Unmasking: on violence, masculinity, and superheroes in science education

Through exploration of public mask/private face, the authors trouble violence and its role in science education through three media: schools, masculinity, and science acknowledging a violence of hate, but dwelling on a violence of caring. In schools, there is the poisonous ??for your own good?? pedagogy that becomes a ??for your own good?? curriculum or a coercive curriculum for science teaching and learning; however, the antithetical curriculum of I??m here entails violence??the shedding of the public mask and the exposing of the private face. Violence, likewise, becomes social and political capital for masculinity that is a pubic mask for private face. Lastly, science, in its self-identified cultural, political and educational form of a superhero, creates permanent harm most often as palatable violence in order to save and to redeem not the private face, but the public mask. The authors conclude that they do not know what violence to say one should not do, but they know the much of the violence has been and is being committed. All for which we can hope is not that we cease all violence or better yet not hate, but that we violently love.     

Joseph Priestley Across Theology, Education, and Chemistry: An Interdisciplinary Case Study in Epistemology with a Focus on the Science Education Context

This paper discusses the findings of a search for the intellectual tools used by Joseph Priestley (1733?C1804) in his chemistry, education, and theology documents. Priestley??s enquiring democratic view of knowledge was applicable in all three areas and constitutes a significant part of his lifework. Current epistemological issues in science education are examined from the point of view of the nature of theory and experiment as observed in Priestley??s writings and as espoused in modern philosophy of science. Science and religious faith issues in the context of science education are examined from the point of view of one??s understanding of sacred texts, and the suggestion is made that a Priestleyan model of ??the liberty to think for oneself?? and ??to hold knowledge with humility and virtue?? could prove helpful in dealing with the known divergent opinions in relation to science, education, and religion.     

Ernst Mach and the Epistemological Ideas Specific for Finnish Science Education

Where does Finnish science education come from? Where will it go? The following outside view reflects on relations, which Finns consider ??normal?? (and thus unrecognizable in introspection) in science education. But what is ??normal?? in Finnish culture cannot be considered ??normal?? for science education in other cultures, for example in Germany. The following article will trace the central ideas, which had a larger influence in the development of this difference. The question is, if and why the Finnish uniqueness in the philosophy of science education is empirically important. This puts Finnish science education into the perspective of a more general epistemological debate around Ernst Mach??s Erkenntnistheorie (a German term similar to the meaning of history and philosophy of science, though more general; literally translated ??cognition/knowledge theory??). From this perspective, an outlook will be given on open questions within the epistemology of Finnish science education. Following such questions could lead to the adaptation of the ??successful?? ideas in Finnish science education (indicated by empirical studies, such as the OECD PISA study) as well as the further development of the central ideas of Finnish science education.     

The utopia of science education

In this forum I expand on the ideas I initially presented in ??Extending the purposes of science education: addressing violence within socio-economic disadvantaged communities?? by responding to the comments provided by Matthew Weinstein, Francis Broadway and Sheri Leafgren. Focusing on their notion of utopias and superheroes, I ask us to reconsider science as inevitably violent. Utopia is a concept that contributes to articulating our ideals, and serves to give us perspective on how our current reality differs from our goals. I suggest that by recognising alternative views of nature, science and ??superheroes?? we could see a science that is committed to the lives and struggles of students as well as the lives and struggles of other animals.     

Promoting inclusive education, civic scientific literacy, and global citizenship with videogames

In this response to Yupanqui Munoz and Charbel El-Hani??s paper, ??The student with a thousand faces: From the ethics in videogames to becoming a citizen??, we examine their critique of videogames in science education. Munoz and El-Hani present a critical analysis of videogames such as Grand Theft Auto, Street Fight, Command and Conquer: Generals, Halo, and Fallout 3 using Neil Postman??s (1993) conceptualization of technopoly along with Bill Green and Chris Bigum??s (1993) notion of the cyborg curriculum. Our contention is that these games are not representative of current educational videogames about science, which hold the potential to enhance civic scientific literacy across a diverse range of students while promoting cross-cultural understandings of complex scientific concepts and phenomenon. We examine games that have undergone empirical investigation in general education science classrooms, such as River City, Quest Atlantis, Whyville, Resilient Planet, and You Make Me Sick!, and discuss the ways these videogames can engage students and teachers in a constructivist dialogue that enhances science education. Our critique extends Munoz and El-Hani??s discussion through an examination of the ways videogames can enhance science education by promoting inclusive education, civic scientific literacy, and global citizenship.     

Mario Bunge, Systematic Philosophy and Science Education: An Introduction

Mario Bunge was born in Argentina in 1919 and is now in his mid-90s. He studied atomic physics and quantum mechanics with Guido Beck (1903?C1988), an Austrian refugee and student of Heisenberg. Additionally he studied modern philosophy in an environment that was a philosophical backwater becoming the first South American philosopher of science to be trained in science. His publications in physics, philosophy, psychology, sociology and the foundations of biology, are staggering in number, and include a massive 8-volume Treatise on Philosophy. The unifying thread of his scholarship is the constant and vigorous advancement of the Enlightenment Project, and criticism of cultural and academic movements that deny or devalue the core planks of the project: namely its naturalism, the search for truth, the universality of science, the value of rationality, and respect for individuals. At a time when specialisation is widely decried, and its deleterious effects on science, philosophy of science, educational research and science teaching are recognised, and at a time when ??grand narratives?? are thought both undesirable and impossible??it is salutary to appraise the fruits of one person??s pursuit of the ??Big?? scientific and philosophical picture or grand narrative. In doing so this special issue brings together philosophers, physicists, biologists, sociologists, logicians, cognitive scientists, economists and mathematicians to examine facets of Mario Bunge??s systematic philosophy and to appraise its contribution to important issues in current philosophy and, by implication, education.     

Rethinking resources and hybridity

This review explores Alfred Schademan??s ??What does playing cards have to do with science? A resource-rich view of African American young men?? by examining how he uses two key concepts??hybridity and resources??to propose an approach to science education that counters enduring deficit notions associated with this population. Our response to Schademan??s work expands upon his definition of hybridity and its purpose in the science classroom and highlights the tensions inherent in the appropriation of student resources in classroom spaces. This conversation points also to the need for research analyses and pedagogical approaches that simultaneously valorize student resources, allow student opportunities to learn the dominant codes, and provide teacher and student opportunities to transform them. Carol Lee??s notion of ??cultural modeling?? is discussed as a possible framing device to facilitate this kind of research.     

Multicultural chemistry and the nature of science: but what about knowledge?

In response to Goff, Boesdorfer, and Hunter??s article on the use of a multicultural approach to teaching chemistry and the nature of science, I forward this critical reflective essay to discuss more general curriculum aspects of the relationship between the nature of science and science education in school contexts. Taking a social realist perspective, I argue for a more nuanced understanding of the role of epistemology and ontology in science classrooms, and for a reconsideration of the role of knowledge in science classrooms.     

Language in Science Classrooms: An Analysis of Physics Teachers’ Use of and Beliefs About Language

The world over, secondary school science is viewed mainly as a practical subject. This may be one reason why effectiveness of teaching approaches in science education has often been judged on the kinds of practical activity with which teachers and students engage. In addition to practical work, language??often written (as in science texts) or oral (as in the form of teacher and student talk)??is unavoidable in effective teaching and learning of science. Generally however, the role of (instructional) language in quality of learning of school science has remained out of focus in science education research. This has been in spite of findings in empirical research on difficulties science students encounter with words of the instructional language used in science. The findings have suggested that use of (instructional) language in science texts and classrooms can be a major influence on the level of students?? understandings and retention of science concepts. This article reports and discusses findings in an investigation of physics teachers?? approaches to use of and their beliefs about classroom instructional language. Direct classroom observations of, interviews with, as well as content analyses of the participant teachers?? verbatim classroom talk, were used as the methods of data collection. Evidence is presented of participant physics teachers?? lack of explicit awareness of the difficulty, nature, and functional value of different categories of words in the instructional language. In conclusion, the implications of this lack of explicit awareness on the general education (initial and in-service) of school physics teachers are considered.     

Mind the Gap: Looking for Evidence-Based Practice of Science Literacy for All in Science Teaching Journals

Science literacy for all is the central goal of science education reforms, and there is a growing importance of the language arts in science. Furthermore, there are strong calls for teacher professionalism and self-directed professional learning that involve evidence-based best practices. This raises questions about whether science teaching journals?? recommendations are anchored to high-quality evidence. We found that (a) most National Science Teacher Association journals?? science literacy recommendations have weak or no evidence base and (b) those with evidence reference teaching journals, teacher resource books, and literacy education more often than science education research. We concluded that all participants in the knowledge production cycle and transfer process??authors, editors, and reviewers??need to encourage evidence-based practices anchored to ongoing reforms and to literacy and science education research.     

We Look More, Listen More, Notice More: Impact of Sustained Professional Development on Head Start Teachers�� Inquiry-Based and Culturally-Relevant Science Teaching Practices

Despite many scholars?? recommendations, science is often avoided during early childhood education. Among the reasons provided by early childhood teachers for the exclusion of science from their daily routines included science anxiety, low self-efficacy with respect to teaching science, lack of experience participating in science activities as students, or the notion that literacy and language are more important during the early years. In minority populations the problem is even greater due to identification of science with the ??culture of. This article presents results from Ah Neen Dush, a sustained and transformative professional development program for Head Start teachers on an American Indian Reservation. The goal of the program is to support early childhood teachers in developing inquiry-based and culturally-relevant teaching practices. Through analysis of teachers?? classroom practices, surveys and interviews, we explore changes in teachers?? attitudes toward science and inquiry-based practices. Classroom observations were conducted using CLASS (Classroom assessment Scoring System), a tool used to evaluate the quality of classroom interactions. After 1 year of professional development teachers?? attitudes were found to improve and after 2 years teachers classroom practices were more inquiry-based with statistically significant increases in CLASS observation scores.     

The Role of Struggle in Pre-Service Elementary Teachers’ Experiences as Students and Approaches to Facilitating Science Learning

Science education researchers are concerned with preparing pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs) to teach in ways that support students to learn science in a meaningful way. Preparing elementary teachers to teach science is complicated given that they tend to be generalists and may not have the same experience with science as secondary teachers. During an elementary science methods course, we explored PSETs?? perspectives on the teaching and learning of science via a case study that included four PSETs. Using Frykholm??s (Journal of Curriculum and Supervision 19:125?C149, 2004) framework of ??educative?? and ??debilitating?? discomfort, we examined PSETs?? approaches to their own science learning and their approaches to science teaching. A theme apparent in PSETs?? perspectives was struggle. We described ways in which struggle was either educative or debilitating for PSETs, both in terms of their own learning and the ways in which they approached teaching. Some PSETs who struggled in their own learning developed learning experiences to engage their students in reform-based science teaching, while some PSETs developed learning experiences that prevented their students from experiencing any sort of struggle in their learning process. The ways in which these students dealt with their own learning struggles mirrored the ways in which they dealt with their struggles to become teachers of reform-based science instruction. Helping PSETs to deal with their feelings of discomfort with science content or ideas about the nature of science learning and teaching promoted by reform documents may be a key issue in developing their willingness to become facilitators of meaningful science learning.     

A Family Resemblance Approach to the Nature of Science for Science Education

Although there is universal consensus both in the science education literature and in the science standards documents to the effect that students should learn not only the content of science but also its nature, there is little agreement about what that nature is. This led many science educators to adopt what is sometimes called ??the consensus view?? about the nature of science (NOS), whose goal is to teach students only those characteristics of science on which there is wide consensus. This is an attractive view, but it has some shortcomings and weaknesses. In this article we present and defend an alternative approach based on the notion of family resemblance. We argue that the family resemblance approach is superior to the consensus view in several ways, which we discuss in some detail.     

Flaying Freire? The Workers’ Party and education policy in Brazil, 1980–2007

This article analyses the progression of education policy by the Workers?? Party (PT) in Brazil from its experience of municipal administration to national government. The first section presents this development, noting its progression from a participatory, social(ist) project to a more reformist, elite-directed model. The second section accounts for the domestic influences that led to a more reformist PT education policy by the 2000s. These include: (1) increasing electoral success, (2) changing membership composition, (3) policy innovations supported by its members and (4) a growing asymmetry in resources (and influence) towards the party leadership and its members. The third section presents the global changes in education thinking that coincided with the PT??s entry into national government. It distinguishes between a neo-liberal and neo-conservative ??first generation?? and a state-oriented ??second generation?? Washington Consensus, associated with the New Right and the centre-left that emerged across the region after 2000 respectively.     

Teaching primary science: emotions, identity and the use of practical activities

This paper uses cultural historical activity theory to examine the interactions between the choices primary teachers make in the use of practical activities in their teaching of science and the purposes they attribute to these; their emotions, background and beliefs; and the construction of their identities as teachers of science. It draws on four case studies of science lessons taught over a term by four exemplary teachers of primary science. The data collected includes video recordings of science lessons, interviews with each teacher and some of their students, student work, teachers?? planning documents and observation notes. In this paper, we examine the reflexive relationship between emotion and identity, and the teachers?? objectives for their students?? learning; the purposes (scientific and social) the teachers attributed to practical activities; and the ways in which the teachers incorporated practical activities into their lessons. The findings suggest that it is not enough to address content knowledge, pedagogy and pedagogical content knowledge in teacher education, but that efforts also need to be made to influence prospective primary teachers?? identities as scientific thinkers and their emotional commitment to their students?? learning of science.     

Delivering education about sexual violence: reflections on the experience of teaching a sensitive topic in the social and health sciences

Sexual violence is a serious and prevalent violation that is experienced by as many as one in three people worldwide. Professionals working in areas of health, social work, law, policy-development and other fields engage with survivors of sexual violence. Their knowledge of this issue is an important determinant in how they react towards survivors and the quality of care they provide. It is essential that third-level students in the health and social sciences receive education on this topic; however, in Irish third-level education, instruction about sexual violence is often absent or minimal within these curricula. In this article the authors advocate for the inclusion of education about sexual violence within undergraduate and postgraduate social and health science programmes. They draw from their experience teaching about sexual violence in Irish third-level education to highlight the challenges and barriers in providing such instruction and provide practical pedagogical approaches and examples of how risks for students and lecturers can be mitigated and barriers reduced.     

Extending the purposes of science education: addressing violence within socio-economic disadvantaged communities

Current discourses about science education show a wide concern towards humanisation and a more socio-cultural perspective of school science. They suggest that science education can serve diverse purposes and be responsive to social and environmental situations we currently face. However, these discourses and social approaches to science education tend to focus on global issues. They do not respond to the immediate needs and local context of some communities. I discuss in this paper why the purposes of science education need to be extended to respond to the local issue of violence. For this, I present a case study with a group of 38 students from a poor population in Bogotá, Colombia, located in one of the suburbs with highest levels of crime in the city. I examine the ways that science education contributes to and embodies its own forms of violence and explore how a new approach to science education could contribute to break the cycle of violence.     

‘It’s Her Body’. When Students’ Argumentation Shows Displacement of Content in a Science Classroom

This paper approaches learning as a response instead of the acquisition of something previously expected. More specifically, it describes a process of argumentation on socioscientific issues in a classroom situation in school science amongst 15-year-old students in Sweden. The analysis of an argumentation on abortion in a science classroom highlights how science content becomes relevant to students?? experiences, but also how the students?? unique voices shift focus and cause displacement of the science content. The analysis demonstrates some of the tensions and possible conflicts that may lead to the exclusion of different voices. This paper argues that focusing the research or education on questions that argumentation brings to light creates interesting educational opportunities to identify and incorporate the students?? experiences in the classroom. The results indicate, however, that students?? spontaneous acts lead to some difficulties in finding a point of contact with the rational discourse of science education.     

Erziehungswissenschaft im Spiegel ihrer Studieng?nge

What happens to study programs for a major in education science in the wake of the Bologna reform? What are the consequences of the transition to Bachelor and Master degree programs for the institutional organization of the discipline in the form of its study programs and thus for the position of the discipline in the university system? This contribution investigates both the structural characteristics and the subject-related orientation of these new training models on the basis of a survey of the current study programs offered in education science major programs. The technical terms used and the module manuals are compared with the ??Core Curriculum Education Science?? proposed by the German Society for Education Studies (DGfE). Despite the limited validity of this investigation, it is clear that the clash of political reorganization of higher education processes with an identity-seeking discipline has drastic consequences for the institutional organization of education science. This is reflected in an increased differentiation of the major study programs within education science, which can affect both the position of the discipline in the academic system as well as the disciplinary self-reproduction.