Using epistemic instructional activities to support secondary science teachers’ social construction of knowledge of anthropogenic climate change during a professional learning experience

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Lynne M. Zummo ◽  
Sara J. Dozier
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Construction ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Secondary Science ◽  
Construction Of Knowledge ◽  
Secondary Science Teachers ◽  
Instructional Activities ◽  
Social Construction Of Knowledge

‘Civil skepticism’ and the social construction of knowledge: A case in dendroclimatology

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 821-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meritxell Ramírez-i-Ollé
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Construction ◽  
Science And Technology Studies ◽  
Sociological Theory ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Construction Of Knowledge ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Construction Of Knowledge ◽  
Blue Intensity

Early Science and Technology Studies (STS) scholars recognized that the social construction of knowledge depends on skepticism’s parasitic relationship to background expectations and trust. Subsequent generations have paid less empirical attention to skepticism in science and its relationship with trust. I seek to rehabilitate skepticism in STS – particularly, Merton’s view of skepticism as a scientific norm sustained by trust among status peers – with a study of what I call ‘civil skepticism’. The empirical grounding is a case in contemporary dendroclimatology and the development of a method (‘Blue Intensity’) for generating knowledge about climate change from trees. I present a sequence of four instances of civil skepticism involved in making Blue Intensity more resistant to critique, and hence credible (in laboratory experiments, workshops, conferences, and peer-review of articles). These skeptical interactions depended upon maintaining communal notions of civility among an increasingly extended network of mutually trusted peers through a variety of means: by making Blue Intensity complementary to existing methods used to study a diverse natural world (tree-ring patterns) and by contributing to a shared professional goal (the study of global climate change). I conclude with a sociological theory about the role of civil skepticism in constituting knowledge-claims of greater generality and relevance.

Using Virtual Rehearsal in a Simulator to Impact the Performance of Science Teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa A. Dieker ◽  
Carrie Straub ◽  
Michael Hynes ◽  
Charles E. Hughes ◽  
Caitlyn Bukathy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Science Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Secondary Science ◽  
Behavior Changes ◽  
Group Design ◽  
Secondary Science Teachers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

This study investigated the use of a virtual learning environment, TeachLivE, using pre-post group design to examine the effects of repeated virtual rehearsal sessions. Based upon past findings on the effectiveness of four 10-minutes sessions, the research team used refined methods to examine the effects of these sessions on 102 secondary science teachers. Teachers who took part in the simulated activities significantly increased their targeted behaviors compared to colleagues who had not taken part in the simulation activities. These results of behavior changes that occurred in the simulation were found to transfer back to the real classroom settings for the experimental group (simulation use). Results from this study further validates the impact of simulation in teacher education, showing professional learning in virtual-reality simulated classrooms can positively impact targeted teaching practices in a concentrated amount of time.

scholarly journals Secondary Science Teachers’ Views on Environmental Citizenship in The Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7963
Author(s):  
Michiel van Harskamp ◽  
Marie-Christine P. J. Knippels ◽  
Wouter R. van Joolingen
Keyword(s):  
Science Teachers ◽  
Citizenship Education ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Explicit Representation ◽  
Secondary Science ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Secondary Science Teachers ◽  
Environmental Citizenship ◽  
Teacher Professional

Environmental Citizenship (EC) is a promising aim for science education. EC enables people not only to responsibly make decisions on sustainability issues—such as use of renewable energy sources—but also to take action individually and collectively. However, studies show that education for EC is challenging. Because our understanding of EC practice remains limited, an in-depth, qualitative view would help us better understand how to support science teachers during EC education. This study aims to describe current EC education practices. What do secondary science teachers think sustainability and citizenship entail? What are their experiences (both positive and negative) with education for EC? A total of 41 Dutch science teachers were interviewed in an individual, face-to-face setting. Analysis of the coded transcripts shows that most teachers see the added value of EC but struggle to fully implement it in their teaching. They think the curriculum is unsuitable to reach EC, and they see activities such as guiding discussions and opinion forming as challenging. Furthermore, science teachers’ interpretation of citizenship education remains narrow, thus making it unlikely that their lessons are successful in fostering EC. Improving EC education therefore may be supported by explicit representation in the curriculum and teacher professional development directed at its implementation.

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