Marios Papaevripidou

Modeling complex marine ecosystems: an investigation of two teaching approaches with fifth graders

This study investigated acquisition and transfer of the modeling ability of fifth graders in various domains. Teaching interventions concentrated on the topic of marine ecosystems either through a modeling-based approach or a worksheet-based approach. A quasi-experimental (pre‐post comparison study) design was used. The control group (n = 17) received a traditional worksheet-based instruction about ecosystems, whereas the experimental group (n = 16) received an instruction which was based on Stagecast Creator, an object-oriented programming tool, and a set of modeling-based curriculum materials. Paper-and-pencil tests were used both before and after the study to evaluate students’ development of specific modeling skills. The data analysis followed both qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings of the present study indicate that (i) the development of modeling ability was effectively enhanced through the modeling-based approach, since, after instruction, students were able to transfer those aspects to unfamiliar contexts; in contrast, the more traditional worksheet-based approach did not promote the development of the same aspects of the modeling skill; and (ii) Stagecast Creator enabled students to construct, test, revise and validate dynamic computer-based models of a marine ecosystem through building, testing and debugging complex rules, routines and programs for simulating multiple behaviours and processes of marine species.

Combined development of middle school children's conceptual understanding in momentum conservation, procedural skills and epistemological awareness in a constructionist learning environment

1D collisions are part of the curriculum for 15–16 year olds in the educational system of Cyprus. The curriculum activities in this domain commonly rely on a mathematical approach and are constrained by prerequisite algebraic skills. Conservation laws have the broadest possible application of all laws in physics and are thus considered by many scientists to be the most fundamental laws in our representations of nature. However, they are currently presented in the educational system in a very didactic manner with the result that students identify them as meaningless algorithms to be implemented in working out a solution as to the outcome of a collision. In this paper, we focus on the design of inquiry based curriculum that aims to help 13 and 14 year olds to foster conceptual understanding and modelling skills in an integrated manner in the domain of 1D collisions. Through the model-based curriculum students are also expected to appreciate the important role of conservation laws in science as a fundamental principle in analysing process end states. We will also present some preliminary pre-test results related to our threefold objective.

Designing a Course for Enhancing Prospective Teachers’ Inquiry Competence

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a professional development (PD) program on teachers’ development of inquiry competence (inquiry skills, definitions of inquiry, pedagogical content knowledge for teaching science as inquiry). Our approach drew on constructivist learning and situated cognition, built upon nine critical features of effective inquiry PD, and made use of an inquiry-based learning framework reported in the literature. The participants were 72 preservice elementary teachers enrolled in a science method course, within which the PD program was implemented. The course was split in three phases. During Phase 1, teachers as learners engaged in multiple inquiry cycles through a specially designed curriculum. During Phase 2, teachers as thinkers studied the curriculum from its pedagogical rationale, whereas during Phase 3, the teachers as reflective practitioners designed and implemented lesson plans and curriculum materials for the preparation of a student for a science fair project. The constant comparative method and open coding were used for analyzing the data collected from teachers’ definitions of inquiry, reflective diaries, pre- and post-assessment of teachers’ inquiry skills, science fair project work, and end-of-course individual interviews. The findings revealed that a significant number of teachers shifted from naive to advanced inquiry competence, indicating that the format and structure of the course, in conjunction with the curriculum materials and the teaching approach, significantly influenced prospective teachers’ inquiry skills, definitions of inquiry, and pedagogical content knowledge for teaching science as inquiry. Implications of the findings are discussed in light of how it is best to support prospective teachers in teaching science as inquiry.

Design, Development and Refinement of a Teaching-Learning Sequence on the Electromagnetic Properties of Materials

We describe a process of designing, developing, and gradually refining a teaching-learning sequence (TLS) on electromagnetic properties of materials (EPM). The design of the teaching-learning sequence draws on principles from the frameworks of inquiry-oriented teaching-learning and learning through technological design. Combining these two frameworks was intended to lead to an instructional context that would likely sustain student interest for the extended time that is necessary to attain conceptual understanding of magnetic interactions and electromagnetic phenomena. Also, it was expected to facilitate the development of students’ epistemological awareness regarding the interconnections and distinction between science and technology. The development process involved a series of six implementation-evaluation-revision cycles (two in upper secondary classes in a school setting, two in a science summer club for highschool students, and two in a science content course for pre-service elementary teachers), with a total of 294 participants. In each implementation, we collected data on students’ learning outcomes through various sources, including open-ended assessment tasks and student-constructed artefacts (e.g., technological products and accompanying posters and written reports). After each implementation, we drew not only on the collected data but also on the feedback provided by the teachers, so as to refine the teaching-learning sequence with the intent to enhance its potential to promote its targeted learning objectives. In this study, we illustrate how the empirical data collected during the implementation of the teaching-learning sequence could serve to guide its refinement. We report on particular instances in which the data on student learning outcomes led us to identify specific limitations of the teaching-learning sequence in terms of its facility to promote certain learning objectives and we elaborate on the revisions we undertook so as to address those limitations.

The Development of Elementary Students’ Understanding of Complex Ecosystems Through a Model-Based Approach

We report on a study in which we designed and implemented an activity sequence within the context of ecosystems aimed at fostering scientific modelling skills and enhancing conceptual understanding among fifth graders through the use of Stagecast CreatorTM. We describe how activities supported students to improve and expand their models by adding new information collected from observations and personal knowledge about real-life ecosystems. Paper-and-pencil tests were used both before and after the study to evaluate students’ modelling skills and understanding of concepts related to ecosystems. The data analysis followed both qualitative and quantitative methods. The results indicated the importance of the synergy of the study’s goals: to learn about marine ecosystems and develop modelling skills. We found significant differences between students’ pre- and post-test scores, suggesting that our approach facilitated the development of both modelling skills and enhanced conceptual understanding of marine ecosystems of fifth graders