Analysis of science textbook pictures about energy and pupils' readings of them

This article outlines the findings of the part of the "Science Teacher Training in an Information Society" (STTIS) project concerned with describing the possible difficulties the pupils have when "reading" science textbook pictures about "energy". Six documents were selected on the basis that they had some of the textual/graphical features previously identified by the project as potentially presenting difficulties to pupils. The pupils' readings of these were investigated using a questionnaire and a follow-up interview. The analysis of three of the documents and of twelve pupils' readings of them is reported in this paper. The results confirm the hypothesis that the "reading" of science textbook pictures is not at all trivial for pupils and conclude that teachers need to spend time and effort talking through the meaning of the images with them. They also suggest that the list of textual/graphical features used in this research is a good starting point for this kind of critical examination

Science teachers' transformations of the use of computer modeling in the classroom: using research to inform training

This paper, from the UK group in the STTIS (Science Teacher Training in an Information Society) project, describes research into the nature of teachers' transformations of computer modeling, and the development of related teacher training materials. Eight teacher case studies help to identify factors that favor or hinder the take-up of innovative computer tools in science classes, and to show how teachers incorporate these tools in the curriculum. The training materials use the results to provide activities enabling teachers to learn about the tools and about the outcomes of the research into their implementation, and help them to take account of these ideas in their own implementation of the innovations

Science and commonsense

This paper discusses the nature of scientific and commonsense knowledge, and their relationship to one another. The discussion is organised under four main themes: the nature of scientific knowledge and reasoning; the importance of science and of its role in the development of rationality; the nature of commonsense knowledge and reasoning; differences and similarities between science and commonsense. Finally, I discuss some implications for the teaching of science

Vývoj fyzikálního kurikula: ne až tak rychle!

Článek zvažuje některé dobře známé problémy v oblasti učení se fyzice ve světle současných studií týkajících se způsobu, jak lidé reagují na problémy, zejména pokud jde o rozlišení „rychlého“ a „pomalého“ myšlení. Dospívá k závěru, že záleží na volbě situace, v níž učíme „rychlé“ myšlení. To vede ke kritice současných úvah o „Badatelsky orientované výuce přírodovědných předmětů“. Článek uzavírá diskuse o problémech a příležitostech, které dnes stojí před vývojem fyzikálního kurikula

Constructivist metaphors of learning science

Based on an analysis of a fundamental distinction between metaphors of finding versus making for the obtaining of new knowledge, a number of constructivist positions in education are discussed and criticised, taking account of earlier criticism particularly by Suchting and by Matthews. Constructivist claims which are denied include the claim that we have no direct access to the world, and the claim that communication is inherently meaningless. What is valuable in constructivism, namely the insistence on active learning, on respect for the pupils own thinking, and on the high priority needed for ideas taught to make sense to pupils, together with the reminder that science is a human product, is important to retain without its additional and ill-founded philosophical baggage

Modeling clay for thinking and learning

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Alambique : didáctica de las ciencias experimentales

resumen literal de la revistaSe decriben las características esenciales del nuevo e innovador curso británico de física para estudiantes de 16 a 18 años. El artículo describe la naturaleza del curso y establece las condiciones de su diseño y las limitaciones que subyacen, incluyendo una reconsideración del papel de las matemáticas, de la informática y del trabajo de laboratorio. También se discuten los resultados de una evaluación reciente del proyecto.CataluñaES