Taber Progressing Science Education

Constructing the Scientific Research Programme into the Contingent Nature of Learning Science
2009
ISBN: 978-90-481-2431-2
Verlag: Springer Netherlands
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 37, 400 Seiten

Reihe: Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education

Exploring one of the central themes in science education theory, this volume examines how science education can be considered as a scientific activity within a broad post-positivist notion of science. Many students find learning science extremely problematic, whatever level of education they have reached. At the end of the 1970s a new approach to tackling learning difficulties in science was developed, drawing on ideas from psychology and cognitive science, and centred on the way students build up new knowledge in reference to their existing ideas. 'Constructivism' became the dominant paradigm in science education research for two decades, spawning a vast body of literature reporting aspects of learners' ideas in different science topics. However, Constructivism came under fire as it was recognised that the research did not offer immediate and simple prescriptions for effective science teaching. The whole approach was widely criticised, in particular by those who saw it as having 'anti-science' leanings. In this book, the notion of scientific research programmes is used to understand the development, limitations and potential of constructivism. It is shown that constructivist work in science education fits into a coherent programme exploring the contingencies of learning science. The author goes further to address criticisms of constructivism; evaluate progress in the field; and suggest directions for future research. It is concluded that constructivism has provided the foundations for a progressive research programme that continues to guide enquiry into learning and teaching science.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Taber, Keith S.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Acknowledgments;6
2;Contents;8
3;List of Figures;16
4;List of Tables;17
5;Introduction: The Scientific Research Programme into Learning Science;18
5.1;A Focus on Formal Science Education;19
5.2;It Does Not Matter What Is Taught in Science Lessons!;19
5.3;Individual Learners Are an Important Focus;20
5.4;The Structure of the Book;20
6;Science Education As a Research Field Within a Domain of Enquiry;24
6.1;1.1 A Research Topic: Learning Science;24
6.2;1.2 Sharing Meanings for Key Terms;26
6.3;1.3 Locating the Research Topic in a ‘Field of Study’;33
6.4;1.4 The Domain of Enquiry – Background to the Field;36
6.5;1.5 Philosophical Views on Learning;38
6.6;1.6 Influences from Psychological Studies of Development;41
6.7;1.7 Studies of Cognition;51
6.8;1.8 Structure of Mind;56
6.9;1.9 Approaches to Instruction and Pedagogy;60
6.10;1.10 The Field: Research in Science Education;63
7;‘Scientific’ Research in Education;67
7.1;2.1 The Notion of Educational Science;67
7.2;2.2 A Post-Positivist View of Science;69
7.3;2.3 Scientific Method;75
7.4;2.4 The Role of Theory in Scientific Research;81
7.5;2.5 Experimental and Naturalistic Research in Science;83
7.6;2.6 Research Paradigms in Education;86
7.7;2.7 Scientific Research in Education;93
8;A Model of Science: Lakatos and Scientific Research Programmes;95
8.1;3.1 Lakatos: An Alternative to Popper and Kuhn;95
8.2;3.2 Paradigms As a Unit of Analysis in Science;97
8.3;3.3 Criticisms of Kuhn’s Model;102
8.4;3.4 Parallels Between Science and Science Education?;107
8.5;3.5 Lakatos and RP As Units of Analysis;108
8.6;3.6 The Key Features of a SRP;109
8.7;3.7 Refutation in RP;114
8.8;3.8 Evaluating RP;116
8.9;3.9 Relating Paradigms, Programmes and Frameworks;118
8.10;3.10 Scientific RP and the Social Sciences;119
8.11;3.11 The Origins of a RP;124
8.12;3.12 Summary;126
9;A Scientific Research Programme Within Science Education;127
9.1;4.1 Constructivism As a Research Orthodoxy in Science Education;127
9.2;4.2 The ‘Alternative Conceptions Movement’;133
9.3;4.3 Conceptualisations of the Research Programme;135
9.4;4.4 Characterising the Research Programme;138
9.5;4.5 Knowledge Construction;141
9.6;4.6 The ‘Transfer’ Model of Learning;142
9.7;4.7 How Does Knowledge Construction (i.e. Learning) Take Place?;146
9.8;4.8 Learners’ Scientific Ideas;147
9.9;4.9 Implications for Learning;149
9.10;4.10 Implications for Teaching;152
9.11;4.11 Learners’ Knowledge Structures;154
9.12;4.12 Individual Differences;158
9.13;4.13 Researchers’ Representations;160
9.14;4.14 Applying the Model of the RP;161
10;The Negative Heuristic and Criticisms of Constructivism in Science Education;163
10.1;5.1 Constructivism As Culturally Imperialist Movement That Is damaging to Many Traditional Cultures;164
10.2;5.2 The Philosophical Stance of the Constructivist Programme;176
10.3;5.3 The Status of Theory in the RP;199
10.4;5.4 The Social Constructivist Perspective;207
10.5;5.5 The Research–Practice Interface;215
10.6;5.6 Constructivism in Science Education As a Degenerate RP;232
11;Building the Protective Belt of the Progressive Research Programme;234
11.1;6.1 Students Understanding Science;236
11.2;6.2 Students Learning Science;278
11.3;6.3 Teachers Teaching Science;313
11.4;6.4 To What Extent Has the RP Addressed the Issues Set Out in the Positive Heuristic?;329
12;The Positive Heuristic: Directions for Progressing the Field;340
12.1;7.1 What We Know Now;342
12.2;7.2 The Continuing Challenge for the RP;343
12.3;7.3 Complexity: The Need to Study Individual Learners in Depth;345
12.4;7.4 Generalisability: The Value of the Methodological Pendulum;352
12.5;7.5 Learning As a Process: The Need to Study Change;354
12.6;7.6 Teaching As Facilitation of Learning: The Need to Study Learning in Classroom Contexts;360
12.7;7.7 Natural Experiments: The Need to Compare Across Educational Contexts;362
12.8;7.8 Bringing It All Together: A Progressive Methodological Pendulum?;366
12.9;7.9 Constructivism, Contingency and the Progressive Research Programme;370
13;Final Thoughts: Is There Really a RP, and Does It Matter?;372
13.1;Does the Programme Exist?;372
13.2;Has the RP Been Correctly Delineated?;373
13.3;Does It Matter if Judgements About the RP Are Disputed?;374
14;References;375
15;Name Index;399
16;Subject Index;405