A Holistic approach to the atom in school chemistry

Molts plans i programes d'estudi s'han desenvolupat per fomentar la comprensió significativa de l'àtom. No obstant això, l'àtom segueix sent un concepte difícil per a molts estudiants. En aquest article, s'argumenta que una deficiència en l'ensenyament de la ciència i l'aprenentatge de conceptes científics, inclòs l'àtom, inclouen la coordinació limitada entre (a) les diverses formes de coneixement científic i (b) l'epistèmica, aspectes cognitius i socials de les pràctiques científiques. Es presenten eines visuals que poden ser útils en la comunicació de la complexitat dels diversos aspectes de la ciència.Many curricula and syllabi have been developed to foster meaningful understanding of the atom. Yet, the atom remains a difficult concept for many students. In this article, it is argued that a shortcoming in science teaching and learning of science concepts, including the atom, include limited coordination among (a) the various forms of scientific knowledge, and (b) the epistemic, cognitive and social aspects of scientific practices. Visual tools that can be helpful in communicating the complexity of various aspects of science are also presented

Talking chemistry in Zanzibar: probing pupils' chemistry knowledge using videos of local pedagogies

L'article descriu una entrevista amb un grup de dos nois i dues noies sobre alguns viídeos d'ensenyament i aprenentatge a les escoles de Zanzíbar, a l'Àfrica. L'estudi és part d'un projecte més gran anomenat SPINE (Rendiment dels Alumnes en els Exàmens Nacionals), finançat pel Consell de Recerca Econòmic i Social i el Departament de Desenvolupament Internacional del Regne Unit. El projecte va ser una col·laboració entre la Universitat de Bristol i la Universitat Estatal de Zanzíbar. L'estudi proporciona l'evidència que els alumnes de Zanzíbar s'enfronten a dificultats importants amb l'idioma anglès que contribueixen a les seves dificultats amb els coneixements de química. No obstant això, quan els alumnes estan immersos en contextos interessants i motivadors, amb enllaços i referències a la cultura local i a l'escola, estan disposats i són capaços de contribuir al debat. Les discussions en aquest estudi il·lustren com pot ser de sofisticada per als alumnes la comprensió de la química juntament amb l'exposició d'algunes idees prèvies sobre alguns conceptes químics clau.The article describes a group interview with two boys and two girls around some video clips of teaching and learning in Zanzibar schools in Africa. The study is part of a larger project called SPINE (Student Performance in National Examinations) funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and Department for International Development in the United Kingdom. The project was a collaboration between University of Bristol and the State University of Zanzibar. The study provides evidence that pupils in Zanzibar face significant difficulties with English language which contributes to their difficulties with subject knowledge of chemistry as well. However when the pupils are immersed in interesting and motivating contexts with links and referents to local culture and schooling, they are willing to and are able to contribute to discussion. Such discussions in this study illustrate how sophisticated pupils’ understanding of chemistry and pedagogy can be along with the exposure of some misconceptions about some key chemical ideas

AI is transforming how science is done. Science education must reflect this change.

There is growing interest in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in science education. Many issues and questions raised about the role of AI in science education target primarily science learning objectives. They relate to AI's capacity to generate tools for teaching, learning, and assessment, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of using such tools. But another important discussion receiving far too little attention in science education concerns how AI is transforming the nature of science (NOS) itself and what such transformation implies for the education of young children. For education, it is critical to ask what AI-informed NOS is, what skills it demands of learners, and how schools can aim to achieve them

Investigating pre-service teachers’ understanding of nature of science:Contributions of an assessment tool based on the reconceptualized family resemblance approach

Several literature sources discuss the importance of nature of science (NOS) understanding and how having an understanding is central to being a scientifically literate citizen. As a result, developing NOS understanding is one of the most commonly stated objectives for science education. Acquiring views on NOS has been a prominent feature of research in this area since the 1960s. The following article provides a proof of concept for the transformation of a theoretical framework into a practical assessment tool (worksheet). The reconceptualized family resemblance approach to NOS is a theoretical framing of NOS which describes components of science in terms of categories subsumed under epistemic, cognitive and social systems. The aim is to explore its potential for use in science education and demonstrate its functionality so as to collect data on pre-service teachers’ understanding of NOS and substantiate what can be achieved through its application. The designed assessment tool has many purposes and in this case it was used in a pre-, post-, and delayed-post methodology to investigate pre-service teachers’ understanding of NOS following participation in NOS themed workshops. Implications for science teacher education will be discussed

The impact of artificial intelligence on scientific practices: an emergent area of research for science education

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now a major driver of societal acceleration making a significant impact on science and science education. AI is used by scientists to generate hypotheses, design experiments, collect and interpret data in ways that were not previously possible with traditional methods alone. Science education research is increasingly paying attention to the role of AI in teaching and learning. However, a significant gap in the emerging science education literature on AI concerns the impact of AI on scientific practices themselves, and implications such impact for science education. The article uses the NRC (2012. A framework for K-12 science education: practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. National Academies Press.) framework of ‘scientific practices’ to trace example uses of AI in scientific practices and raises questions for science education. The questions relate to the relevance of AI-informed scientific practices for science curriculum, teaching and teacher education at the secondary level. The ultimate purpose of the article is to highlight that the sooner the role of AI on scientific practices are researched and applied in science education policy and practice, the less likely that education will become outdated in helping students thrive in the fast changing landscape of scientific research

Argumentation in Science and Religious Education: Resources for Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools

Teaching and learning resources for secondary scienc

Future-Oriented Learning for Inclusive Science Education Teaching and Learning Resources for Secondary Education

Teaching and Learning Resources for Secondary Educatio

Bütünleştirici eğitim takım işidir: Farklı ihtiyaçları olan öğrencilerin fen derslerinde desteklenmesi

Science teaching for promoting inclusion (Step-IN) project is Teacher Development Agency (TDA) funded collaboration between a secondary school and a higher education institute. This project was based on a collaborative research philosophy to promote inclusive science teaching using evidence-based teaching strategies. The purpose of this continued professional development (CPD) project was to create the space for science teachers to identify potential inclusion issues in their classes and to develop strategies to tackle such issues. The CPD model included peer-collaboration and evidence-based reasoning about inclusive science teaching. This CPD experience was perceived to be an unequivocally positive one for the teachers. Inclusion of teacher's voices, developing their own CPD agenda, was found to be one of the major findings of the project.Bütünleştirici eğitimi destekler Fen Bilimleri öğretimi (Step-IN), İngiliz Öğretmen Gelişim Ajansı (TDA) tarafından desteklenmiş bir lise ve bir yüksek öğretim kurumu işbirliği projesidir. Kanıta dayalı öğretim stratejileri kullanılarak bütünleştirici fen bilimleri eğitimini destekleyen proje işbirlikçi araştırma felsefesi üzerine kurgulanmıştır. Bu mesleki gelişim projesinin amacı (CPD) Fen Bilimleri öğretmenlerine zaman yaratarak sınıflarında bütünleştirici eğitimi hayata geçime sürecindeki engelleri tespit etmek ve buna yönelik çözüm üretmelerini sağlamaktır. Projede adapte edilen mesleki gelişim modeli bütünleştirici Fen Bilimleri eğitimi hakkında meslektaş işbirliği ve kanıta dayalı akıl yürütmeyi içermektedir. Bu model araştırmaya katılan tüm öğretmenler için pozitif bir deneyim olmuştur. Çalışmanın ana bulguları içinde öğretmenlerin seslerini duyurabilmesi ve kendi mesleki gelişim ajandalarını oluşturabilmeleri en önemli bulgular arasında sıralanabilir

Beyond nature of science: The case for reconceptualising ‘science’ for science education.

ABSTRACT: In this paper, I argue that contemporary accounts of nature of science (NoS) are limited in their depiction of 'science' and that new perspectives are needed to broaden their characterisation and appeal for science education. In particular, I refer to the role of interdisciplinary characterisations of science in informing the theory and practice of science teaching and learning. After a brief review on the reconceptualization of NoS from a range of perspectives, namely philosophy of science, socio-political accounts of science (in the context of colonial science), linguistics and anthropology, I will focus on philosophical and economical characterisation of science, drawing out some implications for science education. A predominant part of my argument will be theoretical in nature with some pedagogical applications in the context of an empirical project conducted in Istanbul, Turkey and co-funded by TUBITAK and Marie Curie Cofund Brain Circulation Scheme. I will conclude with broader implications of interdisciplinary studies on science for science education research and practice