Investigating perceptions of the structure and development of scientific knowledge in the context of a transformed organic chemistry lecture course

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 570-581
Author(s):  
A. A. Flaherty
Keyword(s):  
Organic Chemistry ◽  
Science Education ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
National Research Council ◽  
Constructivist Grounded Theory ◽  
Scientific Practices ◽  
Chemistry Students ◽  
Thinking Processes ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Universe

Organic Chemistry, Life, the Universe and Everything (OCLUE) is an undergraduate lecture-based organic chemistry course that has been transformed in line with the vision for science education set out by the ‘Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts and Core Ideas’ (National Research Council, 2012). OCLUE is designed to progress students understanding of core ideas in organic chemistry through the use of scientific practices such as constructing explanations, predictions and models. The purpose of this study is to generate theory on how OCLUE students conceptualise the structure and development of scientific knowledge. Eleven students with diverse experiences and exam performances were interviewed. The data was collected and analysed in accordance with the tenants of constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2000). OCLUE students conceptualised a hierarchical structure of scientific knowledge whereby behind claims and answers in science is important information that determines the validity of the claim or answer. Being adept in utilising this information was important to students in OCLUE as it provided them with the opportunity to account for why phenomena occur in organic chemistry. Students explained that the process of developing scientific knowledge is rarely straight-forward or pre-determined. Instead it was believed that scientists needed to piece together what they know in seemingly random ways in order to solve science puzzles. In the context of OCLUE, students explained that memorising information ahead of OCLUE exams was insufficient. Instead they had to synthesise and interrogate their prior understanding to figure out new problems encountered in OCLUE exams. Students attributed the efficacy of OCLUE's pedagogy to helping them engage in constructivist thinking processes that involved interrogating and applying their prior knowledge. This contributes to the understanding that OCLUE has set out a precedent organic chemistry course that can foster a more scientific way of learning science that contrasts students’ engagement in considerably arduous memorisation techniques.

scholarly journals The Role of Coherent Research-Based Curricular Unit in Mediating Students’ Integrated Vision of Human Impact on the Environment

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narmin Shahin Ghalichi ◽  
Gillian Roehrig
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Human Impact ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
National Research Council ◽  
The United States ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Scientific Practices ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
K 12

The ongoing development of the high school ecology curricular unit presented in this proposal is a response to the new tide of educational reforms in the United States.  This curricular unit represents an attempt to frame K-12 science curriculum around three dimensions: crosscutting concepts, disciplinary core ideas and scientific practices recently released in the report on a Framework for New K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012).  Integration of three dimensions into the development of agriculture-related curricular unit reflects complexity and logic inherent in science education facilitating deeper conceptual understanding.  The development of this curricular unit takes place under the initiative of the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project and explores the efficacy of the agriculture-related unit on students’ integrated vision of the human impact on natural systems.  Research project seeks to recognize the characteristics that identify research-based curriculum (Clements, 2007).  The interdisciplinary nature of this project has the potential to investigate how close adherence to features identifying research-based curriculum can support the development of coherent curricular unit mediating students’ integrated vision of environmental issues.  Mediation results of this nature have larger implications on future efficacy studies of curriculum intervention.

Why Engaging in the Practices of Science Is Not Enough to Achieve Scientific Literacy

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 370-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy R. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Modern Science ◽  
Next Generation Science Standards ◽  
Habits Of Mind ◽  
Science Standards ◽  
Effective Science ◽  
Culture Of Science ◽  
K 12

The National Research Council's Framework for K–12 Science Education and the resulting Next Generation Science Standards call for engaging students in the practices of science to develop scientific literacy. While these documents make the connections between scientific knowledge and practices explicit, very little attention is given to the shared values and commitments of the scientific community that underlie these practices and give them meaning. I argue that effective science education should engage students in the practices of science while also reflecting on the values, commitments, and habits of mind that have led to the practices of modern science and that give them meaning. The concept of methodological naturalism demonstrates the connection between the values and commitments of the culture of science and its practices and provides a useful lens for understanding the benefits and limitations of scientific knowledge.

What Role Can Science Education Play?

2021 ◽  
pp. 50-74
Author(s):  
Gale M. Sinatra ◽  
Barbara K. Hofer
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Science Education ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Understanding Of Science ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
K 12 ◽  
National Trends

In international tests, the United States lags behind other developed nations in scientific knowledge, consistently scoring in the middle of the pack, motivating calls to strengthen the science curriculum in the United States, as reflected by the current standards movements in education. As educators, the authors make the case in Chapter 3, “What Role Can Science Education Play?,” that while increases in science instruction in K–12 education would be a net gain for increasing public understanding of science, education alone has its limits in addressing the broader problem. They provide examples from their own research and that of others of national trends that show the value of focusing science education on the process of how scientific knowledge is created and vetted. The authors offer suggestions to educators, communicators, and policy makers for supporting public understanding of science.

“Uncooking” a Traditional DNA-Extraction Laboratory from the Scientific-Practices Perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 582-590
Author(s):  
Kadir Demir
Keyword(s):  
Dna Extraction ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
National Research Council ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Scientific Practices ◽  
Biology Class ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
Independent Variable ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Engineering Practices

This transformed DNA-extraction lab activity offers a framework that strategically draws upon the essential elements of both scientific and effective teaching practices to establish an alternative approach to the teaching and learning of science. The pedagogical methods utilized throughout this activity encourage students’ motivation, engagement, and learning through inquiry-based, teacher-facilitated scientific practices. Additionally, this activity emphasizes Dimension 1 of the Framework for K–12 Science Education (Scientific and Engineering Practices; National Research Council, 2012). In the activity, students worked in groups and were allowed to examine different traditional lab protocols and other resources. The students had the freedom of selecting an independent variable that could possibly have an effect on the DNA extraction. To demonstrate how this activity was implemented in the classroom, a running vignette of a DNA-extraction activity in a high school biology class, in which the teacher adhered to the elements of this framework, is included.

scholarly journals Promoting deep learning through project-based learning: a design problem

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily C. Miller ◽  
Joseph S. Krajcik
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Science Learning ◽  
National Research Council ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Design Solution ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Usable Knowledge ◽  
Curricular Design ◽  
K 12

AbstractIn this paper, we present a design solution that involves the bringing together of Project-based Learning (PBL) with the theory of usable knowledge (Pellegrino & Hilton, Developing transferable knowledge and skills in the 21st century, 2012). Usable knowledge is the ability to use ideas to solve problems and explain phenomena, an approach to science learning put forth by the Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council (NRC), A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas, 2012) to optimize science learning environments. We offer a process for designing a curricular system that enhances how students learn science as a progression toward sophisticated practice of usable knowledge by focusing on coherence, depth, and motivation. We saw the potential of these distinct approaches for informing one another, and we extrapolate on 4 years of research that involves the process of iterating on our curricular design to best integrate the two approaches to support student learning.

scholarly journals The key characteristics of project-based learning: how teachers implement projects in K-12 science education

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anette Markula ◽  
Maija Aksela
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Scientific Practices ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Key Characteristics ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
K 12

AbstractThe aim of this multiple-case study was to research the key characteristics of project-based learning (PBL) and how teachers implement them within the context of science education. K-12 science teachers and their students’ videos, learning diaries and online questionnaire answers about their biology related PBL units, within the theme nature and environment, were analysed using deductive and inductive content analysis (n = 12 schools). The studied teachers are actively engaged in PBL as the schools had participated voluntarily in the international StarT programme of LUMA Centre Finland. The results indicate that PBL may specifically promote the use of collaboration, artefacts, technological tools, problem-centredness, and certain scientific practices, such as carrying out research, presenting results, and reflection within science education. However, it appeared that driving questions, learning goals set by students, students’ questions, the integrity of the project activities, and using the projects as a means to learn central content, may be more challenging to implement. Furthermore, although scientific practices had a strong role in the projects, it could not be defined how strongly student-led the inquiries were. The study also indicated that students and teachers may pay attention to different aspects of learning that happen through PBL. The results contribute towards a deeper understanding of the possibilities and challenges related to implementation of PBL and using scientific practices in classrooms. Furthermore, the results and the constructed framework of key characteristics can be useful in promoting research-based implementation and design of PBL science education, and in teacher training related to it.

scholarly journals Integrating engineering in K-12 science education: spelling out the pedagogical, epistemological, and methodological arguments

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Senay Purzer ◽  
Jenny Patricia Quintana-Cifuentes
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
School Science ◽  
School Resources ◽  
Science And Engineering ◽  
Teaching Models ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
Stem Literacy ◽  
K 12

AbstractThis position paper is motivated by recent educational reform efforts that urge the integration of engineering in science education. We argue that it is plausible and beneficial to integrate engineering into formal K-12 science education. We illustrate how current literature, though often implicitly, discusses this integration from a pedagogical, epistemological, or methodological argumentative stance. From a pedagogical perspective, a historically dominant argument emphasizes how engineering helps make abstract science concepts more concrete. The epistemological argument is centered on how engineering is inherently interdisciplinary and hence its integrative role in support of scientific literacy and more broadly STEM literacy is natural. From a methodological perspective, arguments focus on the engineering design process, which is compatible with scientific inquiry and adaptable to answering different types of engineering questions. We call for the necessity of spelling out these arguments and call for common language as science and engineering educators form a research-base on the integration of science and engineering. We specifically provide and discuss specific terminology associated with four different models, each effectively used to integrate engineering into school science. We caution educators against a possible direction towards a convergence approach for a specific type of integrating engineering and science. Diversity in teaching models, more accurately represents the nature of engineering but also allows adaptations based on available school resources. Future synthesis can then examine student learning outcomes associated with different teaching models.

scholarly journals Usage of Terms “Science” and “Scientific Knowledge” in Nature of Science (NOS): Do Their Lexicons in Different Accounts Indicate Shared Conceptions?

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 252
Author(s):  
Ismo T. Koponen
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Social Embeddedness ◽  
Focal Points ◽  
Central Theme ◽  
Network Approach ◽  
Basic Vocabulary ◽  
Common Understanding

Nature of science (NOS) has been a central theme in science education and research on it for nearly three decades, but there is still debate on its proper focus and underpinnings. The focal points of these debates revolve around different ways of understanding the terms “science” and “scientific knowledge”. It is suggested here that the lack of agreement is at least partially related to and reflected as a lack of common vocabulary and terminology that would provide a shared basis for finding consensus. Consequently, the present study seeks motivation from the notions of centrality of lexicons in recognizing the identity of disciplinary communities and different schools of thought within NOS. Here, by using a network approach, we investigate how lexicons used by different authors to discuss NOS are confluent or divergent. The lexicons used in these texts are investigated on the basis of a network analysis. The results of the analysis reveal clear differences in the lexicons that are partially related to differences in views, as evident from the debates surrounding the consensus NOS. The most divergent views are related to epistemology, while regarding the practices and social embeddedness of science the lexicons overlap significantly. This suggests that, in consensus NOS, one can find much basis for converging views, with common understanding, where constructive communication may be possible. The basic vocabulary, in the form of a lexicon, can reveal much about the different stances and the differences and similarities between various disciplinary schools. The advantage of such an approach is its neutrality and how it keeps a distance from preferred epistemological positions and views of nature of knowledge.

After-Hours Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Joslenne Peña ◽  
Benjamin V. Hanrahan ◽  
Mary Beth Rosson ◽  
Carmen Cole
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Computer Programming ◽  
Computer Science Education ◽  
Professional Women ◽  
Web Development ◽  
Learning Space ◽  
After Hours ◽  
K 12

Many initiatives have focused on attracting girls and young women (K-12 or college) to computer science education. However, professional women who never learned to program have been largely ignored, despite the fact that such individuals may have many opportunities to benefit from enhanced skills and attitudes about computer programming. To provide a convenient learning space for this population, we created and evaluated the impacts of a nine-week web development workshop that was carefully designed to be both comfortable and engaging for this population. In this article, we report how the professionals’ attitudes and skills grew over the course of the workshop and how they now expect to integrate these skills and attitudes into their everyday lives.

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