UNLV College of Education Multicultural & Diversity Newsletter

Each morning I wound my way up the steep hill along the deeply rutted dirt path, exchanging daily maaa\u27s with five bleating sheep and shouting out, ¡Hola! in response to the children who gleefully identified me as ¡Gringa! Women and children, colorful bowls of cooked maize balanced atop their heads, sauntered to and from Maria Elena\u27s where their maize would be ground; at home the dough would be shaped and flattened into tortillas, the mainstay of every meal in the small Guatemalan village of San Juan

UNLV College of Education Multicultural & Diversity Newsletter

A newsletter discussing a variety of topics dealing with multicultural topics and diversity in education

UNLV College of Education Multicultural & Diversity Newsletter

A newsletter discussing a variety of topics dealing with multicultural topics and diversity in education

Teachers\u27 conceptions of the nature of science: Analyzing the impact of a teacher enhancement program in changing attitudes and perceptions of science and scientific research.

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a residential science research experience in changing participants\u27 attitudes and understanding of the nature of science and their view of themselves as science researchers. Data from interviews, journal writings, classroom observations and two pre-post instruments were used in the evaluation plan. As participants of this study, 16 inservice teachers (K–16) attended a two-week residential institute at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank, West Virginia. The format of the institute featured a scientific research experience designed to arm its participants with the skills needed to model their classroom teaching after scientific research. The program included lessons on the fundamentals of radio astronomy, science talks and interactions with practicing scientists, in-depth tours of the NRAO facilities, and pedagogical instruction for implementing research in the classroom. The WVU College of Education staff and the NRAO staff stressed the importance of the nature of the research experience offered to these teachers. In the Education Sessions the WVU science education staff guided participants through the steps required to turn their experience around, in order to develop student research projects for their classrooms. The results from the Research Self Assessment instrument show significant gains for all participants in being more comfortable doing research. For the Nature of Science and Science Teaching instrument there were only three items that showed significant gains for all participants both in understanding the nature of science and in their views on implementing the Green Bank constructivist learning philosophy. The women, especially the elementary teacher group, showed the greatest change in their understanding of the nature of science as reflected in the interviews as well as in their personal journals. The seven men, who were all in the secondary field, made no significant gains in this area. Their definition of the nature of science was clearly defined as a postpositivist or contemporary view (Palinquist and Finley, 1997) from the beginning. Of the 14 teachers who were observed implementing student research projects in their classrooms, nine of the participants came close to representing the Green Bank model

Teachers' Conceptions of the Nature of Science: Analyzing the Impact of a Teacher Enhancement Program in Changing Attitudes and Perceptions of Science and Scientific Research

"The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a residential science research experience in changing participants' attitudes and understanding of the nature of science and their view of themselves as science researchers. Data from interviews, journal writings, classroom observations and two pre-post instruments were used in the evaluation plan. As participants of this study, 16 inservice teachers (K- 16) attended a two-week residential institute at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank, West Virginia. The format of the institute featured a scientific research experience designed to arm its participants with the skills needed to model their classroom teaching after scientific research. The program included lessons on the fundamentals of radio astronomy, science talks and interactions with practicing scientists, in-depth tours of the NRAO facilities, and pedagogical instruction for implementing research in the classroom. The WVU College of Education staff and the NRAO staff stressed the importance of the nature of the research experience offered to these teachers. In the Education Sessions the WVU science education staff guided participants through the steps required to turn their experience around, in order to develop student research projects for their classrooms. The results from the Research Self Assessment instrument show significant gains for all participants in being more comfortable doing research. For the Nature of Science and Science Teaching instrument there were only three items that showed significant gains for all participants both in understanding the nature of science and in their views on implementing the Green Bank constructivist learning philosophy. The women, especially the elementary teacher group, showed the greatest change in their understanding of the nature of science as reflected in the interviews as well as in their personal journals. The seven men, who were all in the secondary field, made no significant gains in this area. Their definition of the nature of science was clearly defined as a postpositivist or contemporary view (Palmquist and Finley, 1997) from the beginning. Of the 14 teachers who were observed implementing student research projects in their classrooms, nine of the participants came close to representing the Green Bank model.

A Pilot Course for Teachers

A pilot course for teachers was taught at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) during an intensive two-week summer session in 2001. The participants consisted of 16 in-service teachers and one preservice teacher. Their years of teaching experience ranged from zero to 30 years. The course, Physics and Physical Science for Teachers, covered introductory mechanics and some chemistry. It included a combination of science content and reformed pedagogy, as co-taught by faculty from departments of physics and education

Mindfulness Education for Pre-service Teachers in Appalachia

Our goal in the Master of Arts in Teaching Program at East Tennessee State University is to prepare effective teachers who will bring out the potential of their future students. This is difficult when teacher candidates themselves are under such stress that it affects their performance and professional motivation. Mindfulness, emerging as a powerful factor in increasing learning and focus, is introduced in EDFN 5420. The focus of this course is to build relationships and community among participating students, a relevant factor for retention and completion in college. Thirty years ago, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) was shown to reduce psychological and physical stress-related symptoms. (Robins et al 2011; Greenland 2010, pg 23) More recently, a few other studies explained the purpose of mindfulness-based programs for pre-service teachers and novice teachers to ease stress and reduce burnout. (Hue and Lau 2015; Roeser et al 2013; Gavish and Friedman 2010; Friedman 2000)