Silvija Markic

A case study on German first year chemistry student teachers beliefs about chemistry teaching, and their comparison with student teachers from other science teaching domains

This paper gives insights into the beliefs of 85 German first year chemistry student teachers about chemistry teaching and learning at the beginning of their teacher education. The study is based on student teachers drawings of themselves in a typical classroom situation and four open questions. The approach evaluated: (I) Beliefs about Classroom Organisation, (II) Beliefs about Teaching Objectives, and (III) Epistemological Beliefs. The tool, evaluation pattern and the results of the 85 first year chemistry student teachers evaluated by Grounded Theory are discussed and compared with similar studies from secondary biology, secondary physics, and primary science education, respectively. The results show that the first year chemistry student teachers in this sample hold heterogeneous beliefs about science teaching and learning. A minority are oriented around modern theories of learning, especially in their epistemological beliefs; the majority tend towards more traditional beliefs of chemistry teaching, not in line with modern educational theory. The latter tendencies are not as strong as they are among their physics colleagues. Beliefs of their biology colleagues and even more so among first year primary science student teachers from our sample are much more student-centred, oriented towards scientific literacy and constructivistic learning. Implications for teacher education are discussed.

Pre-service and in-service teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning chemistry in Turkey

This paper describes beliefs held about teaching and learning chemistry by Turkish teachers and student-teachers. The study investigated different aspects of pre-service and in-service teachers’ belief structures. Part of the study examined teachers’ overall beliefs, based on participants’ drawings of classroom situations. A qualitative evaluation was employed to offer information on (student-)teachers’ beliefs about classroom organisation, their beliefs about teaching objectives, and their stance on epistemological beliefs. Beliefs ranged from very traditional, teacher-centred ideas to modern, student-centred ones. Data evaluation was triangulated using a quantitative approach, which focused on whether beliefs were characterised by either teacher-centredness or learner-centredness. Additionally, a Likert questionnaire was used to evaluate the educators` beliefs about the nature of good education. The results for the group of participants are presented and compared. Implications for chemistry teacher education in Turkey will also be addressed.

Learning about Relevance Concerning Cultural and Gender Differences in Chemistry Education

According to Stuckey, Hofstein, Mamlok-Naaman, and Eilks (2013) relevance can be considered to consist of three different dimensions: individual, societal, and vocational relevance (see prologue in this book). For chemistry teaching this means that relevant education must contribute to students’ intellectual skill development, promote learners’ competency for current and future societal participation, and address learners’ vocational awareness and understanding of career chances.

Chemistry Teachers’ Attitudes and Needs When Dealing with Linguistic Heterogeneity in the Classroom

Though language and chemistry are seen as two extremes on a spectrum, language is still one of the central mediators of any learning process. To show the importance of language and linguistic skills, the chapter will discuss the role of linguistic issues for learning in general and of chemistry education in particular from different points of view. Finally, to sum everything up and since the teachers are a key factor for changing the situation in schools, the chapter will list the attitudes and perceptions that chemistry teachers hold when it comes to dealing with linguistic heterogeneity in the classroom. Some examples of good practice for teachers’ professional development will be given.

Learning Language and Intercultural Understanding in Science Classes in Germany

This study discusses a collaborative research and development project consisting of science teachers, German as a Second Language (GSL) teachers, and science educators. The project follows the model of Participatory Action Research in science education. It focuses on the development of teaching modules for early lower secondary school science lessons in grades 5–8 (age ranges roughly from 10 to 11 and 13 to 14, respectively) on different topics. The lesson modules implement the integration of content and language with the help of the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach. All lessons are structured using cooperative and autonomous learning methods. Over the last 2 years, the group has included intercultural understanding in its teaching materials. The accompanying research attempts to answer the following question: to what extent is it possible for students to learn science content, scientific terminology, and the German language simultaneously in an intercultural context, while working in cooperative learning settings and developing their intercultural understanding? Data were collected from classroom observations, student feedback questionnaires, cognitive tests, and teacher feedback. The initial results show that it is possible to successfully combine science content, language, and intercultural factors in the same lesson module. Students were highly motivated and the lesson modules showed great potential for improving students’ learning about the science subject matter. The lessons simultaneously contributed to improvements in the students’ German language skills and intercultural understanding. The findings reflect both the potential benefits and consequences of the language and intercultural understanding aspects selected for this lesson module. Conclusions from the results and further ideas are also addressed.

One Country, Two Cultures--A Multi-Perspective View on Israeli Chemistry Teachers' Beliefs about Teaching and Learning.

This paper presents a study focusing on differences in Israeli Jewish and Arab chemistry teachers’ beliefs regarding teaching and learning of chemistry in the upper secondary schools. Israel is a country experiencing the problems of diverse cultural orientation of its inhabitants but applying the same educational system to its diverse cultural sectors. Education includes the same curriculum in chemistry for both the Israeli Jewish and Arab cultural sectors as well as final examinations (matriculation) set centrally by the Ministry of Education. Thus, this study can serve as a striking case for other countries facing similar cultural diversity. The study is based on two different instruments that are both qualitative and quantitative in nature. The qualitative data stem from chemistry teachers’ drawings of themselves as teachers in a typical classroom situation accompanied by four open questions. The data analysis follows three qualitative scales: beliefs about classroom organization, beliefs about teaching objectives and epistemological beliefs. A quantitative study gives insights into teachers’ beliefs about what characterizes good education. The main goal of the present paper is to determine whether both groups of chemistry teachers with different sociocultural background in Israel hold different views about education in general and chemistry education in particular. The findings provide evidence that in Israeli chemistry classrooms, the beliefs of Arabic teachers differ from those of the Jewish teachers, although both groups live in the same country and operate the same educational system.

Evaluating Drawings to Explore Chemistry Teachers’ Pedagogical Attitudes

Based on a review of a set of studies conducted by the authors, this chapter discusses the potential of using drawings of classroom situations to explore, research, and assess the pedagogical attitudes of chemistry teachers and teacher trainees. Justification is given for using such drawings to gain insights into teachers’ pedagogical attitudes. Two methods for evaluating beliefs and pedagogical attitudes will be outlined and illustrated by prototypical examples. Implications for teacher education will also be discussed.

Kooperatives Lernen im Chemieunterricht. Konzipierung und Untersuchung von Unterrichtseinheiten durch Partizipative Aktionsforschung

Der vorliegende Aufsatz beschreibt die Entwicklung von Unterrichtseinheiten fur kooperatives Lernen durch Partizipative Aktionsforschung. Es wird an einem Beispiel zur Elektrochemie diskutiert, wie eine zyklische Entwicklung von Unterrichtseinheiten in Kooperation von Fachdidaktik und Unterrichtspraxis aussehen kann und welchen Einfluss professionalisierte Lehrkrafte auf eine solche Entwicklung nehmen konnen. Die Fallstudie deutet an, wie gros der Einfluss der Variablen „Lehrer“ und „Qualitat der Unterrichtsmaterialien“ fur den Erfolg kooperativen Lernens sein kann.