Lynn D. Newton

Primary children's conceptions of science and the scientist: is the impact of a National Curriculum breaking down the stereotype?

Past research has shown that children hold images of scientists and their work which fit a stereotype of scientists as male, balding, bespectacled and with a laboratory coat, working alone in a chemistry laboratory environment. Such stereotypes have been shown to form early and strategies intended to change perceptions may be applied too late and too narrowly. Researchers in several Westernized countries have identified this trend. Recently, there has been a suggestion that such images are becoming less stereotypical, at least in the UK. The major change in science education in the UK during this time has been the introduction of a national curriculum. This study revisited primary childrens views after a period of five years, using a common procedure (the Draw‐a‐Scientist Test). During this period all the children had been taught science in line with the requirements of the English and Welsh National Curriculum Order for Science. We found that perceptions have not changed significantly over this period o...

Some student teachers’ conceptions of creativity in school science

Creativity is generally considered to be something to encourage in young children. It is, however, popularly associated more with the arts than with the sciences. This study used phenomenographic analysis to identify some primary school student teachers’ conceptions of creativity in school science lessons (a class of 16 final year students on a degree course leading to qualified teacher status in the UK). Their conceptions were narrow, focused mainly on practical investigations of matters of fact, and included misconceptions. Teacher trainers are advised that student teachers’ conceptions of creativity can be grossly inadequate in several ways and they may omit significant opportunities for creativity involving, for example, the imaginative processing of scientific information and the construction and testing of explanations. As conceptions may be shaped by creativity in the arts, it is suggested that science educators might loosen the connection by introducing students to the broader term of ‘productive thought’, i.e. a combination of creativity and critical thought which is particularly relevant in science.

What Teachers See as Creative Incidents in Elementary Science Lessons

Teachers are often urged to nurture creativity but their conceptions of creativity in specific school subjects may have limitations which weaken their attempts to do so. Primary school teachers in England were asked to rate lesson activities according to the opportunity they offered children for creative thought in science. The teachers could, overall, distinguish between creative and reproductive activities but, as predicted, there was evidence of narrow conceptions of school science creativity, biased towards fact finding, practical activity, and technological design. Some teachers saw creativity in essentially reproductive activities and in what simply stimulated interest and on‐task talk. Some implications and recommendations for teacher training and professional development are discussed.

Subject Content Knowledge and Teacher Talk in the Primary Science Classroom

SUMMARY Teachers of young children often teach subjects that were not strong in their own education. Some people argue that this does not matter. They say that teachers acquire the knowledge when they prepare their lessons. At the same time, certain kinds of oral discourse can improve learning. The science lessons of 50 elementary teachers were observed. The oral discourse of teachers with a significant amount of science in their own education was compared with that of teachers without that background. Those with a science background tended to ask more subject-relevant questions and more causal questions than those without. A way of helping teachers manage subject knowledge is proposed.

The Occurrence of Analogies in Elementary School Science Books.

An analogy is a model drawn from one contextand used to support understanding in anothercontext. This study investigates the extent towhich analogies in instructional science booksare provided by authors. The books surveyed areavailable from commercial suppliers andintended for use in the elementary schoolclassroom with 7 to 11 year old children.Eighty texts were analysed for the presence orabsence of analogies. Forty-five of the booksoffered no analogies at all. In the remainingthirty-five books, 92 analogies were found.These were classified in line with earlier workon analogies for older students by Curtis andReigeluth (1984) and the findings arediscussed. The extent to which teachers candraw upon the analogies in such texts tosupport childrens understanding isconsidered.

Patient information leaflets: producing understandable PILs

The concept of the informed health-care ‘consumer’ rests on the availability of comprehensible information. While various bodies have made information available, its quality is mixed. Information is sometimes untrustworthy, incomprehensible, or simply forgotten by patients. An understandable record of advice is more likely to bring about compliance with treatment and lessen the need to revisit the surgery. This is a report of the revision of health-care information leaflets and their testing on 59 volunteers (61-81 years old). Presentation, reading ease and understanding were considered. The goal of making health-care information comprehensible was achieved. Guidelines for revising such material are described and illustrated. The informed consumer goal may be achievable if writers of health-care information attend to communication as much as to the adequacy of their medical advice.

Primary teachers’ epistemological beliefs: some perceived barriers to investigative teaching in primary mathematics

A recent investigation of primary teachers’ epistemological beliefs concerning the teaching and learning of mathematics discovered that teachers’ beliefs cannot be said to form neat world views. Teachers’ hybrid world views often included epistemological beliefs that supported teaching approaches which evidence suggests leads to greater conceptual understanding of mathematics. Classroom observations and semi‐structured interviews with primary teachers suggested that although there is a desire to adopt an investigative approach, this is perceived to be largely incompatible with some of the requirements of the UK National Curriculum. Common potential barriers identified by teachers included: the volume of curriculum content they are required to cover, the limited time available to cover it, some working practices perceived to be associated with the current emphasis on teacher accountability and the current method of assessment by Standard Assessment Task tests (SATs). The findings are discussed in relation to challenges facing UK policy‐makers if an approach to teaching primary mathematics, which is known to support conceptual understanding, is to flourish.

Enculturation and Understanding: some differences between sixth formers’ and graduates’ conceptions of understanding in History and Science

Abstract Understanding is often a highly valued learning outcome in higher education. If new students’ conceptions of understanding are inappropriate or are different to the conceptions of those who teach them, the quality of the students’ learning may suffer. This study compared aspects of sixth formers’ and graduates’ conceptions of understanding in History and Science. It was found that some new students are likely to begin higher education with conceptions that could point them towards a kind of learning that is not what is expected. For instance, in both history and science, there may be a tendency to emphasise the acquisition of factual information. Perhaps less obvious would be students who tend to over‐simplify events in History and those who undervalue simplification and idealisation of a situation in Science. Aspects of the conceptions of understanding that such new students may bring to their courses are described. Some strategies for developing students’ subject‐specific conceptions are also o...

Teaching for Understanding in Primary Science

The requirements of the National Curriculum Order for Science (DfEE, 1999) are such that children must be provided with opportunities to acquire not only the skills that underpin the process of Scientific Enquiry (Sc1) but also the knowledge and understandings fundamental to Life Processes and Living Things (Sc2), Materials and their Properties (Sc3) and Physical Processes (Sc4). This is a tall order for most primary teachers, particularly those for whom science is not a specialism. In this paper, what counts as understanding in science is discussed. The problems facing primary teachers in pressing for understanding are considered. Some ways of encouraging and enabling them to support the construction of understanding are also suggested. In particular, the importance of focused questioning is discussed.

Creative Thinking and Teaching for Creativity in Elementary School Science.

Abstract While it is important to nurture creativity in young children, it is popularly associated more with the arts than the sciences. This paper reports on a series of studies designed to explore teachers’ conceptions of creative thinking in primary school science. Study #1 examines pre-service primary teachers’ ideas of what constitutes creativity in science lessons, using a phenomenographic analysis. The study found that their conceptions tend to be narrow, focusing on practical investigations of fact and are prone to misconceptions. Although teachers are often encouraged to support creativity, their notions of how to accomplish this within specific school subjects may be inadequate. Study #2 involves asking primary school teachers to rate lessons according to the opportunity offered to children to think creatively in science. This study found that teachers generally distinguish between creative and reproductive (as in mimetic) activities, but tend to promote narrow conceptions of creativity in school science, where fact-finding and practical activities are prominent. Some teachers identify creativity in reproductive activities as well as on the basis of what simply stimulates student interest and generates on-task discussion. Study #3 is designed to check pre-service teachers’ conceptions of scientific creativity through an assessment of creative elements in children’s explanations of simple scientific events. This study found little agreement in teachers’ personal assessments of creativity. Implications of the findings for teacher training are discussed. Since teachers’ conceptions of creativity may be inadequate, they are unlikely to recognise significant opportunities for creativity involving, for example, students’ imaginative processing of scientific information, the construction and testing of explanations, and the assessment of quality solutions. As conceptions may be shaped by one’s experiences of creativity in the arts, it is suggested that teacher trainers and science educators introduce their students to the broader term of “productive thought,” that is, a combination of creative and critical thought, which is particularly relevant in science.