Home > Possibilities and Challenges in Trying to Help Science Teachers Change Their Alternative Conceptions and Problem Areas of Inter-Conversion of Energy
Possibilities and Challenges in Trying to Help Science Teachers Change Their Alternative Conceptions and Problem Areas of Inter-Conversion of Energy
Alternative conceptions of science teachers regarding different scientific concepts influences students understanding, and as a result teaching and learning processes in science remain unproductive. Traditional rote methods of teaching and learning are one of the factors which do not allow the teachers, as well as students, to bring about any change in alternative conceptions and understanding with regard to scientifically accepted knowledge. Many research studies in this area provide a baseline for finding out alternative conceptions and trying to bring the learners closer to the scientific points of view. This study was conducted with two teachers of a government school to find out the possibilities and challenges in trying to bring possible change in their alternative conceptions of inter-conversion of energy, which is an abstract scientific concept. Qualitative paradigm along with the design of action research was used, and were assumed to be helpful in describing the whole process of the study and providing a chance for professional development, both for the researcher and the sampled teachers accordingly. Selected activity cards, handouts and interviews were used to elicit ideas from the teachers. Discrepant events (DEs) along with the Predict-Explain-Observe-Explain (PEOE) strategies were used to challenge teachers' prior knowledge about the topic by providing them with the related materials to do the activities by themselves. Certain activities were also demonstrated to provide the teachers with a chance for observation and to obtain the feeling of the phenomenon. I found out that demonstration and discussion (at the same time) are useful strategies to bring teachers closer to the scientific point of view as it provided them with the chance to observe and reflect on the phenomenon Some of the alternative conceptions of sampled teachers were identified regarding potential energy, kinetic energy, mechanical energy, internal energy, and melting process as these conceptions were confused with each other. The problem areas of teachers' understanding as investigated, were about the phenomenon of dissipation and considering some' as all' as they responded shortly/incompletely. According to the tasks of the study, in different stages, I played different roles. For example, in the elicitation stage, I was a complete observer, interviewer and facilitator; in the intervention stage, I played the role of participant observer, demonstrator and facilitator; and in the evaluation stage. I was a facilitator and evaluator. Though there were logistical as well as procedural challenges faced during the study, the approaches used proved to be successful
میں ول ول تکنا مرشد نوں مار گیا سوہنیا ایہہ مینوں تیرا پیار وے دل کرے میں ویکھاں تینوں بار بار وے
تیریاں اداواں مینوں بڑا ای ستاندیاں جدوں یاد آوے تیری بڑا ای رواندیاں اکھیاں وی ہر ویلے مینہ برساندیاں جے توں آویں فیر آوے دل نوں قرار وے مار گیا سوہنیا اے مینوں تیرا پیار وے
جدوں دا میں ویکھا تینوں ہوش میری بھل گئی چھڈ کاروبار میں تاں گلیاں چ رُل گئی سارے بھار ہولے ہوئے ککھاں نال تُل گئی مینوں چنگی لگی تیرے کجلے دی دھار وے مار گیا سوہنیا اے مینوں تیرا پیار وے
مکھ تیرا ایویں جیویں چن اسمانی اے ویکھے جو وی ہک واری ہووے اوہ دیوانی اے اجڑیاں دلاں اُتے ہووے مہربانی اے ہک واری دے جا مینوں اپنا دیدار وے مار گیا سوہنیا اے مینوں تیرا پیار وے
تینوں جد تکیا تے میں تیری ہوئی وے جگ وچ تیرے جیہا دسدا نہ کوئی وے مینوں سد لے توں میرا یار ’’سنگوئی‘‘ وے تیرا اوتھے رج رج کراں گی دیدار وے مار گیا سوہنیا اے مینوں تیرا پیار وے
قادریؔ سائیں ہن نہ گھبرا توں ٹلے جا کے مندراں وی گل وچ پا توں جوگی بن در در بین بجا توں خلق کرے گی فیر تیرے نال پیار وے مار گیا سوہنیا اے مینوں تیرا پیار وے
Gender roles not only keep men and women in different spheres of family and social life but they also promote gender segregation in the education sector and professional life. There is a lot of research being conducted on women working in male dominated professions but there is scarcity of research regarding males working in female dominated professions. This study was conducted to explore the experiences of men working in female dominated professions. The first phase of this study collected quantitative data about the type female-dominated professions in Pakistan. Based on this data in-depth qualitative interviews were done with 5 professionals using snowball sampling: Nurse, Psychologist, Montessori teacher, Makeup artist/ Beautician, and Bus host. Thematic analysis was used to identify sub-themes presented in this study: (i) Reasons or motivation for joining nontraditional profession; (ii) Reaction of near and dear ones; (iii) Positive aspects of female dominated profession; (iv) Challenges of female dominated profession; (v) Professional journey; (vi) Being a minority in female majority; (vii) Struggle to maintain masculinity and (viii) Future aspirations. Study findings can be used to support male entry and retention in female dominated professions.
Background: The medical management of chronic anal fissure varies among clinicians because no single treatment has yet approached an overall healing rate similar to lateral sphincterotomy. However, chemical sphincterotomy has the advantage of not carrying the presumed high risk of faecal incontinence. Glyceryl Trinitrate is commonly used in our practice with varied response. This study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of a locally compounded preparation of 0.2% topical Nifedipine in the treatment of chronic anal fissure and to compare the investigational product to 0.2% Glyceryl Trinitrate in overall healing rate and relieving pain. Design: Single centre, parallel, double-blind randomized controlled trial. Setting: The surgical outpatient department at Aga Khan University Hospital (Nairobi). Participants: Patients with chronic anal fissure were recruited from the surgical outpatient department. Intervention: A computer generated randomization sequence was used to allocate treatment. Patients were randomly allocated to receive Glyceryl Trinitrate or Nifedipine, both applied 12 hourly topically to the perianal region for a period of eight weeks. Main Outcome measure: The primary outcome measure was overall healing rate of chronic anal fissure after eight weeks of treatment. Secondary outcome measures were cumulative healing rate, time to resolution of pain and occurrence of headache. Results: There was no significant difference recorded between the test and control drugs with regard to age, gender, duration of symptoms, fissure position or entry VAS pain score. Seventy five patients (Glyceryl Trinitrate n=38; Nifedipine n=37) were randomized. The mean age was 36.3 years (SD 11.9) with a mean duration of symptoms of 37.4 weeks (SD 36). Males comprised 48.6 percent of the patients. Seven patients were excluded from analysis because of loss to follow up or missing data, leaving 68 (n=33; n=35) patients for intention to treat analysis. Healing rate was higher (p=0.001) with Nifedipine (94.3 percent) as compared with Glyceryl Trinitrate (60.6 percent). The mean time to healing was shorter (p<0.001) in patients treated with Nifedipine (6.5 ± 1.2 weeks) compared with Glyceryl Trinitrate (9.1 ± 1.9 weeks). The mean pain scores after two and four weeks of treatment differed (p<0.001) with quicker resolution in the Nifedipine group. On completion of treatment at eight weeks, pain scores were significantly lower in both groups (0.25 in Glyceryl Trinitrate and 0 in Nifedipine versus 7.0 and 7.8, respectively). Headaches were more frequent (p<0.001) with Glyceryl Trinitrate (69.7 percent) as compared with Nifedipine. Conclusion: Topical application of 0.2% Nifedipine was more effective than