What does the teaching of science look like

What does the teaching of science

look like?

Svava Pétursdóttir Ed.D.

Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir Ph.D.

Nordic Research Symposium on Science Education , Helsinki, 4-6 June 2014

Research questions

• What are the main characteristics of teaching

science in Iceland?

– Teaching methods, pedagogy

– Organisation (classroom, timetables, classroom

setup)

– Equipment, devices, ICT, outdoor facilities

– Assessment

Research questions

• Teachers

– Education

– Participation in CPD

– Pedagogical content knowledge

– Attitutes

• New national curriculum

– Has is started to influence school practice?

•

Data

• the Research project on Teaching and learning

in Icelandic schools 2009-2011 (age levels 6-

15) (see http://skrif.hi.is/starfshaettir/)

• Personalised learning

– Official policy and school development discourse

– Diverse pupils

– Pupil choose what and how to learn

– Learning environment

Data collection

• From 20 schools

• A large team of researchers

• Field reports:

– registration of all equipment

– arrangement of the furniture

– timings and main activities

– use of curriculum materials and pupil assignments.

Space given to teach science?

Number of

lessons*

Total reports

Science/ all lessons

Curriculum guidelines

min per week/total

Curriculum guidelined

Primary (6-9 year olds)

5 162 3,1% 320 / 4800 6,7%

Middle school (10-12 y)

8 122 6,6% 360 / 4200 8,6%

Lower secondary (13-15 y)

10 99 10,1% 360 / 4440 8,1%

Total 23 383 6,0% 1040 / 13.440 7,7%

*used time varied between 10-140 minutes

Image: http://www.ruv.is/frett/stytting-nams-hluti-af-tillogum

Image: http://www.keilir.net/is/keilir/um-keili/myndasafn/adstada

Where is science taught?

Total

number Science room

Outdoors Home room

Other

Primary (6-9 year olds)

5 0 0 5 0

Middle school (10-12 y)

8 0 0 8 0

Lower secondary (13-15 y)

10 6 1 3 1

Total 23

Science specific artefacts

• Primary (4 rooms)

– Owls and flowers hanging from the ceiling

• Middle school (7 rooms)

– Sinks in 3 rooms

– Glassware, measuring beakers and quipment

teacher brought in on a trolley

– Fish tank

– Pictures of wasps

Lower secondary Posters: birds, horses, periodic table

Science gadgets, refrigerator, drying rack, microwave, high worktable without chairs, periodic table Pictures of; birds; whales; star signs, models, equipment for experiments, microscopes, binocular microscopes Globe, models, equipment for experiments, microscopes, binocular microscopes

Some equipment on the teachers desk, a shelf with birds, poster with birds, catagories of animals, fish, mammals, reindeer antlers on the wall Specimens of rocks, biology posters, models, glasses with specimens, microscopes, binocular microscopes

Nature, hut, hammock, more manmade equipment made of wood

Sinks in 7/10 rooms

Media Equipment

19 classrooms Number of classrooms

Percentage

Traditionally styled OHP 4 21%

Television 5 26%

VCR 3 16%

Stereo or radio 4 21%

DVD player 1 5%

Þessi búnaður ekki nýttur í þessum kennslustundum

Image http://www.acco.com.au/products/6001047_14001290_21015210/Nobo-Quantum-2511-Projector.aspx

Computer equipment

19 classrooms Number of classrooms

Percentage

Computer Teacher 11 58%

Computer Pupil 2 11%

Overhead projector 7 37%

Printer 4 21%

Laptop for pupils 1 5%

Eftir að skoða notkun kennara, nemendur aldrei

Primary, 6-9 year olds

• Teacher presentation with discussions followed

by arts and crafts

• Cutting, cluing, pasting

Images:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snj%C3%B3tittlingur.jpg

http://www.aslandsskoli.is/menningardagar/2012/menningardagar12.html

http://www.goingonanadventure.co.uk/2013_10_01_archive.html

Middle school

• Quiz-game

• Drawing

• Written tasks

• Discussion

• Practical work

• Painting

Lower secondary

• Written tasks and questions

• Teacher led discussions

Classroom activities

Primary N=5

Middle N=8

L-secondary N=10

Practical work 0 3 0

Correcting written work 0 4 2

Arts and crafts 4 2 0

Written tasks 1 6 6*

Answering written questions 0 4 0 (2)

Teacher led discussions 3 5 3

*varied kinds

Classroom practices

Examples and instances

1 test

1 (1) video middle school (primary)

0 ICT based work

1 outdoor lesson

2 lectures, new content in lower secondary

1 mindmap - Quiz

Textbooks

Total number Textbooks

used Percentage

Primary (6-9 year olds)

5 3 60%

Middle school (10-12 y) 8 3 63%

Lower secondary (13-15 y)

10 4 40%

Total 23

Preliminary conclusions

• Little practical work

• Little inquiry based methods

• Little pupil choice

• Varied teaching methods in middle school

• Less emphasis on textbooks than previous

research has shown

• Few signs of integration of subjects

Takk!

Kiitos!

Tack!

Takk!

Tak!

Thanks!

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