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Taylor, Bharat
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Given Name
Bharat
Bharat
Surname
Taylor
UNE Researcher ID
une-id:btaylo26
Email
btaylo26@une.edu.au
Preferred Given Name
Subhashni
School/Department
School of Education
23 results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 23
- PublicationEducation for Sustainability in Regional New South Wales, Australia: An Exploratory Study of Some Teachers' PerceptionsThe recent United Nations global summit in South Africa highlighted the importance of education in matters of economic and environmental sustainability. However, education about the environment is somewhat 'constrained' compared with more holistic notions such as education for sustainability (EfS). The literature suggests that EfS has considerable scope for developing students' views of sustainability in a global context with the concept seen as best delivered via an action-oriented, integrated-curriculum approach. Such an approach faces many barriers including teachers' views about EfS and its implementation. This study reports on an inquiry into some NSW primary and secondary teachers' views of EfS. Few of the participants were familiar with the concept of EfS in a formal sense, but they reported that they were already incorporating aspects of EfS into their teaching, suggesting broad agreement with the characteristics required for effective EFS presented in the literature. The teachers seem well aware of the socially-situated nature of EfS and its connection to issues of social justice. Examination of school curriculum in New South Wales suggests that it provides scope for delivering EfS, and if the new environmental education policy for schools is implemented effectively, it may help raise the profile of EfS.
- 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. - PublicationModelling a chain reaction in the classroomAlthough there is no explicit requirement within the National Curriculum for England to teach about nuclear fission and chain-reactions, at least one board, the Northern Examinations and Assessment Board, does include this topic in its Science Double Award syllabus for 2001 and 2002: Nuclear reactors use a process called nuclear fission. When an atom with a very large nucleus is bombarded with neutrons: the nucleus splits into two small nuclei; further neutrons are released which cause further nuclear fission resulting in a chainreaction; the new atoms which are formed are themselves radioactive. (NEAB, 2001: 76).
- 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. - PublicationEducation for Sustainability: Its evolution, principles and the role of school structures in its implementationEducation for Sustainability is a relatively new educational concept which is receiving increasing attention. This article examines how this concept has evolved from traditional environmental education and looks at some of the important principles that underpin it. It goes on to discuss some of the potential impediments to its effective implementation within our present educational structures, before examining how a reorientation of these structures might be achieved in order to make Education for Sustainability more effective and viable.
- PublicationIdeas in Conflict: Learning about Evolution in FijiIn many developing countries it is the teaching of science that provides an alternative view for those who have been socialised into a set of comprehensive cultural and religious beliefs strongly linked with their life in the in the community. This can lead to conflict in the minds of some students. This paper provides data regarding such a conflict, namely the lack of acceptance of the principles of biological evolution, and specifically human evolution, by the majority of a sample of senior secondary science students and trainee teachers in Fiji. As well as examining the nature and extent of acceptance in the sample the authors attempt to explain, at least partially, why this situation exists. They then suggest actions that may lead to a lessening of the conceptual conflict.
- PublicationUsing Work-based Learning to Develop Education for Sustainability: a proposalThe pragmatist model of experiential learning in the form of work placements in industry provides opportunities for tertiary institutions to produce well-rounded graduates, possessing knowledge of workplace culture and values along with technical competencies. Work-based learning programmes provide graduates and leaders of tomorrow for a variety of business in the manufacturing sectors; such graduates are reported to rapidly advance in companies, and assume middle and senior management roles. Here, the authors propose that such employees need to develop an understanding of sustainability and suggest that work-based learning could act as a vehicle for delivering education for sustainability (EfS). This article begins with a description of the principles that underpin concepts for sustainability and EfS, and examines three models as to how work-based learning programmes could act as a vehicle for delivering EfS.
- 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. - PublicationSome Issues Facing Environmental Organisations in Developing Countries: A Case Study of the South Pacific Action Committee for Human Ecology and the EnvironmentThe South Pacific Action Committee for Human Ecology and the Environment (SPACHEE) is a regional environmental Non Government Organisation (NGO) based in Fiji but serving twelve small island nations in the South Pacific region, and involved in both formal and non-formal environmental education. At present its membership base is very limited numerically, regionally and also in terms of its socio-economic make up. This article analyses SPACHEE's current membership and issues base and makes a number of recommendations as to how the organisation might broaden these. Some suggestions are also made as to how SPACHEE might link its work more explicitly to issues of equality and social justice. These suggestions may have implications for other environmental NGOs in larger developing countries in the region which face similar environmental issues, such as loss of rainforest, degradation of coral reefs and mangrove destruction.
- 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.
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