Search Results (8)

Rooted in social constructivist learning theory, problem-based learning (PBL) is a tool that deepens students’ learning of complex subjects and improves students’ attitudes and beliefs towards learning. Physics is a subject that students themselves view as challenging. When taking physics, students develop negative beliefs about their own learning of the subject. There is a call for more innovation in the subject area of physics. This study addresses the following: (1) What is the effect of PBL on the achievement of 10th-grade students in mechanics when compared to traditional instruction? (2) How do students’ beliefs and attitudes towards physics change before and after the intervention, and how might these beliefs and attitudes relate to their competency outcomes? The sample of this study comprised 63 students in the 10th grade in a public (non-elite) school distributed across four classes, where the teacher used PBL with the experimental group and traditional teaching with the control group. The physics teacher who implemented PBL has 13 years of teaching experience. The two instruments used were the Force Concept Inventory and the Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey. The result of this study revealed that, although students’ knowledge of physics increased when their teachers adopted the PBL approach, there were no significant changes in their attitudes and beliefs towards learning physics. The implications suggest that there is potential for PBL to be taken up by high school science teachers to improve their students’ physics knowledge, but may this not impact their attitudes and beliefs, which presents questions to investigate further. Full article

Small and micro-businesses often struggle with poor data accuracy due to a lack of dedicated labor force for non-core business functions. The required efforts and costs associated with improving data accuracy, such as setting up and operating an adequate inventory management system, are unpredictable for these businesses. Despite the data-intensive nature of operating specialized software like MES and WMS, the decision to invest in excessive data manipulation can be challenging for micro-entities, even with the potential benefits. This study aims to empirically determine the challenges, risks, and other non-financial decision factors micro-enterprises face when establishing effective data management and utilization practices. A data model was developed based on interviews with 17 small business manufacturers and service companies to support the essential data entry requirements of micro-businesses. The findings support the concept of a SAAS (Software as a Service) product tailored to the needs of these businesses. Furthermore, this research highlights the under-researched areas of logistics processes and data management in small businesses. Full article

In this work, we study the persistence of some fundamental previous ideas in physics in a group of freshmen at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain). For this purpose, we analyze the answers to a questionnaire consisted of 24 multiple-choice items, most of them borrowed from the Force Concept Inventory (FCI). Our study is performed in two different ways by using, on the one hand, classical test theory and, on the other hand, the Pearson product–moment correlation. The survivance of some of the previous ideas at the end of the course is assessed by comparing and critically analyzing the answers of the students to the same test at the beginning and the end of the term. A possible connection with Honey–Alonso learning styles (LS) is also discussed. The results yielded by our study demonstrate the persistence of some of the initial and previous ideas, no matter the students’ previous qualifications or their current LS. Full article

The lockdown of March and April 2020 as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced relevant changes in the educational environment in a very short period of time, making it necessary to suspend in-person instruction and generating the need to implement virtual learning mechanisms. In a future post-COVID-19 hybrid educational model, it will be necessary for university teachers to acquire an optimal degree of digital competence, as a combination of different competencies, namely, (i) technical, (ii) digital, and (iii) soft. Soft skills have been shown to have a decisive influence on the development of digital competence. The aim of this study was to analyze the degree of acquisition of soft skills in Latin American university teachers whose countries are less digitally developed. For this purpose, the countries with the lowest Global Innovation Index (GII) were selected: (i) Panama; (ii) Peru; (iii) Argentina; (iv) El Salvador; (v) Ecuador; (vi) Paraguay; (vii) Honduras; and (viii) Bolivia. To achieve this objective, it was necessary to develop a questionnaire on the self-concept of soft skills, based on the soft skills included in the Bochum Inventory of Personality and Competences (BIP). Results obtained from statistical analysis of the data collected from a sample of 219 participants show that university teachers are sufficiently prepared, in terms of their soft skills, for the increase in digital competence required as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, despite the low level of digital development in their respective countries. Full article

The recent appearance and rapid spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus meant taking unprecedented measures to control the pandemic, which in Spain forced a state of alarm and a very strict confinement, leading the university system to become virtual online teaching. Taking into account the emotional deficiencies originated during the pandemic, among the most powerful tools to achieve engagement along with the identification, control and management of emotions is emotional intelligence (EI). The present study aims to establish the effect of the current confinement on the teaching-learning process and academic performance and the impact of the application of EI on university students. In total, 47 volunteers of the second course of the Degree in Pharmacy of the University of Granada (Spain) took part in this experience. Two temporary periods were established: at the beginning of the confinement period and after teaching several concepts of emotional intelligence online for two months. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey Inventory (MBI-SS) and the Spanish version of Utrech Work Engagement Scale-Students (UWES-S) were used to evaluate the intervention. In total, 63.5% of the students presented academic burnout during the confinement before the intervention. After the EI workshops and seminars, only 31.1% presented academic burnout. Before the intervention with the emotional intelligence workshops, 44.6% experienced exhaustion, 41.7% cynicism and 60.3% felt it was ineffective in their academic performance. After the emotional intelligence workshops and seminars, 29.1% experienced exhaustion, 30.1% cynicism and 28.8% felt it was ineffective. The scores achieved after the study of EI in physiology classes led to better levels in all the variables studied. Students managed their adaptive processes more adequately and regulated their emotions better, as they felt less academic burnout and more engaged in their academic activities at the end of the study of EI through physiology. Full article

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems are central elements for various types of new power plant concepts, whereat packed beds represent a promising storage inventory option. Due to thermal expansion and shrinking of the packed bed’s particles during cyclic thermal charging and discharging operation, high technical risks arise, and possibly lead to material failure. In order to accurately design the heat storage system, suitable tools for calculating induced forces and stresses are mandatory. Continuum models offer time efficient simulation results, but are in need of effective packed bed parameters. This paper introduces a methodology for applying a simplified continuum model and presents first results for an exemplarily large-scale application. Full article

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems are central elements for various types of new power plant concepts and industrial processes. Depending on the specific application, energy storage systems based on sensible heat transfer with packed beds as storage inventory are a promising storage technology. Due to thermal expansion and shrinking of the packed bed’s particles during cyclic thermal charging and discharging, high technical risks arise and possibly lead to material failure. In order to accurately design the TES, suitable tools for calculating thermo-mechanical induced forces and stresses are mandatory. For this purpose, different model approaches and tools are available. Continuum models offer time-efficient simulation results but need proper parametrization, which usually requires extensive experimental effort. This paper focuses on laying the groundwork on how to facilitate the effort for the parametrization of a continuum model by deploying a discrete particle model in order to simulate soil mechanical experiments. In this context, a specifically designed test rig is introduced, which is applied for the validation of the discrete particle model. Full article

Recent media attention has focused on the risks that agricultural pesticides pose to the environment and human health; thus, these topics provide focal areas for scientists and science educators to enhance public understanding of basic toxicology concepts. This study details the development of a quantitative inventory to gauge pesticide risk beliefs. The goal of the inventory was to characterize misconceptions and knowledge gaps, as well as expert-like beliefs, concerning pesticide risk. This study describes the development and field testing of the Pesticide Risk Beliefs Inventory with an important target audience: pesticide educators in a southeastern U.S. state. The 19-item, Likert-type inventory was found to be psychometrically sound with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.780 and to be a valuable tool in capturing pesticide educators’ beliefs about pesticide risk, assessing beliefs in four key categories. The Pesticide Risk Beliefs Inventory could be useful in exploring beliefs about pesticide risks and in guiding efforts to address misconceptions held by a variety of formal and informal science learners, educators, practitioners, the agricultural labor force, and the general public. Full article