SECONDARY TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF DISTANCE EDUCATION IN SCIENCE: FOCUS ON LEARNER-CENTERED, ACTION-ORIENTED, AND TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING

The shift from conventional, face-to-face classroom teaching to distance education is a complex process that brings various challenges. To better understand the impact of this transition, the researchers examined the perceptions of secondary science teachers (n = 42) and students (n = 137). Specifically, the study focused on evaluating learner-centered, action-oriented, and transformative learning – referred to as LCAOT learning – in science distance education. The researchers developed a 26-item, 4-point Likert scale questionnaire that was distributed online to the target respondents. Additionally, the researchers interviewed teachers and students and analyzed various documents, such as self-learning modules and learners’ activity sheets, to triangulate the survey data. The findings revealed that the principles of LCAOT learning were apparent in science distance education and exemplified through tools such as the Know, Want to Know, and Learned charts and personal journals. The study also revealed that teachers and students faced challenges during the transition to distance education, including inadequate equipment and poor internet connectivity. However, they responded to these challenges by using various means of communication, collaborating with peers, and exploring new roles and identities. The researchers recommend using the developed instrument and continuing to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching strategies employed in distance education in science, as well as further studies on the impact of LCAOT learning on students’ academic achievement

Students’ Perception to Online Distance Learning (ODL) and Socio-Emotional Skills During Covid-19 Pandemic

This study assessed the perception of online distance learning and the socio-emotional learning skills of grade 11 chemistry students in the Philippines during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Socio-emotional Skills Domains of Science Students Questionnaire (SSD-SSQ) is administered at the end of the school year. The study revealed high average socio-emotional skills in all the socioemotional learning domains (TaskPerformance, Emotion Regulation, Collaboration, Openness, Extraversion, and Compound Skills). Thematic Analysis is utilized in the research to determine the perceptions of the students. Responses of the students in their E-Portfolio were collected and analyzed. The study generated the following themes: opportunities to express, awareness and management of emotions, variation of activities, and interaction and support system. This study revealed the importance of socio-emotional learning in developing resiliency

Sources of sedimentary PAHs in tropical Asian waters: differentiation between pyrogenic and petrogenic sources by alkyl homolog abundance

We collected surface sediment samples from 174 locations in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines and analyzed them for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and hopanes. PAHs were widely distributed in the sediments, with comparatively higher concentrations in urban areas (∑PAHs: ∼1000 to ∼100 000 ng/g-dry) than in rural areas (∼10 to ∼100 g-dry), indicating large sources of PAHs in urban areas. To distinguish petrogenic and pyrogenic sources of PAHs, we calculated the ratios of alkyl PAHs to parent PAHs: methylphenanthrenes to phenanthrene (MP/P), methylpyrenes + methylfluoranthenes to pyrene + fluoranthene (MPy/Py), and methylchrysenes + methylbenz[a]anthracenes to chrysene + benz[a]anthracene (MC/C). Analysis of source materials (crude oil, automobile exhaust, and coal and wood combustion products) gave thresholds of MP/P = 0.4, MPy/Py = 0.5, and MC/C = 1.0 for exclusive combustion origin. All the combustion product samples had the ratios of alkyl PAHs to parent PAHs below these threshold values. Contributions of petrogenic and pyrogenic sources to the sedimentary PAHs were uneven among the homologs: the phenanthrene series had a greater petrogenic contribution, whereas the chrysene series had a greater pyrogenic contribution. All the Indian sediments showed a strong pyrogenic signature with MP/P ≈ 0.5, MPy/Py ≈ 0.1, and MC/C ≈ 0.2, together with depletion of hopanes indicating intensive inputs of combustion products of coal and/or wood, probably due to the heavy dependence on these fuels as sources of energy. In contrast, sedimentary PAHs from all other tropical Asian cities were abundant in alkylated PAHs with MP/P ≈ 1–4, MPy/Py ≈ 0.3–1, and MC/C ≈ 0.2–1.0, suggesting a ubiquitous input of petrogenic PAHs. Petrogenic contributions to PAH homologs varied among the countries: largest in Malaysia whereas inferior in Laos. The higher abundance of alkylated PAHs together with constant hopane profiles suggests widespread inputs of automobile-derived petrogenic PAHs to Asian waters

Monitoring of Butyltin Compounds in the Aquatic Environments of the Philippines

A comprehensive perspective of Butyltin (BTs) contamination and its possible implications on the marine and coastal environments of the Philippines is presented using green mussels, marine mammals and skipjack tuna as bioindicators. BTs were detected in mussels from all the sampling locations investigated as part of the monitoring surveys under the Asia-Pacific Mussel Watch (APMW) Program conducted in the late 1990s. The BTs detected in green mussels collected in 1994, 1997 and 1998 from various aquaculture and coastal sites in the country were suggestive of considerable widespread pollution by BTs in the coastal waters. Among BTs, TBT was detected at all locations at relatively higher concentrations, whereas the concentrations of DBT and MBT were found to be at lower residual concentrations. This could be indicative that green mussels have limited ability of metabolize TBT to DBT and MBT. It could also be suggestive of recent TBT inputs into the aquatic environments and the presence of sources along the coastal waters. Concentrations of BTs (MBT+DBT+TBT) in green mussels were reported up to 790 ng g<-1>1 wet weight in a site where intensive maritime activities are occurring. Mussels from rural areas contained TBT at lower proportions indicating that TBT usage as antifouling agents is minimal. Tolerable Average Residue Level (TARL) for seafood in the Philippines was estimated at 173 ng g<-1> wet weight for an average person weighing 60 kg. Concentrations of TBT or the sum of TBT and DBT in some green mussels analysed revealed that some values exceeded TARL level, which could suggest that humans consuming this seafood from areas with high BTs contamination could be at risk from elevated exposure to BTs. BTs were likewise detected in skipjack tuna collected from the offshore waters of the Philippines, suggestive of the widespread contamination even in offshore waters. Considerable BTs levels (up to 220 ng g<-1> wet weight), with high percentages of BTs in total tin (ΣSn: inorganic tinorganic tin) were noted in the liver tissues. This finding indicates that the anthropogenic BTs represent the major source of Sn accumulation. On the other hand, relatively low concentrations of BTs were found in the liver of cetaceans from the coastal waters of the Philippines, which ranged at 42-98 ng g<-1>1 wet weight. Significantly lower hepatic BT concentrations in cetaceans in tropical waters were noted compared with those inhabiting temperate waters proximal to developed nations. This result could imply that, at present, usage of BTs in the Philippines is still minimal

Dr. Prudente was awarded the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)

Dr. Maricar Prudente of the Science Education Department was awarded the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) gold medal in a ceremony at the Department of Science and Technology

Toxic Contaminants in Coastal and Urban Areas in the Philippines

Abstracts of 3rd UNU-ORI joint international workshop for marine environment海洋環境国際ワークショップ講演要

Butylin and organochlorine contamination of marine mammals

Maricar Prudente of the Biology Dept. gave a talk entitled Butylin and organochlorine contamination of marine mammals

Selected variables associated with the physics achievement of high school seniors

It was the purpose of this study to correlate certain selected intellective and non-intellective student variables with achievement in Physics of high school seniors of the three Daughters of Charity schools in Metro Manila, namely: Concordia College, Immaculate Heart of Mary College, and Sta. Isabel College, during the school year 1987-1988. Specifically, the study sought to answer the following problems: 1. Is there a significant relation between Physics Achievement and the intellective student variables namely: (X1) numerical ability, (X2) verbal reasoning, (X3) abstract reasoning, (X4) mechanical reasoning, and (X5) space relations? 2. Is there a significant relation between the student\u27s Achievement in Physics and the following non-intellective student variables: (X6) emotional stability, (X7) dominance, (X8) superego strength, and (X9) self-sufficiency? 3. Which is the best predictor of Physics achievement among the intellective factors considered in this study? 4. Which is the best predictor of Physics achievement among the non-intellective factors considered in this study? Procedure: The norm sample consisted of 260 senior high school students of the aforementioned schools, who were selected through proportionate random sampling. The instruments used in this study include: Physics Achievement Test by Deauna Differential Aptitude Tests on numerical ability, verbal reasoning, abstract reasoning, mechanical reasoning, and space relations, the High School Personality Questionnaire and Personal data form. The instruments were administered on a scheduled and staggered basis for a period of three weeks, which begun last 15th of February and ended last March 4, 1988. The test papers were collected, checked, and recorded, then they were submitted to the De La Salle Statistical Assistance for Research for statistical computations. The statistical computations were analyzed, and conclusions were drawn based on computed results. Finally, recommendations were made after the findings of the study were clearly established. Treatment of data: The measurement data obtained for both the independent and dependent variables were treated as interval data. Hence, the Pearson\u27s r was used in correlating x and y. On the basis of highly correlated variables, regression equations were established. To determine the correlation among all the variables used in this study, multiple correlation was used. Findings: The following were the major findings of the study: 1. There was a significant relationship between physics achievement and the intellective factors considered in this study namely: numerical ability, verbal reasoning, abstract reasoning, mechanical reasoning, and space relations. 2. A student\u27s achievement in physics was significantly and negatively correlated to the non-intellective factor E-dominance. 3. Students with submissive personality traits showed better scores in physics than students with aggressive personality traits