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IV.7 — JUAS during the period 2017–2020
Full text linkThis chapter covers the period Philippe Lebrun was JUAS director (i.e. between 2017 and 2020)
IV.9 — JUAS during the period 2022–2024
No full textThis chapter covers the period Elias Métral was JUAS director (i.e. as of August 2021)
Development and evaluation of a GUM-based curriculum on measurement uncertainty for upper secondary
No full textBackground: References to the importance of measurement uncertainty (MU) can be found in numerous national curricula. However, the number of materials for the introduction of MU in science teaching and science education research on MU in general, can genuinely be considered limited. The development of a teaching-learning sequence (TLS) for high school students (upper secondary), which is based on standardised ISO methods on how to deal with MU has not been carried out so far. Introducing MU to teachers among development and evaluation of curricula is therefore the current stage of research in this particular area.
Purpose: The present project involved the development and evaluation of a TLS for upper secondary that is based on the Guide to Expression of Uncertainty (GUM) to provide materials that can be directly implemented in the science classroom. A final product that facilitates deeper understanding of MU and its application in a scientific context by learners are the main objectives.
Design/Methods and setting: Using a design-based research approach, the project involved various research and development cycles that consisted of expert interviews, educational reconstruction, probing acceptances in addition to collection and analysis of data gathered in three different Physics classes in Austria (32 learners participated). A variety of different instruments of empirical education research (e.g. analysis of videos, interviews, quantitative data, etc.) has been used in this project.
Results and Conclusion: The central design principle was ‘trustworthiness of experiments and data’ following GUM recommendations of Type-A and Type-B determination. Students first build a measuring instrument by themselves to introduce Type-B uncertainties. Then - using the same instrument for their measurements -they acquire a measurement series for a subsequent introduction of Type-A uncertainties. The TLS provides a complete introduction using ISO standardised methods on how to deal with MU. The evaluation was successful, key concepts were accepted by students and learning objectives were achieved. The concept of ‘trustworthiness’ is currently under further investigation at the University of Vienna during a study that builds on the findings of this projects.
Keywords: Measurement uncertainties, curriculum development, design-based research, GUM, secondary education, Nature of Scienc
Why Austrian students are (not) interested in chemistry education : An interest study concerning chemical content and experimental activities
Full text linkBackground: Over the last decades, several international studies have addressed the issue of student interest in science and chemistry education. The findings of these studies describe the phenomenon of declining interest over the school career. However, older as well as more recent studies show that everyday references and independent experimentation can promote interest in chemistry education. Students themselves stress the importance of everyday references in chemistry education.
Purpose: Currently, there is no actual interest study that deals with the interest of Austrian students in relation to everyday references and experimental activities in chemistry education. This study aimed to contribute to the research field of interest studies in chemistry education by analyzing the interest of Austrian students in chemical content with relation to everyday references and experimental activities.
Sample/setting: A total of 621 lower (67.1 %) and upper (32.9 %) secondary school students from Austria partici-pated in this study. The students were informed on the use of their data for this study; ethical guidelines were followed. An online questionnaire was used and sent to the schools. The questionnaire was then forwarded by the schools to the students.
Design and Methods: The questionnaire consists of two parts: (1) personal data, such as gender, school level and whether the school has its own laboratory lessons for chemistry education and (2) a total of 47 items on interest in chemistry content with and without everyday references as well as interest in experimental activities and frequency of experimental activities in chemistry education and 4 items on chemistry-related self-concept. The interest in chemical content with or without everyday references was analysed descriptively and an analysis of variance was calculated. The impact of chemistry-related self-concept, gender, school grade and lesson type on the interest in chemical content with and without everyday references was analyzed using a path model and the interest in experimental activities was analyzed descriptively.
Results: The findings show that learners are significantly more interested in content with everyday references (strong effect) than in content without everyday references. Furthermore, this study showed that independent experimentation is of greatest interest for students, but at the same time occurs relatively rare in chemistry lessons. Less popular, on the other hand, are abstract activities such as formulating reaction equations in the context of experiments. Results also reveal that chemistry-related self-concept is a moderate/strong predictor for the interest in chemical content for both with and without everyday references. The other predictors (gender, school grade, lesson type) each only have a weak influence on interest in this content. However, results reveal that interest in chemistry content declines over the school career, just as other studies have previously found a declining interest in chemistry/science education.
Conclusions: The study provides new and current insights into the interest of Austrian students in chemical content with and without everyday references in chemistry education. Furthermore, the study shows which experimental activities students are most interested in and how often experimental activities occur in chemistry lessons. One way of counteracting the loss of interest could be to teach with as much of the focus on everyday life as possible, considering the interests of female and male students when choosing the everyday reference and enabling the students to experi-ment independently, preferably with reference to everyday life, as often as possible. After all, this is what summarizes the greatest interests of students in chemistry education in this study. However, further research will be required on how to counteract this loss of interest over the school career.
Keywords: interest in chemistry education, interest study, everyday references, experimental activitie
Education for Sustainable Development in Swiss Vocational Education and Training: A Curricular Analysis
Full text linkBackground: The increasing ecological, economic, and social challenges have amplified the demand for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). A significant challenge in the field of ESD is the absence of universally understood definitions for key terms such as sustainability, sustainable development (SD), and ESD itself. In the Swiss context, SD competences are not uniformly integrated into vocational education and training (VET) curricula. The lack of comprehensive studies on this integration indicates a need for further research. This study aims to systematically analyze and identify SD competences, dimensions and topics integration in six selected Swiss VET curricula.Methods: Educational curricula for six VET programs focusing on multi-faceted occupations (Building Services Technician, Electronics Technician, Geomaticist, Physics Laboratory Technician, Road Builder, Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Process Technologist) were systematically analyzed for ESD dimensions, topics and competences through a structured qualitative content analysis. The curriculum analyses followed a pre-structured deductive content-analytical design. Based on Switzerland-oriented SD competences and general SD dimensions and topics, 23 codes were defined and qualitatively coded by three independent coders in a high inferential analysis procedure.Findings: The analysis shows a diverse integration of SD competences, dimensions, and topics, with great variation in how each profession emphasizes these elements. Competences such as “Responsibility”, ”Systems”, and “Act” stand out as most frequently identified across all professions. ESD topics are mainly grouped under environmental and societal dimensions, with “Climate and energy”, “Health and well-being”, and “Economic efficiency and value creation” being the most frequent topics across all occupations.Conclusions: The study's findings indicate that while SD competences, dimensions and topics do appear in all analysed basic VET curricula, they are not labeled as such and are highly heterogeneous in terms of distribution and occurrence. Besides time to teach for an ESD, this makes it difficult for teachers to identify and integrate ESD and thus presenting a significant obstacle for the integration of ESD into basic VET. ESD may not be seen an add-on, it needs proper integration with existing content. The findings have been translated into profession-specific guidelines for VET teachers, school administrations, and professional organizations. These are intended to support VET teachers with concrete examples for their own teaching. Expanding the analysis to more basic VET curricula and examining ESD integration across different learning locations, including companies and inter-company courses, could provide a more comprehensive understanding of ESD's role in Swiss VET.Keywords: Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), ESD competences, ESD dimensions, ESD implementation, Vocational Education and Training (VET), curricula analysis, Switzerlan
I.6 — PyHEADTAIL tutorials
Full text linkThe macro-particle tracking code PyHEADTAIL simulates the dynamics of charged particle beams in the presence of collective effects: direct space charge, beam coupling impedance and electron clouds. For the JUAS course PyHEADTAIL has been used in tutorials in small groups to allow students to simulate longitudinal beam dynamics without collective effects, as a direct illustration of the Longitudinal Beam Dynamics course
I.10 — Synchrotron radiation
No full textElectrons circulating in a storage ring emit synchrotron radiation. The spectrum of this powerful radiation spans from the far infrared to the X-rays. Synchrotron radiation has evolved from being a mere byproduct of particle acceleration to a powerful tool leveraged in diverse scientific and engineering fields. Indeed, synchrotrons are the most brilliant X-ray sources on Earth, and they find use in a wide range of fields in research. In this chapter, we will look at the generation of radiation of charged particles in an accelerator, at the influence of this on the beam dynamics, and on the physics behind applications of synchrotron radiation for research
Personal Branding: An Innovative Approach to Life Design Education
Full text linkThis case study introduces personal branding as an innovation in Career and Life Design. While Life Design offers a roadmap for navigating complex career paths, it requires a deep understanding of one’s identity, values, and aspirations. Personal branding can be a valuable complement to Life Design, providing individuals with a structured process for self-discovery and expression. By integrating principles of identity theory, self-concept theory, and brand management into a curriculum focused on personal brand development, students are empowered to construct meaningful and fulfilling life paths. The findings described in this case study suggest that personal branding can serve as a powerful tool for self-discovery, career exploration, and overall life design. Future research should explore the long-term impacts of personal branding education on career outcomes and overall life satisfaction