Search

Due to COVID-19, the world has encountered new challenges regarding pedagogy, learning, assessment, and evaluation. In meeting these challenges, there have been rapid changes in learning, and the gap between pedagogy and evaluation has grown. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new evaluative model suitable for the technologically enhanced, multicultural environment of the 21st century. In this article, we develop a unique multidimensional model of Culturally Relevant Academic Evaluation (CRAE) that fills a gap in the scientific literature on evaluation in higher education. The model depicts evaluation as an integrated process of four dimensions: two of them based on the well-established dimensions of learning and curriculum, and two based on the novel dimensions of inclusive multiculturalism and technology. We consider evaluation in its broad context in higher education, and we analyze the interrelations between the four dimensions of the evaluation process, discussing their contribution to the enhancement of evaluation in higher education.

The paper focuses on representations of Shoah and Holocaust terms in selected curriculum documents ("Framework educational program for basic education" and Israeli curricular documents for primary and secondary school education). Emphasis is placed on the Israeli curriculum, which can be considered exemplary in its structure due to the defined terms. The Israeli curriculum is compared with selected Czech curriculum document in the context of the first phase of the research survey focused on the views of teachers of Czech language and literature at the second grade of primary school. We try to explain the identified differences in connection with the need of strategies regarding historical, social and geographical aspects. The theoretical basis for the interpretation of concepts in world curriculum documents is formed by the ideas of selected world experts in the field. Based on their ideas, we try to expose the topicality of the defined issues, and the associated great need for its implementation into Czech curriculum document. We compare the application of the given terms in the Czech curriculum document with the results of the first phase of the research conducted among teachers of Czech language and literature in one region of the Czech Republic. Based on the response of a randomly selected sample of respondents, we find that the extent of application of the defined terms is to a large extent reflected in the presented knowledge.

This article presents a case study that illustrates the paradigmatic shift in higher education from content-centered teaching to learning-centered academic programs. This pragmatic change, triggered by the STEM movement, calls for the introduction of success measures in the course development process. The course described in this paper illustrates such a goal-driven approach to the development of an entire multidisciplinary curriculum in mechanical engineering and mechatronics. The effectiveness of this new curriculum was confirmed by findings of a survey of graduates of the first six graduating classes who studied on the basis of this curriculum.

This paper offers a model for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of judicial involvement in educational reforms. It uses the model to analyze two case studies of court-led educational reforms in the third rail of Israeli politics--the curricula and the admission policies of ultra-Othodox (Haredi) schools. These case studies are located at the knotty junction of human rights, religion, and politics in education policy, generating concern in many countries. The conclusions demonstrate that even when the courts are cautious, judicial involvement in third rail educational reforms may produce impacts that drive the cogwheels of policy-making in directions that are apt to undermine the interests of the petitioners. Therefore, the choice of courts as a forum for shaping education policy in political third rails should be prudently considered. The paper also demonstrates the need to evaluate litigation by means of a contextual, evidence-based analysis. It highlights that in certain cases, what may appear to be unjustified judicial activism or restraint is, in fact, a reasonable response, whose harmful ramifications may be attributed to the context of political third rails. Even the best judges are not immune to the well-known assertion that "hard cases make bad law."

Education in Israel is often described as caught between two ends: state-formation and nation-building. In the last decade civic education in Israel has been undergoing some changes. The civic compulsory curriculum for state high schools was unified across all educational sectors in Israel with the aim of creating a more inclusive, universal civic curriculum that would be used as a platform for creating a common civic culture. The tension between state-formation and nation-building, between universalism and particularism, thus, has become even more prominent where civic education is concerned. To a significant extent, civic education in Israel is one place where contesting messages about the meaning of membership in the Israeli collective are negotiated and debated. This paper explores the tensions between inclusion and exclusion and between universalism and particularism as they emerge from the official civic education curriculum in Israel. It does so by examining the representations and positions of the Palestinian citizens in the official discourse of civic education. The analysis suggests that civic education in Israel at best represents an ambivalent stance that is caught in the tension between inclusion and exclusion. But more often than not, it still reproduces the marginal position of the Palestinian minority in Israeli society. In light of this, this paper concludes by discussing the possible implications these dual messages might have for Palestinian students. (Contains 1 table and 15 notes.)

This article will juxtapose the goals and implications of two pedagogical programmes that promote education for belonging in Israel. Representing the official knowledge of the Ministry of Education, the first is the "100 Concepts in Heritage, Zionism and Democracy" curriculum. The second, which embodies the counter knowledge produced and disseminated by Arab civil society organizations, is entitled "Identity and Belonging: The Basic Concepts Project for Arab Pupils". The article grapples with the attempts of Israel to impose a state-standardized version of education for belonging, as well as the active resistance to this by Arab civil society in Israel which provides an alternative one. The article argues that the concepts included in the curriculum posed by Arab civil society, albeit controversial and challenging to the very definition of Israel as both a Jewish nation state and a democracy, should be considered an act of citizenship, rather than a sign of radicalization and separatism. Indeed, the alternative curriculum constitutes a political and ethical act of "in your face" democracy, which is deeply confrontational and interruptive. The paper is organized into three sections. The first explicates the politics of recognition as a theoretical framework for this study. The second unit presents both curricula and compares and contrasts the two. The third and final section offers concluding thoughts regarding the interplay of the rival Palestinian and Israeli historiographies in the struggle over canonizing and standardizing a collective narrative through the Israeli education system.

Teaching Israel is a complex endeavor in today's world where the founding myths of Israel no longer appear to capture the hearts and minds of American Jews as they did a generation ago. As a result, a new way of speaking about and conceptualizing Israel education is evolving among researchers, program providers, policy makers, and many teachers. Through an in-depth case study, this paper explores whether and how this new way of thinking and speaking about Israel actually plays out in a community Jewish day high school that espouses a commitment to critical thinking and pluralistic education. The analysis is informed by a conceptual framework that argues that a meaningful and holistic approach to Israel education demands critical engagement with both the sacred vision and complex realities of Israel, past, present, and future as well as the literature on pluralism in Jewish educational settings. The key question threaded throughout the article is: How does a pluralistic Jewish curriculum navigate between fostering open inquiry and supporting a commitment to Israel and the Jewish people? (Contains 1 table and 6 footnotes.)

History education has been instrumental in transmitting collective memories across generations while sustaining national traditions. Many nations use history education to instill national memories in their future citizens. In the current Jewish context, history is arguably a dominant cultural discourse. History education is deemed central to preparing future Jewish citizens of Israel. In particular, Zionist scholars and educators use the Bible as their primary text, providing an infrastructure of history and myths for this national ideology. In order to investigate the relationship between political ideology, education, and national memories, this paper explores the ways in which the Hebrew Bible and Jewish history are being taught interchangeably in Jewish-Israeli schools. Drawing on various source materials (such as political videos, school curricula, and textbooks), the paper retraces the origins of this conflation, critically examines its goals, and suggests possible effects it may have on the formation of children's and adolescents' collective memories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accepted definition of the academic library states its primary purpose of supporting the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students; however, the essence of the academic library as embodied in its architecture is much more intricate. Academic libraries in Israel are unique in having more intellectual planning processes and more financial support and funding resources. This paper examines the architecture of stand-alone academic library buildings in Israel and their development and evolution over time, especially in the decades after the establishment of the State in 1948. The research investigates their appearance and conceptual reflections, inquiring whether they integrate with the surroundings physically and conceptually or are considered 'ivory towers.' Moreover, this paper scrutinizes the influences that affected the architectural environment these libraries came to embody. The discussion on the architecture of academic libraries analyzes the changing influences of Israeli politics and society upon the architectural discourse. Architects were searching for new methods in design, which led to the transition in the architecture of academic libraries: from modesty to complexity in design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) at the beginning of 2020 forced most higher education institutions to shift immediately from traditional learning to distance learning and emergency remote teaching (ERT). Objectives: This research aimed to capture the authentic sounds of this unusual learning experience from the field while it was still fresh and to explore congruence with existing models of online learning success factors. We also aimed to examine the differences between freshman students and more advanced students (second year onwards) with regard to the emerging data and its respective model. Methods: During the second semester of 2020, 170 Tel Aviv university students majoring in various fields responded to an online questionnaire consisting of open‐ended questions. Results and conclusions: The researchers classified the themes retrieved from 1559 statements into a framework of critical success factors for distance learning. The framework included five dimensions: course, student, instructor, learning environment and institution. Well‐known benefits of distance learning emerged, among them flexibility and personalized learning pace. Nevertheless, the findings revealed that the rapid transition to distance learning posed challenges and difficulties, mainly concerning the readiness of students and instructors for this form of teaching and learning. The number of statements in instructor dimension indicated the importance of providing support and training to instructors and staff. Significant differences were found in students' perceptions according to the year standing. More advanced students made more 'internal' references, attributing more statements to student and learning environment dimensions. In contrast, freshman made more 'external' references, attributing more statements to instructor and course dimensions than students in their second year and onwards. Major takeaways: The results may help in planning and preparing for times of crisis. From a broader perspective, the findings may help in designing ways to incorporate distance learning. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?There are several critical success factor models for implementing distance learning.Academic experience influences students' perceptions of distance learning.Year of studies is known to exert an influence on students' attitudes and degree of satisfaction from distance learning.At the onset of COVID‐19, higher education shifted immediately to ERT. What this paper adds?Authentic view of students' ERT experience in the first weeks of the COVID‐19 outbreak.Adaptive framework for Distance Learning Success Dimensions (DLSD).Advantages and disadvantages for students forced into ERT.Freshmen and advanced students have different perceptions of instructor and course DLSD.Advanced students focus on student dimension, while freshmen focus on Instructor dimension. Implications for practice and/or policyUsing developed DLSD framework for planning, designing and evaluating in crises and routine times.Providing empirical evidence for perceptual differences between freshmen and experienced students.Students' differing perceptions of helpful and unhelpful factors point to diverse needs.Flexible learning times and assignment due dates are crucial for students in ERT.Technical training for instructors may contribute to remote teaching effectiveness.Scaffolds for freshmen may enhance their ERT experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the development and implementation over the period of more than 15 years of learning materials focusing on industrial chemistry as the main theme. The work was conducted in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. The project’s general goal was to teach chemistry concepts in the context of industrial chemistry in order to present chemistry as a relevant topic both to the students personally as well as to the society in which they live. The learning materials that were developed during this period were in alignment with the changes and reforms that were conducted in the Israeli educational system. These developments were accompanied with intensive and comprehensive professional development courses and workshops. In addition, several research and evaluation projects were conducted with the goal to assess students’ achievements and to probe into the students’ perceptions regarding the classroom learning environment and the teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the various instructional and learning materials techniques that were implemented in the programme throughout these years. This paper is structured attempting to describe the curricular cycle in alignment with Goodlad’s and Van den Akker’s curriculum representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I this paper, we survey and focus on developments in the chemistry curriculum in Israel over the past 70 years, as influenced by changes and reforms in the curricula around the world and specifically in the United States, by political, cultural and socio‐economic factors, scientific and technological innovations, and theories and studies in learning and teaching. The mentioned studies refer also to the influence of the learners, the teachers, the content, the pedagogy of teaching and learning both in and out of school, and the assessment of students' achievement on the curriculum changes. Three periods of changes are discussed in the chemistry curriculum in Israel, from the 1960s to the beginning of the 21st century, as influenced by the above factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper arises from a study of how concepts related to understanding functions develop for students across the years of secondary/high school, using small samples from two different curricula systems: England and Israel. We used a survey consisting of function tasks developed in collaboration with teachers from both curriculum systems. We report on 120 higher achieving students, 10 from each of English and Israeli, 12–18 years old. Iterative and comparative analysis identified similarities and differences in students’ responses and we conjecture links between curriculum, enactment, task design, and students’ responses. Towards the end of school, students from both curriculum backgrounds performed similarly on most tasks but approached these by different routes, such as intuitive or formal and with different understandings, including correspondence and covariational approaches to functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the collective identity of the Palestinian citizens of Israel as it is filtered to school students through the state-commissioned school textbooks. Since it was established in 1948, Israel has maintained two separate education systems, one for Palestinian-Israelis, who are now ∼ 20% of the population, and the other for Jewish Israelis. Each system has its own curriculum, transmitting its own cultural and national messages. This paper compares Palestinian school textbooks (grades 5-12) currently in use to earlier textbooks of the 1960s. The analysis shows how the segregated school system for Palestinians in Israel forges a mechanism of domination of the national history and collective memory of the Palestinians. Through processes of exclusion and selection, the state narrative, as it is manifested in the Palestinian school textbooks, renders the Palestinian identity non-existent and rootless. Palestinians are presented as a collective detached from their past and from their immediate surroundings in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last two decades the Israeli educational system has undergone major changes which have transformed it from a state-controlled, overly bureaucratic and almost fully state-financed system into a decentralized, partly locally controlled and increasingly privately financed system. Advocates of this transformation of the educational system appeal to the ideal of parental choice. They argue that the implementation of parental choice programs in education shows more respect to the children and their unique talents, take their self-realization seriously and promotes equal opportunities in education. The ideal of parental choice is also upheld in relation to value of cultural pluralism. Supporters of educational autonomy advocate the restructuring of schools in a way allowing them to develop a unique climate and curriculum consistent with respective communities and parents' preferences. The aim of this paper is to assess critically the changes that Israeli educational system has undergone against the background of the principle of equal educational opportunities. The main claim of the paper is that these changes undermine this principle. It will be argued that these changes actually cater mainly to the educational interests of middle and upper middle classes in Israeli society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Documents specifying a national mathematics curriculum for grades K-12 have recently been written in Israel. We focus on the calculus component for the highest of three matriculation bound levels, and specifically on the influence of research on this component. In addition to issues of content, we identify three principles that have led the writing team, namely, the manner in which sample tasks in the curriculum document incorporate fundamental mathematical ideas and mathematical Reasoning, the Impact expected from connecting mathematics to its role in everyday life and science, and the Cultivation of fertile intellectual ground from which new concepts may emerge naturally. We demonstrate how these principles are implemented in the unit on integration. We show that mathematics education research, though not mentioned explicitly, has had a profound and pervasive influence on the content and principles of the curriculum document, from the design of entire units down to the formulation of sample tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This quasi-experimental study adds to the small existing literature on orthographic-related teacher knowledge in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. The study examined the impact of a course on English orthography on predominantly non-native-speaking EFL preservice and inservice teachers' orthographic content knowledge, and the extent to which these teachers retained orthographic-related content knowledge four months after participating in a semester course on the topic. In addition, the study examined the relationship between participants' acquired orthographic-related content knowledge and EFL spelling. Both groups of teachers that studied in the course improved on overall orthographic-related content knowledge, both immediately following the course and longitudinally. Preservice and inservice participants showed similar levels of orthographic knowledge prior to course participation and both showed significant improvements compared to controls following course participation. Participants also retained knowledge four months after course completion. Overall, the inservice teachers scored higher on orthographic-related knowledge, possibly as a result of the immediate application of their newly acquired knowledge. An unexpected finding was a lack of interaction between acquired orthographic-related content knowledge and pseudo word spelling scores. Possible methodological limitations, such as number of participants as well as the length and scope of the course, may explain this outcome. This paper also discusses practical implications of this study for EFL decoding and spelling instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive clinical education program for speech-language pathology students while considering the learning process and gradual acquisition of knowledge and skills for becoming a practicing speech-language pathologist. It describes the clinical speech and language education program for speech-language pathology students at Hadassah Academic College Jerusalem (HAC) based on three facets of learning: reflective practice, evidence-based practice and case-based learning. Also described are the choice of the model of learning and its implementation. The clinical education program presented reflects the professional development of the faculty at HAC as well as recent trends in clinical education methods., (© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

This article will juxtapose the goals and implications of two pedagogical programmes that promote education for belonging in Israel. Representing the official knowledge of the Ministry of Education, the first is the ' 100 Concepts in Heritage, Zionism and Democracy' curriculum. The second, which embodies the counter knowledge produced and disseminated by Arab civil society organizations, is entitled ' Identity and Belonging: The Basic Concepts Project for Arab Pupils'. The article grapples with the attempts of Israel to impose a state-standardized version of education for belonging, as well as the active resistance to this by Arab civil society in Israel which provides an alternative one. The article argues that the concepts included in the curriculum posed by Arab civil society, albeit controversial and challenging to the very definition of Israel as both a Jewish nation state and a democracy, should be considered an act of citizenship, rather than a sign of radicalization and separatism. Indeed, the alternative curriculum constitutes a political and ethical act of 'in your face' democracy, which is deeply confrontational and interruptive. The paper is organized into three sections. The first explicates the politics of recognition as a theoretical framework for this study. The second unit presents both curricula and compares and contrasts the two. The third and final section offers concluding thoughts regarding the interplay of the rival Palestinian and Israeli historiographies in the struggle over canonizing and standardizing a collective narrative through the Israeli education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of academic Jewish Studies positions and programs at a significant number of public and private North American institutions of higher education during the final third of the twentieth century is an interesting and complex phenomenon. In these remarks, the author provides a brief historical overview of academic Jewish Studies in North America and reflects on the present state of Jewish Studies programs in secular higher education settings and their ongoing challenges and future prospects. Her conclusions are neither comprehensive nor data-driven nor do they focus on the vibrant and excellent scholarship that characterizes Jewish Studies in 2013. Rather, the paper is based on the research of other scholars and the author's experiences as a professor and administrator in Jewish Studies programs and departments at three public universities and one private university over the past four decades and as President of the Association for Jewish Studies between 2004 and 2006. The author also draws on her larger administrative perspective as an academic dean, since 2009, for seventeen Humanities departments and programs at the University of Oregon. The essay focuses on undergraduate Jewish Studies; the topics discussed are: Jewish Studies in North America: An Overview; Women and Academic Jewish Studies; Jewish Studies Instruction; Connections with Jewish Students and Jewish Organizations; Links with Israel; Other International Relationships; Donors and Endowments; Pres- ent Realities and Future Challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we explore how we as teacher educators translate a new vision of Israel education into curricular practice in the preparation of emerging Jewish educators. Using a practitioner inquiry mode of research, we reflect on our existential vision of Israel education and its translation into practice as creators and directors of a semester in Israel program. Analyzing a variety of data sources—including internal and external documents, course syllabi, the program’s experiential components, and strategic institutional partnerships, as well as students’ course papers, emails, exit interviews, and oral conversations—we find that an immersive cultural curriculum yields important outcomes for students who engage with our vision of Israel education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: International students studying nursing in the United States present unique teaching opportunities and challenges. Student language, culture, and academic expectations are major factors for faculty to consider in delivering international education., Methods: An RN to BSN program provides baccalaureate completion study for registered nurses residing in Israel. Students can choose to complete the final semester in the United States., Findings: Israeli nursing students demonstrate a strong collectivistic orientation to their academic work. Issues related to English language fluency and academic paper preparation were identified., Conclusion: Success in international teaching endeavors is facilitated when faculty carefully evaluate course materials and assignments. Clarity of language, cultural expectations, and availability of academic resources are important considerations for promoting student success.

This position paper is intended to suggest starting points for discussion regarding three issues: (A) background considerations related to development of an MPH health policy curriculum; (B) subjects to be considered for inclusion in MPH health policy curricula; (C) teaching methods.

Biostatistics plays an important role in the education and training of public health students. The aim of this paper is to discuss issues associated with the teaching of biostatistics for master in public health (MPH) students. It characterizes the student body, describes the aims of teaching statistics, and considers how and what should be taught. This paper reflects my experience in both coordinating and teaching biostatistics in the Braun School of Public Health, which is part of the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center. The school runs two MPH programs: an Israeli program and an international one.

Integrating clinical and basic sciences throughout the medical school curriculum has become a major objective of various innovations in medical education. While early clinical exposure has evolved as an efficient means of introducing clinical studies in the preclinical years, interdisciplinary integration of basic sciences during the clinical years remains a challenge. The authors describe their three years of experience with an interdisciplinary course designed to demonstrate the continuum of medical information from the clinic to the basic sciences. In this course, sixth-year medical students are required to choose one of three to four different one-week programs, each of which requires them to conduct an in-depth investigation of a defined clinical topic. Program coordinators are encouraged to work in clinician-basic scientist teams and to use a variety of teaching methods, with an emphasis on tutored individual and group learning based on critical readings of original papers. Coordinators are also encouraged to enable graduate research students to participate. From 1998 to 2000, students participated in nine programs, seven of which were coordinated by interdisciplinary teams. Several clinical and basic science disciplines were represented in each program, and various teaching methods were used. Graduate students participated in two of the programs. Evaluation of the programs (a debriefing discussion as well as short written evaluations) indicated moderate to good achievement of the course objectives.

Abstract: Over the past decade there has been a major move to position ‘thinking’ (however thinking is defined and enacted) as a more explicit outcome within the curriculum of many nations, with implications for teachers’ professional development, assessment, and examination requirements. This paper analyses approaches to this challenge taken by Israel, New Zealand and Northern Ireland. Each short case study considers: the political context in which the developments emerged; the ways in which thinking has been framed within the national curriculum, assessment and examination system; and the successes and challenges of the approaches taken to embedding change. Comparing and contrasting three different national systems provides important insights into the priorities, commitments and resources allocated to supporting a focus on thinking as a valued curriculum goal and outcome. In particular, it highlights the need for greater coherence between curriculum, professional development, pedagogy and assessment policies generally. Given the increasing international emphasis on the importance of developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills as a response to 21st century learning challenges, the paper reflects on what more may need to be done to leverage and sustain change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

One common theme underlying recent reports on science education is that the content of school science and its related pedagogical approaches are not aligned with the interests and needs of both society and the majority of the students. Most students do not find their science classes interesting and motivating. These claims are especially valid regarding those students who, in the future, will probably not embark on a career in science or engineering but will need science and technology personally and functionally as literate citizens. One key problem seems to be that few science programs around the world teach how science is linked to those issues that are relevant to students' life, environment, and role as a citizen. As a result, many students are unable to participate in societal discussions about science and its related technological applications. This paper discusses the need to incorporate socioscientific ideas into the science curricula more thoroughly. This recommendation is supported by a theoretical rationale from various sources leading to a reflection about common practices in science education in three countries: Israel, Germany, and the USA. The state-of-the-art, potentials, and barriers of effective implementation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the implementation of an external written curriculum in the classroom. The study is based on observation of and interviews with 26 Israeli Bible teachers who followed a formal curriculum and used a teachers' guide. The study identified three types of curriculum narrative: the frame narrative, the task narrative, and the meta-narrative. Whereas both curriculum writers and teachers were conscious of the existence of the frame and task narratives, neither group was aware of the existence of the curriculum meta-narrative. Moreover, most teachers felt no obligation to adhere to the curriculum writers' frame narrative and suggested curriculum activities, and, indeed, some 80% of the curriculum tasks analysed in this study were devised by teachers, not suggested by curriculum writers. Teachers were also unaware of the curriculum writers' meta-narrative and constructed their own meta-narratives, which differed almost completely from that of the writers. This study reveals that the conception of teachers as 'obedient' to a written curriculum, which they interpret and adapt while preserving its essential principles, is inconsistent with the teachers' own curriculum thinking. That thinking, founded on narrative thought, understands both curriculum and teaching as revealed stories which are used as a source of stimulation and inspiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new learning unit in chemistry, Case-based Computerized Laboratories (CCL) and Computerized Molecular Modeling (CMM) was developed at the Technion. The CCL and CMM curriculum integrates computerized desktop experiments and molecular modeling with an emphasis on scientific inquiry and case studies. Our research aimed at investigating the effect of the CCL and CMM learning environment on students’ higher-order thinking skills of question posing, inquiry, and modeling. The experimental group included 614 honors 12th grade chemistry students from high schools in Israel who studied according to this learning unit. The comparison group consisted of 155 12th grade chemistry honors students who studied other chemistry programs. Pre- and post-tests questionnaires were used to assess students’ higher-order thinking skills. Students’ responses were analyzed using content analysis rubrics and their statistical analysis. Our findings indicated that the scores of the experimental group students improved significantly in question posing, inquiry and modeling skills from the pre-test to the post-test. The net gain scores of the experimental group students were significantly higher than those of their comparison peers in all three examined skills. In modeling skills, experimental group students significantly improved their achievements in making the transfer from 3D models to structural formulae, but only about half of them were able to transfer from formulae to 3D models. By presenting a case-based chemistry assessment tool and content analysis of students’ responses in this paper, we enable teachers and educators to analyze their students’ higher-order thinking skills both qualitatively and quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer science is possibly one of the few remaining disciplines almost entirely dominated by men, especially university staff and in the hi-tech industries. This phenomenon prevails throughout the western world; in Israel it starts in high school, where only 30% of students who choose to take computer science as an elective are women, and continues in university and college, where usually less than 30% of the entire computer science student population is female. In this paper we present data describing women taking the undergraduate computer science program at the Open University of Israel. Covering a period of 10 years, we have examined the enrollment and results of thousands of students on 20 undergraduate computer science courses. An attempt has been made to identify whether there is a specific stage in the undergraduate program which is more difficult for women to pass. The good news is that within the Open University of Israel out of the entire population of computer science students the percentage of female enrolments and the percentage of females graduating is almost the same, and the differences in average final grade between men and women are generally not significant. This study is unique because of the large number of students which served as the study population, covering the entire undergraduate program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hebrew as a second language is not only taught to Israeli Palestinians, but also to adult immigrants and their young children. However, in the case of immigrants the purpose is to replace their immigrant language with Hebrew, while among Israeli Palestinians it is acknowledged as additive. Hebrew is a compulsory language for Israeli Palestinian pupils. It is the dominant language in all domains of life in Israel, making it extremely difficult for Israeli Palestinians to function without sufficient competence in Hebrew outside their home towns and villages. However, the school curricula has not always considered the special needs of this population, and the contents and topics of Hebrew teaching instead emphasised culture and literature. This paper examines three major aspects related to Hebrew language teaching in Israeli Palestinian elementary schools: attitudes towards teaching Hebrew to Palestinians; Hebrew teaching goals and curricula; and the textbooks and their contents. Hebrew teaching in elementary schools is examined against the tensions produced by the challenges of the Palestinian minority in an ideologically Jewish state and of speakers of Arabic under a Hebrew hegemony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a report of an innovative program in social work education to enrich field supervisors and students with the latest theories and practices related to social work practice in health care set- tings. This program consists of a study day organized jointly by academic faculty, field supervisors, and students, conducted once a year between 1997 and 2001 in two universities in Israel. Each study day focused on a subject relevant to social work practice in health care settings, such as laws regarding patients' rights, short-term therapy, case management, and quality of life. To examine participants' feedback about the program, an evaluation was conducted after each study day with 104 students studying for their BA in Social Work and 49 field supervisors. A questionnaire was distributed to all the participants at the end of the study day. Most of the participants indicated that the program contributed to the integration of social work theory and practice. Students in the second and third years of study reported the greatest benefit. This innovative program can complement the traditional fieldwork program in social work education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex cultural mosaic of EFL teaching and teacher education in Israel calls for the need to explore how different ethnic and cultural backgrounds shape prospective EFL teachers' perspectives about their roles and practices as communicative teachers; an approach solidly entrenched in western, democratic views of teaching and learning. Focusing on one aspect of communicative language teaching, the function of L1 and L2 for promoting communication, this qualitative-interpretative study explored the perspectives that 14 Arab and Jewish EFL student teachers adopted towards the use of L1 (mother tongue) and L2 (target language). The study was conducted within the context of student teachers' reflections on their classroom discourse during practice teaching. Student teachers were asked to record, transcribe and reflect on one classroom lesson implemented in their practice teaching through a series of guiding questions. The questions aimed at encouraging reflection at levels of mapping and naming teaching and learning behaviours, connecting between theoretical notions and their realisation in 'action', surfacing gaps between expectations and reality, interpreting, scrutinising and appraising particular teaching and learning behaviours. The inductive analysis revealed that both Jewish and Arab student teachers exhibited new insights regarding the different purposes for which L1 can be used in a communicative lesson. Novices reported to have gained a more situated and realistic perspective of the various uses of mother tongue in communicative teaching as a result of analysing their own classroom discourse. The findings shed light on the striking similarities between Arab and Jewish student teachers in regard to the new understandings gained about the use of L1/L2 in communicative lessons. The uniform perspectives exhibited by novices, regardless of their sociocultural background, challenged our initial assumptions regarding the differences that we would expect to find between Arab and Jewish student teachers on the issue. Thus, as the title of this paper suggests, student teachers 'however different', exhibited 'similar' perspectives towards the use of L1/L2 in EFL communicative lessons. The question of why socio-cultural differences were mitigated is discussed through three inter-related themes that might account for such similarities: (1) the state of being a novice, (2) the 'culture' of EFL teaching and, (3) the homogeneous character of the teacher education programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a concept of the Machine Control discipline developed through the past decade as part of the technological education reform in Israel. The discipline has been widely implemented in senior high schools as an optional matriculation subject. Principles, contents, experience, evaluation and challenges of the curriculum are discussed. Specific features of the discipline in rural, technological and general school environments are presented and illustrated by examples. Arguments in support of a cross-national comparison of specific technology programs are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors served on a committee that designed a high-school curriculum in computer science and has been supervising the preparation of a comprehensive study program based on it. The new program is intended for the Israeli high-school system, has been formally approved by the Ministry of Education, and is expected to fully replace the old one in the near future. The program emphasizes the foundations of algorithmics, and teaches programming as a way to get the computer to carry out an algorithm. The purpose of this paper is to describe the program's curriculum and syllabi in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the case of development and evaluation of a STEM-oriented 30-h robotics course for junior high school students (n = 32). Class activities were designed according to the P3 Task Taxonomy, which included: (1) practice—basic closed-ended tasks and exercises; (2) problem solving—small-scale open-ended assignments in which the learner can choose the solution method or arrive at different answers; and (3) project-based learning—open-ended challenging tasks. The research aimed at exploring students’ working patterns, achievements in learning the course, and the impact of this experience on students’ motivation to learn STEM subjects. Evaluation tools included a final exam on factual, procedural and conceptual knowledge in the STEM subject learned in the course, class observations, interviews with the students, and administrating an attitude questionnaire before and after the course. Since the experimental class was quite heterogenic in regard to students’ prior learning achievements and motivation to learn, some of the students completed just the basic exercises, others coped well with the problem-solving tasks, and only a few took it upon themselves to carry out a complex project. However, all students showed high motivation to learn robotics and STEM subjects. In summary, robotics provides a very rich and attractive learning environment for STEM education. Yet, the realization of this potential depends largely on careful design of the course methodology and especially the students’ assignments in the class. One should recognize that often only some students are capable of learning a new subject on their own through project work, and these students also need to gain additional knowledge and skills before dealing with complex projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines technological curricula in terms of their potential to be realized in occupational roles. The more the curriculum is oriented towards roles (as opposed to skills or pure knowledge), the greater the probability that it will be articulated in the labour market and the greater its efficacy and legitimacy.
The concept of role has been analytically divided into six components: value commitment, normative, communicative, interactive, role intelligence and proficiency components.
Theoretically, the more components are present in a given curriculum, the higher the probability that a given occupational role will be effectively articulated. However, their presence is a necessary but insufficient condition for effective role performance; their integration is of equal, if not greater importance, and the latter is meaningful only when the social context of the articulation is taken into account.
It was found that the role components do not appear in a balanced manner in technological curricula investigated in Israel, and some hardly receive any attention. Those that are present are weakly linked to actual economic contexts. Thus, it appears that students in technological education, are socialized to minimal role articulation; ie, they are more likely to implement decontextualized tasks than to assume integral occupational roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the attitudes of physical therapy (PT) students in Israel toward people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) and to identify the characteristics associated with the said attitudes. This multiinstitutional study is used as an observational design. Participants were 245 PT students (average age, 25.59 ± 3.10 years), who completed anonymous online questionnaires that included demographic characteristics; the Hebrew version of the Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Scale (ATHS); questions on learning about LGB, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, and other sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQIA+); healthcare issues in the entry-level PT; and previous clinical encounters with patients who identified as LGBTQIA+. The median ATHS score was 107 out of 110 (range, 48–110; higher score indicating more positive attitudes), and multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that identifying as a woman and secular were predictors of positive attitudes toward LGB individuals. All students reported that they had no course on the LGBTQIA+ community in their undergraduate PT studies' curriculum. Most (80.88%) of those who had a clinical practice reported that they had not had a clinical encounter with a patient identifying as LGBTQIA+. PT students in Israel demonstrated positive attitudes toward LGB individuals, as reflected by their ATHS scores. PT students who identify as men and religious are more likely to hold negative attitudes toward LGB individuals. There is a need to expand the curricula on LGBTQIA+ healthcare and increase students' experiences with LGBTQIA+ patients to increase cultural competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Israel serves as a case study for understanding the importance of undergraduate palliative care (PC) education in implementing, developing, and enabling access to palliative care services. This article presents the findings collected from the five medical schools.Method: This qualitative study supported by a survey explores and describes the state of undergraduate PC education at medical schools in Israel. The survey included questions on voluntary and mandatory courses, allocation of different course models, teaching methods, time frame, content, institutions involved, and examinations. Semi-structured interviews with teaching faculty were conducted at the same locations.Results: Eleven expert interviews and five surveys demonstrate that PC is taught as a mandatory subject at only two out of the five Israeli universities. To enhance PC in Israel, it needs to become a mandatory subject for all undergraduate medical students. To teach communication, cultural safety, and other basic competencies, new interactive teaching forms need to be developed and adapted. In this regard, nationwide cooperation is proposed. An exchange between medical schools and university clinics is seen as beneficial. The new generation of students is open to PC philosophy and multidimensional care provision but resources to support their growth as professionals and people remain limited.Significance Of Results: This study underlines the importance of teaching in PC at medical schools. Undergraduate education is a central measure of PC status and should be used as such worldwide. The improvement of the teaching situation would automatically lead to a better practical implementation for the benefit of people. Medical schools should cooperate, as the formation of expertise exchange across medical schools would automatically lead to better PC education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scientific Annals of the "Stefan cel Mare" Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova / Revista Stiintifica a Academiei Stefan cel Mare is the property of Stefan cel Mare University, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova / Ministerul Afe and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)