Understanding Contemporary Terrorism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Thomas H.

1989-01-01

Discusses the issue of terrorism as it exists today and examines progress that has been made toward understanding its dimensions. Suggests how this subject can be explored in the classroom. Dispels misconceptions about terrorism by defining the term, and examines some causes of terrorism and strategies employed by terrorists. (KO)

Bullying and Cyberbullying: What Every Educator Needs to Know

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Englander, Elizabeth Kandel

2013-01-01

"Bullying is a term that's being, well, bullied. It's been rendered essentially powerless by being constantly kicked around," writes nationally recognized bullying expert Elizabeth Kandel Englander. In this practical and insightful book, Englander dispels pervasive myths and misconceptions about peer cruelty, bullying, and cyberbullying.…

Our Dirty Little Secrets: Myths about Teachers and Administrators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liftig, Robert

1990-01-01

Peer coaching and teacher empowerment will realize their true potential only when we expose, examine, and exorcise the collective misconceptions that teachers and administrators have traditionally held about each other. Myths about snoopervisors, terminators, harassers, loafers, and artful dodgers must be dispelled before genuine school…

From Eradication to Resistance: Five Continuing Concerns About Pediculosis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brainerd, Elaine

1998-01-01

Discusses the five major concerns that govern a school nurse's thinking in managing head louse infestations, including dispelling misconceptions about head lice; ensuring that infestations are not missed; ensuring that parents understand instructions for effective treatment; educating the community about the correct use of pediculicides; and…

Overcoming Stereotypes: Women in Aviation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parrish, Beth; Lea, Luanne

1991-01-01

Analyzes how certain traits became associated with women in aviation. Uses media of popular culture to compare prevailing cultural misconceptions to the reality of research studies and personal experiences. Offers four recommendations to dispel myths and to encourage more women to participate in rewarding nontraditional careers in aviation. (NB)

Consumers' Risk Perception of Household Cleaning and Washing Products.

PubMed

Bearth, Angela; Miesler, Linda; Siegrist, Michael

2017-04-01

A large share of accidental and nonaccidental poisonings are caused by household cleaning and washing products, such as drain cleaner or laundry detergent. The main goal of this article was to investigate consumers' risk perception and misconceptions of a variety of cleaning and washing products in order to inform future risk communication efforts. For this, a sorting task including 33 commonly available household cleaning and washing products was implemented. A total of 60 female consumers were asked to place the cleaning and washing products on a reference line 3 m in length with the poles "dangerous" and "not dangerous." The gathered data were analyzed qualitatively and by means of multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis, and linear regression. The dimensionality of the sorting data suggests that both analytically (i.e., written and graphical hazard notes and perceived effectiveness) and intuitively driven risk judgments (i.e., eco vs. regular products) were applied by the participants. Furthermore, results suggest the presence of misconceptions, particularly related to consumers' perceptions of eco cleaning products, which were generally regarded as safer than their regular counterparts. Future risk communication should aim at dispelling these misconceptions and promoting accurate risk perceptions of particular household cleaning and washing products. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

Childhood Suicide and Myths Surrounding It.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Dorothea B.

1994-01-01

Dispels five misconceptions surrounding the suicide of children: that children under the age of six do not commit suicide; that suicide in latency years is extremely rare; that psychodynamically and developmentally true depression is not possible in childhood; that child cannot understand finality of death; and that children are cognitively and…

Marketing Handbook for Independent Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boarding Schools, Boston, MA.

This publication is a resource to help independent schools attract more familites to their institutions and to increase the voluntary support by the larger community surrounding the school. The first chapter attempts to dispel misconceptions, define pertinent marketing terms, and relate their importance to independent schools. The rest of the book…

Anthologizing Transformation: Breaking Down Students'"Private Theories" about Poetry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chick, Nancy L.

2002-01-01

Presents an assignment in which students look through a handful of poetry collections or anthologies, seeking 20 poems they like and thus understand or want to understand to some extent. Describes the benefits of this assignment, including honing students' interpretive skills, dispelling their misconceptions about the genre, and continuing their…

A Teacher's Resource Guide on Aging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Fiona Lamont

The guide is designed to help educators integrate the study of aging into the high school curriculum. Objectives are to promote and support the study of aging and the aging process, dispel popular misconceptions surrounding aging, aid educators in establishing programs with, by, and for seniors, and provide a list of helpful resource groups.…

The Meaning of Meaning, Etc.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nilsen, Don L. F.

This paper attempts to dispel a number of misconceptions about the nature of meaning, namely that: (1) synonyms are words that have the same meanings, (2) antonyms are words that have opposite meanings, (3) homonyms are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings, (4) converses are antonyms rather than synonyms, (5)…

Puncturing the myths of acupuncture.

PubMed

Mallory, Molly J; Do, Alexander; Bublitz, Sara E; Veleber, Susan J; Bauer, Brent A; Bhagra, Anjali

2016-09-01

Acupuncture is a widely practiced system of medicine that has been in place for thousands of years. Consumer interest and use of acupuncture are becoming increasingly popular in the United States, as it is used to treat a multitude of symptoms and disease processes as well as to maintain health and prevent illness. A growing body of evidence increasingly validates the practice of acupuncture. Further developing scientific data will play an important role in the future of acupuncture and other complementary and alternative medicines in public health. Acupuncture is commonly used concurrently with conventional medicine. Although acupuncture is embraced by consumers and medical professionals, misconceptions abound. We have explored and dispelled ten misconceptions common to the practice of acupuncture, utilizing an evidence-based approach. As the trend of merging conventional medical care with acupuncture treatment grows, it is important to develop a conceptual model of integrative medicine. Using a scientific evidence approach will create a structure from which to begin and grow confidence among conventional medical providers. Acupuncture is a safe and effective modality when performed properly by trained professionals. Educating both the consumer and medical community is important to enable appropriate and evidence-based applications of acupuncture and integration with conventional medicine for high-quality patient care.

"I'm Not a Feminist, But...": Introducing Feminism in Psychology of Women Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dottolo, Andrea L.

2011-01-01

This article will describe an exercise the author uses within the first week (usually the second day) of her Psychology of Women courses in order to (a) quickly introduce basic principles of feminism, (b) dispel some of the myths and stereotypes about feminists, and (c) address some students' fears and misconceptions about feminism and the course.…

Africa: Into Reality. An Integrated Unit Plan in Social and Natural Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hedley, Charlee

This unit is intended to dispel misconceptions students may have about Africa and its people, and to help students to develop a greater appreciation of that land and its people. The unit focuses upon the physical aspects of Africa and the customs, religion, and attitudes of its people. Ten lessons are included: (1) The continent of Africa; (2) The…

Summer of Seasons Workshop Program for Emerging Educators in Earth System Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chaudhury, S. Raj

2002-01-01

Norfolk State University BEST Lab successfully hosted three Summer of Seasons programs from 1998-2001. The Summer of Seasons program combined activities during the summer with additional seminars and workshops to provide broad outreach in the number of students and teachers who participated. Lessons learned from the each of the first two years of this project were incorporated into the design of the final year's activities. The "Summer of Seasons" workshop program provided emerging educators with the familiarity and knowledge to utilize in the classroom curriculum materials developed through NASA sponsorship on Earth System Science. A special emphasis was placed on the use of advanced technologies to dispel the commonly held misconceptions regarding seasonal, climactic and global change phenomena.

Raising cancer awareness in minority ethnic groups.

PubMed

Knight, Paula Lloyd

Awareness of cancer and uptake of screening is lower among some black and minority ethnic groups than in the white British population, yet incidence of some cancers is higher. The National Cancer Action Team has set up a pilot with a number of BME communities to improve screening uptake and understanding of early signs and symptoms of cancer by increasing cancer awareness and dispelling myths and misconceptions.

Ulipristal acetate: An update for Australian GPs.

PubMed

Mazza, Danielle

2017-01-01

In Australia, use and understanding of emergency contraception among women remains relatively low. This is despite the introduction of levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) more than a decade ago. In April 2016, a new ECP with the active ingredient ulipristal acetate became available in Australia. The aims of this article are to increase understanding of the recently introduced ulipristal acetate ECP, including its safety profile, effi-cacy and special considerations; dispel common myths and misconceptions about emergency contraception; and to provide guidance on emergency contraceptive management in general practice, considering the recent advances. Women are more receptive to information about emergency contraception that has been provided by a general practitioner (GP). As such, the availability of the ulipristal acetate ECP in Australia provides an important opportunity for GPs to help women prevent unplanned pregnancies.

Teaching and Working With Millennial Trainees: Impact on Radiological Education and Work Performance.

PubMed

Lourenco, Ana P; Cronan, John J

2017-01-01

Many feel that the generational differences encountered with Millennial trainees are novel; the reality is that prior generations have always bemoaned generational differences. This is not a new problem; some of the same things may even have been said about us during our own training! There are a variety of myths and misconceptions about the Millennial generation (also known as Generation Y). In this article we review some of the differences frequently encountered as we educate and work alongside our Millennial colleagues, dispelling some of the myths and misconceptions. With increased understanding of this talented group of individuals, we hope to be more effective teachers and have more successful professional relationships. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

IUD knowledge and experience among family medicine residents.

PubMed

Schubert, Finn D; Herbitter, Cara; Fletcher, Jason; Gold, Marji

2015-06-01

The intrauterine device (IUD) is a highly effective contraceptive method with few contraindications; however, clinician lack of training in insertion and misconceptions about IUD risks are barriers to utilization. Previous research has shown gaps in IUD training in family medicine residency programs. An online survey addressing experience with IUD insertion, knowledge of patient eligibility and IUD risks, and intent to insert IUDs in practice was circulated to residents at 15 US family medicine residency programs. Programs were eligible to participate if they were receiving funding to enhance training in family planning and abortion care and interested in additional support to enhance IUD training. The overall response rate for the surveys was 76.1% (332/436). Experience with the levonorgestrel intrauterine system was more common than with the copper IUD. Residents performed well on knowledge questions, but many would not insert in common patient scenarios in which insertion was not contraindicated, including a history of sexually transmitted infection in the past 6 months (48.2% would not insert), a history of ectopic pregnancy (37.0%), no pap smear in the past year (30.7%), or if the patient was not in a monogamous relationship (29.2%). The vast majority of residents (88.7%) reported that they were likely or very likely to provide IUDs in their future family medicine practice. Although residents overwhelmingly expressed interest in providing IUDs after residency, our results suggest that additional clinical and didactic training is needed, particularly interventions targeted at dispelling misconceptions about patient eligibility for IUDs.

Morphological identification of animal hairs: Myths and misconceptions, possibilities and pitfalls.

PubMed

Tridico, S R; Houck, M M; Kirkbride, K Paul; Smith, M E; Yates, B C

2014-05-01

The examination of hair collected from crime scenes is an important and highly informative discipline relevant to many forensic investigations. However, the forensic identification of animal (non-human) hairs requires different skill sets and competencies to those required for human hair comparisons. The aim of this is paper is not only to highlight the intrinsic differences between forensic human hair comparison and forensic animal hair identification, but also discuss the utility and reliability of the two in the context of possibilities and pitfalls. It also addresses and dispels some of the more popular myths and misconceptions surrounding the microscopical examination of animal hairs. Furthermore, future directions of this discipline are explored through the proposal of recommendations for minimum standards for the morphological identification of animal hairs and the significance of the newly developed guidelines by SWGWILD is discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Writing an academic essay: a practical guide for nurses.

PubMed

Booth, Y

Writing academic essays can be a major hurdle and source of anxiety for many students. Fears and misconceptions relating to this kind of writing can be dispelled if the task is approached in a logical and systematic manner. This article outlines the key steps involved in successfully completing an essay and provides some practical tips to facilitate critical and analytical writing. These steps are: analysing the task; exploring the subject; planning the essay; writing the account; and revising the drafts. Although this process is challenging, academic writing is a means of developing both personally and professionally.

Big Data and Ambulatory Care

PubMed Central

Thorpe, Jane Hyatt; Gray, Elizabeth Alexandra

2015-01-01

Big data is heralded as having the potential to revolutionize health care by making large amounts of data available to support care delivery, population health, and patient engagement. Critics argue that big data's transformative potential is inhibited by privacy requirements that restrict health information exchange. However, there are a variety of permissible activities involving use and disclosure of patient information that support care delivery and management. This article presents an overview of the legal framework governing health information, dispels misconceptions about privacy regulations, and highlights how ambulatory care providers in particular can maximize the utility of big data to improve care. PMID:25401945

Neurogenetic interactions and aberrant behavioral co-morbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): dispelling myths

PubMed Central

Comings, David E; Chen, Thomas JH; Blum, Kenneth; Mengucci, Julie F; Blum, Seth H; Meshkin, Brian

2005-01-01

Background Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly referred to as ADHD, is a common, complex, predominately genetic but highly treatable disorder, which in its more severe form has such a profound effect on brain function that every aspect of the life of an affected individual may be permanently compromised. Despite the broad base of scientific investigation over the past 50 years supporting this statement, there are still many misconceptions about ADHD. These include believing the disorder does not exist, that all children have symptoms of ADHD, that if it does exist it is grossly over-diagnosed and over-treated, and that the treatment is dangerous and leads to a propensity to drug addiction. Since most misconceptions contain elements of truth, where does the reality lie? Results We have reviewed the literature to evaluate some of the claims and counter-claims. The evidence suggests that ADHD is primarily a polygenic disorder involving at least 50 genes, including those encoding enzymes of neurotransmitter metabolism, neurotransmitter transporters and receptors. Because of its polygenic nature, ADHD is often accompanied by other behavioral abnormalities. It is present in adults as well as children, but in itself it does not necessarily impair function in adult life; associated disorders, however, may do so. A range of treatment options is reviewed and the mechanisms responsible for the efficacy of standard drug treatments are considered. Conclusion The genes so far implicated in ADHD account for only part of the total picture. Identification of the remaining genes and characterization of their interactions is likely to establish ADHD firmly as a biological disorder and to lead to better methods of diagnosis and treatment. PMID:16375770

Symbiosis in the Soil: Citizen Microbiology in Middle and High School Classrooms †

PubMed Central

McKenney, Erin; Flythe, Taylar; Millis, Courtney; Stalls, Jennifer; Urban, Julie M.; Dunn, Robert R.; Stevens, Julia L.

2016-01-01

Microorganisms are vital to environmental health, yet their association with disease often overshadows these benefits. Building citizen-science activities around the positive role of microorganisms and an understanding of their ubiquity can begin to dispel misconceptions while simultaneously engaging the public in research. Here, we describe a citizen-science microbiology project geared toward implementation in middle and high school classrooms. Students culture environmental microorganisms and document microbial diversity of plant root systems compared with adjacent bulk soil. Results contribute data toward research on microbiome recruitment of weeds and other successful plants while addressing core topics in science education. PMID:27047592

Hauntings, homeopathy, and the Hopkinsville Goblins: using pseudoscience to teach scientific thinking

PubMed Central

Schmaltz, Rodney; Lilienfeld, Scott O.

2014-01-01

With access to information ever increasing, it is essential that students acquire the skills to distinguish fact from fiction. By incorporating examples of pseudoscience into lectures, instructors can provide students with the tools needed to understand the difference between scientific and pseudoscientific or paranormal claims. We discuss examples involving psychics, ghosts, aliens, and other phenomena in relation to scientific thinking. In light of research literature demonstrating that presenting and dispelling scientific misconceptions in the classroom is an effective means of countering non-scientific or pseudoscientific beliefs, we provide examples of pseudoscience that can be used to help students acquire healthy skepticism while avoiding cynicism. PMID:24860520

Hauntings, homeopathy, and the Hopkinsville Goblins: using pseudoscience to teach scientific thinking.

PubMed

Schmaltz, Rodney; Lilienfeld, Scott O

2014-01-01

With access to information ever increasing, it is essential that students acquire the skills to distinguish fact from fiction. By incorporating examples of pseudoscience into lectures, instructors can provide students with the tools needed to understand the difference between scientific and pseudoscientific or paranormal claims. We discuss examples involving psychics, ghosts, aliens, and other phenomena in relation to scientific thinking. In light of research literature demonstrating that presenting and dispelling scientific misconceptions in the classroom is an effective means of countering non-scientific or pseudoscientific beliefs, we provide examples of pseudoscience that can be used to help students acquire healthy skepticism while avoiding cynicism.

Dispelling Myths about Latino Parent Participation in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quiocho, Alice M. L.; Daoud, Annette M.

2006-01-01

This qualitative study was conducted to discuss and dispel commonly held myths about Latino parents' involvement in their children's education. Differences between teacher perceptions of Latino parent involvement and parents' understanding of their roles in supporting their children's education--including the learning and use of the English…

Planning for and surviving a BCM audit.

PubMed

Freestone, Mandy; Lee, Michael

2008-01-01

Business continuity management (BCM) is moving progressively higher up the agendas of boardroom executives due to growing regulator, insurer and investor interest in risk management and BCM activity. With increasing pressure across all sectors, BCM has become an integral part of any effective corporate governance framework. Boardroom executives and senior management are thus now expected to provide an appropriate level of business continuity preparedness to better protect shareholder, investor and other stakeholder interests. The purpose of this paper is to build a link across the 'chasm' that separates the auditee from the auditor. The paper attempts to illuminate understanding about the process undertaken by an auditor when reviewing the BCM process. It details the steps the BCM auditor typically undertakes, and provides practical guidance as to the types of documentation and other supporting evidence required during the process. Additionally, the paper attempts to dispel commonly-held misconceptions about the BCM audit process. Executives, senior management and BCM practitioners will all benefit from the practical guidance offered in this paper, to assist in planning for and surviving a BCM audit.

Teaching fluid mechanics to high schoolers: methods, challenges, and outcome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manikantan, Harishankar

2017-11-01

This talk will summarize the goals, methods, and both short- and long-term feedback from two high-school-level courses in fluid mechanics involving 43 students and cumulatively spanning over 100 hours of instruction. The goals of these courses were twofold: (a) to spark an interest in science and engineering and attract a more diverse demographic into college-level STEM programs; and (b) to train students in a `college-like' method of approaching the physics of common phenomena, with fluid mechanics as the context. The methods of instruction included classes revolving around the idea of dispelling misconceptions, group activities, `challenge' rounds and mock design projects to use fluid mechanics phenomena to achieve a specified goal, and simple hands-on experiments. The feedback during instruction was overwhelmingly positive, particularly in terms of a changing and favorable attitude towards math and engineering. Long after the program, a visible impact lies in a diverse group of students acknowledging that the course had a positive effect in their decision to choose an engineering or science major in a four-year college.

"Plates and Dishes Smash; Married Couples Clash": Cultural and Social Barriers to Help-Seeking Among Women Domestic Violence Survivors in Kyrgyzstan.

PubMed

Childress, Saltanat

2018-05-01

This article develops a grounded theory of help-seeking to investigate the social and cultural determinants of help-seeking among Kyrgyz women who have experienced domestic violence. Results indicate that cultural traditions and social norms-most notably the social construction of marriage, the shame associated with divorce, and the status of daughters-in-law in Kyrgyz society-are used to justify domestic violence and prevent victims from seeking help. The proposed theory and results suggest that scholars, policymakers, and front-line contacts must emphasize dispelling myths, misconceptions, and traditional beliefs about gender and marriage to break the abusive dynamics and provide professional help.

Common Misconceptions about Cholesterol

MedlinePlus

... Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Common Misconceptions about Cholesterol Updated:Jan 29,2018 How much do you ... are some common misconceptions — and the truth. High cholesterol isn’t a concern for children. High cholesterol ...

Dispelling myths about a new healthful food can be more motivating than promoting nutritional benefits: the case of Tofu.

PubMed

Wansink, Brian; Shimizu, Mitsuru; Brumberg, Adam

2014-04-01

This study examines what factors impact the adoption of certain types of healthy foods, such as Tofu, by future nutritional gatekeepers. Information on perceived facilitators and barriers to the utilization of barriers would be obtained via interviews and surveys. In-depth laddering interviews and an online survey during 2012 were utilized. The in-depth laddering interviews were conducted with 83 young women and new mothers (non-vegetarians and non-Asians) who were enthusiastic lovers of Tofu. 502 women from the target demographic (between 20 and 35, non-Asian) were recruited from a national panel and surveyed online in 2012. Based on the interviews, 21 primary reasons for trying Tofu (facilitators) and 10 reasons that might be preventative (barriers) were identified. A key finding was that facilitators were not motivating factors for why women adopted Tofu into their diets. Instead, barriers explained more than 44% of the variance for not adopting tofu. When encouraging nutritional gatekeepers to add Tofu to their household diets, it may be more effective to focus on changing the barriers. This study suggests that nutritionists and health practitioners may be more successful in encouraging the adoption of healthy new foods by dispelling their misconceptions rather than focusing on their nutritional benefits. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrocution attributed to supernatural forces in the Niger delta region of Nigeria: a report of three cases.

PubMed

Seleye-Fubara, D; Etebu, E N

2005-01-01

Accidental deaths from electrocution in this environment are sometimes related to charm and witchcraft caused by one's enemies. The aim of this article is to highlight the problems of beliefs and accidental electrocution. We report three cases of accidental electrocution which was believed to be associated with traditional beliefs of witchcraft and charm. Autopsy findings in two cases showed characteristic electric burns (the joule burn which is the area of entry) without obvious organ changes. The third case revealed no burn but investigation of the scene of incidence and other sources of information are consistent with a diagnosis of electrocution. Post mortem examination can assist to dispel misconception and unnecessary belief on cause of death in our community.

Belief in Family Planning Myths at the Individual and Community Levels and Modern Contraceptive Use in Urban Africa.

PubMed

Gueye, Abdou; Speizer, Ilene S; Corroon, Meghan; Okigbo, Chinelo C

2015-12-01

Negative myths and misconceptions about family planning are a barrier to modern contraceptive use. Most research on the subject has focused on individual beliefs about contraception; however, given that myths spread easily within communities, it is also important to examine how the prevalence of negative myths in a community affects the aggregate level of method use. Baseline data collected in 2010-2011 by the Measurement, Learning & Evaluation project on women aged 15-49 living in selected cities in Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal were used. Multivariate analyses examined associations between modern contraceptive use and belief in negative myths for individuals and communities. In each country, the family planning myths most prevalent at the individual and community levels were that "people who use contraceptives end up with health problems," "contraceptives are dangerous to women's health" and "contraceptives can harm your womb." On average, women in Nigeria and Kenya believed 2.7 and 4.6 out of eight selected myths, respectively, and women in Senegal believed 2.6 out of seven. Women's individual-level belief in myths was negatively associated with their modern contraceptive use in all three countries (odds ratios, 0.2-0.7). In Nigeria, the women's community-level myth variable was positively associated with modern contraceptive use (1.6), whereas the men's community-level myth variable was negatively associated with use (0.6); neither community-level variable was associated with modern contraceptive use in Kenya or Senegal. Education programs are needed to dispel common myths and misconceptions about modern contraceptives. In Nigeria, programs that encourage community-level discussions may be effective at reducing myths and increasing modern contraceptive use.

Belief in Family Planning Myths at the Individual And Community Levels and Modern Contraceptive Use in Urban Africa

PubMed Central

Gueye, Abdou; Speizer, Ilene S.; Corroon, Meghan; Okigbo, Chinelo C.

2016-01-01

Context Negative myths and misconceptions about family planning are a barrier to modern contraceptive use. Most research on the subject has focused on individual beliefs about contraception; however, given that myths spread easily within communities, it is also important to examine how the prevalence of negative myths in a community affects the aggregate level of method use. Methods Baseline data collected in 2010–2011 by the Measurement, Learning & Evaluation project on women aged 15–49 living in selected cities in Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal were used. Multivariate analyses examined associations between modern contraceptive use and belief in negative myths for individuals and communities. Results In each country, the family planning myths most prevalent at the individual and community levels were that “people who use contraceptives end up with health problems,” “contraceptives are dangerous to women's health” and “contraceptives can harm your womb.” On average, women in Nigeria and Kenya believed 2.7 and 4.6 out of eight selected myths, respectively, and women in Senegal believed 2.6 out of seven. Women's individual-level belief in myths was negatively associated with their modern contraceptive use in all three countries (odds ratios, 0.2–0.7). In Nigeria, the women's community-level myth variable was positively associated with modern contraceptive use (1.6), whereas the men's community-level myth variable was negatively associated with use (0.6); neither community-level variable was associated with modern contraceptive use in Kenya or Senegal. Conclusion Education programs are needed to dispel common myths and misconceptions about modern contraceptives. In Nigeria, programs that encourage community-level discussions may be effective at reducing myths and increasing modern contraceptive use. PMID:26871727

Exploring Common Misconceptions and Errors about Fractions among College Students in Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alghazo, Yazan M.; Alghazo, Runna

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate what common errors and misconceptions about fractions exist among Saudi Arabian college students. Moreover, the study aimed at investigating the possible explanations for the existence of such misconceptions among students. A researcher developed mathematical test aimed at identifying common errors…

Common student misconceptions in exercise physiology and biochemistry.

PubMed

Morton, James P; Doran, Dominic A; Maclaren, Don P M

2008-06-01

The present study represents a preliminary investigation designed to identify common misconceptions in students' understanding of physiological and biochemical topics within the academic domain of sport and exercise sciences. A specifically designed misconception inventory (consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions) was administered to a cohort of level 1, 2, and 3 undergraduate students enrolled in physiology and biochemistry-related modules of the BSc Sport Science degree at the authors' institute. Of the 10 misconceptions proposed by the authors, 9 misconceptions were confirmed. Of these nine misconceptions, only one misconception appeared to have been alleviated by the current teaching strategy employed during the progression from level 1 to 3 study. The remaining eight misconceptions prevailed throughout the course of the degree program, suggesting that students enter and leave university with the same misconceptions in certain areas of exercise physiology and biochemistry. The possible origins of these misconceptions are discussed, as are potential teaching strategies to prevent and/or remediate them for future years.

Common Student Misconceptions in Exercise Physiology and Biochemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morton, James P.; Doran, Dominic A.; MacLaren, Don P. M.

2008-01-01

The present study represents a preliminary investigation designed to identify common misconceptions in students' understanding of physiological and biochemical topics within the academic domain of sport and exercise sciences. A specifically designed misconception inventory (consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions) was administered to a cohort…

Identifying and Reconstructing Common Cold Misconceptions among Developing K-12 Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Marcus Lee; Bungum, Timothy

2013-01-01

Background: Common cold misconceptions may contribute to ill-informed decisions and recommendations made by K-12 educators who often encounter infected students. Understanding the structure of educators' misconceptions can be used to improve health instruction in teacher professional preparation programs. Purpose: The purposes of this project were…

Omani Twelfth Grade Students' Most Common Misconceptions in Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Balushi, Sulaiman M.; Ambusaidi, Abdullah K.; Al-Shuaili, Ali H.; Taylor, Neil

2012-01-01

The current study, undertaken in the Sultanate of Oman, explored twelfth grade students' common misconceptions in seven chemistry conceptual areas. The sample included 786 twelfth grade students in Oman while the instrument was a two-tier test called Chemistry Misconceptions Diagnostic Test (CMDT), consisting of 25 items with 12 items…

Technology as a Tool for Understanding: a Pipeline of Curriculum-based Programs for Grades 4 to high school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuster, G.

2006-05-01

New NASA-funded educational initiatives make for a pipeline of products meeting the needs of today's educators in inner city schools, for NASA Explorer Schools and across the nation. Three projects include training and include: 1) WDLC [Weather Data Learning Center] , a math achievement program with data entry, inquiry-based investigations, and the application of math using weather maps and imagery for Grade 4; 2) Project 3D-VIEW, where students in Grades 5 and 6 become experts in air, life, water, land and Earth systems using 3D technologies requiring 3D glasses. A formal literacy and math piece are included, and 1200 teachers will be provided training and materials free beginning in Fall 2006, and 3) Signals of Spring, where students in Grades 7 to 8, or high school, use NASA data to explain the movement of dozens of birds, land and marine animals that are tracked by satellite. Comprehensive content in life and Earth science is taught with curricular activities, interactive mapping, image interpretation, and online journals and common misconceptions are dispelled. Scientist involvement and support for a project is essential for students who are developing process skills and performing science activities. Current research partners include Columbia University's Teachers College and Stanford University's School of Education.

Common Earth Science Misconceptions in Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Chris

2012-01-01

A survey of the Earth science content of science textbooks found a wide range of misconceptions. These are discussed in this article with reference to the published literature on Earth science misconceptions. Most misconceptions occurred in the "sedimentary rocks and processes" and "Earth's structure and plate tectonics"…

Dispelling the Myth: Training in Education or Neuroscience Decreases but Does Not Eliminate Beliefs in Neuromyths

PubMed Central

Macdonald, Kelly; Germine, Laura; Anderson, Alida; Christodoulou, Joanna; McGrath, Lauren M.

2017-01-01

Neuromyths are misconceptions about brain research and its application to education and learning. Previous research has shown that these myths may be quite pervasive among educators, but less is known about how these rates compare to the general public or to individuals who have more exposure to neuroscience. This study is the first to use a large sample from the United States to compare the prevalence and predictors of neuromyths among educators, the general public, and individuals with high neuroscience exposure. Neuromyth survey responses and demographics were gathered via an online survey hosted at TestMyBrain.org. We compared performance among the three groups of interest: educators (N = 598), high neuroscience exposure (N = 234), and the general public (N = 3,045) and analyzed predictors of individual differences in neuromyths performance. In an exploratory factor analysis, we found that a core group of 7 “classic” neuromyths factored together (items related to learning styles, dyslexia, the Mozart effect, the impact of sugar on attention, right-brain/left-brain learners, and using 10% of the brain). The general public endorsed the greatest number of neuromyths (M = 68%), with significantly fewer endorsed by educators (M = 56%), and still fewer endorsed by the high neuroscience exposure group (M = 46%). The two most commonly endorsed neuromyths across all groups were related to learning styles and dyslexia. More accurate performance on neuromyths was predicted by age (being younger), education (having a graduate degree), exposure to neuroscience courses, and exposure to peer-reviewed science. These findings suggest that training in education and neuroscience can help reduce but does not eliminate belief in neuromyths. We discuss the possible underlying roots of the most prevalent neuromyths and implications for classroom practice. These empirical results can be useful for developing comprehensive training modules for educators that target general misconceptions about the brain and learning. PMID:28848461

Dispelling the Myth: Training in Education or Neuroscience Decreases but Does Not Eliminate Beliefs in Neuromyths.

PubMed

Macdonald, Kelly; Germine, Laura; Anderson, Alida; Christodoulou, Joanna; McGrath, Lauren M

2017-01-01

Neuromyths are misconceptions about brain research and its application to education and learning. Previous research has shown that these myths may be quite pervasive among educators, but less is known about how these rates compare to the general public or to individuals who have more exposure to neuroscience. This study is the first to use a large sample from the United States to compare the prevalence and predictors of neuromyths among educators, the general public, and individuals with high neuroscience exposure. Neuromyth survey responses and demographics were gathered via an online survey hosted at TestMyBrain.org. We compared performance among the three groups of interest: educators ( N = 598), high neuroscience exposure ( N = 234), and the general public ( N = 3,045) and analyzed predictors of individual differences in neuromyths performance. In an exploratory factor analysis, we found that a core group of 7 "classic" neuromyths factored together (items related to learning styles, dyslexia, the Mozart effect, the impact of sugar on attention, right-brain/left-brain learners, and using 10% of the brain). The general public endorsed the greatest number of neuromyths ( M = 68%), with significantly fewer endorsed by educators ( M = 56%), and still fewer endorsed by the high neuroscience exposure group ( M = 46%). The two most commonly endorsed neuromyths across all groups were related to learning styles and dyslexia. More accurate performance on neuromyths was predicted by age (being younger), education (having a graduate degree), exposure to neuroscience courses, and exposure to peer-reviewed science. These findings suggest that training in education and neuroscience can help reduce but does not eliminate belief in neuromyths. We discuss the possible underlying roots of the most prevalent neuromyths and implications for classroom practice. These empirical results can be useful for developing comprehensive training modules for educators that target general misconceptions about the brain and learning.

Through the minefield: teaching climate change in a misinformation-rich environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedford, D. P.; Cook, J.; Schuenemann, K. C.; Mandia, S. A.; Cowtan, K.; Nuccitelli, D.

2016-12-01

It is now widely accepted that students enter science classrooms with their own, often erroneous, pre-existing models of basic scientific concepts. These misconceptions can interfere with student learning. However, the science of climate change is perhaps distinctive in that a deliberate effort has been undertaken by a variety of individuals and institutions to promulgate and perpetuate misconceptions. Both formal and informal efforts to communicate the science of climate change must therefore contend with the effects of these misconceptions, which may be passionately held and in strong opposition to the findings of peer-reviewed research. This presentation reports on the current state of research on misinformation and misconceptions; identifies common mistakes made in attempting to address misconceptions; and details a model which can help to avoid making most, if not all, of these common mistakes. In sum, research in cognitive psychology has shown that misconceptions are extraordinarily difficult to remove, with individuals commonly rejecting information that does not fit with their existing mental models. Attempts to address misconceptions directly can backfire if too much emphasis is placed on the misconception (i.e. leading with the myth) or by reinforcing the misconception at the expense of more accurate explanations (the familiarity backfire effect). Thus, a preferred approach involves a "myth sandwich" of facts followed by myth, followed by an explanation of how the myth distorts the facts. The misconception is therefore sandwiched between facts. This approach has been tested in a widely subscribed MOOC (Denial 101X, by Cook et al., 2015), and a textbook (Bedford and Cook, 2016). This presentation provides fundamental background on effective climate change myth debunking, and will include preliminary data regarding the efficacy of the "myth sandwich" approach.

Differences in Brain Activation between Novices and Experts in Science during a Task Involving a Common Misconception in Electricity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masson, Steve; Potvin, Patrice; Riopel, Martin; Foisy, Lorie-Marlène Brault

2014-01-01

Science education studies have revealed that students often have misconceptions about how nature works, but what happens to misconceptions after a conceptual change remains poorly understood. Are misconceptions rejected and replaced by scientific conceptions, or are they still present in students' minds, coexisting with newly acquired…

Childhood Obesity: Common Misconceptions

MedlinePlus

... Issues Listen Español Text Size Email Print Share Childhood Obesity: Common Misconceptions Page Content Article Body Everyone, it ... for less than 1% of the cases of childhood obesity. Yes, hypothyroidism (a deficit in thyroid secretion) and ...

The identity, legal status and origin of the Roman army's medical staff in the imperial age.

PubMed

Bader, Pascal

2014-01-01

More than a hundred epigraphic documents on different writing materials refer to medical staff in the Roman army. This paper focuses on the identity, legal status and origin of the Roman army medical staff--a topic which until now has hardly been studied. Various titles were conferred to a large number of medical staff in every unit of the Roman army; the doctors (medici) were the most numerous and had different ranks and status. The onomastic study of the inscriptions reveals a large proportion of Roman citizens in the military medical service. Most of them are ingenui with a Latin name, but freedmen with a Greek origin are frequently attested, though less so than among civilian doctors. These results dispel some misconceptions such as the Greek origin of most military doctors, which can be explained by the legal requirements of the recruitment into the Roman army.

Biotechnology and the American agricultural industry. Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association.

PubMed

1991-03-20

To meet the needs of a rapidly growing population and minimize the toxic influences of traditional farming practices on the environment, the American agricultural industry has applied molecular technology to the development of food crops and livestock. By placing genes specific for highly desirable phenotypes into the DNA of plants, animals, and bacteria, farmers have increased crop and livestock survival, enhanced the nutritional quality of foods, increased industry productivity, and reduced the need for toxic pesticides and herbicides. However, introduction of genetically modified foods into the marketplace has raised a spectrum of public health issues. Physicians, as the most proximal scientific resource for most individuals, are uniquely positioned to address patient concerns regarding the safety of genetically altered foods. This report provides an overview of the inherent risks and benefits of "agrogenetics" and offers a series of recommendations designed to promote the education of the medical community and dispel public misconception regarding genetic manipulation.

Asterism: an integrated, complete, and open-source approach for running seismologist continuous data-intensive analysis on heterogeneous systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira da Silva, R.; Filgueira, R.; Deelman, E.; Atkinson, M.

2016-12-01

We present Asterism, an open source data-intensive framework, which combines the Pegasus and dispel4py workflow systems. Asterism aims to simplify the effort required to develop data-intensive applications that run across multiple heterogeneous resources, without users having to: re-formulate their methods according to different enactment systems; manage the data distribution across systems; parallelize their methods; co-place and schedule their methods with computing resources; and store and transfer large/small volumes of data. Asterism's key element is to leverage the strengths of each workflow system: dispel4py allows developing scientific applications locally and then automatically parallelize and scale them on a wide range of HPC infrastructures with no changes to the application's code; Pegasus orchestrates the distributed execution of applications while providing portability, automated data management, recovery, debugging, and monitoring, without users needing to worry about the particulars of the target execution systems. Asterism leverages the level of abstractions provided by each workflow system to describe hybrid workflows where no information about the underlying infrastructure is required beforehand. The feasibility of Asterism has been evaluated using the seismic ambient noise cross-correlation application, a common data-intensive analysis pattern used by many seismologists. The application preprocesses (Phase1) and cross-correlates (Phase2) traces from several seismic stations. The Asterism workflow is implemented as a Pegasus workflow composed of two tasks (Phase1 and Phase2), where each phase represents a dispel4py workflow. Pegasus tasks describe the in/output data at a logical level, the data dependency between tasks, and the e-Infrastructures and the execution engine to run each dispel4py workflow. We have instantiated the workflow using data from 1000 stations from the IRIS services, and run it across two heterogeneous resources described as Docker containers: MPI (Container2) and Storm (Container3) clusters (Figure 1). Each dispel4py workflow is mapped to a particular execution engine, and data transfers between resources are automatically handled by Pegasus. Asterism is freely available online at http://github.com/dispel4py/pegasus_dispel4py.

Concept Inventory Development Reveals Common Student Misconceptions about Microbiology †

PubMed Central

Briggs, Amy G.; Hughes, Lee E.; Brennan, Robert E.; Buchner, John; Horak, Rachel E. A.; Amburn, D. Sue Katz; McDonald, Ann H.; Primm, Todd P.; Smith, Ann C.; Stevens, Ann M.; Yung, Sunny B.; Paustian, Timothy D.

2017-01-01

Misconceptions, or alternative conceptions, are incorrect understandings that students have incorporated into their prior knowledge. The goal of this study was the identification of misconceptions in microbiology held by undergraduate students upon entry into an introductory, general microbiology course. This work was the first step in developing a microbiology concept inventory based on the American Society for Microbiology’s Recommended Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Microbiology. Responses to true/false (T/F) questions accompanied by written explanations by undergraduate students at a diverse set of institutions were used to reveal misconceptions for fundamental microbiology concepts. These data were analyzed to identify the most difficult core concepts, misalignment between explanations and answer choices, and the most common misconceptions for each core concept. From across the core concepts, nineteen misconception themes found in at least 5% of the coded answers for a given question were identified. The top five misconceptions, with coded responses ranging from 19% to 43% of the explanations, are described, along with suggested classroom interventions. Identification of student misconceptions in microbiology provides a foundation upon which to understand students’ prior knowledge and to design appropriate tools for improving instruction in microbiology. PMID:29854046

Biology Undergraduates' Misconceptions about Genetic Drift

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, T. M.; Price, R. M.; Mead, L. S.; McElhinny, T. L.; Thanukos, A.; Perez, K. E.; Herreid, C. F.; Terry, D. R.; Lemons, P. P.

2012-01-01

This study explores biology undergraduates' misconceptions about genetic drift. We use qualitative and quantitative methods to describe students' definitions, identify common misconceptions, and examine differences before and after instruction on genetic drift. We identify and describe five overarching categories that include 16 distinct…

EPO for the NASA SDO Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) Learning Suite for Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellagher, Emily; Scherrer, D. K.

2013-07-01

EVE Education and Public Outreach (EPO) promotes an understanding of the process of science and concepts within solar science and sun-earth connections. EVE EPO also features working scientists, current research and career awareness. One of the highlights for of this years projects is the digitization of solar lessons and the collaboration with the other instrument teams to develop new resources for students and educators. Digital lesson suite: EVE EPO has taken the best solar lessons and reworked then to make then more engaging, to reflect SDO data and made them SMARTboard compatible. We are creating a website that Students and teachers can access these lesson and use them online or download them. Project team collaboration: The SDO instruments (EVE, AIA and HMI) teams have created a comic book series for upper elementary and middle school students with the SDO mascot Camilla. These comics may be printed or read on mobile devices. Many teachers are looking for resources to use with their students via the Ipad so our collaboration helps supply teachers with a great resource that teachers about solar concepts and helps dispel solar misconceptions.Abstract (2,250 Maximum Characters): EVE Education and Public Outreach (EPO) promotes an understanding of the process of science and concepts within solar science and sun-earth connections. EVE EPO also features working scientists, current research and career awareness. One of the highlights for of this years projects is the digitization of solar lessons and the collaboration with the other instrument teams to develop new resources for students and educators. Digital lesson suite: EVE EPO has taken the best solar lessons and reworked then to make then more engaging, to reflect SDO data and made them SMARTboard compatible. We are creating a website that Students and teachers can access these lesson and use them online or download them. Project team collaboration: The SDO instruments (EVE, AIA and HMI) teams have created a comic book series for upper elementary and middle school students with the SDO mascot Camilla. These comics may be printed or read on mobile devices. Many teachers are looking for resources to use with their students via the Ipad so our collaboration helps supply teachers with a great resource that teachers about solar concepts and helps dispel solar misconceptions.

A comparative cross-cultural study of the prevalence and nature of misconceptions in physics amongst English and Chinese undergraduate students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrahams, Ian; Homer, Matt; Sharpe, Rachael; Zhou, Mengyuan

2015-01-01

Background:Despite the large body of literature regarding student misconceptions, there has been relatively little cross-cultural research to directly compare the prevalence of common scientific misconceptions amongst students from different cultural backgrounds. Whilst previous research does suggest the international nature of many misconceptions, there is little evidence as to whether the prevalence of such common misconceptions varies from culture to culture. Purpose:To undertake a preliminary examination of the prevalence and reasons for some previously studied scientific misconceptions amongst English and Chinese undergraduate students so as to ascertain whether there is any evidence of cultural difference. Such a finding could help to identify teaching approaches in either country that are more effective in reducing the prevalence of common student misconceptions. Sample:The study involved a convenience sample of 40 undergraduate students - 20 English and 20 Chinese drawn equally from two universities in the North of England - whose formal science education ended at ages 16 and 15 respectively. Design and methods:The study employed semi-structured interview schedule containing eight questions. Results:Whilst similar misconceptions existed amongst both English and Chinese undergraduates, their prevalence was significantly higher amongst the English students (Overall mean score for scientifically correct answers amongst Chinese students was 27.7% higher, p < .01, r = .64). Often when English and Chinese undergraduates had similar misconceptions, they tended to explain these by drawing upon very similar erroneous analogies and these appear to be only nominally culturally independent in that they are based on globally shared everyday experiences. Conclusion:Differences in the prevalence of misconceptions amongst English and Chinese undergraduates appear to arise from differences in the way in which specific areas of physics are taught in both countries. It might be possible to reduce the prevalence of misconceptions in both countries if a better understanding could be developed of how, and why, undergraduates use certain erroneous analogies, and why some teaching approaches seem more effective in reducing the prevalence of misconceptions than others.

Biology Myth-Killers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lampert, Evan

2014-01-01

"Biology Myth-Killers" is an activity designed to identify and correct common misconceptions for high school and college introductory biology courses. Students identify common myths, which double as biology misconceptions, and use appropriate sources to share the "truth" about the myths. This learner-centered activity is a fun…

Student Misconceptions of an Electric Circuit: What Do They Mean?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fredette, Norman H.; Clement, John J.

1981-01-01

Discusses a common misconception in the area of electric circuits at the level of introductory college physics. The data, collected from clinical interviews, shed light on the cognitive sources of misconception. Also discusses some implications for laboratory approaches used in science courses. (Author/SK)

Diagnosing Portuguese Students' Misconceptions about the Mineral Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monteiro, Antonio; Nobrega, Clevio; Abrantes, Isabel; Gomes, Celeste

2012-01-01

Educational researchers and teachers are well aware that misconceptions--erroneous ideas that differ from the scientifically accepted ones--are very common amongst students. Daily experiences, creative and perceptive thinking and science textbooks give rise to students' misconceptions which lead them to draw erroneous conclusions that become…

Insights into Students' Conceptual Understanding Using Textual Analysis: A Case Study in Signal Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goncher, Andrea M.; Jayalath, Dhammika; Boles, Wageeh

2016-01-01

Concept inventory tests are one method to evaluate conceptual understanding and identify possible misconceptions. The multiple-choice question format, offering a choice between a correct selection and common misconceptions, can provide an assessment of students' conceptual understanding in various dimensions. Misconceptions of some engineering…

Secondary School Students' Misconceptions about Photosynthesis and Plant Respiration: Preliminary Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Svandova, Katerina

2014-01-01

The study investigated the common misconceptions of lower secondary school students regarding the concepts of photosynthesis and plant respiration. These are abstract concepts which are difficult to comprehend for adults let alone for lower secondary school students. Research of the students misconceptions are conducted worldwide. The researches…

Zeroing in on Number and Operations, Grades 7-8: Key Ideas and Common Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Anne; Dacey, Linda

2010-01-01

"The Zeroing in on Number and Operations" series, which aligns with the Common Core State Standards and the NCTM Standards and Focal Points, features easy-to-use tools for teaching key concepts in number and operations and for addressing common misconceptions. Sharing the insights they've gained in decades of mathematics teaching and research,…

Zeroing in on Number and Operations, Grades 3-4: Key Ideas and Common Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dacey, Linda; Collins, Anne

2010-01-01

"The Zeroing in on Number and Operations" series, which aligns with the Common Core State Standards and the NCTM Standards and Focal Points, features easy-to-use tools for teaching key concepts in number and operations and for addressing common misconceptions. Sharing the insights they've gained in decades of mathematics teaching and research,…

Zeroing in on Number and Operations, Grades 5-6: Key Ideas and Common Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Anne; Dacey, Linda

2010-01-01

"The Zeroing in on Number and Operations" series, which aligns with the Common Core State Standards and the NCTM Sandards and Focal Points, features easy-to-use tools for teaching key concepts in number and operations and for addressing common misconceptions. Sharing the insights they've gained through decades of mathematics teaching and research,…

A Comparative Cross-Cultural Study of the Prevalence and Nature of Misconceptions in Physics amongst English and Chinese Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrahams, Ian; Homer, Matt; Sharpe, Rachael; Zhou, Mengyuan

2015-01-01

Background: Despite the large body of literature regarding student misconceptions, there has been relatively little cross-cultural research to directly compare the prevalence of common scientific misconceptions amongst students from different cultural backgrounds. Whilst previous research does suggest the international nature of many…

Pre-Service Teachers' Preconceptions, Misconceptions, and Concerns about Virtual Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Compton, Lily; Davis, Niki; Correia, Ana-Paula

2010-01-01

Over the last decade, online distance education has become a common mode of study in most states in the USA, where it is known as virtual schooling (VS), but many people have misconceptions about it. Pre-service teachers' personal histories as students and their preconceptions, misconceptions, and concerns influence pre-service teacher training…

Overcoming Misconceptions in Neurophysiology Learning: An Approach Using Color-Coded Animations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guy, Richard

2012-01-01

Anyone who has taught neurophysiology would be aware of recurring concepts that students find difficult to understand. However, a greater problem is the development of misconceptions that may be difficult to change. For example, one common misconception is that action potentials pass directly across chemical synapses. Difficulties may be…

Development of Three-Tier Heat, Temperature and Internal Energy Diagnostic Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gurcay, Deniz; Gulbas, Etna

2015-01-01

Background: Misconceptions are major obstacles to learning physics, and the concepts of heat and temperature are some of the common misconceptions that are encountered in daily life. Therefore, it is important to develop valid and reliable tools to determine students' misconceptions about basic thermodynamics concepts. Three-tier tests are…

Predictors associated with the willingness to take human papilloma virus vaccination.

PubMed

Naing, Cho; Pereira, Joanne; Abe, Tatsuki; Eh Zhen Wei, Daniel; Rahman Bajera, Ibrizah Binti Abdul; Kavinda Perera, Undugodage Heshan

2012-04-01

Human papilloma virus vaccine is considered to be the primary form of cervical cancer prevention. The objectives were (1) to determine knowledge about, and perception of human papilloma virus infection in relation to cervical cancer, (2) to explore the intention of the community to be vaccinated with human papilloma virus vaccine, and (3) to identify variables that could predict the likelihood of uptake of the vaccine. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in a semi-urban Town of Malaysia, using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Summary statistics, Pearson chi-square test and a binary logistic regression were used for data analysis. A total of 232 respondents were interviewed. Overall, only a few had good knowledge related to human papilloma virus (14%) or vaccination (8%). Many had misconceptions that it could be transmitted through blood transfusion (57%). Sixty percent had intention to take vaccination. In the binary logistic model, willingness to take vaccination was significant with 'trusts that vaccination would be effective for prevention of cervical cancer' (P = 0.001), 'worries for themselves' (P < 0.001) or 'their family members' (P = 0.003) and 'being Indian ethnicity' (P = 0.024). The model could fairly predict the likelihood of uptake of the vaccine (Cox & Snell R(2) = .415; Nagelkerke R(2) = 0.561). Results indicate that intensive health education dispelling misconception and risk perception towards human papilloma virus infection and cervical cancer would be helpful to increase the acceptability of vaccination program.

Emergy in 60 Minutes

EPA Science Inventory

This web presentation answers basic questions about the relatively new scientific concept, emergy. It dispels some of the confusion surrounding this idea in a PowerPoint presentation. The presentation is written in common language and uses straightforward examples. Emergy indic...

Myths and Misconceptions about LGBTQ Youth: School Counselors' Role in Advocacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abreu, Roberto L.; McEachern, Adriana G.; Kenny, Maureen C.

2017-01-01

Although schools are thought to be safe environments for all students, sexual minority and gender expansive (i.e., LGBTQ) students often feel unsafe and unwelcome as a result of misconceptions about their identity. This paper explores eight commonly held myths and misconceptions about LGBTQ youth. The role of professional school counselors (PSCs)…

Flares, Fears, and Forecasts: Public Misconceptions About the Sunspot Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, K.

2012-06-01

Among the disaster scenarios perpetrated by 2012 apocalypse aficionados is the destruction of humankind due to solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These scenarios reflect common misconceptions regarding the solar cycle. This paper (based on an annual meeting poster) sheds light on those misconceptions and how the AAVSO Solar Section can address them.

Early Childhood Teachers' Misconceptions about Mathematics Education for Young Children in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Joon Sun; Ginsburg, Herbert P.

2009-01-01

In this article we discuss nine common misconceptions about learning and teaching mathematics for young children that are widespread among prospective and practicing early childhood teachers in the United States. These misconceptions include: 1. Young children are not ready for mathematics education; 2. Mathematics is for some bright kids with…

HIV/AIDS Misconceptions among Latinos: Findings from a Population-Based Survey of California Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritieni, Assunta; Moskowitz, Joel; Tholandi, Maya

2008-01-01

Misconceptions about HIV/AIDS among Latino adults (N=454) in California were examined using data from a population-based telephone survey conducted in 2000. Common misconceptions concerning modes of HIV transmission included transmission via mosquito or animal bite (64.1%), public facilities (48.3%), or kissing someone on the cheek (24.8%). A…

A Review and Comparison of Diagnostic Instruments to Identify Students' Misconceptions in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gurel, Derya Kaltakci; Eryilmaz, Ali; McDermott, Lillian Christie

2015-01-01

Different diagnostic tools have been developed and used by researchers to identify students' conceptions. The present study aimed to provide an overview of the common diagnostic instruments in science to assess students' misconceptions. Also the study provides a brief comparison of these common diagnostic instruments with their strengths and…

A Computer-Based Instrument That Identifies Common Science Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larrabee, Timothy G.; Stein, Mary; Barman, Charles

2006-01-01

This article describes the rationale for and development of a computer-based instrument that helps identify commonly held science misconceptions. The instrument, known as the Science Beliefs Test, is a 47-item instrument that targets topics in chemistry, physics, biology, earth science, and astronomy. The use of an online data collection system…

Debunking EHEA Myths: Common ECTS Misconceptions and Why They Are Wrong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pérez Cañado, María Luisa

2009-01-01

The present article seeks to overcome some of the most common misconceptions which are currently proliferating in the application of the "European Credit Transfer System" (ECTS) at tertiary level. It presents and unpacks seven false myths affecting all the main curricular and organizational levels of the implementation of the new credit…

Complicated Politics to the Core

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGuinn, Patrick

2015-01-01

People dislike the Common Core for several different reasons, and so it is important to disaggregate the sources of opposition and to assess and then to dispel some of the myths that have built up around it. It also is important to understand the unusual political alliances that have emerged in opposition to Common Core implementation and how they…

6th Annual Midwest Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics, January 18-20, 2013, Urbana, Illinois

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pitts, Kevin T.

This document is the program for the 6th Annual Midwest Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics, which was held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on January 18-20, 2013. The goals of the conference were to foster a culture in which undergraduate women are encouraged and supported to pursue, and also to succeed in, higher education in physics; to provide career information to students in physics and related fields; to give women the resources, motivation, and confidence to apply to graduate school and successfully complete a Ph.D. program in Physics; to provide information and dispel misconceptions about the applicationmore » process for graduate school and the diverse employment opportunities in physics and related fields, enabling women to make more informed decisions about their goals and attain them; and to connect female physics students with successful female physicists to whom they can relate and who can act as inspirational role models and mentors.« less

Relations between intuitive biological thinking and biological misconceptions in biology majors and nonmajors.

PubMed

Coley, John D; Tanner, Kimberly

2015-03-02

Research and theory development in cognitive psychology and science education research remain largely isolated. Biology education researchers have documented persistent scientifically inaccurate ideas, often termed misconceptions, among biology students across biological domains. In parallel, cognitive and developmental psychologists have described intuitive conceptual systems--teleological, essentialist, and anthropocentric thinking--that humans use to reason about biology. We hypothesize that seemingly unrelated biological misconceptions may have common origins in these intuitive ways of knowing, termed cognitive construals. We presented 137 undergraduate biology majors and nonmajors with six biological misconceptions. They indicated their agreement with each statement, and explained their rationale for their response. Results indicate frequent agreement with misconceptions, and frequent use of construal-based reasoning among both biology majors and nonmajors in their written explanations. Moreover, results also show associations between specific construals and the misconceptions hypothesized to arise from those construals. Strikingly, such associations were stronger among biology majors than nonmajors. These results demonstrate important linkages between intuitive ways of thinking and misconceptions in discipline-based reasoning, and raise questions about the origins, persistence, and generality of relations between intuitive reasoning and biological misconceptions. © 2015 J. D. Coley and K. Tanner. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Utilizing Radioisotope Power System Waste Heat for Spacecraft Thermal Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pantano, David R.; Dottore, Frank; Tobery, E. Wayne; Geng, Steven M.; Schreiber, Jeffrey G.; Palko, Joseph L.

2005-01-01

An advantage of using a Radioisotope Power System (RPS) for deep space or planetary surface missions is the readily available waste heat, which can be used for a number of beneficial purposes including: maintaining electronic components within a controlled temperature range, warming propulsion tanks and mobility actuators, and maintaining liquid propellants above their freezing temperature. Previous missions using Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) dissipated large quantities of waste heat due to the low efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion technology. The next generation RPSs, such as the 110-Watt Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG110) will have higher conversion efficiencies, thereby rejecting less waste heat at a lower temperature and may require alternate approaches to transferring waste heat to the spacecraft. RTGs, with efficiencies of 6 to 7 percent, reject their waste heat at the relatively high heat rejection temperature of 200 C. This is an advantage when rejecting heat to space; however, transferring heat to the internal spacecraft components requires a large and heavy radiator heat exchanger. At the same time, sensitive spacecraft instruments must be shielded from the thermal radiation of the RTG. The SRG110, with an efficiency around 22 percent and 50 C nominal housing surface temperature, can readily transfer the available waste heat directly via heat pipes, thermal straps, or fluid loops. The lower temperatures associated with the SRG110 avoid the chances of overheating other scientific components, eliminating the need for thermal shields. This provides the spacecraft designers more flexibility when locating the generator for a specific mission. A common misconception with high-efficiency systems is that there is not enough waste heat for spacecraft thermal management. This paper will dispel this misconception and investigate the use of a high-efficiency SRG110 for spacecraft thermal management and outline potential methods of waste heat utilization in several conceptual missions (Lunar Rover, Mars Rover, and Titan Lander). The advantages associated with the SRG110 as they relate to ease of assembly, less complex interfaces, and overall mass savings for a spacecraft will be highlighted.

Myth-Busting Is a Bust for Patient Education: Making Salient Older Adults' Misconceptions about Osteoarthritis Fails to Lead to Lasting Corrections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ansburg, Pamela I.

2016-01-01

Older adults hold many misconceptions about health and wellness that reduce their health literacy. To counter these misconceptions, health educators commonly turn to educational interventions that include myth-busting--making explicit health-related myths and refuting those myths. Because of typical age-related changes in memory functioning, there…

Distance Education in the Digital Age: Common Misconceptions and Challenging Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guri-Rosenblit, Sarah

2009-01-01

This article discusses in its first part three common misconceptions related to the operation of distance education providers in the digital age: The tendency to relate to e-learning as the new generation of distance education; the confusion between ends and means of distance education; and the absence of the teachers' crucial role in the…

Potential Paradoxical Effects of Myth-Busting as a Nutrition Education Strategy for Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ansburg, Pamela I.; Heiss, Cynthia J.

2012-01-01

Medical myth-busting is a common health education strategy during which a health educator highlights common misconceptions about health and then presents evidence to refute those misconceptions. Whereas this strategy can be an effective way to correct faulty health beliefs held by young adults, research from the field of cognitive psychology…

Secondary School Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Some Common Student Errors and Misconceptions in Sets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolitsoe Moru, Eunice; Qhobela, Makomosela

2013-01-01

The study investigated teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of common students' errors and misconceptions in sets. Five mathematics teachers from one Lesotho secondary school were the sample of the study. Questionnaires and interviews were used for data collection. The results show that teachers were able to identify the following students'…

Common Misconceptions About Service-Oriented Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

addition, the architect(s) must make decisions on how services are implemented. Service implementations may involve developing new software , wrapping a...legacy software system, incor- porating services provided by third par- ties, or a combination of these options. Information about the quality attrib...temperature. However, there 28 CROSSTALK The Journal of Defense Software Engineering November 2007 Common Misconceptions About Service -Oriented

Airbags & children: making correct choices in child passenger restraints.

PubMed

Kamerling, Susan Nudelman

2002-01-01

Countless numbers of young lives are lost each year due to motor vehicle crashes. One of the most effective means of reducing the number of children killed and injured as occupants in motor vehicles is through the use of child passenger restraints. Seat belts and child safety seats save lives and reduce the severity of injuries sustained by occupants in motor vehicle crashes. Nurses are in a unique position to educate and influence families on the proper way to safely transport all motor vehicle passengers. Therefore, nurses working with infants, children, and families have a moral and professional obligation to understand the basics of child passenger safety. At the very least, nurses should be able to direct families appropriately for specifics related to child passenger restraints. The intent of this article is to provide an overview of child passenger safety through a historical, theoretical, and clinical approach. Proper child restraint use is reviewed based on current recommendations for age and size. The potential hazards of child restraint misuse, with an in-depth discussion on airbags, is presented. The discussion on airbags serves to dispel any misconceptions that may be held about airbags. The article includes two case studies that illustrate the injury potential of relatively common misuse patterns. The clinical implications for maternal-child nurses include the recognition that child passenger deaths are primarily due to child restraint nonuse and misuse and the realization of nursing's role in the promotion of proper child passenger restraint.

Normality of raw data in general linear models: The most widespread myth in statistics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kery, Marc; Hatfield, Jeff S.

2003-01-01

In years of statistical consulting for ecologists and wildlife biologists, by far the most common misconception we have come across has been the one about normality in general linear models. These comprise a very large part of the statistical models used in ecology and include t tests, simple and multiple linear regression, polynomial regression, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA). There is a widely held belief that the normality assumption pertains to the raw data rather than to the model residuals. We suspect that this error may also occur in countless published studies, whenever the normality assumption is tested prior to analysis. This may lead to the use of nonparametric alternatives (if there are any), when parametric tests would indeed be appropriate, or to use of transformations of raw data, which may introduce hidden assumptions such as multiplicative effects on the natural scale in the case of log-transformed data. Our aim here is to dispel this myth. We very briefly describe relevant theory for two cases of general linear models to show that the residuals need to be normally distributed if tests requiring normality are to be used, such as t and F tests. We then give two examples demonstrating that the distribution of the response variable may be nonnormal, and yet the residuals are well behaved. We do not go into the issue of how to test normality; instead we display the distributions of response variables and residuals graphically.

Fears and Beliefs in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Berenbaum, Francis; Chauvin, Pierre; Hudry, Christophe; Mathoret-Philibert, Florence; Poussiere, Maud; De Chalus, Thibault; Dreuillet, Caroline; Russo-Marie, Françoise; Joubert, Jean-Michel; Saraux, Alain

2014-01-01

Objectives To explore beliefs and apprehensions about disease and its treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis. Methods 25 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 25 with spondyloarthritis participated in semi-structured interviews about their disease and its treatment. The interviews were performed by trained interviewers in participants' homes. The interviews were recorded and the main themes identified by content analysis. Results Patients differentiated between the underlying cause of the disease, which was most frequently identified as a hereditary or individual predisposition. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the most frequently cited triggering factor for disease onset was a psychological factor or life-event, whereas patients with spondyloarthritis tended to focus more on an intrinsic vulnerability to disease. Stress and overexertion were considered important triggering factors for exacerbations, and relaxation techniques were frequently cited strategies to manage exacerbations. The unpredictability of the disease course was a common source of anxiety. Beliefs about the disease and apprehensions about the future tended to evolve over the course of the disease, as did treatment expectations. Conclusions Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis hold a core set of beliefs and apprehensions that reflect their level of information about their disease and are not necessarily appropriate. The physician can initiate discussion of these beliefs in order to dispel misconceptions, align treatment expectations, provide reassurance to the patient and readjust disease management. Such a dialogue would help improve standards of care in these chronic and incapacitating diseases. PMID:25474157

Students’ misconceptions on solubility equilibrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiowati, H.; Utomo, S. B.; Ashadi

2018-05-01

This study investigated the students’ misconceptions of the solubility equilibrium. The participants of the study consisted of 164 students who were in the science class of second year high school. Instrument used is two-tier diagnostic test consisting of 15 items. Responses were marked and coded into four categories: understanding, misconception, understand little without misconception, and not understanding. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 45 students according to their written responses which reflected different perspectives, to obtain a more elaborated source of data. Data collected from multiple methods were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Based on the data analysis showed that the students misconceptions in all areas in solubility equilibrium. They had more misconceptions such as in the relation of solubility and solubility product, common-ion effect and pH in solubility, and precipitation concept.

What Are They Thinking? The Development and Use of an Instrument that Identifies Common Science Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Mary; Barman, Charles R.; Larrabee, Timothy

2007-01-01

This article describes the rationale for, and development of, an online instrument that helps identify commonly held science misconceptions. Science Beliefs is a 47-item instrument that targets topics in chemistry, physics, biology, earth science, and astronomy. It utilizes a true or false, along with a written-explanation, format. The true or…

A Three-Tier Diagnostic Test to Assess Pre-Service Teachers' Misconceptions about Global Warming, Greenhouse Effect, Ozone Layer Depletion, and Acid Rain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozge Arslan, Harika; Cigdemoglu, Ceyhan; Moseley, Christine

2012-07-01

This study describes the development and validation of a three-tier multiple-choice diagnostic test, the atmosphere-related environmental problems diagnostic test (AREPDiT), to reveal common misconceptions of global warming (GW), greenhouse effect (GE), ozone layer depletion (OLD), and acid rain (AR). The development of a two-tier diagnostic test procedure as described by Treagust constitutes the framework for this study. To differentiate a lack of knowledge from a misconception, a certainty response index is added as a third tier to each item. Based on propositional knowledge statements, related literature, and the identified misconceptions gathered initially from 157 pre-service teachers, the AREPDiT was constructed and administered to 256 pre-service teachers. The Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of the pre-service teachers' scores was estimated to be 0.74. Content and face validations were established by senior experts. A moderate positive correlation between the participants' both-tiers scores and their certainty scores indicated evidence for construct validity. Therefore, the AREPDiT is a reliable and valid instrument not only to identify pre-service teachers' misconceptions about GW, GE, OLD, and AR but also to differentiate these misconceptions from lack of knowledge. The results also reveal that a majority of the respondents demonstrated limited understandings about atmosphere-related environmental problems and held six common misconceptions. Future studies could test the AREPDiT as a tool for assessing the misconceptions held by pre-service teachers from different programs as well as in-service teachers and high school students.

Earth Science Misconceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philips, William C.

1991-01-01

Presented is a list of over 50 commonly held misconceptions based on a literature review found in students and adults. The list covers earth science topics such as space, the lithosphere, the biosphere, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the cryosphere. (KR)

Charles Darwin 1809-2009.

PubMed

van Wyhe, John

2009-02-01

The year 2009 is the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. This article briefly surveys his life and work, dispelling some common myths and summarizes Darwin's achievement and legacy at his death in 1882.

The relevance of the social networking media in Ebola virus disease prevention and control in Southwestern Nigeria.

PubMed

Adebimpe, Wasiu Olalekan; Adeyemi, Damilare Hakeem; Faremi, Ayodeji; Ojo, John Olujide; Efuntoye, Adeola Ebun

2015-01-01

The Social Media (SM) is fast becoming a huge avenue to create and spread health awareness amongst youths. Meanwhile news surrounding the on-going Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa are frightening. This study assessed the relevance of the social networking media in spreading awareness about EVD prevention and control in Southwestern Nigeria. Descriptive cross sectional study among 400 youths selected using multistage sampling method. Research instruments used were semi structured self administered questionnaires that were analyzed using the SPSS software version 17.0. Three hundred and eighty (95.0%) of respondents were members of a social network. Several misconceptions trailed the spread of information about EVD. Though only 21(7.3%) bothered to ascertain the reliability of such information before use, 332 (83.0%) believed that SM can also be used to dispel rumours on health information, 337(84.3%) said they would like the use of SM regulated, while 206 (51.6%) still believed that SM is effective in disseminating health information among youths. Only 79.4% had good knowledge of EVD, and 30.7% of respondents had misinformation about EVD. Determinants of good level of knowledge about EVD through SM contacts include being a male, having SM as the first source of information on EVD and believing that SM could assist to disseminate and improve health information. Misconceptions spread through the SM fuelled the ongoing EVD outbreak in West Africa. There is a need for the concerned authority to create awareness through SM contacts as well as regulate its use.

Relations between Intuitive Biological Thinking and Biological Misconceptions in Biology Majors and Nonmajors

PubMed Central

Coley, John D.; Tanner, Kimberly

2015-01-01

Research and theory development in cognitive psychology and science education research remain largely isolated. Biology education researchers have documented persistent scientifically inaccurate ideas, often termed misconceptions, among biology students across biological domains. In parallel, cognitive and developmental psychologists have described intuitive conceptual systems—teleological, essentialist, and anthropocentric thinking—that humans use to reason about biology. We hypothesize that seemingly unrelated biological misconceptions may have common origins in these intuitive ways of knowing, termed cognitive construals. We presented 137 undergraduate biology majors and nonmajors with six biological misconceptions. They indicated their agreement with each statement, and explained their rationale for their response. Results indicate frequent agreement with misconceptions, and frequent use of construal-based reasoning among both biology majors and nonmajors in their written explanations. Moreover, results also show associations between specific construals and the misconceptions hypothesized to arise from those construals. Strikingly, such associations were stronger among biology majors than nonmajors. These results demonstrate important linkages between intuitive ways of thinking and misconceptions in discipline-based reasoning, and raise questions about the origins, persistence, and generality of relations between intuitive reasoning and biological misconceptions. PMID:25713093

Prevalence and Persistence of Misconceptions in Tree Thinking.

PubMed

Kummer, Tyler A; Whipple, Clinton J; Jensen, Jamie L

2016-12-01

Darwin described evolution as "descent with modification." Descent, however, is not an explicit focus of most evolution instruction and often leaves deeply held misconceptions to dominate student understanding of common ancestry and species relatedness. Evolutionary trees are ways of visually depicting descent by illustrating the relationships between species and groups of species. The ability to properly interpret and use evolutionary trees has become known as "tree thinking." We used a 20-question assessment to measure misconceptions in tree thinking and compare the proportion of students who hold these misconceptions in an introductory biology course with students in two higher-level courses including a senior level biology course. We found that misconceptions related to reading the graphic ( reading the tips and node counting ) were variably influenced across time with reading the tips decreasing and node counting increasing in prevalence. On the other hand, misconceptions related to the fundamental underpinnings of evolutionary theory ( ladder thinking and similarity equals relatedness ) proved resistant to change during a typical undergraduate study of biology. A possible new misconception relating to the length of the branches in an evolutionary tree is described. Understanding the prevalence and persistence of misconceptions informs educators as to which misconceptions should be targeted in their courses.

Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention on Reducing Misconceptions Among Ethnic Minorities With Complicated Mild to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

PubMed Central

Pappadis, Monique R.; Sander, Angelle M.; Łukaszewska, Beata; Struchen, Margaret A.; Leung, Patrick; Smith, Dennis W.

2018-01-01

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention designed to reduce traumatic brain injury (TBI)–related misconceptions among blacks and Latinos with complicated mild to severe TBI. Design Randomized controlled trial with masked 1-month follow-up. Setting Community. Participants Persons (N = 52) with complicated mild to severe TBI (mean best day 1 Glasgow Coma Scale score, 11.27±3.89) were randomly recruited from 141 eligible participants (mean age, 37.71±13.88y; age range, 19–66y; mean months postinjury, 24.69±11.50); 25 participants (48.1%) of participants were black and 27 (51.9%) were Hispanic/Latino. Of the Hispanic/Latino participants, 18 (66.7%) were non-U.S. born and 12 (44.4%) spoke Spanish as their primary language. Twenty-seven individuals were randomized to the educational intervention group and 25 were randomized to the wait-list control group. Interventions Single-session educational intervention with written materials provided in English or Spanish. Main Outcome Measures Forty-item Common Misconceptions about Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire administered at baseline and 1-month follow-up. Results After controlling for ethnic and language differences, a significant between-group main effect (P = .010) and a significant time-group interaction for the Common Misconceptions about Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire were noted (Wilks Λ = .89; F1,46 = 6.00; P = .02). The intervention group showed a decrease in TBI misconception percentages, whereas the wait-list control group maintained similar percentages. At 1-month follow-up, the wait-list control group reported more misconceptions than did the intervention group (P = .019). Conclusions An educational intervention developed to address the recovery process, common symptoms, and ways to handle the symptoms provides promise as a tool to decrease TBI misconceptions among persons from ethnically and educationally diverse backgrounds. The effects of therapist characteristics and the client-therapist relation on outcomes should be further explored. PMID:28007444

Sports Nutrition for Young Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotugna, Nancy; Vickery, Connie E.; McBee, Sheldon

2005-01-01

Nutritional needs for peak athletic performance include sufficient calorie intake, adequate hydration, and attention to timing of meals. Student athletes and their advisors often are misinformed or have misconceptions about sports nutrition. This paper identifies nutritional needs of young athletes, reviews common misconceptions, and examines the…

School Accountability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evers, Williamson M., Ed.; Walberg, Herbert J., Ed.

This book presents the perspectives of experts from the fields of history, economics, political science, and psychology on what is known about accountability, what still needs to be learned, what should be done right now, and what should be avoided in devising accountability systems. The common myths about accountability are dispelled and how it…

Managing Difficult, Frustrating, and Hostile Conversations: Strategies for Savvy Administrators. Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kosmoski, Georgia J.; Pollack, Dennis R.

2005-01-01

The second edition of this best-selling resource provides new and updated content influenced by the feedback of over 250 school administrators. "Managing Difficult, Frustrating, and Hostile Conversations" uncovers safe and effective strategies for dispelling common sensitive situations such as handling legitimate complaints, controlling those…

Funding, Funding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altman, Micah

2009-01-01

I show herein how to develop fundable proposals to support your research. Although the proposal strategy I discuss is commonly used in successful proposals, most junior faculty (and many senior scholars) in political science and other social sciences seem to be unaware of it. I dispel myths about funding, and discuss how to find funders and target…

Breaking Down Barriers: Addressing student misconceptions in the K-12 classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisenhamer, B.; McCallister, J. D.; Knisely, L.

2004-05-01

A typical astronomy question an educator may ask their students is "What is a black hole?" Many times, students' responses sound more like an episode of Star Trek than an understanding about the universe and how it works: responses such as "Black holes are worm holes in space" or "A black hole is a huge vacuum in space, sucking everything in". These are all common astronomy misconceptions about black holes. A misconception is defined as a preconceived notion of how the world, or in the case of astronomy - the universe, works. Misconceptions may originate for a variety of reasons, from miscommunication, to oversimplification, to misrepresentation via the media or pop culture. Students who latch on to an astronomy misconception may have difficulty learning new information that is built upon the existing misconception. Additionally, educators who are not able to identify and address misconceptions can create learning barriers that may resonate throughout a students' life. This poster will introduce some of the extensive research that has gone into determining typical student misconceptions about astronomy, ways to identify them, and how students develop them. The poster will also explain why teachers need to be aware of ideas and concepts students may harbor as well as how misconceptions can be remedied.

Prevalence and Persistence of Misconceptions in Tree Thinking†

PubMed Central

Kummer, Tyler A.; Whipple, Clinton J.; Jensen, Jamie L.

2016-01-01

Darwin described evolution as “descent with modification.” Descent, however, is not an explicit focus of most evolution instruction and often leaves deeply held misconceptions to dominate student understanding of common ancestry and species relatedness. Evolutionary trees are ways of visually depicting descent by illustrating the relationships between species and groups of species. The ability to properly interpret and use evolutionary trees has become known as “tree thinking.” We used a 20-question assessment to measure misconceptions in tree thinking and compare the proportion of students who hold these misconceptions in an introductory biology course with students in two higher-level courses including a senior level biology course. We found that misconceptions related to reading the graphic (reading the tips and node counting) were variably influenced across time with reading the tips decreasing and node counting increasing in prevalence. On the other hand, misconceptions related to the fundamental underpinnings of evolutionary theory (ladder thinking and similarity equals relatedness) proved resistant to change during a typical undergraduate study of biology. A possible new misconception relating to the length of the branches in an evolutionary tree is described. Understanding the prevalence and persistence of misconceptions informs educators as to which misconceptions should be targeted in their courses. PMID:28101265

Twelve myths about shared decision making.

PubMed

Légaré, France; Thompson-Leduc, Philippe

2014-09-01

As shared decision makes increasing headway in healthcare policy, it is under more scrutiny. We sought to identify and dispel the most prevalent myths about shared decision making. In 20 years in the shared decision making field one of the author has repeatedly heard mention of the same barriers to scaling up shared decision making across the healthcare spectrum. We conducted a selective literature review relating to shared decision making to further investigate these commonly perceived barriers and to seek evidence supporting their existence or not. Beliefs about barriers to scaling up shared decision making represent a wide range of historical, cultural, financial and scientific concerns. We found little evidence to support twelve of the most common beliefs about barriers to scaling up shared decision making, and indeed found evidence to the contrary. Our selective review of the literature suggests that twelve of the most commonly perceived barriers to scaling up shared decision making across the healthcare spectrum should be termed myths as they can be dispelled by evidence. Our review confirms that the current debate about shared decision making must not deter policy makers and clinicians from pursuing its scaling up across the healthcare continuum. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Investigating Undergraduate Students' Use of Intuitive Reasoning and Evolutionary Knowledge in Explanations of Antibiotic Resistance.

PubMed

Richard, Melissa; Coley, John D; Tanner, Kimberly D

2017-01-01

Natural selection is a central concept throughout biology; however, it is a process frequently misunderstood. Bacterial resistance to antibiotic medications provides a contextual example of the relevance of evolutionary theory and is also commonly misunderstood. While research has shed light on student misconceptions of natural selection, minimal study has focused on misconceptions of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, research has focused on the degree to which misconceptions may be based in the complexity of biological information or in pedagogical choices, rather than in deep-seated cognitive patterns. Cognitive psychology research has established that humans develop early intuitive assumptions to make sense of the world. In this study, we used a written assessment tool to investigate undergraduate students' misconceptions of antibiotic resistance, use of intuitive reasoning, and application of evolutionary knowledge to antibiotic resistance. We found a majority of students produced and agreed with misconceptions, and intuitive reasoning was present in nearly all students' written explanations. Acceptance of a misconception was significantly associated with production of a hypothesized form of intuitive thinking (all p ≤ 0.05). Intuitive reasoning may represent a subtle but innately appealing linguistic shorthand, and instructor awareness of intuitive reasoning's relation to student misunderstandings has potential for addressing persistent misconceptions. © 2017 M. Richard et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2017 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Misconceptions about the Golden Ratio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markowsky, George

1992-01-01

Typically, the mathematical properties concerning the golden ratio are stated correctly, but much of what is presented with respect to the golden ratio in art, architecture, literature, and aesthetics is false or seriously misleading. Discussed here are some of the most commonly repeated misconceptions promulgated, particularly within mathematics…

The Effective Use of an Interactive Software Program to Reduce Students' Misconceptions about Batteries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, E.-M.; Greenbowe, T. J.; Andre, T.

2004-01-01

The misconceptions of students regarding electricity and electrochemistry in the context of operation of a common flashlight are discussed. An Interactive Software Program (ISP) is used for better conceptual understanding of the operation of commercial batteries in a circuit.

No sulfates, no parabens, and the "no-poo" method: a new patient perspective on common shampoo ingredients.

PubMed

Cline, Abigail; Uwakwe, Laura N; McMichael, Amy J

2018-01-01

The ingredients in shampoos and other cosmetic products have become scrutinized by the general public and the Internet has contributed to misinformation about certain shampoos. Dermatologists must be prepared to acknowledge the concerns that their patients have about common shampoo ingredients to dispel the myths that may misinform patient decision-making. This article reviews the controversy surrounding the use of sulfates and parabens in shampoos, as well as commonly used shampoo alternatives, often called the "no-poo" method.

Public engagement in Malawi through a health-talk radio programme ' Umoyo nkukambirana': A mixed-methods evaluation.

PubMed

Nyirenda, Deborah; Makawa, Tamara Chipasula; Chapita, Greyson; Mdalla, Chisomo; Nkolokosa, Mzati; O'byrne, Thomasena; Heyderman, Robert; Desmond, Nicola

2018-02-01

Radio is an effective source of health information in many resource poor countries. In Malawi, 53% of households own radios however few radio programmes in Malawi focus on health issues in the context of medical research. An interactive health-talk radio programme ' Umoyo nkukambirana' was introduced by Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme on a national radio station. The aim was to increase awareness of health and medical research, and improve engagement between researchers, healthcare workers and the public. The content and presentation were developed through participatory community consultations. Focus Group Discussions were conducted with established Radio Listening Clubs whilst quantitative data was collected using toll free FrontlineSMS to explore national response. A total of 277 to 695 SMS (Median: 477) were received per theme. The majority of SMS were received from men (64%) and mainly from rural areas (54%). The programme improved knowledge of medical research, health and dispelled misconceptions. This study suggests that the radio may be an effective means of increasing the exposure of men to health information in resource poor settings.

Public engagement in Malawi through a health-talk radio programme ‘Umoyo nkukambirana’: A mixed-methods evaluation

PubMed Central

Nyirenda, Deborah; Makawa, Tamara Chipasula; Chapita, Greyson; Mdalla, Chisomo; Nkolokosa, Mzati; O’byrne, Thomasena; Heyderman, Robert; Desmond, Nicola

2016-01-01

Radio is an effective source of health information in many resource poor countries. In Malawi, 53% of households own radios however few radio programmes in Malawi focus on health issues in the context of medical research. An interactive health-talk radio programme ‘Umoyo nkukambirana’ was introduced by Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme on a national radio station. The aim was to increase awareness of health and medical research, and improve engagement between researchers, healthcare workers and the public. The content and presentation were developed through participatory community consultations. Focus Group Discussions were conducted with established Radio Listening Clubs whilst quantitative data was collected using toll free FrontlineSMS to explore national response. A total of 277 to 695 SMS (Median: 477) were received per theme. The majority of SMS were received from men (64%) and mainly from rural areas (54%). The programme improved knowledge of medical research, health and dispelled misconceptions. This study suggests that the radio may be an effective means of increasing the exposure of men to health information in resource poor settings. PMID:27365364

Efficacy and Safety of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception

PubMed Central

Stoddard, Amy; McNicholas, Colleen; Peipert, Jeffrey F.

2013-01-01

Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) includes intrauterine devices (IUDs) and the subdermal implant. These methods are the most effective reversible methods of contraception, and have the additional advantages of being long-lasting, convenient, well liked by users and cost effective. Compared with other user-dependent methods that increase the risk of noncompliance-related method failure, LARC methods can bring ‘typical use’ failure rates more in line with ‘perfect use’ failure rates. LARC methods are ‘forgettable’; they are not dependent on compliance with a pill-taking regimen, remembering to change a patch or ring, or coming back to the clinician for an injection. LARC method failure rates rival that of tubal sterilization at <1% for IUDs and the subdermal implant. For these reasons, we believe that IUDs and implants should be offered as first-line contraception for most women. This article provides a review of the LARC methods that are currently available in the US, including their effectiveness, advantages, disadvantages and contraindications. Additionally, we dispel myths and misconceptions regarding IUDs, and address the barriers to LARC use. PMID:21668037

Targeting Instruction with Formative Assessment Probes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fagan, Emily R.; Tobey, Cheryl Rose; Brodesky, Amy R.

2016-01-01

This article introduces the formative assessment probe--a powerful tool for collecting focused, actionable information about student thinking and potential misconceptions--along with a process for targeting instruction in response to probe results. Drawing on research about common student mathematical misconceptions as well as the former work of…

Misconceptions of positivism and five unnecessary science theoretic mistakes they bring in their train.

PubMed

Persson, Johannes

2010-05-01

Positivism is sometimes rejected for the wrong reasons. Influential textbooks on nursing research and in other disciplines tend to reinforce the misconceptions underlying these rejections. This is problematic, since it provides students of these disciplines with a poor basis for reflecting on epistemological and methodological perspectives. It is particularly common for positivist views on reality and causation to be obscured. The first part of this discussion paper identifies and explains the misconceptions about positivism as they appear in two influential textbooks. The second part pinpoints five mistakes these misconceptions easily result in when the researcher adopts an epistemological and methodological standpoint. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE TEACHING OF PHYSICS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WARREN, J. W.

MANY IDEAS TAUGHT IN ELEMENTARY PHYSICS TODAY ARE EITHER FALSE IN FACT OR ABSURD IN LOGIC, AND HAVING BEEN CARRIED ALONG BY TRADITIONAL PRACTICE, THESE ERRORS AND MISCONCEPTIONS CONTINUE TO BE PROMULGATED. MANY MISCONCEPTIONS AND ERRORS COMMONLY FOUND IN CURRENT TEXTBOOKS ARE EXAMINED. AREAS DEALT WITH ARE (1) FORCES, (2) GRAVITATION, (3) ENERGY,…

Rib Torque Does Not Assist Resting Tidal Expiration or Most Conversational Speech Expiration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hixon, Thomas J.

2006-01-01

Purpose: This research note discusses a common misconception in speech science and speech-language pathology textbooks that rib torque (i.e., "rotational stress") assists resting tidal expiration and conversational speech production. Method: The nature of this misconception is considered. Conclusion: An alternate conceptualization is offered that…

Challenging Cognitive Construals: A Dynamic Alternative to Stable Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gouvea, Julia S.; Simon, Matt R.

2018-01-01

In biology education research, it has been common to model cognition in terms of relatively stable knowledge structures (e.g., mental models, alternative frameworks, deeply held misconceptions). For example, John D. Coley and Kimberley D. Tanner recently proposed that many student difficulties in biology stem from underlying cognitive frameworks…

Student Teacher Understanding of the Greenhouse Effect, Ozone Layer Depletion, and Acid Rain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dove, Jane

1996-01-01

Describes the results of a survey designed to ascertain details of student teachers' knowledge and misconceptions about the greenhouse effect, acid rain, and ozone layer depletion. Results indicate familiarity with the issues but little understanding of the concepts involved and many commonly held misconceptions. (JRH)

Understanding Atmospheric Carbon Budgets: Teaching Students Conservation of Mass

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reichert, Collin; Cervato, Cinzia; Niederhauser, Dale; Larsen, Michael D.

2015-01-01

In this paper we describe student use of a series of connected online problem-solving activities to remediate atmospheric carbon budget misconceptions held by undergraduate university students. In particular, activities were designed to address a common misconception about conservation of mass when students assume a simplistic, direct relationship…

Graphing Misconceptions and Possible Remedies Using Microcomputer-Based Labs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barclay, William L.

Graphing is a common and powerful symbol system for representing concrete data. Yet research has shown that students often have graphical misconceptions about how graphs are related to the concrete event. Currently, the Technical Education Research Center (TERC) is developing microcomputer-based laboratories (MBL) science units that use probes to…

Focus on Inhalants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Challenge: Safe, Disciplines, and Drug-Free Schools, 1994

1994-01-01

The use of inhalants is a major health concern among the school-age population. Information presented in this publication dispels the myths about inhalant use and presents common warning signs that alert teachers to a student's use. The short- and long-term effects of inhalant use are described to shed light on the health risks involved. Lesson…

Challenging the Status Quo: Evidence That Introductory Psychology Can Dispel Myths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Maureen A.; Frantz, Sue

2016-01-01

Student beliefs in common psychological misperceptions were assessed at the beginning of an introductory psychology course, the end of the course, and again 1 year later. At the end of the course, students' previously held misperceptions of psychological phenomena shifted toward more accurate perceptions, and 1 year later, students reported that…

78 FR 54653 - Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-05

... materials on opinions about CRC screening tests. Each respondent will be randomly assigned to one of three... treatment group that receives a ``No Excuses'' educational flyer designed to dispel many common reasons for... randomly selected from the KN KnowledgePanel[supreg]. A pre-test of study procedures will be conducted...

Understanding of the risk of HIV infection among the elderly in Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa

PubMed Central

Lekalakala-Mokgele, Eucebious

2014-01-01

Abstract The literature pertaining to the elderly shows that HIV infection among this population is on the increase, suggesting that the elderly population engages in activities risky for HIV infection. Reports on such behaviour include frequent sexual relations with much younger people and having multiple partners. A study was carried out in Ga-Rankuwa, a black township in Gauteng Province, South Africa to explore and describe the understanding of these elderly people regarding their risks of HIV infection and AIDS. Using a qualitative, exploratory design, three focus-group interviews were conducted with 32 women aged over 50 years. Findings revealed that older persons have knowledge about transmission of HIV infection and AIDS. However, a few had misconceptions as to how HIV infection is transmitted, as they believed that poor nutrition and sharing facilities play a role. Knowledge of mechanisms of protecting themselves against infection, such as use of a condom during coitus and wearing gloves when caring for infected family members, was also evident. The elderly indicated that they would prefer an older person, who they could identify with, to educate them more about HIV infection and AIDS. Although majority of participants had knowledge of how HIV is transmitted, and issues that put them at risk of transmission, a few the older persons had misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted due to lack of knowledge, as they believed that poor nutrition and sharing facilities can transmit infection. The lack of knowledge underscores the importance of addressing sexual risk with older people. It was very clear that more needs to be done in terms of education campaigns to dispel the myths of HIV infection and to empower the elderly. PMID:24957136

Understanding of the risk of HIV infection among the elderly in Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa.

PubMed

Lekalakala-Mokgele, Eucebious

2014-01-01

The literature pertaining to the elderly shows that HIV infection among this population is on the increase, suggesting that the elderly population engages in activities risky for HIV infection. Reports on such behaviour include frequent sexual relations with much younger people and having multiple partners. A study was carried out in Ga-Rankuwa, a black township in Gauteng Province, South Africa to explore and describe the understanding of these elderly people regarding their risks of HIV infection and AIDS. Using a qualitative, exploratory design, three focus-group interviews were conducted with 32 women aged over 50 years. Findings revealed that older persons have knowledge about transmission of HIV infection and AIDS. However, a few had misconceptions as to how HIV infection is transmitted, as they believed that poor nutrition and sharing facilities play a role. Knowledge of mechanisms of protecting themselves against infection, such as use of a condom during coitus and wearing gloves when caring for infected family members, was also evident. The elderly indicated that they would prefer an older person, who they could identify with, to educate them more about HIV infection and AIDS. Although majority of participants had knowledge of how HIV is transmitted, and issues that put them at risk of transmission, a few the older persons had misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted due to lack of knowledge, as they believed that poor nutrition and sharing facilities can transmit infection. The lack of knowledge underscores the importance of addressing sexual risk with older people. It was very clear that more needs to be done in terms of education campaigns to dispel the myths of HIV infection and to empower the elderly.

Identification and addressing reduction-related misconceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gal-Ezer, Judith; Trakhtenbrot, Mark

2016-07-01

Reduction is one of the key techniques used for problem-solving in computer science. In particular, in the theory of computation and complexity (TCC), mapping and polynomial reductions are used for analysis of decidability and computational complexity of problems, including the core concept of NP-completeness. Reduction is a highly abstract technique that involves revealing close non-trivial connections between problems that often seem to have nothing in common. As a result, proper understanding and application of reduction is a serious challenge for students and a source of numerous misconceptions. The main contribution of this paper is detection of such misconceptions, analysis of their roots, and proposing a way to address them in an undergraduate TCC course. Our observations suggest that the main source of the misconceptions is the false intuitive rule "the bigger is a set/problem, the harder it is to solve". Accordingly, we developed a series of exercises for proactive prevention of these misconceptions.

Complicating common ideas about medical tourism: gender, class, and globality in Yemenis' international medical travel.

PubMed

Kangas, Beth

2011-01-01

Three cases of international medical travelers from Yemen, a capital‐poor country in the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula, help to counter misconceptions within discussions of medical tourism. These misconceptions include the suggestion of leisure in medical tourism, the role of gender and class, and the ease with which we dismiss the health concerns of wealthy individuals. Instead, this article proposes, we should uncover commonalities and differences within international medical travel while avoiding slipping into generalities and stereotypical portrayals.

Investigation to reduce students’ misconception in energy material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wijayanti, M. D.; Raharjo, S. B.; Saputro, S.; Mulyani, S.

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study is to analyse the misconception of Teacher Candidate of Elementary School (PGSD) on energy materials. This research is expected to be a common misconception in teaching and learning activities. One solution to overcome misconceptions is by investigation. This study uses qualitative research. The subject of this research needs 35 students. Data analysis is done by comparing the observation and test results. The results of this study is the result of students learning outcomes through cycle I and cycle II. The first cycle is due to overweight misconceptions of 18.57% and cycle II of 35.71%. Misconception can be caused by a procedural negligence. Students of PGSD Are examined to show if they understood in a simple movement problem which needs a neverse proportionality concept, to find out a way to prevent misunderstanding. The examination may consist of the question of energy materials by different representation for each student. The conceptual knowledge of the students show incorrectness because they feel confused of existing knowledge they got in their daily lives. It can cause scientific misunderstanding. The declining in student misconceptions is caused by investigation process. Search and data collection are helpful in improving their thinking skills.

Using Pre-Assessment and In-Class Questions to Change Student Understanding of Molecular Movements †

PubMed Central

Shi, J.; Knight, Jennifer K.; Chun, Hyonho; Guild, Nancy A.; Martin, Jennifer M.

2017-01-01

Understanding how different types of molecules move through cell membranes is a fundamental part of cell biology. To identify and address student misconceptions surrounding molecular movement through cell membranes, we surveyed student understanding on this topic using pre-class questions, in-class clicker questions, and subsequent exam questions in a large introductory biology course. Common misconceptions identified in student responses to the pre-class assessment questions were used to generate distractors for clicker questions. Two-tier diagnostic clicker questions were used to probe incoming common student misconceptions (first tier) and their reasoning (second tier). Two subsequent lectures with assessment clicker questions were used to help students construct a new framework to understand molecular movement through cell membranes. Comparison of pre-assessment and post-assessment (exam) performance showed dramatic improvement in students’ understanding of molecular movement: student answers to exam questions were 74.6% correct with correct reasoning while only 1.3% of the student answers were correct with correct reasoning on the pre-class assessment. Our results show that students’ conceptual understanding of molecular movement through cell membranes progressively increases through discussions of a series of clicker questions and suggest that this clicker-based teaching strategy was highly effective in correcting common student misconceptions on this topic. PMID:28512521

A Probabilistic Model for Diagnosing Misconceptions by a Pattern Classification Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatsuoka, Kikumi K.

A probabilistic approach is introduced to classify and diagnose erroneous rules of operation resulting from a variety of misconceptions ("bugs") in a procedural domain of arithmetic. The model is contrasted with the deterministic approach which has commonly been used in the field of artificial intelligence, and the advantage of treating the…

The Heat Is On! Using Particle Models to Change Students' Conceptions of Heat and Temperature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hitt, Austin Manning; Townsend, J. Scott

2015-01-01

Elementary, middle-level, and high school science teachers commonly find their students have misconceptions about heat and temperature. Unfortunately, student misconceptions are difficult to modify or change and can prevent students from learning the accurate scientific explanation. In order to improve our students' understanding of heat and…

Palaeomagnetism or Palaeomagic? Misconceptions about Rock Magnetism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Phil

2016-01-01

The study and understanding of paleomagnetism has been pivotal in the development of the theory of plate tectonics. When it is taught in schools there are a number possible misconceptions that need to be addressed. This article attempts to provide an explanation of rock magnetism as well as strategies to avoid reinforcing some commonly identified…

Using Just in Time Teaching in a Global Climate Change Course to Address Misconceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuenemann, K. C.

2013-12-01

Just in Time Teaching (JiTT) is employed in an introductory Global Climate Change college course with the intention of addressing common misconceptions and climate myths. Students enter the course with a variety of prior knowledge and opinions on global warming, and JiTT can be used as a constructivist pedagogical approach to make use of this prior knowledge. Students are asked to watch a short video or do a reading, sometimes screen capture videos created by the professor as review of material from the previous class, a video available on the web from NASA or NOAA, for example, or a reading from an online article or their textbook. After the video or reading, students answer a question carefully designed to pry at a common misconception, or simply are asked for the 'muddiest point' that remains on the concept. This assignment is done the night before class using a web program. The program aggregates the answers in an organized way so the professor can use the answers to design the day's lesson to address common misconceptions or concerns students displayed in their answers, as well as quickly assign participation credit to students who completed the assignment. On the other hand, if students display that they have already mastered the material, the professor can confidently move on to the next concept. The JiTT pedagogical method personalizes each lecture period to the students in that particular class for maximum efficiency while catching and fixing misconceptions in a timely manner. This technique requires students to spend time with the material outside of class, acts as review of important concepts, and increases engagement in class due to the personalization of the course. Evaluation results from use of this technique will be presented. Examples of successful JiTT videos, questions, student answers, and techniques for addressing misconceptions during lecture will also be presented with the intention that instructors can easily apply this technique to their next course.

Dispelling 10 Common Disaster Recovery Myths: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina and Other Disasters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landry, Brett J. L.; Koger, M. Scott

2006-01-01

Disasters happen all the time; yet despite this, many organizations are caught unprepared or make unrealistic assumptions. These factors create environments that will fail during a disaster. Most information technology (IT) curricula do not cover disaster recovery (DR) plans and strategies in depth. The unfortunate result is that most new computer…

Awareness and perceptions of electroconvulsive therapy among psychiatric patients: a cross-sectional survey from teaching hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan.

PubMed

Arshad, Mehreen; Arham, Ahmad Zafir; Arif, Mansoor; Bano, Maria; Bashir, Ayisha; Bokutz, Munira; Choudhary, Maria Maqbool; Naqvi, Haider; Khan, Murad Moosa

2007-06-21

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is shown to be effective in many psychiatric illnesses, but its distorted projection by the Pakistani media and its unregulated use by many physicians across the country have adversely affected its acceptability. Given this situation we aimed to assess the awareness and perceptions regarding ECT as a treatment modality among the psychiatric patients. This was a questionnaire based cross-sectional study carried out at 2 tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. We interviewed 190 patients of which 140 were aware of ECT. The study showed that the level of education had a significant impact on the awareness of ECT (p = 0.009). The most common source of awareness was electronic and print media (38%), followed by relatives (24%) and doctors (23%). Physical injuries (42%) and neurological (12%) and cognitive disturbances (11%) were the commonly feared side effects. The most popular belief about ECT was that it was a treatment of last resort (56%). Thirty-nine percent thought that ECT could lead to severe mental and physical illness and 37% considered it inhumane. Patients' willingness to receive ECT was dependant on whether or not they were convinced of its safety (p = 0.001) and efficacy (p = 0.0001). We identified a serious lack of dissemination of information regarding ECT by the psychiatrists and the mental health care providers. This may be the result of an inadequate postgraduate training in Pakistan or just a lack of concern about the mentally ill patients. The media seemed to be the major source of information for our patients. We also saw the prevalence of a variety of myths regarding ECT in our society, which we feel may be responsible for the patients' adverse attitudes. Given the widespread applicability of ECT there is a dire need to dispel these misconceptions and improve its acceptability.

Cardiac misconceptions in healthcare workers.

PubMed

Angus, Neil; Patience, Fiona; Maclean, Elizabeth; Corrigall, Helen; Bradbury, Ian; Thompson, David R; Atherton, Iain; Leslie, Stephen J

2012-12-01

Cardiac misconceptions are common and may have a detrimental effect on patients. Such misconceptions may be introduced or reinforced by vague and inconsistent advice from healthcare staff and can adversely affect health outcomes. To assess whether level of cardiac misconceptions significantly differs between groups of healthcare staff based on occupation. The 22-item York cardiac beliefs questionnaire (YCBQ) was administered to a convenience sample of healthcare staff (n = 263) in direct contact with cardiac patients. Data was also collected on the occupation of healthcare staff and years worked. Medical staff had the lowest mean score (17.5, CI 15.6-19.4), indicating fewest misconceptions, and unqualified healthcare workers had the highest mean score (32.1, CI 28.4-35.7). Analysis by ANOVA indicated differences between staff groups to be statistically significant (F = 17.66, p < 0.001). Length of time worked was found to be significantly associated with cardiac misconception score (Pearson's r = - 0.243, p < 0.001). Further analysis demonstrated that significant differences between mean group scores remained when years worked was defined as a covariate, F = 15.68, p < 0.001). There is significant variability in cardiac misconceptions in different groups of healthcare staff. Education to correct cardiac misconceptions should be particularly targeted at unqualified healthcare staff. The importance of maintaining appropriate ratios of qualified to unqualified healthcare staff in the care of cardiac patients is supported by this study.

Dispel4py: An Open-Source Python library for Data-Intensive Seismology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filgueira, Rosa; Krause, Amrey; Spinuso, Alessandro; Klampanos, Iraklis; Danecek, Peter; Atkinson, Malcolm

2015-04-01

Scientific workflows are a necessary tool for many scientific communities as they enable easy composition and execution of applications on computing resources while scientists can focus on their research without being distracted by the computation management. Nowadays, scientific communities (e.g. Seismology) have access to a large variety of computing resources and their computational problems are best addressed using parallel computing technology. However, successful use of these technologies requires a lot of additional machinery whose use is not straightforward for non-experts: different parallel frameworks (MPI, Storm, multiprocessing, etc.) must be used depending on the computing resources (local machines, grids, clouds, clusters) where applications are run. This implies that for achieving the best applications' performance, users usually have to change their codes depending on the features of the platform selected for running them. This work presents dispel4py, a new open-source Python library for describing abstract stream-based workflows for distributed data-intensive applications. Special care has been taken to provide dispel4py with the ability to map abstract workflows to different platforms dynamically at run-time. Currently dispel4py has four mappings: Apache Storm, MPI, multi-threading and sequential. The main goal of dispel4py is to provide an easy-to-use tool to develop and test workflows in local resources by using the sequential mode with a small dataset. Later, once a workflow is ready for long runs, it can be automatically executed on different parallel resources. dispel4py takes care of the underlying mappings by performing an efficient parallelisation. Processing Elements (PE) represent the basic computational activities of any dispel4Py workflow, which can be a seismologic algorithm, or a data transformation process. For creating a dispel4py workflow, users only have to write very few lines of code to describe their PEs and how they are connected by using Python, which is widely supported on many platforms and is popular in many scientific domains, such as in geosciences. Once, a dispel4py workflow is written, a user only has to select which mapping they would like to use, and everything else (parallelisation, distribution of data) is carried on by dispel4py without any cost to the user. Among all dispel4py features we would like to highlight the following: * The PEs are connected by streams and not by writing to and reading from intermediate files, avoiding many IO operations. * The PEs can be stored into a registry. Therefore, different users can recombine PEs in many different workflows. * dispel4py has been enriched with a provenance mechanism to support runtime provenance analysis. We have adopted the W3C-PROV data model, which is accessible via a prototypal browser-based user interface and a web API. It supports the users with the visualisation of graphical products and offers combined operations to access and download the data, which may be selectively stored at runtime, into dedicated data archives. dispel4py has been already used by seismologists in the VERCE project to develop different seismic workflows. One of them is the Seismic Ambient Noise Cross-Correlation workflow, which preprocesses and cross-correlates traces from several stations. First, this workflow was tested on a local machine by using a small number of stations as input data. Later, it was executed on different parallel platforms (SuperMUC cluster, and Terracorrelator machine), automatically scaling up by using MPI and multiprocessing mappings and up to 1000 stations as input data. The results show that the dispel4py achieves scalable performance in both mappings tested on different parallel platforms.

Pupils Think Sound Has Substance--Well, Sort of ...

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittaker, Andrew G.

2012-01-01

Physics is a subject where pupils hold a great number of deeply seated misconceptions. Sound is a prime example, as it requires the visualisation of a form of energy that moves imperceptibly through an invisible medium. This article outlines some of the common misconceptions that pupils hold regarding the nature of sound and how it is transmitted,…

Investigating Undergraduate Students’ Use of Intuitive Reasoning and Evolutionary Knowledge in Explanations of Antibiotic Resistance

PubMed Central

Richard, Melissa; Coley, John D.; Tanner, Kimberly D.

2017-01-01

Natural selection is a central concept throughout biology; however, it is a process frequently misunderstood. Bacterial resistance to antibiotic medications provides a contextual example of the relevance of evolutionary theory and is also commonly misunderstood. While research has shed light on student misconceptions of natural selection, minimal study has focused on misconceptions of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, research has focused on the degree to which misconceptions may be based in the complexity of biological information or in pedagogical choices, rather than in deep-seated cognitive patterns. Cognitive psychology research has established that humans develop early intuitive assumptions to make sense of the world. In this study, we used a written assessment tool to investigate undergraduate students’ misconceptions of antibiotic resistance, use of intuitive reasoning, and application of evolutionary knowledge to antibiotic resistance. We found a majority of students produced and agreed with misconceptions, and intuitive reasoning was present in nearly all students’ written explanations. Acceptance of a misconception was significantly associated with production of a hypothesized form of intuitive thinking (all p ≤ 0.05). Intuitive reasoning may represent a subtle but innately appealing linguistic shorthand, and instructor awareness of intuitive reasoning’s relation to student misunderstandings has potential for addressing persistent misconceptions. PMID:28821540

Analgesic safety - myths, mysteries and misconceptions.

PubMed

Moore, R A

2015-05-01

Acute episodes of tension-type headache (TTH) are common and affect people of all ages, races and income levels. Two recommended and commonly used drugs for the treatment of this condition are ibuprofen and paracetamol. However, despite - or perhaps because of - their widespread use, many misconceptions persist about their comparative efficacy and safety. Are concerns about the gastrointenstinal (GI) safety of ibuprofen justified in the non-prescription over-the-counter (OTC) setting? Do low doses of ibuprofen - as used for TTH - increase the risk of heart attacks? Is the efficacy of ibuprofen and paracetamol really the same?

Common Origins of Diverse Misconceptions: Cognitive Principles and the Development of Biology Thinking

PubMed Central

Coley, John D.; Tanner, Kimberly D.

2012-01-01

Many ideas in the biological sciences seem especially difficult to understand, learn, and teach successfully. Our goal in this feature is to explore how these difficulties may stem not from the complexity or opacity of the concepts themselves, but from the fact that they may clash with informal, intuitive, and deeply held ways of understanding the world that have been studied for decades by psychologists. We give a brief overview of the field of developmental cognitive psychology. Then, in each of the following sections, we present a number of common challenges faced by students in the biological sciences. These may be in the form of misconceptions, biases, or simply concepts that are difficult to learn and teach, and they occur at all levels of biological analysis (molecular, cellular, organismal, population, and ecosystem). We then introduce the notion of a cognitive construal and discuss specific examples of how these cognitive principles may explain what makes some misconceptions so alluring and some biological concepts so challenging for undergraduates. We will argue that seemingly unrelated misconceptions may have common origins in a single underlying cognitive construal. These ideas emerge from our own ongoing cross-disciplinary conversation, and we think that expanding this conversation to include other biological scientists and educators, as well as other cognitive scientists, could have significant utility in improving biology teaching and learning. PMID:22949417

Common origins of diverse misconceptions: cognitive principles and the development of biology thinking.

PubMed

Coley, John D; Tanner, Kimberly D

2012-01-01

Many ideas in the biological sciences seem especially difficult to understand, learn, and teach successfully. Our goal in this feature is to explore how these difficulties may stem not from the complexity or opacity of the concepts themselves, but from the fact that they may clash with informal, intuitive, and deeply held ways of understanding the world that have been studied for decades by psychologists. We give a brief overview of the field of developmental cognitive psychology. Then, in each of the following sections, we present a number of common challenges faced by students in the biological sciences. These may be in the form of misconceptions, biases, or simply concepts that are difficult to learn and teach, and they occur at all levels of biological analysis (molecular, cellular, organismal, population, and ecosystem). We then introduce the notion of a cognitive construal and discuss specific examples of how these cognitive principles may explain what makes some misconceptions so alluring and some biological concepts so challenging for undergraduates. We will argue that seemingly unrelated misconceptions may have common origins in a single underlying cognitive construal. These ideas emerge from our own ongoing cross-disciplinary conversation, and we think that expanding this conversation to include other biological scientists and educators, as well as other cognitive scientists, could have significant utility in improving biology teaching and learning.

From the Research: Myths Worth Dispelling--Seven Plus or Minus Two

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrington, Jeanne

2011-01-01

For over 50 years, "seven plus or minus two" has been a commonly used guideline for gauging how many chunks of new information should be presented at one time in learning and performance situations. Often cited as the limit of working memory, this guideline was created as a result of misinterpreting an article by Miller (1956). More recent studies…

"We're All Gonna' Die": Using Human Interest in Disasters to Promote Student Interest and Research in Introductory Science Classes for Non-Science Majors.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prueher, L.

2008-12-01

Humans are fascinated by disasters. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and other natural disasters capture the public interest and provide educators a venue in which to present scientific information and dispel common misconceptions. Presenting scientific information via the vehicle of a disaster can attract even the most science-phobic student, capturing their interest in a way that more traditional methods of presentation cannot or do not. People are inundated with scientific data through the popular media yet little is done to provide non-scientists with the information needed to distinguish between fact and fiction. Docudramas such as, "Supervolcano", blur the boundary between reality and fiction. Human interest in disasters can be used as an educational tool to foster scientific literacy among non-science majors. "We're All Gonna' Die", is an inquiry-based research project used in introductory geology classes at Arapahoe Community College and the University of Northern Colorado. Most students taking this class have no college science background. The project introduces students to geological and environmental hazards. Students choose a city of interest, analyze the potential geologic and environmental hazards in the area, and determine what can be done to minimize potential damage and fatalities. Students are more interested in a topic and delve deeper into the subject matter when researching a project of their own choosing. Students have incorporated demonstrations, skits, student-made videos, games, current geologic events, and research results into their projects. Perhaps as important, the students have fun, become excited about their project and topic, and disseminate the information to family and friends.

Giant pandas are not an evolutionary cul-de-sac: evidence from multidisciplinary research.

PubMed

Wei, Fuwen; Hu, Yibo; Yan, Li; Nie, Yonggang; Wu, Qi; Zhang, Zejun

2015-01-01

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the world's most endangered mammals and remains threatened by environmental and anthropogenic pressure. It is commonly argued that giant pandas are an evolutionary cul-de-sac because of their specialized bamboo diet, phylogenetic changes in body size, small population, low genetic diversity, and low reproductive rate. This notion is incorrect, arose from a poor understanding or appreciation of giant panda biology, and is in need of correction. In this review, we summarize research across morphology, ecology, and genetics to dispel the idea, once and for all, that giant pandas are evolutionary dead-end. The latest and most advanced research shows that giant pandas are successful animals highly adapted to a specialized bamboo diet via morphological, ecological, and genetic adaptations and coadaptation of gut microbiota. We also debunk misconceptions around population size, population growth rate, and genetic variation. During their evolutionary history spanning 8 My, giant pandas have survived diet specialization, massive bamboo flowering and die off, and rapid climate oscillations. Now, they are suffering from enormous human interference. Fortunately, continued conservation effort is greatly reducing impacts from anthropogenic interference and allowing giant panda populations and habitat to recover. Previous ideas of a giant panda evolutionary cul-de-sac resulted from an unsystematic and unsophisticated understanding of their biology and it is time to shed this baggage and focus on the survival and maintenance of this high-profile species. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The VERCE platform: Enabling Computational Seismology via Streaming Workflows and Science Gateways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spinuso, Alessandro; Filgueira, Rosa; Krause, Amrey; Matser, Jonas; Casarotti, Emanuele; Magnoni, Federica; Gemund, Andre; Frobert, Laurent; Krischer, Lion; Atkinson, Malcolm

2015-04-01

The VERCE project is creating an e-Science platform to facilitate innovative data analysis and coding methods that fully exploit the wealth of data in global seismology. One of the technologies developed within the project is the Dispel4Py python library, which allows to describe abstract stream-based workflows for data-intensive applications and to execute them in a distributed environment. At runtime Dispel4Py is able to map workflow descriptions dynamically onto a number of computational resources (Apache Storm clusters, MPI powered clusters, and shared-memory multi-core machines, single-core machines), setting it apart from other workflow frameworks. Therefore, Dispel4Py enables scientists to focus on their computation instead of being distracted by details of the computing infrastructure they use. Among the workflows developed with Dispel4Py in VERCE, we mention here those for Seismic Ambient Noise Cross-Correlation and MISFIT calculation, which address two data-intensive problems that are common in computational seismology. The former, also called Passive Imaging, allows the detection of relative seismic-wave velocity variations during the time of recording, to be associated with the stress-field changes that occurred in the test area. The MISFIT instead, takes as input the synthetic seismograms generated from HPC simulations for a certain Earth model and earthquake and, after a preprocessing stage, compares them with real observations in order to foster subsequent model updates and improvement (Inversion). The VERCE Science Gateway exposes the MISFIT calculation workflow as a service, in combination with the simulation phase. Both phases can be configured, controlled and monitored by the user via a rich user interface which is integrated within the gUSE Science Gateway framework, hiding the complexity of accessing third parties data services, security mechanisms and enactment on the target resources. Thanks to a modular extension to the Dispel4Py framework, the system collects provenance data adopting the W3C-PROV data model. Provenance recordings can be explored and analysed at run time for rapid diagnostic and workflow steering, or later for further validation and comparisons across runs. We will illustrate the interactive services of the gateway and the capabilities of the produced metadata, coupled with the VERCE data management layer based on iRODS. The Cross-Correlation workflow was evaluated on SuperMUC, a supercomputing cluster at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre in Munich, with 155,656 processor cores in 9400 compute nodes. SuperMUC is based on the Intel Xeon architecture consisting of 18 Thin Node Islands and one Fat Node Island. This work has only had access to the Thin Node Islands, which contain Sandy Bridge nodes, each having 16 cores and 32 GB of memory. In the evaluations we used 1000 stations, and we applied two types of methods (whiten and non-whiten) for pre-processing the data. The workflow was tested on a varying number of cores (16, 32, 64, 128, and 256 cores) using the MPI mapping of Dispel4Py. The results show that Dispel4Py is able to improve the performance by increasing the number of cores without changing the description of the workflow.

Transferability of the Mediterranean Diet to Non-Mediterranean Countries. What Is and What Is Not the Mediterranean Diet

PubMed Central

Martínez-González, Miguel Ángel; Hershey, Maria Soledad; Zazpe, Itziar

2017-01-01

Substantial evidence has verified the Mediterranean diet’s (MedDiet) nutritional adequacy, long-term sustainability, and effectiveness for preventing hard clinical events from cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as increasing longevity. This article includes a cumulative meta-analysis of prospective studies supporting a strong inverse association between closer adherence to the MedDiet and the incidence of hard clinical events of CVD. The MedDiet has become an increasingly popular topic of interest when focusing on overall food patterns rather than single nutrient intake, not only in Mediterranean countries, but also globally. However, several myths and misconceptions associated with the traditional Mediterranean diet should be clearly addressed and dispelled, particularly those that label as “Mediterranean” an eating pattern that is not in line with the traditional Mediterranean diet. The transferability of the traditional MedDiet to the non-Mediterranean populations is possible, but it requires a multitude of changes in dietary habits. New approaches for promoting healthy dietary behavior consistent with the MedDiet will offer healthful, sustainable, and practical strategies at all levels of public health. The following article presents practical resources and knowledge necessary for accomplishing these changes. PMID:29117146

"Have a piss, drink ogogoro, smoke igbo, but don't take gbana"--hard and soft drugs in Nigeria: a critical comparison of official policies and the view on the street.

PubMed

Klein, A

2001-01-01

One of the consequences of increased exposure to Western influences has been the spread of drug use among Nigerian young people over the last two decades. There is now a buoyant consumer market for home-grown cannabis, and a smaller market for heroin and cocaine within the country. Under successive military regimes, drug use was either downplayed, or regarded as a law enforcement issue. Little work was carried out to gauge the extent of use, or obtain an understanding of the user constituencies. Government policies are entirely informed by Western models and sadly inadequate in understanding Nigerian drug trends and in devising schemes to meet local needs. This article, by giving voice to Nigerian drug users, is an attempt to dispel some misconceptions about drug use and abuse, and to widen the debate surrounding African drug control. There is a grave danger of the war on drugs being exported to African countries where civil societies are weakest in withstanding the onslaught of government and international agencies. This article is therefore an ethnographic drugs study engaging with crucial development issues.

Transferability of the Mediterranean Diet to Non-Mediterranean Countries. What Is and What Is Not the Mediterranean Diet.

PubMed

Martínez-González, Miguel Ángel; Hershey, Maria Soledad; Zazpe, Itziar; Trichopoulou, Antonia

2017-11-08

Substantial evidence has verified the Mediterranean diet's (MedDiet) nutritional adequacy, long-term sustainability, and effectiveness for preventing hard clinical events from cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as increasing longevity. This article includes a cumulative meta-analysis of prospective studies supporting a strong inverse association between closer adherence to the MedDiet and the incidence of hard clinical events of CVD. The MedDiet has become an increasingly popular topic of interest when focusing on overall food patterns rather than single nutrient intake, not only in Mediterranean countries, but also globally. However, several myths and misconceptions associated with the traditional Mediterranean diet should be clearly addressed and dispelled, particularly those that label as "Mediterranean" an eating pattern that is not in line with the traditional Mediterranean diet. The transferability of the traditional MedDiet to the non-Mediterranean populations is possible, but it requires a multitude of changes in dietary habits. New approaches for promoting healthy dietary behavior consistent with the MedDiet will offer healthful, sustainable, and practical strategies at all levels of public health. The following article presents practical resources and knowledge necessary for accomplishing these changes.

LIB LAB the Library Laboratory: hands-on multimedia science communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fillo, Aaron; Niemeyer, Kyle

2017-11-01

Teaching scientific research topics to K-12 audiences in an engaging and meaningful way does not need to be hard; with the right insight and techniques it can be fun to encourage self-guided STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) exploration. LIB LAB, short for Library Laboratory, is an educational video series produced by Aaron J. Fillo at Oregon State University in partnership with the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library targeted at K-12 students. Each episode explores a variety of scientific fundamentals with playful experiments and demonstrations. The video lessons are developed using evidence-based practices such as dispelling misconceptions, and language immersion. Each video includes directions for a related experiment that young viewers can conduct at home. In addition, science kits for these at-home experiments are distributed for free to students through the public library network in Benton County, Oregon. This talk will focus on the development of multimedia science education tools and several techniques that scientists can use to engage with a broad audience more effectively. Using examples from the LIB LAB YouTube Channel and collection of hands-on science demonstrations and take-home kits, this talk will present STEAM education in action. Corvallis-Benton County Public Library.

Tuberculosis Knowledge, Awareness, and Stigma Among African-Americans in Three Southeastern Counties in the USA: a Qualitative Study of Community Perspectives.

PubMed

Royce, Rachel A; Colson, Paul W; Woodsong, Cynthia; Swinson-Evans, Tammeka; Walton, Wanda; Maiuri, Allison; DeLuca, Nickolas

2017-02-01

To inform strategies to address the tuberculosis (TB) excess among US-born African-Americans, we sought to understand the TB experience in the most highly affected southeastern communities. We conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups in three communities with a TB excess-urban (Georgia and Tennessee) and rural (North Carolina). Participants from five groups provided diverse perspectives-African-Americans: patients with TB disease or latent TB infection (LTBI), or at high risk of contracting TB; and local community leaders and TB program staff. Few differences emerged between sites. Many participants demonstrated low levels of knowledge and awareness and held many misconceptions about TB. Patients expressed a preference for verbal communication of medical information. Patients reported fear of stigmatization and shunning, but few experienced discrimination. Patient trust for TB program staff was high, though community leaders often assumed the opposite. The findings will help guide interventions to improve knowledge and awareness regarding TB, including specific attention to the role of public and private health care providers in dispelling persistent misinformation about TB. The insight from these communities will help build the scientific foundation required to effectively eliminate health inequities.

Diagnosing Portuguese Students' Misconceptions about the Mineral Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monteiro, António; Nóbrega, Clévio; Abrantes, Isabel; Gomes, Celeste

2012-11-01

Educational researchers and teachers are well aware that misconceptions-erroneous ideas that differ from the scientifically accepted ones-are very common amongst students. Daily experiences, creative and perceptive thinking and science textbooks give rise to students' misconceptions which lead them to draw erroneous conclusions that become strongly attached to their views and somehow affect subsequent learning. The main scope of this study was to understand what students consider a mineral to be and why. Therefore, the goals were (1) to identify eleventh-grade students' misconceptions about the mineral concept; (2) to understand which variables (gender, parents' education level and attitude towards science) influenced students' conceptions; and (3) to create teaching tools for the prevention of misconceptions. In order to achieve these goals, a diagnostic instrument (DI), constituted of a two-tier diagnostic test and a Science Attitude Questionnaire, was developed to be used with a sample of 89 twelfth-grade students from five schools located in central Portugal. As far as we know, this is the first DI developed for the analysis of misconceptions about the mineral concept. Data analysis allows us to conclude that students had serious difficulties in understanding the mineral concept, having easily formed misconceptions. The variables gender and parents' education level influence certain students' conceptions. This study provides a valuable basis for reflection on teaching and learning strategies, especially on this particular theme.

The relationship between illness perceptions and cardiac misconceptions after Myocardial Infarction.

PubMed

Figueiras, Maria João; Maroco, João; Caeiro, Raúl; Monteiro, Rita; Trigo, Miguel

2015-01-01

Research about cardiac misconceptions has focused on identifying the most common erroneous beliefs and understanding their impact on patients' outcomes. However, less is known about the underlying structure of cardiac misconceptions and how they relate to other belief dimensions. The aims of the present study were: (a) to characterize illness perceptions and cardiac misconceptions in a sample of Myocardial Infarction (MI) patients; (b) to analyse the structure of an experimental Portuguese version of the York Cardiac Beliefs Questionnaire (YCBQ); and (c) to examine whether illness perceptions are likely to influence cardiac misconceptions. This cross-sectional study included 127 first-MI patients from both sexes, aged up to 70 years old. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were performed with AMOS. The main results showed that a two-dimension (stress avoidance and exercise avoidance) version of the YCBQ offered the best fit to the data. A significant impact of psychological attributions was observed on cardiac misconceptions, as well as a moderate impact of emotional response explaining 26% of the variance. Although exploratory, this study gives a significant contribution to research in this field, as clarification on the different concepts and the way they relate is needed. Our findings suggest that further investigation into the concepts of cardiac knowledge and cardiac misconceptions may have an important role in understanding health behaviours in the context of heart disease.

A Three-Tier Diagnostic Test to Assess Pre-Service Teachers' Misconceptions about Global Warming, Greenhouse Effect, Ozone Layer Depletion, and Acid Rain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arslan, Harika Ozge; Cigdemoglu, Ceyhan; Moseley, Christine

2012-01-01

This study describes the development and validation of a three-tier multiple-choice diagnostic test, the atmosphere-related environmental problems diagnostic test (AREPDiT), to reveal common misconceptions of global warming (GW), greenhouse effect (GE), ozone layer depletion (OLD), and acid rain (AR). The development of a two-tier diagnostic test…

Misconceptions on Buying A Computer! [and]"But, We Don't Have the Money..." (Or as It Should Be "The Check's in the Mail..."). Key Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Access Group, Atlanta, GA.

Two brief information pamphlets for families of children with disabilities provide: (1) consideration of common misconceptions in buying a computer, and (2) suggestions of ways that parents can obtain assistive technology devices and services from various service delivery systems despite their claims of lack of funds. In the first information…

Supporting College and University Students with Invisible Disabilities: A Guide for Faculty and Staff Working with Students with Autism, AD/HD, Language Processing Disorders, Anxiety, and Mental Illness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oslund, Christy

2013-01-01

With increasing numbers of students with invisible disabilities attending college and university, faculty and staff find themselves faced with new challenges. This practical handbook provides lecturers, tutors, disability services, and administrative staff with an overview of the invisible disabilities they may encounter, dispelling common myths…

"She came out of mum's tummy the wrong way". (Mis)conceptions among siblings of children with rare disorders.

PubMed

Vatne, Torun M; Helmen, Ingerid Østborg; Bahr, David; Kanavin, Øivind; Nyhus, Livø

2015-04-01

Misconceptions or uncertainty about the rare disorder of a sibling may cause adjustment problems among children. New knowledge about their misconceptions may enable genetic counselors to provide targeted information and increase siblings' knowledge. This study aims to describe misconceptions and uncertainties of siblings of children with rare disorders. Content analysis was applied to videotapes of 11 support group sessions with 56 children aged 6 to 17. First, children's statements about the disorder (turns) were categorized into the categories "identity," "cause," "cure," "timeline," and "consequences" and then coded as medically "correct," "misunderstood," or "uncertain." Next, turns categorized as "misunderstood" or "uncertain" were analyzed to explore prominent trends. Associations between sibling age, type of disorder, and frequency of misconceptions or uncertainties were analyzed statistically. Approximately 16 % of the children's turns were found to involve misconceptions or uncertainty about the disorder, most commonly about the identity or cause of the disorder. Misconceptions seemed to originate from information available in everyday family life, generalization of lay beliefs, or through difficulties understanding abstract medical concepts. Children expressed uncertainty about the reasons for everyday experiences (e.g. the abnormal behavior they observed). A lack of available information was described as causing uncertainty. Misconceptions and uncertainties were unrelated to child age or type of disorder. The information needs of siblings should always be addressed during genetic counseling, and advice and support offered to parents when needed. Information provided to siblings should be based on an exploration of their daily experiences and thoughts about the rare disorder.

Misconceptions about high-fructose corn syrup: is it uniquely responsible for obesity, reactive dicarbonyl compounds, and advanced glycation endproducts?

PubMed

White, John S

2009-06-01

Misconceptions about high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) abound in the scientific literature, the advice of health professionals to their patients, media reporting, product advertising, and the irrational behavior of consumers. Foremost among these is the misconception that HFCS has a unique and substantive responsibility for the current obesity crisis. Inaccurate information from ostensibly reliable sources and selective presentation of research data gathered under extreme experimental conditions, representing neither the human diet nor HFCS, have misled the uninformed and created an atmosphere of distrust and avoidance for what, by all rights, should be considered a safe and innocuous sweetener. In the first part of this article, common misconceptions about the composition, functionality, metabolism, and use of HFCS and its purported link to obesity are identified and corrected. In the second part, an emerging misconception, that HFCS in carbonated soft drinks contributes materially to physiological levels of reactive dicarbonyl compounds and advanced glycation endproducts, is addressed in detail, and evidence is presented that HFCS does not pose a unique dietary risk in healthy individuals or diabetics.

Confronting Misinformation in Climate Change Higher Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedford, D. P.

2012-12-01

Among the many challenges faced by climate change educators is the highly politicized nature of the subject matter (e.g. McCright and Dunlap, 2011) and the associated misinformation from key media outlets and websites (e.g. see Oreskes and Conway, 2010). Students typically do not enter the classroom as 'blank slates', but often have already formed some opinion about climate change which may or may not be based on reputable sources. Further, many students have lives outside the classroom and/or off campus, and even those who do live in an isolated bubble of campus life will eventually graduate. Thus, providing students with a level of climate change knowledge and understanding robust enough to cope with misinformation may be an important goal for educators. This paper presents a case study of the direct use of climate change misinformation as a college-level classroom activity. Some research from other fields (notably psychology) has found that directly addressing misconceptions in the classroom can be the most effective means of dispelling them (Kowalski and Taylor, 2009). However, directly confronting misinformation in the classroom carries inherent risks, such as reinforcing misconceptions (e.g. Cook and Lewandowsky, 2011). This paper therefore considers approaches to minimizing those risks while attempting to maximize the possible benefits. This paper argues that use of misinformation as a teaching tool can provide useful exercises in critical thinking, testing of content knowledge, and consideration of the nature of science. Cook, J. and S. Lewandowsky. 2011. The Debunking Handbook. Online publication available www.skepticalscience.com/docs/Debunking_Handbook.pdf. Accessed 7 July 2012. Kowalski, P. and A.K. Taylor. 2009. DOI: 10.1080/00986280902959986. McCright, A., and R.T. Dunlap. 2011. The politicization of climate change and polarization in the American public's views of global warming, 2001-2010. The Sociological Quarterly 52:2, 155-194. Oreskes, N. and E. Conway. 2010. Merchants of Doubt. Bloomsbury Press.

Perceptions of selected science careers by African American high school males

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ijames, Erika Denise

Research indicates that internal and external factors such as role models, stereotypes, and pressures placed on African American males by their family and friends influence their perceptions of science careers (Assibey-Mensah, 1997; Hess & Leal, 1997; Jacobowitz, 1983; Maple & Stage, 1991; Thomas, 1989; Ware & Lee, 1988). The purpose of this research was to investigate the perceptions of African American high school males about selected science careers based on apparent internal and external factors. Two questions guided this research: (1) What are high school African American males' perceptions of science careers? (2) What influences high school African American males' perceptions of science careers? This research was based on a pilot study in which African American college males perceived a selection of science careers along racial and gender lines. The follow-up investigation was conducted at Rockriver High School in Acorn County, and the participants were three college-bound African American males. The decision to choose males was based on the concept of occupational niching along gender lines. In biology, niching is defined as the role of a particular species regarding space and reproduction, and its interactions with other factors. During the seven-week period of the students' senior year, they met with the researcher to discuss their perceptions of science careers. An ethnographic approach was used to allow a richer and thicker narrative to occur. Critical theory was used to describe and interpret the voices of the participants from a social perspective. The data collected were analyzed using a constant comparative analysis technique. The participants revealed role models, negative stereotypes, peer pressure, social pressures, and misconceptions as some of the factors that influenced their perceptions of science careers. Results of this research suggest that by dispelling the misconceptions, educators can positively influence the attitudes and perceptions of their students about science careers and possibly increase the number of African American men as well as other minorities currently underrepresented in some science careers.

Dispelling the Myths.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sain, Tony

2002-01-01

Attempts to dispel four "myths" about sheet vinyl flooring: it emits toxic fumes and poses a health/safety risk; it is a low-class, unstylish flooring option; it is less friendly to the environment; and there are many kinds of flooring that match its durability and cost effectiveness. (EV)

Matter Scatter and Energy Anarchy. The Second Law of Thermodynamics is Simply Common Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Keith A.

1988-01-01

Shows that the second law of thermodynamics is in the common experience of many people and if taught first, before the law of conservation, can result in fewer misconceptions among pupils. Stresses the use of common experiences in teaching. (CW)

Teaching about Water Relations in Plant Cells: An Uneasy Struggle.

PubMed

Malińska, Lilianna; Rybska, Eliza; Sobieszczuk-Nowicka, Ewa; Adamiec, Małgorzata

University students often struggle to understand the role of water in plant cells. In particular, osmosis and plasmolysis appear to be challenging topics. This study attempted to identify student difficulties (including misconceptions) concerning osmosis and plasmolysis and examined to what extent the difficulties could be revised during a plant physiology course. A questionnaire was developed to monitor university students' conceptual knowledge before and after a course, and both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained. The data were analyzed using the constant comparison technique and descriptive statistics. Students were found to come to university with many misconceptions that had accumulated during their education. These misconceptions are extremely difficult to change during the traditional course, which comprises lectures and practical exercises. Students' misconceptions originate from commonly used sources such as textbooks, which are perceived as being reliable. Effective teaching of water relations in plant cells could include such didactic methods as "questioning the author," which allow teachers to monitor students' knowledge and help students acquire a more scientific understanding of key concepts. © 2016 L. Malińska et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

DIaaS: Data-Intensive workflows as a service - Enabling easy composition and deployment of data-intensive workflows on Virtual Research Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filgueira, R.; Ferreira da Silva, R.; Deelman, E.; Atkinson, M.

2016-12-01

We present the Data-Intensive workflows as a Service (DIaaS) model for enabling easy data-intensive workflow composition and deployment on clouds using containers. DIaaS model backbone is Asterism, an integrated solution for running data-intensive stream-based applications on heterogeneous systems, which combines the benefits of dispel4py with Pegasus workflow systems. The stream-based executions of an Asterism workflow are managed by dispel4py, while the data movement between different e-Infrastructures, and the coordination of the application execution are automatically managed by Pegasus. DIaaS combines Asterism framework with Docker containers to provide an integrated, complete, easy-to-use, portable approach to run data-intensive workflows on distributed platforms. Three containers integrate the DIaaS model: a Pegasus node, and an MPI and an Apache Storm clusters. Container images are described as Dockerfiles (available online at http://github.com/dispel4py/pegasus_dispel4py), linked to Docker Hub for providing continuous integration (automated image builds), and image storing and sharing. In this model, all required software (workflow systems and execution engines) for running scientific applications are packed into the containers, which significantly reduces the effort (and possible human errors) required by scientists or VRE administrators to build such systems. The most common use of DIaaS will be to act as a backend of VREs or Scientific Gateways to run data-intensive applications, deploying cloud resources upon request. We have demonstrated the feasibility of DIaaS using the data-intensive seismic ambient noise cross-correlation application (Figure 1). The application preprocesses (Phase1) and cross-correlates (Phase2) traces from several seismic stations. The application is submitted via Pegasus (Container1), and Phase1 and Phase2 are executed in the MPI (Container2) and Storm (Container3) clusters respectively. Although both phases could be executed within the same environment, this setup demonstrates the flexibility of DIaaS to run applications across e-Infrastructures. In summary, DIaaS delivers specialized software to execute data-intensive applications in a scalable, efficient, and robust manner reducing the engineering time and computational cost.

Prospects of topical protection from ultraviolet radiation exposure: a critical review on the juxtaposition of the benefits and risks involved with the use of chemoprotective agents.

PubMed

Bora, Nilutpal Sharma; Mazumder, Bhaskar; Chattopadhyay, Pronobesh

2018-05-01

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure is known to cause inevitable damage to human skin via different mechanisms which include disruption of genetic material and generation of free radicals. In the ever emerging field of photoprotective agents, there have been constant endeavors to uphold the standards for optimum protection from solar UV-induced damages which include alarming conditions ranging from severe keratosis to malignant transformation of skin cells. Out of the various methods available for photoprotection, chemical photoprotective agents are most popular due to its ease of applicability, availability, and efficacy. However, the benevolences of chemophotoprotective agents are not excluded from the fact that all chemical agents are bound to suffer predestined consequences of toxicity and unwanted side effects. The present article focuses on the basic knowledge pertaining to achieve adequate sun protection and also on the beneficial and risk factors of using chemical agents as photoprotective formulations. The article highlights the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and unapproved UV filters; and also sheds light on the overall measures to protect an individual from UV radiation exposure, dispel misconceptions and present the newer technologies that are available in the market to accomplish ideal sun protection.

Expanding contraceptive choice in the developing world: lessons from the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Republic of Zambia.

PubMed

d'Arcangues, Catherine M; Ba-Thike, Katherine; Say, Lale

2013-12-01

Women need different forms of contraception over their lifetime. In the developed world, they have access to some 20 different methods. In developing countries, only a few options are available. This paper focuses on four under-used methods: intrauterine devices, implants, emergency contraception and female condoms. It examines reasons for their low uptake, strategies used for their adoption, and challenges in sustaining these efforts, in two countries: Laos and Zambia. In-country documentation and reports from international partners were reviewed; questionnaires were sent and interviews carried out with ministry officials, senior providers, and local representatives of international organisations and international non-governmental organisations. In Laos, the family planning programme is relatively young; its challenges include ensuring the sustainability of services and supplies, improving the quality of IEC to dispel misconceptions surrounding contraception, and developing novel distribution systems to reach rural populations. Zambia has a much older programme, which lost ground in the face of competing health priorities. Its challenges include strengthening the supply chain management, coordinating the multiple groups of providers and ensuring the sustainability of services in rural areas. The contrast offered by Laos and Zambia illustrates the importance of regular evaluation to identify priority areas for improving contraceptive delivery.

Impact of a theory-based video on initiation of long-acting reversible contraception after abortion.

PubMed

Davidson, AuTumn S; Whitaker, Amy K; Martins, Summer L; Hill, Brandon; Kuhn, Caroline; Hagbom-Ma, Catherine; Gilliam, Melissa

2015-03-01

Adoption of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) (ie, the intrauterine device or the contraceptive implant) immediately after abortion is associated with high contraceptive satisfaction and reduced rates of repeat abortion. Theory-based counseling interventions have been demonstrated to improve a variety of health behaviors; data on theory-based counseling interventions for postabortion contraception are lacking. Informed by the transtheoretical model of behavioral change, a video intervention was developed to increase awareness of, and dispel misconceptions about, LARC methods. The intervention was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial among women aged 18-29 years undergoing surgical abortion at a clinic in Chicago, IL. Participants were randomized 1:1 to watch the intervention video or to watch a stress management video (control), both 7 minutes in duration. Contraceptive methods were supplied to all participants free of charge. Rates of LARC initiation immediately after abortion were compared. Rates of LARC initiation immediately after abortion were not significantly different between the 2 study arms; 59.6% in the intervention and 51.6% in the control arm chose a LARC method (P = .27). This study resulted in an unexpectedly high rate of LARC initiation immediately after abortion. High rates of LARC initiation could not be attributed to a theory-based counseling intervention. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Three types of aurora on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, N. M.; Jain, S.; Deighan, J.; Stewart, I. F.; Stiepen, A.; Larson, D. E.; Halekas, J. S.; Mitchell, D. L.; Mazelle, C. X.; Lee, C. O.; Lillis, R. J.; Evans, J. S.; Gerard, J. C. M. C.; Brain, D.; Clarke, J. T.; Mayyasi, M.; Chaffin, M.; Fang, X.; Stevens, M. H.; Crismani, M. M. J.; Lo, D.; Lefèvre, F.; McClintock, B.; Holsclaw, G.; Montmessin, F.; Jakosky, B. M.

2017-12-01

Observations by the Imaging UltraViolet Spectrograph (IUVS) on the MAVEN spacecraft have identified three types of aurora on Mars, each profoundly different from comparable types on Earth and other planets. The primary reason for these differences is Mars' lack of a global magnetic field and presence of localized crustral magnetic fields primarily in the southern hemisphere. IUVS is MAVEN's remote sensing instrument for study of the Mars atmosphere. The instrument records spatially-resolved spectra in the far-UV (110-190 nm) and Mid-UV (180-340 nm). By virtue of an internal scan mirror and a gimbaled instrument platform, IUVS obtains useful spectra on Mars with >50% duty cycle, including Mars' nightside. IUVS performs limb scans during the spacecraft periapse, and obtains UV images of the planet from reconstructed apoapse disk scans. Two types of aurora have been detected on Mars' nightside by virtue of emissions requiring excitation by precipitating charged particles. The first type, discrete aurora, are localized near the boundary between open and closed crustal magnetic field lines. They generally appear at 140 km altitude and the spectra correspond to moderate mean electron energy precipitation. These detections confirm the discovery of discrete discovered by Mars Express/SPICAM. IUVS has discovered a second type, diffuse aurora, which are widespread and potentially global. They occur as low as 70 km altitude; the spectra, depth of penetration and timing are consistent with the precipitation of relativistic electrons from the Sun. IUVS has discovered a third type, proton aurora, on Mars' dayside as excess hydrogen Lyman alpha emission confined to Mars' thermosphere. The intermittent excesses appear correlated with enhanced solar wind conditions. This type is the most common form of aurora detected by IUVS. IUVS results dispel a common misconception that aurora only occur near the edges of closed planetary magnetic field lines. While this is true for terrestrial aurora and discrete aurora on Mars, it is false for Mars' diffuse and proton auroras. In this sense, Mars serves as the best archetype for auroral processes on unmagnetized planets in our solar system and beyond.

Sensory illusions: Common mistakes in physics regarding sound, light and radio waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briles, T. M.; Tabor-Morris, A. E.

2013-03-01

Optical illusions are well known as effects that we see that are not representative of reality. Sensory illusions are similar but can involve other senses than sight, such as hearing or touch. One mistake commonly noted among instructors is that students often mis-identify radio signals as sound waves and not as part of the electromagnetic spectrum. A survey of physics students from multiple high schools highlights the frequency of this common misconception, as well as other nuances on this misunderstanding. Many students appear to conclude that, since they experience radio broadcasts as sound, then sound waves are the actual transmission of radio signals and not, as is actually true, a representation of those waves as produced by the translator box, the radio. Steps to help students identify and correct sensory illusion misconceptions are discussed. School of Education

Ex Vivo and In Situ Evaluation of 'Dispelling-Wind' Chinese Medicine Herb-Drugs on Intestinal Absorption of Chlorogenic Acid.

PubMed

Zhai, Lixiang; Shi, Jun; Xu, Weitong; Heinrich, Michael; Wang, Jianying; Deng, Wenji

2015-12-01

This study aims to investigate the additive or synergistic effects and mechanism of intestinal absorption of extracts from two commonly used 'dispelling-wind' TCM botanical drugs [roots of Angelica dahurica (Hoffm.) Benth. & Hook. f. ex Franch. & Sav. (RAD) and Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk. (RSD)] using chlorogenic acid as a marker substance. Ex vivo everted intestinal sac and in situ single pass perfusion methods using rats were employed to investigate the effects of two TCM botanical drugs extracts on the intestinal absorption of chlorogenic acid. Both the extracts of RAD and RSD showed synergistic properties on the intestinal absorption of chlorogenic acid. The verapamil (a P-gp inhibitor) and intestinal dysbacteriosis model induced by norfloxacin increased the P(app) and K(a) of intestinal absorption of chlorogenic acid. These synergistic effects on intestinal absorption in a rat model can be correlated with the inhibition of P-gp and regulation of gut microbiota. This experimental approach has helped to better understand changes in the absorption of chlorogenic acid under different conditions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Unweaving misconceptions: Guided learning, simulations, and misconceptions in learning principles of natural selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weeks, Brian E.

College students often come to the study of evolutionary biology with many misconceptions of how the processes of natural selection and speciation occur. How to relinquish these misconceptions with learners is a question that many educators face in introductory biology courses. Constructivism as a theoretical framework has become an accepted and promoted model within the epistemology of science instruction. However, constructivism is not without its skeptics who see some problems of its application in lacking necessary guidance for novice learners. This study within a quantitative, quasi-experimental format tested whether guided online instruction in a video format of common misconceptions in evolutionary biology produced higher performance on a survey of knowledge of natural selection versus more constructivist style learning in the form of student exploration of computer simulations of the evolutionary process. Performances on surveys were also explored for a combination of constructivist and guided techniques to determine if a consolidation of approaches produced higher test scores. Out of the 94 participants 95% displayed at least one misconception of natural selection in the pre-test while the study treatments produced no statistically significant improvements in post-test scores except within the video (guided learning treatment). These overall results demonstrated the stubbornness of misconceptions involving natural selection for adult learners and the difficulty of helping them overcome them. It also bolsters the idea that some misconceptions of natural selection and evolution may be hardwired in a neurological sense and that new, more long-term teaching techniques may be warranted. Such long-term strategies may not be best implemented with constructivist techniques alone, and it is likely that some level of guidance may be necessary for novice adult learners. A more substantial, nuanced approach for undergraduates is needed that consolidates successful teaching strategies to adult students that is based on current research.

Dispelling Myths and Examining Strategies in Teaching Non-Standard Dialect Speakers to Read.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimet, Sara Goodman

To dispel the myths of linguistic deficiency among nonstandard English dialect speakers, evidence that repudiates these myths should be examined. These myths include suggestions that nonstandard dialects are ungrammatical and cannot be used to form concepts, and that speakers of such dialects receive little verbal stimulation as children. The…

The Relationship between Biology Classes and Biological Reasoning and Common Heath Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keselman, Alla; Hundal, Savreen; Chentsova-Dutton, Yulia; Bibi, Raquel; Edelman, Jay A.

2015-01-01

This study investigates the relationship among (1) college major, (2) knowledge used in reasoning about common health beliefs, and (3) judgment about the accuracy of those beliefs. Seventy-four college students, advanced biology and non-science majors, indicated their agreement or disagreement with commonly believed, but often inaccurate,…

Knowledge, attitudes and misconceptions of primary care physicians regarding fever in children: a cross sectional study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Fever is an extremely common sign in paediatric patients and the most common cause for a child to be taken to the doctor. The literature indicates that physicians and parents have too many misconceptions and conflicting results about fever management. In this study we aim to identify knowledge, attitudes and misconceptions of primary care physicians regarding fever in children. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in April-May 2010 involving primary care physicians (n=80). The physicians were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used. Results In our study only 10% of the physicians knew that a body temperature of above 37.2°C according to an auxiliary measurement is defined as fever. Only 26.2% of the physicians took into consideration signs and symptoms other than fever to prescribe antipyretics. 85% of the physicians prescribed antipyretics to control fever or prevent complications of fever especially febrile seizures. Most of the physicians (76.3%) in this study reported that the height of fever may be used as an indicator for severe bacterial infection. A great majority of physicians (91.3%) stated that they advised parents to alternate the use of ibuprofen and paracetamol. Conclusions There were misconceptions about the management and complications of fever. There is a perceived need to improve the recognition, assessment, and management of fever with regards to underlying illnesses in children. PMID:22950655

Teaching about Water Relations in Plant Cells: An Uneasy Struggle

PubMed Central

Malińska, Lilianna; Rybska, Eliza; Sobieszczuk-Nowicka, Ewa; Adamiec, Małgorzata

2016-01-01

University students often struggle to understand the role of water in plant cells. In particular, osmosis and plasmolysis appear to be challenging topics. This study attempted to identify student difficulties (including misconceptions) concerning osmosis and plasmolysis and examined to what extent the difficulties could be revised during a plant physiology course. A questionnaire was developed to monitor university students’ conceptual knowledge before and after a course, and both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained. The data were analyzed using the constant comparison technique and descriptive statistics. Students were found to come to university with many misconceptions that had accumulated during their education. These misconceptions are extremely difficult to change during the traditional course, which comprises lectures and practical exercises. Students’ misconceptions originate from commonly used sources such as textbooks, which are perceived as being reliable. Effective teaching of water relations in plant cells could include such didactic methods as “questioning the author,” which allow teachers to monitor students’ knowledge and help students acquire a more scientific understanding of key concepts. PMID:27909028

A guided enquiry approach to introduce basic concepts concerning magnetic hysteresis to minimize student misconceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Yajun; Zhai, Zhaohui; Gunnarsson, Klas; Svedlindh, Peter

2014-11-01

Basic concepts concerning magnetic hysteresis are of vital importance in understanding magnetic materials. However, these concepts are often misinterpreted by many students and even textbooks. We summarize the most common misconceptions and present a new approach to help clarify these misconceptions and enhance students’ understanding of the hysteresis loop. In this approach, students are required to perform an experiment and plot the measured magnetization values and thereby calculated demagnetizing field, internal field, and magnetic induction as functions of the applied field point by point on the same graph. The concepts of the various coercivity, remanence, saturation magnetization, and saturation induction will not be introduced until this stage. By plotting this graph, students are able to interlink all the preceding concepts and intuitively visualize the underlying physical relations between them.

Common omissions and misconceptions of wave propagation in turbulence: discussion.

PubMed

Charnotskii, Mikhail

2012-05-01

This review paper addresses typical mistakes and omissions that involve theoretical research and modeling of optical propagation through atmospheric turbulence. We discuss the disregard of some general properties of narrow-angle propagation in refractive random media, the careless use of simplified models of turbulence, and omissions in the calculations of the second moment of the propagating wave. We also review some misconceptions regarding short-exposure imaging, propagation of polarized waves, and calculations of the scintillation index of the beam waves. © 2012 Optical Society of America

Common Magnets, Unexpected Polarities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Mark

2013-01-01

In this paper, I discuss a "misconception" in magnetism so simple and pervasive as to be typically unnoticed. That magnets have poles might be considered one of the more straightforward notions in introductory physics. However, the magnets common to students' experiences are likely different from those presented in educational…

Mathematics, thermodynamics, and modeling to address ten common misconceptions about protein structure, folding, and stability.

PubMed

Robic, Srebrenka

2010-01-01

To fully understand the roles proteins play in cellular processes, students need to grasp complex ideas about protein structure, folding, and stability. Our current understanding of these topics is based on mathematical models and experimental data. However, protein structure, folding, and stability are often introduced as descriptive, qualitative phenomena in undergraduate classes. In the process of learning about these topics, students often form incorrect ideas. For example, by learning about protein folding in the context of protein synthesis, students may come to an incorrect conclusion that once synthesized on the ribosome, a protein spends its entire cellular life time in its fully folded native confirmation. This is clearly not true; proteins are dynamic structures that undergo both local fluctuations and global unfolding events. To prevent and address such misconceptions, basic concepts of protein science can be introduced in the context of simple mathematical models and hands-on explorations of publicly available data sets. Ten common misconceptions about proteins are presented, along with suggestions for using equations, models, sequence, structure, and thermodynamic data to help students gain a deeper understanding of basic concepts relating to protein structure, folding, and stability.

Three Misconceptions About Radiation — And What We Teachers Can Do to Confront Them

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, Susanne

2014-09-01

During the last few years teaching physics, I have noticed that my students are becoming more and more interested in the topic of radiation. Mobile phones, modern game consoles, and WiFi—all of these devices involving some kind of radiation are part of our students' everyday lives. Students are also frequently confronted in the media with debates relating to different types of radiation: What are the effects of nuclear contamination going to be after the Fukushima accident? Can radiation from mobile phones really cause cancer? Should the use of tanning booths be forbidden for teenagers? Although students seem to be very motivated to learn about the topic of radiation, I have encountered several misconceptions about this topic that my students bring into the physics classroom. Some of these misconceptions might be caused by biased media reports, while others can be attributed to a different usage of the word radiation in everyday language (when compared to the scientific usage of this term). In this paper, I would like to present the most common misconceptions about radiation that I have encountered in my physics courses and I would like to give some ideas how to confront these ideas in teaching. A detailed description of these misconceptions discovered through empirical research can be found in one of my research articles.1

What Is Cancer?

MedlinePlus

... myeloid). Our page on leukemia has more information. Lymphoma Lymphoma is cancer that begins in lymphocytes (T ... tumors has more information. Related Resources Tumor Grade Pathology Reports Metastatic Cancer Common Cancer Myths and Misconceptions ...

Common misconceptions about 5-aminosalicylates and thiopurines in inflammatory bowel disease

PubMed Central

Gisbert, Javier P; Chaparro, María; Gomollón, Fernando

2011-01-01

Misconceptions are common in the care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this paper, we state the most commonly found misconceptions in clinical practice and deal with the use of 5-aminosalicylates and thiopurines, to review the related scientific evidence, and make appropriate recommendations. Prevention of errors needs knowledge to avoid making such errors through ignorance. However, the amount of knowledge is increasing so quickly that one new danger is an overabundance of information. IBD is a model of a very complex disease and our goal with this review is to summarize the key evidence for the most common daily clinical problems. With regard to the use of 5-aminosalicylates, the best practice may to be consider abandoning the use of these drugs in patients with small bowel Crohn’ s disease. The combined approach with oral plus topical 5-aminosalicylates should be the first-line therapy in patients with active ulcerative colitis; once-daily treatment should be offered as a first choice regimen due to its better compliance and higher efficacy. With regard to thiopurines, they seem to be as effective in ulcerative colitis as in Crohn’ s disease. Underdosing of thiopurines is a form of undertreatment. Thiopurines should probably be continued indefinitely because their withdrawal is associated with a high risk of relapse. Mercaptopurine is a safe alternative in patients with digestive intolerance or hepatotoxicity due to azathioprine. Finally, thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) screening cannot substitute for regular monitoring because the majority of cases of myelotoxicity are not TPMT-related. PMID:21941413

The notion of motion: covariational reasoning and the limit concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagle, Courtney; Tracy, Tyler; Adams, Gregory; Scutella, Daniel

2017-05-01

This paper investigates outcomes of building students' intuitive understanding of a limit as a function's predicted value by examining introductory calculus students' conceptions of limit both before and after instruction. Students' responses suggest that while this approach is successful at reducing the common limit equals function value misconception of a limit, new misconceptions emerged in students' responses. Analysis of students' reasoning indicates a lack of covariational reasoning that coordinates changes in both x and y may be at the root of the emerging limit reached near x = c misconception. These results suggest that although dynamic interpretations of limit may be intuitive for many students, care must be taken to foster a dynamic conception that is both useful at the introductory calculus level and is in line with the formal notion of limit learned in advanced mathematics. In light of the findings, suggestions for adapting the pedagogical approach used in this study are provided.

Using simple manipulatives to improve student comprehension of a complex biological process: protein synthesis.

PubMed

Guzman, Karen; Bartlett, John

2012-01-01

Biological systems and living processes involve a complex interplay of biochemicals and macromolecular structures that can be challenging for undergraduate students to comprehend and, thus, misconceptions abound. Protein synthesis, or translation, is an example of a biological process for which students often hold many misconceptions. This article describes an exercise that was developed to illustrate the process of translation using simple objects to represent complex molecules. Animations, 3D physical models, computer simulations, laboratory experiments and classroom lectures are also used to reinforce the students' understanding of translation, but by focusing on the simple manipulatives in this exercise, students are better able to visualize concepts that can elude them when using the other methods. The translation exercise is described along with suggestions for background material, questions used to evaluate student comprehension and tips for using the manipulatives to identify common misconceptions. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Classroom Animal: Snapping Turtles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kramer, David C.

1987-01-01

Describes the distinctive features of the common snapping turtle. Discusses facts and misconceptions held about the turtle. Provides guidelines for proper care and treatment of a young snapper in a classroom environment. (ML)

Osteoporosis and Hispanic Women

MedlinePlus

... FAQs Breadcrumb Home Osteoporosis Osteoporosis and Hispanic Women Osteoporosis and Hispanic Women It is a common misconception ... Are Available? Resources For Your Information What Is Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones ...

Perceptions of Mexican women regarding barriers in mental Heath Services in primary care.

PubMed

Galván, Jorge; Saavedra, Nayelhi; Bartolo, Feliciano; Berenzon, Shoshana

2017-08-31

The recent mental health care reforms in Mexico call for the regular evaluation of the services provided. This involves analyzing the opinions of those who utilize them on a daily basis, particularly women, since they are the main health service users. This study explores the barriers to mental health care perceived by a group of women attending primary care centers. A qualitative methodological approach was chosen. The participants were purposively selected, using the snowball technique. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using the thematic analysis. Three sets of factors representing barriers to care were identified in the participants' discourse. The first is linked to systemic barriers such as a lack of familiarity with the way the service operates, and irregularities in the consultations and appointment schedules that are not always geared to women's needs. The second concerns the social stigma associated with emotional and/or mental disorders and their care while the third involves the characteristics of psychologists and their professional work. In order to overcome some of the barriers identified, users should be given information on the work of mental health professionals, which would help dispel certain misconceptions and sensitize them to the importance of this type of treatment in achieving overall health. There is also a need to make psychologists aware of the living conditions and socio-cultural context of the women who attend these health facilities.

'Women now wear trousers': men's perceptions of family planning in the context of changing gender relations in western Kenya.

PubMed

Withers, Mellissa; Dworkin, Shari L; Zakaras, Jennifer M; Onono, Maricianah; Oyier, Beryl; Cohen, Craig R; Bukusi, Elizabeth A; Grossman, Daniel; Newmann, Sara J

2015-01-01

Gender inequity has been closely linked with unmet need for family planning among women in sub-Saharan Africa but the factors related to male family planning disapproval are not well-understood. This qualitative study explored men's perspectives of gender roles and cultural norms as they pertain to family planning. Twelve small group meetings were held with 106 married men in Nyanza Province, Kenya. Shifting gender relations made the definitions of manhood more tenuous than ever. Men's previous identities as sole breadwinners, which gave them significant control over decision-making, were being undermined by women's increasing labour force participation. While many men viewed family planning positively, fears that family planning would lead to more female sexual agency and promiscuity or that male roles would be further jeopardised were widespread and were major deterrents to male family planning approval. By addressing such fears, gender-sensitive programmes could help more men to accept family planning. Increased family planning education for men is needed to dispel misconceptions regarding family planning side-effects. Focusing on the advantages of family planning, namely financial benefits and reduced conflict among couples, could resonate with men. Community leaders, outreach workers and healthcare providers could help shift men's approval of joint decision-making around family size to other reproductive domains, such as family planning use.

Dental students' and faculty members' concepts and emotions associated with a caries risk assessment program.

PubMed

Maupome, Gerardo; Isyutina, Olga

2013-11-01

The objective of this study was to identify concepts and emotions associated with using an established Caries Risk Assessment (CRA) and Caries Risk Management (CRM) program in a dental school. Five focus groups with students and faculty members were conducted. Transcripts of the focus group discussions were qualitatively analyzed for emotions, using Plutchik's wheel of emotions, and were inductively evaluated for concepts (stability coefficients, Scott's π, 0.65-0.71). A total of twenty-five students took part in three focus groups (D2, D3, and D4 separately), and fifteen faculty members participated in two groups. Few frequency differences existed across students and faculty in terms of emotions (278 in faculty members' discourse; 276 in students'). From these, 535 concepts were assembled in seven groups of semantically distinct concepts. Faculty members verbalized more numerous concepts than students (300 vs. 235). Skepticism about the effectiveness of the CRA/CRM program represented the most significant barrier to comprehensive student and faculty support. The findings also suggested that, in order to dispel misconceptions, clearer messages, simpler forms and systems, and better tailored foci of the program for diverse patient, student, and faculty subgroups are needed. Ultimately, buy-in from users depends on CRA forms and programs that are seen as relevant, useful, and simple, offering tangible outcomes for patients and clinicians.

Academic Health Centers and Care of Undocumented Immigrants in the United States: Servant Leaders or Uncourageous Followers?

PubMed Central

Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio

2014-01-01

Public dialogue and debate about the health care overhaul in the United States is centered on one contentious question: Is there a moral obligation to ensure that all people (including undocumented immigrants) within its borders have access to affordable health care? For academic health centers (AHCs), which often provide safety-net care to the uninsured, this question has moral and social implications. An estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States (80% of whom are Latino) are uninsured and currently prohibited from purchasing exchange coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, even at full cost. The authors attempt to dispel the many misconceptions and distorted assumptions surrounding the use of health services by this vulnerable population. The authors also suggest that AHCs need to recalibrate their mission to focus on social accountability as well as the ethical and humanistic practice of medicine for all people, recognizing the significance of inclusion over exclusion in making progress on population health and health care. AHCs play a crucial role, both in educational policy and as a safety-net provider, in reducing health disparities that negatively impact vulnerable populations. Better health for all is possible through better alignment, collaboration, and partnering with other AHCs and safety-net providers. Through servant leadership, AHCs can be the leaders that this change imperative demands. PMID:24556781

Palliative care and the arts: vehicles to introduce medical students to patient-centred decision-making and the art of caring.

PubMed

Centeno, Carlos; Robinson, Carole; Noguera-Tejedor, Antonio; Arantzamendi, María; Echarri, Fernando; Pereira, José

2017-12-16

Medical Schools are challenged to improve palliative care education and to find ways to introduce and nurture attitudes and behaviours such as empathy, patient-centred care and wholistic care. This paper describes the curriculum and evaluation results of a unique course centred on palliative care decision-making but aimed at introducing these other important competencies as well. The 20 h-long optional course, presented in an art museum, combined different learning methods, including reflections on art, case studies, didactic sessions, personal experiences of faculty, reflective trigger videos and group discussions. A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the course, including a) a post-course reflective exercise; b) a standardized evaluation form used by the University for all courses; and c) a focus group. Twenty students (2nd to 6th years) participated. The course was rated highly by the students. Their understanding of palliative care changed and misconceptions were dispelled. They came to appreciate the multifaceted nature of decision-making in the palliative care setting and the need to individualize care plans. Moreover, the course resulted in a re-conceptualization of relationships with patients and families, as well as their role as future physicians. Palliative care decision-making therefore, augmented by the visual arts, can serve as a vehicle to address several competencies, including the introduction of competencies related to being patient-centred and empathic.

Academic health centers and care of undocumented immigrants in the United States: servant leaders or uncourageous followers?

PubMed

Acosta, David A; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio

2014-04-01

Public dialogue and debate about the health care overhaul in the United States is centered on one contentious question: Is there a moral obligation to ensure that all people (including undocumented immigrants) within its borders have access to affordable health care? For academic health centers (AHCs), which often provide safety-net care to the uninsured, this question has moral and social implications. An estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States (80% of whom are Latino) are uninsured and currently prohibited from purchasing exchange coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, even at full cost. The authors attempt to dispel the many misconceptions and distorted assumptions surrounding the use of health services by this vulnerable population. The authors also suggest that AHCs need to recalibrate their mission to focus on social accountability as well as the ethical and humanistic practice of medicine for all people, recognizing the significance of inclusion over exclusion in making progress on population health and health care. AHCs play a crucial role, both in educational policy and as a safety-net provider, in reducing health disparities that negatively impact vulnerable populations. Better health for all is possible through better alignment, collaboration, and partnering with other AHCs and safety-net providers. Through servant leadership, AHCs can be the leaders that this change imperative demands.

Diagnosing students' misconceptions in algebra: results from an experimental pilot study.

PubMed

Russell, Michael; O'Dwyer, Laura M; Miranda, Helena

2009-05-01

Computer-based diagnostic assessment systems hold potential to help teachers identify sources of poor performance and to connect teachers and students to learning activities designed to help advance students' conceptual understandings. The present article presents findings from a study that examined how students' performance in algebra and their overcoming of common algebraic misconceptions were affected by the use of a diagnostic assessment system that focused on important algebra concepts. This study used a four-group randomized cluster trial design in which teachers were assigned randomly to one of four groups: a "business as usual" control group, a partial intervention group that was provided with access to diagnostic tests results, a partial intervention group that was provided with access to the learning activities, and a full intervention group that was given access to the test results and learning activities. Data were collected from 905 students (6th-12th grade) nested within 44 teachers. We used hierarchical linear modeling techniques to compare the effects of full, partial, and no (control) intervention on students' algebraic ability and misconceptions. The analyses indicate that full intervention had a net positive effect on ability and misconception measures.

Using misconceptions research in the design of optics instructional materials and teacher professional development programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pompea, Stephen M.; Dokter, Erin F.; Walker, Constance E.; Sparks, Robert T.

2007-06-01

To create the Hands-On Optics program and its associated instructional materials, we needed to understand a number of basic optics misconceptions held by children (and adults) and how to address them through a proper educational approach. The activities have been built with an understanding of the naïve concepts many people have about light, color, and optical phenomena in general. Our own experience is that the concepts that children and adults have of light are often not that different from each other. This paper explores the most common misconceptions about light and color, according to educational research, and describes how they can be addressed in optics education programs. This understanding of misconceptions was useful as well in the professional development component of the program where educators were trained on the Hands-On Optics modules. The professional development work for the optics industry volunteers who worked with the educators was also based on research on how an optics professional can work more effectively in multi-cultural settings-an area with great applicability to industry volunteers working in the very different culture of science centers or after-school programs.

Misconceptions in Astronomy: Before and After a Constructivist Learning Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruzhitskaya, Lanika; Speck, A.

2009-01-01

We present results of a pilot study on college students’ misconceptions in astronomy. The study was conducted on the campus of a Midwestern university among 43 non-science major students enrolled in an introductory astronomy laboratory course. The laboratory course was based on a constructivist learning environment where students learned astronomy by doing astronomy. During the course, students worked with educational simulations created by Project CLEA team and RedShift College Education Astronomy Workbook by Bill Walker as well as were involved in think-pair-share discussions based on Lecture-Tutorials (Prather et al 2008). Several laboratories were prompted by an instructor's brief presentations. On the first and last days of the course students were surveyed on what their beliefs were about causes of the seasons, the moon's apparent size in the sky and its phases, planetary orbits, structure of the solar system, the sun, distant stars, and the nature of light. The majority of the surveys’ questions were based on Neil Comins’ 50 most commonly cited misconceptions. The outcome of the study showed that while students constructed correct understanding of a number of phenomena, they also created a set of new misconceptions. For example, if on the first day of the course, nine out of 43 students knew what caused the seasons on Earth; on the last day of the course, 20 students gained the similar understanding. However, by the end of the course more students believed that smaller planets must rotate faster based on the conservation of angular momentum and Kepler's laws. Our findings suggest that misconceptions pointed out by Neil Comins over a decade ago are still relevant today; and that learning based exclusively on simulations and collaborative group discussions does not necessarily produce the best results, but may set a ground for creating new misconceptions.

Mathematical misconception in calculus 1: Identification and gender difference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nassir, Asyura Abd; Abdullah, Nur Hidayah Masni; Ahmad, Salimah; Tarmuji, Nor Habibah; Idris, Aminatul Solehah

2017-08-01

A few years of experience of teaching mathematics make us notice that the same types of mistakes are done repeatedly by students. This paper presents an insight into categories of mistakes, how male and female students differ in terms of mistakes that are commonly done and the ability of the students to identify the mistakes. Sample of mistakes were taken from Calculus 1 final exam answer scripts, then it was listed and analyzed. Data analysis revealed that students' misconceptions fall into four categories. The first category is misunderstanding the meaning of brackets, followed by misconception of basic mathematics rules, misconception in notation and misconception in properties of trigonometry. A mistake identification test which consists of ten false mathematical statements was designed based on the mistake done by the previous batch of students that covered topics algebra, trigonometry, index, limit, differentiation and integration. Then, the test was given to students who enrolled in Calculus I course. Respondents of this study were randomly selected among two hundreds engineering students. Data obtained were analyzed using basic descriptive analysis and Chi Square test to capture gender differences in the mistake done for each category. Findings indicate that thirty five percent of the students have the ability to identify the mistakes and make a proper correction for at most two statements. Thirty one percent of the students are able to identify the mistakes but unable to make proper correction. Twenty five percent of the students failed to identify the mistakes in six out of ten false statements. Female students' misconception is more likely in basic mathematics rules compared to male. The findings of this study could serve as baseline information to be stressed in improving teaching and learning mathematics.

An Update on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Matthew

2017-01-01

Despite its prominence, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is often misinterpreted and misapplied. This chapter clarifies historical developments, common misconceptions, and modern applications of the law.

Engaging Men in Family Planning: Perspectives From Married Men in Lomé, Togo.

PubMed

Koffi, Tekou B; Weidert, Karen; Ouro Bitasse, Erakalaza; Mensah, Marthe Adjoko E; Emina, Jacques; Mensah, Sheila; Bongiovanni, Annette; Prata, Ndola

2018-05-09

Family planning programs have made vast progress in many regions of sub-Saharan Africa in the last decade, but francophone West Africa is still lagging behind. More emphasis on male engagement might result in better outcomes, especially in countries with strong patriarchal societies. Few studies in francophone West Africa have examined attitudes of male involvement in family planning from the perspective of men themselves, yet this evidence is necessary for development of successful family planning projects that include men. This qualitative study, conducted in 2016, explored attitudes of 72 married men ages 18-54 through 6 focus groups in the capital of Togo, Lomé. Participants included professional workers as well as skilled and unskilled workers. Results indicate that men have specific views on family planning based on their knowledge and understanding of how and why women might use contraception. While some men did have reservations, both founded and not, there was an overwhelmingly positive response to discussing family planning and being engaged with related decisions and services. Four key findings from the analyses of focus group responses were: (1) socioeconomic motivations drive men's interest in family planning; (2) men strongly disapprove of unilateral decisions by women to use family planning; (3) misconceptions surrounding modern methods can hinder support for family planning; and (4) limited method choice for men, insufficient venues to receive services, and few messages that target men create barriers for male engagement in family planning. Future attempts to engage men in family planning programs should pay specific attention to men's concerns, misconceptions, and their roles in family decision making. Interventions should educate men on the socioeconomic and health benefits of family planning while explaining the possible side effects and dispelling myths. To help build trust and facilitate open communication, family planning programs that encourage counseling of husbands and wives in their homes by community health workers, trusted men, or couples who have successfully used or are currently using family planning to achieve their desired family size will be important. © Koffi et al.

Adolescence: myths and misconceptions.

PubMed

Dhall, A

1995-01-01

Adolescence is the period of physical and psychological growth between childhood and adulthood. The author is a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist in New Delhi. Over the course of her medical career, she has identified many myths and misconceptions about adolescents and adolescence. With regard to male adolescents, masturbation-related myths may be the most frequently harbored. Male adolescents have a hormone-driven need to have sexual intercourse, frequently. Masturbation is a healthy, no-cost way to relieve sexual tension. There is neither need to pay a prostitute nor fear of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. A young man can masturbate virtually whenever he wants. Despite the guilt and misinformation implanted by adults that masturbation causes weakness, boys masturbate rather frequently. Also contrary to popular myth, the nocturnal emissions which may result in growing boys as a result of sexual excitement during a dream are completely normal and no reason for concern. Further, boys should not worry about penis size, for, when erect, they all work just fine. People grow at different rates. Menstruation starts when 17% of a woman's body weight is fat. The onset of menstruation may therefore start earlier in well-fed girls compared to in girls who are more lean. The frequency and duration of menses are not constant. Menstrual irregularity therefore does not necessarily mean that a young woman is pregnant or that professional medical treatment is required. Breasts, like penises, serve their intended function irrespective of size. The hymen is a membrane at the opening of the vagina. It may have a hole in the center or the side for the escape of menstrual blood. There are myths that an intact hymen is indicative of virginity, the hymen should be intact until marriage, and the first sexual experience should be painful for a woman. The hymen is elastic and even some prostitutes have been found to have intact hymens. The hymen also may tear due to a fall, cycling, or horse riding. Furthermore, myths exist that kissing can cause pregnancy or AIDS, homosexuality is abnormal and incompatible with heterosexual relationships later in life, and different positions of coitus may adversely affect physical health. Adolescents sorely need sources of sound scientific factual information to dispel their myths.

Scaling the Laws of Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Richard C.; Jones, Richard N.

1994-01-01

Explores the effects of the square-cube law that predicts the physical consequences of increasing or decreasing an object's size. Uses examples to discuss the economy of scales, common misconceptions, and applications of scaling laws. (JRH)

Understanding Forces: What's the Problem?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kibble, Bob

2006-01-01

Misconceptions about forces are very common and seem to arise from everyday experience and use of words. Ways to improve students' understanding of forces, as used in recent a IOP CD-Rom, are discussed here.

A Student with Diabetes Is in My Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenthal-Malek, Andrea; Greenspan, Jan

1999-01-01

Guidelines for managing the child with diabetes in educational settings address the nature of diabetes, attitudes of students with diabetes, common misconceptions, effects on students in the classroom, helpful strategies, and resources. (DB)

Arab American Experiences in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bousquet, Sarah

2012-01-01

Based upon field study and a review of the literature, this paper sought to describe the educational experiences that are common in the Middle East and North Africa. The paper explained the curriculum and pedagogy that are most commonly found in Arab schools. It also addresses the misconceptions that many Americans have regarding Arab education.…

Insight into Jordanian thinking about HIV: knowledge of Jordanian men and women about HIV prevention.

PubMed

Alkhasawneh, Esra; McFarland, Willi; Mandel, Jeffery; Seshan, Vidya

2014-01-01

Research on HIV prevention programs for countries with large Muslim populations is scarce. HIV knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs were assessed in a convenience sample of 128 women and 88 men at two universities in Jordan with the goal of gaining insight into how to approach HIV risk behaviors. In general terms, 97% of participants had heard of AIDS and the majority understood the common methods of transmission. Misconceptions were common; most participants did not recognize condoms as an HIV prevention method. A sense of fatalism regarding the acquisition of HIV was common. In Jordan, challenges to HIV-prevention interventions includes misconceptions about HIV transmission, gender-related differences in the willingness to discuss sexual issues, and fatalism regarding the acquisition of HIV. Silence about sexual activity, particularly among women, was pervasive. Culturally tailored interventions are needed to decrease stigma and address gender inequalities that may contribute to increased risks of HIV in Jordan. Copyright © 2014 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. All rights reserved.

The prepubertal hymen.

PubMed

Smith, Anne

2011-11-01

Not so long ago, some doctors believed that they could determine, on the basis of examination of a girl's genitals, whether or not the girl had engaged in sexual intercourse. Even today, 'virginity checks' are conducted by doctors in some countries. Some Australian doctors still believe that it should be possible to determine, on the basis of examination findings, whether a child has been sexually abused. This article sets out to describe some of the common variations in hymenal anatomy in order to dispel myths and misperceptions surrounding genital examination findings in young girls.

Developing and validating a chemical bonding instrument for Korean high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Nak Han

The major purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid instrument designed to collect and investigate on Korean high school students' understanding about concepts regarding chemical bonding. The Chemical Bonding Diagnostic Test (CBDT) was developed by the procedure by previously relevant researches (Treagust, 1985; Peterson, 1986; Tan, 1994). The final instrument consisted of 15 two-tier items. The reliability coefficient (Cronbach alpha) for the whole test was 0.74. Also, the range of values for the discrimination index was from 0.38 to 0.90 and the overall average difficulty index was 0.38. The test was administered to 716 science declared students in Korean high school. The 37 common misconceptions on chemical bonding were identified through analysis of the items from the CBDT. The grade 11 students had slightly more misconceptions than the grade 12 students for ionic bonding, covalent bonding, and hydrogen bonding while the grade 12 students had more misconceptions about octet rule and hydrogen bonding than the grade 11 students. From the analysis of ANCOVA, there was no significant difference in grades, and between grade levels and gender on the mean score of CBDT. However, there was a significant difference in gender and a significant interaction between grade levels and chemistry preference. In conclusion, Korean high school students had the most common misconception about the electron configuration on ionic bonding and the water density on hydrogen bonding. Korean students' understanding about the chemical bonding was dependent on the interaction between grade levels and the chemistry preference. Consequently, grade 12 chemistry-preferred students had the highest mean scores among student groups concerned by this study.

Fund-raising tips for nurse leaders and nurse executives.

PubMed

Fitzpatrick, Joyce J

2014-01-01

Fund-raising may be new to most nurse leaders and executives. This article focuses on dispelling the myths and mystery that surrounds nursing philanthropy. Key myths are addressed with supporting information to dispel them. Several practical tips are presented to enhance nurse leaders' involvement in philanthropy. Two recent gifts to hospital nursing departments are described as exemplars of relationship building and of nurses investing in their own future and that of the profession.

The Orion Constellation as an Installation: An Innovative Three-Dimensional Teaching and Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Daniel

2013-01-01

Visualizing the three-dimensional distribution of stars within a constellation is highly challenging for both students and educators, but when carried out in an interactive collaborative way, it can create an ideal environment to explore common misconceptions about size and scale within astronomy. We present how the common tabletop activities…

Understanding the Common Elements of Evidence-Based Practice: Misconceptions and Clinical Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chorpita, Bruce F.; Becker, Kimberly D.; Daleiden, Eric L.

2007-01-01

In this article, the authors proposed a distillation and matching model (DMM) that describes how evidence-based treatment operations can be conceptualized at a lower order level of analysis than simply by their manuals. Also referred to as the "common elements" approach, this model demonstrates the feasibility of coding and identifying the…

Air Pollution: The Knowledge and Attitudes of Secondary School Students in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyes, Edward; Stanisstreet, Martin; Yeung, Stephen Pui-ming

2004-01-01

This paper examines the knowledge and understanding of Hong Kong secondary school students about the composition of unpolluted and polluted air, and the nature and effects of air pollutants. A number of misconceptions are highlighted, including the common belief amongst younger students that oxygen was more common in unpolluted air than nitrogen.…

Misinterpretations of Piaget's Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wadsworth, Barry

1981-01-01

Refutes six common misconceptions about Piaget's theories, including their educational implications; Piaget's position on heredity v environment; and the relationships between developmental stages, age, and brain growth spurts. Condensed from "Impact on Instructional Improvement", Winter 1981, p7-11. (SJL)

Common Cancer Myths and Misconceptions

MedlinePlus

... positive attitude may be more likely to maintain social connections and stay active, and physical activity and emotional support may help you cope with your cancer. For more information, see the NCI fact sheet on Psychological Stress and Cancer . ...

The Truth and the Hype of Hypnosis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nash, Michael R.

2001-01-01

Provides information about hypnosis. Uses research data to define hypnosis, discuss the relationship between hypnosis and memory, and present some possible benefits. Includes a chart with some common misconceptions about hypnosis and the corresponding true statement. (DDR)

Teaching Tree-Thinking to Undergraduate Biology Students.

PubMed

Meisel, Richard P

2010-07-27

Evolution is the unifying principle of all biology, and understanding how evolutionary relationships are represented is critical for a complete understanding of evolution. Phylogenetic trees are the most conventional tool for displaying evolutionary relationships, and "tree-thinking" has been coined as a term to describe the ability to conceptualize evolutionary relationships. Students often lack tree-thinking skills, and developing those skills should be a priority of biology curricula. Many common student misconceptions have been described, and a successful instructor needs a suite of tools for correcting those misconceptions. I review the literature on teaching tree-thinking to undergraduate students and suggest how this material can be presented within an inquiry-based framework.

Dual-opposite injection capillary electrophoresis: Principles and misconceptions.

PubMed

Blackney, Donna M; Foley, Joe P

2017-03-01

Dual-opposite injection capillary electrophoresis (DOI-CE) is a separation technique that utilizes both ends of the capillary for sample introduction. The electroosmotic flow (EOF) is suppressed to allow all ions to reach the detector quickly. Depending on the individual electrophoretic mobilities of the analytes of interest and the effective length that each analyte travels to the detection window, the elution order of analytes in a DOI-CE separation can vary widely. This review discusses the principles, applications, and limitations of dual-opposite injection capillary electrophoresis. Common misconceptions regarding DOI-CE are clarified. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Central distractors in Force Concept Inventory data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Terry F.; Schumayer, Dániel

2018-01-01

The Force Concept Inventory was designed to poll the Newtonian conception of force. While there are many in-depth studies analyzing response data that look at the structure of the correct answers, we believe that the incorrect answers also carry revealing information about the students' worldview. The inventory was originally designed so that the "distractors" in each question reflected commonly held misconceptions, and thus the rate at which students guess the correct answer is very low. Students select incorrect answers that correspond to the misconception that they hold and there are very few responses which appear obviously wrong to students. A side effect of this approach is that the incorrect responses reflect the non-Newtonian worldviews held by students. These non-Newtonian worldviews are coherent and robust, and this, at least in part, helps to explain why these misconceptions are so resistant to instruction. In this study we focus once more on the misconception data in Force Concept Inventory responses, particularly on the linkages between these misconceptions. We hypothesize that there are distinct groupings of distractor items formed by the strength of the association between these items. The two largest groupings are associated with the "impetus" world view in which the motion of an object is determined by the quantity of impetus which that object contains. We find that certain central items hold particularly important places in these groupings and also that individual groupings may be connected to each other by "connector" items. We finally suggest that, on the basis of this study, that these non-Newtonian worldviews might best be dismantled by addressing these key central and connector items.

Correlates of parental antibiotic knowledge, demand, and reported use.

PubMed

Kuzujanakis, Marianne; Kleinman, Ken; Rifas-Shiman, Sheryl; Finkelstein, Jonathan A

2003-01-01

Clinicians cite parental misconceptions and requests for antibiotics as reasons for inappropriate prescribing. To identify misconceptions regarding antibiotics and predictors of parental demand for antibiotics and to determine if parental knowledge and attitudes are associated with use. Survey of parents in 16 Massachusetts communities. Domains included antibiotic-related knowledge, attitudes about antibiotics, antibiotic use during a 12-month period, demographics, and access to health information. Bivariate and multivariate analyses evaluated predictors of knowledge and proclivity to demand antibiotics. A multivariate model evaluated the associations of knowledge, demand, and demographic factors with parent-reported antibiotic use. A total of 1106 surveys were returned (response rates: 54% and 32% for commercially-insured and Medicaid-insured families). Misconceptions were common regarding bronchitis (92%) and green nasal discharge (78%). Two hundred sixty-five (24%) gave responses suggesting a proclivity to demand antibiotics. Antibiotic knowledge was associated with increased parental age and education, having more than 1 child, white race, and receipt of media information on resistance. Factors associated with a proclivity to demand antibiotics included decreased knowledge, pressure from day-care settings, lack of alternatives offered by clinicians, and lack of access to media information. Among all respondents, reported antibiotic use was associated with younger child age and day-care attendance. Among Medicaid-insured children only, less antibiotic knowledge and tendency to demand antibiotics were associated with higher rates of antibiotic use. Misconceptions regarding antibiotic use are widespread and potentially modifiable by clinicians and media sources. Particular attention should be paid to Medicaid-insured patients in whom such misconceptions may contribute to inappropriate prescribing.

That Somber Specter: Rubella.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gebert, John

1984-01-01

Describes North Central Technical Institute's special programs for students with vision or hearing impairments focusing on the one-month career exploration program; daily living skills instruction; diagnostic, counseling, and support services; and job placement. Examines common misconceptions about hearing/vision impaired people. (DMM)

Pluto: The Farthest Planet (Usually).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Universe in the Classroom, 1988

1988-01-01

Provides background information about the planet Pluto. Includes the history of Pluto and discusses some of the common misconceptions about the planets. Addresses some of the recent discoveries about Pluto and contains a resource list of books, articles, and a videotape. (TW)

Textbook Forum. Thermodynamics of "Mixing" of Ideal Gases: A Persistent Pitfall.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Edwin F.

1987-01-01

Discusses some of the misconceptions commonly held suggesting that mixing ideal gases causes an increase in entropy. Argues that the combining processes and resulting total pressure have absolutely nothing to do with the mixing itself. (TW)

Let's Stop Teaching About Sex (of the Flowering Plants)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, John F.; Thelen, Leverne J

1969-01-01

Points out common misconceptions, especially the idea that pollination in flowering plants corresponds to fertilization in animals. Gives history of understanding of plant sexuality, then summarizes modern view. Suggests we teach accurately or not at all. (EB)

A Study of Nigerian Pupils' Understanding of Selected Biological Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okeke, Eunice A. C.; Wood-Robinson, Colin

1980-01-01

Describes results of a study investigating the nature of Nigerian secondary school pupils' (N=120) difficulties in understanding the biological concepts of growth, reproduction, and transport mechanisms within living organisms. Identifies examples of common misconceptions. (CS)

The Students’ misconceptions profile on chapter gas kinetic theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jauhariyah, M. N. R.; Suprapto, N.; Suliyanah; Admoko, S.; Setyarsih, W.; Harizah, Z.; Zulfa, I.

2018-03-01

Students have conception and misconceptions in the learning process. Misconceptions are caused by the teacher, students, and learning source. In the previous study, the researcher developed a misconception diagnosis instrument using three-tier on chapter gas kinetic theory. There are 14 items including 5 sub-chapters on gas kinetic theory. The profile of students’ misconceptions shows that students have misconceptions in each sub-chapter. The cause of misconceptions came from preconceptions, associative thinking, reasoning, intuition, and false negative. The highest cause of misconception in this chapter is student’s humanistic thinking.

The Photoelectric Effect: Experimental Confirmation Concerning a Widespread Misconception in the Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Darren; Lee, Paul; Shenghan, Gao; Xuezhou, Wang; Qi, Huan Yan; Kit, Foong See

2011-01-01

The photoelectric effect is widely taught in schools and institutions. It is common knowledge that in order for photoelectrons to be emitted, the energy of the incoming photons must be greater than the work function of the irradiated metal (i.e. hv greater than [phi][subscript emitter]). However, what may not be as commonly known is that the…

SBL-Online: Implementing Studio-Based Learning Techniques in an Online Introductory Programming Course to Address Common Programming Errors and Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polo, Blanca J.

2013-01-01

Much research has been done in regards to student programming errors, online education and studio-based learning (SBL) in computer science education. This study furthers this area by bringing together this knowledge and applying it to proactively help students overcome impasses caused by common student programming errors. This project proposes a…

Revisiting the Common Adventure Concept: An Annotated Review of the Literature, Misconceptions and Contemporary Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watters, Ron

In the 1970s a new form of outdoor trip programming appeared. Known as "common adventure," its best known trait is the absence of a designated leader. In 1970, Gary Grimm, the University of Oregon's first outdoor program coordinator, laid out the key principles: self-directed learning, formation of groups of people with similar interests…

Misconceptions Surrounding Climate Change: A Review of the Literature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Templeton, C. M.; McNeal, K. S.; Libarkin, J.

2011-12-01

Misconceptions about climate change abound in every corner of society. The result manifests itself ranging from apprehension to total disregard for climate change conditions. According to several sources, however, a large percentage of the U. S. population do, indeed indicate some concern over global warming and climate change in general. These climate change misconceptions are numerous and include, to name a few; confusion between weather and climate, how greenhouse gases are affecting the earth, the effects of ozone depletion, earth's natural cycles, volcanic activity, nuclear waste and a host of other anthropogenic influences. This paper is a review of the current research literature relating to climate change misconceptions. These errant views will be addressed, cataloged, enumerated, and ranked to get a grasp on where the general population, politicians, scientists, and educators as well as students stand on informed climate change information. The categories where misconceptions arise have been identified in this literature review study and include the following: Natural cycles of the earth, ecological which include deforestation, urban development and any human intervention on the environment, educational - including teacher strategies, student understanding and textbook updates, emotional, ozone layer and its interactions, polar ice, political regulations, mandates and laws, pollution from human sources as well as from nature, religious beliefs and dogma and social beliefs. We suggest appropriate solutions for addressing these misconceptions, especially in the classroom setting, and broadly include available funding sources for work in climate change education. Some solutions include need for compilation of appropriate education resources and materials for public use, need for the development of educational materials that appropriately address the variety of publics, and need for programs that are conducting climate change education research and EPO work to communicate and share resources in a common community. Many organizations are addressing these critical needs and we will compile these efforts in our analysis as well.

What They Should Know About Menstruation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNab, Warren L.

1985-01-01

Lists common misconceptions about menstruation and suggests a unit on menstrual education. Activities and guidelines are presented along with unit outline. The outline consists of six major areas: definition and purpose; history; anatomy and reproduction; physiology; protection and discomfort; and related topics. (DH)

How to reduce your cancer risk: mechanisms and myths

PubMed Central

Nahleh, Zeina; Bhatti, Narinder Singh; Mal, Meenakshi

2011-01-01

Cancer prevention continues to be a high research priority and the most optimal way to ultimately lower the economic and psychological burden of cancer. Many known risk factors associated with cancer are related to dietary and lifestyle factors and can be avoided. These risk factors include among others, smoking, obesity, alcohol, physical inactivity, and carcinogens in diet. This article reviews the biological mechanisms leading to cancer in association with these factors, highlights important achievable cancer prevention methods, addresses commonly asked questions about lifestyle and cancer, and dispels some of the myths about cancer prevention. PMID:21556314

Z-2 Space Suit: A Case Study in Human Spaceflight Public Outreach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McFarland, S. M.

2016-01-01

NASA Johnson Space Center's Z-series of planetary space suit prototypes is an iterative development platform with a Mars-forward design philosophy, targeting a Mars surface mission in the mid-2030s. The first space suit assembly, called the Z-1, was delivered in 2012. While meeting the project's stated requirements and objectives, the general public's reception primarily focused on the color scheme, which vaguely invoked similarity to a certain animated cartoon character. The public at large has and continues to be exposed to varying space suit design aesthetics from popular culture and low TRL technology maturation efforts such as mechanical counter-pressure. The lesson learned was that while the design aesthetic is not important from an engineering perspective, the perception of the public is important for NASA and human spaceflight in general. For the Z-2 space suit, an integrated public outreach strategy was employed to engage, excite and educate the public on the current technology of space suits and NASA's plans moving forward. The keystone of this strategy was a public vote on three different suit cover layer aesthetics, the winner of which would be used as inspiration in fabrication. Other components included social media, university collaboration, and select media appearances, the cumulative result of which, while intangible in its benefit, was ultimately a positive effect in terms of the image of NASA as well as the dissemination of information vital to dispelling public misconceptions.

Solar Science Digital Comic Series that promotes Science Literacy with Upper Elementary and Middle School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellagher, E.; Scherrer, D. K.; Buhr Sullivan, S. M.

2013-12-01

The SDO instruments (EVE, AIA and HMI) teams have created a digital comic book series for upper elementary and middle school students featuring solar science aficionados Camilla and Colours, 2 cool mascot characters. These comics may be printed or read on mobile devices and are available as a free download. Many teachers are looking for resources to use with their students via the IPad so our collaboration helps supply teachers with a great resource that teaches about solar concepts and helps dispel solar misconceptions. It doesn't come as a surprise to a lot of us, but a recent study confirms what's been theorized for years: Comics are a stronger learning tool than text books. Image-based storytelling is a powerful educational tool. Comics are probably more able to combine story and information simultaneously, more effectively and seamlessly, than almost any other medium. There's also a great potential to incorporate interactive elements into digital versions, so that more information can be presented on certain items on a page. For example, videos, animations and even historic footage and audio can be embedded into digital comics. Really, the possibilities are limited only by the creators' imaginations as to how to find new ways to create a rich experience that is interesting to explore for students. We are excited to unveil this new series of solar science comics that promotes science literacy with upper elementary and middle school students.

Barriers and enablers to adoption of intrauterine device as a contraceptive method: A multi-stakeholder perspective.

PubMed

Mishra, Namita; Panda, Meely; Pyne, Souvik; Srinivas, Nallala; Pati, Sandipana; Pati, Sanghamitra

2017-01-01

Promoting family planning practices aid considerably in attaining Millennium Development Goals by various mechanisms. Despite concerted health system efforts, adoption of especially reversible contraceptive methods such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) has remained negatively skewed in India, which is the pioneer country to implement Family Planning programme way back in 1952. Although few studies in India have looked into the reasons for its nonacceptance, literature from Odisha was scant and hence the study was undertaken. A cross-sectional study using qualitative methods was done in the Mahanga Tehsil of Cuttack district. In-depth interviews were conducted with women of reproductive age (WRA) and focused group discussions (FGDs) among health workers and health professionals were held separately. Data analysis was done using thematic framework approach supported by Atlas Ti software. There were 31 in-depth interviews with WRA, two FGDs with health workers, and one FGD with health professionals. Availability of IUD services was low and wherever available, being located far away affected its physical accessibility. Most women were reluctant to ask health workers about services owing to their shyness while many women felt using IUDs breached their autonomy and privacy. The existence of fear and misconceptions regarding its use rooting from lack of knowledge and poor service quality also impeded its adoption by women. There is a pressing need to enhance the demand of IUDs by dispelling the myths among women through effective information, education, and communication and also to improve the availability of IUDs.

Z-2 Space Suit: A Case Study in Human Spaceflight Public Outreach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McFarland, Shane M.

2016-01-01

NASA Johnson Space Center's Z-series of planetary space suit prototypes is an iterative development platform with a Mars-forward design philosophy, targeting a Mars surface mission in the mid-2030s. The first space suit assembly, called the Z-1, was delivered in 2012. While meeting the project's stated requirements and objectives, the general public's reception primarily focused on the color scheme, which vaguely invoked similarity to a certain animated cartoon character. The public at large has and continues to be exposed to varying space suit design aesthetics from popular culture and low TRL technology maturation efforts such as mechanical counterpressure. The lesson learned was that while the design aesthetic is not important from an engineering perspective, the perception of the public is important for NASA and human spaceflight in general. For the Z-2 space suit, an integrated public outreach strategy was employed to engage, excite and educate the public on the current technology of space suits and NASA's plans moving forward. The keystone of this strategy was a public vote on three different suit cover layer aesthetics, the winner of which would be used as inspiration in fabrication. Other components included social media, university collaboration, and select media appearances, the cumulative result of which, while intangible in its benefit, was ultimately a positive effect in terms of the image of NASA as well as the dissemination of information vital to dispelling public misconceptions.

Improving recruitment to pharmacological trials for illicit opioid use: findings from a qualitative focus group study

PubMed Central

Tompkins, Charlotte N. E.; McDonald, Rebecca; Strang, John

2018-01-01

Abstract Aim To explore potential study participants’ views on willingness to join clinical trials of pharmacological interventions for illicit opioid use to inform and improve future recruitment strategies. Design Qualitative focus group study [six groups: oral methadone (two groups); buprenorphine tablets (two groups); injectable opioid agonist treatment (one group); and former opioid agonist treatment (one group)]. Settings Drug and alcohol services and a peer support recovery service (London, UK). Participants Forty people with experience of opioid agonist treatment for heroin dependence (26 males, 14 females; aged 33–66 years). Measurements Data collection was facilitated by a topic guide that explored willingness to enrol in clinical pharmacological trials. Groups were audio‐recorded and transcribed. Transcribed data were analysed inductively via Iterative Categorization. Findings Participants’ willingness to join pharmacological trials of medications for opioid dependence was affected by factors relating to study burden, study drug, study design, study population and study relationships. Participants worried that the trial drug might be worse than, or interfere with, their current treatment. They also misunderstood aspects of trial design despite the researchers’ explanations. Conclusions Recruitment of participants for clinical trials of pharmacological interventions for illicit opioid use could be improved if researchers became better at explaining clinical trials to potential participants, dispelling misconceptions about trials and increasing trust in the research process and research establishment. A checklist of issues to consider when designing pharmacological trials for illicit opioid use is proposed. PMID:29356208

Understanding the risk and protective factors associated with obesity amongst Libyan adults - a qualitative study.

PubMed

Lemamsha, H; Papadopoulos, C; Randhawa, G

2018-04-13

There are a range of multifaceted behavioural and societal factors that combine to contribute to the causes of obesity. However, it is not yet known how particularly countries' cultural norms are contributing to the global obesity epidemic. Despite obesity reaching epidemic proportions in Libya, since the discovery of oil in 1959, there is a lack of information about obesity in Libyan adults. This study sought to explore the views of key informants about the risk and protective factors associated with obesity among Libyan men and women. A series of qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with Libyan healthcare professionals and community leaders. Eleven main themes (risk and protective factors) were identified, specifically: socio-demographic and biological factors, socioeconomic status, unhealthy eating behaviours, knowledge about obesity, social-cultural influences, Libya's healthcare facilities, physical activity and the effect of the neighbourhood environment, sedentary behaviour, Libyan food-subsidy policy, and suggestions for preventing and controlling obesity. Key recommendations are that an electronic health information system needs to be implemented and awareness about obesity and its causes and consequences needs to be raised among the public in order to dispel the many myths and misconceptions held by Libyans about obesity. The current political instability within Libya is contributing to a less-active lifestyle for the population due to security concerns and the impact of curfews. Our findings have implications for Libyan health policy and highlight the urgent need for action towards mitigating against the obesity epidemic in Libya.

Taking the Politics Out of Satellite and Space-Based Communications Protocols

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivancic, William D.

2006-01-01

After many years of studies, experimentation, and deployment, large amounts of misinformation and misconceptions remain regarding applicability of various communications protocols for use in satellite and space-based networks. This paper attempts to remove much of the politics, misconceptions, and misinformation that have plagued spacebased communications protocol development and deployment. This paper provides a common vocabulary for communications; a general discussion of the requirements for various communication environments; an evaluation of tradeoffs between circuit and packet-switching technologies, and the pros and cons of various link, network, transport, application, and security protocols. Included is the applicability of protocol enhancing proxies to NASA, Department of Defense (DOD), and commercial space communication systems.

Regression assumptions in clinical psychology research practice-a systematic review of common misconceptions.

PubMed

Ernst, Anja F; Albers, Casper J

2017-01-01

Misconceptions about the assumptions behind the standard linear regression model are widespread and dangerous. These lead to using linear regression when inappropriate, and to employing alternative procedures with less statistical power when unnecessary. Our systematic literature review investigated employment and reporting of assumption checks in twelve clinical psychology journals. Findings indicate that normality of the variables themselves, rather than of the errors, was wrongfully held for a necessary assumption in 4% of papers that use regression. Furthermore, 92% of all papers using linear regression were unclear about their assumption checks, violating APA-recommendations. This paper appeals for a heightened awareness for and increased transparency in the reporting of statistical assumption checking.

Misconceptions of the p-value among Chilean and Italian Academic Psychologists

PubMed Central

Badenes-Ribera, Laura; Frias-Navarro, Dolores; Iotti, Bryan; Bonilla-Campos, Amparo; Longobardi, Claudio

2016-01-01

Common misconceptions of p-values are based on certain beliefs and attributions about the significance of the results. Thus, they affect the professionals' decisions and jeopardize the quality of interventions and the accumulation of valid scientific knowledge. We conducted a survey on 164 academic psychologists (134 Italian, 30 Chilean) questioned on this topic. Our findings are consistent with previous research and suggest that some participants do not know how to correctly interpret p-values. The inverse probability fallacy presents the greatest comprehension problems, followed by the replication fallacy. These results highlight the importance of the statistical re-education of researchers. Recommendations for improving statistical cognition are proposed. PMID:27602007

Regression assumptions in clinical psychology research practice—a systematic review of common misconceptions

PubMed Central

Ernst, Anja F.

2017-01-01

Misconceptions about the assumptions behind the standard linear regression model are widespread and dangerous. These lead to using linear regression when inappropriate, and to employing alternative procedures with less statistical power when unnecessary. Our systematic literature review investigated employment and reporting of assumption checks in twelve clinical psychology journals. Findings indicate that normality of the variables themselves, rather than of the errors, was wrongfully held for a necessary assumption in 4% of papers that use regression. Furthermore, 92% of all papers using linear regression were unclear about their assumption checks, violating APA-recommendations. This paper appeals for a heightened awareness for and increased transparency in the reporting of statistical assumption checking. PMID:28533971

Teaching Tree-Thinking to Undergraduate Biology Students

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Evolution is the unifying principle of all biology, and understanding how evolutionary relationships are represented is critical for a complete understanding of evolution. Phylogenetic trees are the most conventional tool for displaying evolutionary relationships, and “tree-thinking” has been coined as a term to describe the ability to conceptualize evolutionary relationships. Students often lack tree-thinking skills, and developing those skills should be a priority of biology curricula. Many common student misconceptions have been described, and a successful instructor needs a suite of tools for correcting those misconceptions. I review the literature on teaching tree-thinking to undergraduate students and suggest how this material can be presented within an inquiry-based framework. PMID:21572571

Patients' concepts and attitudes about diabetes.

PubMed

Sircar, Amulya R; Sircar, Sudeep; Sircar, Joydeep; Misra, Sheela

2010-01-01

To evaluate the concepts and attitudes of patients and their immediate family members towards diabetes, its complications, and treatment. A total of 654 patients with poorly controlled diabetes and 216 of their immediate family members were interviewed regarding their concept about diabetes, its complications, diet, exercise, drug therapy, and understanding about insulin. There was lack of awareness about diabetes and its complications among the patients of diabetes. Majority of obese patients and their close family members failed to accept that they were obese. Child birth, menopause, and tubal ligation in female patients were wrongly attributed as a cause of obesity. There were major misconceptions about diet, exercise, and insulin therapy. More than 90% of study subjects had a misconception that all sweet fruits are prohibited and all bitter vegetables are beneficial. Temporary discontinuation of drug therapy was found in 189 cases. The lack of awareness and various misconceptions had no statistical relationship with the educational background of the patients. Among patients of poorly controlled diabetes and their close family members, there was a gross lack of knowledge of complications of diabetes, causes of obesity, treatment of diabetes, and use of insulin. Denial of obesity was commonly observed. Linking obesity with tubal ligation in female patients not only is appalling but may possibly be a hindrance to family planning program. Level of education had no bearing on these misconceptions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigating Mathematics Teachers' Thoughts of Statistical Inference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Kai-Lin

2012-01-01

Research on statistical cognition and application suggests that statistical inference concepts are commonly misunderstood by students and even misinterpreted by researchers. Although some research has been done on students' misunderstanding or misconceptions of confidence intervals (CIs), few studies explore either students' or mathematics…

Rabbit-Ears Hybrids, VSEPR Sterics, and Other Orbital Anachronisms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clauss, Allen D.; Nelsen, Stephen F.; Ayoub, Mohamed; Moore, John W.; Landis, Clark R.; Weinhold, Frank

2014-01-01

We describe the logical flaws, experimental contradictions, and unfortunate educational repercussions of common student misconceptions regarding the shapes and properties of lone pairs, inspired by overemphasis on ''valence shell electron pair repulsion'' (VSEPR) rationalizations in current freshmanlevel chemistry textbooks. VSEPR-style…

Harvest Dream.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambler, Marjane

1995-01-01

Describes the historical and present-day agricultural practices of Native Americans and the common misconception that Indians were primarily nomadic. Highlights recent efforts in reservation schools to teach traditional Indian agricultural methods. Indicates that with the tribal colleges' land grant status came a new impetus to explore the…

Reptile Facts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinheimer, Margaret

1993-01-01

Describes an award-winning bulletin board for introducing a unit on reptiles. This interactive bulletin board contains fun facts and counters common misconceptions about reptiles. Twelve true-false statements are hidden behind pull-up flaps. Four pictures ask students to identify the difference between often-confused animals. (PR)

Cancer Pain Management Education Rectifies Patients' Misconceptions of Cancer Pain, Reduces Pain, and Improves Quality of Life.

PubMed

Koh, Su-Jin; Keam, Bhumsuk; Hyun, Min Kyung; Ju Seo, Jeong; Uk Park, Keon; Oh, Sung Yong; Ahn, Jinseok; Lee, Ja Youn; Kim, JinShil

2018-03-26

More than half of the patients have reported improper management of breakthrough cancer pain. Empirical evidence is lacking concerning the effectiveness of cancer pain education on breakthrough pain control. This study aimed to examine the effects of individual pain education on pain control, use of short-acting analgesics for breakthrough pain, quality of life outcomes, and rectification of patients' misconceptions regarding cancer pain. A quasi-experimental design was used. In total, 176 (102 inpatients and 74 outpatients) and 163 (93 inpatients and 70 outpatients) cancer patients completed questionnaires on pain intensity, quality of life, use of short-acting medication for breakthrough pain, and misconceptions about cancer pain and opioid use before and immediately and/or seven days after individual pain education. The mean age of the participants was 60.9 years (±11.2), and 56.3% were male. The most common cancers were lung cancer (17.0%), colon cancer (15.9%), and breast cancer (12.5%). The subjects' reasons for attrition were conditional deterioration, death, or voluntary withdrawal (N = 13, 7.4%). Following the education, there was a significant reduction in overall pain intensity over 24 hours (P < 0.001). The outpatients showed more use of short-acting analgesics for breakthrough pain. Sleep quality change was most significantly associated with intervention; other quality of life aspects (e.g., general feelings and life enjoyment) also improved. Pain education also significantly reduced misconceptions regarding cancer pain management. The present educational intervention was effective in encouraging short-acting analgesic use for breakthrough pain, improving quality of life outcomes, and rectifying patients' misconceptions about analgesic use.

Three-dimensional rendering in medicine: some common misconceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udupa, Jayaram K.

2001-05-01

As seen in the medical imaging literature and in the poster presentations at the annual conference of the Radiological Society of North America during the past 10 years, several mis conceptions are held relating to 3D rendering of medical images. The purpose of this presentation is to illustrate and clarify these with medical examples. Most of the misconceptions have to do with a mix up of the issues related to the common visualization techniques, viz., surface rendering (SR) and volume rendering (VR), and methods of image segmentation. In our survey, we came across the following most commonly held conceptions which we believe (and shall demonstrate) are not correct: (1) SR equated to thresholding. (2) VR considered not requiring segmentation. (3) VR considered to achieve higher resolution than SR. (4) SR/VR considered to require specialized hardware to achieve adequate speed. We shall briefly define and establish some fundamental terms to obviate any potential for terminology-related misconceptions. Subsequently, we shall sort out these issues and illustrate with examples as to why the above conceptions are incorrect. There are many SR methods that use segmentations that are far superior to thresholding. All VR techniques (except the straightforward MIP) require some form of fuzzy object specification, that is, fuzzy segmentation. The details seen in renditions depend fundamentally on, in addition to the rendering method, segmentation techniques also. There are fast-software-based rendering methods that give a performance on PCs similar to or exceeding that of expensive hardware systems. Most of the difficulties encountered in visualization (and also in image processing and analysis) stem from the difficulties in segmentation. It is important to identify these and separate them from the issues related purely to 3D rendering.

Plastic Surgery Undergraduate Training: How a Single Local Event Can Inspire and Educate Medical Students.

PubMed

Khatib, Manaf; Soukup, Benjamin; Boughton, Oliver; Amin, Kavit; Davis, Christopher R; Evans, David M

2015-08-01

Plastic surgery teaching has a limited role in the undergraduate curriculum. We held a 1-day national course in plastic surgery for undergraduates. Our aim was to introduce delegates to plastic surgery and teach basic plastic surgical skills. We assessed change in perceptions of plastic surgery and change in confidence in basic plastic surgical skills. The day consisted of consultant-led lectures followed by workshops in aesthetic suturing, local flap design, and tendon repair. A questionnaire divided into 3 sections, namely, (1) career plans, (2) perceptions of plastic surgery, and (3) surgical skills and knowledge, was completed by 39 delegates before and after the course. Results were presented as mean scores and the standard error of the mean used to calculate data spread. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test for nonparametric data. Career plans: Interest in pursuing a plastic surgery career significantly increased over the course of the day by 12.5% (P < 0.0005).Perceptions: Statistically significant changes were observed in many categories of plastic surgery, including the perception of the role of plastic surgeons in improving patient quality of life, increased by 18.31% (P = 0.063). Before the course 10% of delegates perceived plastic surgery to be a superficial discipline and 20% perceived that plastic surgeons did not save lives. After completing the course, no delegates held those views.Surgical skills: Confidence to perform subcuticular and deep dermal sutures improved by 53% (P < 0.0001) and 57% (P < 0.0001), respectively. Delegates' subjective understanding of the basic geometry of local flaps improved by 94% (P < 0.0001). Interestingly, before the course, 2.5% of delegates drew an accurate modified Kessler suture compared with 87% of on completion of the course. A 1-day intensive undergraduate plastic surgery course can significantly increase delegates' desire to pursue a career in plastic surgery, dispel common misconceptions about this field, and increase their confidence in performing the taught skills. The results of this course demonstrate that a 1-day course is an effective means of teaching basic plastic surgery skills to undergraduates and highlights the potential role for local plastic surgery departments in advancing plastic surgery education.

Reaching the Future Teachers in Your Classroom: New Directions in Pre-Service Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grier, Jennifer A.; Ruberg, L.

2006-09-01

We will present results and progress from initiatives seeking to improve the experiences of future teachers in college level science classes. A future teacher (pre-service teacher) is inspired to teach science based on personal experiences with college science classes. The most critical opportunity to make a real difference in science education in schools comes when the teachers themselves are first being educated. Given the difficulties in identifying future teachers and the wide variations in their needs, how can we best help future teachers in training? What critical thinking skills are most important for them to absorb from their exposure to science as undergraduates and graduate students? What teaching and learning experiences can we offer that will help science teachers in training confidently assess the relationship between evidence and explanations and then bring that understanding and experience effectively into their own classroom? Recent initiatives in pre-service education have identified several key strategies for improving teacher preparation at the post-secondary level: - Using a constructivist approach to teach physical science concepts and guided inquiry - Knowing common misconceptions about key scientific concepts that students bring to college-level science classrooms - Applying documented strategies for identifying and addressing student misconceptions; and - Knowing how to select and adapt curriculum materials based on common preconceptions held by students. The challenge of reaching these outcomes is complex and cannot be addressed with simple solutions. Teaching strategies that help prepare future teachers include modeling effective teaching of science, understanding the relationship between student/teacher misconceptions, designing and implementing evaluation and assessment, appropriate use of technology tools, and tapping into the existing community of learners to provide ongoing education opportunities and support as the pre-service teacher progresses. Several examples of student preconceptions and a description of the teaching strategies used to help address specific misconceptions will be provided.

Why Static Clings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naab, Laurie; Henry, David

2009-01-01

Using Wiggins and McTighe's (1998) concept of Big Ideas, the authors planned and designed an electricity investigation to address common student misconceptions about static electricity. With Styrofoam plates and transparent tape, elementary students investigated many properties of electrically charged and uncharged objects in a 5E learning cycle…

Factor Scores, Structure Coefficients, and Communality Coefficients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwyn, Fara

2012-01-01

This paper presents heuristic explanations of factor scores, structure coefficients, and communality coefficients. Common misconceptions regarding these topics are clarified. In addition, (a) the regression (b) Bartlett, (c) Anderson-Rubin, and (d) Thompson methods for calculating factor scores are reviewed. Syntax necessary to execute all four…

What Is the Whole?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wentworth, Nancy M.; Monroe, Eula Ewing

1995-01-01

Discusses ways teachers can encourage students to construct useful meanings for the fractional unit. Provides three examples of representations of common fractions and illustrates misconceptions in fraction problems. Includes a brief summary of constructivist mathematics education and an example in which a teacher misunderstands a fractional unit.…

Misconceptions about Seasonal Flu and Flu Vaccines

MedlinePlus

... reactions occur, they usually begin soon after the shot and last 1-2 days. The most common reactions people have ... No other studies have found this effect. For example, this article [99 KB, 5 ... detected in the one study, but the preponderance of evidence suggests that ...

Uncovering students' misconceptions by assessment of their written questions.

PubMed

Olde Bekkink, Marleen; Donders, A R T Rogier; Kooloos, Jan G; de Waal, Rob M W; Ruiter, Dirk J

2016-08-24

Misconceptions are ideas that are inconsistent with current scientific views. They are difficult to detect and refractory to change. Misconceptions can negatively influence how new concepts in science are learned, but are rarely measured in biomedical courses. Early identification of misconceptions is of critical relevance for effective teaching, but presents a difficult task for teachers as they tend to either over- or underestimate students' prior knowledge. A systematic appreciation of the existing misconceptions is desirable. This explorative study was performed to determine whether written questions generated by students can be used to uncover their misconceptions. During a small-group work (SGW) session on Tumour Pathology in a (bio)medical bachelor course on General Pathology, students were asked to write down a question about the topic. This concerned a deepening question on disease mechanisms and not mere factual knowledge. Three independent expert pathologists determined whether the content of the questions was compatible with a misconception. Consensus was reached in all cases. Study outcomes were to determine whether misconceptions can be identified in students' written questions, and if so, to measure the frequency of misconceptions that can be encountered, and finally, to determine if the presence of such misconceptions is negatively associated with the students' course formal examination score. A subgroup analysis was performed according to gender and discipline. A total of 242 students participated in the SGW sessions, of whom 221 (91 %) formulated a question. Thirty-six questions did not meet the inclusion criteria. Of the 185 questions rated, 11 % (n = 20) was compatible with a misconception. Misconceptions were only found in medical students' questions, not in biomedical science students' questions. Formal examination score on Tumour Pathology was 5.0 (SD 2.0) in the group with misconceptions and 6.7 (SD 2.4) in the group without misconceptions (p = 0.003). This study demonstrates that misconceptions can be uncovered in students' written questions. The occurrence of these misconceptions was negatively associated with the formal examination score. Identification of misconceptions creates an opportunity to repair them during the remaining course sessions, in advance of the formal examination.

Primary Grade Students' Knowledge and Thinking about Transportation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, Jere; Alleman, Janet

2005-01-01

Very little information exists about children's prior knowledge and thinking (including misconceptions) about transportation, a topic commonly taught in elementary social studies. To develop such information, individual interviews were conducted with 96 K-3 students, stratified according to grade level, achievement level, and gender. The students…

ADHD: Implications for School Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Branscome, Jennifer; Cunningham, Teddi; Kelley, Heather; Brown, Caitlyn

2014-01-01

The focus of this article is to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge of ADHD and to provide evidence-based training interventions for school counselors. An overview of basic information about ADHD will be provided, including diagnosis, presentation, causes, prevalence, and common misconceptions. Evidence-based training…

Modeling Mathematical Ideas: Developing Strategic Competence in Elementary and Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suh, Jennifer M.; Seshaiyer, Padmanabhan

2016-01-01

"Modeling Mathematical Ideas" combining current research and practical strategies to build teachers and students strategic competence in problem solving.This must-have book supports teachers in understanding learning progressions that addresses conceptual guiding posts as well as students' common misconceptions in investigating and…

Pennsylvania Dutch Crafts and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Dianne

2008-01-01

Many people hold two common misconceptions about the Pennsylvania Dutch: first, that these people live exclusively in the state of Pennsylvania; second, that their ancestors came from Holland. However, neither assumption is correct. One can find large Pennsylvania Dutch communities in Mary land, West Virginia, Virginia, the Carolinas, Ohio,…

A Psychometric Evaluation of the Digital Logic Concept Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Geoffrey L.; Zilles, Craig; Loui, Michael C.

2014-01-01

Concept inventories hold tremendous promise for promoting the rigorous evaluation of teaching methods that might remedy common student misconceptions and promote deep learning. The measurements from concept inventories can be trusted only if the concept inventories are evaluated both by expert feedback and statistical scrutiny (psychometric…

Classroom Response Systems for Implementing "Interactive Inquiry" in Large Organic Chemistry Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Richard W.; Caughran, Joel A.; Sauers, Angela L.

2014-01-01

The authors have developed "sequence response applications" for classroom response systems (CRSs) that allow instructors to engage and actively involve students in the learning process, probe for common misconceptions regarding lecture material, and increase interaction between instructors and students. "Guided inquiry" and…

Becoming a Spider Scientist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patrick, Patricia; Getz, Angela

2008-01-01

In this integrated unit, third grade students become spider scientists as they observe spiders in their classroom to debunk some common misconceptions about these intimidating creatures. "Charlotte's Web" is used to capture students' interest. In addition to addressing philosophical topics such as growing-up, death, and friendship; E.B. White's…

Orbitals: Some Fiction and Some Facts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Autschbach, Jochen

2012-01-01

The use of electron orbitals in quantum theory and chemistry is discussed. Common misconceptions are highlighted. Suggestions are made how chemistry educators may describe orbitals in the first and second year college curriculum more accurately without introducing unwanted technicalities. A comparison is made of different ways of graphically…

The Role and Function of Presidential Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Linda

This paper identifies various elements of presidential libraries. The advantages and disadvantages of the libraries' centralization or decentralization are discussed, and some common misconceptions held by the public as to the role and function of presidential libraries are identified. Criticism and debate from the professional community about…

Equity and Access: All Students Are Mathematical Problem Solvers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franz, Dana Pompkyl; Ivy, Jessica; McKissick, Bethany R.

2016-01-01

Often mathematical instruction for students with disabilities, especially those with learning disabilities, includes an overabundance of instruction on mathematical computation and does not include high-quality instruction on mathematical reasoning and problem solving. In fact, it is a common misconception that students with learning disabilities…

Suppression of Protonated Organic Solvents in NMR Spectroscopy Using a Perfect Echo Low-Pass Filtration Pulse Sequence.

PubMed

Howe, Peter W A

2018-04-03

Proton NMR spectra are usually acquired using deuterated solvents, but in many cases it is necessary to obtain spectra on samples in protonated solvents. In these cases, the intense resonances of the protonated solvents need to be suppressed to maximize sensitivity and spectral quality. A wide range of highly effective solvent suppression methods have been developed, but additional measures are needed to suppress the 13 C satellites of the solvent. Because the satellites represent 1.1% of the original solvent signal, they remain problematic if unsuppressed. The recently proposed DISPEL pulse sequences suppress 13 C satellites extremely effectively, and this Technical Note demonstrates that combining DISPEL and presaturation results in exceptionally effective solvent suppression. An important element in the effectiveness is volume selection, which is inherent within the DISPEL sequence. Spectra acquired in protonated dimethlysulfoxide and tetrahydrofuran show that optimum results are obtained by modifying the phase cycle, cycling the pulse-field gradients, and using broadband 13 C inversion pulses to reduce the effects of radiofrequency offset and inhomogeneity.

An Analysis of Misconceptions in Science Textbooks: Earth science in England and Wales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Chris John Henry

2010-03-01

Surveys of the earth science content of all secondary (high school) science textbooks and related publications used in England and Wales have revealed high levels of error/misconception. The 29 science textbooks or textbook series surveyed (51 texts in all) showed poor coverage of National Curriculum earth science and contained a mean level of one earth science error/misconception per page. Science syllabuses and examinations surveyed also showed errors/misconceptions. More than 500 instances of misconception were identified through the surveys. These were analysed for frequency, indicating that those areas of the earth science curriculum most prone to misconception are sedimentary processes/rocks, earthquakes/Earth's structure, and plate tectonics. For the 15 most frequent misconceptions, examples of quotes from the textbooks are given, together with the scientific consensus view, a discussion, and an example of a misconception of similar significance in another area of science. The misconceptions identified in the surveys are compared with those described in the literature. This indicates that the misconceptions found in college students and pre-service/practising science teachers are often also found in published materials, and therefore are likely to reinforce the misconceptions in teachers and their students. The analysis may also reflect the prevalence earth science misconceptions in the UK secondary (high school) science-teaching population. The analysis and discussion provide the opportunity for writers of secondary science materials to improve their work on earth science and to provide a platform for improved teaching and learning of earth science in the future.

Development and use of a three-tier diagnostic test to assess high school students' misconceptions about the photoelectric effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taslidere, Erdal

2016-05-01

Background: In the last few decades, researchers have turned their attention to students' understanding of scientific concepts at different school levels. The results indicate that the learners have different ideas, and most of them are inaccurate in terms of those generally accepted by the scientific community. Purpose: This study was undertaken to describe the development, validation and use of a three-tier multiple-choice diagnostic test (PEMT) to reveal Turkish high school students' common misconceptions in terms of the photoelectric effect. Sample: In this study, 243 students (male=86, female=137) from six high schools made up the sample which comprised approximately 76% of the 11th grade population. Design and Methods: Based on findings from the literature, open-ended questions and interviews, the PEMT was developed and administered to 243 students. The data was analysed descriptively. Results: The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of the scores was estimated as .83. Construct, content and face validities were established by senior experts and through the use of statistical techniques. The findings denoted that the test is a valid and reliable measure of students' qualitative understanding of the photoelectric concept. The results revealed that the majority of the students demonstrated a limited understanding of the photoelectric effect and have five prevalent misconceptions. These are: (1) an increase in intensity would provide the photon with enough energy to release electrons; (2) the photoelectric effect results from the ionization of atoms through the interaction with light; (3) a light beam whose photons have smaller energies than the work function would release electrons with the help of a voltage source; (4) the number of photoelectrons depends on the energy of the photon and (5) the photon has kinetic energy and it depends on the colour of light. The last two misconceptions were discovered in the current study. Conclusion: The findings indicated that the PEMT is a reliable and valid measuring tool for investigating high school students' conceptual understanding and misconceptions. Future studies could use the PEMT as a tool for assessing the misconceptions of high school students, pre-service science or pre-service physics teachers.

Assessing cultural validity in standardized tests in stem education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gassant, Lunes

This quantitative ex post facto study examined how race and gender, as elements of culture, influence the development of common misconceptions among STEM students. Primary data came from a standardized test: the Digital Logic Concept Inventory (DLCI) developed by Drs. Geoffrey L. Herman, Michael C. Louis, and Craig Zilles from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The sample consisted of a cohort of 82 STEM students recruited from three universities in Northern Louisiana. Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) were used for data computation. Two key concepts, several sub concepts, and 19 misconceptions were tested through 11 items in the DLCI. Statistical analyses based on both the Classical Test Theory (Spearman, 1904) and the Item Response Theory (Lord, 1952) yielded similar results: some misconceptions in the DLCI can reliably be predicted by the Race or the Gender of the test taker. The research is significant because it has shown that some misconceptions in a STEM discipline attracted students with similar ethnic backgrounds differently; thus, leading to the existence of some cultural bias in the standardized test. Therefore the study encourages further research in cultural validity in standardized tests. With culturally valid tests, it will be possible to increase the effectiveness of targeted teaching and learning strategies for STEM students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. To some extent, this dissertation has contributed to understanding, better, the gap between high enrollment rates and low graduation rates among African American students and also among other minority students in STEM disciplines.

The effect of education type on common misconceptions of traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

De Iorio, Monica L; Nolan, Susan A; Teague, Susan

2017-11-01

In the current study, we investigated the effects of existing education materials-either a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) factsheet or personal stories of people with TBI-on undergraduate students' misconceptions and attributions about the causes of TBI-related behavior. Undergraduate students (N = 164) were recruited through the university participant pool. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either a factsheet about TBI, personal stories of people with TBI, or a control reading. Groups were compared on the number of TBI misconceptions endorsed, scores on an attribution measure, and their willingness to interact with people who have TBIs. Both the TBI factsheet group and the personal stories group endorsed fewer misconceptions, on average, than the control group (p = .02). Additionally, those who read either the personal stories or the factsheet had significantly lower attribution scores, on average, than the control group (p = .001; p = .03). That is, those who read either of the educational materials were more likely to endorse a TBI explanation over an adolescent explanation, compared to those who read a control reading. The groups did not significantly differ on their willingness for social interaction. Results suggest that, on average, factsheets and personal stories are effective for increasing knowledge about moderate-to-severe TBI as compared to a control group. Personal stories and factsheets may also be useful, on average, for addressing tendencies to discount TBIs as explanations for behavioral change, as compared to a control group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Ten (Usually Wrong) Ideas about ELLs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottschalk, Barbara

2016-01-01

ESOL teacher Barbara Gottshalk frequently hears well-intentioned but misinformed comments and questions about English language learners and her teaching field. In this article, she clarifies the misconceptions revealed by 10 common remarks--for example, "The students will never learn English if they don't speak it in their home,"…

World Culture Areas: Africa [And] U.S.S.R. Grade 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevens, Margaret; And Others

Two social studies units for sixth grade provide information and learning activities about Africa and Russia. Both units contain lists of concepts to be learned, skills, objectives, learning activities, common misconceptions, vocabulary, maps, objective and essay tests, and bibliographies. The unit on Africa helps students understand the wide…

The Use of Paradoxes as an Instructional Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rastovac, John J.; Slavsky, David B.

1986-01-01

Describes a study in which paradoxes about seasons, hemispheres, and altitude were used to teach concepts in climatology. The misconceptions commonly held about the earth-sun distance relationship were used as an instructional strategy with an experimental group, which outgained the control group on an achievement test. (TW)

ATP: A Coherent View for School Advanced Level Studies in Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gayford, Chris

1986-01-01

Discusses how instruction of biological concepts as ATP cellular energetics is related to fundamental physical science understandings. Reviews areas of common misconceptions and confusions. Summarizes results of a study which investigated students' knowledge and perception of difficulty associated with the topic of energy and ATP. (ML)

Communicating with the Elderly: Shattering Stereotypes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freimuth, Vicki S.; Jamieson, Kathleen

Designed to present communications problems faced by the elderly and to assist classroom teachers to develop activities for dealing with them, this booklet begins by examining stereotypes of older persons which minimize and distort communication with them. It outlines common misconceptions about the elderly, centering on their state of mind,…

Supporting Mathematical Discussions: The Roles of Comparison and Cognitive Load

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richland, Lindsey E.; Begolli, Kreshnik Nasi; Simms, Nina; Frausel, Rebecca R.; Lyons, Emily A.

2016-01-01

Mathematical discussions in which students compare alternative solutions to a problem can be powerful modes for students to engage and refine their misconceptions into conceptual understanding, as well as to develop understanding of the mathematics underlying common algorithms. At the same time, these discussions are challenging to lead…

Supporting Mathematical Discussions: The Roles of Comparison and Cognitive Load

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richland, Lindsey E.; Begolli, Kreshnik Nasi; Simms, Nina; Frausel, Rebecca R.; Lyons, Emily A.

2017-01-01

Mathematical discussions in which students compare alternative solutions to a problem can be powerful modes for students to engage and refine their misconceptions into conceptual understanding, as well as to develop understanding of the mathematics underlying common algorithms. At the same time, these discussions are challenging to lead…

The Teaching of Mechanics: Some Criticisms, and Suggestions for a Rational Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkin, Keith

2015-01-01

This paper examines the common confusion associated with the meaning of mass encountered in modern textbooks, and describes some of the misconceptions to be found in the teaching of mechanics. A new teaching approach is suggested, which may provide a more logical basis for these important ideas.

Trade-Offs and Individual Differences in Evolved Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winegard, Benjamin; Bailey, Drew H.; Oxford, Jonathan; Geary, David C.

2010-01-01

Comments on Evolutionary psychology: Controversies, questions, prospects, and limitations by Confer et al. We applaud Confer et al.'s (February-March 2010) clarifications of the many misconceptions surrounding the use of evolutionary analyses in psychology. As they noted, such misunderstandings are common and result in a curious tendency of some…

Teachers' Conceptions of Mathematical Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gould, Heather

2013-01-01

The release of the "Common Core State Standards for Mathematics" in 2010 resulted in a new focus on mathematical modeling in United States curricula. Mathematical modeling represents a way of doing and understanding mathematics new to most teachers. The purpose of this study was to determine the conceptions and misconceptions held by…

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis after Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy in Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

PubMed Central

James, Joe; Shiji, P. V.; Radhakrishnan, Chandni

2017-01-01

A common misconception is that immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) causes only bleeding diathesis. From this case vignette of a young male with ITP who had cerebral venous thrombosis, we highlight the importance of considering venous thrombosis in such patients when they present with focal cerebral signs. PMID:29307971

Using Manipulatives To Teach Quantitative Concepts in Ecology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eyster, Linda S.; Tashiro, Jay Shiro

1997-01-01

Describes the use of manipulatives to teach the fundamental concept of limiting factors and presents a series of questions that can be used to test whether students are harboring some of the most common misconceptions about limiting factors. Includes applications to discussions of cultural eutrophication and vegetarianism. (JRH)

Women and the Military. A WEAL Fund Kit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Women's Equity Action League Educational and Legal Defense Fund, Washington, DC.

Designed to provide useful information on women in the military, this kit is intended for students, teachers, guidance counselors, parents, policy officials, women's studies programs, librarians, and those interested in the changing role of women. The first section includes a paper on Common Misconceptions about Women in the Military and issue…

Student Media Production to Meet Challenges in Climate Change Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rooney-Varga, Juliette N.; Brisk, Angelica Allende; Adams, Elizabeth; Shuldman, Elizabeth; Rath, Kenneth

2014-01-01

While the need for effective climate change education is growing, this area of geoscience also poses unique educational challenges. These challenges include the politicization of climate change, the psychological and affective responses it elicits, and common misconceptions, which can all create barriers to learning. Here, we present an…

Common Misconceptions of Suspension: Ideas and Alternatives for School Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Ambra L.; Maynard, Deanna K.; Stegenga, Sondra M.

2018-01-01

The use of exclusionary discipline practices in schools has been well documented since the 1970s with the passing of the Safe Schools Act and implementation of zero-tolerance policies. Despite research indicating the ineffectiveness of exclusionary practices, students continue to receive suspensions and expulsions at alarming rates. Additional…

A Study of Common Beliefs and Misconceptions in Physical Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Mary; Larrabee, Timothy G.; Barman, Charles R.

2008-01-01

The Science Belief Test is an online instrument comprised of 47 statements that require true or false responses and request written explanations to accompany these responses. It targets topics in chemistry, physics, biology, earth science, and astronomy and was initially designed to assess preservice elementary teachers' beliefs about general…

Equivalence and Relational Thinking: Opportunities for Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vale, Colleen

2013-01-01

Colleen Vale makes the case for professional learning teams collaborating together to improve their teaching and hence children's achievement. In this article she describes how this may be done. Along the way the teachers explored the idea of equivalence and the common conceptions and misconceptions held by children in their classes.

Distance Running and the Elementary-Age Child

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenny, Seth; Armstrong, Tess

2013-01-01

Distance running is often underutilized in elementary physical education due to three common misconceptions about using this activity with young children: (1) it is not enjoyable, (2) it is not safe, and (3) children will get mentally "burned out." Through reviewing the literature and offering guidelines, practical tips, instant…

The Pennies-as-Electrons Analogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashmann, Scott

2009-01-01

Everyday experiences familiarize students with the ways in which electricity is used, but often the underlying concepts remain a mystery. Teachers often use analogies to help students relate the flow of electrons to other common systems, but many times these analogies are incomplete and lead to more student misconceptions. However, the "pass the…

Are Universities Really Out of Touch?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farquhar, Robin H.

It is proposed that there are three common misconceptions and criticisms held by the general public concerning Canadian universities: (1) the view that universities are hotbeds of radicalism, alcoholism, and sexism, (2) that there is a decline in the quality of work produced by universities and in their academic standards, and (3) that…

Mathematics and Martial Arts as Connected Art Forms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hekimoglu, Serkan

2010-01-01

Parallels between martial arts and mathematics are explored. Misguided public perception of both disciplines, students' misconceptions, and the similarities between proofs and katas are among the striking commonalities between martial arts and mathematics. The author also reflects on what he has learned in his martial arts training, and how this…

Errors of Inference in Structural Equation Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCoach, D. Betsy; Black, Anne C.; O'Connell, Ann A.

2007-01-01

Although structural equation modeling (SEM) is one of the most comprehensive and flexible approaches to data analysis currently available, it is nonetheless prone to researcher misuse and misconceptions. This article offers a brief overview of the unique capabilities of SEM and discusses common sources of user error in drawing conclusions from…

Cultural Pluralism in Japan: A Sociolinguistic Outline.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honna, Nobuyuki

1980-01-01

Addressing the common misconception that Japan is a mono-ethnic, mono-cultural, and monolingual society, this article focuses on several areas of sociolinguistic concern. It discusses: (1) the bimodalism of the Japanese deaf population between Japanese Sign Language as native language and Japanese Spoken Language as acquired second language; (2)…

Spork & Beans: Addressing Evolutionary Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Stephen R.; Dobson, Christopher

2009-01-01

They are found at picnics and family outings, apparently attracted by the food provided at these events. Large populations in fast food establishments further support their association with food. Yet little is known about the biology of "Utensilus plastica" (common name: plastic eating utensil). The authors have conducted an in-depth study of this…

Harnessing Technology to Improve Formative Assessment of Student Conceptions in STEM: Forging a National Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haudek, Kevin C.; Kaplan, Jennifer J.; Knight, Jennifer; Long, Tammy; Merrill, John; Munn, Alan; Nehm, Ross; Smith, Michelle; Urban-Lurain, Mark

2011-01-01

Concept inventories, consisting of multiple-choice questions designed around common student misconceptions, are designed to reveal student thinking. However, students often have complex, heterogeneous ideas about scientific concepts. Constructed-response assessments, in which students must create their own answer, may better reveal students'…

Rethinking Plagiarism in the Digital Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evering, Lea Calvert; Moorman, Gary

2012-01-01

Plagiarism is a complex issue in need of reexamination. A common misconception is there is consensus on what constitute plagiarism, and general agreement that engaging in plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty is a major breech of ethics. There seems to be little concern for differentiating degrees of seriousness; the intentional…

Academic Journal Embargoes and Full Text Databases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Sam

2003-01-01

Documents the reasons for embargoes of academic journals in full text databases (i.e., publisher-imposed delays on the availability of full text content) and provides insight regarding common misconceptions. Tables present data on selected journals covering a cross-section of subjects and publishers and comparing two full text business databases.…

Expanding the Understanding of Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Musante, Susan

2011-01-01

Originally designed for K-12 teachers, the Understanding Evolution (UE) Web site ("www.understandingevolution.org") is a one-stop shop for all of a teacher's evolution education needs, with lesson plans, teaching tips, lists of common evolution misconceptions, and much more. However, during the past five years, the UE project team learned that…

Measurement Myths and Misconceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Laura D.; Goodwin, William L.

1999-01-01

Presents frequently encountered measurement misconceptions and various measurement "rules." Origins of the misconceptions and rules are described, along with the reasons why they are problematic. Alternate approaches or considerations are given. Misconceptions discussed pertain to the estimation of internal consistency reliability and item…

Students’ Misconceptions on Properties of Rectangles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ningrum, R. W.; Yulianti, M.; Helingo, D. D. Z.; Budiarto, M. T.

2018-01-01

This research aims to describe students’ misconception of junior high school on the concept of the properties of rectangles and the alternative to overcome them. This research was qualitative descriptive research using test with the CRI (Certainty of Response Index) method and interview method. There were three students as subjects in this study who was identified to have the most misconceptions among students in the class . Based on the data analysis, the subjects showed similar misconceptions. One of student misconception was on the properties of rectangles. Student thought that rectangles were always regularly shaped, or in other word no rectangle was irregular shaped. Students’ misconception caused by picture given to the problem. The misconceptions may due to the lack of understanding of rectangle properties. Alternatives can be done such as re-explain (remediation) or by using cognitive conflict strategies. In particular, our results indicated that 8th grade students had misconceptions in understanding the properties of rectangles. By knowing the misconceptions, students can possibly know how new knowledge is interpreted as well as having an impact on student’s ability to learn correct information in the future.

A Report of Undergraduates' Bonding Misconceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicoll, Gayle

2001-01-01

Describes misconceptions related to electronegativity, bonding, geometry, and microscopic representations that undergraduate students hold. Investigates the stability of misconceptions as a function of educational level, indicating that some students' misconceptions relating to bonding are resistant to change despite increased chemistry education.…

Cognitive Processes and Students' Misconceptions in Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Deborah C.

Several categories of misconceptions which appear to be emerging across studies are discussed. They include: mis-perceptions; stunted conceptions; mis-translations; confused conceptions; lost conceptions; and true misconceptions. True misconceptions are metaphors and analogies which represent truly complete systems of explanation but are…

Randomized controlled trials of interventions to change maladaptive illness beliefs in people with coronary heart disease: systematic review.

PubMed

Goulding, Lucy; Furze, Gill; Birks, Yvonne

2010-05-01

This paper is a report of a systematic review of randomized controlled trials of interventions to change maladaptive illness beliefs in people with coronary heart disease, and was conducted to determine whether such interventions were effective in changing maladaptive beliefs, and to assess any consequent change in coping and outcome. An increasing body of evidence suggests that faulty beliefs can lead to maladaptive behaviours and, in turn, to poor outcomes. However, the effectiveness of interventions to change such faulty illness beliefs in people with coronary heart disease is unknown. Multiple data bases were searched using a systematic search strategy. In addition, reference lists of included papers were checked and key authors in the field contacted. The systematic review included randomized controlled trials with adults of any age with a diagnosis of coronary heart disease and an intervention aimed at changing cardiac beliefs. The primary outcome measured was change in beliefs about coronary heart disease. Thirteen trials met the inclusion criteria. Owing to the heterogeneity of these studies, quantitative synthesis was not practicable. Descriptive synthesis of the results suggested that cognitive behavioural and counselling/education interventions can be effective in changing beliefs. The effects of changing beliefs on behavioural, functional and psychological outcomes remain unclear. While some interventions may be effective in changing beliefs in people with coronary heart disease, the effect of these changes on outcome is not clear. Further high quality research is required before firmer guidance can be given to clinicians on the most effective method to dispel cardiac misconceptions.

Improving recruitment to pharmacological trials for illicit opioid use: findings from a qualitative focus group study.

PubMed

Neale, Joanne; Tompkins, Charlotte N E; McDonald, Rebecca; Strang, John

2018-06-01

To explore potential study participants' views on willingness to join clinical trials of pharmacological interventions for illicit opioid use to inform and improve future recruitment strategies. Qualitative focus group study [six groups: oral methadone (two groups); buprenorphine tablets (two groups); injectable opioid agonist treatment (one group); and former opioid agonist treatment (one group)]. Drug and alcohol services and a peer support recovery service (London, UK). Forty people with experience of opioid agonist treatment for heroin dependence (26 males, 14 females; aged 33-66 years). Data collection was facilitated by a topic guide that explored willingness to enrol in clinical pharmacological trials. Groups were audio-recorded and transcribed. Transcribed data were analysed inductively via Iterative Categorization. Participants' willingness to join pharmacological trials of medications for opioid dependence was affected by factors relating to study burden, study drug, study design, study population and study relationships. Participants worried that the trial drug might be worse than, or interfere with, their current treatment. They also misunderstood aspects of trial design despite the researchers' explanations. Recruitment of participants for clinical trials of pharmacological interventions for illicit opioid use could be improved if researchers became better at explaining clinical trials to potential participants, dispelling misconceptions about trials and increasing trust in the research process and research establishment. A checklist of issues to consider when designing pharmacological trials for illicit opioid use is proposed. © 2018 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.

Estimation after classification using lot quality assurance sampling: corrections for curtailed sampling with application to evaluating polio vaccination campaigns.

PubMed

Olives, Casey; Valadez, Joseph J; Pagano, Marcello

2014-03-01

To assess the bias incurred when curtailment of Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) is ignored, to present unbiased estimators, to consider the impact of cluster sampling by simulation and to apply our method to published polio immunization data from Nigeria. We present estimators of coverage when using two kinds of curtailed LQAS strategies: semicurtailed and curtailed. We study the proposed estimators with independent and clustered data using three field-tested LQAS designs for assessing polio vaccination coverage, with samples of size 60 and decision rules of 9, 21 and 33, and compare them to biased maximum likelihood estimators. Lastly, we present estimates of polio vaccination coverage from previously published data in 20 local government authorities (LGAs) from five Nigerian states. Simulations illustrate substantial bias if one ignores the curtailed sampling design. Proposed estimators show no bias. Clustering does not affect the bias of these estimators. Across simulations, standard errors show signs of inflation as clustering increases. Neither sampling strategy nor LQAS design influences estimates of polio vaccination coverage in 20 Nigerian LGAs. When coverage is low, semicurtailed LQAS strategies considerably reduces the sample size required to make a decision. Curtailed LQAS designs further reduce the sample size when coverage is high. Results presented dispel the misconception that curtailed LQAS data are unsuitable for estimation. These findings augment the utility of LQAS as a tool for monitoring vaccination efforts by demonstrating that unbiased estimation using curtailed designs is not only possible but these designs also reduce the sample size. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Using a Paradigm Shift to Teach Neurobiology and the Nature of Science-a C.R.E.A.T.E.-based Approach.

PubMed

Hoskins, Sally G

2008-01-01

Decades ago, classic experiments established the phenomenon of "neural induction" (Spemann and Mangold, 1924; Holtfreter, 1933). It appeared clear that amphibian ectoderm was pre-programmed to form epidermis, and that the neural phenotype was induced by a chemical signal from mesoderm. The "ectoderm makes skin, unless induced to make nervous system" model appeared in many textbooks. This interpretation, however, was not simply incorrect but 180 degrees out of alignment with the actual situation. As subsequently demonstrated, the default state of amphibian ectoderm is neuronal, and the expression of the epidermal phenotype requires cell signaling (Hemmati-Brivanlou and Melton, 1992; 1994; 1997). In this activity, students are presented with key experiments in a stepwise fashion. At several points, they work in groups to devise models that explain particular experimental results. The stepwise presentation of results mirrors the history of discoveries in this experimental system. Eventually, faced with seemingly contradictory data, students must revise their models substantially and in doing so, experience the paradigm shift. The lesson also examines the history of this paradigm shift. Data inconsistent with the "epidermal default" model were published years before the "neural default" model was proposed, but the significance of the surprising new data was underemphasized by the scientists who made the discovery. Discussing this situation provides insight into how science works and highlights the possibility that working scientists may become entrenched in prevailing paradigms. Such "nature of science" discussions emphasize research as a human activity, and help to dispel student misconceptions about science and scientists.

Impacting Society through Astronomy Undergraduate Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schleigh, Sharon

2015-04-01

A high percentage of non-science majors enroll in undergraduate, introductory astronomy courses across the country. The perception of the astronomy course as being easier than the ``hard sciences'' and the idea that the course will focus on ``pretty pictures'', influences the interests of the non-science majors. Often the students that enroll in these courses will not take other science courses, resulting in the only opportunity to teach college students about basic scientific concepts that impact their lives. Vast misconceptions about the nature of science, the role of science and scientists in society, and social issues embedded in scientific information, impact the decisions that individuals make about every day events. In turn, these decisions influence the policies that construct our society. This talk will provide an overview of the common misconceptions and discuss how they impact our society as a whole. The research presented provides evidence of the impact that introductory college astronomy courses have on changing these everyday misconceptions and influencing non-science majors' ideas about science in society. The research suggests that introductory courses designed for non-science majors are extremely important in impacting our society, and begs for a stronger understanding and implementation of best practices for teaching and learning in the college classroom environment.

An Intelligent and Interactive Simulation and Tutoring Environment for Exploring and Learning Simple Machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myneni, Lakshman Sundeep

Students in middle school science classes have difficulty mastering physics concepts such as energy and work, taught in the context of simple machines. Moreover, students' naive conceptions of physics often remain unchanged after completing a science class. To address this problem, I developed an intelligent tutoring system, called the Virtual Physics System (ViPS), which coaches students through problem solving with one class of simple machines, pulley systems. The tutor uses a unique cognitive based approach to teaching simple machines, and includes innovations in three areas. (1) It employs a teaching strategy that focuses on highlighting links among concepts of the domain that are essential for conceptual understanding yet are seldom learned by students. (2) Concepts are taught through a combination of effective human tutoring techniques (e.g., hinting) and simulations. (3) For each student, the system identifies which misconceptions he or she has, from a common set of student misconceptions gathered from domain experts, and tailors tutoring to match the correct line of scientific reasoning regarding the misconceptions. ViPS was implemented as a platform on which students can design and simulate pulley system experiments, integrated with a constraint-based tutor that intervenes when students make errors during problem solving to teach them and to help them. ViPS has a web-based client-server architecture, and has been implemented using Java technologies. ViPS is different from existing physics simulations and tutoring systems due to several original features. (1). It is the first system to integrate a simulation based virtual experimentation platform with an intelligent tutoring component. (2) It uses a novel approach, based on Bayesian networks, to help students construct correct pulley systems for experimental simulation. (3) It identifies student misconceptions based on a novel decision tree applied to student pretest scores, and tailors tutoring to individual students based on detected misconceptions. ViPS has been evaluated through usability and usefulness experiments with undergraduate engineering students taking their first college-level engineering physics course and undergraduate pre-service teachers taking their first college-level physics course. These experiments demonstrated that ViPS is highly usable and effective. Students using ViPS reduced their misconceptions, and students conducting virtual experiments in ViPS learned more than students who conducted experiments with physical pulley systems. Interestingly, it was also found that college students exhibited many of the same misconceptions that have been identified in middle school students.

Validity of student’s misconceptions diagnosis on chapter Kinetic Theory of Gases using three-tier diagnostic test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jauhariyah, M. N. R.; Zulfa, I.; Harizah, Z.; Setyarsih, W.

2018-04-01

In the learning process, students still have misconceptions although the concept has been taught by the teacher. One of the causes of misconceptions comes from the students themselves. The teacher often does not know that students have misconceptions because the assessment that has been given does not review the cause of misconception that occurs in students. Students have misconception especially in Abstract concept like in chapter Kinetic Theory of Gases. Because of that, this study made three tier diagnostic instrument test to diagnose student’s misconception in chapter Kinetic Theory of Gases. Moreover, it is also done an analysis in order to know the quality of instrument that has been made. According to the trials, the percentage of average internal validity is about 84.6% which means it is in proper to use and the reliability of instrument is 0.752, meaning reliable to use. This instrument used to diagnose the students’ misconceptions on chapter Kinetic Theory of Gases.

The influence of implementation of interactive lecture demonstrations (ILD) conceptual change oriented toward the decreasing of the quantity students that misconception on the Newton's first law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniawan, Yudi; Suhandi, Andi; Hasanah, Lilik

2016-02-01

This paper aims to know the influence of implementation of ILD conceptual change oriented (ILD-CC) toward the decreasing of the quantity of students that misconception on the Newton's First Law. The Newton's First Law misconceptions separated into five sub-misconceptions. This research is a quantitative research with one group pretest-posttest design. The samples of this research were 32 students on 9th grade of junior high school in Pandeglang, Banten, Indonesia. The diagnostic test is a multiple-choice form with three-tier test format. The result of this study found that there was decreasing of the quantity of students that misconception on the Newton's First Law. The largest percentage in the decreasing of the number of the students that misconception was on the Misconception 4 about 80, 77%. The Misconception 4 is "The cause of tendency of the body passenger that sat upright on the accelerated bus from motionless bus suddenly to backward be a backward force". For the future studies, it suggested to combine other methods to optimize the decreasing the number of students that misconception.

What Is a Psychological Misconception? Moving toward an Empirical Answer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bensley, D. Alan; Lilienfeld, Scott O.

2015-01-01

Studies of psychological misconceptions have often used tests with methodological shortcomings, unknown psychometric properties, and ad hoc methods for identifying misconceptions, creating problems for estimating frequencies of specific misconceptions. To address these problems, we developed a new test, the Test of Psychological Knowledge and…

Predicting Student Misconceptions in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fouché, Jaunine

2015-01-01

Two challenges science teachers face are identifying misconceptions students have about how the world operates and getting past those misconceptions. Students' prior conceptions often conflict with the content educators are trying to teach. The gateway to revealing and changing such misconceptions, Fouché says, is predictive questioning. As they…

Science Misconceptions and Funds of Knowledge: Impact on STEM Choices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millham, R. A.

2015-12-01

Alternate conceptions (misconceptions) in science can hinder understandings and impact student growth and comfort level in the science classroom. Resarch has, and still does, demonstrate that science misconceptions are still prevelant in many conceptual frameworks. Although breaking down misconceptions to rebuild scientifically sound conceptual frameworks are practices used in many science classrooms, misconceptions still persist. After identifying specific misconceptions, we asked our participating teachers to conduct specific instructional interventions in an effort to mitigate misconceptions and bring about scientific understandings with excellent results overall. However, important factors also need condsideration: funds of knowledge and the abilty to determine the differnce between understandings and beliefs held by an individual. This abstract deals with what has been determined in the research conducted by the author, and the next steps to better understandings about how to mitigate alternate conceptions.

A Thermal Paradox: Which Gets Warmer?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salazar, Agustin; Apinaniz, Estibaliz; Mendioroz, Arantza; Oleaga, Alberto

2010-01-01

In this paper we address a common misconception concerning the thermal behaviour of matter, namely that the front surface of a very thin plate, uniformly illuminated by a constant light beam, reaches a higher temperature than the front surface of a very thick slab made out of the same material. We present analytical solutions for the temperature…

Assessing Cultural Validity in Standardized Tests in STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gassant, Lunes

2013-01-01

This quantitative ex post facto study examined how race and gender, as elements of culture, influence the development of common misconceptions among STEM students. Primary data came from a standardized test: the Digital Logic Concept Inventory (DLCI) developed by Drs. Geoffrey L. Herman, Michael C. Louis, and Craig Zilles from the University of…

Identifying Common Mathematical Misconceptions from Actions in Educational Video Games. CRESST Report 838

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerr, Deirdre

2014-01-01

Educational video games provide an opportunity for students to interact with and explore complex representations of academic content and allow for the examination of problem-solving strategies and mistakes that can be difficult to capture in more traditional environments. However, data from such games are notoriously difficult to analyze. This…

Carbohydrate-Loading: A Safe and Effective Method of Improving Endurance Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beeker, Richard T.; Israel, Richard G.

Carbohydrate-loading prior to distance events is a common practice among endurance athletes. The purposes of this paper are to review previous research and to clarify misconceptions which may exist concerning carbohydrate-loading. The most effective method of carbohydrate-loading involves a training run of sufficient intensity and duration to…

Evaluating the Cognitive Consequences of Playing "Portal" for a Short Duration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Deanne M.; Pilegard, Celeste; Mayer, Richard E.

2016-01-01

Learning physics often requires overcoming common misconceptions based on naïve interpretations of observations in the everyday world. One proposed way to help learners build appropriate physics intuitions is to expose them to computer simulations in which motion is based on Newtonian principles. In addition, playing video games that require…

Developing Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Function Using a Vending Machine Metaphor Applet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCulloch, Allison; Lovett, Jennifer; Edgington, Cyndi

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the use of a Vending Machine applet as a cognitive root for the development of preservice teachers understanding of function. The applet was designed to purposefully problematize common misconceptions associated with the algebraic nature of typical function machines. Findings indicated affordances and…

Navigating Maps to Support Comprehension: When Textbooks Don't Have GPS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Kathryn L.; Brugar, Kristy A.

2014-01-01

In this article, Kathryn Roberts & Kristy Brugar discuss their assessment of third-, fourth- and fifth-grade children's understandings of the types of maps commonly found in their social studies text and trade books, and the knowledge and misconceptions it revealed. They then discuss how teachers might begin to address those issues with…

Helping Students Make Sense of Graphs: An Experimental Trial of SmartGraphs Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zucker, Andrew; Kay, Rachel; Staudt, Carolyn

2014-01-01

Graphs are commonly used in science, mathematics, and social sciences to convey important concepts; yet students at all ages demonstrate difficulties interpreting graphs. This paper reports on an experimental study of free, Web-based software called SmartGraphs that is specifically designed to help students overcome their misconceptions regarding…

Misconceived Relationships between Logical Positivism and Quantitative Research: An Analysis in the Framework of Ian Hacking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Chong Ho

Although quantitative research methodology is widely applied by psychological researchers, there is a common misconception that quantitative research is based on logical positivism. This paper examines the relationship between quantitative research and eight major notions of logical positivism: (1) verification; (2) pro-observation; (3)…

Investigating Undergraduate Students' Use of Intuitive Reasoning and Evolutionary Knowledge in Explanations of Antibiotic Resistance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richard, Melissa; Coley, John D.; Tanner, Kimberly D.

2017-01-01

Natural selection is a central concept throughout biology; however, it is a process frequently misunderstood. Bacterial resistance to antibiotic medications provides a contextual example of the relevance of evolutionary theory and is also commonly misunderstood. While research has shed light on student misconceptions of natural selection, minimal…

Formative Assessment Probes: To Hypothesize or Not

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keeley, Page

2010-01-01

Formative assessment probes are used not only to uncover the ideas students bring to their learning, they can also be used to reveal teachers' common misconceptions. Consider a process widely used in inquiry science--developing hypotheses. In this article, the author features the probe "Is It a Hypothesis?", which serves as an example of how…

To Clone or Not to Clone?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beninghof, Anne M.

2016-01-01

Beninghof challenges a common misconception--that in a good co-teaching classroom, no one should be able to tell which one is the special education teacher and which is the regular classroom teacher. Co-teaching is a partnership of two teachers with different areas of expertise. Instead of just lending an extra pair of helping hands, the…

Teaching Business Ethics in the Age of Madoff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, R. Edward; Stewart, Lisa; Moriarty, Brian

2009-01-01

"Teaching Business Ethics in the Age of Madoff" provides a brief overview of the field of business ethics, including a quick history, with particular attention to the role of scandals. The authors dispute four commonly held misconceptions about business: Markets are perfect, or at least efficient; human beings are always self-interested; economic…

Using Art Elicitation to Deliver and Evaluate a Grade 4 Climate Change Instructional Module

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Jillian; Loxton, Jason; Sherren, Kate

2013-01-01

We report the results of a climate change module delivered to 48 Grade 3/4 students in Nova Scotia, Canada. We tested for prior knowledge and evaluated interventional effectiveness using art elicitation. Common climate change misconceptions were demonstrated in their preintervention artwork, while postintervention artwork showed improved…

Global Warning: Project-Based Science Inspired by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colaianne, Blake

2015-01-01

Misconceptions about climate change are common, which suggests a need to effectively address the subject in the classroom. This article describes a project-based science activity in which students report on the physical basis, adaptations, and mitigation of this global problem, adapting the framework of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel…

Turn Your Smartphone into a Science Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vieyra, Rebecca; Vieyra, Chrystian; Jeanjacquot, Philippe; Marti, Arturo; Monteiro, Martín

2015-01-01

Mobile devices have become a popular form of education technology, but little attention has been paid to the use of their sensors for data collection and analysis. This article describes some of the benefits of using mobile devices this way and presents five challenges to help students overcome common misconceptions about force and motion. The…

The Mentally Retarded Worker: An Economic Discovery. Report to the President. 14th Annual Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

President's Committee on Mental Retardation, Washington, DC.

The booklet examines potential contributions that can be made by mentally retarded workers and exposes common misconceptions about their employability. Initial sections introduce the nature of retardation and describe real-life situations showing economic benefits of employment to employers, taxpayers, and retarded persons themselves. Among the…

Bright Promise for Your Child with Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate. Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Eugene T.; Berlin, Asa J.

Intended for parents of children with cleft lip and cleft palate, the booklet provides an overview of the condition. Addressed are the following topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): prenatal development and birth defects (facial development); possible causes of cleft lip/cleft palate (common misconceptions, genetic factors, environmental…

The Nature of Science: Integrating Historical, Philosophical, and Sociological Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Espinoza, Fernando

2011-01-01

The role of science in society, along with its nature and development, are commonly misunderstood by students in the social sciences and humanities, and even those studying in the field. Fernando Espinoza shines light on these misconceptions to give readers a deeper understanding of science and its effect and influence upon society, through…

Green Energy in New Construction: Maximize Energy Savings and Minimize Cost

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ventresca, Joseph

2010-01-01

People often use the term "green energy" to refer to alternative energy technologies. But green energy doesn't guarantee maximum energy savings at a minimum cost--a common misconception. For school business officials, green energy means getting the lowest energy bills for the lowest construction cost, which translates into maximizing green energy…

Mathematics and Social Justice: A Symbiotic Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bond, Gareth; Chernoff, Egan J.

2015-01-01

Mathematics can be defined as "the science of pattern and order" (Van de Walle, Folk, Karp, & Bay-Williams, 2009, p. 10). But because there is often a perceived spectrum of approachability to mathematics (based on common misconceptions that envision the subject as a sort of elitist wizardry) it is important to bear in mind different…

Approximate Value of Buoyant Force: A Water-Filled Balloon Demonstration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radovanovic, Jelena; Slisko, Josip

2012-01-01

Floating and sinking might be common phenomena, encountered on a daily basis, but still represent conceptually complex scientific topics. Research has shown that most students have certain experiences and their own "theories" that explain why objects sink or float. Unfortunately, many of these "theories" are either misconceptions or are valid only…

Mathematics, Thermodynamics, and Modeling to Address Ten Common Misconceptions about Protein Structure, Folding, and Stability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robic, Srebrenka

2010-01-01

To fully understand the roles proteins play in cellular processes, students need to grasp complex ideas about protein structure, folding, and stability. Our current understanding of these topics is based on mathematical models and experimental data. However, protein structure, folding, and stability are often introduced as descriptive, qualitative…

Ten Myths, Half-Truths and Misunderstandings About Black History.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruffins, Paul

1997-01-01

Common myths and misconceptions about Blacks in American history and evidence that refutes them are presented. Issues addressed include Black enslavement patterns, social status within the Black community based on skin color, the legality of slaves learning to read, resistance to slavery, African influences in modern Black culture, Black names and…

Misconceptions in Rational Numbers, Probability, Algebra, and Geometry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rakes, Christopher R.

2010-01-01

In this study, the author examined the relationship of probability misconceptions to algebra, geometry, and rational number misconceptions and investigated the potential of probability instruction as an intervention to address misconceptions in all 4 content areas. Through a review of literature, 5 fundamental concepts were identified that, if…

One Output Function: A Misconception of Students Studying Digital Systems--A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trotskovsky, E.; Sabag, N.

2015-01-01

Background: Learning processes are usually characterized by students' misunderstandings and misconceptions. Engineering educators intend to help their students overcome their misconceptions and achieve correct understanding of the concept. This paper describes a misconception in digital systems held by many students who believe that combinational…

Factors Contributing to Students' Misconceptions in Learning Covalent Bonds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erman, Erman

2017-01-01

This study aims to identify students' misconceptions regarding covalent bonds. Seventy-seven graduate students in the middle of Indonesia participated in the study. Data were collected in three stages. First, misconceptions were identified by using the Semi Open Diagnostic Test. Ten students who experienced the worst misconceptions were…

A Test of Contemporary Misconceptions in Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Rick M.; Brown, Dana L.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to construct and evaluate a contemporary misconception test based on popular myths in psychology. Misconceptions in psychology are commonplace, strongly held, and can be problematic for teaching accurate information. This study examined several predictors of misconceptions in eleven psychological topic areas. We also…

Exploring Lecturers' Views of First-Year Health Science Students' Misconceptions in Biomedical Domains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badenhorst, Elmi; Mamede, Sílvia; Hartman, Nadia; Schmidt, Henk G.

2015-01-01

Research has indicated that misconceptions hamper the process of knowledge construction. Misconceptions are defined as persistent ideas not supported by current scientific views. Few studies have explored how misconceptions develop when first year health students conceptually move between anatomy and physiology to construct coherent knowledge…

Modelling Student Misconceptions Using Nested Logit Item Response Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz, Mustafa

2017-01-01

Student misconceptions have been studied for decades from a curricular/instructional perspective and from the assessment/test level perspective. Numerous misconception assessment tools have been developed in order to measure students' misconceptions relative to the correct content. Often, these tools are used to make a variety of educational…

The Earthquake Information Test: Validating an Instrument for Determining Student Misconceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Katharyn E. K.; Shuell, Thomas J.

Some pre-instructional misconceptions held by children can persist through scientific instruction and resist changes. Identifying these misconceptions would be beneficial for science instruction. In this preliminary study, scores on a 60-item true-false test of knowledge and misconceptions about earthquakes were compared with previous interview…

Technology Integration in Science Education: A Study of How Teachers Use Modern Learning Technologies in Biology Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gnanakkan, Dionysius Joseph

This multiple case-study investigated how high school biology teachers used modern learning technologies (probes, interactive simulations and animations, animated videos) in their classrooms and why they used the learning technologies. Another objective of the study was to assess whether the use of learning technologies alleviated misconceptions in Biology documented by American Association for the Advancement of Science. The sample consisted of eight teachers: four rural public school teachers, two public selective enrollment school teachers, and two private school teachers. Each teacher was followed for two Units of instruction. Data collected included classroom observations, field notes, student assignments and tests, teacher interviews, and pre-and post-misconception assessments. Paired t-tests were done to analyze the pre-post test data at a significance level of 0.05 and the qualitative data was analyzed using the constant comparative method. Each case study was characterized and then a cross-case analyses was done to find common themes across the different cases. Teachers were found to use the learning technologies as a tool to supplement instruction to visualize abstract processes, collect data, and explore abstract concepts and processes. Teachers were found to situate learning, use scaffolding and questioning and make students work in collaborative groups. The genetics, photosynthesis, and evolution misconceptions were better alleviated than cellular respiration. Student work that was collected demonstrated a superficial understanding of the concepts under discussion even when they had misconceptions. The teachers used the learning technologies in their classrooms for a variety of reasons: visual illustrations, time-saving measure to collect data, best way to collect data, engaging and fun for students and the interactive nature of the visualization tools and models. The study's findings had many implications for research, professional development, teacher education, teaching practice, administrators, and learning technology developers. More detailed research within similar school settings (public, charter, and private) is needed to verify the common findings across the different cases in this study. An implication is that learning technology integration could be modeled with instructional scaffolds and questioning and incorporating higher order thinking tasks. Learning technology developers should consider the collaborative learning groups while developing these technologies.

Teachers' Misconceptions about the Effects of Addition of More Reactants or Products on Chemical Equilibrium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheung, Derek; Ma, Hong-jia; Yang, Jie

2009-01-01

The importance of research on misconceptions about chemical equilibrium is well recognized by educators, but in the past, researchers' interest has centered on student misconceptions and has neglected teacher misconceptions. Focusing on the effects of adding more reactants or products on chemical equilibrium, this article discusses the various…

Student Misconceptions about Plant Transport--A Sri Lankan Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vitharana, P. R. K. A.

2015-01-01

Students bring with them their own misconceptions to the science classes and it becomes a barrier in developing new concepts. Therefore, identifying misconceptions is an essential component in teaching science. The objective of this study was to identify 10th grade students' misconceptions on plant transport with the use of two-tier diagnostic…

Eliminate with Created Argument Environment after Evaluated and Categorized Misconceptions in an Ontological Sense

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinik Topalsan, Aysegul; Bayram, Hale

2017-01-01

This study aimed to ascertain misconceptions of students about basic physical concepts in the "Force and Motion" unit of secondary school seventh class curriculum, to eliminate the misconceptions with created argument environment and traditional approaches after evaluated, and categorize these misconceptions in an ontological sense.…

Student Acquisition of Biological Evolution-Related Misconceptions: The Role of Public High School Introductory Biology Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yates, Tony Brett

2011-01-01

In order to eliminate student misconceptions concerning biological evolution, it is important to identify their sources. The purposes of this study were to: (a) identify biological evolution-related misconceptions held by Oklahoma public high school Biology I teachers; (b) identify biological evolution-related misconceptions held by Oklahoma…

Misconceptions of Selected Science Concepts Held by Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doran, Rodney L.

1972-01-01

Describes a test, administered as a motion picture, designed to measure misconceptions about the particle model of matter held by students in grades two through six. Reliability values for tests of eight misconceptions are given and the correlations of misconception scores with measures of IQ, reading, mathematics, and science ability reported.…

Detection of Misconceptions about Colour and an Experimentally Tested Proposal to Combat Them

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez-Borreguero, Guadalupe; Perez-Rodriguez, Angel Luis; Suero-Lopez, Maria Isabel; Pardo-Fernandez, Pedro Jose

2013-01-01

We study the misconceptions about colour that most people hold, determining the general phenomenological laws that govern them. Concept mapping was used to combat the misconceptions which were found in the application of a test specifically designed to determine these misconceptions, while avoiding the possible misleading inductions that could…

Misconceptions in the Earth Sciences: A Cross-Age Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoon, Kenneth J.

Misconceptions interfere with the formation of new insights and provide a faulty foundation. This causes difficulty in the learning of new materials. Therefore, effective teachers strive to know which misconceptions students have, and then develop a plan by which these suspected misconceptions can be corrected or averted. This paper reports on an…

Diagnostic Opportunities Using Rasch Measurement in the Context of a Misconceptions-Based Physical Science Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wind, Stefanie A.; Gale, Jessica D.

2015-01-01

Multiple-choice (MC) items that are constructed such that distractors target known misconceptions for a particular domain provide useful diagnostic information about student misconceptions (Herrmann-Abell & DeBoer, 2011, 2014; Sadler, 1998). Item response theory models can be used to examine misconceptions distractor-driven multiple-choice…

Does Prior Knowledge Matter? Do Lamarckian Misconceptions Exist? A Critique of Geraedts and Boersma (2006)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enderle, Patrick J.; Smith, Mike U.; Southerland, Sherry

2009-01-01

The existence, preponderance, and stability of misconceptions related to evolution continue as foci of research in science education. In their 2006 study, Geraedts and Boersma question the existence of stable Lamarckian misconceptions in students, challenging the utility of Conceptual Change theory in addressing any such misconceptions. To support…

Factors associated with misconceptions about HIV transmission among ever-married women in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mondal, Md Nazrul Islam; Hoque, Nazrul; Chowdhury, Md Rocky Khan; Hossain, Md Sabbir

2015-01-01

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic continues to be associated with misconceptions and misinformed opinions, which increase the risk of HIV transmission. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the determinant factors among different socioeconomic and demographic factors affecting misconceptions about HIV transmission among ever-married women in Bangladesh. Data and necessary information of 9,272 ever-married women were extracted from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011. Three types of misconceptions were considered. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were used as the statistical tools to determine the factors affecting misconceptions about HIV transmission. The results revealed that misconceptions are more prevalent among women who are older, less educated, have husbands who are less educated, live in rural areas, have poor economic conditions, and have less access to mass media. The respondent's age, education, husband's education, place of residence, wealth index, and exposure to mass media are significantly associated with the misconceptions. Finally, logistic regression analysis identified age, education, place of residence, wealth index, and exposure to mass media as significant predictors. Because socioeconomic factors are the key determinants of misconceptions about HIV transmission, intervention programs should be aimed at HIV prevention via education and awareness programs to reduce misconceptions as important parts of the prevention strategy.

Prevalence of self-reported tuberculosis, knowledge about tuberculosis transmission and its determinants among adults in India: results from a nation-wide cross-sectional household survey.

PubMed

Sreeramareddy, Chandrashekhar T; Harsha Kumar, H N; Arokiasamy, John T

2013-01-17

Knowledge about symptoms and transmission of tuberculosis determines health seeking behavior and helps in prevention of tuberculosis transmission in the community. Such data is useful for policy makers to formulate information, education and communication strategies for tuberculosis control. A secondary data analysis of India demographic and health survey, 2005/6 was carried out. Questions about self-reported tuberculosis, transmission and curability of tuberculosis were analysed. Correct knowledge (without misconceptions) about tuberculosis transmission was used as a dependant variable and the explanatory variables tested were: demographic data, education, wealth quintiles, frequency of exposure to media and the curability of tuberculosis. Determinants of correct knowledge without misconceptions were tested by univariate and multivariate analyses using national weighting factor to adjust for complex sampling design. A total of 109,070 households (response rate of 93.5%) and 198,718 participants (response rate of 91.6%) completed the survey. The samples of men and women interviewed were 74,360 and 124,358 respectively. Prevalence rate of self-reported tuberculosis was 445 per 100,000 usual household residents and 4.60 per 1,000 participants. The number of respondents who had "heard of an illness called tuberculosis" was 177,423 (89.3%). Of these 47,487 (26.8%) participants did not know and 55.5% knew about the correct mode of tuberculosis transmission i.e. "Through the air when coughing or sneezing". The common misconceptions about transmission were "Through food" (32.4%), "Sharing utensils" (18.2%), and "Touching a person with tuberculosis" (12.3%). Only 52,617 (29.7%) participants had correct knowledge without misconceptions. Being male (aOR 1.17, 95% CIs 1.14, 1.21), being a Hindu (aOR 1.20, 95% CIs 1.14, 1.26) or Muslim (aOR 1.26, 95% CIs 1.18, 1.34), listening to radio (aOR 1.08, 95% CIs 1.04, 1.13) and "Tuberculosis can be cured" (aOR 1.47, 95% CIs 1.41, 1.53) were associated with correct knowledge without misconceptions. Knowledge about tuberculosis transmission is very poor and misconceptions still exist. Among the traditional mass media, the frequency of listening to radio was associated with correct knowledge about tuberculosis transmission. Strategies to deliver information, education and communication campaigns could be improved.

Unweaving Misconceptions: Guided Learning, Simulations, and Misconceptions in Learning Principles of Natural Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weeks, Brian E.

2013-01-01

College students often come to the study of evolutionary biology with many misconceptions of how the processes of natural selection and speciation occur. How to relinquish these misconceptions with learners is a question that many educators face in introductory biology courses. Constructivism as a theoretical framework has become an accepted and…

Assessing 10- to 11-Year-Old Children's Performance and Misconceptions in Number Sense Using a Four-Tier Diagnostic Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Der-Ching; Lin, Yung-Chi

2015-01-01

Background: Number sense is a key topic in mathematics education, and the identification of children's misconceptions about number is, therefore, important. Information about students' serious misconceptions can be quite significant for teachers, allowing them to change their teaching plans to help children overcome these misconceptions. In…

Influence of Audience Response System Technology on Student Performance in Organic Chemistry Lecture Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyubartseva, Ganna

2013-01-01

The use of audience response system (commonly known as clickers) supports communication and interactivity in class by allowing the instructor to ask thought-provoking questions and encouraging students to articulate and reflect their thinking, reveal misconceptions, probe the knowledge and follow their progress in the course. Recent studies on the…

Working Together To Erase Gangs in Our Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Consortium on Alternatives for Youth at Risk, Inc., Sarasota, FL.

A common misconception about gangs is that they resemble past images of motorcycle riders. Society is now faced with what are called "hybrid" gangs whose members are usually 14 to 16 years of age, who dress conservatively, who display subtle gang identifiers, and who are motivated by a combination of profit and poor family life. This…

Balancing Free Speech and Government Protection in a Time of Threat.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Covington, William G., Jr.

A common misconception among first-year university students is that the United States provides unabridged, uncensored absolute free speech rights. Evidently these assumptions are derived from popular press and entertainment industry images which place heavy emphasis on one end of the debate. It is a shock for some students to be exposed to the…

The Reconciliation of W. Edwards Deming and John Dewey: An Exploration of Similarities in Motivation Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Towns, William C.

1996-01-01

Interrogates similarities and misconceptions common to W. Edwards Deming and John Dewey, examining a reconciliation of the two within the context of motivation theory and concluding that Deming and Dewey are very similar in general outlook and the shared belief in the integrity of the individual within the social system. (SM)

A Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Application in Elementary Science and Technology Lessons: Physical and Chemical Changes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tarhan, Leman; Ayyildiz, Yildizay; Ogunc, Aylin; Sesen, Burcin Acar

2013-01-01

Background: Cooperative learning is an active learning approach in which students work together in small groups to complete an assigned task. Students commonly find the subject of "physical and chemical changes" difficult and abstract, and thus they generally have many misconceptions about it. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the…

First Year Pre-Service Teachers' Mathematical Content Knowledge: Methods of Solution for a Ratio Question

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Livy, Sharyn; Vale, Colleen

2011-01-01

In this article, pre-service teachers' mathematics content knowledge is explored through the analysis of two items about ratio from a Mathematical Competency, Skills and Knowledge Test. Pre-service teachers' thinking strategies, common errors and misconceptions in their responses are presented and discussed. Of particular interest was the range…

The Gauss and Ampere Laws: Different Laws but Similar Difficulties for Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guisasola, Jenaro; Almudi, Jose M.; Salinas, Julia; Zuza, Kristina; Ceberio, Mikel

2008-01-01

This study aims to analyse university students' reasoning regarding two laws of electromagnetism: Gauss's law and Ampere's law. It has been supposed that the problems seen in understanding and applying both laws do not spring from students' misconceptions. Students habitually use reasoning known in the literature as 'common sense' methodology that…

Can One Take the Logarithm or the Sine of a Dimensioned Quantity or a Unit? Dimensional Analysis Involving Transcendental Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matta, Cherif F.; Massa, Lou; Gubskaya, Anna V.; Knoll, Eva

2011-01-01

The fate of dimensions of dimensioned quantities that are inserted into the argument of transcendental functions such as logarithms, exponentiation, trigonometric, and hyperbolic functions is discussed. Emphasis is placed on common misconceptions that are not often systematically examined in undergraduate courses of physical sciences. The argument…

Encouraging Engagement in Game-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitton, Nicola

2011-01-01

It is a common misconception that game-based learning is, by its very nature, engaging for the majority of learners. This is not necessarily the case, particularly for learners in Higher Education who may need to be persuaded of the value of learning games. For some learners, games may simply not be perceived as engaging--either in terms of an…

Understanding Death Attitudes: The Integration of Movies, Positive Psychology, and Meaning Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niemiec, Ryan M.; Schulenberg, Stefan E.

2011-01-01

The portrayal of death is one of the most common themes in movies and is often unrealistic, promoting misconceptions to the public. However, there are also many films that portray death acceptance in an instructive way. Such films depict the development of character strengths useful in embracing life and lessening death anxiety, namely zest,…

Reflection on Solutions in the Form of Refutation Texts versus Problem Solving: The Case of 8th Graders Studying Simple Electric Circuits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Safadi, Rafi; Safadi, Ekhlass; Meidav, Meir

2017-01-01

This study compared students' learning in troubleshooting and problem solving activities. The troubleshooting activities provided students with solutions to conceptual problems in the form of refutation texts; namely, solutions that portray common misconceptions, refute them, and then present the accepted scientific ideas. They required students…

A Practical Example of a Siphon at Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Stephen W.

2010-01-01

In this article, some classroom experiments are described for correcting the common misconception that the operation of a siphon depends on atmospheric pressure. One experiment makes use of a chain model of a siphon and another demonstrates that flow rate is dependent on the height difference between the inflow and outflow of a siphon and not…

What Research Tells the Golf Instructor about the Golf Swing and Putting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraft, Robert E.

The purpose of this survey was to clarify some misconceptions and challenge some common practices in teaching golf skills. Over 100 research studies in golf have been reviewed and summarized. The following categories relating to the golf swing were examined: (1) grip; (2) videotape; (3) electronic golf swing analyzer; (4) teaching methods; (5)…

Two cases of contact dermatitis resulting from use of body wash as a skin moisturizer.

PubMed

Miller, Michael A; Borys, Doug; Riggins, Michele; Masneri, David C; Levsky, Marc E

2008-02-01

The use of liquid skin cleanser or body wash has become common in the United States. We report 2 cases of contact dermatitis secondary to the application of Dove Body Wash (Unilever US, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ) with the consumer misconception that the product was a skin moisturizing cream.

Beyond the Conventional Wisdom: Rural Development As If Australia's Rural People Really Mattered. Background Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sher, Jonathan; Sher, Katrina Rowe

This paper proposes a framework for developing a national rural development policy in Australia. Some common relevant misconceptions are that rural Australia and rural Australians are peripheral to the national economy and the nation's future, that farmers and farming communities are the alpha and omega of rural Australia, and that whatever is…

Conceptual Change Texts in Chemistry Teaching: A Study on the Particle Model of Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beerenwinkel, Anne; Parchmann, Ilka; Grasel, Cornelia

2011-01-01

This study explores the effect of a conceptual change text on students' awareness of common misconceptions on the particle model of matter. The conceptual change text was designed based on principles of text comprehensibility, of conceptual change instruction and of instructional approaches how to introduce the particle model. It was evaluated in…

From a Museum Demonstration to Problem Solving: Promoting the Construction of Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Yeung Chung

2007-01-01

Physics is perceived by many students to be a difficult subject, and misconceptions about it are quite common not only among school students but also among undergraduates and pre-service postgraduate science teachers. In teaching the topic of gas pressure to primary student teachers studying in the Bachelor of Education programme at my institute,…

Reporter's Guide: Drugs, Drug Abuse Issues, Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parachini, Allan

The purposes of this booklet are: (1) to serve as a commentary on the evolution, state and problems of drug reporting; (2) to make the journalist aware of the prominent issues and some of the major misconceptions common among reporters, readers and/or listeners; (3) to serve as a guide to the fundamental background literature of the field; (4) to…

An Unsolved Electric Circuit: A Common Misconception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harsha, N. R. Sree; Sreedevi, A.; Prakash, Anupama

2015-01-01

Despite a number of theories in circuit analysis, little is known about the behaviour of ideal equal voltage sources in parallel, connected across a resistive load. We neither have any theory that can predict the voltage source that provides the load current, nor is there any method to test it experimentally. In a series of experiments performed…

Identifying Cell-Related Misconceptions among Fifth Graders and Removing Misconceptions Using a Microscope

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasiloglu, Mehmet Akif; Eminoglu, Selma

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to identify cell-related misconceptions among fifth graders attending middle schools in Turkey and examine the impact of microscopy on the elimination of these misconceptions. The study was conducted with the participation of 87 fifth grade students (schoolchildren are nearly 11 years old) attending a middle school in Agri…

Development and Application of a Four-Tier Test to Assess Pre-Service Physics Teachers' Misconceptions about Geometrical Optics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaltakci-Gurel, Derya; Eryilmaz, Ali; McDermott, Lillian Christie

2017-01-01

Background: Correct identification of misconceptions is an important first step in order to gain an understanding of student learning. More recently, four-tier multiple choice tests have been found to be effective in assessing misconceptions. Purpose: The purposes of this study are (1) to develop and validate a four-tier misconception test to…

Revealing physical education students’ misconception in sport biomechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kartiko, D. C.

2018-04-01

The aim of this research is reveal Physical Education students’ misconception in several concepts of Sport Biomechanics. The Data of misconception collected by standard question of Diagnostic Test that given to 30 students of Physical Education, Faculty of Sport, State University of Surabaya in academic year 2017/2018. Diagnostic Test completed with CRI (Certainty of Response Index) in order to collect data of students’ certain in answered test. The data result of diagnostic test analysed through compilation graph of CRI right, CRI wrong and right fraction in every single question. Furthermore, students’ answer result of diagnostic test categorized in to 4 quadrants, these: correct concepts, lucky guess, misconceptions, and lack of knowledge. Its categorizing data to know percentage of misconceptions that arise in every concept tested. These sport biomechanics concepts tested are limited on frictional force, deference of distance and displacement, deference of velocity and acceleration, and free fall motion. The result obtained arise misconception in frictional force 52,78%; deference of distance and displacement 36,67%; deference of velocity and acceleration 56,67%; and free fall motion 53,33%. Result of t-test in diagnostic test misconception percentage showed that percentage of misconception arises in every student above 50%.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a radiation safety training intervention for oncology nurses: a pretest-intervention-posttest study.

PubMed

Dauer, Lawrence T; Kelvin, Joanne F; Horan, Christopher L; St Germain, Jean

2006-06-08

Radiation, for either diagnosis or treatment, is used extensively in the field of oncology. An understanding of oncology radiation safety principles and how to apply them in practice is critical for nursing practice. Misconceptions about radiation are common, resulting in undue fears and concerns that may negatively impact patient care. Effectively educating nurses to help overcome these misconceptions is a challenge. Historically, radiation safety training programs for oncology nurses have been compliance-based and behavioral in philosophy. A new radiation safety training initiative was developed for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) adapting elements of current adult education theories to address common misconceptions and to enhance knowledge. A research design for evaluating the revised training program was also developed to assess whether the revised training program resulted in a measurable and/or statistically significant change in the knowledge or attitudes of nurses toward working with radiation. An evaluation research design based on a conceptual framework for measuring knowledge and attitude was developed and implemented using a pretest-intervention-posttest approach for 15% of the study population of 750 inpatient registered oncology nurses. As a result of the intervention program, there was a significant difference in nurse's cognitive knowledge as measured with the test instrument from pretest (58.9%) to posttest (71.6%). The evaluation also demonstrated that while positive nursing attitudes increased, the increase was significant for only 5 out of 9 of the areas evaluated. The training intervention was effective for increasing cognitive knowledge, but was less effective at improving overall attitudes. This evaluation provided insights into the effectiveness of training interventions on the radiation safety knowledge and attitude of oncology nurses.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a radiation safety training intervention for oncology nurses: a pretest – intervention – posttest study

PubMed Central

Dauer, Lawrence T; Kelvin, Joanne F; Horan, Christopher L; St Germain, Jean

2006-01-01

Background Radiation, for either diagnosis or treatment, is used extensively in the field of oncology. An understanding of oncology radiation safety principles and how to apply them in practice is critical for nursing practice. Misconceptions about radiation are common, resulting in undue fears and concerns that may negatively impact patient care. Effectively educating nurses to help overcome these misconceptions is a challenge. Historically, radiation safety training programs for oncology nurses have been compliance-based and behavioral in philosophy. Methods A new radiation safety training initiative was developed for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) adapting elements of current adult education theories to address common misconceptions and to enhance knowledge. A research design for evaluating the revised training program was also developed to assess whether the revised training program resulted in a measurable and/or statistically significant change in the knowledge or attitudes of nurses toward working with radiation. An evaluation research design based on a conceptual framework for measuring knowledge and attitude was developed and implemented using a pretest-intervention-posttest approach for 15% of the study population of 750 inpatient registered oncology nurses. Results As a result of the intervention program, there was a significant difference in nurse's cognitive knowledge as measured with the test instrument from pretest (58.9%) to posttest (71.6%). The evaluation also demonstrated that while positive nursing attitudes increased, the increase was significant for only 5 out of 9 of the areas evaluated. Conclusion The training intervention was effective for increasing cognitive knowledge, but was less effective at improving overall attitudes. This evaluation provided insights into the effectiveness of training interventions on the radiation safety knowledge and attitude of oncology nurses. PMID:16762060

ADHD knowledge, misconceptions, and treatment acceptability.

PubMed

Sciutto, Mark J

2015-02-01

Despite the availability of several effective treatments, many children with ADHD do not receive adequate services. A variety of factors may influence help-seeking behavior among families of children with ADHD. This study explores two factors that may influence help-seeking decisions: knowledge and misconceptions of ADHD and treatment acceptability. A total of 196 participants completed measures of ADHD knowledge and use of information sources prior to rating the acceptability of two interventions: stimulant medication and sugar elimination diets. Higher levels of ADHD misconceptions were associated with lower acceptance of medication and higher acceptance of dietary interventions. However, analysis of individual misconceptions suggests that specific misconceptions are differentially related to perceptions of individual treatments. It may be important for clinicians to assess and deliberately target specific misconceptions as part of treatment for ADHD. © 2013 SAGE Publications.

Investigating Undergraduate Science Students' Conceptions and Misconceptions of Ocean Acidification.

PubMed

Danielson, Kathryn I; Tanner, Kimberly D

2015-01-01

Scientific research exploring ocean acidification has grown significantly in past decades. However, little science education research has investigated the extent to which undergraduate science students understand this topic. Of all undergraduate students, one might predict science students to be best able to understand ocean acidification. What conceptions and misconceptions of ocean acidification do these students hold? How does their awareness and knowledge compare across disciplines? Undergraduate biology, chemistry/biochemistry, and environmental studies students, and science faculty for comparison, were assessed on their awareness and understanding. Results revealed low awareness and understanding of ocean acidification among students compared with faculty. Compared with biology or chemistry/biochemistry students, more environmental studies students demonstrated awareness of ocean acidification and identified the key role of carbon dioxide. Novel misconceptions were also identified. These findings raise the question of whether undergraduate science students are prepared to navigate socioenvironmental issues such as ocean acidification. © 2015 K. I. Danielson and K. D. Tanner. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Climate Science - getting the world to understand, and to care

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasmin, T.; Ackerman, S. A.; Whittaker, T. M.

2012-12-01

Effectively teaching and conveying climate science has become one of Earth Science's greatest challenges. Existing barriers are many and varied, from political, ideological, and religious, to purely economic. Additionally, studies show the general public at present has a surprising number of basic misconceptions regarding the Earth system, and Earth-Sun relationships. Addressing these misconceptions is the first hurdle to overcome for properly teaching climate science. This talk will discuss ways to address the various barriers. Strategies are being employed to arm teachers with new tools leveraging the move to online, interactive learning. Content can be tailored particular audiences. For any individual, learning will be most effective if there is an understood significance, the information is presented clearly and at an appropriate education level, and when possible some personal relevance can be inferred. People need a reason to care. Examples and approaches for several common education scenarios will be given. A simple "Climate Change 101" outline will be given, a blueprint that could be used to educate most of the general public. Freely available online resources to address Earth System misconceptions will be referenced. Finally, a case will be made that a dramatic improvement in climate literacy worldwide may be the only viable means to successfully tackling global warming.

Addressing climate and energy misconceptions - teaching tools offered by the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gold, A. U.; Ledley, T. S.; Kirk, K. B.; Grogan, M.; McCaffrey, M. S.; Buhr, S. M.; Manduca, C. A.; Fox, S.; Niepold, F.; Howell, C.; Lynds, S. E.

2011-12-01

Despite a prevalence of peer-reviewed scientific research and high-level reports by intergovernmental agencies (e.g., IPCC) that document changes in our climate and consequences for human societies, the public discourse regards these topics as controversial and sensitive. The chasm between scientific-based understanding of climate systems and public understanding can most easily be addressed via high quality, science-based education on these topics. Well-trained and confident educators are required to provide this education. However, climate science and energy awareness are complex topics that are rapidly evolving and have a great potential for controversy. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary nature of climate science further increases the difficulty for teachers to stay abreast of the science and the policy. Research has shown that students and educators alike hold misconceptions about the climate system in general and the causes and effects of climate change in particular. The NSF-funded CLEAN Pathway (http://cleanet.org) as part of the National Science Digital Library (http://www.nsdl.org) strives to address these needs and help educators address misconceptions by providing high quality learning resources and professional development opportunities to support educators of grade levels 6 through 16. The materials focus on teaching climate science and energy use. The scope and framework of the CLEAN Pathway is defined by the Essential Principles of Climate Science (CCSP, 2009) and the Energy Literacy Principles recently developed by the Department of Energy. Following this literacy-based approach, CLEAN helps with developing mental models to address misconceptions around climate science and energy awareness through a number of different avenues. These are: 1) Professional development opportunities for educators - interactive webinars for secondary teachers and virtual workshops for college faculty, 2) A collection of scientifically and pedagogically reviewed, high-quality learning resources on climate and energy topics, 3) Detailed information on effective approaches for teaching climate and energy science for a range of grade levels, and 4) A community support forum (http://iceeonline.org, coordinated by a partner project - Inspiring Climate Education Excellence, ICEE), where educators can exchange information and share advice regarding climate and energy education. In this presentation we focus on our experience coordinating professional development opportunities as well as the "Teaching about Climate and Energy" web pages that are offered through the CLEAN Pathway to show-case how misconceptions can be addressed by educators when teaching or learning about climate and energy topics. Providing educators with a robust foundation of topical knowledge, guiding them through common misconceptions and providing them with a collection of well-vetted learning resources is the approach offered by CLEAN to address student misconceptions of climate and energy topics.

Monitoring and remediation of on-farm and off-farm ground current measured as step potential on a Wisconsin dairy farm: A case study.

PubMed

Stetzer, Dave; Leavitt, Adam M; Goeke, Charles L; Havas, Magda

2016-01-01

Ground current commonly referred to as "stray voltage" has been an issue on dairy farms since electricity was first brought to rural America. Equipment that generates high-frequency voltage transients on electrical wires combined with a multigrounded (electrical distribution) system and inadequate neutral returns all contribute to ground current. Despite decades of problems, we are no closer to resolving this issue, in part, due to three misconceptions that are addressed in this study. Misconception 1. The current standard of 1 V at cow contact is adequate to protect dairy cows; Misconception 2. Frequencies higher than 60 Hz do not need to be considered; and Misconception 3. All sources of ground current originate on the farm that has a ground current problem. This case study of a Wisconsin dairy farm documents, 1. how to establish permanent monitoring of ground current (step potential) on a dairy farm; 2. how to determine and remediate both on-farm and off-farm sources contributing to step potential; 3. which step-potential metrics relate to cow comfort and milk production; and 4. how these metrics relate to established standards. On-farm sources include lighting, variable speed frequency drives on motors, radio frequency identification system and off-farm sources are due to a poor primary neutral return on the utility side of the distribution system. A step-potential threshold of 1 V root mean square (RMS) at 60 Hz is inadequate to protect dairy cows as decreases of a few mV peak-peak at higher frequencies increases milk production, reduces milking time and improves cow comfort.

Perceptions of secondary technical schools students in Assiut, upper Egypt, about AIDS: Effect of an educational intervention.

PubMed

Selim, Mohei El-Din A; El-Shereef, Etemad A A

2010-01-01

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a great threat to the youth. The aim is to assess the knowledge of secondary technical schools students on AIDS, identify related misconceptions, and measure the effect of a short health education program on their level of knowledge. This quasi-experimental study was done on 575 secondary technical schools students in Assiut City, recruited through a two-stage stratified cluster sampling. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was used to collect data. A health education program was implemented, and its effect assessed through pre-post testing. The age range of the students was 16 to 20 years, with more girls (57.0%). Only 30.8% had satisfactory knowledge about AIDS in the pretest. Statistically significant improvements in knowledge were revealed after program implementation (P<0.001). Students who were Muslim, of urban residence, and had mobile phones had significantly higher scores (P=0.037, 0.004, 0.038 respectively). The most common misconceptions were the definition of AIDS according to transmission, and phobias related to transmission, which decreased after the intervention. Multivariate analysis showed that the statistically significant independent predictors of the change in knowledge score after the intervention were age, religion and the health education program. Secondary technical schools students in Assiut city have a major deficiency in knowledge and many misconceptions regarding AIDS. The educational intervention had a positive impact on their knowledge, but a less marked effect on misconceptions. Knowledge was affected by age and religious belief. It is recommended that more health educational efforts tailored to needs and with approaches suitable to community cultures and values be introduced.

The Retention of Geologic Misconceptions: Alternative Ideas That Persist After Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wandersee, J. H.; Clary, R. M.; Anderson, S. W.; Libarkin, J.

2003-12-01

We used a 30 item multiple-choice instrument called the geoscience concept test (GCT) to study learning in introductory college-level science courses. The GCT uses common misconceptions as wrong answers, and allows us to pre- and post-test individual courses to gauge the effectiveness of instruction. The GCT was given at the beginning of the semester to 2215 college students in 42 classes at 32 different institutions in 19 different states (21 public and 6 private four-year institutions, 4 community colleges, and one tribal college). The pilot was also given to 1907 students as a semester-end post-test in 30 different classes. We were able to match pre- and post-test results for 967 students through an analysis of volunteered personal and demographic data. Although statistical analysis shows that learning occurred in all classes, closer inspection of the data show that the student population retained a number of misconceptions. Students retained several incorrect ideas relating to geologic time despite instruction. For example, 71% of post-tested students believe that the study of fossils, rock layers, or carbon is the most accurate means for calculating the age of the Earth. Nearly 25% of students believed that dinosaurs only existed on Earth for 500,000 years, and 40% believe dinosaurs came into existence about halfway through the geologic time scale. Many alternative ideas about plate tectonics and the formation of rocks also existed after instruction. Nearly half of the post-tested students (47%) believed that tectonic plates do not extend all way to the surface of the Earth, and 65% did not believe that animals could form oceanic rocks. Identification of strongly held misconceptions in a post-tested student population provides instructors with information that could impact the way they present material to their introductory classes.

A Compilation and Review of over 500 Geoscience Misconceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francek, Mark

2013-01-01

This paper organizes and analyses over 500 geoscience misconceptions relating to earthquakes, earth structure, geologic resources, glaciers, historical geology, karst (limestone terrains), plate tectonics, rivers, rocks and minerals, soils, volcanoes, and weathering and erosion. Journal and reliable web resources were reviewed to discover (1) the frequency of misconceptions by subject matter, group (primary, middle-school, high-school, middle-/high-school, college, pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and undefined) and source (journal versus web); and (2) the pattern of misconceptions across age groups and (3) directions for future research. A total of 502 misconceptions were discovered, with over 40% targeting a middle- and high-school audience. Plate tectonics comprised 19% of all misconceptions, with another 14% and 13% associated with weathering/erosion and historical geology, respectively. Over 80% of all the misconceptions were derived from peer-reviewed journals or web sources, the rest originated from reliable sources on the World Wide Web. The supernatural origin for many of the geoscience phenomena listed here is abandoned by middle school, but in other cases, some misconceptions seem robust through adulthood. Examples of such misconceptions include the origin/pattern of earthquakes, thickness of the earth's crust, oil's origin, movement mechanisms for glaciers, co-existence of humans and dinosaurs, water movement within karst terrains, the nature of plate boundaries, the power of water as an agent of geomorphic change, what constitutes a mineral and a rock, thickness of the soil layer, the distribution of volcanoes, and the difference between weathering and erosion.

Text Based Analogy in Overcoming Student Misconception on Simple Electricity Circuit Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hesti, R.; Maknun, J.; Feranie, S.

2017-09-01

Some researcher have found that the use of analogy in learning and teaching physics was effective enough in giving comprehension in a complicated physics concept such as electrical circuits. Meanwhile, misconception become main cause that makes students failed when learning physics. To provide teaching physics effectively, the misconception should be resolved. Using Text Based Analogy is one of the way to identifying misconceptions and it is enough to assist teachers in conveying scientific truths in order to overcome misconceptions. The purpose of the study to investigate the use of text based analogy in overcoming students misconception on simple electrical circuit material. The samples of this research were 28 of junior high school students taken purposively from one high school in South Jakarta. The method use in this research is pre-experimental and design in one shot case study. Students who are the participants of sample have been identified misconception on the electrical circuit material by using the Diagnostic Test of Simple Electricity Circuit. The results of this study found that TBA can replace the misconceptions of the concept possessed by students with scientific truths conveyed in the text in a way that is easily understood so that TBA is strongly recommended to use in other physics materials.

Development and Application of a Novel Rasch-based Methodology for Evaluating Multi-Tiered Assessment Instruments: Validation and utilization of an undergraduate diagnostic test of the water cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romine, William L.; Schaffer, Dane L.; Barrow, Lloyd

2015-11-01

We describe the development and validation of a three-tiered diagnostic test of the water cycle (DTWC) and use it to evaluate the impact of prior learning experiences on undergraduates' misconceptions. While most approaches to instrument validation take a positivist perspective using singular criteria such as reliability and fit with a measurement model, we extend this to a multi-tiered approach which supports multiple interpretations. Using a sample of 130 undergraduate students from two colleges, we utilize the Rasch model to place students and items along traditional one-, two-, and three-tiered scales as well as a misconceptions scale. In the three-tiered and misconceptions scales, high confidence was indicative of mastery. In the latter scale, a 'misconception' was defined as mastery of an incorrect concept. We found that integrating confidence into mastery did little to change item functioning; however, three-tiered usage resulted in higher reliability and lower student ability estimates than two-tiered usage. The misconceptions scale showed high efficacy in predicting items on which particular students were likely to express misconceptions, and revealed several tenacious misconceptions that all students were likely to express regardless of ability. Previous coursework on the water cycle did little to change the prevalence of undergraduates' misconceptions.

Analizing Student Biology Education Misconception And Scientific Argumentation Ability Using Diagnostic Question Clusters (Dqcs) Of Molecular Genetic Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurlaila, L.; Sriyati, S.; Riandi

2017-02-01

The purpose of this research is to describe the profile of misconceptions and scientific argumentation ability using Diagnostic Question Cluster (DQCs) of molecular genetics concept. This research use descriptive research method and biology education students as a research subject. The Instrument that used in this research are DQCs, sheets interviews, observations, and field notes. The DQCs tested by writing and oral that used to analyze misconceptions and scientific argumentation ability. Sheets interviews, observations and field notes, are used to analyze the possible factors causing misconceptions and scientific argumentation ability. The results showed that misconception of molecular genetics are: DNA (23.75%), genes (18.75%) of chromosomes (15%) and protein synthesis (5.5%). The pattern of the highest misconceptions owned Misconception-Understand Partial. The average scientific argumentation ability is 55% and still categorized warrant (W). The pattern of the scientific argumentation abilities formed is level 2 to level 2 that consists of the arguments in the form of a claim with a counter claim that accompanied by data, collateral (warrant) or support (backing) but does not contain a disclaimer (rebutal).

Portuguese Students' Understanding at Ages 10-11 and 14-15 of the Origin and Nature of the Earth and the Development of Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marques, Luis; Thompson, David

1997-01-01

Uses interviews and a written questionnaire to probe students' ideas on the origin of earth and life on earth. A significant number of commonly held misconceptions were prevalent in the sample (N=493). Provides guidelines to assist learners in challenging existing views. Contains 64 references. (DDR)

Junior High School Students' Ideas about the Shape and Size of the Atom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cokelez, Aytekin

2012-01-01

The concept of the atom is one of the building blocks of science education. Although the concept is a foundation for students' subsequent learning experiences, it is difficult for students to comprehend because of common misconceptions and its abstractness. The purpose of this study is to examine junior high school students' (ages 12-13) ideas…

Cardiovascular Effects of Caffeine

PubMed Central

Myers, Martin G.

1992-01-01

A review of the literature on the cardiovascular effects of caffeine indicates that moderate caffeine consumption does not cause cardiac arrhythmias, hypertension, or an increased incidence of coronary heart disease. Caffeine use is often associated with atherogenic behavior, such as cigarette smoking. Failure to take into account covariables for cardiovascular disease could be responsible for commonly held misconceptions about caffeine and heart disease. PMID:21221403

Factors Associated with Perceptions of Hookah Addictiveness and Harmfulness among Young Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noonan, Devon; Patrick, Megan E.

2013-01-01

Hookah smoking is a form of tobacco use that is growing in popularity in the United States. College-aged students, who are known to experiment with multiple forms of tobacco, are particularly vulnerable to this tobacco trend. There is a common misconception that hookah smoking is not as dangerous as other forms of tobacco, which may help explain…

Integrating Sand Tray and Solution Focused Brief Counseling as a Model for Working with Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBrayer, Rachel H.; Chibbaro, Julia S.

2012-01-01

School counselors are master jugglers and must assume a variety of roles and tasks in order to be successful. Despite common misconceptions, Play Therapy is not for exclusive use with younger children. In fact, adolescents can also benefit from its unique properties. One integrated technique that could prove to be especially helpful with middle…

How Do Biology Teacher Candidates Know Particulate Movements & Random Nature of Matter and Their Effects to Diffusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oztas, Fulya; Oztas, Haydar

2016-01-01

The previous researches results seem to suggest that some aspects of learning of diffusion and osmosis concepts such as membranes, kinetic energy of matter, and elements of the particulate and random nature of matter could lead to misconceptions. The concept of diffusion is very common in science instruction, and understanding the concept is an…

Conceptual Difficulties Experienced by Prospective Teachers in Electrochemistry: Half-Cell Potential, Cell Potential, and Chemical and Electrochemical Equilibrium in Galvanic Cells.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozkaya, Ali Riza

2002-01-01

A previous study of prospective teachers found that students from different countries and different levels of electrochemistry hold common misconceptions, indicating that concepts were presented to them poorly. Reports on how prospective teachers' scientifically incorrect ideas were used to form assertion-reason-type questions and how these…

Common Misconceptions about the Dynamical Theory of Crystal Lattices: Cauchy Relations, Lattice Potentials and Infinite Crystals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elcoro, Luis; Etxebarria, Jesus

2011-01-01

The requirement of rotational invariance for lattice potential energies is investigated. Starting from this condition, it is shown that the Cauchy relations for the elastic constants are fulfilled if the lattice potential is built from pair interactions or when the first-neighbour approximation is adopted. This is seldom recognized in widely used…

Language Outcomes for Children of Low-Income Families Enrolled in Auditory Verbal Therapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogan, Sarah; Stokes, Jacqueline; Weller, Isobel

2010-01-01

A common misconception about families in the UK who choose to participate in an Auditory Verbal (AV) approach for their child with hearing impairment, is that they are uniformly from affluent backgrounds. It is asserted that the good spoken language outcomes in these children are a product of the child's social background and family's values…

Awareness about autism among school teachers in Oman: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Al-Sharbati, Marwan M; Al-Farsi, Yahya M; Ouhtit, Allal; Waly, Mostafa I; Al-Shafaee, Mohamed; Al-Farsi, Omar; Al-Khaduri, Maha; Al-Said, Mona F; Al-Adawi, Samir

2015-01-01

Children with special needs such as those with autism spectrum disorder have been recorded as ostracized and stigmatized in many parts of the world. Little is known about whether such negative views are present among mainstream teachers in Oman. A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate school teachers' awareness about autism spectrum disorder in an urban region in Oman. A total of 164 teachers were randomly enrolled from five schools. Misconceptions about autism spectrum disorder were found to be common among mainstream teachers in the country. We posit that such lack of awareness was likely to be rooted with sociocultural patterning as well as conflicting views often "spun" by the scientific community and mass media. Enlightened views toward children with autism spectrum disorder should be presented to Omani teachers to overcome misconceptions and negative attitudes toward children with autism spectrum disorder. © The Author(s) 2013.

Grief after second-trimester termination for fetal anomaly: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Maguire, Marguerite; Light, Alexis; Kuppermann, Miriam; Dalton, Vanessa K.; Steinauer, Jody E.; Kerns, Jennifer L.

2015-01-01

Objectives We aimed to qualitatively evaluate factors that contribute to and alleviate grief associated with termination of a pregnancy for a fetal anomaly and how that grief changes over time. Study design We conducted a longitudinal qualitative study of decision satisfaction, grief and coping among women undergoing termination (dilation and evacuation or induction termination) for fetal anomalies and other complications. We conducted three postprocedure interviews at 1–3 weeks, 3 months and 1 year. We used a generative thematic approach to analyze themes related to grief using NVivo software program. Results Of the 19 women in the overall study, 13 women’s interviews were eligible for analysis of the grief experience. Eleven women completed all three interviews, and two completed only the first interview. Themes that contributed to grief include self-blame for the diagnosis, guilt around the termination decision, social isolation related to discomfort with abortion and grief triggered by reminders of pregnancy. Social support and time are mechanisms that serve to alleviate grief. Conclusions Pregnancy termination in this context is experienced as a significant loss similar to other types of pregnancy loss and is also associated with real and perceived stigma. Women choosing termination for fetal anomalies may benefit from tailored counseling that includes dispelling misconceptions about cause of the anomaly. In addition, efforts to decrease abortion stigma and increase social support may improve women’s experiences and lessen their grief response. Implications The nature and course of grief after second-trimester termination for fetal anomaly are, as of yet, poorly understood. With improved understanding of how women grieve over time, clinicians can better recognize the significance of their patients’ suffering and offer tools to direct their grief toward positive coping. PMID:25499590

Assessing Correlation of Residency Applicants' Interview Dates With Likelihood of Matching.

PubMed

Avasarala, Sameer; Thompson, Elizabeth; Whitehouse, Sarah; Drake, Sean

2018-02-01

This study aimed to determine whether the timing of an interview relative to the recruitment season was associated with being ranked or matched at an academic medical center. Eleven specialties (anesthesiology, diagnostic radiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, obstetrics-gynecology, orthopedic surgery, and psychiatry) that participated in the National Resident Matching Program were included in the study. Each program's total number of interview days during the October 2014-January 2015 interview season were divided equally into three interview time periods. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to evaluate associations among the three interview time periods (early, middle, and late) and interviewee outcomes (ranked or matched at our institution) for all subjects combined for each of the 11 programs and for specialty groups (medical, surgical, and hospital). Of 1034 applicants included in the analyses, 60% were men. Most were graduated from US medical schools (59.8%; a total of 103 applicants obtained first-year training positions through the Match [95.4% combined fill rate]). Twenty-nine interviewed early, 38 in the middle, and 36 in the late period ( P = 0.3877). A total of 864 applicants were ranked by 1 of the 11 residency programs at the study site: 267 in the early period, 319 in the middle, and 278 in the late period ( P = 0.4184). Being ranked in association with specialty classification also showed no significant differences. Interview timing had no relation to the likelihood of a match or being ranked by 1 of the 11 programs studied at our institution. These findings help dispel misconceptions about the importance of the interview date for a successful match.

A Pilot Astronomy Outreach Project in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Dipen; Mridha, Shahjahan; Afroz, Maqsuda

2015-08-01

In its strategic planning for the "Astronomy for Development Project," the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has ecognized, among other important missions, the role of astronomy in understanding the far-reaching possibilities for promoting global tolerance and citizenship. Furthermore, astronomy is deemed inspirational for careers in science and technology. The "Pilot Astronomy Outreach Project in Bangladesh"--the first of its kind in the country--aspires to fulfill these missions. As Bangladesh lacks resources to promote astronomy education in universities and schools, the role of disseminating astronomy education to the greater community falls on citizen science organizations. One such group, Anushandhitshu Chokro (AChokro) Science Organization, has been carrying out a successful public outreach program since 1975. Among its documented public events, AChokro organized a total solar eclipse campaign in Bangladesh in 2009, at which 15,000 people were assembled in a single open venue for the eclipse observation. The organization has actively pursued astronomy outreach to dispel public misconceptions about astronomical phenomena and to promote science. AChokro is currently working to build an observatory and Science Outreach Center around a recently-acquired 14-inch Scmidt-Cassegrain telescope and a soon-to-be-acquired new 16-inch reflector, all funded by private donations. The telescopes will be fitted with photometers, spectrometers, and digital and CCD cameras to pursue observations that would include sun spot and solar magnetic fields, planetary surfaces, asteroid search, variable stars and supernovae. The Center will be integrated with schools, colleges, and community groups for regular observation and small-scale research. Special educational and observing sessions for adults will also be organized. Updates on the development of the Center, which is expected to be functioning by the end of 2015, will be shared and feedback invited on the fostering of international collaboration.

Arab school teachers' knowledge, beliefs and reactions regarding stuttering.

PubMed

Abdalla, Fauzia A; St Louis, Kenneth O

2012-03-01

Stereotypes toward stuttering and people who stutter (PWS) are widespread in the general public irrespective of age, level of education, culture, geographic location and profession. Negative attitudes held by persons of authority like teachers can lead to social, economic and educational obstacles in the lives of PWS. The current study used an Arabic translation of an adapted version of the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) to explore Arab teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward stuttering as well as strategies they adopt to cope with the problem in class. The participants were 262 in-service and 209 pre-service public school teachers in Kuwait. The results are contrasted to those of Arab parents in Kuwait reported earlier. Although many of the teachers knew a person who stutters well and were sensitive in their interactions with PWS, major findings of this study suggest that many were misinformed about the causes of stuttering and held stereotypical views about PWS, comparable to those reported in the literature. Very few differences were noted between opinions of teachers who were still in training and those who were practicing for an average of 11 years. The study underscores the need for awareness campaigns that target not only teachers who are currently working but also those still in training to dispel misconceptions about stuttering and ensure a better educational environment for PWS. At the end of this activity the reader will be able to: (1) describe knowledge of stuttering and attitudes toward students who stutter and classroom strategies perceived to be helpful by pre-service and in-service teachers in Kuwait; (2) identify stereotypes toward stuttering across cultures, professions and geographic locations; and (3) list similarities and differences in attitude and knowledge of stuttering between parents and teachers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancing Public Access to Relevant and Valued Medical Information: Fresh Directions for RadiologyInfo.org.

PubMed

Rubin, Geoffrey D; Krishnaraj, Arun; Mahesh, Mahadevappa; Rajendran, Ramji R; Fishman, Elliot K

2017-05-01

RadiologyInfo.org is a public information portal designed to support patient care and broaden public awareness of the essential role radiology plays in overall patient health care. Over the past 14 years, RadiologyInfo.org has evolved considerably to provide access to more than 220 mixed-media descriptions of tests, treatments, and diseases through a spectrum of mobile and desktop platforms, social media, and downloadable documents in both English and Spanish. In 2014, the RSNA-ACR Public Information Website Committee, which stewards RadiologyInfo.org, developed 3- to 5-year strategic and implementation plans for the website. The process was informed by RadiologyInfo.org user surveys, formal stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and usability testing. Metrics were established as key performance indicators to assess progress toward the stated goals of (1) optimizing content to enhance patient-centeredness, (2) enhancing reach and engagement, and (3) maintaining sustainability. Major changes resulting from this process include a complete redesign of the website, the replacement of text-rich PowerPoint presentations with conversational videos, and the development of an affiliate network. Over the past year, visits to RadiologyInfo.org have increased by 60.27% to 1,424,523 in August 2016 from 235 countries and territories. Twenty-two organizations have affiliated with RadiologyInfo.org with new organizations being added on a monthly basis. RadiologyInfo provides a tangible demonstration of how radiologists can engage directly with the global public to educate them on the value of radiology in their health care and to allay concerns and dispel misconceptions. Regular self-assessment and responsive planning will ensure its continued growth and relevance. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dispelling dogma and misconceptions regarding the most pharmacologically targetable source of reactive species in inflammatory disease, xanthine oxidoreductase.

PubMed

Kelley, Eric E

2015-08-01

Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), the molybdoflavin enzyme responsible for the terminal steps of purine degradation in humans, is also recognized as a significant source of reactive species contributory to inflammatory disease. In animal models and clinical studies, inhibition of XOR has resulted in diminution of symptoms and enhancement of function in a number of pathologies including heart failure, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, hypertension and ischemia-reperfusion injury. For decades, XOR involvement in pathologic processes has been established by salutary outcomes attained from treatment with the XOR inhibitor allopurinol. This has served to frame a working dogma that elevation of XOR-specific activity is associated with enhanced rates of reactive species generation that mediate negative outcomes. While adherence to this narrowly focused practice of designating elevated XOR activity to be "bad" has produced some benefit, it has also led to significant underdevelopment of the processes mediating XOR regulation, identification of alternative reactants and products as well as micro-environmental factors that alter enzymatic activity. This is exemplified by recent reports: (1) identifying XOR as a nitrite reductase and thus a source of beneficial nitric oxide ((•)NO) under in vivo conditions similar to those where XOR inhibition has been assumed an optimal treatment choice, (2) describing XOR-derived uric acid (UA) as a critical pro-inflammatory mediator in vascular and metabolic disease and (3) ascribing an antioxidant/protective role for XOR-derived UA. When taken together, these proposed and countervailing functions of XOR affirm the need for a more comprehensive evaluation of product formation as well as the factors that govern product identity. As such, this review will critically evaluate XOR-catalyzed oxidant, (•)NO and UA formation as well as identify factors that mediate their production, inhibition and the resultant impact on inflammatory disease.

Dispelling the illusion of invulnerability: the motivations and mechanisms of resistance to persuasion.

PubMed

Sagarin, Brad J; Cialdini, Robert B; Rice, William E; Serna, Sherman B

2002-09-01

Three studies examined the impact of a treatment designed to instill resistance to deceptive persuasive messages. Study 1 demonstrated that after the resistance treatment, ads using illegitimate authority-based appeals became less persuasive, and ads using legitimate appeals became more persuasive. In Study 2, this resistance generalized to novel exemplars, persevered over time, and appeared outside of the laboratory context. In Study 3, a procedure that dispelled participants' illusions of invulnerability to deceptive persuasion maximized resistance to such persuasion. Overall, the present studies demonstrate that attempts to confer resistance to appeals will likely be successful to the extent that they install 2 conceptual features: perceived undue manipulative intent of the source of the appeal and perceived personal vulnerability to such manipulation.

Student Misconceptions in Introductory Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Kathleen M.; Lipson, Joseph I.

Defining a "misconception" as an error of translation (transformation, correspondence, interpolation, interpretation) between two different kinds of information which causes students to have incorrect expectations, a Taxonomy of Errors has been developed to examine student misconceptions in an introductory biology course for science…

The Initial Knowledge State of High School Astronomy Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadler, Philip Michael

1992-01-01

This study of 1,414 high school earth science and astronomy students characterizes the prevalence of their astronomical misconceptions. The multiple-choice instrument was prepared by scouring the literature on scientific misconceptions for evidence of preconceptions and from the author's interviews with students. Views that were incorrect, but espoused by a large fraction of students, were included as distractors. Results have been analyzed using classical test theory. A linear multiple regression model has helped to show the relative contributions of demographic and school factors to the number of misconceptions held by students. The instrument was found to be a reliable and valid test of students' misconceptions. The mean student score was 34 percent. Fifty-one student misconceptions were revealed by this test, nineteen of which were preferred by students to the correct answer. Several misconceptions appeared more frequently among the higher-performing students. Significant differences in student performance were found in several subgroups based upon schooling and demographic factors. Twenty -five percent out of a total of 30 percent of the variance in total test score could be accounted for by gender, race, and math level courses taken. Grade level and previous enrollment in an earth science course were not found to be predictive of total score. Mother's education proved to be of small import; level of father's education was not significant. This test is a useful addition to instruments that measure student misconceptions. It could find application in tests of effective intervention for conceptual learning. Significantly shortened versions of this instrument that account for 75 and 90 percent of the variance in the forty-seven-item instrument are recommended. Such tests of misconceptions may be somewhat disheartening to teachers and their students. A test made up of only misconception questions will probably have average total scores less than 40 percent. If teachers are to test their students using misconception questions, they should adjust grading policies to reflect this lower average score.

Identification misconception of primary school teacher education students in changes of matters using a five-tier diagnostic test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayuni, T. C.; Sopandi, W.; Sujana, A.

2018-05-01

This research was conducted on third grade students (III) semester six, with sample number 84 respondents. The method used in this research is descriptive method. This article identifies the misconceptions of Primary School Teacher Education students by using a five tier diagnostic test research instrument, a question adapted to three chemical representations accompanied by an open reason and a level of confidence in the choice of answers. The categorization of the five tier diagnostic test scoring is divided into four namely, understand the concept, lack of concept, misconception and not understand the concept. Questionnaire in the form of a closed questionnaire is used to determine the factors that cause misconception. The data obtained is misconception has the highest percentage on the concept of substance properties and changes in its form. The highest incidence of misconceptions is due to self-factors. The conclusion is that five tier diagnostic tests can be used to uncover misconceptions of elementary school teachers and assist teachers in presenting lesson material tailored to the chemical representation so that students can understand the concept of the nature of matter and change its form well.

An Analogy-Based Computer Tutor for Remediating Physics Misconceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Tom; And Others

1990-01-01

Describes an intelligent tutoring system designed to help students remedy misconceptions of physics concepts based on a teaching strategy called bridging analogies. Highlights include tutoring strategies; misconceptions in science education; the example situation network; confidence checking; formative evaluation with college students, including…

Misconceptions about Psychological Science: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Sean; Lyddy, Fiona; Lambe, Sinead

2013-01-01

This article provides an overview of the available evidence on psychological misconceptions, including key findings, current directions and emerging issues for investigation. We begin by defining misconceptions and then examine their prevalence and persistence, discuss their implications for student learning and highlight potential strategies to…

Misconceptions Regarding the Brain: The Neuromyths of Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dündar, Sefa; Gündüz, Nazan

2016-01-01

Understanding preservice teachers' misconceptions regarding the brain and neuroscience (neuromyths) can provide information that helps teachers to apply neuroscience knowledge in an educational context. The objective of this study was to investigate these misconceptions. Following preliminary research, a questionnaire comprising 59 challenging…

Assessing and managing drug-nutrient interactions.

PubMed

Anderson, Karl E; Greenblatt, David J

2002-01-01

Drug-nutrient interactions can occur through many mechanisms. The amount of protein in the diet and the presence of micronutrients, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and indoles, can affect drug metabolism. Although furanocoumarins in grapefruit juice can interact with certain oral medications, noninteracting medications generally can be substituted. Pharmacists need to provide patients with accurate information about drug-nutrient interactions and help to clarify common misconceptions about these effects.

Introduction to Adjoint Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Errico, Ronald M.

2015-01-01

In this lecture, some fundamentals of adjoint models will be described. This includes a basic derivation of tangent linear and corresponding adjoint models from a parent nonlinear model, the interpretation of adjoint-derived sensitivity fields, a description of methods of automatic differentiation, and the use of adjoint models to solve various optimization problems, including singular vectors. Concluding remarks will attempt to correct common misconceptions about adjoint models and their utilization.

The Xs and Whys of Algebra: Key Ideas and Common Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Anne; Dacey, Linda

2011-01-01

In many ways, algebra can be as challenging for teachers as it is for students. With so much emphasis placed on procedural knowledge and the manipulations of variables and symbols, it can be easy to lose sight of the key ideas that underlie algebraic thinking and the relevance algebra has to the real world. In the The Xs and Whys of Algebra: Key…

Two-Year Community: Resolving Misconceptions through Student Reflections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tawde, Mangala; Boccio, Dona; Kolack, Kevin

2017-01-01

Students arrive in college with significant prior knowledge including misconceptions that hinder their ability to learn new concepts correctly. Misconceptions, or "alternative beliefs," have been widely studied in the physical sciences at higher education institutions; however, there is a paucity of research concerning the community…

Black Boxes in Analytical Chemistry: University Students' Misconceptions of Instrumental Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carbo, Antonio Domenech; Adelantado, Jose Vicente Gimeno; Reig, Francisco Bosch

2010-01-01

Misconceptions of chemistry and chemical engineering university students concerning instrumental analysis have been established from coordinated tests, tutorial interviews and laboratory lessons. Misconceptions can be divided into: (1) formal, involving specific concepts and formulations within the general frame of chemistry; (2)…

Undergraduate students' misconceptions about respiratory physiology.

PubMed

Michael, J A; Richardson, D; Rovick, A; Modell, H; Bruce, D; Horwitz, B; Hudson, M; Silverthorn, D; Whitescarver, S; Williams, S

1999-12-01

Approximately 700 undergraduates studying physiology at community colleges, a liberal arts college, and universities were surveyed to determine the prevalence of our misconceptions about respiratory phenomena. A misconception about the changes in breathing frequency and tidal volume (physiological variables whose changes can be directly sensed) that result in increased minute ventilation was found to be present in this population with comparable prevalence (approximately 60%) to that seen in a previous study. Three other misconceptions involving phenomena that cannot be experienced directly and therefore were most likely learned in some educational setting were found to be of varying prevalence. Nearly 90% of the students exhibited a misconception about the relationship between arterial oxygen partial pressure and hemoglobin saturation. Sixty-six percent of the students believed that increasing alveolar oxygen partial pressure leads to a decrease in alveolar carbon dioxide partial pressure. Nearly 33% of the population misunderstood the relationship between metabolism and ventilation. The possible origins of these respiratory misconceptions are discussed and suggestions for how to prevent and/or remediate them are proposed.

Teaching Electric Circuits: Teachers' Perceptions and Learners' Misconceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moodley, Kimera; Gaigher, Estelle

2017-06-01

An exploratory case study involving six grade 9 science teachers was undertaken to probe how teachers' understanding of learners' misconceptions relate to their perceptions about teaching simple circuits. The participants' understanding of documented misconceptions in electricity were explored by means of a questionnaire, while their perceptions about teaching electric circuits were also explored in the questionnaire, followed by a semi-structured interview. Results were analysed using content analysis and interpreted using pedagogical content knowledge as a theoretical lens. The results indicated that understanding learners' misconceptions did not always correlate with conceptual perceptions about teaching electric circuits. While fair understanding of misconceptions was demonstrated by teachers who studied Physics at undergraduate level, only those who also held qualifications in Education showed conceptual perceptions about teaching electricity. Teachers who did not study Science Education revealed technical perceptions, focused on facts, demonstrations and calculations. From these results, a developmental model for pedagogical content knowledge was proposed. It was recommended that teacher education programs should involve misconceptions and also facilitate the development of conceptual perceptions about teaching.

Student Misconceptions about Plants - A First Step in Building a Teaching Resource.

PubMed

Wynn, April N; Pan, Irvin L; Rueschhoff, Elizabeth E; Herman, Maryann A B; Archer, E Kathleen

2017-01-01

Plants are ubiquitous and found in virtually every ecosystem on Earth, but their biology is often poorly understood, and inaccurate ideas about how plants grow and function abound. Many articles have been published documenting student misconceptions about photosynthesis and respiration, but there are substantially fewer on such topics as plant cell structure and growth; plant genetics, evolution, and classification; plant physiology (beyond energy relations); and plant ecology. The available studies of misconceptions held on those topics show that many are formed at a very young age and persist throughout all educational levels. Our goal is to begin building a central resource of plant biology misconceptions that addresses these underrepresented topics, and here we provide a table of published misconceptions organized by topic. For greater utility, we report the age group(s) in which the misconceptions were found and then map them to the ASPB - BSA Core Concepts and Learning Objectives in Plant Biology for Undergraduates, developed jointly by the American Society of Plant Biologists and the Botanical Society of America.

Misconceptions Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

PubMed Central

Kalinowski, Steven T.; Andrews, Tessa C.

2014-01-01

A recent essay in CBE—Life Sciences Education criticized biology education researchers’ use of the term misconceptions and recommended that, in order to be up-to-date with education research, biology education researchers should use alternative terms for students’ incorrect ideas in science. We counter that criticism by reviewing the continued use and the meaning of misconceptions in education research today, and describe two key debates that account for the controversy surrounding the term. We then identify and describe two areas of research that have real implications for tomorrow's biology education research and biology instruction: 1) hypotheses about the structure of student knowledge (coherent vs. fragmented) that gives rise to misconceptions; and 2) the “warming trend” that considers the effects of students’ motivation, beliefs about the nature of knowledge and learning (their epistemic beliefs), and learning strategies (their cognitive and metacognitive skills) on their ability to change their misconceptions in science. We conclude with a description of proposed future work in biology education research related to misconceptions. PMID:26086651

Medical Student Perception of Plastic Surgery and the Impact of Mainstream Media

PubMed Central

Fraser, S. J.; Al Youha, S.; Rasmussen, P. J.

2017-01-01

Background: Plastic surgery as a discipline is poorly understood by many, including primary care physicians, nurses, medical students, and the public. These misconceptions affect the specialty in a number of ways, including referral patterns and recruitment of medical students into residency programs. The reason for these commonly held misconceptions has not yet been addressed in the plastic surgery literature. As such, we assessed medical students’ knowledge and perceptions of plastic surgery as a discipline and explored factors influencing these opinions. Methods: To assess medical students’ knowledge and perceptions of plastic surgery, we conducted an online survey. A total of 231 medical students responded. Interviews were then conducted with 2 focus groups, in which we explored the survey results and reasons behind these misconceptions. Results: As with previous studies, medical students showed a gap in knowledge with respect to plastic surgery. Although they were generally aware that plastic surgeons perform cosmetic procedures and treat burns, they were largely unaware that plastic surgeons perform hand and craniofacial surgeries. Focus groups revealed that television plays a large role in shaping their ideas of plastic surgery. Conclusion: Medical students have a skewed perception of the discipline of plastic surgery, and this is largely influenced by television. Interventions aimed at educating medical students on the matter are recommended, including a greater presence in the preclerkship medical school curriculum. PMID:29026812

Moving Beyond Misconceptions: A New Model for Learning Challenges in Cognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, T. F.; Slater, S. J.

2011-12-01

For over 40 years, the science education community has given its attention to cataloging the substantial body of "misconceptions" in individual's thinking about science, and to addressing the consequences of those misconceptions in the science classroom. Despite the tremendous amount of effort given to researching and disseminating information related to misconceptions, and the development of a theory of conceptual change to mitigate misconceptions, progress continues to be less than satisfying. An analysis of the literature and our own research has persuaded the CAPER Center for Astronomy and Physics Education Research to put forth model that will allow us to operate on students' learning difficulties in a more fruitful manner. Previously, much of the field's work binned erroneous student thinking into a single construct, and from that basis, curriculum developers and instructors addressed student misconceptions with a single instructional strategy. In contrast this model suggests that "misconceptions" are a mixture of at least four learning barriers: incorrect factual information, inappropriately applied mental algorithms (phenomenological primitives), insufficient cognitive structures (e.g. spatial reasoning), and affective/emotional difficulties. Each of these types of barriers should be addressed with an appropriately designed instructional strategy. Initial applications of this model to learning problems in the Earth & Space Sciences have been fruitful, suggesting that an effort towards categorizing persistent learning difficulties in the geosciences beyond the level of "misconceptions" may allow our community to craft tailored and more effective learning experiences for our students and the general public.

Preservice Science Teachers' Attitudes towards Chemistry and Misconceptions about Chemical Kinetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çam, Aylin; Topçu, Mustafa Sami; Sülün, Yusuf

2015-01-01

The present study investigates preservice science teachers' attitudes towards chemistry; their misconceptions about chemical kinetics; and relationships between pre-service science teachers' attitudes toward chemistry and misconceptions about chemical kinetics were examined. The sample of this study consisted of 81 freshman pre-service science…

Exploring Insulation with Ice Hands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Neil; Taylor, Subhashni; Littledyke, Michael

2017-01-01

Students often hold misconceptions about insulation, largely because they put on clothes to keep themselves warm--at least in winter in the cooler regions of Australia. The following activity is designed to identify students' misconceptions about insulation and provide an engaging, evidence-based activity to help address these misconceptions using…

Secondary School Students' Misconceptions about Simple Electric Circuits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Küçüközer, Hüseyin; Kocakülah, Sabri

2007-01-01

The aim of this study is to reveal secondary school students' misconceptions about simple electric circuits and to define whether specific misconceptions peculiar to Turkish students exist within those identified. Data were obtained with a conceptual understanding test for simple electric circuits and semi-structured interviews. Conceptual…

Misconceptions of Students and Teachers in Chemical Equilibrium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banerjee, Anil C.

1991-01-01

Written test was developed and administered to diagnose misconceptions in different areas of chemical equilibrium among 162 undergraduate chemistry students and 69 teachers of chemistry. Responses reveal widespread misconceptions among students and teachers in areas related to the prediction of equilibrium conditions, rate and equilibrium,…

Flip-Flops in Students' Conceptions of State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, G. L.; Zilles, C.; Loui, M. C.

2012-01-01

The authors conducted a qualitative interview-based study to reveal students' misconceptions about state in sequential circuits. This paper documents 16 misconceptions of state, how students' conceptions of state shift and change, and students' methodological weaknesses. These misconceptions can be used to inform and direct instruction. This study…

Misconceptions about Sound among Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pejuan, Arcadi; Bohigas, Xavier; Jaen, Xavier; Periago, Cristina

2012-01-01

Our first objective was to detect misconceptions about the microscopic nature of sound among senior university students enrolled in different engineering programmes (from chemistry to telecommunications). We sought to determine how these misconceptions are expressed (qualitative aspect) and, only very secondarily, to gain a general idea of the…

Misconceptions of Astronomical Distances

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Brian W.; Brewer, William F.

2010-01-01

Previous empirical studies using multiple-choice procedures have suggested that there are misconceptions about the scale of astronomical distances. The present study provides a quantitative estimate of the nature of this misconception among US university students by asking them, in an open-ended response format, to make estimates of the distances…

Misconceptions in Physics amongst Nigerian Secondary School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivowi, U. M. O.

1984-01-01

Results obtained from a test administered to form five Nigerian students (aged 15-17) indicate that misconceptions in physics appear to be widespread among these students in roughly the same way as among South African students. Possible causes of these misconceptions are outlined and discussed. (JN)

Textbook Errors & Misconceptions in Biology: Cell Metabolism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storey, Richard D.

1991-01-01

The idea that errors and misconceptions in biology textbooks are often slow to be discovered and corrected is discussed. Selected errors, misconceptions, and topics of confusion about cell metabolism are described. Fermentation, respiration, Krebs cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, uniformity of catabolism, and metabolic pathways as models are…

Challenging the myths about parents' adjustment after the sudden, violent death of a child.

PubMed

Murphy, Shirley A; Johnson, L Clark; Lohan, Janet

2003-01-01

To examine three commonly held myths: (a) a child's death by suicide results in the worst parental outcomes compared with other causes of violent death, (b) divorce is not only more common among bereaved than nonbereaved married couples, it might be inevitable, and (c) "letting go and moving on" is an essential bereavement task needed for a satisfactory adjustment following the violent death of a child. Review of empirical evidence and critical reviews, review of Internet resources available to the general public, and the inclusion of original data obtained from a longitudinal, prospective study conducted by the authors. Conclusive evidence was found to dispel two of the three myths, but sufficient evidence was not found to draw conclusions about the third myth regarding parents' adjustment to a child's suicidal death. Myths in regard to parental bereavement are resistant to disconfirming evidence and they appear to persist among professional practitioners and the general public despite contrary empirical evidence.

Identifying core herbal treatments for children with asthma: implication from a chinese herbal medicine database in taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Hsing-Yu; Lin, Yi-Hsuan; Thien, Peck-Foong; Chang, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Yu-Chun; Lo, Su-Shun; Yang, Sien-Hung; Chen, Jiun-Liang

2013-01-01

Asthma is one of the most common allergic respiratory diseases around the world and places great burden on medical payment. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is commonly used for Taiwanese children to control diseases. The aim of this study is to analyze the CHM prescriptions for asthmatic children by using a nationwide clinical database. The National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) was used to perform this study. Medical records from 1997 to 2009 with diagnosis with asthma made for children aged 6 to 18 were included into the analysis. Association rule mining and social network analysis were used to analyze the prevalence of single CHM and its combinations. Ma-Xing-Gan-Shi-Tang (MXGST) was the most commonly used herbal formula (HF) (20.2% of all prescriptions), followed by Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang (13.1%) and Xing-Su-San (12.8%). Zhe Bei Mu is the most frequently used single herb (SH) (14.6%), followed by Xing Ren (10.7%). MXGST was commonly used with Zhe Bei Mu (3.5%) and other single herbs capable of dispelling phlegm. Besides, MXGST was the core formula to relieve asthma. Further studies about efficacy and drug safety are needed for the CHM commonly used for asthma based on the result of this study.

Case Study: Formulating Questions That Address Student Misconceptions in a Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prud'homme-Généreux, Annie

2017-01-01

Misconceptions are sometimes called "alternative conceptions" in acknowledgement of the fact that although these concepts are inaccurate, they are congruent with prior experiences. The idea that misconceptions must be addressed to improve learning is helpful to remember when developing a case study. Students will bring their existing…

Teaching Projectile Motion to Eliminate Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prescott, Anne; Mitchelmore, Michael

2005-01-01

Student misconceptions of projectile motion are well documented, but their effect on the teaching and learning of the mathematics of motion under gravity has not been investigated. An experimental unit was designed that was intended to confront and eliminate misconceptions in senior secondary school students. The approach was found to be…

Utility of Concept Cartoons in Diagnosing and Overcoming Misconceptions Related to Photosynthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekici, Fatma; Ekici, Erhan; Aydin, Fatih

2007-01-01

In this study, the effectiveness of concept cartoons in diagnosing and overcoming students' misconceptions related to photosynthesis subject was examined. Firstly, the literature has been thoroughly examined and misconceptions about photosynthesis subject have been listed and then grouped. Concept cartoons related to these groups have been…

Resolution of Misconceptions of Latency and Adolescent Sicklers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christy-Levine, Diane

Misconceptions regarding sickle cell disease are qualitatively different among latency age patients as compared to adolescents. The evolution and resolution of these misconceptions determine the effectiveness of self-help programs for sickle cell patients. The Mount Sinai Hospital Sickle Cell Counseling Service is a coordinated center for sickle…

Clarifying the Misconception about the Principle of Floatation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yadav, Manoj K.

2014-01-01

This paper aims to clarify the misconception about the violation of the principle of floatation. Improper understanding of the definition of "displaced fluid" by a floating body leads to the misconception. With the help of simple experiments, this article shows that there is no violation of the principle of floatation.

Revising Psychology Misconceptions by Integrating a Refutation-Style Text Framework into Poster Presentations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lassonde, Karla A.; Kolquist, Molly; Vergin, Megan

2017-01-01

Refutation-style texts have been considered a viable strategy for changing psychological misconceptions. The current study aims to integrate refutation-style texts into a classroom-based method of learning. Psychology students were administered a true/false misconception survey and then viewed several refutation-style poster presentations…

Enhancing Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Students' Misconceptions in Learning Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naah, Basil Mugaga

2015-01-01

Preservice teachers enrolled in a modified introductory chemistry course used an instructional rubric to improve and evaluate their understanding of students' misconceptions in learning various chemistry concepts. A sample of 79 preservice teachers first explored the state science standards to identify chemistry misconceptions associated with the…

Comparing the Plate-Tectonics-Related Misconceptions of High School Students and University Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kàdàr, Anett; Farsang, Andrea

2017-01-01

International research into the nature, emergence, and development of geographical misconceptions is substantial. However, Hungarian educational research lags behind in exploring this phenomenon in detail. The present study identified some plate-tectonics-related misconceptions of three distinctive groups of students: ninth-grade secondary school…

Re-Examining the Similarities between Teacher and Student Conceptions about Physical Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgoon, Jacob N.; Heddle, Mandy L.; Duran, Emilio

2010-01-01

There is a large body of research that has explored students' misconceptions about science phenomena. Less research, however, has been devoted to identifying teachers' misconceptions, but the results of the few existing studies demonstrate that teachers and students possess similar misconceptions. This study explored the physical science…

More Misconceptions to Avoid When Teaching about Plants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hershey, David R.

2005-01-01

As follow-up to a previous article "Avoid Misconceptions When Teaching about Plants," the author identifies fifty additional misconceptions. Undergeneralizations are added to the list of oversimplifications, obsolete concepts, terms, misidentifications, and flawed research. A glossary at the end of the article compares words used in botany with…

Diagnosing Secondary Students' Misconceptions of Photosynthesis and Respiration in Plants Using a Two-Tier Multiple Choice Instrument.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haslam, Filocha; Treagust, David F.

1987-01-01

Describes a multiple-choice instrument that reliably and validly diagnoses secondary students' understanding of photosynthesis and respiration in plants. Highlights the consistency of students' misconceptions across secondary levels and indicates a high percentage of students have misconceptions regarding plant physiology. (CW)

Cultural misconceptions and public stigma against mental illness among Lebanese university students.

PubMed

Rayan, Ahmad; Fawaz, Mirna

2018-04-01

The purpose of this study was to examine cultural misconceptions about mental illness and how they are associated with the public stigma against mental illness among Lebanese university students. A sample of 203 participants completed the study. Data about cultural misconceptions, attitudes about mental illness, and public stigma of mental illness were obtained. The researchers examined the mean difference in public stigma according to cultural beliefs about mental illness. The majority of students believe that mental health professionals have inadequate knowledge and expertise to treat mental disorders. Various cultural misconceptions about mental illness were reported. Public stigma significantly differed based on these cultural misconceptions. Psychiatric nurses should play a vital role in reshaping the inappropriate cultural view about mental illness. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Identifying and Remediating Student Misconceptions in Introductory Biology via Writing-to-Learn Assignments and Peer Review.

PubMed

Halim, Audrey S; Finkenstaedt-Quinn, Solaire A; Olsen, Laura J; Gere, Anne Ruggles; Shultz, Ginger V

2018-06-01

Student misconceptions are an obstacle in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses and unless remediated may continue causing difficulties in learning as students advance in their studies. Writing-to-learn assignments (WTL) are characterized by their ability to promote in-depth conceptual learning by allowing students to explore their understanding of a topic. This study sought to determine whether and what types of misconceptions are elicited by WTL assignments and how the process of peer review and revision leads to remediation or propagation of misconceptions. We examined four WTL assignments in an introductory biology course in which students first wrote about content by applying it to a realistic scenario, then participated in a peer-review process before revising their work. Misconceptions were identified in all four assignments, with the greatest number pertaining to protein structure and function. Additionally, in certain contexts, students used scientific terminology incorrectly. Analysis of the drafts and peer-review comments generated six profiles by which misconceptions were addressed through the peer-review process. The prevalent mode of remediation arose through directed peer-review comments followed by correction during revision. It was also observed that additional misconceptions were elicited as students revised their writing in response to general peer-review suggestions.

The Profile of Student Misconceptions on The Human and Plant Transport Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ainiyah, M.; Ibrahim, M.; Hidayat, M. T.

2018-01-01

This research aims to identify misconceptions on the humans and plants transportation systems. The research was done in the 8th grade in Indonesia. Data were collected to use a three-tier test. This type of research was used survey design. Content analysis was used to analyze the misconception data. The results of this research were the location of misconception of each student is different. The highest misconceptions identified in this research, namely: a) arteries that drain blood to the heart (73.3%); b) veins that drain blood from the heart (70.0%); c) place of oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange occurs in the veins (66.7%); d) blood pressure in veins greater than in capillaries (63.3%); e) absorption of water occurs diffusion and absorption of minerals occurs osmosis (76.7%); f) transport of photosynthesis process occurs by diffusion (66.7%); g) photosynthesis process occurs during the day (63.3%); and h) process of evaporation of water through the leaves are guttation (56.7%). The results of this research show that the level of students misconceptions on the of human and plant transport systems is still high so that it can serve as a reference to improve the learning process and the reduction of student misconceptions.

The effectiveness of a structured educational intervention on disease-related misconception and quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

PubMed

Yu, Wen-Zhen; Ouyang, Yan-Qiong; Zhang, Qian; Li, Kong-Ling; Chen, Ji-Hong

2014-01-01

A significant number of patients with irritable bowel syndrome hold misconceptions about their disease and experience more impaired quality of life compared with the general population and people suffering from other chronic diseases. This study was designed to explore the effectiveness of a structured educational intervention on disease-related misconceptions and quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome in Wuhan, China. A convenience sample of 23 patients with irritable bowel syndrome participated in an educational program that consisted of 4 weekly sessions in a group setting. Instruments, including an irritable bowel syndrome-related misconception scale and irritable bowel syndrome quality-of-life scale, were used for evaluation at baseline and 3 months after the sessions. Three months after the structured educational intervention, the score for irritable bowel syndrome-related misconception was significantly decreased (p < .001), and the score for irritable bowel syndrome quality of life was significantly improved (p < .001). We conclude that the structured educational intervention seems to be a proper method to reduce the disease-related misconceptions and improve the quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Planning and implementing such clinical education programs will be helpful in decreasing disease-related misconceptions and promoting quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Bed Bugs

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Prevent, identify, and treat bed bug infestations using EPA’s step-by-step guides, based on IPM principles. Find pesticides approved for bed bug control, check out the information clearinghouse, and dispel bed bug myths.

A Analysis of Saudi Arabian High School Students' Misconceptions about Physics Concepts.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Rubayea, Abdullah A. M.

This study was conducted to explore Saudi high students' misconceptions in selected physics concepts. It also detected the effects of gender, grade level and location of school on Saudi high school students' misconceptions. In addition, a further analysis of students' misconceptions in each question was investigated and a correlation between students' responses, confidence in answers and sensibleness was conducted. There was an investigation of sources of students' answers in this study. Finally, this study included an analysis of students' selection of reasons only in the instrument. The instrument used to detect the students' misconceptions was a modified form of the Misconception Identification in Science Questionnaire (MISQ). This instrument was developed by Franklin (1992) to detected students' misconceptions in selected physics concepts. This test is a two-tier multiple choice test that examines four areas of physics: Force and motion, heat and temperature, light and color and electricity and magnetism. This study included a sample of 1080 Saudi high school students who were randomly selected from six Saudi educational districts. This study also included both genders, the three grade levels of Saudi high schools, six different educational districts, and a city and a town in each educational district. The sample was equally divided between genders, grade levels, and educational districts. The result of this study revealed that Saudi Arabian high school students hold numerous misconceptions about selected physics concepts. It also showed that tenth grade students were significantly different than the other grades. The result also showed that different misconceptions are held by the students for each concept in the MISQ. A positive correlation between students' responses, confidence in answers and sensibleness in many questions was shown. In addition, it showed that guessing was the most dominant source of misconceptions. The result revealed that gender and grade level had an affect on students' choice of decision on the MISQ items. A positive change in the means of gender and grade levels in the multiple choice test and gender differences in selection of reason may be associated with specific concepts. No significant difference in frequencies of the reasons chosen by the student to justify their answers were found in most of the items (10 items).

Common Magnets, Unexpected Polarities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, Mark

2013-11-01

In this paper, I discuss a "misconception" in magnetism so simple and pervasive as to be typically unnoticed. That magnets have poles might be considered one of the more straightforward notions in introductory physics. However, the magnets common to students' experiences are likely different from those presented in educational contexts. This leads students, in my experience, to frequently and erroneously attribute magnetic poles based on geometric associations rather than actual observed behavior. This polarity discrepancy can provide teachers the opportunity to engage students in authentic inquiry about objects in their daily experiences. I've found that investigation of the magnetic polarities of common magnets provides a productive context for students in which to develop valuable and authentic scientific inquiry practices.

Effective Methods of Teaching Moon Phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Heather; Hintz, E. G.; Lawler, M. J.; Jones, M.; Mangrubang, F. R.; Neeley, J. E.

2010-01-01

This research investigates the effectiveness of several commonly used methods for teaching the causes of moon phases to sixth grade students. Common teaching methods being investigated are the use of diagrams, animations, modeling/kinesthetics and direct observations of moon phases using a planetarium. Data for each method will be measured by a pre and post assessment of students understanding of moon phases taught using one of the methods. The data will then be used to evaluate the effectiveness of each teaching method individually and comparatively, as well as the method's ability to discourage common misconceptions about moon phases. Results from this research will provide foundational data for the development of educational planetarium shows for the deaf or other linguistically disadvantage children.

The Treatment of Geological Time & the History of Life on Earth in High School Biology Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Summers, Gerald; Decker, Todd; Barrow, Lloyd

2007-01-01

In spite of the importance of geological time in evolutionary biology, misconceptions about historical events in the history of life on Earth are common. Glenn (1990) has documented a decline from 1960 to 1989 in the amount of space devoted to the history of life in high school earth science textbooks, but we are aware of no similar study in…

Believe It or Not: Why December Is the Best Month To Job Hunt.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karp, Marshall J.

This paper offers 10 facts to address common misconceptions about job-hunting during the holiday season. The facts are: (1) job hunters are going to be a bother to most of the employers that they call no matter what day or time that they call, so call them regardless of the day or time; (2) most employers are not merely lying back and coasting…

Diagnosing Cognitive Errors: Statistical Pattern Classification and Recognition Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-01

often produces several different erroneous rules. For example, when adding two fractions with different denominators, many students add the numerators ...common denominator and add the numerators . As listed in Tatsuoka (1984a), there are eleven different erroneous rules which result from a misconception...the score of five. These patterns correspond to different values of 42 (Tatsuoka, 1985) The numerator of 42 is divided into two parts in Equation (5

Respiratory Phenotypes for Preterm Infants, Children, and Adults: Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and More.

PubMed

Collaco, Joseph M; McGrath-Morrow, Sharon A

2018-05-01

Ongoing advancements in neonatal care since the late 1980s have led to increased numbers of premature infants surviving well beyond the neonatal period. As a result of increased survival, many individuals born preterm manifest chronic respiratory symptoms throughout infancy, childhood, and adult life. The archetypical respiratory disease of prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, is the second most common chronic pediatric respiratory disease after asthma. However, there are several commonly held misconceptions. These misconceptions include that bronchopulmonary dysplasia is rare, that bronchopulmonary dysplasia resolves within the first few years of life, and that bronchopulmonary dysplasia does not impact respiratory health in adult life. This focused review describes a spectrum of respiratory conditions that individuals born prematurely may experience throughout their lifespan. Specifically, this review provides quantitative estimates of the number of individuals with alveolar, airway, and vascular phenotypes associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, as well as non-bronchopulmonary dysplasia respiratory phenotypes such as airway malacia, obstructive sleep apnea, and control of breathing issues. Furthermore, this review illustrates what is known about the potential for progression and/or lack of resolution of these respiratory phenotypes in childhood and adult life. Recognizing the spectrum of respiratory phenotypes associated with individuals born preterm and providing comprehensive and personalized care to these individuals may help to modulate adverse respiratory outcomes in later life.

The Relationship between the Process Skill of Prediction and Students' Misconceptions in Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lavoie, Derrick R.

Misconceptions, shown to be prevalent in students even at the college level, may affect the cognitive process of making predictions in biology. The purpose of this study was to: (1) identify students' misconceptions about important biological concepts; (2) identify students' cognitive behaviors associated with making predictions about these…

"Holes" in Student Understanding: Addressing Prevalent Misconceptions regarding Atmospheric Environmental Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerr, Sara C.; Walz, Kenneth A.

2007-01-01

There is a misconception among undergraduate students that global warming is caused by holes in the ozone layer. In this study, we evaluated the presence of this and other misconceptions surrounding atmospheric chemistry that are responsible for the entanglement of the greenhouse effect and the ozone hole in students' conceptual frameworks. We…

Analysis of the Misconceptions of 7th Grade Students on Polygons and Specific Quadrilaterals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozkan, Mustafa; Bal, Ayten Pinar

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study will find out student misconceptions about geometrical figures, particularly polygons and quadrilaterals. Thus, it will offer insights into teaching these concepts. The objective of this study, the question of "What are the misconceptions of seventh grade students on polygons and quadrilaterals?" constitutes the…

Using Test Data to Find Misconceptions in Secondary Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuchs, Travis T.; Arsenault, Mike

2017-01-01

Students, as well as teachers, often learn what makes sense to them, even when it is wrong. These misconceptions are a problem. The authors sought a quick, quantitative way of identifying student misconceptions in secondary science. Using the University of Toronto's National Biology Competition test data, this article presents a method of quickly…

Design Practices and Misconceptions: Helping Beginners in Engineering Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crismond, David

2013-01-01

This article describes beginner habits and misconceptions related to design practices. Once teachers are aware of these habits and misconceptions, they can more easily recognize them and work to remedy them through instruction. Presented herein are eight practice habits. Each item begins with the practice, describes a related design habit or…

Prevalence of Harmful Health Misconceptions in Colorado High School Seniors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Gale Elouise

This research study was undertaken to determine prevalence of health misconceptions of twelfth grade students in each of three sizes of public high schools in the state of Colorado. Also, whether prevalence of misconceptions was related to factors of: sex, grade-point average, level of father's education, level of mother's education, father's…

Playing with Science: An Investigation of Young Children's Science Conceptions and Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smolleck, Lori; Hershberger, Vanessa

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate the conceptions and misconceptions of young children (ages 3-8) related to science concepts, skills, and phenomena. These conceptions and misconceptions were investigated within the framework of the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards for Pre-Kindergarten and the Pennsylvania Standards for…

Change in Elementary School Students' Misconceptions on Material Systems after a Theoretical-Practical Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cañada-Cañada, Florentina; González-Gómez, David; Airado-Rodríguez, Diego; Melo Niño, Lina Viviana; Dávila Acedo, María Antonia

2017-01-01

Students get to Elementary School with a series of misconceptions which are not necessarily in agreement with the scientific knowledge. Misconceptions result from the student's attempts to understand their previous experiences resulting from their interaction with their environment and they must be taken into account in educational practice to…

Remediating Misconception on Climate Change among Secondary School Students in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karpudewan, Mageswary; Roth, Wolff-Michael; Chandrakesan, Kasturi

2015-01-01

Existing studies report on secondary school students' misconceptions related to climate change; they also report on the methods of teaching as reinforcing misconceptions. This quasi-experimental study was designed to test the null hypothesis that a curriculum based on constructivist principles does not lead to greater understanding and fewer…

Understandings and Misunderstandings of Eight Graders of Five Chemistry Concepts Found in Textbooks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abraham, Michael R.; And Others

1992-01-01

Reports on misconceptions held by intermediate grade students concerning chemistry textbook concepts, on the relation of reasoning ability to those misconceptions, and on the extent that textbooks encourage misconceptions. Concludes that the level of understanding displayed for the selected concepts, in combination with the nature of students'…

Relieving of Misconceptions of Derivative Concept with Derive

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplan, Abdullah; Ozturk, Mesut; Ocal, Mehmet Fatih

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine students' learning levels in derivative subjects and their misconceptions. In addition, this study aims to compared to the effects of the computer based instruction and traditional instruction in resolving these misconceptions. For this purpose, 12th grade 70 students were chosen from high schools in Agri…

Relieving of Misconceptions of Derivative Concept with Derive

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplan, Abdullah; Ozturk, Mesut; Ocal, Mehmet Fatih

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine students' learning levels in derivative subjects and their misconceptions. In addition, this study aims to compared to the effects of the computer based instruction and traditional instruction in resolving these misconceptions. For this purpose, 70 12th grade students were chosen from high schools in Agri…

Some Misconceptions in Meiosis Shown by Students Responding to an Advanced Level Practical Examination Question in Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, C. R.

1990-01-01

Discussed are problems revealed in student responses to a practical task which formed part of an advanced level examination. The frequencies with which some misconceptions about cell reproduction and genetics occurred are presented. The nature of these misconceptions is analyzed and their implications discussed. (CW)

High School Students' Understanding of Food Webs: Identification of a Learning Hierarchy and Related Misconceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Alan K.; Grant, Bette A. C.

1985-01-01

Developed and validated a learning hierarchy for the concept "food web" (the hierarchy consisting of nine skill areas). Also investigated the misconceptions of 200 students related to these nine areas. Suggestions for applying the hierarchy model to remediation and resolution of the misconceptions are provided. (DH)

Particulate Nature of Matter Misconceptions Held by Middle and High School Students in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özgür Kapici, Hasan; Akcay, Hakan

2016-01-01

Misconceptions are one the biggest troubles for both teachers and students. In order to have scientifically valid knowledge, students should have meaningful conceptual understanding. Researchers have been designing studies based on different teaching methods so as to reach beneficial outcomes to handle with misconceptions. In this study, the main…

An Analysis of Students' Misconceptions Concerning Photosynthesis and Respiration in Plants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capa, Yesim; Yildirim, Ali; Ozden, M. Yasar

The aims of this study were to diagnose students' misconceptions concerning photosynthesis and respiration in plants, and to investigate reasons behind these misconceptions. The subjects were 45 ninth grade high school students and 11 high school teachers. Data were collected by interview technique. All of the interviews were audiotaped and…

Addressing Misconceptions in Geometry through Written Error Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kembitzky, Kimberle A.

2009-01-01

This study examined the improvement of students' comprehension of geometric concepts through analytical writing about their own misconceptions using a reflective tool called an ERNIe (acronym for ERror aNalyIsis). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the ERNIe process could be used to correct geometric misconceptions, as well as how…

Student Misconceptions in Chemical Equilibrium as Related to Cognitive Level and Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheeler, Alan E.; Kass, Heidi

Reported is an investigation to determine the nature and extent of student misconceptions in chemical equilibrium and to ascertain the degree to which certain misconceptions are related to chemistry achievement and to performance on specific tasks involving cognitive transformations characteristic of the concrete and formal operational stages of…

The Origins of Force--Misconceptions and Classroom Controversy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, Melvin S.

Misconceptions associated with the origins of force and the effectiveness of a bridging strategy for developing correct conceptual models in mechanics are identified for high school physics teachers in this paper. The situation investigated was whether a table exerts an upward force on a book. Student misconceptions related to this phenomenon as…

On Misconceptions about Behavior Analysis among University Students and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arntzen, Erik; Lokke, Jon; Lokke, Gunn; Eilertsen, Dag-Erik

2010-01-01

Students frequently show misconceptions regarding scientific psychology in general and basic concepts in behavior analysis in particular. We wanted to replicate the study by Lamal (1995) and to expand the study by including some additional statements. In the current study, the focus was on misconceptions about behavior analysis held by…

Myths and Misconceptions in Popular Psychology: Comparing Psychology Students and the General Public

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furnham, Adrian; Hughes, David J.

2014-01-01

This study examined the prevalence of psychological myths and misconceptions among psychology students and within the general population. In total, 829 participants completed a 249-item questionnaire designed to measure a broad range of psychological myths. Results revealed that psychological myths and misconceptions are numerous and widely held.…

Student Misconceptions about Plants – A First Step in Building a Teaching Resource†

PubMed Central

Wynn, April N.; Pan, Irvin L.; Rueschhoff, Elizabeth E.; Herman, Maryann A. B.; Archer, E. Kathleen

2017-01-01

Plants are ubiquitous and found in virtually every ecosystem on Earth, but their biology is often poorly understood, and inaccurate ideas about how plants grow and function abound. Many articles have been published documenting student misconceptions about photosynthesis and respiration, but there are substantially fewer on such topics as plant cell structure and growth; plant genetics, evolution, and classification; plant physiology (beyond energy relations); and plant ecology. The available studies of misconceptions held on those topics show that many are formed at a very young age and persist throughout all educational levels. Our goal is to begin building a central resource of plant biology misconceptions that addresses these underrepresented topics, and here we provide a table of published misconceptions organized by topic. For greater utility, we report the age group(s) in which the misconceptions were found and then map them to the ASPB – BSA Core Concepts and Learning Objectives in Plant Biology for Undergraduates, developed jointly by the American Society of Plant Biologists and the Botanical Society of America. PMID:28912929