scholarly journals Middle School Students’ Perceptions of Scientists and Views About to Become a Scientist

Author(s):  
Aslı Bahar Ivgin ◽  
Hakan Akcay ◽  
Hasan Ozgur Kapici

It is important to explore children’s perceptions related to scientists for preventing their lack of interest in science and avoidance of science careers. This study aims to reveal middle school students' images of scientists, with an analysis of how those images may be influenced by middle school science textbooks currently use in Turkey. It was also examined students’ opinions related to becoming a scientist. The study is based on a qualitative research methodology. The sample consists of 98 students from a middle school (5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade). The data was gathered by four science textbooks, the Draw a Scientist Test (DAST) and an open-ended questionnaire. The findings showed that most of the middle school students think that scientists as men, happy, wearing a lab coat and glasses, working individually in indoor places. Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton were drawn as the most famous scientists. The images of scientists in the science textbooks were mostly men. On the other side, more than half of the students were not sure or not eager to be scientists for their future careers because of negative thoughts on scientific studies and not matching their own characters and the characters that scientists should have.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-61
Author(s):  
Necip Demirci ◽  
Refika Yilmaz ◽  
Ayda Karaca

The aim of the study was to analyze step counts of middle school students in structured and unstructured physical education classes (PE) according to age, gender, and school type. Data were collected on a sample of 74 students, 40 7th and 34 8th grade students recruited from private and public middle schools. Omron HJ-112 pedometers were used in this study to obtain step counts. There were statistically significant differences between boys and girls in the step counts in both structured and unstructured PE. A significant difference was observed between school types in step counts during structured PE in both genders, while no significant difference was found for unstructured PE. Significant difference was found between step counts of only boys of different grades in unstructured PE. Boys made more steps than girls both in structured and unstructured PE. In structured PE, 7th grade boys reached a higher number of steps than 8th grade boys.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Sena Görgün ◽  
Canses Tican

The main purpose of the current study is to investigate middle school students’ math self-efficacy perceptions and math problem posing attitudes. The sample of the study is comprised of 990 fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade students attending middle school in the Fethiye district of the city of Muğla. As the data collection tool, the “Math Self-efficacy Perception Scale” and the “Math Problem Posing Attitude Scale” were used. In the analysis of the data collected through the qualitative research method, frequencies, percentages, independent-samples t-test, one-way variance analysis, post-hoc tests (Scheffe and Dunnett’s C) and correlation analysis were used. As a result, it was found that the middle school students’ math self-efficacy perceptions and math problem posing attitudes are over the medium level. The middle school students’ self-efficacy perceptions were found to be varying significantly depending on gender. The middle school students’ problem posing attitudes were found to be varying significantly depending on gender. The math self-efficacy perceptions and math problem posing attitudes of the 5th and 6th grade students were found to be significantly higher than those of the 7th and 8th grade students. A medium, positive and significant correlation was found between the middle school students’ mean math self-efficacy perception score and their mean math problem posing attitude score.


2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 576-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha M. McDonald ◽  
Stewart G. Trost

Purpose:This study evaluated the effects of a goal setting intervention on aerobic fitness (AF) in 6th to 8th grade students.Method:Students at the intervention school received a lesson on SMART goal setting. Students in the comparison school served as a measurement-only group. AF was assessed via the PACER multistage shuttle run test pre and post intervention. Between-group differences for change in AF were assessed using a RM ANCOVA.Results:A significant group by time interaction was observed for PACER performance, F(1,263) = 39.9, p < .0001. Intervention students increased PACER performance from 40.6 to 45.9 laps, while comparison students exhibited a decline from 30.2 to 23.4 laps. Intervention students were 10 times as likely as those in the comparison school to maintain Healthy Fitness Zone status or progress from Needs Improvement Zone to Healthy Fitness Zone.Discussion:Educating middle school students about SMART goal setting may be an effective strategy for improving aerobic fitness.


2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 1061-1071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hande Şahin ◽  
Sibel Erkal

We examined the environmental attitudes of middle school students in this cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was administered to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at 5 middle schools in Ankara, Turkey. Average in analyses, standard deviation, t test, single-factor analysis, and Tukey's tests were used to analyze data. The results showed that attitudes of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students towards the environment were generally positive and statistically significantly related to school, class, education level of father, education level of mother, and monthly income status.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gülnur Aydın ◽  
Bilge Bağcı Ayrancı

Four fundamental language skills interact with each other. Developing reading skills will also develop listening,speaking, and writing skills. Reading comprehension, using what is understood on new subjects and learning newwords during reading can influence listening comprehension as well as oral and written self-expression. Generalcomplaints of teachers and parents regarding middle school students are that the students do not read enough.Increasing love for reading in middle school students can only be possible by determining the interests and needs ofthose students and guiding the students towards those needs and interests. When the literature was reviewed, therewere no functional researches regarding the reading preferences of middle school students. In this regard, this studywas necessary to contribute to the literature.The purpose of this study was to determine the reading preferences of middle school students. The pattern of thisresearch was created based on qualitative case study and under the scope of this study, 25 participants were selectedfor each class level including 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Data was collected with the semi-structuredinterview technique. Data was themed by two experts using content analysis. Similar answers were converted intonumerical data and presented in the form of tables. Examples from student statements were given to support thetables. The results of the research indicated that a majority of students preferred reading on printed resources,selected novels as genre, read texts with 300 or more pages, and preferred adventure as subject. Additionally,students expressed that unknown words in reading texts should be low, they voluntarily spend 1-2 hours per dayreading, and preferred silent reading.


2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-15
Author(s):  
Penny A. Ralston ◽  
Bonnie Greenwood ◽  
Thomas Cornille ◽  
Linda L. Brown ◽  
Dykibra Gaskin ◽  
...  

Background and Purpose: With obesity in children and youth continuing to be a major health problem in the U.S., schools are considered an important setting to implement programs to address the issue but few have focused on middle school students. The purposes of this study were to: 1) determine the effectiveness of a school-based nutrition education program, the Nutrition Education Initiative (NEI) Resource Guide, in improving school lunch eating behaviors of middle school students, and 2) identify science teachers’ perceptions of the materials. Implementation: The project was implemented by 16 middle school science teachers and 309 seventh grade students in a medium-sized north Florida community. The NEI Guide included three conceptual areas (Build a Healthy Base, Choose Sensibly and Aim for Fitness), major concepts, objectives, narrative information, and teaching strategies. Evaluation: Using a pre-/post without control group design, the study involved collecting data via food recall surveys with students, and surveys and interviews with teachers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests. Results: During lunch time, a higher proportion of students met the recommended dietary servings for dairy, meat, vegetables, fruit, juice and grains from pre-test to post-test. Students also significantly increased dietary intake of meat (p< .01), fruit (p< .01) and fruit/juice combined (p< .05); and significantly decreased intake of fried vegetables (p< .001), with decreased fat intake approaching significance (p< .06). Differences in dietary patterns were noted between the two schools studied. Science teachers perceived the NEI Guide as effective; yet they also identified challenges including lack of adequate training, lack of time to implement the materials, and lack of collaboration with the project team. Conclusion: The project outcomes suggest that middle school science teachers can positively impact school lunch eating behaviors of middle school students in selected schools by incorporating nutrition education in their curricula.


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