This paper presents the findings from a longitudinal study (over 7 years) of primary pupils' learning and understanding of evaporation. The authors focus on the role of context, narratives, and the students' representations to explain the developments in understanding, offering an alternative to traditional conceptual change perspectives.
This paper describes a Saturday science program for K-2 students designed to enhance their understanding of the nature of science. Teaching strategies were used to explicitly address all the elements of NOS—the role of empirical data, the distinction between observation and inference, the creative processes of science, the subjective (theory-laden) nature of research, and the tentative (though robust) NOS knowledge.
The participation in a single planetarium program that incorporated kinesthetic learning techniques improved students’ understanding of celestial motion. Even though this study is focused on astronomy and planetariums, it is of relevance to educators who interface with learners at single events or are working with schools to integrate or complement their informal education offerings with the formal curriculum.
Primary teachers in England recognize opportunities for creativity and score scientifically creative incidents higher compared with incidents that represented reproductive thought but showed narrow conceptions of school science creativity. More opportunities were seen in descriptive rather than explanatory science, particularly in practical over non-practical activities and practical applications over reproductive thought.
There is growing understanding that learning develops across time and settings. This paper describes a particular case in which a fourth grade boy’s mathematics learning is shaped by experiences both at home and at school. It is relevant to researchers seeking to understand and study learning as a cross-setting phenomenon. It is relevant to ISE educators in that it raises questions about how to coordinate experiences between home and other settings.
Do video games have positive impacts on the academic K–12 curriculum? The authors of this paper conducted a literature review of more than 300 research articles on the use of video games in the classroom. Their analysis found minimal evidence that video games have positive effects on mathematics and science learning.
If student interest in science is a predictor of careers in science, how can we characterize student interest across ages? Analyzing 6,000 questions from students gathered from informal science settings such as questions submitted to TV shows or Ask-a-Scientist websites, this study classifies student interest in science into six clusters. Younger students (K-9) showed interest in zoology, technology, and astrophysics while older students (10–12) showed interest in physics, chemistry, and biology. This shift of interest to science topics covered in school is relevant to informal science
What are the core ideas of learning genetics? How can we build coherent learning experiences to support these ideas? Learning progressions are an approach to outline how learners come to understand abstract concepts over time. This article describes a learning progression that promotes understanding of genetics from late elementary school into high school.
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Katie Van Horne
resourceresearchMuseum and Science Center Exhibits
In teacher-student interactions during pre-visit, in-museum, and post–field trip interactions, open-ended styles of questions tended to happen more often during the in-museum part of the field trip, although closed-ended questions were still more frequent overall.
Observation is a key skill in science. It is also an important initial skill in early learning. In this paper, Johnston examines the skill of observation in 56 children (4–11 years), asks how it influences other skills in science, and considers how it may be supported. The paper draws attention to that fact that in recent years primary science education has been about the acquisition of conceptual knowledge rather than key skills, and that this balance may not be justified. Of further interest to ISE practitioners is Johnston’s comments that contexts where children can observe natural
This study compares scientific practices in a research laboratory and a second grade classroom. Through conversation analysis, the author found that in both settings similar processes were followed to establish a mutual understanding about what was seen, done and concluded in a collaborative investigation. The author shows how “mutual understanding” differs from “agreement,” and suggests ways to structure science inquiry activities that can engage young children with the tentative nature of science while helping them to resolve discrepant procedures, observations or interpretations.
The authors of this article advocate for broad opportunities for young children to engage with the natural environment. In one out-of-school time (OST) program, called Animal Rescuers, children aged 10–12 participated in zoo visits, environmental education activities, and the creation of an online space. This project can give ISE educators insight into how zoos might connect children’s development with issues such as animal and environmental justice.