The change of science teachers' personal knowledge about teaching models and modelling in the context of science education reform

In order to enhance teachers' professional awareness, it is necessary to understand and value their subjective or personal knowledge and beliefs. This study investigated the change of science teachers' personal knowledge about teaching models and modelling in science within the context of educational reform in the Netherlands. The study followed nine experienced science teachers during the first years of the implementation of a new syllabus, which emphasises models and modelling. Data collection consisted of the repeated administration of a Repertory Grid instrument. From the results, three different types of personal knowledge concerning teaching models and modelling in science were identified, each of which showed significant change over time. Type 1 combined modelling as an activity undertaken by students with the learning of specific model content. In Type 2 the learning of model content was combined with critical reflection on the role and nature of models in science. Finally, in Type 3, the learning of model content involved both students' production and revision of models, and a critical examination of the nature of scientific models in general. Implications for the teachers' professional development are discussed

Relating Teacher PCK and Teacher Practice Using Classroom Observation

Science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has been researched in many studies, yet little empirical evidence has been found to determine how this knowledge actually informs teachers’ actions in the classroom. To complement previous quantitative studies, there is a need for more qualitative studies to investigate the relationship between teacher knowledge (as formulated by the teacher) and classroom practice, especially in the context of an educational innovation. In this study we explored a possible way to investigate this relationship in an in-depth and systematic fashion. To this end, we conducted a case study with a chemistry teacher in the context of the implementation of a context-based science curriculum in The Netherlands. The teacher’s PCK was captured using the Content Representation form by Loughran, Mulhall, and Berry. We used an observation table to monitor classroom interactions in such a way that the observations could be related to specific elements of teachers’ PCK. Thus, we were able to give a detailed characterization of the correspondences and differences between the teacher’s personal PCK and classroom practice. Such an elaborate description turned out to be a useful basis for discussing mechanisms explaining the relationship between teachers’ knowledge and teachers’ actions.Science Education and Communicatio

Enhancing Citizenship Skills in a Chemistry Lesson: Dealing with information from different sources

Currently, the aim of education in general and science education, in particular, is to educate informed and responsible citizens. In order to achieve this aim, since 2006, citizenship education is compulsory in the Dutch education system. It is not a separate subject but rather interwoven into the already existing courses. Among citizenship skills, ‘dealing with information from different sources’ is rather essential skill that a person needs throughout his/her life. That is why this study focuses on enhancing this skill in a chemistry lesson. Using socio-scientific issues which are ill-defined real-life problems informed by science (Sadler, Barab, and Scott, 2007), is commonly accepted as providing a useful context to enhance students’ citizenship skills and prepare them as responsible citizens. Therefore, we chose to design an SSI-based chemistry lesson to enhance the skill as mentioned above of students. As SSI, the teacher chose ‘use of laughing gas among youngsters’ which is quite popular among Dutch youngsters as a party drug. Recently it was in the newspapers. So, as an up-to-date and real-life example, it grasps the interest of students in a chemistry lesson. The consequences of regularly inhaling laughing gas are not known well. Different newspapers describe the possible consequences, but their descriptions differ on details

Stimulating Students’ Socio-Scientific Perspective Taking through Personas

This study investigates students' conception and the influence of the use of personas on the learning outcomes with respect to perspective-taking and argumentation in informed decisionmaking. In this exploratory study, students' conception of perspectives in terms of personas and arguments is investigated. 40 students participated in this study and were asked to create two personas according to their own ideas without any requirements or limitations. For each persona, they provided two possible arguments in favor and two possible arguments against the statement. Finally, the students weighed the arguments for each persona to reach a conclusion about the overall opinion of the persona. Students' assignments booklets, including persona descriptions, arguments and opinions were collected. Data were analyzed qualitatively. The students developed a variety of personas, both with professions and backgrounds in science and with non-science contexts. The perspectives of the most frequent arguments (scientific, technological, and economic) are the same for both groups and arguments have similar themes. It is surprising that, in contrast, the overall opinion (after weighing the respective arguments) does show a difference between ‘scientists' and ‘non-scientists'. We conclude that the persona approach stimulated students' perspective-taking however, the persona construction process can be scaffolded more explicitly