Ricardo Trumper

Bio: Ricardo Trumper is an academic researcher from University of Haifa. The author has contributed to research in topics: Science education & Curriculum. The author has an hindex of 24, co-authored 47 publications receiving 1949 citations.

Factors Affecting Junior High School Students ' Interest in

Abstract: Our study, conducted as part of the ROSE Project, on students' interest in biology at the end of their compulsory schooling in Israel, and its relation to their views on science classes, out-of-school experiences in biology, and attitudes to science and technology, showed that their overall interest in learn- ing biology was relatively positive but not high; girls showed greater interest in it than boys. Students' interest in learning biology correlated closely with their negative opinions of science classes. These find- ings raise critical questions about the implementation of changes in the Israeli science curriculum in pri- mary and junior high school, if the goal is to prepare the rising generation for life in a scientific-tech- nological era. From deeper analysis of the results curricular, behavioral, and organizational changes needed to reach this goal were formulated.

A Cross-Age Study of Junior High School Students' Conceptions of Basic Astronomy Concepts.

Abstract: Junior high school students' astronomy conceptions were analysed by means of a written questionnaire presented to them during the beginning of the first semester. The main findings were as follows: almost half of the students indicated that the cause of the day-night cycle is the Earth spinning on its axis; most students chose as their best account for changes in the Moon's phases the Moon moving around the Earth. Despite that, most students thought that the Moon must be in its Full phase for there to be a total solar eclipse; most students underestimated the distances in the Universe and overestimated the Earth's diameter. A great proportion of students indicated that the reason for the different seasons is the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of its orbit as it revolves around the Sun. But almost the same number of students chose the varying distance between Sun and Earth or between the Earth, Moon and Sun, as a reason for the seasons. Only a third of the students answered correctly that i...

Factors Affecting Junior High School Students' Interest in Physics

Abstract: We report the results of a study on students' interest in physics at the end of their compulsory schooling in Israel carried out in the framework of the ROSE Project. Factors studied were their opinions about science classes, their out-of-school experiences in physics, and their attitudes toward science and technology. Students' overall interest in physics was “neutral” (neither positive nor negative), with boys showing a higher interest than girls. We found a strong correlation between students' “neutral” interest in physics and their negative opinions about science classes. These findings raise serious questions about the implementation of changes made in the Israeli science curriculum in primary and junior high school, especially if the goal is to prepare the young generation for life in a scientific-technological era. A more in-depth analysis of the results led us to formulate curricular, behavioral, and organizational changes needed to reach this goal.

The Physics Laboratory A Historical Overview and Future Perspectives

Abstract: In the framework of teaching the natural sciences, ``laboratory'' is a general name for activities based on observations, tests, and experiments done by students. It is hard to imagine learning to do science, or learning about science, without doing laboratory or fieldwork. In this paper, a historical overview of the place, purposes, and goals of the laboratory in physics teaching is presented, together with perspectives for its future related to the most recent results of research in physics education, mainly those concerning the constructivist and social constructivist learning approaches. Based on these approaches we try to validate the belief that microcomputer-based laboratories (MBLs) are one of the most promising perspectives in physics laboratory teaching, based on both theoretical and empirical grounds.

Teaching Future Teachers Basic Astronomy Concepts--Seasonal Changes--at a Time of Reform in Science Education.

Abstract: Bearing in mind students' misconceptions about basic concepts in astronomy, the present study conducted a series of constructivist activities aimed at changing future elementary and junior high school teachers' conceptions about the cause of seasonal changes, and several characteristics of the Sun- Earth-Moon relative movements like Moon phases, Sun and Moon eclipses, and others. The activities and results concerning the cause of seasonal changes are reported. Both the experimental class and the control groups improved their grasp of basic astronomy concepts statistically significantly, although the experimental class made the most impressive progress of all. Regarding subjects relevant to this study (seasonal changes), only the experimental class showed a statistically significant improvement, which justifies the constructivist approach. We conclude that in implementing a reform in the science curriculum, the change has to include the subjects taught and also the way they are taught. 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 43: 879-906, 2006 The Israeli education system underwent a long period of changes as a result of the recommendations of the Tomorrow 98 (1992) report. Among the reforms proposed are the revision of mathematics, science, and technology curricula and the ''implementation of a comprehensive program for the pre-service and in-service training'' (p. 29) of schoolteachers. One of the main views of that report is as follows: Today, mathematics, science, and technology are part of the general education needed by every person capable of giving something back to society. We do not claim that everyone has to be a scientist. But every worker, teacher, soldier, musician, farmer, businessman, manager, or politician, or anyone else who works in a place that requires some basic skills, should have certain quantitative and scientific capability, the ability to learn and understand some scientific or technological topics, and an understanding of scientific expressions .. .. There is a need to broaden the scope of mathematics, science, and

Democracy and education.

Abstract: Course Description In this course, we will explore the question of the actual and potential connections between democracy and education. Our focus of attention will be placed on a critical examination of democratic theory and its implications for the civic education roles and contributions of teachers, adult educators, community development practitioners, and community organizers. We will survey and deal critically with a range of competing conceptions of democracy, variously described as classical, republican, liberal, radical, marxist, neomarxist, pragmatist, feminist, populist, pluralist, postmodern, and/or participatory. Using narrative inquiry as a means for illuminating and interpreting contemporary practice, we will analyze the implications of different conceptions of democracy for the practical work of civic education.

Challenges New Science Teachers Face

Abstract: Providing support focused on real challenges is critical in retaining highly qualified new science teachers, but the field lacks a systematic description of these teachers’ needs. The authors of this article examine the areas that science teachers are expected to understand: (1) the content and disciplines of science, (2) learners, (3) instruction, (4) learning environments, and (5) professionalism. They review the literature on challenges facing preservice and early-career science teachers, identify issues on which conventional wisdom is supported or called into question, and highlight the areas where the existing research is inadequate as a basis for generalization. For example, the authors found few studies on how new science teachers use curriculum materials or how they understand scientific inquiry. Their overview of challenges is followed by a discussion of how these teachers can be supported.