument is that it collects both descriptive and explanatory data in a pencil-and-paper format. The data gathered is probed in detail for explanatory insights into features that have emerged from more recent research on attitudes to science, in particular the suggestions that students view science outside school more positively than their experiences in science lessons, and that the early years of secondary education (ages approximately 11 to 14) are the most crucial in shaping attitudes. The study shows that positive attitudes to school science decline significantly between the ages of 11 and 14, with little appreciable downward change beyond this and, in some cases, a slight upturn. Female students display less positive attitudes and less clear-cut views on a variety of aspects of science. A sense of science being important in general terms, though not having much appeal for individual students, also emerged clearly from the data. The paper suggests that attitudinal instruments have a role to play in research, but that these need to be complemented by studies of detailed features of schools that may influence attitudes, some of which may not be apparent from data collected from students

Talking science: the research evidence on the use of small-group discussions in science teaching

This paper reports the findings of two systematic reviews of the use and effects of small-group discussions in high school science teaching. 94 studies were included in an overview (systematic map) of work in the area, and 24 studies formed the basis of the in-depth reviews. The reviews indicate that there is considerable diversity in the topics used to promote small-group discussions. They also demonstrate that students often struggle to formulate and express coherent arguments, and demonstrate a low level of engagement with tasks. The reviews suggest that groups function more purposefully, and understanding improves most, when specifically constituted such that differing views are represented, when some form of training is provided for students on effective group work, and when help in structuring discussions is provided in the form of 'cues'. Single sex groups function more purposefully than mixed sex groups, though improvements in understanding are independent of gender composition of groups. Finally, the reviews demonstrate very clearly that, for small-group discussions to be effective, teachers and students need to be given explicit teaching in the skills associated with the development of arguments and the characteristics associated with effective group discussions. In addition to the substantive findings, the paper also reports on key features of the methods employed to gather and analyse data. Of particular note are the two contrasting approaches to data analysis, one adopting a grounded theory approach and the other drawing on established methods of discourse analysis

Crucial Convolution: Genetic and Molecular Mechanisms of Coiling during Epididymis Formation and Development in Embryogenesis

As embryonic development proceeds, numerous organs need to coil, bend or fold in order to establish their final shape. Generally, this occurs so as to maximise the surface area for absorption or secretory functions (e.g., in the small and large intestines, kidney or epididymis); however, mechanisms of bending and shaping also occur in other structures, notably the midbrain–hindbrain boundary in some teleost fish models such as zebrafish. In this review, we will examine known genetic and molecular factors that operate to pattern complex, coiled structures, with a primary focus on the epididymis as an excellent model organ to examine coiling. We will also discuss genetic mechanisms involving coiling in the seminiferous tubules and intestine to establish the final form and function of these coiled structures in the mature organism