WebCT Dialogues on Particle Theory of Matter: Presumptive Reasoning Schemes

Analysis of how science discourse takes place among students can provide us with in-depth information on the effectiveness of a chosen instructional approach and how well students understand scientific ideas. In our study, the unit on the particle theory of matter was taught with a construcdvist conceptual change inquiry approach to a group of middle years\u27 students. The students\u27 dialogues on the particle theory of matter, which took place on a web discussion board, were analyzed and then classified into types of dialogues. By studying the fi-equency of the types of dialogues based on the nature and circumstance of teaching and learning, we were able to develop 3 general categories (experiential, referential, provisional) of dialogues that can occur in science learning

Exploring the complexities of children’s inquiries in science: Knowledge production through participatory practices

Beginning with the assumption that young children are capable of producing unprecedented knowledges about science phenomena, this paper explores the complexities of children’s inquiries within open-ended investigations. I ask two central questions: (1) how can we (teachers, researchers, and children themselves) use and build upon children’s explorations in science in practice? and (2) what pedagogical approaches can position children as experts on their experiences to facilitate children’s sense of ownership in the process of learning science? Six vignettes from a Kindergarten classroom are analyzed to elaborate the central claim of this work, which is that when children are engaged in collaborative open-ended activities, science emerges from their interactions. Open-ended structures allowed for teachers and children to facilitate further investigations collaboratively, and participatory structures mediated children’s representations and explanations of their investigations. Evidence of children’s interactions is used to illustrate the complexities of children’s explorations, and pedagogical approaches that create the spaces for children to create knowledge are highlighted

A New Lens for Supporting and Studying Science Teacher Reflections: Situating the Self in the [Activity] System

This paper presents a new lens for analyzing written reflections on the teaching experiences of pre-service [science] teachers. The lens, which borrows heavily from Activity Theory, allows science education researchers and teacher educators to identify tensions, disturbances, conflicts, and contradictions within teachers’ written reflections as a means to help the participants situate their successes and challenges within the activity systems in which they operate. This paper describes the process through which the lens was crafted, defines the key constructs comprising the lens, applies the lens to the analysis of two purposefully selected reflection documents, and then considers the affordances of the lens. It also discusses how the insights gained from this lens have lead to new ways of facilitating reflection in pre-service science teachers, including the use of Kenneth Snelson’s tensegrity sculptures as a metaphor for the goal of reflection. Finally, it connects the tensions identified in the individual reflections of two pre-service science teachers to broader issues being addressed in science education