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