scholarly journals Science and engineering practices in the content of Greek middle school physics textbooks about forces and motion

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 457
Author(s):  
Margarita Papakonstantinou ◽  
Michael Skoumios
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Instructional Material ◽  
School Science ◽  
School Students ◽  
Science And Engineering ◽  
Science And Engineering Practices ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Engineering Practices ◽  
Teaching Physics ◽  
Middle School Physics

It has been argued that students’ understanding of science ideas and concepts is based on their engagement in science and engineering practices. However, research studying science and engineering practices engaging in the content of school science textbooks is particularly limited. The aim of the present study is to develop a framework and investigate (through it) the level at which science and engineering practices engage in the content of Greek middle school Physics textbooks about forces and motion. The analysis was carried out on a total of 61 reports and activities on forces and motion that are included in school textbooks (student’s book and lab workbook) used for teaching Physics to 13-year-old middle school students in Greece. Reports and activities were analyzed using content analysis. An assessment rubric called “Science and Engineering Practices Analytic Rubric” (SEPAR), which evaluates the level at which science and engineering practices engage in the above reports and activities, was used throughout the analysis. The analysis demonstrated the low level at which science and engineering practices engage in the analyzed content of these school textbooks. The SEPAR can be used for analyzing science instructional material. The results mean that no opportunities are provided to the students through the content of these school textbooks so that the students could use science and engineering practices and become familiar with them in order to better understand ideas and concepts about forces and motion.

scholarly journals Interest in Dialogic and Non-Dialogic Teacher Talk Situations in Middle School Science Classroom

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 1531-1546
Author(s):  
Kalle Juuti ◽  
Anni Loukomies ◽  
Jari Lavonen
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Science Classroom ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Experience Sampling ◽  
School Science ◽  
Teacher Talk ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
School Students

AbstractPrevious research has shown that dialogic teacher talk not only supports students’ understanding but also raises their interest. However, there is little, if any, research on the connection between dialogic talk and student interest in classroom situations. To investigate this connection, we collected video observations and experience sampling data. In total, 87 middle school students aged 14 to 16 participated in the study. Data were collected from the classes of six science teachers, and three lessons were video recorded in each teacher’s classroom. During the lessons, students were asked several times to express their interest in the situation through the experience sampling method (ESM). The measurements took place in situations where the teacher either talked with the students or talked to the whole group of students. The talk situations were categorised as dialogic or non-dialogic, based on the video recording. On a five-point scale of interest, the median value was 3.3 in non-dialogic talk situations and 3.5 in dialogic talk situations. We hypothesised that students’ interest would be higher in dialogic talk situations than in non-dialogic talk situations. The hypothesis was tested with a related samples Wilcoxon signed rank test, and the results supported the hypothesis (Z  =  −  2.62; p  <  0.05). The results suggest that dialogic talk may trigger students’ interest in science learning.

The Impact of a Racing Feature on Middle School Science Students' Performance in an Educational Game

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 18-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn Ault ◽  
Jana Craig-Hare ◽  
Bruce Frey
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Game Design ◽  
School Science ◽  
Educational Game ◽  
Science Content ◽  
Game Play ◽  
School Students ◽  
Challenging Tasks ◽  
Game Features ◽  
The Impact

Reason Racer is an online, rate-based, multiplayer game designed to engage middle school students in the knowledge and skills related to scientific argumentation. Several game features are included as design considerations unrelated to science content or argumentation. One specific feature, a competitive racing component that occurs in between challenging tasks, is the subject of this analysis. The effect of two conditions on 72 ninth grade students' performance was analyzed: game play with a competitive racing component (Race) and game play without a competitive racing component (No-Race). A counterbalanced design was used with two randomly assigned groups playing the game using two different science scenarios. When students played with a racing component interspersed between challenging tasks they completed the tasks more quickly and accurately than when they did not experience the racing component. These findings are discussed in terms of game design and the use of game features not related to academic content.

scholarly journals Science Fair Was One of the Highlights of My Middle School Life: Using Science Fair to Develop NGSS Practices

2020 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-48
Author(s):  
Cynthia Welsh ◽  
Mary Hedenstrom ◽  
Michele Hollingsworth Koomen
Keyword(s):  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Science Fair ◽  
Science Standards ◽  
School Life ◽  
Science And Engineering ◽  
Science And Engineering Practices ◽  
Student Interests ◽  
Science Fair Project ◽  
Engineering Practices ◽  
Support Students

This article illustrates how a seventh-grade life science unit connects to the Science and Engineering Practices and Nature of Science in the Next Generation Science Standards and used science fair projects as a context for students to solve problems and understand how authentic science is done. We outline how student interests drive the development and presentation of science fair projects and discuss each component of a science fair project to reflect the practices and nature of science and how we support students along the way. The article includes images of students and of their work for science fair projects.

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