Fostering thinking through science in the early years of schooling

The purpose of this research was to investigate and describe concrete examples of Year 1 students engaged in good thinking and to generate assertions about the ways teachers can foster habits of good thinking through science. The research design was a multiple case study of 32 lessons, of which four are analysed in detail in this paper. The results suggest that young children engaged in good thinking are likely to explain and demonstrate their ideas and actions and to make suggestions for solving problems. Children engaged in good thinking also are likely to highlight discrepancies, adopt new ideas, and work collaboratively. The results indicate that teachers can foster habits of good thinking through science; first, by accepting difficulty as an integral part of the learning process, second, by encouraging children to explain and talk about their ideas and, finally, by creating an environment where thinking is a valued classroom process.     

Fostering environmental action through outdoor education

In this article I review my own teaching effectiveness specifically relating to a postgraduate university course. Whilst the theoretical material of the course promotes action there is no formal requirement for students to actually undertake action, leaving me to wonder whether my teaching has had any effect beyond the limitations of the course. I conducted a small-scale enquiry involving a recent cohort to explore this. An organising framework of single-loop, double-loop and triple-loop learning is introduced to distinguish between shallow and deep learning based on the differing degrees of intensity in the way that students reported their learning experiences and actions. The data show that the reflexivity reported by students, who are wrestling with concepts of self and agency, is consistent with what has been termed ‘inquiry as stance’. I have learnt that agency lies not just in the actions of students but also in the way they approach, internalise and externalise their own teaching and learning.     

Fostering multiliteracies pedagogy through preservice teacher education

Teacher education for literacy teaching is often fairly narrow in focus. New approaches are needed that are sociocultural in orientation and take due account of the diversity of language forms, both traditional and contemporary, formal and informal, literary and non‐literary. We believe this need can be met by largely adopting a ‘multiliteracies’ approach as articulated by the New London Group. This research examined the ideas and practices of 10 literacy faculty in a large school of education and 22 first year literacy teachers from the same institution. It found that despite some important advances in a multiliteracies direction, many shortcomings remained. Part of the difficulty was lack of clarity about the nature and purpose of multiliteracies pedagogy. This paper has two main purposes: first, to attempt to clarify the nature and importance of a multiliteracies approach; and second, to report on the successes achieved and challenges encountered in moving in this direction in one school of education.     

Programming video games and simulations in science education: exploring computational thinking through code analysis

Various aspects of computational thinking (CT) could be supported by educational contexts such as simulations and video-games construction. In this field study, potential differences in student motivation and learning were empirically examined through students’ code. For this purpose, we performed a teaching intervention that took place over five weeks, with two-hour sessions per week, plus two more weeks for the pretest and post-test projects. Students were taught programming concepts through a science project; one group represented the function of a basic electric circuit by creating a simulation, while the other group represented the same function by creating a video game in which a player should achieve a score in order to win. Video game construction resulted in projects with higher CT skills and more primitives, as measured through projects’ code analysis. Moreover, the video-game context seems to better motivate students for future engagement with computing activities.     

Fostering compassionate attitudes and the amelioration of aggression through a science class

This study explores how science education could contribute to the amelioration of violent behaviors towards humans and non‐human species, specifically in a Colombian school with a population of socio‐economically disadvantaged students who demonstrate high levels of violence. Until now science education has not sought to change attitudes or to address the issue of school violence that is faced in many communities. Debates around the purposes of science education have paid little or no attention to the possible connection that exists between our attitudes to non‐human animals and those towards humans. This study suggests that science education can play a role in changing attitudes and developing behaviors that aim at caring for others including other humans and non‐human animals. The findings reported here are part of a wider study which included the design and continuing modification of an intervention for a fourth grade science class. The original study took place over 7 months with a group of 38 fourth‐grade students from a socio‐economically disadvantaged population who already presented high levels of aggression. The main focus of the intervention was on encouraging compassionate attitudes towards animals through gaining an understanding of their needs, emotions, capacities, current situations and their similarities with humans. Data were generated through diverse qualitative methods including participatory observations, semi‐structured interviews, and written responses to open questions in three moments during the study. Findings from this study suggest that science education with a focus on promoting understanding and compassion towards animals could contribute to the amelioration of aggression in schools. Resumen: Este estudio investiga cómo la educación en ciencias puede contribuir a la disminución de la agresión en los niños y niñas, incluidos actos de violencia hacia otros animales, específicamente en un colegio en Colombia con una población de bajo nivel socio‐económico y con niveles altos de agresión. Hasta ahora la educación en ciencias no busca responder a la problemática de la violencia presente en colegios en diversas comunidades. Los debates acerca de los propósitos de la educación en ciencias han prestado poca atención a la posible conexión entre nuestras actitudes hacia los humanos y aquellas hacia animales no humanos. Los hallazgos reportados en este estudio sugieren que la educación en ciencias puede jugar un papel en cambiar las actitudes de los estudiantes y desarrollar comportamientos compasivos y de cuidado hacia otros seres vivos y extenderse a seres humanos. Este estudio incluyó el diseño y la modificación continua de una intervención para una clase de ciencias naturales de cuarto elemental. Tuvo lugar durante siete meses con un grupo de 38 estudiantes de cuarto grado de Primaria de una población de escasos recursos económicos y con altos índices de violencia. El propósito central de la intervención fue el de promover actitudes de compasión hacia los animales por medio de mejorar nuestro entendimiento acerca de sus necesidades, emociones, capacidades biológicas, físicas y sociales, situación actual y similitudes con los seres humanos. Los datos fueron generados por medio de diversos métodos cualitativos tales como observaciones participativas, entrevistas semi‐estructuradas y respuestas escritas a preguntas abiertas. Los hallazgos de este estudio sugieren que la educación en ciencias con un enfoque en la comprensión de los animales y promoción de la compasión hacia las demás especies, puede contribuir a la disminución de la agresión y violencia en los estudiantes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 961–986, 2012     

小学科学教育中实施“有过程的思维呈现”教学研究

思维教学的缺失是小学科学教育的实践困境:单一的教育目标违背了儿童的思维发展规律,教条化的教学模式导致了思维与操作的割裂,思维培养的指导力不足导致了科学思维培养的实践障碍。基于操作、呈现、反思三个核心要素的"有过程的思维呈现"教学模式为小学科学课程的思维教学提供了实践路径,通过提出假设——验证假设——反思——新的问题——再反思——反思结果的应用步骤,完成"两轮探究、四次呈现、两次反思",使儿童在科学探究过程中学会"像科学家一样思考",在反思中完成自我发现。     

A case for critical constructivism and critical thinking in science education

While constructivism has made a considerable mark concerning learning in many areas of school learning, much less is evident relating to the education and professional development of teachers. This paper not only deals with the implementation and evaluation of such a constructivist course, but extends the argument towards the induction of teachers into “critical constructivism” through their own action research projects. Data is drawn from a single case study which illuminates the induction process and illustrates the changes taking place in the professional life and the reflective practice of one teacher as she deals with scientific concepts with two classes of 11–15 and 18–25 year olds. The Brazilian setting for the course lends resonance to its international significance.     

The application of science education theories

This article addresses the question of what bearing the nature of educational theories has on their application to practice. More specifically, attention is focused on the application of normative goal-directed theories of science education. An account of normative goal-directed theories and of their application is presented. This account highlights the constituent elements and structures that should be found in a normative goal-directed educational theory. A particular version of the science education theory of constructivism is then examined to determine what elements and structures are found in it, and, as a result, what can be said about this theory and its application. Finally, a series of implications are drawn for the general problem of applying science education theories. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 34: 977–1005, 1997.     

发挥思想政治课德育功能的思考

思想政治课是实施德育教育的重要途径,教学要具有针对性,要关注学生的认知目标,也要解决好认知目标与学生的情感、态度、价值观目标之间的关系。     

浅析高等数学思想方法在初等学科教育中的重要作用

数学思想方法是数学的灵魂,渗透于整个数学的学习与应用过程.本文论述了数学思想方法的含义,并结合实例阐述了高等数学思想方法在初数学及其他学科学习中的重要的作用.     

系统科学在大学素质教育中的运用

在大学素质教育的现状及教学系统分析的基础上,提出了用系统科学的方法进行大学素质教育,并探讨了其重要性和可行性,以及如何运用系统科学的方法来实现大学素质教育。     

Facilitating epistemic fluency through design thinking: a strategy for the broader application of studio pedagogy within higher education

Tomorrow's professionals will require an enhanced capacity for collaboration, cooperation and creative thinking. Markauskaite and Goodyear (Markauskaite, L., and P. Goodyear. 2016. Epistemic Fluency and Professional Education: Innovation, Knowledgeable Action and Actionable Knowledge. Springer) have posited epistemic fluency as the pedagogical approach necessary to prepare graduates for increasingly complex challenges. They have provided a framework for creating epistemic learning environments but not a clear implementation strategy. This paper draws parallels between epistemic fluency and design thinking to position the design studio as a relevant pedagogical model with an established set of strategies for facilitating epistemic fluency. A series of experiments undertaken to optimise the studio environment for the development of epistemic fluency will be drawn on to illustrate its suitability. The intent is to provide guidance for how studio learning could be adapted for use within other disciplines and to highlight the challenges teachers need to address within this process; particularly, that epistemic environments require the continuous exercise of design thinking by both teacher and learner.     

Putting the science back into science education through the science education program and leadership (SEPAL) model

Summary None of the SEPAL teachers had undergraduate degrees in science, and most were afraid of science before they became involved with the project. Although gains in content knowledge were modest, progress toward other instructional goals were made, indicating that improved pedagogical content knowledge is not entirely dependent on content knowledge. Currently, funding is being sought for future programs which incorporate the belief in the role of peer interaction, nonthreatening environments for learning, and the importance of ascertaining teachers’ pedagogical beliefs if inservice work is to be transferred to the classroom. Additionally, we will continue to model the Circle of Inquiry which encourages conceptual change and provides teachers with an approach for use in their own classrooms. This material is based upon work supported in part by a grant from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Education funds (Grant No. AC-RGT-UMS-93460). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the granting organization.     

在化学实验中培养学生的创新思维

文章通过分析制约学生创新能力发展的主要原因,并结合化学实验教学的特点,提出了培养学生创新能力的几点想法,以期为学生实际操作技能的提高和创新思想的激发奠定基础,从而有利于切实做好高校化学实验教学工作。     

Fostering educational participation in pastoral communities through non-formal education: the Ghanaian perspective

This paper is an investigation of the impact of the Shepherd School Program, a non-formal basic education program implemented in seven pastoral communities in northern Ghana. The paper argues that non-formal basic education programs can have an important impact on the educational development of a community. However, for this to be possible, the context of such programs must answer to communities’ social, cultural, economic and other immediate needs.     

论想象思维在法律教学中的运用

法学教育是以传授法律知识、训练法律思维、培养合格法律专业人才为内容的教育活动。但目前传统法学的教学模式尤其是案例教学还存在着相当大的问题。教师应注重想象思维的运用,不仅局限于课堂上的授课方式,也应应用于课外的教学实践环节,使学生在轻松的氛围中,理解并掌握枯燥的法学理论。     

Autobiography in science education: Greater objectivity through local knowledge

In our paper we argue that (1) autobiography ought to be considered both the telling of one's story and the using of that story with others to understand and use difference productively, and (2) autobiography (as telling and interacting) dismantles the universalistic tug of science and replaces it with a push for science as local knowledge. To accomplish this dual task, we share selective autobiographical accounts of lives (autobiography as telling), and then use these accounts to have a conversation about urban science education (autobiography as interacting). Following these autobiographical accounts we then discuss how our different stories apart and together provide a greater objective insight into what it means to come-to-know science. When talking about their lives, people lie sometimes, forget a lot, exaggerate, become confused, and get things wrong. Yet, they are revealing truths. These truths don't reveal the past “as it actually was,” aspiring to a standard of objectivity. They give us instead the truths of our experiences. (Personal Narratives Group (PNG), 1989, p. 261)