Martin Braund

Gauging Students’ Untutored Ability in Argumentation about Experimental Data: A South African case study

This paper reports on a study into the untutored ability of Grade 10 students to engage in argumentation about the interpretation of experimental data, and the effect of unsupported small group discussions on this ability. In this study, argumentation intends to promote critical thinking. The sample includes 266 students from five South African schools across the resource spectrum, forming 70 friendship groups. Students are required to provide written interpretations of experimental data, and justify these interpretations based on the evidence and concepts of measurement. Individual responses form the basis of small group discussions after which students again provide written justified interpretations of the readings. The data show an initial low level of argumentation, with significant variation according to school resource levels. Considerable improvement in the level of argumentation occurs merely through small group discussions unsupported by the teacher. The findings suggest several factors influencing argumentation ability such as experience with practical work, perceptions of the purpose of small group discussions, the language ability to articulate ideas and cultural influences. Methodological issues arising from the study and implications for teaching and assessment are discussed.

Darwin-Inspired Drama

The relationship between ‘the Arts’ and ‘the Sciences’ has both fascinated and troubled educationists. Darwin’s connection with the arts changed radically over his lifetime. In his early years he embraced cultural activities loved by so many early Victorians. But later, as his science advanced, he became increasingly estranged from poetry, literature and theatre.

Crossing the Border: Science Student Teachers Using Role-play in Grade 7

Drama is used to build knowledge and understanding in science as part of a socio-linguistic, constructivist approach. Role-plays, where learners act as analogues for components and processes, help access abstract ideas. However, a problem restricting many science teachers using these approaches has been that they lack sufficient pedagogical knowledge of drama. Our question was, therefore, to what extent do student teachers who are science majors make the necessary ‘pedagogical border crossings’ from drama into their personal pedagogies for science? We observed and recorded the lessons of six volunteers who taught science using drama in grade 7. Our analysis of lesson features that are critical for successful outcomes, based on an adapted version of Tripps critical incident method, and student teacher interviews show that role-plays can be powerful border-crossing objects between science and the arts. Findings show that some development is needed to link learners’ actions to concepts and provide more suitable analogues and sufficient learner autonomy. We see drama as an important tool in science teaching and suggest conditions necessary for the initial training of science teachers that could make them better users of drama as role-play to teach science.

Teacher educators professional journeys: pedagogical and systemic issues affecting role perceptions

ABSTRACT Teacher educators in many countries share similar concerns as they aspire to improve education for learners and stimulate interest in further study and careers. The roles and professional development of school teachers have been researched, but little attention has been given to teacher educators. Using a small-scale, illuminative study in England and South Africa, this paper examines pedagogical implications of progression from classroom teacher to teacher educator-tutor. Systemic issues include attitudes to personal scholarship in moving to high stakes academic environments requiring research. In both countries, there were issues of student teachers’ subject knowledge and their capacity to translate knowledge for learners. South African teacher educators were concerned about student teachers’ lack of appreciation of the integrity of conceptual understanding and sequencing of topic content. Implications for the professional development of teacher educators and their role identities are considered.

Learning to teach argumentation: Facilitated reflection on a pre-service curriculum in South Africa

Abstract In South Africa, critical thinking is a prominent aim of education. Argumentation (the processes and products of arguing) is central to critical thinking and important in science and technology, but teachers have not been trained in classroom methods. This article reports an evaluation of the university-based part of a programme to train science and technology student teachers to teach argumentation. Observations of the university sessions produced detailed descriptions of the enacted curriculum with respect to argumentation and the teaching of argumentation. A model called SIMPL facilitated critical reflection by the programmes teacher educators. These reflections validated course structures, identified key assumptions made by teacher educators and clarified the interplay between student teachers as learners, and teachers’ and teacher educators’ instructional roles. The findings showed that while the curriculum provided student teachers with ample experience of argumentation and opportunities t...

Drama as physical role-play: actions and outcomes for life science lessons in South Africa

Abstract Two volunteer BEd student teachers in their fourth year of a BEd degree at a metropolitan university in the Western Cape of South Africa designed and taught lessons to two classes of the same age and ability in grade 7 (ages 12–13), using drama role-plays (intervention) and more conventional non-drama methods (control). Lessons were observed and video-audio recorded to identify episodes critical to successful learning. Learners (pupils) in both sets of classes were tested in associated content using tests designed by the student teachers. In both cases test outcomes were in favour of drama lessons (F = .56 and .55) but were not necessarily linked to the number of positive teaching episodes. Lack of interaction between student teachers and their learners, insufficient structure to the role-plays or a tendency to over-contextualise scenarios did not seem to have hindered conceptual understanding. Findings suggest a more nuanced and progressive programme of training in using drama for teaching science would be beneficial and that subject knowledge for planning activities must be particularly sound.

Opening up the Dialogic Space. Using Questions to Facilitate Deeper Informal Learning

The aim of this chapter is to provide anyone working with visitors to informal learning settings with knowledge and ideas to provide high quality learning experiences through better social interactions using questioning. Questions can be between learners and any number of adults. One of the key attributes of good teaching and learning is being able to ask the right question at the right time, something that the best teachers do regularly. Good questions come from listening to learners to provide further points in dialogue that challenge thinking and promote deeper learning. In informal learning spaces such as museums and galleries the challenge, for people not trained and experienced as teachers, is to interact with learners without reproducing the formalities of the classroom. Providing worksheets of questions can deaden the experience and excitement of learners and might limit meaningful and free exploration. What is needed are careful strategies, sympathetic to informal learning environments, but capable of stimulating the sort of ‘breakthrough behaviours’ that lead to deeper learning. In this chapter we discuss research on what makes oral questioning and in written text most productive and how this can be applied to informal settings. Several examples, used in museums and galleries, to help museum staff, docents, volunteers and teaching assistants interact with learners more productively, to better question artefacts and exhibits, and interact with each other are shown and discussed.