Harrie Eijkelhof

Pupils’ and mass‐media ideas about radioactivity

The Chernobyl accident has been used as an opportunity to study pupils’ ideas about radioactivity, in relation to the information presented in the mass‐media. Our study produced a detailed picture of pupils’ ideas about the accident, the spreading of radioactive materials that resulted from it, the danger arising from the materials and about what to expect from possible safety measures. The correspondence between pupils’ ideas and mass‐media information appears to be striking. It is argued that information derived from the mass‐media is particularly important as a starting point for science education topics that relate to the life‐world domain.

The role of research and development to improve STS education: experiences from the PLON project

This paper outlines four stages of a research‐development cycle based on experiences with a Dutch physics curriculum development project (PLON), in which STS aspects are integrated. Through examples it is illustrated that research on first and second version materials is essential, but its value should not be overestimated. The authors are convinced that STS education also needs in‐depth research studies in order to survive. Two important topics are mentioned. One is the legitimation of specific contents (scientific concepts and personal and social contexts) of STS curricula. The second topic regards lay‐ideas on those scientific concepts that are seen as important for pupils’ use in personal and social contexts. As an example a current research‐development programme is described that deals with learning to assess the risks of ionizing radiation.

Innovations in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education.

This is an account of an international study of innovations in the fields of school science, mathematics and technology, the largest study of its kind ever undertaken. Each of the innovations is considered briefly and some in more detail. Particular attention is given to the changing relationships between teacher and learner and to the increased emphasis on practical work and experiential learning, with technology sometimes appearing as a separate subject. Lessons are drawn from the innovations regarding the effective implementation and management of change. Implications for the role of the teacher and the concept of teacher professionalism are discussed.

Teaching about radioactivity and ionising radiation: an alternative approach

This article reviews childrens ideas about radiation and radioactivity and identifies several common areas of misunderstanding. A new approach to teaching the topic at school level, which seeks specifically to address these known difficulties, is then proposed and outlined.

Towards coherent science and technology education

The integration of science and technology education has been a topic of worldwide debate. However, the focus of the debate has been too much on the degree of integration of subjects at the expense of such important but related issues as the nature of the constituting disciplines, educational levels (state, school, classroom), and the objects of integration. Integration should be seen from the perspective of curricular coherence. Coherent science and technology education (CSTE) should pay attention both to uninterrupted learning on the part of students and to the nature of the constituting disciplines. This paper describes a study exploring CSTE practice in nine junior‐secondary schools in the Netherlands. It recommends a framework to promote CSTE by stakeholders at the state, school, and classroom levels.

Physics in Its Personal, Social and Scientific Context

Numerous publications of the last decade illustrate an increase in popularity for changes in science education at secondary level to be characterized by more attention to the interactions between science, technology and society (so-called STS). Other authors refer to many of these publications so we will not repeat those long lists. In the Netherlands (our home country) we follow with great interest STS developments in other countries such as the UK, Canada, Australia and (for the last few years) also in the USA. After a period of relative silence in science education we are now impressed by STS developments in the USA as we find them described in the S-STS Reporter and in the Newsletter of the Teachers Clearinghouse for Science and Society Education.

Algemene natuurwetenschappen (ANW): A new course on public understanding of science for senior general secondary education in the Netherlands

For many scientists it is painful to notice that knowledge and insight in die field of science and technology are not as highly valued as knowledge in areas such as culture, language and sports. In the Netherlands, for forty years some scientists dreamed of a science subject in senior secondary school in which the cultural and social implications of science and technology would be the focus of attention. Until recently this was impossible as students had a lot of freedom to choose examination subjects. Out of the seven subjects which students had to follow only Dutch and one foreign language (in most cases English) were obligatory. Universities could only require one or two specific subjects for students wishing to enter certain faculties. Universities and colleges started to complain about this system in the early nineties. Their main complaint dealt widi the lack of a broad education. Many students entered the university with a strange mix of subjects or with a too specialised parcel of examination subjects. In the early 1990s universities began to express the view that students entering their institutions should be able to read at least diree foreign languages and be familiar with main ideas and approaches in the areas of mathematics, science, social science and culture. Another complaint dealt with the lack of study skills of students leaving secondary school. As a result of this an educational reform started was implemented in 1999 in all secondary schools in the Netherlands. All students in senior general secondary school (15-18 year olds) now have to study the subjects Dutch, English, French (reading), German (reading), mathematics, history and civics, arts and science. In addition, they have to choose from four packages of qualifying subjects. Two of those packages are science related:

Current developments in physics education in The Netherlands

Physics has fared well in The Netherlands, but now a new National Curriculum and revised Physics examination syllabuses are being implemented. The supply of good teachers is set to fall, so the profession must be made attractive to physics students.

Supporting Students to Develop Concepts Underlying Sampling and to Shuttle Between Contextual and Statistical Spheres

To stimulate students’ shuttling between contextual and statistical spheres, we based tasks on professional practices. This article focuses on two tasks to support reasoning about sampling by students aged 16–17. The purpose of the tasks was to find out which smaller sample size would have been sufficient for making reliable inferences. The research question addressed is: How can students be supported to develop concepts underlying sampling and to shuttle between contextual and statistical spheres? Design research was carried out to test whether the tasks had the potential to support students’ concepts underlying sampling and to find indications of what teachers should do to use this potential. Analysis of video recordings indicates that the students showed a balanced development of the concepts underlying sampling. They seemed aware of the purposes of the tasks and were able to apply their statistical knowledge but tended to forget to shuttle back.

Implications of PISA Outcomes for Science Curriculum Reform in the Netherlands

As the PISA 2006 results came out, the Netherlands briefly celebrated their 9th position in the overall country ranking for science. After that, interest in the PISA results rapidly declined. Nevertheless, there is sufficient reason to take a closer look at the PISA results, for instance because (a) our neighbours are catching up, (b) currently ambitious curriculum innovation programmes are being conducted in most of secondary education, and (c) fierce debates are going on about the merits of the proposed innovations. The pressing question is: are we heading in the right direction? To answer this question we additionally analysed PISA 2006 data, we identified strengths and weaknesses at the item level, and we analysed the student data for those specific items. As a reference for comparative analyses across countries, we used a relevant peer group of seven neighbouring countries. Main findings include that Dutch students do well on highly contextualized items, interpretation of graphs and Knowledge of Science. Dutch students perform relatively weak on items with low context and on multiple response items. In addition, Dutch students in secondary vocational education have specific difficulty in answering open-constructed response items. A major issue in the Netherlands is the low science attitudes and self-concept of students in secondary education. In view of those results, recent efforts to promote and improve science education might be well on track. However, we also identify some policy threats, especially when it comes to Knowledge about Science.