Abstract
<p style="text-align:justify">An evidence-based, interactive teaching method peer instruction (PI) is promoted to support effectiveness over more commonly used teaching methods. Usually it is proposed for the university and upper secondary school. The research reports on the implementation of the PI approach in teaching subject Science and Technology (S&T) in the 4th grade of primary school. The aim of this research was to verify the feasibility of this approach for much younger students in primary school by evaluating the students’ progress in the subject S&T, identifying the differences in individual progress in relation to students’ general learning success, and determining students’ opinions about the approach and where no desired progress has been made. In a selected Slovenian primary school, a classroom with 26 students (age 9 – 10) was included in the study and 5 different content areas (Earth’s motion, Matter, Magnetism, Forces and motion, and Electricity) were taught using this PI approach. Results show that students made progress in all content areas and no differences were identified in the progress of individual students in terms of general learning success. Students were satisfied with the approach, although more than half of them found the multiple-choice questions as too difficult. Although the PI approach is successful, teachers must be aware that some persistent and widespread misunderstandings may still remain and require additional intervention.</p>
Highlights
Science education lays the foundation for the later development of science concepts, practices and attitudes
As peer instruction (PI) is relatively rarely used in primary schools, it would enable a deepening of science knowledge at primary school level, cover learning objectives from the curricula and allow students in a different way to learn from their peers and build science knowledge, communicate in the language of science and last but not least develop scientific literacy
The aim of the present study was to determine whether the PI approach is feasible in primary-school science education
Summary
Science education lays the foundation for the later development of science concepts, practices and attitudes. It is essential to gradually and systematically introduce scientific experiences, awareness, and vocabulary at an early stage in the education system. The formation of awareness, attitudes toward and understandings about nature begins early in child’s development, as children naturally ask questions and draw conclusions from experiences and progress with them (Dawes, 2015; Eshach & Fried, 2005). Effective science teaching enables students to change, reconstruct and generate science concepts (Krnel et al, 2005). Concepts are formed through concrete direct experience, and through secondary languagebased experiences, which students use for articulate, reflect upon and discuss ideas related to nature and doing (Dawes, 2015)
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