How national curricula affect the design and transfer of a teaching-learning sequence between two educational systems: Case studies from Greece and Italy.

This empirical study investigates the main features of curricula and contexts that favor or hinder the process of transfer of a teaching-learning sequence (TLS) from the designers’ original situation to a host one. The specific research questions addressed were (RQ1) what were the changes made during the process of transfer in the new context? (RQ2) What were the similarities or differences between the national curricula and contexts that influenced the process of transfer? To answer our research questions, we chose two TLSs, one about optical properties of materials, the other about thermal conductivity, originally designed by two groups of researchers and experienced teachers in Italy and Greece, respectively. The transfer process was analyzed using the “adaptation and reinvention” model, originally developed for the management knowledge research field, while the construct of “institutional distance” was used to describe the influence of country-specific aspects on the transfer process. Data collected included background documents that describe the principles underlying the TLSs design, the decisions and changes made to the original TLSs by the hosting group, and reports on the TLS implementation in classroom practice in the original and in the host context. Content analysis was used to analyze data. Results show that the similarities between the two national curricula and interactions between the involved groups acted mainly as facilitators of the transfer process

Transfer of a teaching-learning sequence from greek to italian school : do similarities in educational systems really help?

The specific purpose of this paper is to investigate the changes that occurred in the process of the transfer of a Teaching-Learning Sequence (TLS) from the designer’s to a host’s context. Besides we discuss if the similarities between educational systems may actually favour such a transfer. The specific case concerns the transfer of a TLS on thermal properties of materials from the Greek educational context into Italian one. The research has been framed in the “Adaptation and Re-Invention” (ARI) theoretical model. According to this model, some “core” elements of the original TLS, namely, scientific concepts addressed, pedagogical approach adopted, ICT-enhanced aspects and the activities’ sequence, have been first identified and then adapted for the new context. The resulting new core elements of the transferred TLS have been compared with those of the original TLS to investigate about the feasibility of the transfer. Results show that the similarities between the two educational contexts acted mainly as facilitators of the transfer process. Moreover, direct communication and interactions between the involved groups and an external expert helped significantly the process. Data from implementations in the two educational contexts show also similar positive effects on students’ learning outcomes

Devons-nous utiliser des phénomènes évolutifs en introduction à l'étude de l'électricité ? Le cas de la résistance

La plupart des curricula traditionnels ou constructivistes proposés jusqu'à maintenant en électricité sont centrés sur des tâches liées à des états stationnaires de circuits en courant continu, impliquant le traitement d'un nombre limité de phénomènes. Ils ne s'intéressent qu'aux effets du courant à un instant déterminé, et non à leur évolution dans le temps. Dans le champ expérimental de l'introduction à l'électricité, nous proposons d'étudier des phénomènes évolutifs. Nous les utilisons dans le cadre de l'enseignement de la notion de résistance électrique. Nous pensons que la combinaison de situations mettant en oeuvre des états stationnaires et des phénomènes évolutifs dans un enseignement sur la résistance peut aider les élèves à reconsidérer leur conception intuitive du transfert de l'énergie, et augmenter leur compréhension de faits expérimentaux liés à un modèle circulatoire du fonctionnement d'un circuit

Différenciation conceptuelle : un enseignement d'hydrostatique, fondé sur le développement et la contradiction des conceptions des élèves

Cet article propose une stratégie susceptible de faciliter la différenciation conceptuelle chez des élèves de l'enseignement obligatoire. Cette stratégie est mise en oeuvre pour améliorer la différenciation des notions de pression et de force pressante par des élèves dont la connaissance initiale à propos des liquides est dominée par une notion «parente» indifférenciée. Cette notion recouvre des caractéristiques à la fois de la pression et de la force pressante. La stratégie s'appuie sur ce qui, dans la connaissance première des élèves, est compatible avec le modèle scientifique; elle les conduit à une situation conflictuelle lorqu'ils ont acquis la compétence nécessaire pour percevoir des contradictions dans leurs explications des faits expérimentaux. Les résultats de l'application de cette stratégie dans l'enseignement secondaire grec sont positifs

In Defense of the Epistemic Imperative

Sample (2015) argues that scientists ought not to believe that their theories are true because they cannot fulfill the epistemic obligation to take the diachronic perspective on their theories. I reply that Sample’s argument imposes an inordinately heavy epistemic obligation on scientists, and that it spells doom not only for scientific theories but also for observational beliefs and philosophical ideas that Samples endorses. I also delineate what I take to be a reasonable epistemic obligation for scientists. In sum, philosophers ought to impose on scientists only an epistemic standard that they are willing to impose on themselves

Justifying the Special Theory of Relativity with Unconceived Methods

Many realists argue that present scientific theories will not follow the fate of past scientific theories because the former are more successful than the latter. Critics object that realists need to show that present theories have reached the level of success that warrants their truth. I reply that the special theory of relativity has been repeatedly reinforced by unconceived scientific methods, so it will be reinforced by infinitely many unconceived scientific methods. This argument for the special theory of relativity overcomes the critics’ objection, and has advantages over the no-miracle argument and the selective induction for it

Problems with Using Evolutionary Theory in Philosophy

Does science move toward truths? Are present scientific theories (approximately) true? Should we invoke truths to explain the success of science? Do our cognitive faculties track truths? Some philosophers say yes, while others say no, to these questions. Interestingly, both groups use the same scientific theory, viz., evolutionary theory, to defend their positions. I argue that it begs the question for the former group to do so because their positive answers imply that evolutionary theory is warranted, whereas it is self-defeating for the latter group to do so because their negative answers imply that evolutionary theory is unwarranted

Does Scientific Progress Consist in Increasing Knowledge or Understanding?

Bird argues that scientific progress consists in increasing knowledge. Dellsén objects that increasing knowledge is neither necessary nor sufficient for scientific progress, and argues that scientific progress rather consists in increasing understanding. Dellsén also contends that unlike Bird’s view, his view can account for the scientific practices of using idealizations and of choosing simple theories over complex ones. I argue that Dellsén’s criticisms against Bird’s view fail, and that increasing understanding cannot account for scientific progress, if acceptance, as opposed to belief, is required for scientific understanding