Student Experiences of Carrying out a Practical Science Investigation under Direction

Autor/inn/en	Hume, Anne; Coll, Richard
Titel	Student Experiences of Carrying out a Practical Science Investigation under Direction
Quelle	In: International Journal of Science Education, 30 (2008) 9, S.1201-1228 (28 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0950-0693
Schlagwörter	National Curriculum; Science Teachers; Science Instruction; Science Experiments; Inquiry; High School Students; Secondary School Science; Secondary School Teachers; Case Studies; Observation; Interviews; Instructional Effectiveness; Teaching Methods; Course Content; Science Process Skills; Lesson Plans; Planning; Foreign Countries; New Zealand + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Science; Teacher; Teachers; Science teacher; Wissenschaft; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Beobachtung; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Unterrichtserfolg; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Kursprogramm; Lesson planning; Unterrichtsplanung; Ablaufplanung; Planungsprozess; Ausland; Neuseeland
Abstract	This paper reports on the reality of classroom-based inquiry learning in science, from the perspectives of high school students and their teachers, under a national curriculum attempting to encourage authentic scientific inquiry (as practiced by scientists). A multiple case study approach was taken, utilising qualitative research methods of unobtrusive observation, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The findings showed purposeful and focused learning occurring, but students were acquiring a narrow view of scientific inquiry where the thinking was characteristically rote and low-level. The nature of this learning was strongly influenced by curriculum decisions made by classroom teachers and science departments in response to the assessment requirements of a high stakes national qualification. As a consequence of these decisions, students experienced structured teaching programmes in which they were exposed to programme content that limited the range of methods that scientists use to fair testing and to pedagogies that were substantially didactic in nature. In addition, the use of planning templates and exemplar assessment schedules tended to reduce student learning about experimental design to an exercise in "following the rules" as they engaged in closed rather than open investigations. Thus, the resulting student learning was mechanistic and superficial rather than creative and critical, counter to the aims of the national curriculum policy that is intent on promoting students' knowledge and capabilities in authentic scientific inquiry. (Contains 2 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10