Ian S. Ginns

Development of knowledge about electricity and magnetism during a visit to a science museum and related post‐visit activities

This article reports on part of a larger study of how 11- and 12-year-old students construct knowledge about electricity and magnetism by drawing on aspects of their experiences during the course of a school visit to an interactive science museum and subsequent classroom activities linked to the science museum exhibits. The significance of this study is that it focuses on an aspect of school visits to informal learning centers that has been neglected by researchers in the past, namely the influence of post-visit activities in the classroom on subsequent learning and knowledge construction. This study provides evidence that the integrated series of post-visit activities resulted in students constructing and reconstructing their personal knowledge of science concepts and principles represented in the science museum exhibits, sometimes toward the accepted scientific understanding and sometimes in different and surprising ways. A descriptive interpretive approach was adopted, with principal data sources comprising student-generated concept maps and semistructured interviews at three stages of the study. Findings demonstrate the interrelationships between learning that occurs at school, home, and in informal learning settings. The study also underscores for classroom teachers and staff of science museums and similar centers the importance of planning pre- and post-visit activities. The importance of this planning is not only to support the development of scientific conceptions, but also to detect and respond to alternative conceptions that may be produced or strengthened during a visit to an informal learning center.

Developing motivation to teach elementary science: Effect of collaborative and authentic learning practices in preservice education

The rapid growth in knowledge over recent times has meant that teachers have to be responsive to new and ever changing demands of society. Science is among those key areas of knowledge that has experienced overwhelming growth and thus developing scientific literacy is a priority if citizens are to participate effectively in society. Failure to develop children’s interest in science will disempower a generation of children in an era when scientific knowledge is at the foundation of our culture. Unfortunately, many elementary teachers express a lack of confidence in their ability to teach science with dire consequences for the quality of teaching. This paper reports a study involving a cohort of 161 elementary preservice teachers in the third year of a four-year Bachelor of Education program enrolled in a core science education (methods) course. An instructional program that addressed five essential dimensions of meaningful learning – the knowledge base, metacognition, motivation, individual differences and context – was implemented. Quantitative and qualitative data obtained through surveys, observations and focus session reviews revealed that a learning environment based on social constructivist perspectives was effective in developing students’ conceptual and pedagogical knowledge, and most importantly enhanced students’ sense of science teaching self-efficacy. Particular initiatives that were identified by students as being of value were collaborative learning and associated strategies, reflective journal writing, and assignment tasks that adopted principles of problem based learning. While statistically significant gains in science teaching self-efficacy (p < .001) were observed overall, qualitative data enabled a more detailed analysis of the changes in motivations and goals of individual student teachers. The paper explores how the experiences developed their confidence and will to teach science in elementary school and how opportunities were provided that empowered the student teachers to be proactive seekers of knowledge and become lifelong learners.

Beginning teachers becoming professionals through action research

Abstract This article describes the conduct of and acquired understandings from a study designed to promote the professional growth of a group of beginning primary school teachers through participatory action research. The beginning teachers collaborated with university academic staff during the design and conduct of the study. A key component of the study was the formation of action research cells of participating teachers with each group focusing on particular aspects of teaching, for example, assessment, catering for gifted and talented students, and inclusivity in the classroom teaching programme. The overall findings from the study, from the view of the university researchers, are presented and reflected upon in this article. The implications of using action research for the professional growth of beginning teachers are also discussed.

Beginning Elementary School Teachers and the Effective Teaching of Science.

Many factors influence the teaching of science by beginning teachers in elementary schools. They have to confront a myriad of daunting experiences and tasks in their first few weeks at school, and on top of that are expected to teach a comprehensive curriculum including science with its attendant demands for a constructivist approach to teaching and learning, cooperative group work, and reliance on resources. This paper describes the experiences of four beginning teachers as they worked their way through the first year of teaching, with an emphasis on analyzing the influence of these experiences on their planning and implementation of science lessons in the classroom. A theoretical framework of self-efficacy, and related attitudes and motivation to teach science, is used for the analysis. Implications for the design of science education courses within preservice programs, and the development of induction programs for beginning elementary teachers, to ensure teachers’ long term commitment to the effective teaching of science, are discussed in the paper.

An in-depth study of a teacher engaged in an innovative primary science trial professional development project

The implementation of effective science programmes in primary schools is of continuing interest and concern for professional developers. As part of the Australian Academy of sciences approach to creating an awareness ofPrimary Investigations, a project team trialed a series of satellite television broadcasts of lessons related to two units of the curriculum for Year 3 and 4 children in 48 participating schools. The professional development project entitledSimply Science, included a focused component for the respective classroom teachers, which was also conducted by satellite. This paper reports the involvement of a Year 4 teacher in the project and describes her professional growth. Already an experienced and confident teacher, no quantitative changes in science teaching self efficacy were detected. However, her pedagogical content knowledge and confidence to teach science in the concept areas of matter and energy were enhanced. Changes in the teachers views about the co-operative learning strategies espoused byPrimary Investigations were also evident. Implications for the design of professional development programmes for primary science teachers are discussed.

Developing an Instrument to Examine Preservice Teachers’ Pedagogical Development

National and international reform documents have forged blueprints for advancing science education. Coursework for preservice teachers needs to correspond to these documents by providing learning experiences that develop preservice teachers’ capabilities to plan and implement reform measures. Using a pretest–posttest design, responses from 59 2nd-year preservice teachers from the same university were compared after involvement in an elementary science pedagogy coursework. The survey, which was linked to the course outcomes (constructs) and multiple indicators, measured the preservice teachers’ perceptions of their development towards becoming elementary science teachers. A pretest–posttest survey linked to course outcomes can be employed to assess perceived pedagogical development of preservice teachers, which can inform further teaching practices for implementing science education reform agendas.

Authentic Program Planning in Technology Education

This paper reports on the needs identified by three teachers during an investigation into their first experiences of implementing technology in their primary classrooms. One part of one teachers case is presented in detail to illustrate that the meanings the teachers made of their experiences were related very closely to their beliefs about teaching and learning, to their understanding of technology as a phenomenon and to the place they saw technology having within the whole curriculum. One particular outcome of the investigation was that the teachers experienced a lack of knowledge of the scope and breadth of the technology learning area, and as a consequence, faced challenges in planning for the successful implementation of activities. In response to this particular need and to the many issues emanating from current research literature in technology education, the paper then presents two models for conceptualizing and planning units of work in technology in primary classrooms. The models form frameworks that may be useful to help structure thinking for authentic classroom planning and sequencing of lessons or learning experiences.

Recognising Uniqueness in the Technology Key Learning Area: The Search for Meaning

The purpose of this study was to investigate areas of significance which were related to the understanding of technology and technology education, identified by teachers introducing the key learning area, technology, into their primary school classrooms for the first time. Working from Australias national document on technology education, A Statement on Technology for Australian Schools (Curriculum Corporation, 1994), two teachers wrestled with how to fit this new curriculum area into their current classroom programs, their understandings of technology as a phenomenon and with their beliefs about teaching and learning in general. The study showed that the teachers made sense of technology education as it related to, from their perspectives, ideas about and aspects of primary school classrooms with which they felt comfortable. Implications for professional development include the need to acknowledge and value the prior experiences and understandings of primary teachers. The challenge for teachers in implementing technology education is gaining a conceptualisation of the learning area, which in some respects, is very like other more familiar learning areas in the primary curriculum, but in many other respects, unique.

The Development of Preservice Elementary Science Teacher Education in Australia

This paper describes the emergence of the contemporary structure of preservice primary and elementary science education in Australia. We present an historical account of the development of current programs and an analysis that reveals the major trends and influences that have molded the current situation. Major changes have occurred since the late 1970s but the last decade has seen revolutionary restructuring. We discuss the relevant literature, drawing on research reports, reports of national and state governments and other reviews. We analyze how these trends and influences have shaped education policy and preservice programs in universities. We explore as well, emerging trends and implications for future developments.

Grappling with teaching design and technology: a beginning teacher's experiences

This paper reports on an investigation into the first time implementation of a technology education unit of work by a beginning primary school teacher. The researchers monitored the teachers implementation of the unit across a 6 week period using an interpretivist research approach. A variety of data sources were drawn upon including teacher and student interviews, video and audio recordings of small group and whole-class interactions, and student-developed artefacts. Providing appropriate learning activities to assist students to develop understanding about patterns and shapes incorporated into buildings and other structures to enhance strength and stability was a challenge faced by the beginning teacher. However, she drew support from a teaching resource, which provided guidance and structure for the teaching of technology concepts and processes related to strength and stability of structures and materials. The resource helped her to develop learning activities that were appropriate to the topic and to the needs of the students in her class. Implications of the study relate to the needs of teachers grappling with teaching design and technology for the first time and the support that they can gain from predetermined planning and teaching models and well-developed teaching resources.