Lesley H. Parker

Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of Single-Sex and Mixed-Sex Mathematics Classes.

This study examines students’ perceptions of the learning settings in single-sex and mixed-sex mathematics classes, and teachers’ responses to those different classroom contexts. Nearly 300 students in four coeducational secondary schools gave their views of the nature of their participation and interaction in their mathematics classrooms, and data were also obtained from their teachers. There was congruence between students’ and teachers’ perceptions of the environment in the two kinds of classrooms. Overall, it was perceived that single-sex classrooms provided a more supportive environment for girls, but a rather less supportive environment for boys. Teachers used different strategies with the two kinds of classes and, although many experienced initial difficulty with unruly boys’ classes, these problems were overcome. The single-sex environment provided opportunities for teachers to address apparent shortcomings arising from boys’ and girls’ previous educational experience, which resulted in improved attitudes and performance.

Agents for change: policy and practice towards a more gender‐inclusive science education

A range of initiatives aimed at a more gender‐inclusive science curriculum has developed in many countries. In this paper five countries are used to illustrate these developments. They have occurred usually in the context of relevant policy statements, but sometimes in the absence of a policy, through activists, often outside the school system. At times policies developed within the education system act in opposition to a change towards greater gender equity in science education. However, when policies are in place and made visible, and where feedback and adequate monitoring are required change has occurred. The successful incorporation of gender equity awareness and practices into the professional role and practice of teachers requires adequate resources to support change.

School science achievement: Conditions for equality

Data are presented on the trend in sex differences in science achievement of the total population of 15 year old students in Western Australia over the period 1972‐85 inclusive. Since 1979 the science achievement of boys and girls has been approximately equal. This finding is attributed to the fact that, in Western Australia, at lower secondary school level, boys and girls are exposed to a common science curriculum for a common amount of instructional time. A discussion of the differential course taking hypothesis as an explanation for sex differences in science achievement found in other large‐scale studies is presented. Some evidence of the possible success of intervention strategies aimed at increasing the involvement of girls in science is given.

International Science Educators’ Perceptions of Scientific Literacy

Science educators worldwide are calling for the development of scientific literacy in today’s schools, yet there is little consensus as to what criteria or goals might constitute the attainment of scientific literacy. In this chapter, we explore the diverse meanings international science teacher educators have for scientific literacy as it relates to their own cultural backgrounds and professional practices. We conducted the study in the interest of preserving two types of context: the unique context of a science educator’s life story and the biographical contexts that enrich the meaning of the individuals’ perceptions of scientific literacy. Participants involved in the study included six science teacher educators representing: Guinea; West Africa; South Korea; Japan; New Zealand; Austria; and Colombia. We initiated interviews with participants using several open-ended questions with the intent to elicit conversational responses. We wrote the narratives presented in the study to preserve the insights shared by participants from their unique perspectives, and to avoid imposing an interpretation drawn from our worldview. Ultimately, the chapter highlights the ways in which scientific literacy is reflective of social, cultural and political situations that shape local communities and science teacher education practices.

Informing Teaching and Research in Science Education Through Gender Equity Initiatives

The purpose of this chapter is twofold. First, we present a cross-national comparison of the implementation of a gender equity initiative in Australia and the USA. Second, we provide an example of the ways in which both teaching and research in science education can be informed through the development and implementation of gender equity initiatives. The chapter documents the stages in a collaborative and evolving process involving two almost identical studies, one in Australia and one in the USA, and uses the combined results of the two studies in developing an explanatory model of the relationship between gender and science in schools and classrooms. Both studies used inservice workshops not only to address primary school teachers’ lack of background knowledge and skill in teaching physical science, but also to give them training in gender-equitable teaching strategies. Both interventions were monitored and evaluated in terms of student and teacher attitudes, beliefs and behaviours in relation to science.

Decentralising Curriculum Reform: The Link Teacher Model of In-Service Training.

ABSTRACT This paper reports on a case‐study of a decentralised model of teacher in‐service training: a variant of the ‘train the trainer’ model called the link teacher model. This model was used to prepare teachers in Western Australia for the implementation of a new senior physics syllabus. Several issues are dealt with in the paper: the perceived effectiveness of the model, the role of the link teachers, support from the central authority, recognition for the time and work required, and opportunities for teachers to experiment with new strategies. The paper concludes that by combining centralised syllabus change with decentralised implementation strategies, the model shows some promise as a vehicle for curriculum reform.

Curriculum Reform and the Case of the Disappearing Agents

Summary It is an irony that, as the educational world has come to recognise the value of school or district‐based teacher leaders, many teachers have become wary of involvement in activities which take them beyond their own classrooms or schools. The problem becomes particularly apparent in centrally organised curriculum reform efforts that call for a cadre of teachers to be co‐opted to act as ‘link’ or ‘lighthouse’ teachers. This paper examines these issues in the context of an Australian state‐wide physics curriculum project in which a ‘pyramid’ implementation model required a group of school‐based ‘link’ or ‘lighthouse’ teachers to work as change agents in district school clusters. The study focused on the motivations of those teachers who chose, and those who chose not, to become involved. It reports a number of critical distinctions, in both experience and motivation, between these two groups of teachers. These differences are analysed as a set of interlocking themes: personal meaning, professional h...

Increasing Accessibility to Science in Early Childhood Teacher Education Through Collaboration Between Teacher Educators and Science/Engineering Academics

The challenge of better preparing pre-service early childhood teachers to deliver appropriate science learning experiences in the classroom poses complex yet relevant issues. An innovative strategy to solve this problem has been a unique cross-discipline and collaborative approach. The purpose of this innovation was to provide pre-service early childhood teachers with the best possible chance of acquiring the requisite science content to merge with their pedagogical skills and thus increase their confidence to teach science in the classroom. The collaborative approach involved teacher educators and science/engineering academics together developing science resources and implementing them through team-teaching within the pre-service teachers’ science methods course. Data collection from the pre-service teachers included pre- and post-questionnaires, open-ended questions, poster analysis and semi-structured interviews. Across the course, the pre-service teachers’ confidence to teach science increased due to being shown how to teach science to young children, the wide range of ideas and activities presented that could be transferred to the early childhood classroom and increased science content knowledge. Science content knowledge increased due to active participation within the science methods course, access to science/engineering academics to explain concepts and information presented within the new science resources. This collaborative approach to developing and implementing science resources within a science methods course increased pre-service teachers’ accessibility to science and encouraged the teaching of science in the early childhood classroom.

The Renewal of Science Teachers’ Knowledge: a pilot professional development project

Abstract This paper describes a pilot project for the professional development of science teachers, a major aim of which was to update teachers’ science content knowledge. The paper focuses on the rationale and background of the project, the model of inservice education, the arrangements for credentialling and recognising participating teachers, and the findings of the external evaluation of the initial stages of the project. It concludes with a summary of the features of the project which appear to be facilitating the achievement of its aims.