PCK Science WorkshopFriday, March 22, 2013

Dr. Martina NieswandtUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst,Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum StudiesEmail: mnieswan@educ.umass.edu

Outline9:00 am – 9:45 am: Introductions

Review of your interests and how they will be addressedDeveloping goals for the workshop

 9:45 am – 10:30 am: Beliefs and conceptions about science:

Everyday conceptions and misconceptions versus scientific concepts – conceptual change and growth.

Nature of Science as overarching beliefs about what is science, how is science done, who does science. 10:30 am – 10:45 am: Break 10:45 am – Noon: Teacher knowledge:

Review of Shulman’s domains of teacher knowledge. Students’ science identity. Why do students lack interest in science? Assessing and addressing common counterproductive beliefs about science and science teaching. Noon – 1:30 pm: Lunch Break

Interests

Current topics in science education – theory and practice

Science and technology (e.g., simulations in science education)

Authentic Assessment

Free Internet resources

Entrepreneur & Entrepreneurship

Science and religion

…..

Goal for Workshop

Enhanced capacity to prepare in-service teachers to use effective strategies for interpreting and transforming science and technology content knowledge into pedagogically appropriate teaching strategies and learning environments across grades 5 to 10.

Objectives

After the two days you will be able to ….

Identify major science- and technology-specific concepts and skills students in grades 5 to 10 are expected to know and be able to do;

Anticipate and diagnose conceptual difficulties students across grades 5 to 10 typically face in the science and technology classes;

Identify and incorporate students' prior knowledge effectively into learning activities and assessments;

Select authentic learning assessments that engage students in active learning that connects science and technology content to real-world contexts.

Everyday conceptions, misconceptions vs. scientific concepts

Examples of everyday conceptions:

The sun raises in the east and sets in the west.

We experience seasons because of Earth’s changing distance from the Sun – closer in summer, farther in winter

Substances have properties and these properties can change without the substance itself undergoing any drastic change.

A rusty nail is a nail with a layer of dirt; rusting happens as a result of water eating away at the metal

Further Examples of Everyday Conceptions

During burning wood and paper are irretrievably destroyed.

An object stops moving because “the push wore off.”

Large objects exert a greater force than small objects.

Evolution is just a theory.

Evolution has one direction, is goal directed.

Evolutionary changes are driven by need.

Science is a collection of facts.

Origins of Everyday Conceptions

Based on “sedimented experiences” (Schütz & Luckmann,1975). Experiences are very reliable—a view which can partly be traced back to personal experiences and partly to the fact that everybody thinks like this.

Supported and reinforced through everyday conversation, reading books, or consumption of mass media.

“Not simply personal views of the world, but reflect a shared view represented by a shared language. This shared view constitutes a socially constructed ’commonsense’ way of describing and explaining the world” (Driver et al., 1994, p. 8).

Deeply entrenched (Chinn & Brewer, 1993).

Misconceptions – Conceptual Misunderstandings

Develop during science instructions

Often reflect a combination of some scientific understanding and some everyday conceptions

Examples:A single sulfur atom is yellow; one water molecule is liquid and clear;Cells are viewed as the smallest entity in biology; proteins are thought of being made up of cells (not molecules); living things are made of cells.

Misconceptions – Conceptual Misunderstandings

Result of misunderstandings of factual information or being given conflicting information from credible sources such as parents, textbooks, and teachers.

Examples:Earth’s revolution around the sun as overemphasized eclipse

Learning via Conceptual Change

Conceptual Change: A context-appropriate change to the target science concept and a broadening of the learned scientific concept. (Duit, 1996)

More about learning this afternoon!

Nature of ScienceWhat is science?

Nature of ScienceWho does Science?

Nature of ScienceWho has access to science?

Nature of ScienceWho has access to technology?

“Technology is only as powerful as it is accessible. Broader access brings education, information, and a sense of community that can help combat AIDS, malnutrition, ignorance and neglect. The power of a connected and enlightened world community is just beginning.”-- Hector Ruiz, ex-Chairman of the Board, ex-President of AMD

Science is …both a body of knowledge and a process.

a process of discovery that allows linking isolated facts into coherent and comprehensive understandings of the natural world.

a way of discovering what's in the universe and how those things work today, how they worked in the past, and how they are likely to work in the future.

(retrieved March 21, 2013 from: http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/whatisscience_01)

Science is …

…. useful.Knowledge generated by science is powerful and reliable. It can be used to develop new technologies, treat diseases, and deal with many other sorts of problems.… ongoing. Science is continually refining and expanding our knowledge of the universe, and as it does, it leads to new questions for future investigation. … a global human endeavor. People all over the world participate in the process of science.

(retrieved March 21, 2013 from: http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/whatisscience_01)

Nature of Science

Nature of Science poster

Domains of Teacher Knowledge

What does a teacher need to know?

In pairs make a list of aspects that a science teacher and a technology teacher need to know in order to be an expert teacher.

Domains of Teacher Knowledge

Subject matter knowledge: Knowledge of foundational ideas and conceptual schemes, data and procedures within a specific subject matter area.

Pedagogical knowledge: Knowledge of generic principles and strategies of classroom instruction (e.g., instructional models and integration of technology) and management.

Domains of Teacher Knowledge

Knowledge of schools: Knowledge of educational contexts, i.e., the place of the classroom in the school, school in the community and other social contexts.

Domains of Teacher Knowledge

Knowledge of learners: Knowledge of all aspects of intellectual, social and emotional development of all students regardless of cultural, social, and ethnic background.

Curricular knowledge: Knowledge of development and implementation of programs and materials.

Domains of Teacher Knowledge

Pedagogical Content knowledge (PCK):The way of representing and formulating subject matter knowledge that makes it comprehensible to others (i.e., knowledge of how to transform and represent subject matter so that it is comprehensible to students or others).

Students beliefs about science

Can I do science? What is expected from science students in contrast to other students?

With your neighbor discuss what students in grades 5 to 10 think about:

Who does science?What is expected from science students?

Science student role identity(Shanahan & Nieswandt, 2011)

Lunch Break

See you back at 2 PM