Fred Lubben

Context‐based Chemistry: The Salters approach

This paper describes briefly the development and key features of one of the major context‐based courses for upper high school students, Salters Advanced Chemistry. It goes on to consider the research evidence on the impact of the course, focusing on teachers’ views, and, in particular, on students’ affective and cognitive responses. The research evidence indicates that students respond positively to the context‐based approach adopted in Salters Advanced Chemistry, and that they develop levels of understanding of chemical ideas comparable with those taking more conventional courses. Finally, issues to do with the development and evaluation of large‐scale curriculum projects are considered.

Children's ideas about the reliability of experimental data

This paper reports some of the findings of the Procedural and Conceptual Knowledge in Science (PACKS) project. It documents childrens ides about the reliability of experimental data, an important element of their understanding of science procedures. These ideas were elicited using a written survey instrument completed by over 1000 students aged 11, 14 and 16, chosen to be representative of the full ability range. The results show progression with age in understanding of empirical data. A range of ideas about the function of repeat measurements, how to handle repeat measurements and anomalous readings, and the significance of the spread of a set of repeated measurements emerge and are discussed.

Investigating in the school science laboratory: conceptual and procedural knowledge and their influence on performance

Abstract The Procedural and Conceptual Knowledge in Science (PACKS) Project is concerned with childrens ability to carry out investigation tasks in school science, and with the understandings which inform their actions. The project observed groups of children at three age points between 9 and 14 years, carrying out one of seven investigation tasks, and collected data from informal and semiformal interviews and written and oral diagnostic probes. This paper describes the model of investigation performance which has been developed by the PACKS project and validated using the data collected. Childrens understandings of the aims and purposes of investigating in science (frame), and of the ideas which underpin criteria for evaluating the quality of empirical data (understanding of evidence), emerge as important factors in determining childrens performance of an investigation task, alongside their understanding of the science concepts relevant to that specific task. Examples of childrens responses to invest...

Talking science: the research evidence on the use of small-group discussions in science teaching

This paper reports the findings of two systematic reviews of the use and effects of small group discussions in high school science teaching. Ninety‐four studies were included in an overview (systematic map) of work in the area, and 24 studies formed the basis of the in‐depth reviews. The reviews indicate that there is considerable diversity in the topics used to promote small group discussions. They also demonstrate that students often struggle to formulate and express coherent arguments, and demonstrate a low level of engagement with tasks. The reviews suggest that groups function more purposefully, and understanding improves most, when specifically constituted such that differing views are represented, when some form of training is provided for students on effective group work, and when help in structuring discussions is provided in the form of “cues”. Single‐sex groups function more purposefully than mixed‐sex groups, though improvements in understanding are independent of gender composition of groups. Finally, the reviews demonstrate very clearly that, for small group discussions to be effective, teachers and students need to be given explicit teaching in the skills associated with the development of arguments and the characteristics associated with effective group discussions. In addition to the substantive findings, the paper also reports on key features of the methods employed to gather and analyse data. Of particular note are the two contrasting approaches to data analysis, one adopting a grounded theory approach and the other drawing on established methods of discourse analysis.

Systematic Reviews of Research in Science Education: Rigour or Rigidity?.

This paper explores the role of systematic reviews of research literature and considers what they have to offer research in science education. The origins of systematic reviews are described, together with the reasons why they are currently attracting considerable attention in the research literature. An overview is presented of the key features of systematic review methods, illustrating with examples from two systematic reviews undertaken in science education — one on aspects of small‐group work in science lessons, and the other on the effects on pupils of context‐based and Science–Technology–Society approaches. Issues raised by systematic reviews in terms of characterizing research studies and making judgements about their quality are then discussed. Finally, systematic reviews are compared with more traditional narrative reviews to identify ways in which they can contribute to the undertaking of research studies in a science education.

Teaching Measurement in the Introductory Physics Laboratory

Traditionally physics laboratory courses at the freshman level have aimed to demonstrate various principles of physics introduced in lectures. Experiments tend to be quantitative in nature with experimental and data analysis techniques interwoven as distinct strands of the laboratory course.1 It is often assumed that, in this way, students will end up with an understanding of the nature of measurement and experimentation. Recent research studies have, however, questioned this assumption.2,3 They have pointed to the fact that freshmen who have completed physics laboratory courses are often able to demonstrate mastery of the mechanistic techniques (e.g., calculating means and standard deviations, fitting straight lines, etc.) but lack an appreciation of the nature of scientific evidence, in particular the central role of uncertainty in experimental measurement. We believe that the probabilistic approach to data analysis, as advocated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), will result i...

The views of pre‐service and novice teachers on mathematics teaching in South Africa related to their educational experience

Summary This paper reports some results of a study exploring pre‐service and novice teachers’ views on mathematics teaching and how these views may be influenced by school experience. The study was carried out in the Northern Province, South Africa, and involved 34 teachers from the disadvantaged group, formerly the African education sector. They were equally divided between pre‐service and novice teachers. Findings from qualitative data analysis of individual semi‐structured interviews show the following: (a) in rank order reasons for choosing a mathematics teaching career are extrinsic, altruistic, intrinsic and job‐related; (b) there is a relationship between reasons for choosing a career in mathematics teaching and what pre‐service teachers expected to learn from teacher education programmes; and (c) teacher education is perceived to be failing in preparing candidates for school realities. The study has implications for the selection of candidates for mathematics teacher education programmes and for t...

Contextualizing science teaching in Swaziland: some student reactions

Although many theoretical arguments have been put forward for contextualizing the African science curriculum, little is known about students’ responses to science curriculum content and teaching methods designed to be locally relevant. This paper describes research in Swaziland. It presents reactions of Swazi junior secondary students to contextualized lessons on circuit electricity, air and respiratory processes using an application‐led teaching strategy. It identifies the characteristics of the lesson materials influencing (1) student motivation and interest, (2) student participation and (3) concept development. It is argued that a continuation of a teacher‐centred teaching style prevents students from gaining the maximum learning benefits from contextualized lesson materials.

The Role of Everyday Contexts in Learner‐centred Teaching: The practice in Namibian secondary schools

This paper reports on the use of out‐of‐school everyday contexts in Namibian science classrooms. This use is portrayed against the backdrop of an explicit educational philosophy of learner‐centred teaching. Data were collected through audio‐taped teacher–learner interactions and non‐participant field notes in 29 junior and senior science classes taught by 12 teachers in six schools. An existing typology was applied to classify episodes of use of everyday contexts and identify teachers’ pedagogic strategies for their use. The results show that more everyday contexts are used in junior secondary than in senior secondary classes, that only a limited range of types of everyday contexts are used at both levels, and that their use often follows theoretical exposition or teacher questioning. These findings are related to three interpretations of learner‐centred teaching. Recommendations for a fuller implementation of learner‐centred teaching are made.

Schools That Make a Difference to Post-Compulsory Uptake of Physical Science Subjects: Some comparative case studies in England

This paper presents the findings of the qualitative component of a combined methods research study that explores a range of individual and school factors that influence the uptake of chemistry and physics in post-compulsory study in England. The first phase involves using the National Pupil Database to provide a sampling frame to identify four matched pairs of high-uptake and low-uptake schools by salient school factors. Case studies of these eight schools indicate that students employ selection strategies related to their career aspirations, their sense of identity and tactics, and their prior experience. The school factors influencing subject choice relate to school management, student support and guidance, and student empowerment. The most notable differences between students in high-uptake and low-uptake schools are that students in high-uptake schools appear to make a proactive choice in relation to career aspirations, rather than a reactive choice on the basis of past experience. Schools with a high uptake offer a diverse science curriculum in the final two years of compulsory study, set higher examination entry requirements for further study and, crucially, provide a range of opportunities for students to interact with the world of work and to gain knowledge and experience of science-related careers.