Science and Special Education

1994 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-133
Author(s):  
Rodney L. Doran ◽  
J. Richard Sentman

This paper is organized into two major parts: a review of current activities in science education, and a review of the articles within this special issue. Project 2061 (aaas) and the scope, sequence, and coordination project (nsta) are ongoing efforts to develop new approaches for school science programs. Other reports and journals in the science education field are described briefly. “Constructivism” and “alternative assessment” are two of the ideas science educators are currently exploring as ways to improve science teaching and learning. The last section includes brief reviews of each of the other papers in this issue with special focus on the science education dimension. There is much we can learn from each other.

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis S. Nadelson ◽  
Benjamin C. Heddy ◽  
Suzanne Jones ◽  
Gita Taasoobshirazi ◽  
Marcus Johnson

Conceptual change can be a challenging process, particularly in science education where many of the concepts are complex, controversial, or counter-intuitive.  Yet, conceptual change is fundamental to science learning, which suggests science educators and science education researchers need models to effectively address and investigate conceptual change.  Consideration of the current research and extant models of conceptual change reflect a need for a holistic, comprehensive, and dynamic model of conceptual change.  In response, we developed the Dynamic Model of Conceptual Change (DMCC), which uses multiple lines of research that explore the variables influencing conceptual change and the dynamic interactions that take place during the conceptual change process in science teaching and learning.  Unique to the DMCC is the potential for iterations, regression, enter and exit points at various stages of the conceptual change process, and the influences of message recognition, message engagement and processing, and the nature of the resulting conceptual change.  The DMCC contains elements from extant models along with previously un-emphasized influential conceptual change variables such as culture, society, attitude, practices, and personal epistemology.  We constructed the DMCC to provide science educators and researchers a more holistic framework for exploring conceptual change in science instruction and learning.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. fe2
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Eddy

The Current Insights feature is designed to introduce life science educators and researchers to current articles of interest in other social science and education journals. In this installment, I highlight three diverse research studies: one exploring classroom talk and how it impacts conceptual learning; one identifying a unique influence on evolution acceptance: statistical understanding; and the last a genetics lesson that reduces racial bias.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burhan Ozfidan ◽  
Baki Cavlazoglu ◽  
Lynn Burlbaw ◽  
Hasan Aydin

Achievements of educational reform advantage constructivist understandings of teaching and learning, and therefore highlight a shift in beliefs of teachers and apply these perceptions to the real world. Science teachers’ beliefs have been crucial in understanding and reforming science education as beliefs of teachers regarding learning and teaching science impact their practice. The purpose of this study was to compare US and Turkish science teachers’ beliefs about reformed learning and teaching science. As an instrument, we used Beliefs about Reformed Science Teaching and Learning (BARSTL) to collect and measure the teachers’ beliefs regarding teaching and learning science education. We used an independent-sample t-test to analyze Turkish and American science teachers’ beliefs about reformed learning and teaching science. In total, 38 science teachers from the US and 27 science teachers from Turkey participated in this study. Results showed that US science teachers’ beliefs about reformed learning and teaching science are statistically higher than Turkish science teachers. The results of this study also indicated that although American and Turkish science education aim similar constructivist views on learning and teaching science, American science teachers hold more reformed beliefs in science teaching and learning than their Turkish colleagues.


Paideusis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43
Author(s):  
David P. Burns ◽  
Stephen P. Norris

In this paper we will discuss the issue of environmental advocacy in science education in light of William Hare’s concept of open-mindedness. Although we shall assume that science teaching and learning must go beyond the scientific facts and theories and deal with the implications of science for society, we shall argue that science education should also demand an open-mindedness about environmental concerns such that all proposals for sustainability and the like are weighed against the alternatives using the best scientific knowledge available. Our approach will be to describe two examples of environmental education that recommend insufficiently open-minded forms of teaching and a third example that avoids this shortcoming yet provides a sound basis in environmental education.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jari Lavonen ◽  
Heidi Krzwacki ◽  
Laura Koistinen ◽  
Manuela Welzel-Breuer ◽  
Roger Erb

Teachers face challenges in adopting ICT applications for science teaching and learning. An in-service teacher education course module addressing the needs of science teachers particularly was developed through a design-based research (DBR) project. The course module is designed to improve the readiness of teachers in choosing ICT applications for science education and taking the technical and pedagogical usability of the application into account. An international survey showed that clarifyingthe needs and constraints of using ICT applications in science education as well as introducing and discussing both technical and pedagogical usability with the teachers was important. Moreover, a theoretical analysis of the usability of ICT applications offers various views on meaningful learning and motivational aspects of science teaching and learning. In this paper, we report what we learned from the experience of designing the course module, which is described and discussed in terms of theoutcomes of both the theoretical and empirical problem analysis.


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