Romantic understanding and science education

This essay outlines the potential role for Kieran Egan’s (1990 Egan K (1990) Romantic understanding Chicago University of Chicago Press  [Google Scholar]) notion of “romantic understanding” in science education. A summary of conventional approaches to science education is followed by a detailed analysis of the implications that romantic understanding may have for the science curriculum, teaching and student learning. In particular the relationship between teaching scientific concepts versus scientific ideas is discussed as well as the possible role in science teaching of inspiration, anticipation, and aesthetic understanding.     

Dimensions of evidence,the public understanding of science and science education

This paper explores the nature and type of evidence employed by participants in an issue of public concern. By examining documents and interviewing members of the public involved in the debate, the way in which evidence was used in the arguments for and against the issue was determined. Three dimensions of evidence emerged from the data: formal scientific evidence based on the data; informal evidence (e.g. common sense, personal experience) and wider issues which impinge on the evidence (e.g. environmental or legal concerns). In this particular controversy, it was the questioning of the formal evidence by local scientists which became the 'magic bullet' but pertinent questioning by local nonscientists also framed the debate. The authors suggest that school science curricula should include practice in questioning and manipulating different sorts of real data in a variety of ways so that pupils are equipped and empowered to tackle contemporary issues of this kind.     

理解视野中科学与教育论

就解释学来说 ,“理解”意味着意义的自我揭示与价值的生成。科学并非只能“说明”,同样需要“理解”。理解科学已逐渐成为当代科学教育的新取向 ,从意义生成的角度而言 ,科学教育应回归“生活世界”。     

Argumentation in elementary science education: addressing methodological issues and conceptual understanding

In this review essay I respond to issues raised in Mijung Kim and Wolff-Michael Roth’s paper titled “Dialogical argumentation in elementary science classrooms”, which presents a study dealing with dialogical argumentation in early elementary school classrooms. Since there is very limited research on lower primary school students’ argumentation in school science, their paper makes a contribution to research on children’s argumentation skills. In this response, I focus on two main issues to extend the discussion in Kim and Roth’s paper: (a) methodological issues including conducting a quantitative study on children’s argumentation levels and focusing on children’s written argumentation in addition to their dialogical argumentation, and (b) investigating children’s conceptual understanding along with their argumentation levels. Kim and Roth emphasize the difficulty in determining the level of children’s argumentation through the Toulmin’s Argument Pattern and lack of high level arguments by children due to their difficulties in writing texts. Regarding these methodological issues, I suggest designing quantitative research on coding children’s argument levels because such research could potentially provide important findings on children’s argumentation. Furthermore, I discuss alternative written products including posters, figures, or pictures generated by children in order to trace children’s arguments, and finally articulating argumentation and conceptual understanding of children.     

Expanding computer science education in schools: understanding teacher experiences and challenges

The increased push for teaching computer science (CS) in schools in the United States requires training a large number of new K-12 teachers. The current efforts to increase the number of CS teachers have predominantly focused on training teachers from other content areas. In order to support these beginning CS teachers, we need to better understand their experiences and challenges encountered in the classroom. This study investigated U.S. CS teachers’ perspectives on the demands of teaching computer science and support needed to ensure quality teaching. Results suggested that teachers face a number of challenges, including isolation, lack of adequate computer science background, and limited professional development resources.     

Junior secondary science education in Australia and the reform for public understanding of science: The case of the state of Victoria

Aspiration is currently a prominent concept in higher education policy debates. However, reference to this concept is often made in terms of low socio-economic status (SES) students simply lacking aspiration, which schools and universities must work to instill. In contrast to this potentially deficit view, this paper draws on Appadurai's notion of the ‘capacity to aspire’, which reframes aspiration as a cultural category rather than an individual motivational trait. It discusses the proposition that low SES students do have substantive aspirations, but may have less developed capacities to realise them. Bourdieu's theories of cultural capital, habitus and field provide a supplementary theoretical framework, which draws attention to the complex relationships between socio-cultural background and life-world experiences that inform students' and families' dispositions toward school and their capacities to aspire to higher education.     

What we don't understand about teaching for understanding: Questions from science education

Recent changes in education in the UK seem to be contributing to an increasing prevalence of setting in comprehensive schooling. This paper charts the micropolitical history of ability grouping in the science department of a London comprehensive secondary school to show that issues of good pedagogic practice are at risk of becoming marginalized in the developing market culture if they appear to stand against market imperatives represented by the perceived requirements of 'valued' parents.     

浅谈高校理科德育渗透教育

要：高校德育是当前大学生教育的重点，理科开展德育渗透教育是个难点。本从理科委不要开展德育渗透教育，理科能不能开展德育渗透教育，理科如何开展德育渗透教育三个方面加以论述，说明理科是完全可以搞好德育渗透教育的。     

A closer look at the impact of globalization on science education

This paper provides a historical overview of globalisation in order to illustrate how globalisation both shapes and is shaped by external forces. The authors use this perspective to generate a dialogue about the science education project The Case of Sustainability by the Bay, and raise some questions to further the discussion on the impact of globalisation on science education. The paper also discusses the importance of recognizing the historic developments around globalisation in order to understand how changes in the global economy have shaped and continue to shape education through policy regarding funding, curriculum development and implementation, as well as trends in teacher preparation and education. The paper concludes by offering implications for policy makers, researchers, and teacher educators as it relates to science education generally, and globalisation particularly.     

多元文化教育解读

多元文化教育是当今世界教育的热点问题之一,它既是一股强劲的理论思潮,也是一场深刻的实践变革．多元文化教育是基于文化平等与社会民主的文化多元主义理念的,它以各种方式在学校教育中得以倡导和实施．正确理解多元文化教育,对我们的教育实践有重要的指导意义．本文试图从多元文化教育的含义、目标、发展趋势做一些解读．     

An analysis of prospective science teachers' understanding of the nature of science

Prospective science teachers involved in this study did not endorse viewpoints about the language of science associated with any philosopher of science to the exclusion of others. Their preference, however, appeared to be with Hempel. Although to some degree, both prospective science teachers and science majors subscribed to an inductive notion of science, the former leaned more towards the currently acceptable deductive notion of the nature of science after offering a science methods course emphasizing that logic.     

科学教育的现状及科学教育研究的意义

中国科学院院长路甬祥先生，于2000年6月10日在北京科学会党提出了在国内开展科学教育研究与实施的问题，引起了国内教育界，科技界的广泛关注，本在借鉴国外科学教育研究和实施经验的基础上，结合我国的科技发展水平，依据我国基础教育的实际，对我国开展科学教育的目的，意义进行探讨，意在为实施科学教育探寻理论基础。     

知识教育：现象学教育学的检视

现象学教育学摒弃先在的理论成见和抽象的形而上学，倾注于个体真实的生活世界，力图发现教育的“意义”之所在。这样的探究理路，为我们认识知识教育提供了一种新的可能，为我们在知识教育实践中摆脱无休止的理论吵闹和纷争，重新找回生命的本真提供了新思路。在现象学教育学的视野中，不仅知识教育的生活面貌得以恢复，而且知识教育的根本使命也得以再认和申明。