The Nature of Third Grade Student Experiences With Concept Maps to Support Learning of Science Concepts

2018 ◽  
pp. 785-813
Author(s):  
Margaret L. Merrill
Keyword(s):  
Concept Maps ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Third Grade ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Science Content ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Personal Connections ◽  
Science Concepts ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Effective Science Teaching

To support effective science teaching, educators need methods to reveal student understandings and misconceptions of science concepts and to offer all students an opportunity to reflect on their own knowledge construction and organization. Students can benefit by engaging in scientific activities in which they build personal connections between what they learn and their own experiences. Integrating student-constructed concept mapping into the science curriculum can reveal to both students and teachers the conceptual organization and understanding of science content, which can assist in building connections between concepts and personal experiences. This chapter describes how a class of third grade students used concept maps to understand science concepts (specifically, “watershed systems”). During class discussions and interviews, students revised concept map content and structure as their ideas developed. The study's results demonstrate how students' critical thinking (self-reflection and revision) was supported as misconceptions were revealed through their construction of concept maps over time.

The Nature of Third Grade Student Experiences with Concept Maps to Support Learning of Science Concepts

2014 ◽  
pp. 1-37
Author(s):  
Margaret L. Merrill
Keyword(s):  
Concept Maps ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Third Grade ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Science Content ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Personal Connections ◽  
Science Concepts ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Effective Science Teaching

To support effective science teaching, educators need methods to reveal student understandings and misconceptions of science concepts and to offer all students an opportunity to reflect on their own knowledge construction and organization. Students can benefit by engaging in scientific activities in which they build personal connections between what they learn and their own experiences. Integrating student-constructed concept mapping into the science curriculum can reveal to both students and teachers the conceptual organization and understanding of science content, which can assist in building connections between concepts and personal experiences. This chapter describes how a class of third grade students used concept maps to understand science concepts (specifically, “watershed systems”). During class discussions and interviews, students revised concept map content and structure as their ideas developed. The study's results demonstrate how students' critical thinking (self-reflection and revision) was supported as misconceptions were revealed through their construction of concept maps over time.

Teaching the Greenhouse Effect with Inquiry-Based Computer Simulations

2012 ◽  
pp. 551-580
Author(s):  
Edward Cohen ◽  
Timothy D. Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Effect ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Science Content ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Free Exploration ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Research Students

This case study focuses on how students use a greenhouse effect simulation. The simulation is embedded within an inquiry-based technology-mediated science curriculum known as the Web-Based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE). For this research, students from a suburban, diverse, middle school setting were asked to use the simulation as part of a week-long class lesson on global warming and climate change. Using a combination of student interviews, focus groups, and students’ conversations while they used the simulation, the authors present evidence of shifts in student motivation, understanding of science content, and ideas about the nature of science, all connected to the use of the simulation. From this data, the authors derived ways that teachers can help students develop deeper understandings of climate science topics through educational technology. Examples of these pedagogical approaches included allowing students to conduct “extreme testing” and increasing the time for free exploration of the simulation.

scholarly journals The Understanding Of Science Teachers At SMP In Implementing SDG's Value Into Science Curriculum

Khazanah ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annisa Fitri ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Science Teachers ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Preliminary Data ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Earth Science ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Science Content ◽  
Understanding Of Science

Science curriculum at SMP (Sekolah Menengah Pertama) is an integration of Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Astronomy, and Earth Science. (SDG’s) sustainable development goals which has been created by UN (United Nations) should be infused into school curriculum. There are five points of SDG’s i.e ; (1) Clean water and sanitation, (2) Clean energy, (3) Climate change, (4) Life under water, and (5) Life on land, will be implemented into science curriculum. Method of this research is quantitative descriptive. Sample has been taken by puposive sampling technique. Preliminary data has been taken from 23 science teachers. After that, about 60 science teachers in SMP at Bandung contributed in this research survey. From preliminary data, half of teachers have never been implemented SDG’s value into learning process. Researcher found that more than 90% teachers agree if SD competences will be infused to learning process. This research can be a reference for education stakesholder, escpecially teacher and curriculum developer in connecting values of SD with science competences. Perception and understanding of teacher must be different each other. Because of that reason, the understanding of science teacher about SD values need to surveyed in order to develop science content curriculum.

BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: AN APPROACH TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’S LEARNING EXPERIENCES OUTSIDE SCHOOL (LEOS)

2021 ◽  
pp. 121-134
Author(s):  
Sandhya Devi Coll ◽  
David Treagust
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Construction Of Knowledge ◽  
Life Long Learning ◽  
Collaboration And Communication

This paper reports on blended learning environment approach to help enhance students’ learning out comes in science during Learning Experiences Outside School (LEOS). This inquiry took the nature of an ethnographic case study (Lincoln & Guba 1985; Merriam, 1988), and sought to establish ways of enhancing students’ LEOS. The context of the inquiry was a private rural religious secondary school in New Zealand. The New Zealand Science Curriculum is based on a constructivist-based view of learning which provides opportunities for a number of possible learning experiences for science, including LEOS, to enrich student experiences, motivate them to learn science, encourage life-long learning, and provide exposure to future careers (Hofstein & Rosenfeld,1996; Tal, 2012). However, to make the most of these learning experiences outside the school, it is important that adequate preparation is done, before, during and after these visits. Sadly, the last two decades of research suggest that activities outside school such as field trips have not necessarily been used as a means to improveschool-basedlearning (Rennie & McClafferty, 1996). This inquiry utilised an integrated online learning model, using Moodle, as a means to increase student collaboration and communication where students become self-directed, negotiate their own goals, express meaningful ideas and display a strong sense of collective ownership (Scanlon, Jones & Waycott, 2005; Willett, 2007). The digital space provided by Moodle allows students significant autonomy which encourages social interactions and this promotes learning and social construction of knowledge (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989; Lewin, 2004).

scholarly journals Teknologi og design i nye læreplaner i Norge: Hvilken vinkling har fagområdet fått i naturfagplanen?

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-39
Author(s):  
Berit Bungum
Keyword(s):  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Compulsory Education ◽  
Science Content ◽  
Formal Curriculum ◽  
New Science ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Strong Position ◽  
Partnership Approach ◽  
Technology And Design

The new curriculum for compulsory education in Norway defines “Technology and design” as a multidisciplinary area, and this area has received a relatively strong position in the curriculum for science. This article describes the process of defining Technology and design in the formal curriculum. It then presents an analysis of how the curriculum approaches Technology and design in various phases towards the final formal curriculum. The analysis focuses on how ideas from Design & Technology as a subject in England and Wales have influenced the formation of the curriculum, and what relationship between science and technology it communicates. It is concluded that there has been a shift from new ideas towards more traditional science content during the process. The new science curriculum nevertheless facilitates a “partnership approach” to science and technology teaching in Norwegian schools, rather than communicating a view of technology as “applied science”

scholarly journals Changing teaching techniques and adapting new technologies to improve student learning in an introductory meteorology and climate course

2006 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 11-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Cutrim ◽  
D. Rudge ◽  
K. Kits ◽  
J. Mitchell ◽  
R. Nogueira
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
School Science ◽  
Science Content ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Effective Teaching Strategies ◽  
Flash Cards ◽  
Middle School Science Teachers

Abstract. Responding to the call for reform in science education, changes were made in an introductory meteorology and climate course offered at a large public university. These changes were a part of a larger project aimed at deepening and extending a program of science content courses that model effective teaching strategies for prospective middle school science teachers. Therefore, revisions were made to address misconceptions about meteorological phenomena, foster deeper understanding of key concepts, encourage engagement with the text, and promote inquiry-based learning. Techniques introduced include: use of a flash cards, student reflection questionnaires, writing assignments, and interactive discussions on weather and forecast data using computer technology such as Integrated Data Viewer (IDV). The revision process is described in a case study format. Preliminary results (self-reflection by the instructor, surveys of student opinion, and measurements of student achievement), suggest student learning has been positively influenced. This study is supported by three grants: NSF grant No. 0202923, the Unidata Equipment Award, and the Lucia Harrison Endowment Fund.

The Seeing of Self and Society in Science

2019 ◽  
pp. 141-158
Author(s):  
Christine Anne Royce
Keyword(s):  
Language Arts ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
English Language ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Trade Books ◽  
Science Content ◽  
Science Standards ◽  
The People ◽  
Personal Connections ◽  
Engineering Practices

This chapter presents strategies for integrating selected practices from the English Language Arts Common Core Standards and the scientific and engineering practices from the Next Generation Science Standards through the use of historical narratives and biographies. The use of trade books as information sources provides avenues which allow students to make connections to the people and places of science. Through selected texts such as Chasing Space, Hidden Figures, and topics such as Typhoid Mary, students engage in examining science content, the lives of scientists, and the history and nature of science. Reading purposes, learning vocabulary in context, viewing narratives from different perspectives, and making personal connections are strategies discussed and modeled through current books. Teachers are provided with strategies to engage the reader, suggested activities for each area, and recommendations on how to utilize trade books within the classroom.

Concept Mapping and Formative Assessment

2010 ◽  
pp. 449-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Beaudry ◽  
Polly Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Formative Assessment ◽  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Collaborative Group ◽  
High School Science ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Definition Of

From the authors observations and those of Kinchin (2001) teachers may know about concept mapping but they do not seem to use it as a consistent, effective strategy. The authors argue that the concept mapping may be better understood by using an expanded definition of traditional literacy, listening, speaking, reading and writing; to include visualizing, visual representation, and technological literacy Sinatra (1986). This ethnographic case study examines the use of concept mapping and collaborative learning strategies in the content area of marine ecology in high school science classrooms. To support students’ understanding of science concept and the improvement of writing students began with a field trip to study inter-coastal zones and follow-up laboratory activities, use of digital image analysis, and collaborative group work. Key vocabulary were identified to begin concept maps, and more vocabulary was added to support multiple revisions of concept maps with concept map software, and culminated with students’ writing. Concept mapping integrated with collaborative learning was used to engage students to construct and re-construct their understanding of a complex scientific concept, the energy cycle. The results showed that students benefited from the combination of collaborative learning and concept maps to focus their writing on key ideas, to organize their ideas, and include specific details. However, the interpretation and integration of quantitative data and laboratory results was not as consistent. Most importantly, initial concept maps and revisions provided the teacher with evidence of student learning in the form of formative assessment products, to guide teachers’ focused feedback and clarify specific ideas for re-teaching, as well as students’ self-assessment. The authors provide examples of concept maps and graphic organizers as formative assessment of students’ knowledge, what Novak (1998) calls heuristic or “facilitative tools,” and as visual representations and structures to provide flexible ways supporting learners’ meaningful learning through speaking, writing and in visual forms (Sinatra, 2000; Mintzes, Wandersee, and Novak, 2004).

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