Evolving Scientific Practices Council of State Science Supervisors – NSTA Philadelphia March 17, 2010

Richard A. Duschl

Penn State University

NARST President

CSSS SPEAKERS

Mike Lach – STEM and ESEA Tom Corcoran – Learning Progressions Heidi Schweingruber, Tom Keller, Brett

Moulding – Frameworks and Standards Eugenie Scott – Science Controversies Chris Lazzaro – AP Reform College Board Francis Eberle – NSTA and Affiliates

REFORM CONVERSATIONS“Aligning the Planets” – Jay Labov NRC – Taking Science to School, Ready

Set Science! NAEP – 2009 Science Framework 21st Century Skills – International

Assessments College Board – AP Science Exams NSTA – Science Anchors NJ – Science as Practices Carneige Corp. NY – The Opportunity

Equation NRC – Core Science Standards

National Research Council (2000) National Research Council (2005)

THE NATURE OF RECENT POLICY AND POLITICAL STORMS:ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS

Recommendations:- Teacher Education (“104

Teachers/107 Minds”)- Strengthen professional

development for 250,000 teachers (including AP, IB)

- Increase pipeline of future science and math majors by strengthening AP, IB

- 25,000 4-yr. undergraduate scholarships per year for STEM

- 5,000 new graduate fellowships per year in areas of greatest national need

ATTRACTING AND RETAINING STUDENTS FOR STEM

Pipelines - Self/System Selection (NSF, NRC)

Mines - Teacher Selection/Encouragement (Wilson Quarterly)

K-5 6-10 11-16Pre K

PEDAGOGICAL CHALLENGES Economic arguments don’t seem to motivate students, at

least initially. Sciences do not stand alone

Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth System SciencesImplications for Teacher PD

Core Knowledge Critically ImportantThematic “Knowledge-In-Use”

Scientific Practices & Making Thinking Visible Talk, Argument, Modeling, RepresentationCritique and Communication

TAKING SCIENCE TO SCHOOL

Children entering school already have substantial knowledge of the natural world, much of it implicit.

Contrary to older views, young children are not concrete and simplistic thinkers.

Research now shows that their thinking is surprisingly sophisticated. They can use a wide range of reasoning processes that form the underpinnings of scientific thinking, even though their experience is variable and they have much more to learn.

TSTS SUMMARY - CHILDREN’S LEARNING

Young children are more competent than we think. They can think abstractly early on and do NOT go through universal, well defined stages.

Focusing on misconceptions can cause us to overlook leverage points for learning. Students’ intuitions are important!

Developing rich, conceptual knowledge takes time and requires instructional support.

Conceptual knowledge, scientific reasoning, understanding how scientific knowledge is produced, and participating in science are intimately intertwined in the doing of science.

4 STRANDS OF SCIENTIFIC PROFICIENCY

Know, use and interpret scientific explanations of the natural world.

Generate and evaluate scientific evidence and explanations.

Understand the nature and development of scientific knowledge.

Participate productively in scientific practices and discourse.

TAKING SCIENCE TO SCHOOL RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS

Critical Areas for Research and Development

1-Learning Across the 4 Strands1-Learning Across the 4 Strands

Recommendations4 Strands of Sci. Proficiency • Know, use and interpret

scientific explanations of the natural world.

• Generate and evaluate scientific evidence and explanations.

• Understand the nature and development of scientific knowledge.

• Participate productively in scientific practices and discourse.

•Critical Research•Current focus on domain-general, domain-specific for 1 & 2; need research on Strands 3 & 4.•Learning & Mediation•Instructional Contexts•More research on interconnections of all 4 strands to inform instructional models

2-Core Ideas and Learning Progressions 2-Core Ideas and Learning Progressions •Recommendations•Findings from research about children’s learning and development can be used to map learning progressions (LPs) in science. •Core ideas should be central to a discipline of science, accessible to students in kindergarten, and have potential for sustained exploration across K-8.•Teaching Science Practices during investigations•Argumentation and explanation•Model building•Debate and decision making

•Critical Research•Requires an extensive R&D effort before LPs are well established and tested. •Step 1 - Id the most generative and powerful core ideas for students’ science learning•Step 2 - Develop and test LPs •Step 3 Establish empirical basis for LPs:•Focused studies under controlled conditions•Small-scale instructional interventions•Classroom-based studies in a variety of contexts•Longitudinal studies

WHAT IS SCIENCE?

Science involves: Building theories and models Constructing arguments Using specialized ways of talking, writing

and representing phenomena

Science is a social phenomena with unique norms for participation in a community of peers

TEACHING SCIENCE AS PRACTICE Curriculum topics focusing on meaningful

problems Students designing and conducting empirical

investigations, Instruction that links investigations to a base

level of knowledge, Frequent opportunities for engagement in

argumentation that leads to building and refining explanations and models,

Thoughtful interactions with texts. (Chapter 9)

TEACHING SCIENCE PRACTICES

1. Science in Social InteractionsA. Participation in argumentation that leads to refining knowledge claims

B. Coordination of evidence to build and refine theories and models

2. The Specialized Language of ScienceA. Identify and ask questionsB. Describe epistemic status of an ideaC. Critique an idea apart from the author or proponent

3. Work with Scientific Representations and ToolsA. Use diagrams, figures, visualizations and mathematical representations to convey complex ideas, patterns, trends and proposed.

PATTERN (MODELED EVIDENCE)

Presenting evidence; Mathematical modeling; Evidence-based model building; Masters use of mathematical, physical and computational tools;

EVIDENCE (DATA USE)

Use results of measurement and observation; Generating evidence; Structuring evidence, Construct and defend arguments; Mastering conceptual understanding;

3-Curriculum & Instruction3-Curriculum & Instruction•Recommendations•The strands emphasize the idea of “knowledge in use” – that is students’ knowledge is not static and proficiency involves deploying knowledge and skills across all four strands.•Students are more likely to advance in their understanding of science when classrooms provide learning opportunities that attend to all four strands•Science is a social phenomena with unique norms for participation in a community of peers

•Critical Research•Understand whether and how instruction should change with students’ development•Develop clear depictions of scientific practices across K-8 through replication of classroom-based instruction (e.g., design studies).•Develop assessment tools to help teachers diagnose students’ understanding •Understand characteristics of instruction that best serve diverse student populations•Develop curriculum materials studied under varied conditions

TSTS: Teaching Science as Practice

All major aspects of inquiry, including posing scientifically fruitful questions, managing the process, making sense of the data, and discussing the results may require guidance.

To advance students’ conceptual understanding, prior knowledge and questions should be evoked and linked to experiences with phenomena, investigations, and data.

Discourse and classroom discussions are key to supporting learning in science.

NJ ASSESSMENTSSCIENCE PRACTICES

Standard: 5.1 Science Practices: Science is both body of knowledge and an evidence-based model building enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four science practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning skills that students must acquire to be proficient in science.

SCIENCE PRACTICES

Strand: A. Understand Scientific Explanations

Strand: B. Generate Scientific Evidence through Active Investigations

Strand: C. Reflect on Scientific Knowledge Strand: D. Participate Productively in

Science

TEACHING SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY NSF CONFERENCE, FEBRUARY 2005

Recommendations for Research & Implementation:

Enhanced ‘Scientific Method’ - based on dialogical practices

Extended Immersion Units of Instruction - conceptual, epistemic, social goals

Teacher Professional Development Models

SCIENTIFIC METHOD - 2 VIEWSTraditional

Version: Individual Cognitive Tasks

Make Observations Formulate a

hypothesis Deduce consequences

from hypothesis Make observations to

test consequences Accept/reject

hypothesis

Enhanced Version: Group Cognitive, Social & Epistemic Tasks

Posing, refining, evaluating questions

Designing, refining, interpreting experiments

Collecting representing analyzing data

Relating data to hypotheses/models/ theories

Learning refining theories and models

Writing/reading about data, theories, models

Giving arguments for/against models and theories

ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF CLASSROOM INQUIRY

Learners are engaged by scientific questions

Learners give priority to evidence, to develop & evaluate explanation to address the questions

Learners formulate explanations Learners evaluate explanations

against alternative explanations Learners communicate and justify

explanations. (National Research Council, 2000)

Inquiry Issues/Tensions Kit-based science education Computer supported science learning Argumentation - Domain General (TAP) vs Domain

Specific (Appeals to …..) Assessment of/for Learning Immersion Units - weeks, months, years Direct vs. Discovery/Inquiry Teaching Conceptual change teaching

Knowledge in Pieces vs. Coherent Theory Language gap - data texts Policy Issue - what science to teach? School Science

EMERGING PERSPECTIVES Design Principles

Student Learning - Design-Based Research Collective, 2003. Ed.Rsch, 32(1). Teacher Learning - Davis & Krajick 2005. Designing Educative Curriculum Materials to Promote Teacher Learning. Ed. Rsch, 34(3).

Design Experiments/ Communities of Learners - Brown & Campione. 1996. Psych. Theory and the design of innovative learning environments. In Schauble & Glaser (Eds.) Innovation in learning: New environments for education. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum

Assessment for Learning - Black & Wiliam Inside the Black Box; Working Inside the Black Box, London: King’s College London, Department of Education and Professional Studies.)

Engineering methods as a model of educational research-What and How it works.

AP REDESIGNBIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, PHYSICS

Science PanelsBig Ideas /

Unifying Themes (9 to 6)

Enduring Understandings

Evidence Models

Learning Panel The student can use

representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems.

The student can use mathematics appropriately

The student can engage in scientific questioning

The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence

The student can work with scientific explanations and theories

The student is able to transfer knowledge across various scales, concepts, and representations in and across domains

ASSESSING ACHIEVEMENT

THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS (NAEP)

1969-1970

IDEAS BEHIND NAEP:

Purpose to conduct a census-like survey of knowledge, skills, understandings and attitudes of young Americans

Two main goals: Make comprehensive data available of the educational

attainments of students in certain subject areas To measure any growth or decline of students which

might take place in any certain subject area Assessments were written based on

predetermined objectives for each subject area Kids age 9, 13, 17, and adults (mid twenties) were

assessed

OBJECTIVES FOR SCIENCE (69-70)

1. To know the fundamental facts and principles of science.

2. Possess the abilities and skills needed to engage in the process of science.

3. Understand the investigative nature of science.4. Have attitudes about, and appreciations of

scientists, science, and the consequences of science that stem from adequate understanding.

THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS1976 -1977

CONTENT PROCESSSCIENCE & SOCIETYBLOOM’S TAXONOMY

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT MATRIX FOR THE 1976-1977 ASSESSMENT WITH NUMBER OF RELEASED EXERCISES PER AGE IN EACH CELL

Questions for the 1976-1977 NAEP science exam were written to fit somewhere in the matrix seen on the right

The matrix was developed using a simplified version of Bloom’s taxonomy (across the top)

THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS (NAEP)

1985-1986

Standards Benchmarks

FRAMEWORK FOR SCIENCE ASSESSMENTContent, Cognition, and Context

THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS (NAEP) 1996

Knowing and Doing

THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS (NAEP)

2009

Using

SCIENCE PRACTICES: ITEM DISTRIBUTION

Gr. 4 (%) Gr. 8 (%) Gr. 12 (%)

Identifying Science Principles

30 25 20

Using Science Principles

30 35 40

Using Scientific Inquiry

30 30 30

Using Technological Design

10 10 10

Note: Percentages refer to student response time

GENERATING ITEMS: PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS (EXAMPLE P. 83)

WE HAVE LEARNED HOW TO LEARN‘Aligning the Planets’

Psychology – Learning - ReasoningBehavioral to Cognitive to Social-Cultural

Philosophy – Thinking – Nature of ScienceExperimenting to Theorizing to Modeling

Pedagogy – Teaching - AssessingContent/Process to Core

Knowledge/PracticesLessons to Immersion Units to Learning

Progressions

Psychology – 20th Century History of Thinking about the Human MindDifferential Perspective 1900

Individual, Mental Tests separate from academic learning - selecting and sorting

Behavioral Perspective 1940-50sStimulus/Response Associations - rewarding and punishing

Cognitive Perspective 1950-60sPrior Knowledge, expert/novice, metacognition (thinking about thinking and knowning)

Situative Perspective 1960-80sSociocultural, language, tools, discourse

(NRC – KWSK - Pellegrino, et al, 2001)

HISTORY OF THINKING ABOUT HUMAN MIND

Behavioral Perspective

Stimulus/Response Associations Rewarding and punishing

Reinforcement

Behavioral Objectives

Bloom’s Taxonomy

BF Skinner

HISTORY OF THINKING ABOUT HUMAN MIND

Cognitive Perspective

Stages of Development

Prior Knowledge, Metacognition

Concrete/Abstract Advanced

OrganizersConcept Mapping

David Ausubel

Jerome Bruner

Jean Piaget

HISTORY OF THINKING ABOUT HUMAN MIND

Information Processing and Neurosciences

Innate Modules in the Brain - Language and Universal Grammar

Expert/Novice,

Computer /Brain Studies – Chess Programs

Noam Chomsky

Herb Simon

HISTORY OF THINKING ABOUT HUMAN MIND

Situative Perspective

Sociocultural, language, tools, discourse, models, artifacts

Jerome Bruner

Thomas Kuhn

Lev Vygostsky

COGNITIVE & SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Structured Knowledge (CP)

Instruction should develop conceptual structures to support inference & reasoning

Prior Knowledge (CP)Learner intuition is a source of cognitive

ability that supports & promotes new learning Metacognition (CP)

Reflecting on learning, meaning making & reasoning strategies provide learners a sense of agency.

Procedural Knowledge in Meaningful Contexts (CP)Learning information should be connected

with its use

COG. & SOCIAL PSYCH. (CONT.)

Social participation and cognition (SP)Social display of cognitive competence

via group dialog helps individuals acquire knowledge and skill.

Holistic Situation for Learning (SP)Competence is best developed

through cognitive apprenticeship within larger task contexts.

Make Thinking Overt (SP) Design situations in which the thinking

of the learner is made apparent and overt to the teacher and to students.

(Robert Glaser, 1994)

Evolutionary Psychology

Cognitive Development

Infant Studies (2-5 yrs old)

Modularity of the Mind

Innate Reasoning

Language Grammar

Causal Reasoning

Number Sense

Animate/Inanimate

Rochel Gelman,

Susan Carey,

Elizabeth Spelke

PHILOSOPHY - NATURE OF SCIENCE

History of Thinking about NOS

Science is about Hypotheses testing and reasoning deductively from Experiments (1900 to 1960)

Science is about Theory building and revision(1960 to 1990)

Science is about Model building and revisionModels stand between Experiment and Theory

(1990 – present)

SCIENCE AS EXPERIMENTING

Hypothesis testing Appeal to laws and lawlike statements The “received-view” of philosophy of

science - positivism, logical empiricism.

The established paradigm of science education still today

The foundation of inquiry as “hands-on”

THEORY BUILDING/REVISING

Theory commitments serve as guiding conceptions for scientific inquiry

Involves both a Context of Discovery and a Context of Justification

Theories are frequently modified or discarded Progressive theories deepen and broaden

(Evolution, Plate Tectonics, Big Bang, Atomic Molecular)

The Foundation of Conceptual Change Teaching

MODEL BUILDING/REFINING

Models stand between Experiments and Theories

The bulk of Scientific Practices are NOT Discovery or Justification but filling in and refining Explanations as new Evidence and Anomalies are identified.

The place of Cognitive and Social Practices of Science

SHIFTING THE FOCUS

From

Lessons, Modules Days Weeks

Management of Behaviors & Materials

Skills for doing experiments

Assessment of Learning

To Sequences,

Units Weeks Months Years

Management of Ideas & Information

Reasoning about experiments

Assessment for Learning

THANK YOU