Area Of Science Education Research Articles

Effects of Digital Game-Based Learning on Elementary Science Learning: A Systematic Review

Digital game-based learning (DGBL) has been perceived as an engaging teaching approach to foster students' learning and motivation. There are different opinions about the potential benefits of gaming on students' academic achievements, motivation, and skills in science courses due to the lack of empirical evidence and mixed results. To address this issue, this paper provides a review of relevant literature from 2006 to 2017 to examine the effects of using educational computer games in teaching science at the elementary education level. This paper employed a multidimensional framework to classify learning outcomes from studies of DGBL applications in the area of elementary science education. The findings of this review show a promising potential of DGBL, particularly in the area of content understanding. However, the findings of the review also suggest that there is a need to provide additional research in order to gain a more comprehensive picture of the educational effectiveness of DGBL. Hence, researchers are advised to conduct more randomized controlled trials (RCTs), various learning modes (e.g., collaborative and individual), and comparisons of DGBL to traditional methods of teaching. Furthermore, the researchers are highly encouraged to examine the effectiveness of DGBL applications in other areas, such as problem-solving and critical thinking. The findings of this review can benefit educational computer game designers, educators, and practitioners in the area of science education, particularly at the elementary level.

O uso de textos de divulgação científica em atividades didáticas: uma revisão

Neste artigo apresentamos um levantamento de trabalhos desenvolvidos na área de ensino de ciências que reportam o uso de textos de divulgação científica (TDC) em atividades didáticas aplicadas em sala de aula do Ensino Fundamental e do Ensino Médio. A pesquisa, do tipo estado da arte, foi realizada nos anais do Encontro Nacional de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências e em periódicos nacionais da área de Ensino de Ciências, abrangendo um período de 20 anos. Analisamos nos trabalhos os seguintes aspectos: contextos de aplicação das atividades (nível de ensino, disciplina); objetivos didáticos das atividades; tipos de TDC utilizados; estratégias usadas; e principais contribuições das atividades destacadas pelos autores. Observamos que a maioria das atividades didáticas usa textos de revistas de divulgação científica, adotando principalmente leitura e discussão como estratégias didáticas e estimulando habilidades de leitura, argumentação e aprendizagem de conceitos científicos

A abordagem temática na educação em ciências: a caracterização de um estilo de pensamento

NNo presente artigo – o qual é um recorte de uma pesquisa de mestrado – são apresentados e discutidos resultados sobre como pesquisadores da área de ensino de ciências entendem e trabalham com a perspectiva curricular da Abordagem Temática. Baseando-se em conceitos da epistemologia de Ludwik Fleck, investigam-se quem são os pesquisadores que fazem parte do círculo esotérico de sujeitos e que, portanto, constroem conhecimento sobre o referido assunto. Nesse sentido, também, após a identificação de tal círculo, apresentam-se características acerca de sua constituição e, principalmente, sobre o Estilo de Pensamento desses sujeitos. Percebe-se, a partir da análise das entrevistas realizadas com esses pesquisadores e também de elementos derivados de um processo de revisão bibliográfica, que o Estilo de Pensamento do coletivo está fortemente vinculado a pressupostos freireanos. Ainda, identificou-se proximidade entre o Estilo de Pensamento e a natureza dos Momentos Pedagógicos.

Audiovisuais como temática de pesquisa em periódicos brasileiros de educação em ciências

O presente trabalho traz um levantamento bibliográfico realizado a partir de 10 periódicos da área de Ensino, das publicações de 2005 até 2014, sobre a temática audiovisual na Educação em Ciências. Utilizamos a metodologia da pesquisa documental e a análise de conteúdo de Bardin. A partir da análise realizada obtivemos um resultado em que a categoria predominante foi Artefato/Audiovisual Didático na Educação em Ciências, e que o uso do audiovisual no Ensino de Ciências ainda é pouco explorado, possuindo características neutro-instrumentais. Constatamos também a ausência de um modo de uso do audiovisual no Ensino de Ciências sob a perspectiva crítico-transformadora e, a falta de diálogo entre a área de Educação em Ciências e o referencial teórico-metodológico de audiovisual/comunicação. Ao considerar este cenário, apontamos a necessidade de pesquisas na área de Educação em Ciências com o uso do audiovisual crítico-progressista com estudantes e professores.

Bitácora de laboratorio una investigación en la enseñanza de la química en nivel superior

Las actividades experimentales en la enseñanza de la química en la educación superior han sido criticadas, entre otros motivos, porque se alejan de las consideraciones derivadas de investigaciones en el área de enseñanza de las ciencias. Ante esto, el objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar las aportaciones de la bitácora de laboratorio utilizada en una asignatura de química general del curso de grado en Química de una institución brasileña. Participaron un total de 27 estudiantes. Las bitácoras de laboratorio elaboradas colectivamente en dos clases fueron sometidas a los procedimientos de análisis textual discursivo. Se señala que las bitácoras de laboratorio pueden favorecer una interlocución con los conocimientos de los estudiantes así como discusiones de carácter epistemológico sobre la experimentación.

Formação de professores de química no contexto da educação inclusiva

O presente trabalho discute sobre a formação de professores de Química no contexto da educação inclusiva. As fontes de informação compõem-se do levantamento das produções nacionais contemplando: periódicos, eventos nacionais de Ensino de Química e de Ensino de Ciências e dissertações e teses dos programas de pós-graduação em nível nacional. Além da realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas com três pesquisadores da área de Educação em Ciências do Brasil, que têm produções voltadas para a Educação Inclusiva. A análise dos dados foi realizada com base na metodologia de Análise Textual Discursiva. Constatamos que o processo formativo docente demanda orientações sobre o respeito à diversidade, na avaliação e na metodologia, bem como conhecimentos sobre as categorias de deficiência para propor adaptações com intuito de atender a diversidade de alunos presentes nas instituições escolares.

Students’ Achievement in Math and Science: How Grit and Attitudes Influence?

Many recent studies in the field of mathematics and science education have been studying the effect of non-cognitive factors in students’ achievement such as emotions, attitudes, values, beliefs, motivation, anxiety and grit. For example, attitude has been an important area in science education, and there have been many attempts to measure students attitudes to understand why they prefer a specific science subject (Reid; 2006). Zimmerman and Brogan (2015) stated that ‘grit predicts successful performance in a variety of contexts and found to be positively correlated with undergraduate grade average.’ Unfortunately, there are very few attempts if any have been studying the effect of grit on students’ academic achievement in Bahrain. Bahrain is an important economic sector in the Arabic Gulf region; it has very ambitious and competitive developing economical and educational vision. This study aims to find relationships between students’ level of grit and attitudes toward mathematics and science and the academic achievements in Bahrain secondary schools. ‘Grit questionnaire’ was adapted from Duckworth et al. (2007), and was administered to a total of 646 secondary school students. ‘Attitudes toward mathematics’ questionnaire was adapted from TIMSS (2011), and administered to a total of 349 secondary school students. ‘Attitudes toward science’ questionnaire was adapted from TIMSS (2011), and administered to a total of 297 secondary school students. The results showed that grit is positively and significantly correlated to academic achievement in math only, while attitudes towards math and science was positively and significantly correlated to academic achievement in both subjects.

Biopolitics and the ‘subject’ of labor in science education

Viewing science education as a site of biopolitical engagement—intervention into forces that seek to define, control, and exploit life (biopower)—requires that science educators ask after how individuals and populations are governed by technologies of power. In this paper, I argue that microanalyses, the analysis of everyday practices and discourses, are integral to biopolitical engagement, are needed to examine practices that constitute subjectivities and maintain oppressive social conditions. As an example of a microanalysis I will discuss how repetitive close-ended lab/assessment tasks, as well as discourses surrounding careers in science, can work to constitute students as depoliticized, self-investing subjects of human capital. I also explore the relationship between science education, (bio)labor and its relation to biopolitics, which remains an underdeveloped area of science education. This paper, part of my doctoral work, began to take shape in 2011, shortly after the 2008 economic crisis achieved a tiny breached in the thick neoliberal stupor of everyday (educational) life.

A PESQUISA BASEADA EM DESIGN: VISÃO GERAL E CONTRIBUIÇÕES PARA O ENSINO DE CIÊNCIAS

A pesquisa baseada em design (DBR) envolve uma nova metodologia intervencionista que busca aliar aspectos teóricos da pesquisa em educação com a prática educacional. Na área de pesquisa em ensino de ciências, a DBR tem sido usada para planejar, implementar e avaliar sequências de ensino-aprendizagem (TLS) de conteúdos específicos. No presente artigo, apresentamos um quadro geral sobre a DBR e as TLS, descrevendo a metodologia envolvida. A partir de um olhar sobre a literatura disponível, entendemos que a metodologia DBR e os estudos envolvendo TLS são abordagens que podem contribuir com a construção e consolidação de conhecimentos didáticos específicos, ou mesmo mais gerais, relacionados com a prática docente e os processos de ensino e aprendizagem em sala de aula.

A Case of Fragmented High School Earth and Space Science Education in the Great Plains: Tracing Teacher Certification Policy to Students' Access

ABSTRACTAlthough U.S. high school students' access to Earth and space science (ESS) varies widely from state to state, nationally, ESS content is the most neglected area of science education and scientific literacy. States have been considering whether they will formally adopt, or less formally adapt, the new national science education standards, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which have been carefully developed and articulated in conjunction with state education leaders. However, there are many challenges with which states, school districts, and teachers must grapple to enact standards-aligned ESS science lessons. This study of one Great Plains state investigated how school districts provide ESS education at the high school level and to what degree is ESS being taught by qualified teachers. We found that 76% of districts added ESS topics to existing physical science and/or biology courses rather than offer a stand-alone ESS course. During the eight-year period investigated, the state awarded 901 science teaching endorsements to either new secondary teachers of which only 3.3% were single-subject ESS endorsements. In Phase I and II of our study we found that only 7% of science teachers teach ESS with an ESS endorsement versus a general science or other science subject area endorsement. When teachers teach ESS out-of-field they lack the confidence and subject matter knowledge to teach effectively using inquiry-based approaches and are less likely to recognize misconceptions and oversimplification of ESS content.

RESEARCH TRENDS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION.

RESEARCH TRENDS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION.

Educação CTS: parâmetros e propósitos brasileiros

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1982-5153.2017v10n1p27Neste artigo são discutidos parâmetros e propósitos da educação ciência-tecnologia-sociedade (CTS), presentes no contexto brasileiro do ensino de Ciências. Os mesmos resultam do cruzamento de informações oriundas do estudo de referenciais teóricos, pertencentes aos campos da ciência, tecnologia, sociedade, educação e ensino de Ciências, e da aproximação a trabalhos sobre CTS, publicados em revistas e eventos da área de Ensino de Ciências no Brasil. Os parâmetros da educação CTS referem-se à racionalidade científica, desenvolvimento tecnológico e participação social. Os propósitos educacionais associam-se ao desenvolvimento de percepções, questionamentos e compromissos sociais. A identificação e caracterização desses parâmetros e propósitos possibilitam reconhecer diferentes abordagens a serem contempladas no âmbito da educação CTS; o que, além de permitir uma compreensão maior e mais clara sobre os sentidos e perspectivas da educação científica CTS no Brasil, contribui para a seleção de elementos a serem priorizados em práticas escolares.

ABORDAGENS EDUCACIONAIS DAS BIOTECNOLOGIAS NO ENSINO DE CIÊNCIAS ATRAVÉS DE UMA ANÁLISE EM PERIÓDICOS DA ÁREA

As biotecnologias estão cada vez mais presentes entre as pessoas e oferecem várias possibilidades de aplicação em nossas vidas, tornando-se imperativo entender como elas estão sendo eventualmente abordadas na Educação Científica, especialmente no Ensino de Química. O objetivo deste artigo foi analisar e apontar as possibilidades educacionais das biotecnologias a partir de um levantamento de artigos publicados em nove periódicos de importância para a área de Ensino de Ciências, especialmente à Química. Selecionaram-se 54 artigos por ferramenta eletrônica de busca por meio das seguintes palavras-chave: biotecnologia, transgênico, soja e suas derivações. Pela Análise Textual Discursiva, encontraram-se os seguintes significados em três categorias: diversas formas de interação entre Ciências e Biotecnologias; compreensões parciais sobre biotecnologias entre professores, alunos e graduandos e; três grandes abordagens das biotecnologias na Educação Científica — Desenvolvimentista, que objetiva a inovação a fim de desenvolvimento econômico; Propedêutica, voltada à resolução de problemas sociais meramente pela apropriação de conceitos e; Alfabetização Científica e Tecnológica Ampliada, que discute os conceitos, valores, princípios e filosofias para solucionar problemas sociais. Conclui-se que o tema é incipiente na área e que mais pesquisas são necessárias para investigar e divulgar suas possibilidades para discutir incertezas científicas e interdisciplinaridade no Ensino de Ciências.

The Embedment of Responsible Research and Innovation Aspects in European Science Curricula

The recent and current discourse on education policy across Europe places great emphasis on the importance of incorporating aspects of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in science education. A key aspect of education policy is that citizens should become better equipped to enquire into and understand socio-scientific issues, as well as to apply scientific knowledge and ethical values in order to form evidence-based opinions. The question of how the intentions of policy-makers can be translated effectively into educational practice, however, has yet to be answered. Against this background, the present paper will investigate how aspects of RRI can be embedded in the curricula of science education in various European countries. The framework we will present illuminates both the intentions of policy-makers and current practices with regard to RRI within science curricula. It also helps map such policies and strategies in the area of science education across Europe. In the context of the ENGAGE project, this framework has been used as a tool for analysing the RRI components of curricula in the science education of students aged 11–16. The analysis is based on data gathered in 2014, takes into account prospective reforms and covers 11 European countries. The results of the analysis illustrate the potential of this framework as a tool for investigating how RRI can be embedded in science education and for exploring the space for intervention that policy-makers have. They also show that this framework can shed light on how the intentions of policy-makers and current practices with regard to RRI interrelate and on how moving from “words to deeds” can be achieved in a meaningful and constructive manner.

A contribuição do cotidiano escolar para a prática de atividades investigativas no ensino de solos

Estudos na área de ensino de ciências revelam que as atividades investigativas exercem papel significativo na aprendizagem, tanto de alunos, quanto de professores. Este trabalho avalia atividades investigativas na formação continuada de professores nas escolas de São Paulo, a partir de dois pressupostos: (1) o ensino de solos é dificultado em área urbana, onde ele está normalmente encoberto; (2) atividades investigativas são essenciais para ensino de solos. Durante trabalho prévio com professores, constatamos que eles modificam as atividades sugeridas pelos pesquisadores de Educação, ao implementá-las em sala de aula. Para entender melhor como tais saberes se mesclam cotidianamente nas escolas, realizamos novo estudo com professores da 4ª série (atual 5º ano) do Ensino Fundamental em escola pública paulista. Os resultados mostram que as atividades investigativas favoreceram a aprendizagem dos alunos sobre o conteúdo solos, tanto na aquisição de habilidades científicas, como no desenvolvimento de oralidade e capacidade de redação. Transformou-se a relação com o conhecimento acerca do solo, que se tornou elemento formativo para alunos e professores. Além disso, as atividades desencadearam o ensino por temáticas, rompendo a fragmentação do conhecimento e tecendo conhecimento em rede.

Knowledge about Science in Science Education Research from the Perspective of Ludwik Fleck’s Epistemology

The importance of knowledge about science is well established, and it has a long history in the area of science education. More recently, the specialized literature has highlighted the search for consensus in relation to what should be taught in this regard, that is, what should compose the science curricula of elementary and high school levels. Despite this effort, several criticisms made by researchers in this field have been targeted at this “consensus view,” limiting the possibility of a true consensus. This work brings an epistemological framework—the epistemology of Ludwik Fleck (1896–1961)—to interpret the current state of research in this area concerning the search for consensus. In particular, Ludwik Fleck’s notions of thought style; thought collective; active and passive connections; communication of thoughts within and between collectives (intracollective and intercollective communication); and esoteric and exoteric circles are presented and used for the characterization of our object.

Natureza da Ciência no ensino de ciências: uma proposta baseada em “temas” e “questões”

This work addresses issues related to knowledge about Science in Science education, particularly about the question “what to teach” in relation to metascientific content. We explore the existence of a “Consensus View” (CV) about Nature of Science (NOS) in the literature on the area of Science Education, showing that there are different routes, terminologies, starting points and conclusions when we analyze the literature around this “consensus”. We then explore certain characteristics of the CV – related to its form and its content – and present some criticisms already made of it, particularly those regarding the use of declarative knowledge associated with the CV, as well the content of some of the statements. In the final section, we suggest what we consider to be a more open, pluralistic and heterogeneous approach to deal with knowledge about science in the school science curriculum. This approach, based on ‘themes’ and questions instead of ‘tenets’, attempts to overcome some of the criticisms previously discussed.

Conceptualizing science learning as a collective social practice: changing the social pedagogical compass for a child with visual impairment

The international literature on science learning in inclusive settings has a long history, but it is generally very limited in scope. Few studies have been undertaken that draw upon a cultural-historical reading of inclusive pedagogy, and even less in the area of science education. In addition, we know next to nothing about the science learning of preschool children with visual impairment using cultural-historical theory. This paper seeks to fill this gap by presenting a study of one child with Albinism who participated in a unit of early childhood science where fairy tales were used for learning about the concepts of sound and growth. This paper reports upon the social and material conditions that were created to support learning in the preschool, whilst also examining how the learning of growth and sound were supported at home. The study found three new pedagogical features for inclusion: Imagination in science; Ongoing scientific narrative; and Scientific mirroring. It was found that when a dialectical reading of home and centre practices feature, greater insights into inclusive pedagogy for science learning are afforded, and a view of science as a collective enterprise emerges. It is argued that a cultural-historical conception of inclusion demands that the social conditions, rather than the biology of the child, is foregrounded, and through this greater insights into how science learning for children with visual impairment is gained.

University Programme Preferences of High School Science Students in Singapore and Reasons that Matter in their Preferences: A Rasch analysis

This study explored an under-researched area in science education—the university programmes preferred by high school students who take physical science subjects and the reasons that matter in their preferences. A total of 1,071 upper secondary and pre-university students in Singapore, who take physical science subjects among their range of subjects, participated in this study. A survey method was adopted and the Rasch model was used to analyse the data. Overall, Business Studies was ranked as the predominant choice; nonetheless, scientific programmes such as Science, Engineering, and Mathematics are generally still well liked by the students. When gender differences were examined, we found that students largely followed gender-typical programme preferences, in which males tend to incline towards Engineering while females tend to incline towards Arts and Social Sciences. Students prefer a university programme based on their individual interest and ability, with career aspiration and remuneration coming next. Interestingly, females place greater emphasis on career aspiration than males. Some implications of the study are discussed.

외적 환경 변화에 따른 과학관의 구축 방향 전략

In modern society, to be achieved status as a Science edutainment experience, not just a science museum is established. It requires strategy and differentiation of a variety of entertainment, including theme parks, games, movies which are youth like. When the understanding of the audience for the principles of science to improve the use of ICT Convergence contents display, you need to take measures to increase the effectiveness of the Science Museum by giving the function of interesting leisure space in addition to the popular area of Science Education, Scientific and Cultural aspects reached. This role requires a science museum as a cultural space with the community as a chapter in science education. Science Museum is not a need to worry about what will convey to the public as efficiently as the Mecca of the educational content for the National Science Education. The analysis of the external environment, the composition will take on science education as a mecca of science education and how to combining ICT convergence technology in modern society beyond mere science museum experience and education in this study.