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Towards effective teaching in primary science : an analysis of the evolving contribution of the SPACE Project to understanding the role of the teacher
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Watt, Dorothy (1997) Towards effective teaching in primary science : an analysis of the evolving contribution of the SPACE Project to understanding the role of the teacher. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
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WRAP_THESIS_Watt_1997.pdf - Submitted Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (25Mb) |
Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b1404008~S1
Abstract
The main aim of this thesis is to further understanding of primary science
teaching through the analysis of a constructivist research project and its
evolution into curriculum materia's. My analysis is underpinned with views
on the nature of constructivism, the nature of primary science and
research into effective teaching. In particular, I seek to locate the Primary
SPACE (Science Processes and Concept Exploration) Project within the
paradigm of constructivism; to explore notions of children's ideas as either
theories or everyday ways of knowing; to chart the influence of
constructivism in the Nuffield Primaa'y Science (NPS) curriculum materials
and to observe case studies of classroom practice linked to both SPACE
and NPS. My analysis locates SPACE in a form of constructivism
particular to primary science (Harlen and Osborne, 1985) which has more
in common with "good primary practice" than with other approaches to
constructivism. The messages from the NPS Science Co-ordinator's
Handbook are very similar to this, while the practice modelled in the
Teachers' Guides relates more closely to "guided discovery". Observation
of a teacher using NPS for the first time reveals practice very similar to
that modelled in the Teachers' Guides in which the teacher is in control of
the right answer. This is more successful than a SPACE teacher who tries
to change the social dimension of classroom teaching and learning to give
the children more ownership, according to constructivist principles.
"Guided discovery" is acknowledged to be unprofitable for learning
(Hodson, 1993) yet the children being taught using NPS had learning
outcomes exceeding the teacher's expectations. I suggest reasons for the
success of NPS based on research into effective teaching: that repetition
of clearly stated key ideas leads to focused teaching in which learning
activities are matched to intended learning outcomes. This approach does
not view children's ideas as theories to be developed and is therefore not
related to constructivism. I suggest that the way forward for primary
science teaching is to embrace socio-cultural approaches so that the
teacher's role corresponds more closely to society's norms for education
in science, that children learn the accepted science view through
supported negotiation, with their ideas viewed only as everyday ways of
knowing.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
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Subjects: | L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education | ||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Science -- Study and teaching (Primary) -- Great Britain, Constructivism (Education) | ||||
Official Date: | August 1997 | ||||
Dates: |
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Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
Theses Department: | Institute of Education | ||||
Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Eggleston, John, 1926- | ||||
Extent: | v, 226, [144] leaves | ||||
Language: | eng |
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