<?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%">Oleg Popov</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Irina Tevel</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">DEVELOPING PROSPECTIVE PHYSICS TEACHERS’ SKILLS OF INDEPENDENT EXPERIMENTAL WORK USING OUTDOORS APPROACH</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%">introductory physics</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">outdoors</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">students’ projects</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2007</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">March/2007</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/987-1404286929.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">6</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">This paper discusses the development of an Introductory Physics course at a Pedagogical University in Russia. The course focuses on developing students’ skills of independent experimental work. Piotr Gal’perin’s (1902-1988) ideas, that learning should begin with a profound orientation to the learning task and integrate students’ self-reflections, provide a theoretical ground for the course development. An outdoor context was used to inspire and implement the students’ self-directed projects. Evidence of the outcomes of different elements of the course implementation was collected through action research methodology. The results show that the students deepen their skills of inquiry and value doing independent planning and implementation of experimental activities in an outdoor environment.
           In the new course design, priorities shifted towards developing students’ advanced skills of experimental activity and understanding of inquiry. The students learned to reflect about experimental activity as a whole. The generic skills of inquiry developed indoors were applied and further developed when solving practical problems outdoors.
           The evidence collected during the course revealed a generally positive attitude of the first year students towards the new teaching methods. The students had more time and possibilities to discuss the ideas and to plan and implement investigations. They felt responsibility for their own learning and ownership of their projects. Positive changes in students’ attitudes towards the experimental work could be identified. The most significant improvement took place in planning the inquiry, as well as in results analysis. 
         The course development work gives us evidence that the students’ orientation in generic forms of experimental activity is productive and particular important in teacher education. Prospective teachers get better possibilities of acquiring skills of inquiry and not only content. The outdoors approach enriched the design of the introductory physics course. It inspired the new vision of the objectives and structure of this course. Generally, students gave a positive response in evaluations of outdoor studies ranging from satisfaction to a very positive attitude. 
          However, one course can not change the system. Unfortunately, we can state that the courses where students continue their studies after the Introductory Physics course represent the rather traditional scholastic culture of physics courses, with creativity limited to finding standard solutions for standard problems.</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%">47-57</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%">Oleg Popov</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sergey Bogdanov</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PROSPECTIVE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ SKILLS OF WRITTEN EXPLANATION</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%">communication skills</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">comparative study</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science teacher education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">sociocultural context</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2005</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">March/2005</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2016/987-1481049750.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">A comparative study of prospective teachers’ pedagogical skills of written communication in science is presented. Russian and Swedish students were asked to give detailed explanations of two simple physical phenomena (how and why the shadow from a tree appears and why the bulb lights in a torch) to a hypothetical Grade 7 pupil. The results of the questionnaire revealed the evident gap between the students’ knowledge per se and their abilities to express didactically their knowledge in written form and in pictures. Undoubtedly this is one of the challenges to teacher educators. The study also revealed the differences between forms and qualities of explanations given by Russian and Swedish students as the result of different pedagogical traditions and communication cultures. 
    The analysis of the findings from this study shows that the Russian prospective teachers had more problems with seeing themselves in the role of teacher than did the Swedish students. Russian participants of the study tended to answer the questions just as if they were students on a science course. Their explanations tended to be more academic and formalised than is appropriate for a Grade 7 pupil. In our opinion, this reflects the strict and formal style of teaching / learning which still dominates in Russian teacher education. For Russian students and teacher trainers, a correct answer is valued more highly than a good pedagogical form of presentation. Apparently, the skills of reworking knowledge and communication at the appropriate for children level are not systematically practiced in Russian teacher education.
     In contrast, in Swedish teacher education, students frequently work in small groups, often practising presentations at the children’s level. They generally feel quite comfortable in acting out different social roles and responsibilities. This reflects the conviction of Swedish teacher educators that learning about science should reflect a participatory and collaborative knowledge generating process. Thus, science education in Sweden is seen as a participatory activity in which teachers and learners share responsibility for learning. </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%">40-50</style></section></record></records></xml>