Primary teachers' understanding in science and its impact in the classroom

Research carried out over a period of two years into primary teachers' understanding of concepts in science and technology provided information about teachers' confidence in teaching science, their understanding of a range of key ideas and their background of science in their own education. The early part of the paper describes how these data were collected, noting that the method of interviewing used to explore teachers' understanding served as an opportunity for the advancement of their understanding. The relationships among the variables of confidence, understanding and background in science are then explored. Although teachers expressed low confidence in teaching science, which was linked to a lack of understanding of scientific ideas, they also claimed not to find great difficulty in using certain teaching skills required for science, including those which would appear to demand content knowledge. This apparent anomaly is discussed and linked to the strategies used by teachers to cope with low confidence and understanding. The paper ends by considering briefly the role of content knowledge in teaching science.     

幼儿教师科学课程知识特点分析

幼儿教师的科学课程知识是教师开展幼儿科学活动的前提和基础。本研究综合运用问卷、观察和访谈法，剖析了幼儿教师科学课程知识的特点及其存在的问题。结果表明：幼儿教师的科学课程知识比较贫乏；教师在确定主题目标与内容上存在较大困难．处于同义重复阶段；教师的教材与其他教育资源知识存在个体差异；教师整合资源的意识比较薄弱，但较重视现代信息设备，并逐渐重视和挖掘“儿童”这一宝贵教育资源的作用。     

The evolution of an approach for using analogies in teaching and learning science

An important contribution to effective teaching and learning can be made by teachers' understanding of the central topics in each subject area and knowing how to transform their content knowledge into knowledge for teaching. One aspect of this knowledge is the use of analogies which can effectively communicate concepts to students of particular backgrounds and prerequisite knowledge. Indeed, analogies are considered to be an important component in the repertoire of effective teachers. However, research about teachers' use of analogies in science lessons provides little guidance about the optimum approaches that may be taken by preservice teachers, novice teachers, experienced teachers or reluctant analogy users. This paper describes the evolution of an approach for using analogies in science teaching that addresses both findings from the research literature and recognises the needs of practising teachers. Specializations: learning and teaching science concepts, technology education.     

Metaphors as global markers for teachers' beliefs about the nature of science

In this paper, we report an analysis of metaphors used by three science teachers in their classroom discourse and consider the implications of this research for the image of science that students are likely to construct. Teacher beliefs about the nature of science are implicit and entrenched and may be contrary to both contemporary philosophies of science and constructivist theory. We argue that the presence of metaphors such ateaching as a journey, knowledge as object andteacher as pathfinder in teachers' classroom discourse signify the implicit existence of a powerful objectivist epistemology that governs teachers' pedagogies. If students are to construct contemporary views of the nature of science and if constuctivist pedagogy is to develop in the science classroom then science teachers need to reflect on their use of these role-determining objectivist metaphors.     

Primary science and technology: How confident are teachers?

Science and Technology is a new Key Learning Area in NSW Primary Schools. Survey results are used to compare preservice teachers (on entry and in the third year of their degree) with practising teachers, on their confidence in their knowledge about the topics in the syllabus, as well as their confidence to teach these topics. Reasons for stated confidence (or lack of it) are reported together with preservice and practising teachers' views about what needs to be done to improve their confidence. Preservice and practising teachers' opinions of the major sources of their knowledge about the topics in the new syllabus are contrasted. Results are discussed in the light of severalDiscipline Review recommendations. Specializations: primary science teacher education; environmental education; curriculum development.     

Anthropomorphism and Animism in Early Years Science: Why Teachers Use Them,how They Conceptualise Them and What Are Their Views on Their Use

There is considerable evidence that use of anthropomorphism and animism in science teaching is a common practice in all grades of education. However, not much is known about teachers' own views on the real reasons why they have been using animistic and anthropomorphic formulations or on the issue of whether animism and anthropomorphism should or should not be used in science. The present work, which was carried out in Greece, investigates early years teachers' views on the use of animism and anthropomorphism and on the reasons behind their use of these formulations. The study was designed as a small-scale exploration study. Research data were obtained from recorded group interviews and from written tasks. Results indicate that early years teachers seem to adopt the view that animism and anthropomorphism in early years science can cause cognitive problems in young children, and also that these teachers believe that in special cases use of animism and anthropomorphism can cause emotional problems as well. Results also reveal that, despite their reservations, teachers use animism and anthropomorphism both consciously and unconsciously and that they attribute their conscious use of these formulations to their low levels of content and pedagogical content knowledge in science.     

Palestinian science teachers' epistemological beliefs: A preliminary survey

The purpose of the study was to determine what percentage of Palestinian science teachers held beliefs about knowledge and learning that are congruent with the recent constructivist/conceptual change epistemological basis of science education, what factors influence these beliefs, and if the beliefs about knowledge and learning were related. Two questionnaires were developed to probe teachers' beliefs in these two areas, and a sample consisting of 91 teachers with varying educational background and teaching levels responded to these questionnaires. The study showed that only a small percentage of Palestinian teachers subscribed to the recent views of learning and scientific knowledge (25% and nine percent respectively). With regard to the views of learning, this was mainly due to very few teachers believing or realising that students hold alternative preconceptions and that science learning entails conceptual change. Very few teachers also believed that science itself develops through conceptual change. Indeed, more than 80% believed that science develops through accretion and about 40% preferred the inductive model of science to the hypothetico-deductive one which only 11% preferred. It was found that these views were not related to the teachers' years of schooling, years of experience, level at which they taught, or teacher specialisation. The two views of learning and knowledge were moderately related. The results and implications for future studies are discussed.     

Post-primary science teachers' perceptions of primary science education

Post-primary science teachers in Victoria were asked to express views about primary science curriculum design and implementation. They were also asked about the value of continuity between primary and post-primary science education. The post-primary teachers generally had favourable attitudes to primary science education and considered that cooperation would be useful-though it is not common at the moment. However, the data revealed a considerable range of opinion. Post-primary science teachers' views about primary science curriculum are similar to those of primary teachers themselves, but many post-primary teachers would place more emphasis on formal or textbook knowledge. Post-primary teachers see a number of systemic problems in implementing primary science education but their positive perceptions suggest the value of encouraging more structured links. The notion of continuity across the two sectors was well supported. Specializations: science education policy and practice, teacher education, school effectiveness. Specializations: science education, teacher education in science.     

初等教育教师脑科学素养状况与对策

采用问卷调查的方法,对四川省某三个市区范围内的部分初等教育教师脑科学素养水平进行了调查与分析。结果表明,被调查教师对脑基本结构与功能知识掌握程度不够;对目前脑科学研究所采用的主要技术手段和主要成果了解甚少;对基于脑的教育原理的认识主要受大众传媒的影响;缺乏对基于脑的教学原理运用于教育实践的行为意识和能力水平。最后,针对初等教育教师脑科学素养水平总体比较低下的状况,从以下三方面提出了相应的对策与建议：①重视初等教育教师脑科学素养的职前和在职培训;②采取必要的激励措施,充分调动初等教育教师学习脑科学的积极性;③通过教育理论工作者与初等教育教师的有效沟通,共同探索基于脑的教育研究工作。     

Knowledge Integration in Science Teaching: Analysing Teachers' Knowledge Development

This paper tests the utility of a new sociocognitive frame for analysing the development of teachers' knowledge – the knowledge integration perspective (Linn, Eylon, & Davis, in press; Linn & Hsi, 2000). In doing so, the paper describes one prospective elementary teacher's developing knowledge and highlights its complexity. The prospective teacher demonstrates relatively well-integrated science subject matter knowledge, but she makes some problematic links to lessons and develops some instructional representations that show where she needs to distinguish between different scientific ideas. She also, however, links science concepts to appropriate real-world experiences, indicating that she has nascent useful pedagogical content knowledge. The paper discusses what teacher educators can learn about their learners from this analysis, argues for the utility of the knowledge integration perspective for conducting similar analyses, provides ideas to help science teacher educators apply the perspective easily as they teach their students, and points to areas ripe for future research.     

Science Education in Early Childhood Teacher Education: Putting Forward a Case to Enhance Student Teachers' Confidence and Competence

New Zealand is moving towards increased qualification requirements for early childhood educators. There is an underlying assumption that there is a correlation between quality early childhood education, teacher qualifications and quality practices in teaching and learning. Two fields of literature, early childhood pedagogy and science specific pedagogy, are reviewed briefly to provide a framework with which to consider why student teachers' attitudes, misunderstandings and misconceptions in science can limit their ability and willingness to create quality teaching and learning opportunities. The study reported in this paper highlights, in general, that early childhood student teachers' subject knowledge in science was poor. It also emerged that the student teachers were unaware of how little they knew and how this might affect their ability to provide appropriate science experiences for young children.     

Pre-service Teachers’ Experiences with a Science Education Module

This paper describes a module provided to first year elementary participants in a two-year after-degree Bachelor of Education program. The module was specifically designed to address the fact that pre-service teachers can enter the B.Ed. degree with little or no science knowledge. Science experiences were explicitly incorporated into the B.Ed. module described here linking science content knowledge to specific science pedagogic content knowledge. The pre-service teachers were surveyed and interviewed during and after completion of the module. It was found that the inquiry based approach increased the pre-service teachers' level of science knowledge, their confidence with regard to teaching elementary science, and improved their attitude toward science teaching and learning.     

理科教师的科学本质观对科学教育的影响

人们对科学本质的认识经历了由科学的“真理观”向科学的“建构观”的转变。不同的科学本质观将直接影响着教师对科学教育目标的不同理解,对科学知识的不同选择,对教学主题的不同设计、教学话语的不同使用,对学生学习的不同评价。教师不同的科学本质观及其教学行为影响着学生的科学本质观的形成,影响着学生对科学内容的理解以及看待问题的思维方式。     

小学科学教师科学素养的调查与研究

通过对粤西某市37所城乡小学的科学教师问卷调查研究,结果表明:小学科学教师科学素养水平普遍较低,在科学方法和科学理解能力两方面都存在着严重不足;市区、县城与农村小学的科学教师的科学素养水平在整体上存在着明显的差异性;任教科学课的理科教师少,但科学素养水平比文科教师的明显偏高;专职教师少且科学素养水平比兼职教师的低,但差异不明显。     

Science teachers' beliefs about curriculum design

Teacher beliefs about curriculum design affect the quality of science education in schools, but science researchers know little about the interrelation of beliefs about alternative curriculum designs. This article describes a quantitative study of secondary science teachers' beliefs about curriculum design. A 33-item Science Curriculum Orientation Inventory (SCOI) was developed to measure five distinct orientations to curriculum: academic, cognitive processes, societycentred, humanistic, and technological. Data were collected from 810 integrated science, chemistry, physics, and biology teachers in Hong Kong. A confirmatory factor analysis of teacher responses to the SCOI indicated that science teachers' beliefs about curriculum design had a hierarchical structure; the five distinct curriculum orientations were positively correlated, forming a second-order curriculum, meta-orientation. Physics teachers were less society-oriented than biology, integrated science and chemistry teachers, and integrated science teachers were more humanistic than physics teachers. Although science teachers' beliefs about any of the five alternative curriculum designs did not vary with their teaching experience, the difference between beliefs about the cognitive processes orientation and the humanistic orientation increased when teachers had gained more teaching experience. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

实施综合科学课程理科教师们准备好了吗——分科理科教师对综合科学课程适应性的调查与分析

目前,我国初中综合科学课程的发展面临着一些问题,教师素质是其中之一。对长春市未实施综合科学课程的15所初中理科教师的问卷调查的数据显示:总体上来说,目前的分科教师还很不了解综合科学课程;对初中综合科学课程持否定态度;不具备符合综合科学课程要求的学科知识结构和技能。可以通过高师院校改革、调整教师培训策略、增进交流等方面来增强教师对综合科学课程教学的适应性。     

小学科学教师科学本质观的现状调查与思考

科学本质教育已经成为当前科学教育发展的核心理念,教师对科学本质的理解是实现这一目标的关键。本研究以对124名小学科学教师的调查问卷为基础,结合访谈和观察,探讨了小学科学教师科学本质观的总体状况以及在不同维度上的具体表现。研究表明:小学科学教师的科学本质观具有一定的滞后性、浅层次性以及不稳定性。以此为基础,提出了改善小学科学教师科学本质观的建议。     

Intention and practice in school science education

This paper reports on a study of the mismatch between science teachers' stated purposes and their actual teaching of science in a secondary school. Factors affecting teachers' practices include their personal beliefs about teaching, learning and the purposes of science education, the school program and the school culture. Specializations: science and technology education, professional development.     

Effects of Integrating Hypermedia into Elementary Science Professional Development on Science Content Knowledge

Past research has indicated that a number of problems in the teaching of science in elementary classrooms are rooted in the preparation of inservice teachers. One continuing concern is elementary teachers' lack of science content knowledge. As indicated by numerous research studies reporting positive results, one method of addressing these problems is through inservice teacher professional development workshops. While improved content knowledge has been reported as a positive result of professional development workshops, elementary science workshops have not resulted in the same success levels as other subject areas. One method of addressing some of the deficiencies in elementary science professional development workshops is with the integration of hypermedia into the professional development environment. This study examined whether the integration of hypermedia into elementary science professional development workshops resulted in greater increases in the science content knowledge of elementary teachers of science than traditional methods of elementary science professional development workshops. Workshops that integrated hypermedia into the professional development environment resulted in a significant increase in inservice elementary teachers' science content knowledge, when compared to the control group. However, when compared to the experimental group that participated in workshops without hypermedia, however, there was no significant difference in increases of science content knowledge. Implications of these outcomes are discussed.