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Most of the existing predictive malaria risks models use very broad spatial scales. They are usually built for continental or national outlines. These models do not account for the complexity of socio-economic variables intervening in the malaria transmission process. Most of them are driven by weather data. However, it is difficult to make antimalarial interventions at a continental or national level and to act on climate variables alone. Consequently, the suitability of these models for real malaria prevention strategies is not high. Moreover, the existing informational-based prevention strategies are not suitable, since they are usually limited to the occasional usage of large public mass media to transfer bits of information. This study proposes new paths in malaria modelling and prevention. It is dedicated to the building of a thematically extended model integrating both environmental and social variables. The proposed prevention strategy is based on an educational philosophy integrating the actual malaria modelling results. The study starts with the implementation of a methodology dedicated to data creation and data analysis. The protocol of data creation is based on an urban malaria paradigm. It encompasses the epidemiological, environmental, and social components of malaria risk. The epidemiological component is elaborated through retrospective, self-reported, malaria febrile and clinical episodes of individuals at the household level. In addition to climate data, key ecological variables are created from remote sensing sources with a very high spatial resolution. New social indexes and coefficients measuring economic status, crowding conditions and prevention capacity of the population are created. A morphospatial structure of Yaoundé, which assumes the presence of distinct population aggregates, representing similar socio-economic profiles, is established using an object-oriented classification of QuickBird images. A spatial based index of urbanity (IU), quantitatively marking the difference between “urban” and “rural” patterns, is also built. A knowledge-base expressing the social, ecological and malarial significance of both population aggregates and index of urbanity is established and used in a Fuzzy Logic simulation approach to predict urban malaria in Yaoundé. The yearly malaria prevalence based on individuals in households in Yaoundé is 9% while the malaria prevalence based on households as an entity is 27%. Malaria prevalence is higher during the small rainy season. It is much more marked in peri-urban areas during this season, while people in central areas are more exposed during the big rainy season. A statistical multinomial model identified socio-economic and socio-ecologic variables, notably those related to the physical condition of houses, as being highly associated with frequent episodes of malaria in households. Variables related to prevention capacity perform very well in predicting the absence of malaria in households. Among the ecological variables, only elevation and the distance to urban agriculture (UA) areas are associated with malaria. The statistically (from multinomial models), overall-predicted household prevalence of malaria is lower than the observed one. The morphospatial structure of the city shows a clear distinction between very dense, centralized and “urbanized” population aggregates (PA) and very isolated, mostly peri-urban, “rural” population aggregates. The morphological model suggests that the intensity and sustainability of the malaria transmission are both dependant on demographical gradients. The less urbanized population aggregates, although being in proximity of urban agriculture areas, are demographically not suitable for a sustainable malaria transmission. The most urbanized population aggregates are too dense and too far from urban agriculture areas. This does not favour local malaria transmission. This rigid ecological pattern is somewhat biased by the identified social patterns. The densest population aggregates mostly host very poor people. This allows a part of this population to be at a high risk of malaria through localized urban farming activities. The other parts of dense population aggregates are located in centrally situated planned zones. They have better socio-economic and socio-ecologic conditions which significantly reduces their vulnerability to malaria. Population aggregates with suitable demographic conditions (not too dense or too isolated), in addition to a higher environmental and social vulnerability, are the most exposed. Although the Fuzzy Logic simulation procedure produces a predicted prevalence which is lower than that of the overall multinomial model, it also identifies these intermediate population aggregates as being the most exposed. Results of interviews show that, in general, the knowledge and perception of people of basic key factors associated with malaria transmission is bad. Moreover, this knowledge follows a social stratification with the richest people having the best background. An association between knowledge and prevention behaviour is also established. In order to use the model for malaria prevention, three educational game-based tools have been created. The tools are designed for different target audiences with regard to required support and cognitive capacities. A follow-up method based on a pre- and post-test, before- and after-, play sessions is used to measure the information transfer capacity of each game to players who had various social profiles. Until now, official antimalarial campaigns in Cameroon used other media such as posters, television, and paper journals. Games had been not used at all before. From the point of view of players, the proposed games are highly attractive. Among them, the computer-based one, mixing visual and audio cognitive aspects in the information transfer, shows a good information transfer capacity. Furthermore, the degree of progress in the acquisition of malaria relevant information is highly dependent on the frequency of play.
Introduction This study aims to investigate the changes and developments in mathematics curricula, which approved by the Ministry of Education for teaching mathematics during the period (1964-1999). It also aims at highlighting the feature of every period of development and to review the reasons that lead to such development. The study has the aim to answer the following questions: 1.What are the developments that the learning objectives of mathematics curricula in Jordan have witnessed during the period (1964-1999) ? 2.What are the developments that the mathematical content of mathematics curricula in Jordan have witnessed during the period (1964-1999) ? 3.What are the developments that the instruction methods of mathematics curricula in Jordan have witnessed during the period (1964-1999)? 4.What are the developments that the evaluation methods of mathematics curricula in Jordan have witnessed during the period (1964 –1999)? The first chapter of the study describes some facts about Jordan, the educational system, and instructional plans for teaching mathematics, which was approved by MOE during the period (1964-1999), the need for developing mathematics curricula, and statement and significance of the study with the questions mentioned above, and includes the limitation of the study. The second Chapter includes on a review of literature through display the international development of mathematics curriculum and relative studies, the development of mathematics education in Germany, and the development of mathematics curriculum and relative studies in the Arab World, especially in Jordan. Chapter three describes the methodology and procedures which are used: the analysis method, (analysis procedures of content mathematics curricula, analysis tool), and the interview: (sample, interview procedures, tool, and procedures of interview analysis). Chapter four: contains the findings of the study represented with the analysis results of mathematics curriculum according to the study questions, the results of content analysis of Mathematics curricula according to the “Principles and Standards for School Mathematics” which issued by NCTM, the response and opinion of interview sample to the items of a study tool (questionnaire). Chapter five: Include discussion of the findings and the results of the study according to the study question, and investigate the characteristics and the reasons behind the development witnessed by the curricula of mathematics in Jordan during the period (1964-1999). The main analysis results of mathematics curriculum which approved by MOE in Jordan, and the opinions of the interview sample are concentrated on discussion and investigation the development characteristics of learning objectives of teaching mathematics, mathematical content, instructional and evaluation methods of teaching mathematics, according to the “Principles and Standards for School Mathematics”, and through division the whole period into three sub-periods. The curriculum documents (in English translation), the NCTM standards, and other data with additional information – among other things the results of the interviews – are arranged as appendix 1 to appendix 10. This study is significant as being one of the rare attempts in Jordan to explore the development of mathematics curricula. The study is also unique in the length of the period it has chosen, 1964-1999. As such, it can be referred to as a historical source for the evolution of mathematics curricula in Jordan, so that scholars benefit from its analysis and historical documentation of the period of the development of these curricula. It is also beneficial to the writers of school textbooks since it provides a list of universal standards used to analyze the mathematical content of curricula. These are attached in a short section as “recommendations”.
The main research aim of this Ph-D thesis is to develop students�understanding of the nature of science on the background of Alexander von Humboldt's legacy for Grade 5 and Grade 6 classrooms in Baden-Württemberg schools. The Ph-D research questions are: 1.What conceptions do students of the age group 10-12 regarding the nature of science hold? 2.Does students� understanding of science change as a result of discovery-based science activities taken from Alexander von Humboldt� scientific observations during his expedition to Latin America between 1799-1804? If yes, in what way? This was done by: 1.Gathering background information about students� images of scientists and how they work. 2.Designing the most appropriate learning environment for improving their understanding of science. At the beginning of the intervention study, Humboldt�s life was used as a stimulus of student�s thoughts about science at. Students were put in the same situation of a scientist: posing a question about a theme of their interest, designing and realizing an experiment in order to satisfy their curiosity. By doing so, students� understandings of the construction of scientific knowledge would be improved. After a preliminary study between June and July 2002 at the Bammental Gymnasium, a case study took place from March till July 2003 at the Realschule Linkenheim for students of Grade 5. Students� epistemologies about science and scientists at the Realschule Linkenheim were collected by using the current trends in science education research: pre- and post-questionnaires, classroom observation, pre- and post- interviews, the Draw-A-Scientist-Task and portfolio work. This intervention study was realized in 26 school sessions and all the work sessions were also video taped. Students� views about their actual nature of science aspects were characterized and coded using a framework drawing on the following areas: characteristics of scientists, history of science and the epistemology about science and scientists. Finally, students were asked to write about their learning process by using portfolios. As to the recommendations: This study suggests that in order to develop some aspects of the nature of science, students need a free space at school to realize hands-on inquiry and a trained teacher who can translate to his students besides content knowledge, the nature of knowledge and the historical evolution of scientific knowledge.
This work covers the critical problem of high school dropouts and failure in the Ghanaian educational setting. In the first instance, a large proportion of studies have tended to concentrate on the higher classes and end-of –cycle testing. They can be seen as post-mortem analyses, which only indicate the irrevocable catastrophe but do not lead to prevention. Therefore this dissertation sought to identify the variance among the learning pre-requisites that Ghanaian class one children enter the school with against the background of an inflexible syllabus coupled with a predominant use of undifferentiated teaching methodology. From literature review, personal intensive observations and experience the following conclusions were drawn: ·School failure in Ghana is as a result of a complex inter-play of factors such as years of certain uninformed policies of successive governments, the situation of the teacher, curriculum and textbook usage, instructional language policy, length of school year use of instructional time and political instability among others. ·Classroom methodologies are predominantly teacher-dominated, undifferentiated and do not support adequately the learning of weaker pupils. ·Traditional practices and philosophies about the child have an influence on the teaching-learning encounter. ·There are identifiable weaknesses in the competence of delivery and mastery of both subject matter and other pedagogical skills. With a large class size, without the support of diagnostic tools to identify the abilities of children in order to tailor the teaching to cater for individual differences, teaching is unattractive, tedious and an unwieldy task. Learning in such an environment will be demotivational and attainment of institutional goals will be greatly undermined. As a first step in modifying the existing situation a pre-diagnostic instrument put together by the researcher was used to assess 120 and 158 class one pupils in a pilot and main study respectively to show how varied the abilities of the children are and which factors have influence on the variance. In this regard a broad variety of skill areas were assessed with a focus on functional items, drawing, English and number work in a very practical way. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were adopted in the selection of the sample from rural, urban, private and public schools. The results showed the following: ·A wide variance among the pre-requisite skills that the children enter school with. ·Ghanaian children who possess higher English language ability, having pre-school experience, attending an urban school and being in a private school have a higher chance of school success. ·Sex is not strong determinants of performance among the sample. Based on these assessment results intervention with teachers were carried out in three class one classrooms, but one was reported in detail. The feedback from the interventions was very positive and encouraging and showed among others that: ·Teachers are capable of initiating changes in their teaching methodologies. ·Head teachers can supervise school-based in-service education and training. The dissertation concludes with some suggestions for policy, teacher professionalism, educational planners and for future research in order to achieve target objectives.
ix Introduction The study has the purpose (1) to describe and explore the Mathematics student teachers’ performance inside the classroom during the training course “teaching practice” at the University of Jordan/ Amman, and (2) to include the main factors which influence the development of the professional teaching competence in their mode of action. This study has particularly the aim to investigate the difficulties which face the student teachers’ performance, and the facilities which help them in their performance and decrease the obstacles of the development of student teachers’ performance. The study has the aim to answer the following questions: 1. How does the performance of student teachers develop with respect to time of the training course? 2. What difficulties do the student teachers face during the training course? 3. What are the facilities that help in developing student teachers’ performance during the training course? 4. What are the factors related to performance? Are they personal, social, methodological, or related to mastering the curriculum? 5. What is the relation between student teachers’ performance and supervision? The 1st opening chapter of the study describes some facts about Jordan, the school system there, the system of pre-service teacher education, the background of the study, and the purpose of the study with the questions mentioned above. In the 2nd chapter a review of the existing literature follows with the theoretical concepts which are connected with the questions. Main concepts are: development of teachers’ performance, factors affecting the trainees’ performance, supervision and teacher development, problems of beginning teachers, models in teacher development, facilities that help trainees, standards of teaching competences, methodological basis of teaching Mathema tics. Chapter 3 describes the plan of the empirical research and the four methodological tools which are used: video tapes, interviews, questionnaires, and self reports. It is a case study with the seven Mathematics student teachers of the academic year 1999/2000 at the university of Jordan/Amman. Chapter 4 contains the data collection from the four resources in English. The data material was collected in Arabic and then translated into English by the author. Chapter 5 starts with the data analysis and description of the 7 cases. Chapter 6 continues the data analysis, presents the results, discusses these in an overview. This leads in chapter 7 to a combination of the results which come from the analysis of chapters 5 and 6, and to the answers to the que stions 1—5. The main results are concentrated around the main features of performance, which are in the teacher education plan of Amman five areas: lesson plan, mastering content knowledge, methods of teaching, assessment of teaching, and classroom management. This study is the first one which describes and analyses scientifically the phase of practice teaching at Jordanian universities. It is done exemplary at the University of Jordan/Amman with all Mathematics student teachers of one academic year. It for the first time is possible to win insight in the individual professional development of single student teachers in Jordan, and insight in the influence of specific relating factors. This study has a valuable starting point, looks to be won for a further development of the teacher-training in Jordan. These are attached in a short section as "recommendations".