Elementary Science Curriculum Research Articles

‘How do plants grow?’: teaching photosynthesis using digital inquiry-based science learning

The use of digital technologies as teaching and learning materials supports and enhances science learning, encouraging students to develop valuable inquiry skills and knowledge. In response, this paper seeks to explore digital inquiry-based learning as a useful aid for teaching the elementary school science curriculum on plants in Malaysia. There is a strong rationale for this work, as (i) this curriculum has received less attention compared to the equivalent on animals, and (ii) students have developed misconceptions about plants, typically in the areas of plant nutrition and photosynthesis. Thus, the paper describes a 5E Instructional Model lesson plan, which uses various digital technologies to tackle different inquiry elements at each instructional model stage. The goals of the activities are to help students: (i) assess their preexisting knowledge and engage with a new concept, (ii) create predictions and document their observations, (iii) display their conceptual understanding, (iv) gain a more profound and broader understanding through new experiences, and (v) examine their understanding and abilities with the aid of digital technology resources. The suggested activities are further discussed in relation to different types of digital technologies and evidence-based practice, thus encouraging other educators to integrate digital inquiry-based learning into their work.

학습자 상호작용 강화 I4MAT 모델을 활용한 융복합 수업의 설계 및 적용

Objectives In the interdisciplinary education, the cooperative interaction between learners is important to derive a comprehensive understanding by synthesizing knowledge from a wide range of academic fields. In this study, an interdisciplinary class was designed based on the I4MAT model focusing on learners’ interaction proposed by Kim, Yoon & Bang(2021), and implemented to explore the educational effects. Methods To this end, we first analyzed and reorganized the learning elements of elementary school science, social studies, and morals curriculum to select a interdisciplinary theme that became the center of class design. For the selected theme, learning activities and contents were designed by the categories of the model, and learners’ interaction activities, interaction competencies. Then the teaching strategies were specified. After applying teaching program to 83 elementary school pre-service teachers enrolled in an university of education located in a non-metropolitan area, the change in competencies was explored. Results The Interdisciplinary class was designed based on the I4MAT model focusing on learners’ interaction using two themes: plastic use and wildfire response. As the results of the implementation, the interaction competency and interdisciplinary thinking competency of pre-service teachers were significantly improved. Conclusions Based on the results, educational implications for the design and implementation of interdisciplinary education focused learners’ interaction were discussed.

Promoting entrepreneurship in science education: Insights into curricular goals

This study aims to examine whether elementary science curricula can be combined with the teaching of entrepreneurship, based on the approach of Lackéus, which is considered an important point of focus for present-day education systems. Entrepreneurship is not commonly handled as an autonomous subject. According to relevant approaches, teaching entrepreneurship relies on certain competencies, knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This research aims to identify whether science curricula include these competencies and can assist in developing entrepreneurial qualities. The data for the research was derived from the science curricula of 16 different countries or regions. Findings showed that there are entrepreneurial competencies in the curricula examined.

Equity Conjectures: A Methodological Tool for Centering Social Change in Learning and Design

This article offers methodological insights and tools to those engaged in design-based research (DBR) seeking to advance equity-oriented learning and outcomes through co-design. We respond to recent scholarship that points to the inseparability between the assumptions we hold about society and those we hold about learning, and consider how such insights can inform the methods we employ to facilitate learning in DBR. To do so, we examine the affordances of equity conjectures, statements about how learning remedies socially and historically constructed injustices, within conjecture mapping, a process frequently used in DBR efforts to make assumptions about learning visible to ground design, implementation, and iterative refinement. We share how we made participants’ equity conjectures visible in a research-practice partnership (RPP) between university researchers, elementary computer science (CS) curriculum designers, and elementary school teachers. We examine how making these equity conjectures visible during co-design of equity-focused CS lessons facilitated shifts in both the design process and the CS education practices of participating teachers. Our findings point to the utility of explicitly surfacing equity conjectures in collaborative design efforts aimed at equity and justice.

Motivating Teaching, Sustaining Change in Practice: Design Principles for Teacher Learning in Project-Based Learning Contexts

ABSTRACT In A Framework for K-12 Science Education, researchers call for teachers to make dramatic shifts in practice – and sustain in these changes in practice – so students can engage in rigorous and equitable three-dimensional science learning. Project-Based Learning (PBL) motivates students from diverse backgrounds to persist in learning. This project presents design features that bring together the assets of the Framework with PBL, and then tests these features to derive design principles that serve as commitments for designing for teacher change and student learning. Close ethnographic study of 10 teachers over 5 years in a design-based research study is triangulated with data collected across 41 districts in multiple states engaged in a PBL elementary science curriculum. The following design principles provide guidance for developing materials that support the depth necessary for promoting changes to teachers’ practice at scale: Adaptive, Responsive, and both Enjoyable and Intellectually Satisfying.

How students of primary school understand large scale energy systems: The case of thermal power plant

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of a constructivist teaching intervention on 6th grade students' cognitive progress on large-scale Energy Generation Systems (EGS), specifically on a Thermal Power Plant (TPP). This intervention was designed according to the constructivist approach for teaching and learning science, and it can be described as an autonomous teaching module appropriate for an elementary science curriculum. With the application of this intervention in real classroom settings, the majority of students were able to construct sufficient technological and scientific knowledge in order to describe and explain the operation of a TPP in qualitative energy terms, as our research data ascertained.

Alignment of select elementary science curricula to the next generation science standards via the EQuIP rubric

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have been adopted for use in 19 US states, including Washington DC, and more states are expected to join the NGSS movement. Thus, there is a pressing need for NGSS aligned K-12 instructional science curricula. In this study, three commercially prepared elementary school level science curricula, Carolina Biological’s Building Blocks of Science 3D, STEMScopes NGSS 3D, and Teachers’ Curriculum Institute’s (TCI) Bring Science Alive!, were examined by a panel of experts for their alignment to NGSS using the EQuIP (Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products) rubric across three categories: (a) 3D Design alignment, (b) Instructional Supports, and (c) Monitoring Student Progress. Findings indicated that all three curricula examined were either examples of high quality NGSS design or of high-quality NGSS design, if improved.

Most Difficult Topic in Social Science Curriculum as Perceived by Elementary Level Student-Teachers

The study was conducted to identify the most difficult topic in elementary teacher education first-year social science curriculum as perceived by the student-teachers by using survey research design. The study also investigated the underlying reasons responsible for the student-teachers' difficulties in learning different topics. 218 student-teachers were selected using convenience sampling technique from five District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET), in Tamil Nadu State (India) for the study. The instrument used for data collection was a checklist designed by the researchers to elicit information from the student-teachers. The data collected were analysed using frequencies and percentages. The results showed that the topic namely, 'Reading the Globe, Maps and Atlas' was perceived as the most difficult topic in social science curriculum. The results also showed that teaching the topic without using the maps, lack of previous knowledge about the maps, the existence of vague concepts, heavy content load, and lack of interest and motivation to learn map concepts were the main reasons responsible for the student-teachers' difficulties in learning the topic.

The Impact of High-Level Teacher Questioning on Elementary School Students’ Achievement, Retention and Attitude in Science

This research aimed to investigate the impact of high-level teacher questioning on 6th grade students’ science achievement, retention of learning and their attitudes toward science. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed in this research. Participants consisted of 43 students enrolled in two intact 6th grade classes of a science teacher in a public elementary school. Two classes were assigned as either an experimental group or a control group randomly. Students in both groups were taught electricity concepts through student centered activities aligned with the national elementary school science curriculum. Difference between the two groups was the type of questions used by the teacher during the instruction. Background Questionnaire, Science Achievement Test, Attitude Scale and Structured Interview Form were used to collect data. ANCOVA results revealed a significant difference in science achievement and retention of learning across two groups, in favor of experimental group. However, independent t-test results demonstrated that students’ attitudes toward science were not significantly different across the groups. Moreover, interview results supported the findings obtained from the achievement test.

The Application of the Theory of Embodied Cognition in Online Science Teaching in Primary Schools

Embodied cognition is a theory that studies the features of cognition that are formed through the experience of one’s body in a specific environment. It unveils that the body, via action and gestures, can be a powerful tool to enhance understanding and learning. In this paper, the theory of embodied cognition is introduced, and incorporated to the online elementary science curriculum, where the teachers are encouraged to involve physical interactions and participations during teaching, so that the students can better understand and master the scientific concepts. This new instructional method is shown to improve students’ scientific literacy and the quality of online teaching.

تقویم مناهج العلوم بالمرحلة الابتدائیة فی ضوء متطلبات الاقتصاد المعرفی من وجهة نظر معلمی العلوم ومشرفیها بمنطقة مکة المکرمة

تقویم مناهج العلوم بالمرحلة الابتدائیة فی ضوء متطلبات الاقتصاد المعرفی من وجهة نظر معلمی العلوم ومشرفیها بمنطقة مکة المکرمة

Unpacking the Black Box of Translation: A framework for infusing spatial thinking into curricula

BackgroundSpatial thinking skills are strongly correlated with achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and emerging research suggests that interventions aimed at building students’ skills will likely yield measurable impacts on learning across K-12 settings. The importance of spatial thinking in science has received increased attention in academic discussions; however, the intentional practice of teaching spatial thinking skills is still largely absent from K-12 education. The translation of science into educational practice is challenging for a variety of reasons, including the difficulty “translating” research findings into practical applications and limited resources to support its development, implementation, and evaluation. Given these obstacles, one may ask “can spatial thinking be brought to the classroom?” In this paper, we argue that in order to effectively move research into the classroom, we must first systematically explore how spatial thinking can be translated into practice.ApproachWe present a use-inspired, integrative framework that draws upon planned action and translation science theories, as well as research from cognitive, developmental, educational, and implementation sciences, to guide the infusion of spatial thinking into science curricula. In the Knowledge Translation Framework (KTF), translation is conceived as a multistage process, proceeding through seven stages: (1) the identification of relevant disciplinary and contextual knowledge, (2) the synthesis and translation of knowledge into guidelines to support the infusion of knowledge into the curriculum, (3) the development of tools to support curriculum development, implementation, and track the translation process, (4) the iterative development and refinement of the spatially-enhanced curriculum, (5) the creation of an analysis plan to evaluate the impact of the spatial enhancements and other contextual features on learning, (6) the development and implementation of an intervention plan, and (7) the evaluation of the intervention.ConclusionThe KTF is a use-inspired, integrative framework that unpacks the translation process and offers practical guidance on how a team may synthesize scientific and contextual knowledge, infuse it into a curriculum, and evaluate its impact in ways that will yield scientific understanding and practical knowledge. We also provide illustrative examples of how this approach was used to spatially enhance an elementary science curriculum.

Complex Sentences in an Elementary Science Curriculum: A Research Note.

Purpose Elementary school students are expected to participate in science learning settings that place high demands on skill with certain types of grammatical structures, including complex sentences. This research note aims to clarify the types of complex sentences that are evident in a general education science curriculum across the elementary school years in order to assist clinicians and others in better understanding the specific language demands of science learning in the classroom. Method I analyzed all sentences within children's texts and suggested teacher scripting from the first-, third-, and fifth-grade science units of a commonly used general education curriculum aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. We determined the frequency and type of complex sentences that were present for each type of material (text, teacher scripts) and grade level. Results Complex sentences are evident in both children's texts and suggested scripting provided to teachers at all grade levels. The rate of complex sentences in children's readings is higher in third- and fifth-grade texts than in first-grade texts. Complement clauses are common throughout, and adverbial and relative clauses are more frequent in third- and fifth-grade texts than in first-grade texts. Conclusions Children are expected to read and listen to complex sentences across the elementary school years. Speech-language pathologists should be aware of the language demands that general education science curricula may pose to students at different ages.

Integrating Computational Thinking into Elementary Science Curriculum: an Examination of Activities that Support Students\u2019 Computational Thinking in the Service of Disciplinary Learning

Using an example of a grade 3 science unit about population changes during competition for resources, we describe how we integrated computational thinking (CT) into existing curriculum identifying three levels of depth of integration: identifying connections that already exist, enhancing and strengthening connections, and extending units to include activities that more explicitly develop students’ CT. We discuss students’ understanding of the relationship between a simple model of an ecosystem and the actual phenomenon it represents, their engagement with the unit’s data-gathering and data analysis activities, their ability to engage in sense-making regarding data they generated and analyzed, and how collectively the study supports their understanding of the complex system. This example module is part of “Broadening Participation of Elementary School Teachers and Students in Computer Science through STEM Integration and Statewide Collaboration,” a National Science Foundation-funded collaboration among Massachusetts teacher educators, researchers, teachers, and state-level education administrators that developed and implemented a number of elementary grade, CT-integrated science and mathematics curriculum modules. Collectively, these modules are designed to develop practices related to several key CT topics: abstraction, data, modeling and simulation, and algorithms. These CT topics support the development of core skills related to, but not exclusively the domain of, computer science. The strategy of integrating CT into core elementary STEM subject areas was intended to cultivate CT practices in support of science learning.

Virtual Laboratory for Elementary Students

Experiment-based science learning for elementary school children in Indonesia is constrained by infrastructure. Only a few elementary schools have integrated laboratories, which led to science-based thematic learning mostly limited to conceptual or theoretical. The solution offered by this article is the use of a virtual laboratory (VLab-“little scientist”) designed specifically for elementary school students. The little scientist simulates several types of basic experiments using attractive, colorful, and simple visual displays that are easily understood by the young learner. The Virtual Lab-little scientist was developed using the RnD method and operated using screen-based hardware like PC or Mobilephone. The VLab-little scientist was tested on 4th and 5th graders of Elementary School. The test results that the utilization of virtual labs is able to improve students’ science process skills. Students were able to experiment with real equipment, after using the VLab-little scientist. Subsequent development needs to consider the elementary school science curriculum and further test to explore the effectiveness of using virtual lab.

Elementary teachers' perceptions of K‐5 engineering education and perceived barriers to implementation

AbstractBackgroundThe Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call for the integration of engineering content and practices in elementary science curricula, yet little is known about elementary teachers' preparedness to do so or their views on teaching engineering.Purpose/HypothesisThe purpose of the current study was to explore K‐5 teachers' perceptions about incorporating engineering in their classrooms as well as the perceived barriers for doing so.Design/MethodThis study consisted of an online survey including a mix of selected response, Likert, and short answer items, followed by individual interviews and focus group sessions with a subset of survey participants. Descriptive statistics are reported for quantitative survey data. Open‐ended survey questions as well as interview and focus group transcripts were inductively coded to identify emergent themes.ResultsMany elementary teachers support the inclusion of engineering in the science standards for elementary grades. Teachers describe a lack of preservice and in‐service training, background knowledge, materials, time for planning and implementing lessons, and administrative support as barriers to implementing engineering activities within their classrooms.ConclusionWhile many elementary teachers support the use of engineering activities in their classrooms, there are numerous barriers preventing them from doing so. To ensure that NGSS are incorporated into elementary classrooms as they were intended, elementary teachers must be provided with the necessary training, resources, and support.

A Comparative Analysis of Canadian and Korean Elementary Science Curricula Focusing on Multicultural Contexts in Science Education

A Comparative Analysis of Canadian and Korean Elementary Science Curricula Focusing on Multicultural Contexts in Science Education

Scaffolding ecosystems science practice by blending immersive environments and computational modeling

AbstractResearch in the field of technology‐enhanced learning has argued for a broader scope of technology‐supported learning environments to include the design of activity systems which position students as active thinkers by reorganizing learning with technology around the practices of scholarly communities. In the context of elementary ecosystems science, this entails structuring classroom activity around the construction and evaluation of epistemic artifacts, such as scientific models and representations, that profitably direct learners’ conceptual efforts toward productive forms of inquiry and the construction of new scientific knowledge. In this demonstration‐of‐concept paper, we present EcoMOD, an elementary ecosystems science curriculum that blends an immersive virtual environment with an agent‐based computational modeling tool to support growth in ecological knowledge and scientific practice in learners aged 8 to 11 years old. Specifically, we explore how the design of the EcoMOD activity system supported students’ active thinking in scientific inquiry through transformative modeling practices. Analysis of student activity and discourse indicates that engagement in transformative activities supported students in developing more nuanced causal explanations of the ecosystem by the end of the curriculum. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Authentic virtual simulations can transform classroom learning experiences, particularly when organized around the production of epistemic artifacts. Computational modeling and programming tools are successful in supporting ecosystems knowledge construction and complex causal reasoning in learners. Engagement in transformative modeling practices are integral to the construction of new scientific knowledge. What this paper adds Suggests a design framework for meaningfully blending immersive virtual environments with computational modeling and programming tools to support active thinking in scientific inquiry. Demonstrates multi‐modal techniques for formative and summative assessment. Indicates that children in this age range are able, with appropriate support, to acquire knowledge and skills well above what is described in curriculum standards. Implications for practice and/or policy Offers practitioners an effective approach for productively integrating computational modeling, science content and inquiry‐based practices within elementary science instruction. Demonstrates to policymakers the practicality, affordability and value of immersive learning technologies and agent‐based modeling in classroom settings.

Fostering Fifth-Grade Students’ Ability to Design Comparative Experiments Using an Online Model

Chinese Elementary Science Curriculum Standards requires that fifth- and sixth- grade students can plan and design comparative experiments. However, students at these grades have difficulties in distinguishing and controlling variables in a specific context. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a simulation-embedded scientific inquiry unit on fifth-grade students’ ability to design comparative experiments. Thermodynamics Challenge, implemented in the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) and translated into Chinese, engaged fifth-grade students in conducting virtual investigations with NetLogo models to test how thermal insulation effect is enhanced by different material use. A total of 86 fifth-grade students (47 boys and 39 girls) from an elementary school in Weifang City, Shandong Province participated in the research. Pre- and post-tests were used to examine changes in students’ understanding of comparative experiment design. Results showed that all students have a significant improvement in knowledge of comparative experiments from pre- to post-test, and students with low prior knowledge improved more than the other two groups. These findings indicated the feasibility of fostering fifth-graders’ comparative experiment design with simulations. Implications for science teaching are discussed.

The Evaluation of Elementary 4th Grade Science Curriculum

The aim of this study is to evaluate Primary Institutions Science Curriculum implemented in 2004-2005 and revised in 2013 education year. The dimensions of the curriculum, which are needs assessment, aim, content, learning-teaching process and assessment process, will be evaluated in terms of principles of curriculum design. The data of research has been collected with “Curriculum Evaluation Analysis Form”, prepared by researchers. In this study, document analysis has been used to demonstrate the features of elementary 4th grade science curriculum in terms of the elements of education program. The reliability of analysis form has been found .73. According to the results obtained from study, regional disparities have been ignored in the process of determining needs assessment. In addition to this, determining the objectives of the curriculum beforehand doesn’t match the basics of approach it relied on. However, content, learning-teaching process and assessment process dimensions of curriculum have been prepared according to the basics of curriculum design.