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Pakistani Grade Ten Students Conceptions of Nature of Science

Thesis Info

Author

Salim, Shamsa

Department

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Program

MEd

Institute

Aga Khan University

Institute Type

Private

City

Karachi

Province

Sindh

Country

Pakistan

Thesis Completing Year

2010

Thesis Completion Status

Completed

Subject

Education

Language

English

Added

2021-02-17 19:49:13

Modified

2024-03-24 20:25:49

ARI ID

1676727961677

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In Pakistan, science students memorize scientific facts and laws without going into the depth of how these were developed. They consider science as a body of knowledge characterized by facts, concepts, laws and theories that are absolute and cannot be changed. The lack of understanding of scientific enterprise is rooted in the education and learning process. An understanding of current view of nature of science (NOS) is considered to be an important element of school science for developing student conceptions. So far, very limited research has been done in NOS and this has been a neglected area in our country (Halai, 2004). This study aims to assess grade ten Pakistani students' conceptions of NOS and whether these conceptions were related to selected variables. These variables include participants' gender, system of schools, students' household income, parents' educational level and students' overall grades in grade nine. A questionnaire comprising 14 modified "Views on Science-Technology-Society" (VOSTS) items was adapted for this study to assess students' views on certain aspects of NOS. After establishing its validity in the Pakistani context through a pilot study, participants' were administered the questionnaire. A multi-stage clustered sampling approach was used to recruit a representative sample (n=508) of science students of grade ten from government (n=11) and private (n=7) schools in three towns of Karachi. Participants' responses were categorized as "naive," "have merit" or "informed" conceptions. The result showed that majority of participant students' held naive views of a majority (nine out of fourteen items, 64%) of the target aspects of NOS. Furthermore, the student views of some NOS aspects were significantly related to the target variables. These included students' gender, their parents' education, students' household income, and students' overall grade in grade nine. Results of this study would provide important information about an under researched area - students' conceptions of NOS. The adapted 14-item VOSTS questionnaire would make a valuable contribution in indigenous literature. Those who want to take the same line of inquiry can use this tool to conduct large scale studies.
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مولانا کوثر نیازی

مولانا کوثر نیازی
گذشتہ ماہ اخباروں سے یہ معلوم کر کے بڑا صدمہ ہوا کہ پاکستان کے مشہور عالم و مصنف، ادیب و شاعر اور سیاست داں مولانا کوثر نیازی کا انتقال دماغ کی شریان پھٹ جانے سے ہوگیا، اناﷲوانا الیہ راجعون۔
وہ ۱۹۳۴؁ء میں میانوالی پنجاب میں پیدا ہوئے، طالب علمی کا زمانہ پریشانی میں گزرا مگر ان کے حوصلے بلند رہے، تعلیم سے فراغت کے بعد قومی اشغال سے ان کا شغف بڑھا، ایک زمانے میں جماعت اسلامی کے سرگرم رکن رہے۔ اس سے علیحدگی کے بعد جناب ذوالفقار علی بھٹو سابق وزیر اعظم پاکستان کی پیپلز پارٹی میں شامل ہوئے اور ۱۹۷۰؁ء میں سیالکوٹ سے قومی اسمبلی کے ممبر منتخب ہوئے، ۱۹۷۲؁ء میں وزیر اعظم مسٹر بھٹو نے انہیں امور مذہبی و اطلاعات و نشریات کا وزیر بنایا۔ موجودہ وزیر اعظم مسز بے نظیر بھٹو نے انہیں اسلامی کونسل کا چیرمین مقرر کیا تھا۔
صحافت و خطابت کے میدان میں بھی وہ اپنے جوہر دکھاتے رہے۔ بڑے اچھے مقرر اور خطیب تھے، کئی برس تک لاہور، سے ہفت روزہ ’’شہاب‘‘ نکالتے رہے اور کئی علمی و دینی کتابیں یاد گار چھوڑیں۔ ان کی کتابوں، اسلام ہمارا دین، بصیرت، بنیادی حقیقتیں اور آئینہ تثلیث کو بڑی مقبولیت حاصل ہوئی، آخر الذکر کتاب اس وقت لکھی گئی جب پاکستان میں عیسائی مشنریاں ناواقف مسلمانوں کو عیسائی بنانے میں سرگرم تھیں، یہ کتاب دراصل اسلام کی عیب جوئی کرنے والے عیسائی مبلغین کے لیے ایک آئینہ ہے جس میں عیسائیت کے اصلی خط و خال نمایاں ہوگئے ہیں۔ بھٹو حکومت کے خاتمہ کے بعد انھوں نے ’’اور لائن کٹ گئی‘‘ کے نام سے جو کتاب لکھی تھی اس میں اس کا ذکر ہے کہ فوجی انقلاب کیسے آیا؟ مولانا کی تحریر و تصنیف کی ایک خوبی روانی اور شگفتگی بھی ہے۔
مولانا کوثر نیازی ہندوستان اور پاکستان...

The Incident of September 11 (2001) & its Socio Political Implications on Pakistan

Abstract The paper identifies major changes in educational policies in Pakistan after the incident of September 11. It hoards the facts on the attack of September 11(2001) that had no direct link with Pakistan, but has changed the spectrum of regional policies and shifted the traditional way of learning with west-led agenda on the name of international standards. The study indicates major changes and shifts in the education policies and national curriculum as well as amendments in legal framework and laws including 18th Constitutional Amendment of 2010 and Article-25A of the Constitution of Pakistan. The struggle for uniform education system by various political and military governments throughout the history of Pakistan since independence is also scooped and a comprehensive view is provided on major policy changes and its impacts on education system in Pakistan. The research is based on analysis of primary and secondary sources of information. It is a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Pakistan as a State still is in the list of developing countries and struggling with internal and external problems and their effects caused hurdles in the process of development and reforms in various sectors including education. Security remained one of the major subjects of focus for Pakistan for last many decades along with other administrative matters. The matters including economy, infrastructure development and strengthen democratic system in with democratic or dictator led governments whichever was the case of administration continued tackling with security and terrorism within the state as a top priority issue since 9/11. Pakistan’s investment on education sector remained poor in which resulted lagging behind of the country in all major development indicators. Education remained the core subject that bough up revolution in 21st century and hence has acquired greater importance around the world. After 18th Amendment, the duty of satisfactory spending on education consequently dwells with each province to have the capacity to satisfy Pakistan's national and international duties regarding education. The research encompassed efforts of Pakistan’s administration during various eras on national and international level to meet requirements of international standard education policies.

Comparison of Selected Metals and Pesticides for Their Acute Toxicity and Mutagenic Effects on Fish

The comparison of selected metals and pesticides for their acute toxicity and mutagenic effects on fish was conducted in two phases (i) acute toxicity tests with fish (ii) chronic exposure based genotoxic effects on the fish. Acute toxicity tests were conducted with 180 days old three fish species viz. Cyprinus carpio, Oreochromis niloticus and Ctenopharyngodon idella to determine their 96-hr LC50 and lethal concentrations for water-borne Pb+Cd, Pb+Co, Cd+Co, Pb+Cd+Co, chlorpyrifos+endosulfan, chlorpyrifos+bifenthrin, endosulfan+bifenthrin and chlorpyrifos+endosulfan+bifenthrin mixtures, separately, under controlled laboratory conditions. Bio-accumulation of metals/pesticides in the fish body at acute (96-hr LC50 and lethal concentrations) and chronic sub-lethal exposures were also determined. After finding the 96-hr LC50 values of each mixture for the three species, the three groups of each fish species viz. Cyprinus carpio, Oreochromis niloticus and Ctenopharyngodon idella were exposed to 1/3rd, 1/4th, 1/5th and 1/6th of their respective LC50 values of each treatment (metals/pesticides mixture), separately, for 84-days in the glass aquaria. The chronic effects treatments were examined on (i) accumulation of metals/pesticides in the fish body and (ii) mutagenic effects of metals/pesticide mixtures on the three fish species. Fish body organs viz. kidney, liver, gills, skin and muscles were analyzed for their respective exposure metals while for the determination of pesticides, whole fish body oil was used. Fish blood samples were taken from the caudal veins after 14, 28, 42, 56, 70 and 84 days of metals /pesticide mixture exposures, separately, and fish peripheral erythrocytes were analyzed by using comet bioassay. The mutagenic effects of metals/pesticides mixtures on the three fish species were determined in terms of DNA damage measured as damaged nuclei (%), GDI and cumulative tail length of comets (μm). Acute toxicity (96-hr LC50 and lethal concentrations) of metals mixtures viz. Pb+Cd, Pb+Co, Cd+Co and Pb+Cd+Co and pesticides mixtures i.e. chlorpyrifos+endosulfan, chlorpyrifos+bifenthrin, endosulfan+bifenthrin and chlorpyrifos+endosulfan+bifenthrin to the three fish species viz. Cyprinus carpio, Oreochromis niloticus and Ctenopharyngodon idella varied significantly at p<0.05. Among the metals mixtures, Pb+Cd+Co caused significantly higher mean toxicity to all the three fish species, followed by Cd+Co mixture while Pb+Co exhibited significantly least toxicity to the fish in terms of 96-hr LC50 and lethal concentrations. However, the tertiary mixture of pesticides i.e. chlorpyrifos+endosulfan+bifenthrin was significantly more toxic to all the three species, followed by that of binary mixtures i.e. chlorpyrifos+endosulfan, endosulfan+bifenthrin and chlorpyrifos+bifenthrin. Cyprinus carpio were significantly more sensitive to all the metals/pesticides mixtures, followed by that of Ctenopharyngodon idella and Oreochromis niloticus. Exposure of mixtures at both 96-hr LC50 and lethal concentrations caused significantly variable uptake and accumulation of metals and pesticides in three fish species. The exposure of Pb+Cd+Co mixture caused significantly higher accumulation of these metals in all the three fish species while Cd+Co mixture showed significantly least accumulation tendency. All the three fish species showed significant differences in their ability to accumulate metals in their body organs. In general, the uptake and bio-accumulation of metals in the three fish species followed the order: kidney > liver > gills > skin > muscles. Among pesticide mixtures, the exposure of chlorpyrifos+bifenthrin mixture to the fish caused significantly higher amassing of both these pesticides, followed by that of endosulfan+bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos+endosulfan and chlorpyrifos+endosulfan+bifenthrin. The overall tendencies of three fish species, to accumulate metals and pesticides in their bodies, followed the order: Oreochromis niloticus > Ctenopharyngodon idella > Cyprinus carpio. Fish species showed significant differences in their ability to accumulate metals and pesticides during chronic exposure of various concentrations viz. 1/3rd, 1/4th, 1/5th and 1/6th of LC50 for 84 days. Oreochromis niloticus showed significantly higher ability to bio-concentrate metals and pesticides as compared to Ctenopharyngodon idella and Cyprinus carpio. The chronic exposure of Pb+Cd+Co mixture caused significantly higher accumulation in the fish while Cd+Co mixture showed significantly lower tendency to cause amassing of both these metals in the fish body. Both time and concentration based amassing of metals in the body organs of all the three fish species followed the order: kidney > liver > gills > skin > muscles. Exposure of chlorpyrifos+bifenthrin mixture caused significantly higher amassing in the fish body, followed by that of chlorpyrifos+endosulfan+bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos+endosulfan and endosulfan+bifenthrin mixtures. The accumulation of metals/pesticides increased concomitantly with the exposure duration and concentration of the mixture in the media. Both the duration and concentration based amassing of pesticides in the bodies of three fish species followed the order: Oreochromis niloticus > Ctenopharyngodon idella > Cyprinus carpio. The extent of DNA damage, determined in terms of damaged nuclei (%), GDI and cumulative tail length of comets (μm), varied significantly (p<0.05) due to exposure of various concentrations of metals/pesticide mixtures, negative and positive control treatments. The toxic potential of metals/pesticides to induce DNA damage in the peripheral blood erythrocytes of three fish species, determined in terms of damaged nuclei (%), followed the order: chlorpyrifos+endosulfan+bifenthrin > chlorpyrifos+endosulfan > endosulfan+bifenthrin > chlorpyrifos+bifenthrin > Pb+Cd+Co > Cd+Co > Pb+Cd > Pb+Co. Genotoxic damage in terms of GDI and cumulative tail length of comets were significantly higher due to exposure of chlorpyrifos+endosulfan+bifenthrin mixture while Pb+Co mixture caused significantly least damage to the fish DNA. Regarding toxicity indices of three fish species, Cyprinus carpio appeared significantly more sensitive to all the mixtures as their erythrocytes showed significantly higher percentage of damaged nuclei (39.20±11.45%), followed by that of Ctenopharyngodon idella (35.24±10.48%) and Oreochromis niloticus (30.47±10.74%). The 1/3rd LC50 exposure of metals/pesticides mixtures to all the three fish species caused significantly higher DNA damage while negative control had significantly least damage for the nuclei. The frequency of damaged nuclei, GDI and cumulative tail length of comets increased concomitantly with the duration of exposure i.e. from day 14th to day 56th while it showed decreasing trend afterwards. The time dependent decrease in DNA damage after 56th day of exposure would be due to repairing of damaged DNA or loss of heavily damaged cells or both. This shows interspecies variability in DNA damage due to significant differences in their uptake, accumulation, metabolism, excretion and fish ability/efficiency to repair damaged DNA. The exposure of pesticide mixtures caused significantly more damage to the DNA of all the three fish species than that of metals mixtures. Furthermore, all the three fish species were significantly more sensitive to pesticides as reflected in their DNA damage occurring at very low concentration of all the mixtures. Moreover, comet bioassay appeared as a rapid and sensitive method for quantifying and analyzing the DNA damage in the peripheral erythrocytes of three fish species viz. Cyprinus carpio, Oreochromis niloticus and Ctenopharyngodon idella that can be used as bio-indicator of aquatic pollution in the natural habitats.