Learning Science in Elementary School

Afonso, ERICE, 2005

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF SCIENCE TEACHING

EUROPEAN SUMMER SCHOOL FOR PRIMARY SCIENCE TRAINERS

ERICE, SICILY : 9 – 14 JULY 2005

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF SCIENCE TEACHING

EUROPEAN SUMMER SCHOOL FOR PRIMARY SCIENCE TRAINERS

ERICE, SICILY : 9 – 14 JULY 2005

2Afonso, ERICE, 2005

Learning Science in Elementary School

The development of scientific concepts and the influence of everyday

knowledge when learning science

Margarida Afonso

[email protected]

Centre of Educational Research, University of Lisbon

College of Education of Castelo Branco


Conceptual framework Conceptual framework


The ProblemsThe Problems

In which way are the several aspects involved in the What and the

How children should learn Science (programme, textbooks and

pedagogic practice of the teachers) interlinked and combined?

To what extent is it possible and advisable/desirable to raise the

level of conceptualisation and development of scientific concepts in the

learning of Science?

What and How should teacher training be so that it is possible to

raise the level of conceptualisation and development of scientific

concepts in the learning of Science?


Theoretical BasisTheoretical Basis

Several authors maintain that high levels of scientific literacy involve,

amongst other aspects:

The understanding of concepts of a high level of abstraction;

The understanding of the inter-relations between the different types of

scientific knowledge and between them and non-scientific (common

sense) knowledge;

Understanding the true nature of scientific knowledge and the

difference between scientific knowledge and non-scientific knowledge



Learning concepts involves:

● Generalising knowledge and the contexts in which that knowledge is applied;

● Establishing relations between the different scientific knowledge that is being

broached, differentiating the essential/more relevant aspects from the less important/less

relevant aspects.

CONCEPTS

SCIENTIFIC – NON SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE RELATIONS

Scientific concepts are generalisations of some type of similarity found in

different objects or events that allow us to understand the order of the physical

and natural world that surrounds us. [...] Concepts of high level of abstraction are

related to a wide variety of different phenomena (Harlen & Jelly, 1993).

Relations between scientific knowledge that is being broached and common

sense knowledge (for example: knowledge from the daily life of the students).


Methodology – InstrumentsMethodology – Instruments

It is easy to develop

concepts

It is difficult to develop concepts

The tasks/activities always relate several topics.

Situations that relate the different topics are never predicted

On the tasks or activities to be

done

The topics already dealt with are always the starting point for broaching new subjects.

The subjects already dealt with are never mentioned in the study/discussion of new topics. The inter-relations between different topics are ignored

On the analysis of the study

topics

Dependence/Relation between discourses

Independence/Isolation between discourses

Indicators

Relation between discourses - Intra-disciplinary science relations – The Concepts…


Methodology – InstrumentsMethodology – Instruments

It is easy to develop

concepts

It is difficult to develop

concepts

The tasks/ activities always relate the two types of knowledge

Situations that relate academic to non-academic knowledge are not foreseen

On the tasks or activities to be

done

Non-academic knowledge is constantly inter-related to academic knowledge

Exclusively scientific knowledge is broached. The relationship between the two types is ignored

On the analysis of the study topics

Dependence/Relation between discourses

Independence/Isolation between discourses

Indicators

Relation between discourses – Scientific/Non-Scientific knowledge


Global PresentationGlobal Presentation

Curriculum Textbooks Pedagogical Practice

Learning/Scientific Development

of students

IMPLICATIONS IN TEACHER TRAINING

Inter-relations between knowledge

(Scientific/Non scientific - Common sense)

Concepts

(Scientific)


Global Presentation – The ContentGlobal Presentation – The Content

Curriculum Textbooks Pedagogical Practice

3. Make experiments with water

4. Make experiments with air

1. The living organisms of their environment

2. The physical aspects of the local environment

4th Year

2nd Year


The curriculum The curriculum


The curriculumThe curriculum

A Observe and identify some of the more common plants that exist in their immediate environment

• recognise different environments where plants grow

• know the parts that make up the more common plants (root, stem, leaves, flowers and fruit)

• record the variations in the appearance, during the year, of a bush or a tree

• observe and identify some of the more common animals that exist in the immediate environment

• collect information about the way of life of those animals (what they eat, how they reproduce, how they move about…)

B What the weather is like (record the daily atmospheric conditions)

1. recognise some of the

2. relate the seasons of the year to the characteristic weather conditions

3. recognise the existence of air (make experiments)

4. recognise air in movement (wind, air currents …)

2nd year

1. The living organisms of their environment

4th Year



2. The physical aspects of the local environment

1. what the weather is like (record the daily atmospheric conditions)

2. recognise some of the weather conditions (rainy, hot, cold, windy…)

3. relate the seasons of the year to the characteristic weather conditions

4. recognise the existence of air (make experiments)

5. recognise air in movement (wind, air currents …)

2nd Year

1. Recognise and observe phenomena: - of condensation (clouds, fog, dew) - of solidification (snow, sleet, frost) - of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet)2. make experiments that represent phenomena of: - evaporation - condensation - solidification - precipitation3. understand that rain water infiltrates the soil giving origin to ground water 4. recognise springs and watercourses.

4th Year



3. Make experiments with water2nd Year

4thYear

4. Make experiments with air 2nd Year 4thYear

● Recognise the existence of air (balloons, syringes…)● Recognise that air has weight (use balloons and balls with air and empty)● Experiment on the behaviour of objects in the presence of hot air and cold air (light objects over a heater, St. John balloons…).

● Trough experiments recognise the existence of oxygen in the air (combustion)

● Observe the effects of the temperature on water (ebullition, evaporation, solidification, fusion and condensation).



Learning concepts involves:

● Generalising knowledge and the contexts in which that knowledge is applied;

● Establishing relations between the different scientific knowledge that is being

broached, differentiating the essential/more relevant aspects from the less important/less

relevant aspects.

CONCEPTS

Scientific concepts are generalisations of some type of similarity found in

different objects or events that allow us to understand the order of the physical

and natural world that surrounds us. [...] Concepts of high level of abstraction are

related to a wide variety of different phenomena (Harlen & Jelly, 1993).

Relations between scientific knowledge that is being broached and common

sense knowledge (for example: knowledge from the daily life of the students).



Synthesis - CurriculumSynthesis - Curriculum

CONCEPTS

Where are the generalisations?

Where are the relations among concepts of high level of abstraction?

Where are the differentiation between the essential/more relevant aspects from

the less important/less relevant aspects.

Where are the relations between scientific knowledge and common sense

knowledge?



The TextbooksThe Textbooks


The root and the stem

Textbooks (Bambi, 2) – Living things in the environment (plants)Textbooks (Bambi, 2) – Living things in the environment (plants)

● I talk about the figures (parts that make up the plant – root and stem)

● I carefully pull up a small plant. I look at the root and the stem.

● I read and write yes or no. I complete the sentences with root or stem.

● I write the names of roots and stems that we use for food (coloured bars).

I hold the plant to the soil.

It is through me that the plant gets food.

I am the ______ .

● Does the plant pulled up have a root? □ ● Was the root outside the soil? □

● Do all stems have the same height? □

I am the foot of the plant.

It is through me that food passes.

I am the ______ .

● Is the stem of the pulled up plant thick? □

carrots radish

potatoes

turnips

beetsasparagus

FACTS


Leaves and flowers

● I talk about the figures (parts that make up the plant – leaves and flowers)

● I look at different leaves and flowers.

● I read and write yes or no. I complete the sentences with leaves or flower.

● I write the names of roots and stems that we use for food (coloured bars).

The plant breathes through us.

We are the ___ .

The fruit grows from me.

I am the ___ .

Textbooks (Bambi, 2) – Living things in the environment (plants)Textbooks (Bambi, 2) – Living things in the environment (plants)

lettuce Spring cabbageGarden cabbage

cauliflowerartichoke

● Are the leaves of the plants all of the same size?

● Do they all have the same shape?

● Is each leaf the same on both sides?

● Do all flowers have the same colour?

● Do they all have the same shape?

● Do all flowers smell good?

● Are they all the same size?

FACTS


● I read. I write the name of an animal with the characteristics described. ● I draw that animal.

● It is born from the mother

● It is hatched

How does it reproduce itself?

How does it reproduce itself? ● Meat

● Vegetables

● Grain

● Other food

What does it eat?

What does it eat?● by walking

● by flying

● by swimming

● by jumping

● by running

How does it travel?

How does it travel?

I am the _________ .

I live on land.

My body is covered with fur.

I have claws.

I love fish.

I walk.

I was born from the mother.

I am the _________ .

I live on ______________.

My body is covered with___.

I have _______________.

I walk________________.

I was born from ________.

??

Textbooks (Bambi, 2) – Living things in the environment (animals)Textbooks (Bambi, 2) – Living things in the environment (animals)

SOME CONCEPTS


Textbooks (Bambi, 2) - The weather that makes Textbooks (Bambi, 2) - The weather that makes

● The figure shows some weather features that can be observed throughout the year. Which

are the seasons of the year? What are the names of the months in which each season starts

and ends? What temperature is shown in the thermometer for each of the seasons? Which is

the hottest season? What does the child do at that time? There are two seasons in the year

with milder temperatures. Which are they? Which season is more rainy and more windy?

What does the tree look like in each season of the year? In winter the tree is more bent. What

makes it move? In autumn the swallows leave for other countries. Why?

What I am going to learnWhat I am going to learn

FACTS


Textbooks (Bambi, 2) – About WeatherTextbooks (Bambi, 2) – About Weather

● I talk about the figures (different atmospheric conditions).

● I read. According to what the sentences say, I draw what the weather is like.

It’s spring! There are flowers in the fields and on the trees. The birds are constantly chirping. The temperature is mild. The sky is blue and the sun shines and warms the earth.

Summer has arrived. It’s hot! Warmed by the sun, the sand on the beach burns. All along the beach, coloured sunshades look like an oasis in the middle of the desert!...

The weather starts to get colder. It’s autumn! The yellowed leaves fall and whirl about blown by the wind. There are clouds hiding the sun. The swallows leave for hotter countries.

It’s cold. Winter is here. There is snow on the mountain. The wind blows and it doesn’t stop raining. The trees are bare. The animals take shelter in the burrows.

SUN WINDRAIN HAZESNOW CLOUDYTHUNDER

FACTS


Textbooks (Bambi, 2) – About the weather and seasons of the yearTextbooks (Bambi, 2) – About the weather and seasons of the year

● I talk about the figures (the characteristic weather for each season of the year).

● I caption the figures with the respective sentences (coloured bars)

● In Spring, the days start to get warmer. There are more sunny days.

● The days are hotter in summer. There is little rain.

● It’s cold in Winter. It rains, there is wind and sometimes it snows.

● In Autumn, the weather starts to get colder. There are still many sunny days.

The weather changes throughout the year

SPRINGSPRING

WINTERWINTERAUTUMNAUTUMN

SUMMERSUMMER

●___________________________________

●___________________________________

●___________________________________

●___________________________________

Concepts ofSeasons/Weather?


Textbooks (Bambi, 4) – About WaterTextbooks (Bambi, 4) – About Water

I observe and investigate

Water is an abundant liquid in Nature. It does not always have the same appearance.

The heat from the sun warms the waters of the sea, the river, the lake…

Because of the heat, the water evaporates, that is, it is transformed into vapour.

The water vapour rises, cools and is transformed into little drops of water that make up the clouds. When the clouds become heavier the little drops fall as rain.

The water fell from the clouds and returned to the earth. Part of that water infiltrated the soil. When it finds impermeable rock, it forms ground water.

When the air gets very cold, the water in the clouds solidifies, becoming solid water and falls as snow or sleet.

The heat of the sun melted the snow and the water became liquid again.

The water flows under the earth. When it finds a way out, it forms a spring which may sustain different courses of water - rivers, streams …


Textbooks (Bambi, 4) - Experiments (fusion, solidification, dilation)Textbooks (Bambi, 4) - Experiments (fusion, solidification, dilation)

I read and learn

When the temperature varies, some substances change state.

When heated, the wax changed from solid to liquid. This change of state is called fusion.

When the wax cooled, it changed from liquid to solid. This change of state is called solidification.

When the jar lid was heated, it increased in volume, it dilated. The increase in volume of a body is called, dilation.

● Why did the wax become liquid?

● The drops of wax that fell from the candle became solid again. Why?

● What is the girl doing? What advice did her friend give her? After being heated, the lid came out easily. Why?

I observe and experiment

- The wax is melting! It’s because of the heat!...

1 - That was easy! The heat expanded the lid which became larger!

4

- If you want the lid to come out, heat it a little. But don’t burn yourself!

3

- How pretty! The wax cooled and

became solid again!

2

Concept ofChanges of matter?

ScientificNon-Scientific relations?


Textbooks (Bambi, 4) – Temperature effects in waterTextbooks (Bambi, 4) – Temperature effects in water

● What is the girl in figure A doing? In which state is the water in the container she is going to put in

the freezer?

● What is the same girl doing in figure B? What happened to the liquid water of figure A? Why?

● In figure C, the ice has almost melted. Has the temperature increased or decreased?

● In figure D, the water is boiling. What makes the water boil?

● What do you see in figure E? What is the vapour coming from the pyrex dish made up of?

● What happened to the water vapour when it found the lid? Why?

I observe and experimentA

E

D

C

BF

Some Conceptualization ofChanges of matter



●The clothes were wet. Now they are dry.

● What happened?

● What is the boy doing?

● What happened?

♦ I make experiments similar to those presented

● What is the boy doing?

● What happened to the water?

● The extractor is off.

● Why are drops of water falling from the extractor fan?

♦ I complete with the words from the coloured bar.

Figure A – The water disappeared. The water evaporated.

A ______________ phenomenon occurred.

Figure B – The water vapour became liquid water. It found a cold surface and condensed.

A ______________ phenomenon occurred.

Figure C – The water changed into ice cubes. The water solidified. A ______________ phenomenon occurred.

Figure D –Drops of water fall from the extractor. It seems to be raining. A lot of water vapour gathered in the extractor. The heavy drops start to fall.A _______________phenomenon occurred.

evaporation

precipitation

solidification

condensation

Textbooks (Bambi, 4) – Experiments – about physical water changesTextbooks (Bambi, 4) – Experiments – about physical water changes




Textbooks (Bambi, 4) – Experiments – (solid, liquid and gaseous matter)Textbooks (Bambi, 4) – Experiments – (solid, liquid and gaseous matter)

Experiments – Gaseous matters

Rock Pencil Gas Water Air Oil Glass Milk

Solid X

Liquid

Gas

I get a balloon and a syringe.1

I fill the syringe with air.2 I press the plunger for the air to pass from the syringe to the balloon.

4

I insert the syringe in the balloon. 3

● Gas bodies do not have the same ____ . Their form is variable. In the syringe it had the form of the ____ , in the balloon it took the form of the ____ .

● The air in the syringe occupied less space than in the ___ .

● Gas matters also do not maintain the same volume.

♦ I indicate in the table as in the example.

♦ I conclude and complete.

♦ I indicate the correct answers.

● Does the air inside the balloon maintain the same form as inside the syringe? Yes □ No □

● Does the air inside the balloon occupy the same space as inside the syringe? Yes □ No □

Concepts ofState of matter

Solid, Liquid, Gas?


Textbooks (Bambi, 4) – Experiments with the air (the oxygen)Textbooks (Bambi, 4) – Experiments with the air (the oxygen)

I observe and experimentI observe and experiment

● I observe what happened to the candle.

♦ I conclude and complete.

● In figures A, B and C the candle burns, forming a flame that releases heat. A combustion is happening.

● In figure C the candle continues to burn, even inside the glass. In figure D the candle went out.

● What was inside the glass in figure C that ceased to exist inside the glass in figure D?

For the candle to burn, the presence of oxygen, which is a gas that is in the air, is necessary. The candle went out because, while it burned, it used up all the ___________that was inside the glass.

● I place the candle on the drops of wax and leave it lit up.

● I light up a candle.

● I let some drops of wax fall onto a plate.

● I put a glass over the candle.

● Does the candle continue to burn?

Concept ofCombustion?


Textbooks (Retintim, 2) – About PlantsTextbooks (Retintim, 2) – About Plants

A whole plant consists of: root, stem, leaves, flowers and fruit.

The FRUIT keeps and protects the seeds that will give origin to a new plant.

The FLOWERS will transform into fruit

The LEAVES allow the plant to breathe

The STEM supports the plant and takes the food (sap) to all its parts

The ROOT fixes the plant to the soil and feeds it by absorbing water and mineral salts from the soil.

Autumn

Winter

Spring

Summer


Fish move in water by swimming. Therefore, they have fins.

Textbooks (Retintim, 2) – Styles of life of some animalsTextbooks (Retintim, 2) – Styles of life of some animals

The CAT eats meat. Animals that eat meat are called carnivorous.

The HORSE moves about by placing its four hooves on the ground. That is how many of the animals move about.

The great majority of BIRDS move in the air by flying. Therefore, they have wings.

The CAT develops inside the womb of the mother. Many of the animals that live on the Earth are formed in the womb of the mothers. They develop there for a period of 3 months until they are born.

The COW eats grass. Animals that eat grass are called herbivorous.

The HEN reproduces by means of eggs. All birds reproduce by means of eggs that they hatch in their nests.

WHAT THEY EAT HOW THEY REPRODUCE HOW THEY MOVE ABOUT

The HEN eats grain. Animals that eat grain are called granivorous.


Textbooks (Retintim, 2) – About the weather and seasons of the yearTextbooks (Retintim, 2) – About the weather and seasons of the yearThe weather changes throughout the seasons of the year

Spring is the season of flowers. The birds make their nests. The swallows return. The temperature is pleasant.

The seeds that were sown start to sprout.

Winter is the rainy and cold season. Nothing grows in the fields. Everything seems dead. The Sun rises late and sets early. The days are shorter and the nights longer. Sometimes it snows.

Summer is the season of fruits. It is very hot and people go to the beaches.

The days are longer and the nights shorter.

Autumn is the season when it starts to get cold and the first rains fall. The leaves of many plants change colour and fall. The swallows go to other warmer lands.


Textbooks (Retintim, 2) - The existence of air (experiments) Textbooks (Retintim, 2) - The existence of air (experiments)

The ball is full of air. Like that, it is hard and bounces.

1. Dip a glass funnel in water while at the same time covering the opening at the end of the tube with a finger.

The water will not go in the funnel because it is full of a substance that prevents the entry of water.

2. Remove the finger leaving the opening free.

You will see bubbles of a gas bursting on the surface of the water as it enters the funnel

3. Finally, the funnel will be full of water as soon as all the gas has left it. That gas is the air that you breathe.

There is air everywhere. But it cannot be seen. The birds fly in the air; the clouds float in the air. We breathe air. The plants breathe air. The balloons are full of air.


Does the water enter the glass?

________________________

-Dip, bottom up, a glass that seems empty. Keep the glass straight. (Fig. A).

Tilt the glass a little (Fig. B).

What do you see coming out of the glass?

________________________

What are those bubbles made up of?

________________________

Textbooks (Retintim, 2) – Evaluation contextTextbooks (Retintim, 2) – Evaluation context


Later…

Therefore, it is full of air.

The balloon rises because the hot air is lighter than the cold air.

In figure A the syringe is full of air.

Fill the ball with air and check if the needle tips to the left.

That is because the air has weight.

Textbooks (Retintim, 2) – Experiments with air Textbooks (Retintim, 2) – Experiments with air

The girl is blowing up the balloon.

Cover the opening of the syringe with a (figure B) and put pressure on the plunger.

It will only go down a little.

The air that is compressed inside the syringe (figure B) does not let the plunger go in.A B

Balance the scales with the empty ball.

I am going to

throw a

balloon.

Inter-relations?


When exposed to the heat of the Sun, the ice cube melted or became liquid.

We call it fusion when water changes from the solid state to the liquid state.

Textbooks (Retintim, 4) – Experiments (Discovering materials and objects )Textbooks (Retintim, 4) – Experiments (Discovering materials and objects )

The heat from the flame causes the water to heat up and the formation of air bubbles. That is, the water starts to boil and vaporises quickly and noisily.

The quick and noisy vaporisation of water is called ebullition.

The heat of the sun causes the slow vaporisation of the water in the clothes hanging in the open air from the clotheslines.

The slow and spontaneous vaporisation of water is called evaporation.

Effects of temperature on water (evaporation, ebullition, condensation, solidification, fusion)

Observe and carry out the experiments suggested.

Upon contact with the ice cubes, the water in the jar froze and solidified.

The cooling caused the solidification of the water.

When the water vapour found the cold surface of the glass, it changed from the gas state to the liquid state.

The cooling caused the condensation of the water vapour.

COLD



Textbook (Retintim, 4) – Evaluation contextTextbook (Retintim, 4) – Evaluation context

a) What happens to the water vapour when it comes in contact with the cold glass?

___________________________

b) What do you call this phenomenon?___________________________

c) What do you understand by condensation?

__________________________

a) What state has the water changed to?

___________________________

b) What phenomenon occurred here?

___________________________

c) What do you understand by freezing?

___________________________

Condensation is when water

vapour changes to the liquid state.

In the fridge, the water freezes,

that is, it changes from the liquid

state to the solid state.

Place a piece of glass over a tub with

boiling water and observe what happens.

1 -

Place a cuvette with water in the freezer of

a fridge. Remove it a few hours later.2 -

Facts


Textbook (Retintim, 4) – Experiments with air (existence of oxygen in the air – combustion)Textbook (Retintim, 4) – Experiments with air (existence of oxygen in the air – combustion)

Light the wick of the alcohol lamp and leave it. The flame keeps burning.

Dip a glass funnel in water, as shown in the picture. The water does not enter the funnel.

Fill the ball up with air and place it again on the scales. The scales became unbalanced.

Conclusion: Air exists and it occupies space.

Conclusion: There is a gas in the air, called oxygen, that feeds the combustion.

Conclusion: Air has weight. Place an empty football on a scale and balance it.

Cover the lamp with a bell jar.

After some time, the flame from the lamp will go out.

As soon as the air bubbles leave the funnel, it fills up with water.

Remove the finger from the funnel. What happened?

The air bubbles burst on the surface of the water.

A

BA

A

C

B

B C

The air

The Earth is surrounded by a gas layer called atmosphere which consists of air. Air cannot be seen, but it exists. When you breathe, you introduce air into your organism. When you run, you feel the air on your face…Observe and carry out the experiments suggested.

SomeConcepts


Results - Concepts – syntheses at the end…Results - Concepts – syntheses at the end…

TEXTBOOK – 2nd year“DISCOVERING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT”

In a few words:

● The weather conditions may be rainy, windy, hot, cold…

● The seasons of the year are four: spring, summer, autumn,

winter.

● Each season has its own characteristics. In spring, the weather

is pleasant; in summer, it is very hot; in autumn, the first rains fall;

in winter it is very cold.

● We are surrounded by air, but cannot see it. Wind and air

currents are air in movement.Temperature?

Light?

Without Wind?

Without rain?

Temperature Temperature

Water


Synthesis - TexbooksSynthesis - Texbooks

CONCEPTS

Where are the generalisations?

Where are the relations among concepts of high level of abstraction?

Where are the differentiation between the essential/more relevant aspects from

the less important/less relevant aspects.

Where are the relations between scientific knowledge and common sense

knowledge?



The TeacherThe Teacher


The teacher - ConceptsThe teacher - Concepts

There is talk about the consumption of

oxygen during combustion. Gina mentions

that in cars that are running there is also

combustion...

The students start to say “that it is

essential for us to breathe”, “without

oxygen there is no life”.

The consumption of oxygen during

combustion continues to be analysed

without reference to the gaseous

exchange in many living organisms

involving oxygen and carbon dioxide [A

subject already studied previously].

The students and teacher are analysing the

result of the latest experiments involving the

changes in the state of substances and

following that they start to make their

conclusion. During the dialogue, they recall the

experiments they made, the results obtained,

the concepts of the different changes of state

are introduced, they recall the initial and final

states of the substances and if changes

occurred by heating or cooling. The teacher

uses some of the comments made by the

students to recall again the aspects already

analysed “how did you explain that?”, “does the

group want to explain better?”. In the end they

draw up a summary-diagram and write the

information in their exercise-book.

Teacher /Miss InáciaTeacher/Miss Céu

With inter-relations between different scientific knowledge

It is easy to develop concepts

Without inter-relations between different scientific knowledge

It is difficult to develop concepts


The teacher – Scientific-Non-Scientific KnowledgeThe teacher – Scientific-Non-Scientific Knowledge

The students frequently use

expressions like “melted”,

“froze”, “disappeared”. The

teacher does not clarify

which changes of state these

expressions contain.

When he/she introduces the

names of the changes of

state, he/she starts using

them without explaining the

relationship with those

expressions.

The students are studying the changes of state of water.

When they discuss the results in the group, they employ

expressions like “cold”, “melted”, froze”, and the teacher

explains what they mean in scientific terms.

In one group:

- What do you want to say with “cold”, “it was cold”. What do

you mean?…and “froze”? - the teacher asks.

In another group:

- The sealing-was bar melted - the student informs

- Melted?! What is that “melted”?-the teacher asks.

- It is dissolving – says the student.

- It is dissolving, what is that, André?...We spoke of the

phases [of matter], so which one is that? - the teacher starts

to explain. The discussion continues until it is clear that

when the sealing-wax bar is heated it changes to the liquid

state and when it cools it changes to the solid state again.

Teacher/Miss Céu Teacher /Miss Inácia

Without inter-relations between scientific-non-scientific knowledge

It is difficult to develop concepts With inter-relations between scientific-non-scientific knowledge

It is easy to develop concepts


Synthesis - TeachersSynthesis - Teachers

CONCEPTS

Some teachers:

Some teachers:

● develop relations between scientific knowledge and common sense knowledge

● make generalisations

● make differentiation between the essential/more relevant aspects from the

less important/less relevant aspects.

● develop relations among concepts of high level of abstraction



Global conclusions, Reflection and implications in Teacher Training

Global conclusions, Reflection and implications in Teacher Training


Global Conclusions and ReflectionGlobal Conclusions and Reflection

There is a discrepancy between what the programme defends,

the textbooks suggest and the teachers implement.

The discrepancies pointed out have implications, not always

desirable, in the children’s level of scientific knowledge.

There is a discrepancy between what the programme, the textbooks

and the teachers develop and what the educational researchers

defend for scientific learning of high level.


The difficulties in establishing relationships between the different types of

knowledge may be related to three aspects :

Global Conclusions and ReflectionGlobal Conclusions and Reflection

● the general principle of our society, that “things” should be kept separate.

● the lack of scientific skills and/or pedagogical skills necessary to

establish relationships between different types of knowledge.

● the very concept of inter-relation. At times, teachers thought that it was

enough “to talk about certain subjects” for concepts to be developed and

relationships established between academic and non-academic knowledge.


General Implications – The Students’ LearningGeneral Implications – The Students’ Learning

● Scientific learning made by the students:

Can we say that there is development of scientific literacy in the students?

The learning. of not so important aspects at the expense of the understanding

of relevant aspects

Learning is fragmented, factual, restricted instead of coherent, conceptual

and broad learning.

There are low levels of scientific development.

It is more difficult to change the children’s concepts; when common sense

knowledge is not interpreted or explored based on scientific knowledge, it tends

to remain in a more resistant form.


General Implications in Teacher TrainingGeneral Implications in Teacher Training

Teacher training should correct the difficulties in the

teachers’ performance so as to permit broad scientific

concepts to develop if we are to implement

pedagogical practices with certain characteristics.


Documents

Learning Science in Elementary School