Exploring Science Knowledge and Context in Science Curricula

GDCP_2010 Scientific literacy and context-based science curricula: Exploring the didactical friction between context and science knowledge Koos Kortland Freudenthal Institute for science and mathematics education – FIsme University of Utrecht

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Introduction • Scientific literacy  Is “the capacity to use scientific knowledge, to identity questions and to draw evidence-based conclusions in order to understand and help make decisions about the natural world and human interactions with it” (OECD | UNESCO, 2003)  Key concepts, skills, issues… as “a key outcome of education by age 15 for all students” • Decision-making about socioscientific issues  Stand-alone units as an add-on to traditional science curricula  Element of context-based science curricula  Characteristic: to present the science knowledge as relevant for decision making in personal, social and/or scientific contexts PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Introduction • Socioscientific issue  Transport: the ‘zero-emission vehicle’ – environmental considerations about noise, pollution, enhanced greenhouse effect, depletion of resources PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Introduction • Socioscientific issue •  Transport: the ‘zero-emission vehicle’ – environmental considerations about noise, pollution, enhanced greenhouse effect, depletion of resources  Ian Robertson – BMW: “Electric cars emit zero CO2”  Nothing about where all this electricity will come from… PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Introduction • Socioscientific issue  Transport: the ‘zero-emission vehicle’ – environmental considerations about noise, pollution, enhanced greenhouse effect, depletion of resources  Ian Robertson – BMW: “Electric cars emit zero CO2”  Nothing about where all this electricity will come from… • Debate •  Lacking in the article, and in the debate at large: a critical reflection on why we might need electric cars, and under which conditions such cars might be a solution for which problem • Life roles •  Decision making in a socioscientific issue as a citizen and as a (future) consumer PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Introduction • IPN Curriculum Physik  Unit Energie quantitativ: Elektro- oder Benzinauto (IPN, 1977)  Physics: energy and energy transformations in the context of (the environmental impact of) electric cars  Electricity comes from burning fossil fuels…  Overall efficiency fuel > motion: 15% for both processes PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Introduction • IPN Curriculum Physik  Unit Energie quantitativ: Elektro- oder Benzinauto (IPN, 1977)  Physics: energy and energy transformations in the context of (the environmental impact of) electric cars  Electricity comes from burning fossil fuels…  Overall efficiency fuel > motion: 15% for both processes • Relevance •  The unit concerns “eine Frage die die Schüler […] in der Regel interessiert, die […] in der Öffentlichkeit diskutiert wird, and die in Zukunft (und damit besonders für die heutigen Schüler) wahrscheinlich an Bedeuting gewinnen wird” PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Introduction • Learning in contexts  Problem: didactical frictions between context and science knowledge • Problem-posing approach  Problem: global and local content-related motives for science knowledge extension • Learning in authentic practices Problem: inducing a motive for developing a meta-cognitive (decision-making) tool • Conclusion A design tool for the teaching-learning about socioscientific issues In search of (design criteria for) didactical quality PPT FIsme

1 Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Learning in contexts PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Learning in contexts • Physics Curriculum Development Project (PLON) • Context  Science-related ‘everyday life situations’ orientation basic knowledge and skills technology basic question options physics life roles reporting nature society broadening and deepening PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Learning in contexts • Physics Curriculum Development Project (PLON) • Context  Science-related ‘everyday life situations’ • Claim •  Relevance > positive impact on interest, motivation and understanding science knowledge < learning theory? • Aims •  Acquiring science knowledge (further education, job) and functioning in ‘life roles’ (consumer, citizen) • Problem •  Didactical frictions between context and science knowledge (in retrospect) PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Example: Traffic & Safety • Aims  Concept: relation between force and motion (when braking, colliding)  Context: thoughtful traffic behavior (speed, use of safety belt and crash helmet) • Didactical structure introduction global motive knowledge need local motive knowledge extension knowledge application PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Traffic & Safety: Introduction • Didactical function  Orienting and evoking a global interest in and motive for a study of traffic safety and measures to enhance such safety • Global motive  Number of traffic casualties PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Traffic & Safety: Knowledge need • Didactical function  Narrowing down this global motive to those traffic-safety measures that require some physics knowledge about force and motion in order to be able to understand their necessity • Local motive  Legislatation 1975: safety belts, crash helmets obligatory  Effects visible?  Understanding the necessity of these safety measures requires physics knowledge ? PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Traffic & Safety • Didactical friction  Transition phase 1 > 2 – introduction > knowledge need: for the contextual aim (thoughtful traffic behavior) no physics knowledge (force and motion) is required – the obvious effect of safety measures is enough • Actual local motive  Understanding of the effect of safety measures, not their necessity PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Traffic & Safety: Knowledge extension • Didactical function  Extending the students’ existing physics knowledge about force and motion (in the context of collisions) • Pre-knowledge  Colliding without safety belt PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Traffic & Safety: Knowledge extension • Didactical function  Extending the students’ existing physics knowledge about force and motion (in the context of collisions) • Pre-knowledge  Colliding with safety belt PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Traffic & Safety: Knowledge extension • Didactical function  Extending the students’ existing physics knowledge about force and motion (in the context of collisions) • Physics knowledge •  Inertia •  Forces at constant and changing speed •  Measuring mass m, speed v and force F •  Accelerated and decelerated motion, falling, braking and colliding •  1st Law of motion: F·t = m·vb (empirical) •  Changing speed: acceleration a •  Force and acceleration: F = m·a •  2nd Law of motion: F·s = ½·m·vb2 (empirical) ? PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Traffic & Safety • Didactical friction  Transition phase 2 > 3 – knowledge need > knowledge extension: for understanding the effect of traffic safety measures only the empirical relation F·s = ½·m·v2 between force F, displacement s, mass m and initial speed v is required PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Traffic & Safety: Knowledge application • Didactical function  Applying the extended physics knowledge about force and motion in situations the knowledge was extended for • Decision making  Legal obligation or individual responsibility?  Own behavior: what would you do? • Context-concept approach  Context > concept > context PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Traffic & Safety • Aims  Concept: relation between force and motion (when braking, colliding)  Context: thoughtful traffic behavior (speed, use of safety belts and crash helmets) • Didactical structure (in retrospect) 1 Introduction – evoking a global motive for the study of traffic safety measures 2 Knowledge need – narrowing down to traffic-safety measures requiring physics knowledge for understanding their necessity 3 Knowledge extension – extending the physics knowledge about force and motion 4 Knowledge application – applying the extended physics knowl-edge in explaining the necessity of those measures PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Traffic & Safety: Didactical frictions • Aims  Concept: relation between force and motion (when braking, colliding)  Context: thoughtful traffic behavior (speed, use of safety belts and crash helmets) • Didactical frictions 1 Introduction – evoking a global motive for the study of traffic safety measures 2 Knowledge need – is physics knowledge necessary for understanding the necessity of those measures? 3 Knowledge extension – which physics knowledge is necessary for understanding the necessity of those measures? 4 Knowledge application – applying the extended physics knowl-edge in explaining the necessity of those measures PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Traffic & Safety: Didactical frictions • Solutions  Replace the practical orientation (understanding the necessity of measures) by a theoretical orientation (understanding the effect of measures  Loss of contextual aim (thoughtful traffic behavior) and thus scientific literacy perspective – but physics knowledge might still reinforce such behavior  Reduce physics knowledge – extent of reduction is a matter of discussion: tension between didactical structure and implementation PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Learning in contexts • Claims  Relevance > interest, motivation and understanding science knowledge • Findings  Positive impact on interest and motivation (Wierstra, 1990; Bennet et al, 2005) – however… result of context-based or activity-based approach?  No impact on understanding science knowledge (Eijkelhof, 1990) < lack of attention for students’ pre-conceptions  No or only some impact on use of science knowledge in practical situations (Fleming, 1986, 1987; Eijkelhof, 1990; Ratcliffe, 1997)  In retrospect: didactical frictions in the transitions between the first phases of the teaching-learning sequence PPT FIsme

2 Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Problem-posing approach PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Problem-posing approach • Problem  Is science knowledge necessary, and, if so: which science knowledge?  Lack of coherence in the teaching-learning sequence • Solution  Students continuously know why they are doing what > inducing content-related motives  Inducing a global motive > view on relevance and direction of the learning process < learning theory: advance organiser (Ausubel, 1968)  Inducing local motives > view on necessity and direction of knowledge extension on the basis of pre-knowledge < learning theory: social/educational constructivism (Ogborn, 1997)  Learning process driven by questions, preferably formulated by the students themselves PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Problem-posing approach • Didactical structure (in retrospect) 1 Introduction – evoking a global motive for the study of X 2 Knowledge need – narrowing down to wanting to solve a practical problem (referring to an ‘actual problem’) in the context of X, for which the existing pre-knowledge appears to be insufficient 3 Knowledge extension – extending the existing pre-knowledge and commonsense reasoning towards a qualitative/ quantitative macroscopic theory of X 4 Knowledge application – applying the extended knowledge for solving the practical problem 5 Knowledge need – extending the global motive to wanting to solve a theoretical problem 6 Knowledge extension – extending the acquired knowledge towards a microscopic theory of X PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Problem-posing approach • Didactical structure (in retrospect) Phase Knowledge Motive global orientation on life-word level 1 posing a practical problem 2 developing a practical knowledge level (empirical generalisations) 3 applying this knowledge for solving the practical problem 4 posing a theoretical problem 5 developing a theoretical knowledge level 6 PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Problem-posing approach • Claims  Solution for didactical frictions in the transitions between the first phases of a teaching-learning sequence • Findings  Students experience a (more) coherent learning process through induced global and local content-related motives (Klaassen, 1995; Vollebregt, 1998, Kortland, 2001)  Problem for teacher: making the teaching-learning process explicit and using student input productively  Didactical structure useful as a design tool, but limited  Problem for designer: establishing global and local content-specific motives > design of the didactical structure of a teaching-learning sequence PPT FIsme

3 Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Learning in authentic practices PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Learning in authentic practices • Problem  Establishing topic-specific global and local content-related motives > design of the didactical structure • Solution  Context > authentic practice: group of professionals with shared goal and means < learning theory: cultural-historical approach (Vygotsky)  Goal: solving a practical/theoretical problem > global motive  Means: characteristic work procedure with input of functional science knowledge > local motives for knowledge extension  Simulation: educationalised authentic practice PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Example: Water Quality • Aims  Judging water quality for specific purposes (drinking, swimming…) • Didactical structure authentic practice  goal  procedure  knowledge input introduction global motive knowledge need local motive knowledge extension knowledge application metacognition PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Water Quality: Knowledge extension • Pre-knowledge  Intuitive familiarity with characteristic procedure < advance organiser identify water function quality criteria (parameters and norms) establish parameters establish norms test water sample evaluate test results give judgement PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Water Quality: Knowledge extension • Pre-knowledge  Intuitive familiarity with characteristic procedure < advance organiser • Knowledge extension identify water function quality criteria (parameters and norms) establish parameters establish norms test water sample test methods accuracy and reliability of tests evaluate test results give judgement PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Learning in authentic practices • Didactical structure 1 Introduction – evoking a global motive for the study of X 2 Knowledge need – narrowing down to wanting to solve a practical problem (referring to an ‘authentic problem’) in the context of X with the help of intuitive ideas about the characteristic procedure, for which the existing pre-knowledge appears to be insufficient 3 Knowledge extension – extending the existing pre-knowledge, triggered by subsequent steps in the characteristic procedure 4 Knowledge application – applying the extended knowledge for solving the practical problem 5 Reflection – evoking a motive for reflection on the acquired general skill by referring to comparable practical problems 6 Metacognition – developing a (still contextualised) meta-cognitive tool by making explicit the characteristic procedure PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Learning in authentic practices • Didactical structure Phase Knowledge Motive Skill global orientation on life-word level using intuitive ideas about a characteristic procedure 1 posing a knowledge-related problem 2 developing a practical knowledge level 3 applying this knowledge for solving the practical problem 4 posing a skill-related problem 5 applying this skill to a new knowledge area developing a practical skill level 6 PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Learning in authentic practices • Claims  Solution for establishing global and local content-specific motives > design of the didactical structure • Findings  Students experience a coherent learning process > recognition/appreciation of goal authentic practice (global motive), sense of direction by induced intuitive notions about characteristic procedure, recognition of functionality required knowledge input (local motives) (Westbroek, 2005)  Problem for teacher: making the teaching-learning process explicit and using student input productively  Didactical structure useful as a design tool – mutual reinforcement problem-posing approach and authentic practice  Problem for designer: phase transition 4 >5 (knowledge application > reflection) – underdeveloped motive PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Learning in authentic practices • Mutual reinforcement  Authentic practice inspires/supports designer in creating a problem-posing teaching-learning process, if students… • Conditions  Appreciate the goal of the authentic practice > global motive for ‘wanting to learn something’  Are able to roughly identify/recognise the characteristic procedure on the basis of their intuitive knowledge > advance organiser  Know about the required science knowledge in a vague sense, but not in its specific details > local motives for knowledge extension as input into the characteristic procedure  Recognise the characteristic procedure as useful for other authentic practices > local motive for developing a meta-cognitive tool PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Learning in authentic practices • Problem  One-sided character of (educationalised) authentic practices: professional/vocational – making ‘stuff’ • Solution  Life world practices > scientific literacy: decision making on socioscientific issues  Scientific practices > scientific literacy: knowledge about nature of scientific knowledge PPT FIsme

authentic practice  goal  procedure  knowledge input introduction global motive knowledge need local motive knowledge extension knowledge application metacognition Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Example: Packaging Waste • Aims  Personal decision making on environmental issues • Didactical structure PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Packaging Waste: Knowledge extension • Pre-knowledge  Intuitive familiarity with decision-making procedure < advance organiser identify choice life cycle of packages: extraction of raw materials > waste processing establish criteria establish alternatives evaluate alternatives choose alternative acting and monitoring PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Packaging Waste: Knowledge extension • Pre-knowledge  Intuitive familiarity with decision-making procedure < advance organiser • Knowledge extension identify choice life cycle of packages: extraction of raw materials > waste processing establish criteria establish alternatives evaluate alternatives criteria-related properties of packaging materials choose alternative acting and monitoring PPT FIsme

4 Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Conclusion PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Conclusion: looking backward • Learning in contexts  Evolution of concept ‘context’: practical ‘everyday life situations’ > educationalised authentic practices • Problem-posing approach  Didactical frictions between context and science content are solved by a problem-posing approach in a teaching-learning sequence: giving students a content-related view on why they are going to learn what • Learning in authentic practices  For designing such a teaching-learning sequence authentic practices serve as a source of inspiration: global motive, characteristic procedure with functional input of science knowledge (advance organiser, local motives) PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Conclusion: looking forward • Learning in authentic practices  Educationalising authentic practices for a teaching-learning sequence is possible, but not unproblematic: ‘translation’ of global motives, ‘discovery’ of characteristic procedures, ‘simplification’ of functional science knowledge input… • Issues  One-sided character of authentic practices > scientific literacy?  Understanding of science content? • Research programme  Is a coherent and – from a science education point of view – acceptable curriculum based on authentic practices feasible? PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Conclusion: Scientific literacy • Focus on didactical quality  Design tools: problem-posing approach and learning in authentic practices > coherent didactical structure • Pitfalls  Wrong global motive: why should we learn this?  Wrong sequence: concept > context (context as appendix) or context > concept (no closure)  Wrong life-world problem: solvable with commonsense knowledge  Wrong science content: non-functional science knowledge  Wrong conceptual development: no productive use of pre-knowledge and no attention for conceptual problems  Wrong closure: no metacognitive (decision-making) tools  Wrong teaching-learning activities: no active involvement  Wrong age group: students over 15 PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Conclusion: Scientific literacy • Aims  “The capacity to use scientific knowledge, to identity questions and to draw evidence-based conclusions in order to understand and help make decisions about the natural world and human interactions with it” (OECD | UNESCO, 2003)  Key concepts, skills, issues… as “a key outcome of education by age 15 for all students” • Interpretation  Quite ambitious…  Focused design research effort…  Learning from past experiences… PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Conclusion: Scientific literacy • Socioscientific issue  Transport: the ‘zero-emission vehicle’  Learning from the past instead of reinventing the wheel  Unit Energie quantitativ: Elektro- oder Benzinauto (IPN, 1977 > 2010)  Update context and didactical structure PPT FIsme

Introduction | Contexts | Problem-posing approach | Authentic practices | Conclusion Conclusion: Scientific literacy • Socioscientific issue  Transport: the ‘zero-emission vehicle’  Learning from the past instead of reinventing the wheel  Unit Energie quantitativ: Elektro- oder Benzinauto (IPN, 1977 > 2010) • Problem-posing approach •  Learning process driven by questions, preferably formulated by the students themselves – triggered by a specific teaching-learning activity: Vergleichstabelle Elektroauto • Vorteile Nachteile • abgasfrei, umweltfreundlich brauchen mehr Kraftwerke • verbraucht wenig Energie verbraucht viel Energie PPT FIsme

Exploring Science Knowledge and Context in Science Curricula

Exploring Science Knowledge and Context in Science Curricula

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