Concepts In Science Education Research Articles

ФІЛОСОФСЬКА ПАРАДИГМА НАУКОВОЇ ОСВІТИ: КОНЦЕПТУАЛЬНА ЕКСПЛІКАЦІЯ

The relevance of the development of science education provokes new discussions about its philosophical foundations, which cover the attributes of progress in this field since antiquity and offer new projects and perspectives for the development of a philosophical paradigm of science education in view of the challenges and requirements of today. The article is devoted to the analysis of three main approaches to define the philosophical paradigm of science education: interiorization, interrelational, and multiperspective. The interiorization approach to defining the philosophical paradigm of science education involves the development of the "philosophy of science education" as an "internal philosophy". The interrelational approach to delineating the philosophical paradigm of science education is based on identifying the relationship between the philosophy of science and science education, the relationships between sections of philosophy and scientific inquiry. The most comprehensive approach to defining the philosophical paradigm of science education is multi-perspective, which is based on addressing various philosophical trends and their understanding of scientific meaning and rationality, mutual influences and contradictions, determining the contribution of each of them to the progress of the theory and practice of science education. This approach usually develops the concept of science education through the prism of such philosophical trends as John Dewey's pragmatism, constructivism, rationalist school, classical empiricism, and postmodernism. Each of the mentioned directions is analyzed in the article in the context of the dialectics of science education.

Philosophical Bases of Science Education Concept: History and Modern Developments

This article is devoted to the analysis of philosophical bases for developing science education concept taking into account historical retrospective and modern research achievements.  The inquiry is one of a comprehensive attempt to analyze the range of philosophical and pedagogical aspects of the multifaceted concept of science education, the diversity of approaches to elaborate science education concept as a case of philosophical analysis, and the axiological aspects of science education through the prism of developing values and means of democracy. The role and place of science education in developing responsible citizenship are examined.

OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES IN SCIENCE EDUCATION

The impact of science education in the daily activities of man and of course the world can never be over emphasized because science education form the basis for the acquisition of the scientific common senses that are applied in the solution of certain problems. The world is changing every day, therefore, science education which is the vehicle for advancement; innovations and national development have to change too. The paper looks into the concept of science education, goals of science education, emerging challenges in science education and way forward. Suggestions were also made on how best to overcome the challenges in science.

Aprendiendo a vivir mejor transformando el ser

The purpose of this study is to explore the different trends revealed in recent times about human learning linked to life and being from the role of science education and its mission in the 21st century. A bibliographic review of specialized literature was carried out, identifying and describing five trends regarding the conception of science education: pluralistic epistemology or epistemological anarchy, inter- and multicultural science education, science education from its relationship with environmental education, science education from the perspective of citizenship and science education from the perspective of new trends in education. Each of the trends was described, identifying its key aspects, to then contrast them according to the following criteria: the need to review and transform science education, the very conception of science and finally, the linkage and effects of science education with respect to society; to finally conclude with respect to the linkage of science education, in this case science education, with learning to live. As a conclusion, it is assumed that learning to live is seen in different ways by the studied tendencies, but they tend to coincide in the vindication of respect by the hegemonic positivist official science towards knowledge, values, beliefs, experiences, cosmovisions that are different, as well as the incorporation of ethical and political judgments in scientific learning that result in learning to live together and to live together in true freedom.

ТЕОРИЯ НАУЧНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ С.И. ГЕССЕНА И СОВРЕМЕННАЯ КОНЦЕПЦИЯ НАУЧНОЙ ГРАМОТНОСТИ

In the literature, the concept of science education by S.I. Hessen is scarcely described, but at present it deserves close attention due to a number of reasons: the need to increase the level of scientific literacy of the Russian population; the absence of a generally accepted concept of scientific literacy in Russian pedagogy; the need to distinguish between the concepts of “natural science literacy” and “scientific literacy”; lack of a reasonable model for the formation of scientific literacy in the education process. The purpose of the study is to determine the correlation between the concepts of “natural science literacy” and “scientific literacy” and to define the significance of the practical implementation of scientific education proposed by S.I. Hessen in modern conditions. The objectives of the study are to compare the modern concept of scientific literacy with the theory of science education offered by S.I. Hessen and to determine the theoretical contribution of this theory to the problem of distinguishing between the concepts of “natural science literacy” and “scientific literacy”. I compared the main provisions of the theory of science education with the concept of scientific literacy, presented in the scientific works of Norman Lederman, professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and with the framework documents of the international PISA study. The author revealed the similarity of the main provisions of the theory of science education developed by S.I. Hessen, and modern pragmatic concepts of scientific literacy. This conclusion allowed us to rely in our study on the philosophical and anthropological approach. The author substantiated the distinction between two types of literacy: scientific literacy and natural science literacy. The hierarchical relationship of types of literacy was revealed. The author proposed a model of the structure of scientific literacy based on five competencies.

The Effects of Computer Simulations on Students’ Science Process Skills: Literature Review

Some concepts in science education are incomprehensible and complex. Therefore, they need explanatory educational processes. These educational processes should also develop students' science process skills (SPSs). This article reviewed the research about computer simulations whether or not they have an effect on students’ SPSs in science education. It focuses on three questions: how the use of computer simulations to develop students' SPSs, how computer simulations are used in order to better improve learning processes and outcomes and whether computer simulations can replace laboratory experiments with computer simulations. The literature revealed that although computer simulations are more effective in science teaching to overcome traditional teaching, it has been determined that presenting science concepts through simulations without using other teaching methods is insufficient to gain SPSs. Besides, the use of virtual laboratories in online learning still leaves some problems.

Fröbelove pedagogické myšlienky v kontexte primárneho prírodovedného vzdelávania

The paper illustrates the pedagogical-philosophical ideas of the prominent 19th century educator Friedrich Fröbel and their fundamental contribution to primary science education. In a historical context, it points out the importance of his pedagogical work for contemporary pedagogy and highlights the fundamental concept of science education, which allows children of younger school age to get to know nature experientially. The eminent goal of the contribution is to interpret Fröbel's gnomic pedagogical ideas as a subsidy to the development of modern pedagogical thinking in the context of primary science education. It highlights the potential of Fröbel's pedagogical vision, which can also be used for contemporary primary science education.

An International Comparative Study of Students' Scientific Explanation Based on Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment.

Scientific explanation is one of the most core concepts in science education, and its mastery level is crucial for a deep understanding of the nature of science. As a new generation of assessment theory, cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA) can get the knowledge of students' mastery of fine-grained knowledge. Based on the extant research, this research has formed eight attributes of scientific explanation concepts. By coding the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) test items, a CAD tool was formed. Data collected from 574 Grade 4 students in Hangzhou, China, combined with the data of the United States, Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Russia, were used in our study. The Deterministic Inputs, Noisy “And” gate (DINA) model was used to analyze the results from three aspects: the probability of mastery of attributes, the international comparison of knowledge states, and the analysis of learning paths. This study provided a new perspective from a CDA approach on the assessment of scientific explanation.

ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IN THE SPECIALIZED SCIENCE EDUCATION

The main idea of the article is considered the role of the scientific method, which is defined in the Law of Ukraine “On Education” the type of specialized education – science education. The general understanding of the scientific method place in research activity, research competence and for development of pupils’ scientific thinking has been described. The main aim of the implementation concept of science education in education is to teach students to adapt to the ever-changing environment of life, work and study. This process should be based on the application of scientific methods and the development of scientific thinking of pupils. Scientific method ‒ is a cognition instrument, and the educational process is aimed on the one hand to acquire new knowledge, and on the other - to teach students how using and improving personal approach for the effective application of the scientific method in personal purpose. It has been described the value of research activity for further human competitiveness. The main tasks of education are not so much scientific research and the educational process as education through research. The result of such education is interpreted as the constant demand for a student as a specialist in the field of knowledge. In this way, the purpose of science education is the formation of student's research competence, which in turn is based on research activities for the effective implementation of which the student must be able to use scientific methods. Therefore, in order to model a student's research competence and basic competencies in science and technology, it is necessary, among other things, to learn how to use the scientific method as a tool of cognition.

Montessori Approach to Science Education: Cosmic Vision as a Unique Area of Pupils’ Studies

The paper aims at recalling Maria Montessori’s essential assumptions about the child development and organization of the educational process as a basic issue considering the concept of science education. In the Montessori pedagogy, it is characterized by the form of the so-called Cosmic Education. Cosmic Education is a unique approach to work with children aged 6 to 12. Thus, the idea of Cosmic Education, the relationship between the child’s needs and the science education curriculum is elucidated. The essence of the Great and Key Lessons as centers of children’s exploration and research is discussed. The Montessorian way of learning about fundamental human needs is presented as an inspiration for school practice. The basis for collecting empirical material is the analysis of the content aiming at the current achievements within the selected topic characterization.

A Framework for Defining Scientific Concepts in Science Education

Abstract Studies have shown that inadequate definitions of scientific concepts could complicate the learning of science and could prevent students from understanding the definitions of scientific concepts. The article provides a framework for defining scientific concepts in primary, secondary, and university education by proposing teachers draw attention to five common features of a definition: object/system, nature/characteristics, cause/effect, mathematical expression/equation, and condition/ reference frame that can help students to consider four dimensions, including, ‘comprehensiveness,’ ‘precision,’ ‘consistency,’ and ‘circularity’ when learning science concepts. This framework can be used by science teachers to guide students to analyze and redefine scientific concepts in the classroom and may be especially beneficial for students in Asian countries where teachers and students often rely on rote memorization as a strategy for learning scientific concepts. We conclude by describing the need for future studies in educational contexts in Asian countries where pedagogical strategies have traditionally emphasized memorization of science concepts.

A teoria de P. Ya. Galperin e a formação de conceitos teóricos na educação em Ciências: reflexões críticas e possibilidades

Este artigo sintetiza reflexões sobre o processo de formação de conceitos teóricos na educação em Ciências baseada na teoria de P. Ya. Galperin. Tomamos como contexto algumas críticas tradicionalmente feitas à teoria, reforçadas (embora não intencionalmente) em estudos atuais de pesquisas no contexto brasileiro que abordam esse processo. Partimos da natureza lógica dialética dos conceitos teóricos e do papel de sua definição para justificar a formação da base orientadora do tipo III como mecanismo psicológico da aprendizagem desses conceitos. Na discussão, pretendemos oferecer um ponto de vista que se contrapõe com posturas teóricas que consideramos interpretações parciais ou mal-entendidos das ideias de Galperin, sempre reconhecendo suas limitações, próprias de qualquer teoria científica.

Natural science education concept for sustainable development

The article is revealed essence and the concept of “ecological and evolutionary approach”, conceptual ideas of ecological and evolutionary approach (the idea of evolution and the idea of ecocentrism) are disclosed. Author determined methodological principles of ecological and evolutionary approach to teaching. The concept of teaching natural sciences on the basis of ecological and evolutionary approach and didactic principles of implementation of ecological and evolutionary approach to the teaching of natural sciences (didactic conditions, principles and laws) are developed and scientifically substantiated which is visualized in a didactic model of teaching natural science on the basis of ecological and evolutionary approach. The technology of teaching biology based on ecological and evolutionary approach is developed. Results of pedagogical experiment proved the effectiveness of the technology of teaching biology on the basis of ecological and evolutionary approach and the conception and implementation of teaching principles of ecological and evolutionary approach to the teaching of natural sciences embodied in it.

Graphic Organisers: The Use of Mind Maps and Concept Maps for Indexing of Concepts in Science Education

Teaching is not limited to making the learners literate; it aims at helping them to become a creator by employing the creative mental faculties such as perception, reason, will, memory, imagination and intuition. The teaching process involves input and output of lot of information which depends on several variables. One of the variables is the learning style of the student. Research acknowledges that every student has a specific or a combination of styles of learning. Like, some learns better while writing, some through listening, some through visuals, some through activity and some learns better if they are taught by using combination of two or more of these styles. The objective of every teacher is ‘to impart the knowledge in the best possible manner’ and for this, any unusual strategy used by the teacher to meet the diversified needs of the students, can be termed as an Innovative strategy. Such innovative strategies in teaching not only level up the standard of education but also empowers the future generation by strengthening their cognition. The present study aimed to explore the usefulness of concept maps in an understanding of ideas in isolation and the use of Mind Maps in summarising all the ideas as a whole. This was an experimental research with one sample, pre-post-test design. The researcher delivered three chapters of the Biology of IX grade through Concepts Maps and Mind Maps. The sample was selected through purposive sampling technique and the intervention was given for 4 weeks in one of the government schools of Delhi. The analysis revealed that the null hypothesis was rejected and the difference between the scores of pre and post-test was found to be significant. Through the analysis of the Researcher’s Diary, used as tool to triangulate the quantitative findings, it was concluded that concept maps and mind maps were found to be effective pedagogical tools to develop the concepts, comparing and contrasting, improve factual recall and to have a deeper level of understanding through interlinking. It was revealed that the mapping was also found to be useful in identifying the learning gaps, build a conceptual hierarchy, and facilitate new learning onto the previous one. The findings of this study were in consonance with the viewpoint of other studies conducted on Graphic organizers. The study suggests the use of Graphic Organisers in the classrooms across the curriculum and subjects as it is based on the technique in which the new information is matched, compared to, contrasted to, joined with or modified to fit in with the previously attended information, thus, assists students to reach to the high levels of cognitive performance.

Attending to the public understanding of science education: A response to Furtak and Penuel 

AbstractThis commentary is a response to Furtak and Penuel (2019), and raises four key points. The first is to reframe Furtak and Penuel's argument as an appeal for a public understanding of science education, and by extension, science education reform. The second is to note that such a public understanding of science education must include attention to more than the structure and content of science curricula and the enactment of a “practice turn”; it must also include a robust vision of science pedagogy—something that is markedly absent from the recent Next Generation Science Standards and Framework documents. The third is to make the case that the use of terminology like “hands‐on” is really a marker for a conception of science education, and by attempting to communicate a competing model of science education, reformers are aiming to effect conceptual change among the public about science education itself. Finally, I argue that logical and rational efforts to communicate a public understanding of science education are likely to fall short if affective factors—which are highly activated when discussing science and science education publicly—are not taken into account.

Problems and Solutions in Implementing Science Education in Rural Kindergartens at Present

Compared with the city, the implementation of science education activities in rural kindergartens has some problems such as the lag of science education concept, the shortage of full-time teachers, unreasonable education contents, single teaching methods and organizational forms, and unreasonable evaluation. This paper puts forward some strategies to solve these problems: changing ideas, renewing the concept of scientific education in kindergartens, matching full-time teachers, establishing an effective training mechanism for rural preschool teachers, building a diversified training model for preschool teachers, making full use of rural resources, and establishing a correct evaluation concept.

Modeling Conceptualization and Investigating Teaching Effectiveness

Our research addresses the issue of teaching and learning concepts in science education as an empirical question. We study the process of conceptualization by closely examining the unfolding of classroom lesson sequences. We situate our work within the practice turn line of research on epistemic practices in science education. We also adopt a practice turn approach when it comes to the learning of concepts, as we consider conceptualization as being inherent within epistemic practices. In our work, pedagogical practices are modeled as learning games and epistemic practices in science education are characterized as enacted epistemic games emerging through the unfolding of learning games. Science practices are modeled as source epistemic games since they are the source of the knowledge at stake in pedagogical practices. From this point, we examine closely how playing learning games can enable students to play enacted epistemic games and then in turn the source epistemic games at the core of conceptual understanding. Thus, the main contribution of this paper is to link pedagogical practices to epistemic practices in science education and to science practices in general. Our method is consistent with this epistemological framework as our case study on the concept of earthquakes in a 5th grade classroom sequence illustrates. Following an investigation of two experienced teachers and their classes during a teaching unit, our analysis shows how teaching effectiveness is determined by a dialectic. This entails on the one hand a didactic continuity between learning games and enacted epistemic games and, on the other, an epistemic continuity between enacted epistemic games and source epistemic games.

On the Meaning of Concepts in Science Education

On the Meaning of Concepts in Science Education

Working and Learning in a Field Excursion.

This study aimed to discern sociocultural processes through which students learn in field excursions. To achieve this aim, short-term ethnographic techniques were employed to examine how undergraduate students work and enact knowledge (or knowing) during a specific field excursion in biology. The students participated in a working practice that employed research methods and came to engage with various biological phenomena over the course of their work. A three-level analysis of the students’ experiences focused on three processes that emerged: participatory appropriation, guided participation, and apprenticeship. These processes derive from advances in practice-oriented theories of knowing. Through their work in the field, the students were able to enact science autonomously; they engaged with peers and teachers in specific ways and developed new understandings about research and epistemology founded on their experiences in the field. Further discussion about the use of “practice” and “work” as analytical concepts in science education is also included.

НАУКОВА ОСВІТА ЯК ПЕДАГОГІЧНИЙ КОНЦЕПТ

The author considers the main ideas of introducing the science education into the school practice. The article reviewed the history of science education developing in the example of the United States of America and Great Britain. The explanation of the concept “science education” by foreign and Ukrainian scientists is considered. Science education should enhance learners’ curiosity, wonder and questioning, building on their natural inclination to seek meaning and understanding of the world around. Science should be introduced and encountered by school students as an activity that is carried out by people including themselves. Their personal experiences of finding out and of making connections between the new and previous experiences not only bring excitement and personal satisfaction but also the realisation that they can add to their knowledge through active inquiry. Both the process and product of scientific activity can evoke a positive emotional response, which motivates further learning.The role and place of science education of the UNESCO are highlighted. In a world that is increasingly shaped by science and technology, the UNESCO recognizes this and has made it its mission to not only spread education but to make an interest in the Sciences a prominent and lasting feature wherever it is offered.Based on Professor Wynne Harlen’s research, the author describes 10 principles of implementation of the concept of science education at school. It is determined that the purpose of the introduction of science education at school is to teach a pupil to act and think as a scientist and innovator. Undertaking scientific inquiry gives students the enjoyment of finding out for themselves and initiates appreciation of the nature of scientific activity, of the power and the limitations of science.