Douglas P. Newton

Primary children's conceptions of science and the scientist: is the impact of a National Curriculum breaking down the stereotype?

Past research has shown that children hold images of scientists and their work which fit a stereotype of scientists as male, balding, bespectacled and with a laboratory coat, working alone in a chemistry laboratory environment. Such stereotypes have been shown to form early and strategies intended to change perceptions may be applied too late and too narrowly. Researchers in several Westernized countries have identified this trend. Recently, there has been a suggestion that such images are becoming less stereotypical, at least in the UK. The major change in science education in the UK during this time has been the introduction of a national curriculum. This study revisited primary childrens views after a period of five years, using a common procedure (the Draw‐a‐Scientist Test). During this period all the children had been taught science in line with the requirements of the English and Welsh National Curriculum Order for Science. We found that perceptions have not changed significantly over this period o...

Do Teachers Support Causal Understanding through their Discourse when Teaching Primary Science

Understanding is a requirement of the National Curriculum for Science. To what extent do teachers press for causal understanding through their discourse in primary science lessons? Fifty Key Stage 2 primary science lessons (years 3-6; 7 + -10 + years) were observed in the north-east of England and the nature of the discourse was examined. There were low levels of teacher discourse that related explicitly to causes and reasons. Discourse relating to facts and description was much more common. Further, discourse to do with causes and reasons with younger children tended to occur less than with older children and that of non-specialist teachers tended to be less than that of subject specialists. Some potential explanations are described. A possible way to encourage a press for causal understanding in science through teacher discourse is suggested.

Young Children's Perceptions of Science and the Scientist

A Draw‐a‐Scientist‐Test was done by 1143 children between the ages of 4 + and 11 + years. Attributes of the scientists and the backgrounds were recorded for each year group and compared one with another and with the drawings of a control group. There was evidence of a stereotypical image of the scientist as early as six years of age. Science tended to be depicted as an indoor activity for making new materials and artefacts, and for the study of animals. It was suggested that strategies intended to change perceptions of science may be applied too late and too narrowly to be fully effective. While the National Curriculum for Science may widen childrens perceptions of the nature of science, it may have much less effect on childrens image of the scientist.

Teaching for understanding : what it is and how to do it

1. Introduction 2.Understanding: A Worthwhile Goal 3.The Nature of Understanding 4.Making Connections 5.Mental Engagement 6.Supporting Understanding With Analogies 7. Using Surrogate Teachers 8.Failing to Understand 9.The Total Learning Environment 10.Knowing What Counts 11. Motivated to Understand 12.The Self-regulation of Learning 13. Evaluating Understanding 14.In Conclusion 15.Glossary

Some student teachers’ conceptions of creativity in school science

Creativity is generally considered to be something to encourage in young children. It is, however, popularly associated more with the arts than with the sciences. This study used phenomenographic analysis to identify some primary school student teachers’ conceptions of creativity in school science lessons (a class of 16 final year students on a degree course leading to qualified teacher status in the UK). Their conceptions were narrow, focused mainly on practical investigations of matters of fact, and included misconceptions. Teacher trainers are advised that student teachers’ conceptions of creativity can be grossly inadequate in several ways and they may omit significant opportunities for creativity involving, for example, the imaginative processing of scientific information and the construction and testing of explanations. As conceptions may be shaped by creativity in the arts, it is suggested that science educators might loosen the connection by introducing students to the broader term of ‘productive thought’, i.e. a combination of creativity and critical thought which is particularly relevant in science.

What Teachers See as Creative Incidents in Elementary Science Lessons

Teachers are often urged to nurture creativity but their conceptions of creativity in specific school subjects may have limitations which weaken their attempts to do so. Primary school teachers in England were asked to rate lesson activities according to the opportunity they offered children for creative thought in science. The teachers could, overall, distinguish between creative and reproductive activities but, as predicted, there was evidence of narrow conceptions of school science creativity, biased towards fact finding, practical activity, and technological design. Some teachers saw creativity in essentially reproductive activities and in what simply stimulated interest and on‐task talk. Some implications and recommendations for teacher training and professional development are discussed.

Subject Content Knowledge and Teacher Talk in the Primary Science Classroom

SUMMARY Teachers of young children often teach subjects that were not strong in their own education. Some people argue that this does not matter. They say that teachers acquire the knowledge when they prepare their lessons. At the same time, certain kinds of oral discourse can improve learning. The science lessons of 50 elementary teachers were observed. The oral discourse of teachers with a significant amount of science in their own education was compared with that of teachers without that background. Those with a science background tended to ask more subject-relevant questions and more causal questions than those without. A way of helping teachers manage subject knowledge is proposed.

Quality and Peer Review of Research: An Adjudicating Role for Editors

Peer review gives research a stamp of approval, but the reviews themselves can be flawed. This is potentially serious for the writer, the journal, and journal user. This study describes shortcomings of the peer review process and condenses them into an explanatory framework involving situational, personal, social, and ethical factors. Some proposals to improve matters are impractical and may make them worse. Some data is offered which illustrates the problem and suggests a potential solution. Informed editors who avoid mechanical approaches engage cautiously and critically with reviews and guard against bias, even in themselves, could make a significant difference.

Using Analogy to Help Young Children Understand

Summary Analogies offer conceptual models for supporting the development of understanding. Contrary to some expectations, there is growing evidence that young children can reason analogically. Much of this evidence comes from experiments intended to test psychological theories. This study aimed to gauge the practical potential of analogy in topics often considered by teachers difficult for young children to understand. Aspects of young childrens understanding of current electricity were compared in two conditions, namely with and without an analogy (87 and 89 children, respectively; 6‐7 years of age). The results indicated that the analogy was of practical value in teaching for understanding. It is suggested that their bases be carefully prepared prior to teaching the target topic and that what is to be understood is modelled directly and is explicitly related to its equivalent in the topic. Further investigations to determine conditions for the effective use of analogies when teaching young children, wh...

Patient information leaflets: producing understandable PILs

The concept of the informed health-care ‘consumer’ rests on the availability of comprehensible information. While various bodies have made information available, its quality is mixed. Information is sometimes untrustworthy, incomprehensible, or simply forgotten by patients. An understandable record of advice is more likely to bring about compliance with treatment and lessen the need to revisit the surgery. This is a report of the revision of health-care information leaflets and their testing on 59 volunteers (61-81 years old). Presentation, reading ease and understanding were considered. The goal of making health-care information comprehensible was achieved. Guidelines for revising such material are described and illustrated. The informed consumer goal may be achievable if writers of health-care information attend to communication as much as to the adequacy of their medical advice.