Colin Kruger

Primary School Teachers' Understanding of Environmental Issues: An interview study

In the light of an increased emphasis on environmental education in revisions of the National Curriculum to be introduced in September 2000, this study used in-depth interviews to explore the understanding of a non-random sample of 12 practising primary school teachers in four areas: biodiversity, the carbon cycle, ozone and global warming. A methodological innovation in this research was the prior identification of basic scientific explanations of each area for a primary teachers, and the use of these as benchmarks for judging understanding. The study was able to identify those underpinning science concepts which were well understood, and those which were not so well understood. Some missing concepts and misconceptions are also reported. Although the findings cannot be generalised to all primary teachers, the fairly strong science backgrounds of eight teachers in the sample suggest that some of the difficulties reported may be found more widely. It is suggested that both the basic explanations and the difficulties of understanding displayed by the teachers can usefully inform programmes of professional development for environmental education. An outline of a guide for teacher education adopting this approach is provided.

Some primary teachers' ideas about energy

Features of conceptions about energy that emerged from in-depth interviews with 20 practising primary teachers are described; their significance is assessed in the light of the demands that will be made on primary teachers by the requirements of the National Curriculum.

Understanding the science of environmental issues: development of a subject knowledge guide for primary teacher education

In the light of an increased concern for environmental education (especially in the context of sustainable development) in the UK, this study used questionnaire surveys to explore the understanding of 170 practising primary school teachers, 120 primary trainees and 88 secondary science trainees in four areas: biodiversity, the carbon cycle, ozone and global warming. A methodological innovation in this research was the prior identification of basic scientific explanations of each area for a primary teacher and the use of these as benchmarks for judging understanding. Knowledge of the component parts of these explanations was tested in the questionnaires. Hence the study was able to identify those underpinning science concepts which were well understood, and those which were not so well understood. The frequencies of several misconceptions, uncovered in earlier interviews and also included in the questionnaires, are also reported. It is suggested that both the basic explanations and the difficulties of unde...

An Investigation of Some English Primary School Teachers' Understanding of the Concepts Force and Gravity

In light of an increased role for conceptual understanding of science in English primary schools, the research reported here investigated the views of force and gravity held by 20 primary teachers, using the ‘interview about instances’ technique. Results are reported in sections dealing with definitions of force; gravity and weight; views of friction; combinations of forces and the concept of a resultant force; reaction forces; force and motion; and finally, the teachers’ use of scientific language. Nearly all of the teachers had views of these concepts that were not in accord with generally accepted scientific interpretations—most held views similar to those of children reported by other researchers. Some implications of the findings are discussed.

A survey of primary school teachers’ conceptions of force and motion

Summary This article reports the results of a survey designed to provide some quantitative evidence concerning the extent to which misconceptions about force and motion exist among primary school teachers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first investigation of its kind carried out in the UK. The survey questionnaire contained statements based on those made by primary teachers about every‐day situations involving forces and motion elicited during an earlier in‐depth interview phase of the research. This questionnaire was administered in person by a member of the research team in schools and at INSET courses, in the autumn term of 1988. Responses were obtained from 159 primary teachers with a variety of different backgrounds, ages and teaching experience. The results showed that nearly all of the respondents held views of force and motion that are not in accord with a Newtonian interpretation. Many of the respondents are best described as ‘naive impetus believers’, in that their beliefs about moti...

Research into english primary school teachers’ understanding of the concept energy

Abstract Interviews‐about‐instances and interviews‐about‐events conducted with an opportunity sample of 20 primary school teachers in England were used to probe the teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the concept energy. A number of statements made by the teachers during the interviews were then incorporated into a survey questionnaire which was given to an opportunity sample of 152 primary school teachers from three English Local Education Authorities. This enabled the prevalence of particular ideas about energy in a much larger sample of teachers to be established. Results of both the interview and survey phases of the research are reported, and discussed in light of a recent increased emphasis on the learning of science concepts in primary schools.

Teaching electricity effectively in the primary school: a case study

The aim of this study was to identify the subject and teaching knowledge which primary school teachers can use to develop effectively childrens understanding of electricity and simple circuits. Effectiveness was defined in terms of changes in childrens views following teaching, and teaching knowledge as all of the ways in which a teacher helps children acquire an understanding of a topic. A fine‐grained and mainly qualitative approach was adopted, in which the learning of six children taught by a non‐specialist teacher was analysed in light of the classroom teaching experienced. The principal outcomes were identification of a set of concepts in electricity which can be taught effectvely to primary school children; identification of teaching knowledge which can be effective in developing concepts; a clearer view of the nature of teaching knowledge; and the need for experts to help primary teachers identify appropriate teaching knowledge.

INSET for Primary Science in the National Curriculum in England and Wales: are the real needs of teachers perceived?

ABSTRACT This paper looks at current thinking about INSET and considers its relevance to the training of teachers to implement the science component of the National Curriculum in primary schools in England and Wales. The INSET which has been provided since 1985 under the Governments Education Support Grant (ESG) scheme is discussed in the light of the requirement of the 1988 Education Reform Act that primary school children should develop their knowledge and understanding of certain specified scientific concepts. The nature of the changes ESG INSET has brought about is discussed and some evidence of primary teachers’ attitudes to this form of INSET is provided. The issues are raised of whether this kind of training will be appropriate for the effective implementation of the National Curriculum and whether primary teachers’ own perception of their needs matches the actual demands which will be placed upon them when they come to teach the National Curriculum in the classroom. Examples are given of reaction...

Teaching sustainable development in primary schools: theory into practice

The work described here is set in a context of considerable national and international debate about the nature of sustainable development and education for sustainable development (ESD). It describes how nine primary school teachers translated a particular conceptualization of ESD into classroom teaching. The conceptualization which informed the work was that set out in a report produced by the Panel for Education for Sustainable Development, a working group which advised on the introduction of ESD in the revised National Curriculum for the year 2000. The findings are based principally on interviews with teachers and pupils, both before and after teaching. Examples of pupil learning are given to illustrate what might count as ESD in these young children. A concluding section examines the teaching and learning in light of current literature on the nature of ESD.

Developing Primary School Children's Understanding of Energy Waste.

This was an interview study of 34 primary school childrens understanding of five aspects of energy waste, and the ways in which these conceptions develop following teaching. The aspects covered were: (i) saving energy by ‘using less’; (ii) saving energy by using ‘just enough’; (iii) energy waste through unintended transfers; (iv) energy waste in a household device; and (v) the meaning of the term ‘efficiency’. It was found that this group of primary school children had good prior awareness of some behaviours which save (or conserve) energy, but their reasons for thinking this were based largely on intuitive ‘everyday’ ideas which involved human-centred notions of energy in the particular contexts presented or the movement of ‘heat’ or ‘cold’. Notions of waste due to unintended outcomes were seen in only a few pupils initially but after teaching became far more prevalent. The study showed that basic ideas about energy waste which underpin energy conservation (using less energy) and the critically important scientific concept of efficiency were made accessible to an ‘average’ group of primary school children. Moreover, this was done by ordinary practitioners who are not specialist teachers of science but who have had their subject and teaching knowledge enhanced by appropriate training.