试论“促进概念性理解”的科学课教学

"促进概念性理解"的科学课教学是以帮助学生获得对科学概念的真正理解、发展学生的思维和科学理解力为目标的课程设计理念与实施模式,它有助于激发学生积极的思维,真正实现学生对科学概念的建构。     

Understanding Conceptual Change and Science Learning through Educational Neuroscience

Although the field of educational neuroscience has grown in recent years, little research has been conducted on conceptual change and science learning through an educational neuroscience framework. Educational neuroscience is frequently used to study processes of language and mathematics cognition, but is not extensively applied to conceptual change and science learning. This review integrates insights from extant conceptual change educational neuroscience studies to inform the fields of educational psychology and science education. These new insights shed light on the persistence of misconceptions and the roles of error detection, inhibition, executive function, and memory in conceptual change. Future directions for the study of conceptual change and educational neuroscience are discussed.     

Developing a Primary Science Methods Classroom

The purpose of this paper is to describe how and why a primary science methods classroom was conceived, designed, and developed for preservice and inservice teachers. Just as science educators believe that students learn best by constructing their knowledge of the natural world with the aid of a teacher and colleagues, science educators also believe that preservice and inservice teachers should learn in a collaborative and constructivist environment. Multiple dimensions relating to the dynamic processes of learning to teach, a ‘technical factor’ related to the physical and resource constraints that exist within a school, and sociocultural theory were used for the theoretical framework. A survey was given to 97 students who took a course in the classroom, six instructors were given a questionnaire, and three of these instructors were interviewed. These data sources sought to determine the effect of design features on student learning and instructor teaching. The results of the evaluation suggest students who used the classroom found their learning positively affected by the room design and instructors who taught in the classroom benefited by being able to teach in an inquiry and constructivist manner.     

The Effects of Dichotomous Attitudes toward Science on Interest and Conceptual Understanding in Physics

The literature on students' attitudinal constructs in science education asserts that students hold dichotomous attitudes toward science (AS). For instance, studies from the Relevance of Science Education project reveal that students possess negative attitudes in terms of their favourableness toward school science, preference toward scientific careers, and emotional states toward science (negative intrinsic AS), despite their positive perception that science is important for society (positive extrinsic AS). The issue demands in‐depth examination, since not enough science educators have studied the effects of the dichotomous AS on science education. Rather, they have attempted to improve the uncategorised AS for stimulating student achievement in science education. Hence, the aim of this study is to clarify how the dichotomous attitude (intrinsic AS and extrinsic AS) relates to the two educational products in science: interest inventory and conceptual understanding. One hundred and sixteen physics learners in Japan were sampled for fitting the structural equation model in this study. Our final model validated by LISREL suggests that intrinsic AS exclusively stimulate students' interest and conceptual understanding in physics, while extrinsic AS fail to play their expected role. Finally, features of the sampled 10th‐graders and their dichotomous AS are further interpreted with the prevalent concept of the hidden curriculum.     

Primary Student-Teachers' Conceptual Understanding of the Greenhouse Effect: A mixed method study

The greenhouse effect is a reasonably complex scientific phenomenon which can be used as a model to examine students' conceptual understanding in science. Primary student-teachers' understanding of global environmental problems, such as climate change and ozone depletion, indicates that they have many misconceptions. The present mixed method study examines Finnish primary student-teachers' understanding of the greenhouse effect based on the results obtained via open-ended and closed-form questionnaires. The open-ended questionnaire considers primary student-teachers' spontaneous ideas about the greenhouse effect depicted by concept maps. The present study also uses statistical analysis to reveal respondents' conceptualization of the greenhouse effect. The concept maps and statistical analysis reveal that the primary student-teachers' factual knowledge and their conceptual understanding of the greenhouse effect are incomplete and even misleading. In the light of the results of the present study, proposals for modifying the instruction of climate change in science, especially in geography, are presented.     

Identifying Mentoring Practices for Developing Effective Primary Science Teaching

A literature‐based survey gathered 331 final‐year preservice teachers' perceptions of their mentoring in primary science education from nine Australian universities. Data were analysed within five factors proposed for mentoring (i.e., Personal Attributes, System Requirements, Pedagogical Knowledge, Modelling, and Feedback). Results indicated that the majority of mentors (primary teachers) did not provide specific mentoring in primary science, particularly in the science teaching practices associated with the factors System Requirements, Pedagogical Knowledge, and Modelling. This study argues that mentors may require further education to learn how to mentor specifically in primary science, and proposes a specific mentoring intervention as a way forward for developing the mentor's mentoring and teaching of primary science.     

有疑必质，非疑不质，多疑能质——小学科学课学生质疑能力培养“三部曲”

小学科学教学应把培养学生的质疑能力贯穿教学全过程。通过“营造激励质疑环境和采取分层质疑形式”,让学生有疑必质;引导学生“从所学课题上质疑、从疑难关键处质疑、从实验现象中质疑”,掌握质疑方法;采取“生疑、导疑、追疑、乐疑”方式,提高学生质疑能力。     

Conceptual Understanding of Causal Reasoning in Physics

College students often experience difficulties in solving physics problems. These difficulties largely result from a lack of conceptual understanding of the topic. The processes of conceptual learning reflect the nature of the causal reasoning process. Two major causal reasoning methods are the covariational and the mechanism‐based approaches. This study was to investigate the effects of different causal reasoning methods on facilitating students’ conceptual understanding of physics. 125 college students from an introduction physics class were assigned into covariational group, mechanism‐based group, and control group. The results show that the mechanism‐based group significantly outperformed the other two groups in solving conceptual problems. However, no significant difference was found in all three groups performance on solving computational problems. Speculation on the inconsistent performance of the mechanism‐based group in conceptual and computational problem solving is given. Detailed analyses of the results, findings, and educational implications are discussed     

The Effect of Increasing Conceptual Challenge in Primary Science Lessons on Pupils' Achievement and Engagement

This paper reports research into the effect on 11‐year‐old pupils of introducing more cognitively challenging, practical, and interactive science lessons. Our hypothesis was that such lessons would increase the children's enthusiasm for science and their engagement with the scientific process, thereby improving educational performance. Schools in England are under pressure to raise achievement, as measured by the results of national tests. This has an impact on teaching, where revision of subject knowledge often dominates and can be particularly detrimental to more able pupils. The research was a controlled trial which took place in thirty‐two English primary schools as part of a project “Conceptual Challenge in Primary Science”. Teachers from 16 intervention schools participated in continuing professional development (CPD) and developed science lessons that had more practical work, more discussion, more thinking and less (but more focused) writing. The proportion of pupils achieving the highest level (level 5) in the national science tests at age 11 was compared in the matched‐school pairs before and after the intervention. Focus group interviews were also held with a group of pupils in each intervention school. There was a 10% (95% Confidence Interval 2–17%) increase in the proportion of children achieving the top score in the intervention schools. The pupils and teachers reported greater engagement and motivation. These findings suggest that moving from rote revision to cognitively challenging, interactive science could help improve science education. They merit replication in other international settings to test their generalisability.     

Effect of a Problem Based Simulation on the Conceptual Understanding of Undergraduate Science Education Students

A study of the effect of science teaching with a multimedia simulation on water quality, the “River of Life,” on the science conceptual understanding of students (N = 83) in an undergraduate science education (K-9) course is reported. Teaching reality-based meaningful science is strongly recommended by the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996). Water quality provides an information-rich context for relating classroom science to real-world situations impacting the environment, and will help to improve student understanding of science (Kumar, 2005a; Kumar and Chubin, 2000). The topics addressed were classes of organisms that form river ecosystem, dissolved oxygen, macroinvertebrates, composition of air, and graph reading skills. Paired t-test of pre- and post-tests, and pre- and delayed post-tests showed significant (p < 0.05) gains. The simulation had a significant effect on the conceptual understanding of students enrolled in a K-9 science education course for prospective teachers in the following areas: composition of air, macroinvertebrates, dissolved oxygen, classes of organisms that form a river ecosystem, and graph reading skills. The gain was more in the former four areas than the latter one. A paired t-test of pre- and delayed post-tests showed significant (p < 0.05) gains in the water quality and near transfer subsets than the dissolved oxygen subset. Additionally students were able to transfer knowledge acquired from the multimedia simulation on more than one concept into teachable stand-alone lesson plans.     

Tools for Science Inquiry Learning: Tool Affordances,Experimentation Strategies,and Conceptual Understanding

Journal of Science Education and Technology - Manipulative environments play a fundamental role in inquiry-based science learning, yet how they impact learning is not fully understood. In a series...     

论远程教学中资源整合的观念认识

资源整合是我国远程教学中的一个大问题,有关这方面的观念认识并未得到深层次地讨论.文章在探讨何谓整合,整合什么,为什么整合,为谁而整合四方面问题的基础上,提出基于远程教学规律,资源整合应当从远程学习者出发,满足远程学习者掌握学习与建构学习需要,把课程资源视为学习操作的资料与工具,重视发挥资源的适配性、操作性和交互性功能,以方便、支持和引导远程学习者的自主学习.     

Chinese and Australian Year 3 Children's Conceptual Understanding of Science: A multiple comparative case study

Children have formal science instruction from kindergarten in Australia and from Year 3 in China. The purpose of this research was to explore the impact that different approaches to primary science curricula in China and Australia have on children's conceptual understanding of science. Participants were Year 3 children from three schools of high, medium and low socio-economic status in Hunan Province, central south China (n?=?135) and three schools of similar socio-economic status in Western Australia (n?=?120). The students' understanding was assessed by a science quiz, developed from past Trends in Mathematics and Science Study science released items for primary children. In-depth interviews were carried out to further explore children's conceptual understanding of living things, the Earth and floating and sinking. The results revealed that Year 3 children from schools of similar socio-economic status in the two countries had similar conceptual understandings of life science, earth science and physical science. Further, in both countries, the higher the socio-economic status of the school, the better the students performed on the science quiz and in interviews. Some idiosyncratic strengths and weaknesses were observed, for example, Chinese Year 3 children showed relative strength in classification of living things, and Australian Year 3 children demonstrated better understanding of floating and sinking, but children in both countries were weak in applying and reasoning with complex concepts in the domain of earth science. The results raise questions about the value of providing a science curriculum in early childhood if it does not make any difference to students' conceptual understanding of science.     

Changes in Primary Teachers' Science Knowledge and Understanding During a Two Year In-service Programme

A test to assess teachers' science knowledge and understanding was developed to monitor change over two years of a primary science in-service programme in 31 schools. Two cohorts took a six-month core course on 'Developing and Assessing Investigations'. The 70 teachers' science understanding was measured by multi-choice and open-ended questions on electricity; melting, dissolving and evaporation; forces; and investigations. Three sub-scales were developed that provide good discrimination. Despite the moves to improve primary teachers' subject knowledge, many still have the typical misconceptions that have been identified in the past. Teachers also had a poor understanding of variables and their control. The analysis of the results has enabled a pattern of development to be identified. While the in-service programme enabled the majority of teachers to progress through these stages, this progress did not always take the teachers to the scientific stage. It was clear that teachers need a thorough understanding of interrelated concepts beyond the requirements of the children's National Curriculum, as without it they may develop misconceptions that might interfere with children's understanding. This indicates that in-service education needs to be sustained over a considerable length of time.     

The Virtual Solar System Project: Developing Conceptual Understanding of Astronomical Concepts Through Building Three-Dimensional Computational Models

The Virtual Solar System (VSS) course described in this paper is one of the first attempts to integrate three-dimensional (3D) computer modeling as a central component of an introductory undergraduate astronomy course. Specifically, this study assessed the changes in undergraduate university students' understanding of astronomy concepts as a result of participating in an experimental introductory astronomy course in which the students constructed 3D models of different astronomical phenomena. In this study, we examined students' conceptual understanding concerning three foundational astronomical phenomena: the causes of lunar and solar eclipses, the causes of the Moon's phases, and the reasons for the Earth's seasons. Student interviews conducted prior to the course identified a range of student alternative conceptions previously identified in the literature regarding the dynamics and mechanics of the Solar System. A previously undocumented alternative conception to explain lunar eclipses is identified in this paper. The interviews were repeated at the end of the course in order to quantitatively and qualitatively assess any changes in student conceptual understanding. Generally, the results of this study revealed that 3D computer modeling can be a powerful tool in supporting student conceptualization of abstract scientific phenomena. Specifically, 3D computer modeling afforded students the ability to visualize abstract 3D concepts such as the line of nodes and transform them into conceptual tools, which in turn, supported the development of scientifically sophisticated conceptual understandings of many basic astronomical topics. However, there were instances where students' conceptual understanding was incomplete and frequently hybridized with their existing conceptions. These findings have significant bearing on when and in what domains 3D computer modeling can be used to support student conceptual understanding of astronomy concepts.     

Conceptual Understanding of Definite Integral with GeoGebra

This study aimed to determine the effect of a computer-assisted instruction method using GeoGebra on achievement of prospective secondary mathematics teachers in the definite integral topic and to determine their opinions about this method. The study group consisted of 35 prospective secondary mathematics teachers studying in the mathematics education program at a state university in Turkey. The study was carried out using an embedded design, and the Definite Integral Knowledge Test and an opinion form were used for data collection. Upon analyzing the data, the computer-assisted instruction method using GeoGebra was found to positively contribute to the success of teaching the definite integral topic. Prospective teachers stated that this method should be used in math courses as it creates a fun and interesting environment with dynamic learning elements, provides visualization and opportunities to learn mathematics through practice and exercises, enables thorough understanding and explication of skills, and makes way for conceptual learning instead of memorizing. Furthermore, this study was found to facilitate conceptual learning of the relationship between the lower sum, upper sum and Riemann sum.     

Addressing Challenges to Public Understanding of Science: Epistemic Cognition,Motivated Reasoning,and Conceptual Change

Science is of critical importance to daily life in a knowledge society and has a significant influence on many everyday decisions. As scientific problems increase in their number and complexity, so do the challenges facing the public in understanding these issues. Our objective is to focus on 3 of those challenges: the challenge of reasoning about knowledge and the processes of knowing, the challenge of overcoming biases in that reasoning, and the challenge of overcoming misconceptions. We propose that research in epistemic cognition, motivated reasoning, and conceptual change can help to identify, understand, and address these obstacles for public understanding of science. We explain the contributions of each of these areas in providing insights into the public's understandings and misunderstandings about knowledge, the nature of science, and the content of science. We close with educational recommendations for promoting scientific literacy.