scholarly journals Slovenian Primary School Teachers' Opinion on Interdisciplinary Approach Between Fine Art and Science Education

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 435-443
Author(s):  
Robert Potočnik ◽  
Tanja Košir ◽  
Iztok Devetak
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Fine Art ◽  
Educational Goals ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Art And Science ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Teaching Content ◽  
Meaningful Connections

<p style="text-align: justify;">In this article we present research on Slovenian primary school teachers' opinion about the interdisciplinary approach between fine art and science education. With the help of questionnaires, interviews, and analysis of lesson plans, we determined how primary school teachers use this type of interdisciplinary approach, how often and what their views are. We included 138 primary school teachers from every region in Slovenia. It turned out that primary school teachers in Slovenia use an interdisciplinary approach between fine art and science teaching quite often and consider it useful to achieve different aspects of pupils' development. The study revealed that most teachers find it difficult to consider the educational goals of both fields (fine art, science). They often use the connection between the subjects only on an associative level - they only mention the teaching content of one subject quickly and carelessly, without making meaningful connections and without achieving the goals of both subjects. Content taught in this way cannot be considered a cross-curricular approach in the subject sense.</p>

scholarly journals An assessment of the reading motivation skills of Nigerian primary school teachers: Implications for language and science education

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Foluso Okebukola ◽  
Tunde Owolabi ◽  
Beatrice O.A. Onafowokan
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Reading Motivation ◽  
Reading Habits ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
News Reports ◽  
African Children ◽  
Good Reading

Recent studies and frequent news reports have expressed concerns about African children’s decreasing reading habits and dwindling achievement in language and primary science examinations. African children are not reading because they have reading difficulties or because they have no interest in books. This article focuses on the elementary schooling years, when the ability to read and comprehend and the love of reading are developed, using Nigeria as a case study. The article begins with a review of the literature on reading that underscores the importance of nurturing and supporting good reading habits amongst African children. Following a cursory exposition of the categories of schools in Nigeria and the place of reading and science in the National Policy on Education, the remainder of the article presents the findings of a study conducted to assess the reading motivation skills of primary school teachers and illustrates pedagogical ways of developing good reading habits amongst African children. Implications for language and science education are discussed.

scholarly journals NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION PROCESS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL: ORGANISATION AND IMPROVEMENT ASPECTS

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-32
Author(s):  
Vincentas Lamanauskas
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Experimental Research ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Education Improvement ◽  
Natural Science Education ◽  
Education Process

Natural science education in primary school is not only important, but it is also problematic. The importance, first of all, lies in the fact, that natural science education is an inseparable part of general education. Natural science education involves various components - ecological, environmental, healthy lifestyle, harmonious development and other. Experimental- research activity is especially important. Effective all component integration into education process in primary classes remains problematic. This is actual not only in Lithuania. It is obvious, that in order to understand natural science education peculiarities working with the younger age children, exhaustive research are necessary and on their basis modelled, adjusted and developed natural science education in primary school. Only qualitative natural science education, acquired in primary school, can guarantee proper continuation of natural science education in basic and secondary school. Research aim is to analyse primary school teachers’ position on natural science education question, i.e., to ascertain how teachers value personal preparation according to major natural science education fields, what natural science education improvement ways they discern, and what activity ways in natural science education process they like best. The research is quantitative, pilot, of limited amount. The research was carried out between January and February 2018. Working primary school teachers from various Lithuanian primary schools participated in the research. Totally, there were 60 teachers (all women) from more than 25 schools. The carried-out research allows asserting, that primary school teachers’ professional preparation in natural science education sphere remains actual. Practical work organisation is considered the most appropriate activity. Individual students’ differences are tried to be satisfied and considered the least by the teachers. Though teachers tend to demonstrate various experiments (16.0%), research activity is not prevalent (2.3%). A similar situation is observed speaking about technology involvement in education process. Teacher preparation to organise and realise natural science education in primary school is basically valued positively, however, it is diverse. The best preparation is fixated in biology science spheres (e.g., “Green plants” /PI=0.83, SD=0.22/, “People and other animals” /PI=0.80, SD=0.21/, “Life (vital) processes” /PI=0.73, SD=0.21/ and other). The weakest preparation is fixated in physics science fields (e.g., “Electricity (electrical) phenomena” /PI=0.55, SD=0.26/, “Forces and movement” /PI=0.56, SD=0.25/, “Light and sound” /PI=0.57, SD=0.26/ and other). The preparation in chemistry science field is considered average e.g., “Substance changes” /PI=0.64, SD=0.24/, “Substance mixture separation” /PI=0.61, SD=0.23/ and other). Preparation in scientific research field is also valued as average (PI=0.63, SD=0.18) (PI – preparation index). Respondents consider resources/equipment the most important way of natural science education process improvement. Teacher professional improvement possibilities are considered the least important way of improvement. Lessons based on research (or other educational activities) are not considered a very important way of natural science education improvement. More exhaustive research are necessary in future for analysing primary school teacher natural science competence problems, also seeking to better understand experimental-research activity organisation peculiarities in education process. Keywords: pilot research, primary school, professional improvement, science education.

scholarly journals NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOL: TEACHERS’ COMPETENCE AND TRAINING

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-28
Author(s):  
Vincentas Lamanauskas ◽  
Dalia Augienė
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Research Result ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Science Field ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Subject Knowledge ◽  
Result Analysis ◽  
Natural Science Education

Schoolchildren’s natural science competence development is inseparable from teachers’ natural science competence, the integral part of which are subject, didactic and managerial abilities. Competence (es) acquisition during the studies at university is not a final process. Competence improvement, enrichment continues during the whole period of active pedagogical work. In the months of January-February 2018, a qualitative, limited amount research was carried out. 60 primary school teachers from more than 25 Lithuanian schools participated in the research. Research data were analysed using a content analysis method. Research results revealed that most primary school teachers value their knowledge in natural science field as sufficient. Teachers accentuate that their competences are proper and emphasize their lifelike and long work experience importance. Part of the teachers accentuate constant natural science education subject knowledge renewal. Only a small part of teachers notice that they lack knowledge in natural science field. Research result analysis showed that most of primary school teachers develop natural science competence independently using various information sources. A big part of teachers develop natural science competence participating in formal specially organised activities. Not a small part of teachers accentuate practical natural science competence development. Research results revealed that most primary school teachers give average evaluation to their competence in teaching natural science (world cognition). Only a small part of teachers attribute a high value to this competence of theirs. Research result analysis showed that primary school teachers teaching students natural sciences (world cognition), encounter various problems. The bigger part of teachers experience problems, related to the teaching process: lack of devices, low students’ teaching motivation, teaching content shortcomings. A big part of teachers teaching natural science subjects (world cognition) experience social – organisational problems: a lack of time, unfavourable conditions, a lack of support. Teacher opinion analysis of what needs to be changed /improved in natural science primary school teacher training/preparation revealed that the biggest part of teachers offer to improve future teachers’ practical abilities/skills. Part of teachers offer to better develop special competences, related to natural science education, to improve material supply of the study process. Keywords: content analysis, primary school, science education, subject knowledge.

scholarly journals EARLY PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS ABOUT SCIENCE AND SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS: A CASE STUDY IN SOUTH AFRICA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monde Kazeni ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Science Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Process Skills ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Science Process Skills ◽  
Limited Knowledge ◽  
Early Primary

Early primary school (grades R to 3) science education has been in the spotlight in recent years, as science education scholars are increasingly acknowledging the need to provide a strong foundation in science education, to motivate learners to study the subject in subsequent years. Literature suggests that most early primary school teachers lack the basic knowledge required to introduce young learners to science, and to motivate them in the study of science. Primary school teachers’ limited knowledge of science and its processes could affect how they introduce and develop science concepts in early primary school learners. In the South African context, there is limited literature on early primary school teachers’ knowledge of science and its processes, as well as on teachers’ attitudes towards the teaching of science to early primary school learners. The purpose of the study was to investigate early primary school teachers’ knowledge of the concepts of science and science process skills, and to determine their perceptions regarding the teaching of science in early primary school. The study involved four purposively selected early primary school teachers, in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews, and the findings showed that the participating teachers had limited knowledge of the concepts of science and science process skills, and that they mostly had negative perceptions about the teaching of science in early primary school. These findings have implications on the training of early primary school teachers.

PRE-SERVICE PRIMARY TEACHERS’ SCIENCE CONTENT KNOWLEDGE: A CASE OF LITHUANIA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincentas Lamanauskas ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
General Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
School Science ◽  
Science Content ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Science Content Knowledge

Primary school teachers’ science competence remains a highly relevant theoretical and practical problem. Although the general curricula and educational standards of Lithuanian general education school set quite high requirements for the process of primary school science education, the science competence of teachers raises reasonable concerns. It has to be stated that in university primary education study programmes, insufficient attention is paid to the natural science component. This leads to a possible lack of preparation for pre-service primary school teachers in science education. A pilot study conducted at the beginning of 2020, in which 107 students from two Lithuanian universities participated, showed that their scientific knowledge was poor and insufficient. Particularly weak was subject knowledge from the field “Nature research”, and also knowledge related to animate and inanimate nature. An assumption can be made that science literacy of pre-service primary education teachers is not sufficiently developed at university, which is one of the factors limiting the quality of children’s science education. There are probably two main reasons for this situation: insufficient science education in general education schools, and insufficient training of students in the field of science education for pre-service primary school teachers. Keywords: quantitative research, pilot research, pre-service teachers, science content knowledge, university students

scholarly journals How to Improve Sustainability Competences of Teacher Training? Inquiring the Prior Knowledge on Climate Change in Primary School Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Solís-Espallargas ◽  
Hortensia Morón-Monge
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Science Education ◽  
Teacher Training ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Prior Knowledge ◽  
Educational Experience ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Primary School Teachers

The work is carried out in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goal 13 Climate Action with prospective primary school teachers. The study presented is part of the science education subject at the University of Seville (Spain) during the 2019–2020 academic year. This research has two main goals, on the one hand, to present an innovative educational experience (design and implementation) for teacher training, on the other hand, to assess the educational implication of the experience from the prospective primary school teachers’ self-perception about their level of sustainability competences achieved. The novel educational experience consisted in the inquiry of prior knowledge about climate change in primary school children for the design of a lesson plan. The degree of scope of the educational experience, in particular, the level of sustainability competences achieved was assessed from the self-perception of the participants (Prospective Primary school Teachers) through a Likert-type questionnaire. The results show an improvement in the degree of acquisition of these competences, not only from their self-perception, but also from the investigative process followed through this innovative experience. Likewise, these results indicate the success of the educational proposal as a possible educational strategy for the sustainability of the curriculum in the field of science education.

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