Luís Marques

Misconceptions and Conceptual Changes concerning Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics among Portuguese Students Aged 16‐17

Abstract The study investigates the misconceptions of Portuguese students aged 16‐17 in an area of science education, earth science education, which is insufficiently researched. Students’ ideas of the following concepts were probed: continent, ocean, permanence of ocean basins, continental drift, the Earths magnetic field, and plates and plate motions. Interviews were carried out and a questionnaire was administered to a total of 270 students after normal specialist teaching. A teaching‐learning model was designed based on a constructivist approach which was underpinned by resources and strategies planned and trialled with an experimental group of volunteer students. The results reveal that the students held a substantial number of misconceptions. The resources and strategies designed to remediate the misconceptions proved to be effective and enjoyable in use.

Portuguese Students' Understanding at Ages 10-11 and 14-15 of the Origin and Nature of the Earth and the Development of Life

Abstract This study was initiated in an area of school science, earth science education, which has been little explored. A sample of 493 Portuguese pupils aged 10‐11 and 14‐15 (at the beginning and end of secondary schooling) was involved. The study used interviews and a written questionnaire to probe the ideas about the origin and development of earth and life which were held by pupils who had not been taught those topics, the conjecture being that pupils would have developed their own beliefs. A significant number of commonly‐held ideas were found which were independent of those relating to the scientific consensus. Using suggestions provided by existing teaching‐learning models, guidelines are developed which should help learners to challenge their homespun views and promote their own conceptual changes.

Science Teachers’ Awareness of Findings from Education Research

In this paper, we report on a small-scale study designed to estimate science teachers’ awareness of findings derived from research in science education and other branches of educational research. The study was conducted among experienced science teachers in Portugal who were following advanced professional training programmes, usually leading to Masters’ degrees in science education. The results indicate that science teachers’ knowledge of education research findings is generally very limited. What teachers regard as sound pedagogical knowledge is usually derived from personal experience and ‘common sense’ and does tend not to be questioned by them as to its compatibility with the results of research. The outcome of the study provides evidence of the existence of a serious gap between research and the practice of science education. In the light of these findings, the authors propose that to narrow this gap should be a major task to be addressed by researchers and practitioners.

A study of students' perceptions of the organisation and effectiveness of fieldwork in earth sciences education

This paper reports the findings of a preliminary evaluation of an in-service training programme designed for practising geology/earth science teachers in Portuguese high schools and intended to enhance the effectiveness of fieldwork activities organised by them for their students. Among the points particularly stressed during the in-service training were that students should be adequately prepared for fieldwork through classroom-based activities prior to the fieldwork itself and that to arrive at the maximum educational benefit for the students, they should be involved in collaborative group-based investigation. The findings, derived from an enquiry among students following their exposure to fieldwork, revealed that in both these aspects teachers failed to put theory into practice, probably as the result of a lack of confidence to implement novel procedures. On the positive side, the students reported that they enjoyed the social interaction with other students that the fieldwork made possible and the opportunity to work independently of the teachers.

The dynamics of an online community of practice involving teachers and researchers

In the literature, communities of practice (CoPs) are recognised as having potential to promote teachers’ professional development. However, the study of the dynamics of CoPs with teachers and researchers, and their impact on teachers’ professional development, is still scarce. Contributing to fill this gap, this paper presents a single case study of the dynamics of a Portuguese online CoP, created during the research project IPEC. The messages posted by the group’s members in online fora (the most used communication tool) and descriptive statistics of the use of the project’s platform are presented and discussed. The analysis shows different levels of participation among the members over two school years. The group’s dynamic fits an adaptation of Wenger et al.’s model of CoP development stages. Finally, this analysis allowed the presentation of suggestions concerning teachers’ involvement in CoPs and their professional development.

Planning innovative teaching practices in a community of practice: a case study in the context of the project IPEC

This paper presents an analysis of the contribution of the collaborative work developed by a Portuguese community, involving teachers and researchers, and created in the context of the project |Investigacao e praticas lectivas em Educacao em Ciencia: Dinii¾¢micas de interaccao| (IPEC), to the development of innovative practices in formal education. The community members developed, implemented, and evaluated curricular modules about sustainability, through continued interactions in an online platform and some face-to-face meetings. The case study revealed that the community created challenging innovative practices, since we uncover: a) evidence of 13 of the 14 descriptors of innovative teaching practices taken into account for the analysis; b) disruptive practices when compared to traditional practices, presenting high risk-taking, large scope and complexity. In the final session, we present suggestions concerning design issues for web-based communities, such as the need to combine online interaction with face-to-face meetings.

The Importance of History and Epistemology in the Designing of Earth Science Curriculum Materials for General Science Education

The value and importance of writing, trialling and using curriculum materials which incorporate an epistemological and historical dimension are illustrated with reference to the teaching and learning of what is widely recognised as the most recent revolution in scientific knowledge. This relates to the percursor ideas of continental drift and sea floor spreading and finally to a modern understanding of the cyclical workings of the shells of the outer parts of the Earth. These latter processes have become incorporated into what is now known in academia and even the media as plate tectonic theory. The events and factors relating to the ways in which scientific knowledge was gained during the course of this revolution (1840‐1975) and the degree to which it can be analysed in Khunian terms are outlined. The educational rationale for, and the desirability of, incorporating elements of this revolution and its epistemological origins into the Portuguese National Science Curriculum at ages 13‐14 and 15‐17 years, and the explanation of the ways in which this was carried out, are highlighted by reference to the four phases of a relatively novel curriculum model. Students’, teachers’ and teacher educators’ evaluations of the effectiveness of these procedures are explained.