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Taylor, Bharat
- PublicationOmani senior secondary school students’ knowledge of and attitudes to antibiotic resistance(University of New England, 2021-08-12)
; ; ; This dataset comprises data from one survey undertaken with senior secondary Omani students and a tightly-structured interview undertaken with secondary Omani students and their teachers.
The survey is an adaptation of a WHO instrument and included questions related to gender, age and rurality of the school attended. It was translated into Arabic and back translated into English to ensure validity of the translation. The Arabic version was further trialled using a number of senior secondary classes in Omani schools as well as specialists in the schools of health education in both the Ministries of Education and Health to check the content and translation validity.
A subset of the survey respondents and some teachers were interviewed using a brief, tightly structured interview protocol of 5 questions to enable a more in-depth understanding of students and teacher knowledge of antibiotic resistance and the contributing factors. - PublicationLinks in the chain: bringing together literacy and science(Association for Science Education, 2017)
; ; ; The synergy created by linking science and literacy has led to a number of initiatives in different countries. In the USA, a curriculum for grades 2-5 (ages 7-11) entitled 'Seeds of Science'/'Roots of Reading' (scienceandliteracy.org), combining science and literacy, was not only an efficient use of time in the school day but also effective in improving pupil outcomes. In experimental studies comparing the performance of pupils following the Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading curriculum with that of pupils being taught comparable content through the 'business as usual' curriculum, researchers found that those in Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading classrooms always had higher scores on measures of science conceptual knowledge and vocabulary than the control pupils. In addition, they always performed equivalently or higher than control pupils on measures of science reading comprehension and science writing (Rhodes and Feder, 2014). In Australia, the Federal Government and the Australian Academy of Science have developed a programme entitled 'Primary Connections' (primaryconnections.org.au), aimed at supporting the teaching of science in the primary sector. The programme makes strong and explicit links between science and literacy through the use of word walls, science journals, discussion groups and procedural texts, among a range of other techniques. There are many ways to link or integrate science and literacy and this article reports on an approach used with pre-service primary teachers at an Australian University, specifically the use of science-based texts to introduce science topics to primary pupils. - Publication'When are we going again?' Investigating children's responses to a new nature playspace at an environmental education centre(Springer, 2018-09)
; ; ; - PublicationSuggestions for teaching floating, sinking and density(Australian Science Teachers Association, 2017)
; ; ; Cooper, GrantUnderstanding the concept of density is crucial to enabling students to explain the phenomena of floating and sinking. However, density is not an easy concept for students to understand, not least because as Dawkins, Dickerson, McKinney and Butler (2008) state, the use of floating and sinking demonstrations in determining density pays little attention to the idea that many objects do not have uniform density. Obvious examples are air-filled, hollow objects. Dawkins et al. and Roach (2001) have reported on the problems pre-service teachers in the USA encounter with the concept of density, despite it being covered in high school chemistry and physics text books. This article describes a teaching sequence used with preservice primary teachers in Australia that helps them explain floating and sinking by applying the concept of density appropriately. Some of the teaching ideas may also be useful for teaching at the middle school level. The sequence is presented in narrative form rather than as a formal lesson plan. - PublicationOmani senior secondary school students' knowledge of and attitudes to antibiotic resistance(Public Library of Science, 2022-02-25)
; ; ; Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide problem that is increasing largely due to the misuse of antibiotics in human health and agriculture. This situation is further exacerbated by a dearth of new antibiotic development, the focus of pharmaceutical companies having shifted to more lucrative treatments for chronic conditions such as elevated blood pressure. To conserve the efficacy of the current crop of antibiotics, it is vital that they are used appropriately by individuals. Effective education may be a means to achieve such appropriate use. This paper reports on a large-scale, mixed methods study, which employed a survey and oral questionnaires, undertaken with senior secondary Omani students. The study explored students' understanding of antibiotic resistance as well as their attitudes to the issue of antibiotic resistance. The study findings indicated that, although some students had a reasonably clear understanding of antibiotic resistance, many had serious misconceptions that could result in misuse of antibiotics. The article concludes with suggestions for amending second-ary school pedagogy in Oman to address the misconceptions.
- PublicationPhysical separation techniques in water purification: an inquiry-based laboratory learning experience(Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2019)
; ; ; ; ; - PublicationRemote classroom modelling: a professional development model for in‑service generalist primary teachers of science
We present a model for Professional Development (PD) for in-service generalist primary teachers of science. The Remote Classroom Modelling (RCM) model is specifcally designed to address salient challenges in the context of professional isolation. We share the principles that supported the design of this PD prototype, and the insights and lessons learned from a pilot of the model. We employed open-ended questionnaires, individual interviews and focus group interviews using a qualitative exploratory study to capture the experiences of teachers and students involved in this trial. Our findings suggest that the model supports primary teachers in developing: (1) their technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge, (2) their leadership, and (3) their resourcefulness in science. Our analysis reveals two important factors underpinning the successful implementation of this model: participant engagement and expert support. We discuss the applicability of this model in different settings and propose an agenda to progress the development of the RCM.
- PublicationTeaching "Energy Transformation" through open inquiry: The case of the Rolling Cylinders(Australian Science Teachers Association, 2018-12)
; ; ; Sharma, ManjulaEnergy is one of the most complex yet central concepts taught in schools and is featured in the Australian Science Curriculum, as one of the six key organising ideas (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2015). The literature portrays a multitude of complications associated with teaching energy (see Millar, 2005 for a discussion of major issues). From our perspective, a key factor that contributes to the complexity of teaching and learning about energy is the early introduction of this concept, at the primary level. This creates a situation where primary teachers need to devise approaches to teaching energy that are essentially qualitative, thus matching the developmental needs of their students, but without oversimplifying the essential quantitative nature of the concept (Heron, Michelini, & Stefanel, 2009). In junior secondary, energy is developed further extending into energy transfers and gradually into the quantitative. - PublicationInvestigating the potential of nature play with children(University of New England, School of Education, 2017)
; ; ; - PublicationSubjective Decision-Making in Healthcare: The Case of Vaccinations(Institute for Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 2018)
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