<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dagnija Cēdere</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Inese Jurgena</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vilija Targamadze</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">INTEREST OF LATVIAN AND LITHUANIAN STUDENTS IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Journal of Baltic Science Education</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">cognitive interest</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science and mathematics</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">teaching/learning process</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2018</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">February/2018</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2017/987-1519059864.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">17</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Interest is one of the most important components for a successful teaching/learning process; unfortunately, nowadays students’ interest in science and mathematics is decreasing. The aim of the research is to explore the cognitive interest of 15-year- old students in science and mathematics. Students in Latvia and Lithuania participated in the survey; the data show that students’ cognitive interest in this area in both countries is mediocre. The factor analysis was used to single out four main dimensions of the cognitive interest – interest in the context, interest in mathematics, inquiry interest and enthusiasm. Students’ interest is higher in issues connected with practical life, the solution of real problems, but much lower if the problem to be solved needs effort, if they have to use mathematical tools. Enthusiasm is not characteristic for students. Only few respondents are willing to engage in science and mathematics in their leisure time. Latvian and Lithuanian students show slight differences in their interests. There are more Lithuanian students, who like mathematics and who are not afraid of difficulties. Latvian students, in their turn, show greater enthusiasm. </style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">31-42</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dagnija Cēdere</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Inese Jurgena</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ineta Helmane</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Inta Tiltiņa-Kapele</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Gunita Praulīte</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">COGNITIVE INTEREST: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS IN THE ACQUISITION OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS IN SCHOOLS OF LATVIA</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Journal of Baltic Science Education</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">cognitive interest</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">learning process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science and mathematics</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2015</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">August/2015</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2016/987-1479497805.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">14</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Cognitive interest is a vital learning motive for the successful learning process. Nowadays students’ interest about science and mathematics are decreasing. The aim of the study is to explore the cognitive interest of Grade 9 students in science and mathematics. Students were surveyed and it helped to explore the respondents’ cognitive activity and the cognitive interest regarding the understanding of causal relations, research activity and the solution of practical problems. The level of cognitive interests on the three level scales is average for the whole sample of respondents. The survey shows that students do not possess explicit cognitive activity; learning happens rather passively, without initiative; however, they have rather pronounced interest to explore and solve problems connected with the real life. Some implications for teachers on how to increase learners’ cognitive interest are provided in the conclusion. </style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">424–434</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Aira Bartuseviča</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dagnija Cēdere</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Rudīte Andersone</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ASSESMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT IN A CONTEMPORARY TEACHING/LEARNING MODEL OF CHEMISTRY IN BASIC SCHOOLS OF LATVIA</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Journal of Baltic Science Education</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">basic school</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">chemistry education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">environmental education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">teaching/learning model</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2004</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">March/2003</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2016/987-1482420477.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">3</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Pedagogic investigation, situation study and analysis are presented on one aspect of the previously developed teaching/learning model „Society – Nature – Technology”. The attitude of 600 Latvian students of the 8th and 9th grades towards environmental education, their understanding about particular environmental problems and their place in chemistry teaching and learning content are evaluated in the paper. Comparative research was done resulting in the assessment of the increase in   the comprehension of environmental problems of those students who have participated in the approbation of the teaching/learning model.
Situation analysis before the approbation of our teaching/learning model „Society – Nature – Technology” (Bartuseviča, Cēdere, 2004) confirms insufficient comprehension of environmental issues and problems among respondents in the 8th and 9th grades in schools of Latvia.
The developed approach – teaching/learning model considering three mutually joint aspects (society, nature, and technology) is proved in practice. Students’ comprehension about chemistry increased during the pedagogic experiment. The test results have shown that students’ acquisition level has increased by 38.4% in the 8th–9th grades (during two school years), and by 26.8% in the 9th grades (during one school year).

Approbation results validate the following approaches:

	
considerably increased proportion of applied chemistry in chemistry curriculum;
	
environmentally friendly laboratory exercises in chemistry classes;
	
methods that stimulate thinking and emphasize the significance of chemistry in everyday life.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">43-51</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Aira Bartuseviča</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dagnija Cēdere</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">FORMATION OF A CONTEMPORARY TEACHING/LEARNING MODEL OF CHEMISTRY IN BASIC SCHOOL</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Journal of Baltic Science Education</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">basic school</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">chemical education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">teaching/learning model</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2004</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">March/2003</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2016/987-1482419622.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">3</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">A new contemporary teaching/learning model of chemistry in basic school in Latvia is proposed and discussed in the paper. Society’s needs, contemporary demands and sustainable development are driving forces of the model. A meaningful mode of chemical thinking, a careful and understanding attitude towards environmental processes, and skills and attitudes useful for practical life result from the application of the mentioned model. The model, together with accompanying didactical material – student’s laboratory workbook, teacher’s guide and students’ worksheets, was tested in several basic schools of Latvia.
Developed teaching/learning model of chemistry at basic school allows:

·        Introduction the student into the unified understanding of intellectual, natural, and material values.

·        Demonstration of the student-centered approach in the teaching process of chemistry as the most effective system of pedagogical method in Latvia at the present time.

·        Implementation qualitative changes in curriculum, proving the significance of applied chemistry and applied skills as useful for human’s practical life.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">49-57</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Aira Bartuseviča</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dagnija Cēdere</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ECO-TEAM FORMATION IN LATVIA AND THEIR ROLE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Journal of Baltic Science Education</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eco-teams</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">environmental education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2003</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">March/2003</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2017/987-1503928449.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The attitude of an individual to various phenomena, the environment among them, to great extent depends on understanding these issues. The world experience with eco-team activities as a means of building environmental understanding has already been known for more than a decade. Alongside with the foreign experience, this article gives an insight in the process of eco-team formation in the Baltics, especially in Latvia.

The first results allow us to look upon eco-teams as a new and ambitious pedagogical strategy that is a good incentive to introduce the environmental education as a school subject to build a comprehensive and caring attitude towards the nature and the processes inside it.

The very participation in an eco-team is an education, it offers the individual real chances to contribute to the improvement of the environment, combining the theoretical knowledge obtained in the separate study subject classes with practical work. Consequently, it motivates the students to further action. Thus the knowledge acquired in the subject classes may promote useful activities in families, social life, at leisure and in everyday life.

The first results, the interest of students and teachers in this method imply that the eco-team is a new and promising pedagogical strategy, helping the students to develop an evaluative and caring attitude towards the surrounding environment and its processes as well as providing learning motivation for natural science subjects.

The initiative of eco-team coaches, the pedagogical skills of eco-team leaders and the activity of the current participants will to a large extent determine whether and to what extent will eco-team movement spread and succeed in Latvian schools and society in future.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5 - 11</style></section></record></records></xml>