Benny Hin Wai Yung

Setting the stage for developing pre-service teachers' conceptions of good science teaching: The role of classroom videos

This paper reports findings about a curriculum innovation conducted at The University of Hong Kong. A CD‐ROM consisting of videos of two lessons by different teachers demonstrating exemplary science teaching was used to elicit conceptions of good science teaching of student‐teachers enrolled for the 1‐year Postgraduate Diploma in Education at several stages during the programme. It was found that the videos elicited student‐teachers’ conceptions and had impact on those conceptions prior to the commencement of formal instruction. It has extended student‐teachers’ awareness of alternative teaching methods and approaches not experienced in their own schooling, broadened their awareness of different classroom situations, provided proof of existence of good practices, and prompted them to reflect on their current preconceptions of good science teaching. In several ways, the videos acted as a catalyst in socializing the transition of student‐teachers from the role of student to the role of teacher.

Turning Crisis into Opportunity: Enhancing student‐teachers’ understanding of nature of science and scientific inquiry through a case study of the scientific research in severe acute respiratory syndrome

Interviews with key scientists involved in research on severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), together with analysis of media reports and documentaries produced during and after the SARS epidemic, revealed many interesting aspects of nature of science (NOS) and authentic scientific inquiry. This novel insight into practice in the rapidly growing field of molecular biology was used in the development of instructional materials for use in the pre‐service and in‐service teacher education programme at The University of Hong Kong. The elements of NOS and scientific inquiry identified in the scientific research on SARS were explicitly emphasized in our instructional materials. The contemporary real‐life context of SARS was found to be effective in promoting student‐teachers’ understanding of NOS and scientific inquiry, particularly in terms of: the realization of inseparable links between science and the social, cultural, and political environment; deeper understanding of how science and technology impact on each other; and a richer appreciation of the processes of authentic scientific inquiry and the humanistic character of scientists. The effectiveness is attributed to immediacy, relevance, and familiarity, making the abstract tangible, personal experience of science history, and the powerful affective impact of the interviews with scientists.

Turning crisis into opportunity: Nature of science and scientific inquiry as illustrated in the scientific research on severe acute respiratory syndrome

Interviews with key scientists who had conducted research on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), together with analysis of media reports, documentaries and other literature published during and after the SARS epidemic, revealed many interesting aspects of the nature of science (NOS) and scientific inquiry in contemporary scientific research in the rapidly growing field of molecular biology. The story of SARS illustrates vividly some NOS features advocated in the school science curriculum, including the tentative nature of scientific knowledge, theory-laden observation and interpretation, multiplicity of approaches adopted in scientific inquiry, the inter-relationship between science and technology, and the nexus of science, politics, social and cultural practices. The story also provided some insights into a number of NOS features less emphasised in the school curriculum—for example, the need to combine and coordinate expertise in a number of scientific fields, the intense competition between research groups (suspended during the SARS crisis), the significance of affective issues relating to intellectual honesty and the courage to challenge authority, the pressure of funding issues on the conduct of research and the ‘peace of mind’ of researchers, These less emphasised elements provided empirical evidence that NOS knowledge, like scientific knowledge itself, changes over time. They reflected the need for teachers and curriculum planners to revisit and reconsider whether the features of NOS currently included in the school science curriculum are fully reflective of the practice of science in the 21st century. In this paper, we also report on how we made use of extracts from the news reports and documentaries on SARS, together with episodes from the scientists’ interviews, to develop a multimedia instructional package for explicitly teaching the prominent features of NOS and scientific inquiry identified in the SARS research.

On-Site Pedagogical Content Knowledge Development.

Experiences and reflection have long been regarded as a foundation for pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) development. However, little is known about how experienced teachers develop their PCK via reflection-in-action during their moment-to-moment classroom instruction. Drawing upon data sources including classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and stimulated recall interviews based on lesson videos, this study examined instances when four experienced teachers were found to invent new instructional strategies/representations on the spot during the lesson (referred to as on-site PCK development) in their first attempts at teaching a new topic. The study documented the moment-to-moment experiences of the teachers, including their reconstructed thought processes associated with these instances of on-site PCK development. An explanatory model of a three-step process comprising a stimulus, an integration process and a response was advanced to account for the on-site PCK development observed among the teachers. Three categories of stimulus that triggered on-site PCK development were identified. Factors influencing the integration process and, hence, the resulting response, included teachers’ subject matter knowledge of the new topic, their general pedagogical knowledge and their knowledge of student learning difficulties/prior knowledge related to the new topic. Implications for teacher professional development in terms of how to enhance teachers’ on-site PCK development are discussed.

Teachers’ and Students’ Conceptions of Good Science Teaching

Capitalizing on the comments made by teachers on videos of exemplary science teaching, a video-based survey instrument on the topic of ‘Density’ was developed and used to investigate the conceptions of good science teaching held by 110 teachers and 4,024 year 7 students in Hong Kong. Six dimensions of good science teaching are identified from the 55-item questionnaire, namely, ‘focussing on science learning’, ‘facilitating students’ understanding’, ‘encouraging students’ involvement’, ‘creating conducive environment’, ‘encouraging active experimentation’ and ‘preparing students for exam (PSE)’. Significant gaps between teachers’ and students’ conceptions on certain dimensions have been revealed. The inconsistency on the dimension ‘PSE’ is particularly evident and possible reasons for the phenomenon are suggested. This study raises the important questions of how the gap can be addressed, and who is to change in order to close the gaps. Answers to these questions have huge implications for teacher education and teacher professional development.

Digging below the surface: Secondary analysis of TIMSS data for Hong Kong and its implications for educational reform

Hong Kong students outperform their counterparts in most other countries in mathematics in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study Repeat (TIMSS-R) project, while their science performance is marginally above the international average. In order to probe below the surface of these achievement results, secondary analysis of the TIMSS-R Hong Kong data was performed to identify factors that affect student achievement. Results of the secondary analysis relating to curriculum provision, teacher characteristics, and classroom conditions and climate are reported in this paper. Based on the results, some recommendations are proposed to meet the need for quality education in the new era.Sommaire exécutifL’étude TIMSS-R (Third International Mathematics and Science Study Repeat) de 1999 est une reprise de l’étude TIMSS (Third International Mathematics and Science Study) de 1995. À HongKong, la population d’étudiants testés dans le cadre de l’étude TIMSS-R était de niveau deuxième secondaire. Afin de pouvoir tirer plein parti de l’étude TIMSS-R de HongKong et en faire profiter l’ensemble de la communauté des sciences de l’éducation, une analyse secondaire des données a été réalisée, visant à mettre en corrélation les résultats obtenus lors de l’étude et d’autres facteurs. Cette analyse est centrée sur le curriculum, l’école, les enseignants et les étudiants.De façon générale, les étudiants de HongKong ont obtenu de meilleurs résultats en mathématiques que leurs homologues de la plupart des autres pays, tandis que leurs résultats en sciences étaient légèrement supérieurs à la moyenne internationale. Pour des raisons que nous ignorons, les élèves dont les professeurs étaient des femmes ont obtenu de meilleurs résultats que ceux qui avaient des professeurs de sexe masculin, et ceux dont les enseignants n’étaient pas diplômés ont également eu de meilleurs résultats que ceux dont les enseignants avaient une licence. Par ailleurs, il y a une corrélation positive entre le sentiment chez les enseignants que leur travail était apprécié de la société et des élèves et les résultats obtenus par les étudiants.Quant aux activités dans la classe, il serait possible de trouver plus de moyens visant à stimuler les étudiants moins doués. Les questions à choix multiples comme instrument de mesure ne sont opportunes que pour les élèves doués. Quant aux problèmes auxquels font face les enseignants, le manque d’espace et d’équipement sont moins influents que le fait d’avoir des étudiants démotivés et indifférents. Mettre l’accent sur la résolution de problèmes profite avant tout aux étudiants plus doués, tandis que les étudiants moyens sont mieux servis lorsqu’on met l’accent sur les devoirs à la maison. De. 1995 à 1999, la tendance générale chez les étudiants a été de consacrer de moins en moins de temps aux mathématiques, aux sciences et à d’autres matières.Sur la base des résultats cités plus haut, nous proposons des recommandations visant à répondre à la nécessité moderne d’une formation de qualité. d’abord, dans toute réforme de l’éducation, la formation professionnelle des enseignants revêt une importance fondamentale. d’une part, il est important d’offrir des programmes de mentors aux jeunes enseignants afin de les inciter à s’engager dans cette carrière, et d’autre part il est nécessaire de proposer des activités de perfectionnement professionnel telles que des expériences en recherche action et des cours de mise à niveau (surtout en mathématiques) destinés aux enseignants plus âgés. Deuxièmement, il est nécessaire de créer des cours de perfectionnement visant à fournir aux enseignants de sexe masculin les outils professionnels nécessaires à modifier leur façon d’enseigner de façon à faire en sorte que leurs étudiantes se sentent plus à l’aise dans leurs cours. Troisièmement, les écoles et les autorités scolaires devraient chercher à reconnaître et apprécier de façon plus concrète le travail des enseignants. Enfin, dans la mise au point des activités dans la classe et la création des outils d’évaluation, il faut centrer plus clairement et plus résolument l’attention aussi bien sur les objectifs spécifiques d’apprentissage que sur les caractéristiques individuelles des étudiants. Il est important de stimuler les étudiants plus doués au moyen de problèmes plus exigeants, et de donner aux élèves de niveau moyen des devoirs dont la qualité et la quantité sont équilibrées.

Evaluation of Science in the Media by Non-Science Majors.

ABSTRACT Without a science background as sophisticated as that of a scientist, the evaluation of science in the media has proved to be a challenge to members of the public who are largely non-specialists. It is generally assumed that understandings of nature of science (NOS) will lead to this desired outcome of scientific literacy. This study examined the criteria applied and the capacity in which they were applied by non-science majors in evaluating science news. Sixty-four non-science majors from a local community college completed the Health News Evaluation Questionnaire and were invited for follow-up interviews. Findings showed that participants tended to focus more on the cognitive aspects of science than on the social or epistemological aspect of science in their evaluation, and that news reports of a socioscientific nature tended to elicit more responses pertaining to the social aspect of science than did reports of scientific research. These findings indicated the capacity of the non-science majors to draw upon the cognitive aspects of science despite their limited science background. This study laid the foundation for future research to explore further the assumed role of understandings of NOS in the critical evaluation of news reports with a science component.

Teaching Inquiry: Global Influences and Local Responses

In this commentary, I will first sketch an overall impression of my reading of the three preceding chapters, followed by sharing my perspectives on the issues raised in the chapters. In Chap. 6, Tan, Talaue, and Kim successfully put across a portrait of the daily struggles of 41 elementary school teachers as they try to implement inquiry-based teaching in an educational setting that places due emphasis on learning canonical science content. Though it is a portrait based on the teachers’ responses to questionnaire items as well as narratives and videos of inquiry lessons, I believe that there is a certain grain of truth based on my experiences with the Hong Kong education system which is also very examination driven (Yung, 2006). In Chap. 4, Tan and Tan examined the factors that 39 elementary school teachers considered as they decided on inquiry tasks for their students. It was disturbing to note that, among the teachers’ consideration, there was a lack of systematic and conscious thought about enactment of formative assessment in the classroom. The teachers also showed a lack of understanding about the use of formative assessment as a process to develop students working conceptions of science rather than assessing their content mastery and attainment.

Issues and Challenges in School-Based Assessment of Science Practical Work

Assessment, in whatever form it takes, is widely recognised as one of the main determinants of educational practice. Over the past few years, new approaches to assessment have emerged in a number of countries. This chapter addresses the issues for teaching and learning that emerge when school-based assessment of science practical work is mandated, its contribution to teaching and learning and, in particular, how teachers’ beliefs and teacher professionalism become involved. Drawing on cases from Hong Kong and Singapore, through illustrations of the teachers’ professional actions, their struggles, worries, concerns as well as their visions and aspirations, this chapter brings into light the crucial role of teachers in mediation and in bringing about changes envisaged in the new assessment reform. Implications for teacher professional development are also discussed.

Enhancing Students’ Understanding of the Nature of Science and the Interconnection Between Science, Technology and Society Through Innovative Teaching and Learning Activities

Understanding the nature of science (NOS) and the interconnection between science, technology and society (STS) has been a prominent objective of science curricula worldwide (e.g. American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1993; Council of Ministers of Education, 1997; Millar & Osborne, 1998). Research confirms the contention that sound knowledge of the NOS and STS will enhance students’ learning of science content, interest in science, and ability to make informed decisions based on evidence (Driver, Leach, Miller, & Scott, 1996; McComas, Clough, & Almazroa, 1998; Aikenhead, 1994).