Taking the lead in science education reform in NSW, 1957-1964

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-252
Author(s):  
Jennifer Clark
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
State Aid ◽  
Science Education Reform ◽  
Education History ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Contributions ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how Harry Messel, Harold Wyndham, L.C. Robson and Robert Menzies were instrumental in bringing about substantial change in science curriculum and infrastructure reform in NSW schools. Design/methodology/approach – The paper relies on substantial archival research including materials never before examined or used by historians of education history. The paper is divided into sections, the first uses teacher surveys and identifies problems with science teaching in 1958, a key year in education history and each section after that looks at the contribution of Wyndham, Messel, Robson and Menzies in driving a new direction for science education. Findings – The research found that Wyndham, Messel, Robson and Menzies each contributed a new dimension to the reform of science education in Australia. Their individual contributions were substantial, inter-related and interlocking but quite different. The paper argues that it is not adequate to look at science education reform purely as a means to introduce State Aid, rather science education reform was advocated as a means to ensure students had a scientific literacy going forward into a technologically driven future. Research limitations/implications – The research strikes a path through a vast primary source record to outline how individuals and science teachers more generally believed in science education reform as a mechanism to ensure students were better placed to enter a post-Sputnik world. As a result, known arguments around State Aid are only part of the story and not the main focus of the research. The aim is to supplement that knowledge by looking more at a broader picture for science reform for its own sake. Originality/value – This paper takes an original approach to the history of curriculum change by providing a broader context for the State Aid debate, that is, by focussing on individual contributions to science education reform for its own sake and because science education was deemed necessary for student literacy in the future. At the same time it uses archival material never before accessed or used to tease out this history. The teachers’ surveys provide a unique insight into conditions for science teachers in the late 1950s. This material has not been accessed before and it provides a context upon which to superimpose the impact of the contributions of Wyndham, Messel, Robson and Menzies.

scholarly journals Exploring the impact of positing entrepreneurship in nature of science: initial science teachers' perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sila Kaya-Capocci ◽  
Orla McCormack ◽  
Sibel Erduran ◽  
Naomi Birdthistle
Keyword(s):  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Scientific Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe social aspects of nature of science (NOS) have become more eminent but entrepreneurial perspectives of NOS continue to be neglected. Entrepreneurship is relevant to NOS and science education due to its role in scientific enterprises and its importance as a 21st-century skill required in all subjects, particularly in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects. Due to the impact of initial teacher education (ITE) and the science curriculum on Initial Science Teachers' (ISTs) understanding, the paper aims to explore the impact of including entrepreneurship in NOS with ISTs.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative study investigated the changes in three ISTs by examining their understanding of entrepreneurship within NOS and their perspectives on the inclusion of entrepreneurship in the science curriculum following an intervention. The results were analysed through thematic and network analysis (NA).FindingsThe results indicated that following an intervention, ISTs developed a more holistic understanding of entrepreneurship in NOS and could see the benefits and rationale for including entrepreneurship in the science curriculum. However, certain concerns remained.Originality/valueAlthough entrepreneurship may contribute to NOS by promoting scientific development, enhancing interest in science and developing a holistic understanding of science, a thorough review of the relevant research literature suggests that studies investigating entrepreneurship in NOS are rare. The current paper fills this gap by exploring Irish ISTs' perspectives on positing entrepreneurship in NOS. The study suggests conducting further research on the integration of entrepreneurship in the science curriculum and its impact on ITE.

A cross-cultural comparison of concepts in computer science education

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 235-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Zendler ◽  
O. William McClung ◽  
Dieter Klaudt
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Computer Science Education ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
K 12

Purpose – The development of a K-12 computer science curriculum based on constructivist principles needs to be informed by knowledge of content and process concepts that are central to the discipline of computer science. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Taking a cross-cultural approach and using an experimental design (a SPF-2•15×16 split-plot design), this study compares the combinations of content and process concepts identified as important in Germany with those considered relevant in the US context. Findings – First, the combinations of content and process concepts identified in the German context can be generalized to the US context. Second, it is possible to identify combinations of content and process concepts in the US context that are also important in the German context. Third, content and process concepts identified in the two contexts can be integrated to generate a broader perspective that is valid for both contexts. Practical implications – The results can be used for consolidating available curricular drafts for computer science as a teaching subject at school of the type available in many. The present findings are of great relevance for research-based approaches to the pre- and in-service education of computer science teachers. The methodological approach taken is important in efforts to consolidate curricular models of computer science education, as have been initiated by the Bologna process in Europe and by the organizations Association for Computing Machinery, Association for Information Systems, and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers-Computer Society in the USA. Originality/value – Results show that competence areas of central concepts identified in the two contexts can be integrated to generate a broader perspective that is valid for both contexts.

scholarly journals Teachers’ Perceptions of Science Curriculum Reform in UAE: A Study in an American Private School in Dubai

2021 ◽  
pp. 117-137
Author(s):  
Enas Ghazy Shakera ◽  
Hanadi Ahmad Saleh
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Desirable Outcome ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

Remarkable science curriculum reform is coming about in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), reflecting a remarkable shifting from the previous science curricula. This type of reform has significant suggestions for teachers. There are limited research studies on teachers‘ perception regarding these reforms. This qualitative study aimed to explore the impact of the Next Generation Science Standard, being the latest science education reform in the UAE, on teachers who are involved in implementing reform. The study was carried out in a US curriculum school in Dubai. Semi-structured interviews with 14 science teachers who teach different grade levels (K-12) were conducted along with 6 class observations. The other source of data collection was the NGSS curriculum documents. The findings showed that the obstacles faced by the teachers with the NGSS curriculum reform were that the curriculum involves big innovative ideas within short timelines, teachers‘ inability to shift the classroom towards the desirable outcome, and the shortage of organization and coherence between the school‘s stakeholders. These finding could be utilized to plan for professional development sessions to support the teachers with more ideas and strategies to convey the implementation of the three-dimensional science curriculum. Moreover, this study could help the leaders and policymakers to ensure the readiness of the teachers and the school before any reform implementation. Keywords: curriculum reform, three-dimensional science curriculum, next-generation science standards, instructional practice

Inquiry and Chain Reaction in Slovakia

2019 ◽  
pp. 157-167
Author(s):  
Janka Raganova ◽  
Stanislav Holec ◽  
Martin Hruska ◽  
Miriam Spodniakova Pfefferova
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
School Students ◽  
Teacher Trainees ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
The Impact

The chapter presents how the Chain Reaction project was implemented in the context of science education in Slovakia. The educational reform highlighted inquiry as a leading approach in science education. But teachers were not prepared for implementation of such approaches. There was a lack of resources and a strong time pressure caused by a reduced number of science subjects lessons. Students' motivation to do and to study science was weak. Thus, the project team from Matej Bel University Banska Bystrica concentrated on two main issues: gaining teachers' engagement in non-traditional ways of science subjects teaching and motivating students to put their effort into inquiry-based science projects. The main problems connected with delivery of the Chain Reaction approaches in Slovak schools are discussed and the impact on secondary school students, science teachers, and teacher trainees is demonstrated. The developed pre- and in-service teacher training courses will serve as a tool of sustainability of the inquiry-based approaches in science education in Slovakia.

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