Rosalind Driver

Constructing Scientific Knowledge in the Classroom

The view that knowledge cannot be transmitted but must be constructed by the mental activity of learners underpins contemporary perspectives on science education. This article, which presents a theoretical perspective on teaching and learning science in the social setting of classrooms, is informed by a view of scientific knowledge as socially constructed and by a perspective on the learning of science as knowledge construction involving both individual and social processes. First, we present an overview of the nature of scientific knowledge. We then describe two major traditions in explaining the process of learning science: personal and social constructivism. Finally, we illustrate how both personal and social perspectives on learning, as well as perspectives on the nature of the scientific knowledge to be learned, are necessary in interpreting science learning in formal settings.

Pupils and Paradigms: A Review of Literature Related to Concept Development in Adolescent Science Students.

(1978). Pupils and Paradigms: a Review of Literature Related to Concept Development in Adolescent Science Students. Studies in Science Education: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 61-84.

Making Sense of Secondary Science : Research into children's ideas

Part I: Childrens ideas about life and living processes. Living things. Nutrition. Growth. Responding to the environment. Reproduction and inheritance. Microbes. Ecosystems. Part II: Childrens ideas about materials and their properties. Materials. Solids, liquids and gases. Chemical change. Particles. Water. Air. Rocks. Part III: Childrens ideas about physical processes.

A Constructivist Approach to Curriculum Development in Science

(1986). A Constructivist Approach to Curriculum Development in Science. Studies in Science Education: Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 105-122.

Students’ conceptions and the learning of science

This introductory article to the Special Issue of the International Journal of Science Education attempts to review the theoretical contexts for research into childrens conceptions in science and to identify future directions for research programmes in this field.

Pupils’ Alternative Frameworks in Science

Summaries English The work of Jean Piaget and others on the development of childrens thinking, has indicated that far from being the ‘tabula rasa’ of repute, pupils bring to their school learning in science ideas, expectations and beliefs concerning natural phenomena which they have developed to make sense of their own past experiences. These alternate frameworks, in some cases strongly held and resistant to change, in others flexible and with many internal inconsistencies, have their influence on the effectiveness of formal school science programmes. Just as scientists in a period of ‘revolution’ in science have to make a paradigm shift, so pupils in moving from the ideas and beliefs they come to school with, to understanding and accepting the explanatory systems being offered, have to make a considerable journey in thought.

Children's ideas about ecology 2: ideas found in children aged 5‐16 about the cycling of matter

This paper reports some of the findings from a study of the ecological understandings of children aged 5‐16 years in schools in the north of England. Childrens ideas about selected ecological concepts were elicited through a series of written tasks and individual interviews set in a range of contexts, referred to here as probes. Responses of about 200 pupils, across the age range, were obtained on each probe. In this paper pupils’ ideas related to the cycling of matter between organisms, and between organisms and the abiotic environment in which they live, are presented and discussed. The design and methodology of the study were reported earlier (Leach et al. in press a) while a subsequent paper will discuss the childrens ideas relating to other aspects of the interdependency of organisms in ecosystems (Leach et al. in press b).

Children's ideas about ecology 3: ideas found in children aged 5‐16 about the interdependency of organisms

This paper reports some of the findings from a study of the ecological understandings of children aged 5‐16 years in schools in the north of England. Childrens ideas about selected ecological concepts were elicited through a series of written tasks and individual interviews set in a range of contexts, referred to here as probes. Responses of about 200 pupils, across the age range, were obtained on each probe. In this paper the ideas related to the interdependency of organisms in ecosystems are presented and discussed. The design and methodology of the study (Leach et al. 1995), and childrens ideas related to the cycling of matter between organisms, and between organisms and the abiotic environment (Leach et al. 1996), have already been reported.

Children's ideas about ecology 1: theoretical background, design and methodology

Abstract This paper provides an introduction to a study of the ecological understandings of children aged 5‐16 years in schools in the north of England. Childrens ideas about selected ecological concepts were elicited through a series of written tasks and individual interviews set in a range of contexts, referred to here as probes. Responses of about 200 pupils, across the age range, were obtained on each probe. In this paper, issues relating to theoretical background, design and methodology are outlined. Two further papers present the major findings of the study: the first reports childrens ideas about the cycling of matter between organisms and between organisms and the abiotic environment (Leach et al. in press a); the second reports childrens ideas about the interdependency of organisms in ecosystems (Leach et al. in press b).

When is a stage not a stage? A critique of Piaget's theory of cognitive development and its application to science education

Summary Piagets theory of cognitive development, in particular his ‘stage theory’, is having a significant influence on thinking about school science curricula. In the trend to more informal and child‐centred methods, his ideas have formed a base for many primary science programmes over the world.1 Until fairly recently, however, the impact of his thinking has not been felt in secondary science programmes. There are now signs that this is changing. The Piagetian model, particularly the stage theory, is being used in this country and elsewhere as both a scale on which to measure scientific development2 and an explanatory system to account for the difficulties secondary school pupils encounter in understanding scientific ideas.3, 4, 5 With this growing awareness of Piagets work and its implications among secondary science teachers and curriculum developers perhaps it is timely to take a step back and review the status of the work critically. Since it is addressing itself to the relevance of Piagetian theo...