The purpose of the current study was to investigate the classroom teachers&rsquo / and science and technology teachers&rsquo / views on science and technology curriculum. In this nation-wide study, survey design was utilized. The participants of the study consisted of 960 teachers in 26 provinces across Turkey and 601 of the teachers were classroom teachers and 359 teachers were science and technology teachers. In order to investigate teachers&rsquo / views, Teachers&rsquo / Views on Science and Technology Curriculum Questionnaire was developed by the researcher. The questionnaire was composed of 3 parts: demographic information part, science and technology teachers&rsquo / views questionnaire and open ended questions. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and inferencial statistics (MANOVA) were used. The responses to open-ended questions were subjected to qualitative analysis. Results of the descriptive analyses revealed that classroom teachers and science and technology teachers had positive views towards attainments-content, learning-teaching process and assessment component of science and technology curriculum. Results of MANOVA analysis demonstrated that graduation fields affect teachers&rsquo / views towards attainments-content and assessment component of the Science and Technology Curriculum / whereas graduation fields did not affect teachers&rsquo / views towards learning-teaching process. Similarly, teaching experiences affect teachers&rsquo / views towards attainments-content and assessment component of the curriculum. As for teaching field, the results showed that teaching field affects teachers&rsquo / views towards attainments-content and assessment component of the curriculum and classroom teachers had more positive views on these components. Gender did not illustrate statistically significant results on teachers&rsquo / views on science and technology curriculum components.

No description available.

Science "for all" programs have been advanced as the model for introducing and maintaining high standards for science education in every classroom. While standards documents have been an important equalizing force in education for the last twenty years, disparities still exist across multiple student indicators in urban schools. Teaching quality is one of the important factors that contribute to such outcomes and these disparities raise the issue of equitable teaching practices, especially in science. A review of the literature at the intersection of science education and urban education supported the creation of a construct for equitable science teaching that goes beyond content-narrowed "for all" pedagogies to more inclusive "by all" teaching approaches. Scholarship on science teaching in urban settings frequently references reform and efficacy beliefs to bound research questions. The task-specific nature of efficacy beliefs as a construct makes it particularly useful for scrutinizing teaching practices. This dissertation used case study methods to examine aspects of equitable science teaching in an elementary school located in a small urban district in New Jersey. The research design was based on models of collaborative action research. Three key informants in two classrooms helped build understanding of teachers' efficacy-related beliefs about equitable science teaching over the course of one year (Spring 2008 through Spring 2009). Within case and between-case analysis of teaching beliefs and practices were conducted. Key findings from the study suggest that it may be possible to observe change in low efficacy teachers' beliefs over time. Quantitative and qualitative data suggest that it may be possible to build equitable beliefs and practices among in-service teachers. An action plan that includes providing non-evaluative support to teachers in the classroom is discussed. Supports that included immediate feedback, individual and small group reflection and specific tools designed to collect teacher-level data were shown to be important elements for practicing teachers as they worked to build both efficacy beliefs and equitable praxis. Equitable science teaching challenges belief systems but allows for practices to change organically and without prescription. Implications for policy makers, teacher educators, administrators and teachers are discussed. / Urban Education

Depuis plusieurs années, l’enseignement des sciences joue un rôle de 2e plan, après le français et les mathématiques, chez plusieurs enseignants du primaire (Lenoir, 2000). Peinant à établir des liens entre les savoirs à enseigner et la réalité quotidienne, ces enseignants ayant souvent une formation lacunaire semblent rechercher de nouveaux outils didactiques efficaces. À cet effet, l’intégration de pratiques sociales de référence (Martinand, 1986) aux situations d’apprentissage peut constituer une pratique innovante favorisant la transposition didactique des savoirs disciplinaires. Misant sur l’intérêt grandissant des Québécois pour la cuisine, cette recherche tente de déterminer l’impact d’une formation continue établissant des liens entre les sciences et les pratiques culinaires sur l’enseignement des sciences au primaire. Pour cette étude de cas descriptive, six enseignants du primaire ont participé à deux rencontres de formation durant lesquelles elles ont expérimenté une situation d’apprentissage et d’évaluation (SAÉ) intégrant des activités culinaires. À la suite d’une période de mise à l’essai de cette SAÉ en classe, les sujets ont été interviewés afin d’établir les apprentissages réalisés durant la formation et de dresser une liste des avantages et des obstacles associés à l’utilisation d’activités culinaires pour enseigner les sciences. De plus, les suggestions émises visant l’amélioration de la SAÉ (rapport bilan écrit) ont permis de mettre en relief la prédominance de préoccupations de nature pédagogique, organisationnelle et socioaffective chez les sujets de l’échantillon. Cette recherche entraîne des retombées pour les didacticiens puisqu’elle fournit des données supplémentaires pouvant contribuer à améliorer la qualité du matériel didactique mis à la disposition des praticiens. De plus, la SAÉ développée pour cette étude constitue un outil didactique novateur pouvant être utilisé par les enseignants du primaire. / Science education is frequently neglected by elementary school teachers who prioritize French and mathematics (Lenoir, 2000). These teachers often lack the training and educational tools to link scientific knowledge with everyday life situations. Therefore, the integration of social practices with teaching activities can be considered an innovative teaching method which will enable students and teachers to contextualize many scientific concepts (Martinand, 1986). Capitalizing on the enthusiasm of Quebeckers for cooking, this research investigates the impact of a science-cooking professional development experience on six elementary school teachers. In this descriptive case study, the participants attended two training sessions during which they tried out various science teaching activities. After testing the activities in class, the participants were interviewed to establish the evolution of their knowledge regarding science teaching and to create a list of benefits and obstacles related to the use of cooking activities to teach science. Furthermore, the suggestions given by the subjects to improve the proposed teaching activities show the predominance of organizational and socioemotional concerns when it comes to adapting the instructional materials used in class. The results of this research may be useful for curriculum developers seeking to improve the quality of the educational tools created for the teachers. In addition, this study contributes to the improvement of science education by offering innovative teaching activities to the elementary school community.

本研究旨在探討如何設計以建構主義為基礎的專題導向式VR學習環境，並進一步藉由教學實驗探討運用此VR學習環境能否提升學童的學習效果，以及配合「配對合作」、「引導輔助」策略之應用，是否能提升VR學習環境輔助學習之效果。最後，則藉由晤談之分析，瞭解學童經過教學後仍存在哪些錯誤概念，並藉由不同學習環境及不同學習成就學童心理模式之比較，進一步推論影響學童概念之因素，期能提供教學者及後續研究者之參考。 本研究兼採發展學習軟體、準實驗研究法、問卷調查法及晤談法。首先設計並製作「地球的運動VR學習環境」。並選取台南市進學國小三個班級125名學童為對象，進行兩週之教學實驗。隨後進行紙筆測驗立即後測，並於四週後進行延宕後測。此外，在教學後依據學習成就及學習環境，分別選取12名學童參與晤談，以瞭解其心理模式。根據研究所獲得的資料，本研究之主要結論如下： 1. 本研究之VR學習環境有助於學童地球的運動相關概念之學習，然而仍有部分設計未達理想。整體而言，建構式虛擬實境學習環境之設計是值得發展的方向。 2. VR學習環境配合引導策略之應用，有助於學童之立即學習，對於問題層次較為抽象的專題報告，也有較好的效果。但在保留學習以及問題架構較明顯的專題報告中，是否給予輔助則無明顯差異。 3. 在地球的運動VR學習環境中，配對學習的效果並未優於個別學習。同時也沒有證據顯示配對學習的過程中，產生增進學習效果的互動過程。 4. 在VR學習環境中，採自由探索方式的學童有較正向的「學習經驗」和「互動經驗」。 5. 不同學習成就的學童其地球的運動相關概念有著極大的差異，一些容易受到直覺觀念影響的錯誤觀念，即使經過教學也很難改變。 6. 課本平面教材在傳達具有空間性質的概念時，易使學童誤解，有必要發展3D空間性質的教材。 根據研究結果，本研究提出建議，以供教育行政單位、國小自然科教師、電腦輔助教學軟體發展者以及未來相關研究之參考。 / The purposes of this dissertation were (1) to design and develop an innovative VR-based learning environment to teach "the motion of the earth" for the 6th grade students, (2) to investigate the effects after two weeks' instruction of VR-based learning environment on students’ learning achievements, which include different cognitive levels and different content areas, (3) to investigate the effects of cooperative dyads and provide guidance within the VR-based learning environment, (4) to analyze what factors may influence on the conceptual knowledge about the earth for sixth graders through interviews. Research approaches of this study included designing a computer-based learning environment, quasi-experiment, questionnaire survey and structured interview. The VR-based learning environment was designed through the processes of literature review, objective analysis, and content analysis. The evaluation of the VR learning environment was conducted through questionnaire surveying 12 experts and 76 students of the 6th grade to elicit their general opinions. This study employed quasi-experimental design to experiment on 3 classes of 125 students from Tainan Jying-Shyue elementary school. Two classes participated in VR learning environment. The members of the two classes were grouped by heterogeneous mixed-ability dyads or individual learning. The members of one of the VR groups learned through the guidance of worksheets; the students of the other VR group explored the environment by themselves. The third class was a control group whose members learned in traditional model based learning environment. After two weeks' instruction, all subjects accepted the test of the unit of "the motion of the earth" and retest after 4 weeks. 12 subjects attending interviews were selected from 125 students by different test achievements and different groups for the analytic framework. Through the design and evaluation of the VR world and the results from quantitative measure and interview data, the results were as follows: 1. We were gaining insights into the virtual reality's potential and limitations for learning. Constructivist VR-based learning environment is a new direction in the future. 2. Students learning by VR learning environment through guidance performed significantly better on the posttest than the other groups. Whether provided guidance or not, students learning by VR outperformed on test after 4 weeks than traditional learning environment. 3. There were no interaction effects between cooperative dyads and other factors. Cooperative dyads had no effect on test achievement in this study. 4. Students exploring the VR environment by themselves had more positive " learning experience" and "interactive experience" toward the environment than those learned through guidance. 5. Students with different achievement levels held extremely different mental models of the earth. The native conceptual knowledge of the earth was difficult to replace even after instruction. 6. The incorrect mental models concerned 3D concepts held by students were ineffectively corrected by the 2D textbooks. Based on the results of the study, recommendations are then made for related educational administration institution, researchers, instructional designers and elementary teachers.

本研究主要目的有三：（一）探討國小六年級學生在學習「地球的運動」前所具有的另類概念類型，及與空間能力的關係；（二）探討「地球的運動」單元各主要概念是否有發展的先後順序，及「地球形狀概念與重力概念發展」模式的適當性；（三）設計整合的概念改變教學策略，探討高、低空間能力者在不同教學層次與學習方式上的概念改變立即學習效果如何。進一步探討學習效果的持續性如何。並討論影響學生概念改變的可能因素，期能提供教學者及後續研究者之參考。 為完成前述研究目的，本研究進行研究一與研究二兩個研究，所使用的研究工具包括：地球的運動開放式紙筆測驗、地球的運動封閉式紙筆測驗、空間能力測驗、深層處理學生手冊和教學活動設計、淺層處理教學活動設計等，除空間能力測驗外，皆進行預試及修正。在研究一裡，採用問卷調查法及晤談法，以地球的運動開放式紙筆測驗，選取台北市萬興和萬福國小共235名學生為對象，考驗主要概念的發展順序。並依照空間能力測驗的結果找出前後各33﹪的學生列為高低空間能力者，考驗其在科學概念上是否有所差異。本研究一的主要結論如下： 1.高空間能力者在地球形狀、重力概念、晝夜成因、四季成因的科學概念，皆優於低空間能力者。 2.「地球形狀與重力概念的發展模式」是適當的，且各主要概念間有發展的順序存在，而學生的概念是「自然－文化－發展成熟度」三者的函數。 在研究二裡，採用準實驗研究法，首先設計「地球的運動」概念改變教學策略課程，並選取台北市萬興國小及萬福國小六年級各四個班級，共128位學生為對象，進行兩週的教學實驗，隨後進行紙筆測驗立即後測，間隔四週後進行延宕後測。根據研究所獲得資料進行分析，結論如下： 1.本研究之整合概念改變教學策略，有助於學生地球的運動相關概念的改變的立即效果和延宕效果。 2.接受深層處理的概念改變立即效果和延宕效果，皆優於接受淺層處理學習的效果。 3.配對合作學習效果會因為教學層次不同而有所不同，接受深層處理來學習時，配對合作的概念改變立即效果和延宕效果會優於個別學習。但當學生接受淺層處理時，配對合作學習與個別學習的概念改變立即效果和延宕效果並無差異。 4.配對合作學習效果會因為空間能力不同而有所不同，低空間能力學生，配對合作的概念改變立即效果和延宕效果會優於個別學習。但高空間能力學生，配對合作學習與個別學習的概念改變立即效果和延宕效果並無差異。 根據研究結果，本研究提出建議，以提供教育行政單位、國小自然科教師、課程設計者以及未來相關研究之參考。 / The purposes of this dissertation were: (1) to probe into the alternative conceptions of the students about earth's motion, and the relationship between these conceptions and spatial ability; (2) to identify the developmental sequence and model of the main concepts, and verify the model is adequate; (3) to design the instructional strategy of conceptual change and explore the learning effects that high- and low-spatial ability in different processing levels and learning styles. At last, the researcher identified the retention effect, and analyzed the factors that may influence on the conceptual change. For these purposes, the whole study was divided into study Ⅰ and Ⅱ. The instruments employed in this study included: The open-ended question test and the multiple-choice test of earth's motion, the spatial ability test, the curricula and student's manual for conceptual change teaching strategy. Except the spatial ability test, the item analysis and pilot study of the others were conducted to determine the reliability and validity, and promote the quality of this study. The study Ⅰ employed questionnaire survey and interview based on the open-ended question test of earth's motion. The participants were 235 sixth grade students from two elementary schools in Taipei. Through the data, the researcher investigated the developmental sequence of children's conceptual knowledge about the earth's motion. All students were classified as being of high- or low-ability group according to their performance on the spatial ability test. High- and Low-ability students scored upper and lower 33﹪ score of all students separately. Then the researcher examined the difference between high- and low-ability group on the performance of the open-ended question test. The main conclusions of study Ⅰ were as follows: 1. A t-test on the pretest indicated significant discrepancy for ability. In all concepts that included earth's shape, gravity concept, the causes of day/night and seasons, high- ability students outscored low-ability students. 2.The developmental model of earth's shape and gravity concept was adequate. There were developmental sequences among the main concepts. Student's conceptions are the function of physico-cultural and their developmental maturity. The study Ⅱ employed quasi-experimental design. At first, the researcher designed the teaching curricula of conceptual change. Then the researcher experimented on 8 classes of 128 students from two elementary schools in Taipei. Four intact classes were randomly assigned to different experimental groups in each school. Four groups were administered the pretest two weeks before the experimental treatment. After two weeks' instruction, all subjects accepted the posttest and delayed-test of earth's motion after 4 weeks. The results were as follows: 1.The instructional strategy of conceptual change that the researcher integrated had immediate and delayed effects. 2.Students learning by deep processing performed significantly better than the learning by superficial processing on the posttest and delayed-test. 3.The learning effect of cooperative dyads depended on the levels of processing. Students learning by deep processing environment, cooperative learning group did perform better than individual learning group on the posttest and delayed-test. Conversely, the result indicated no significant difference on the posttest and delayed-test between cooperative and individual learning. 4.The learning effect of cooperative dyads depended on the levels of spatial ability. Low-ability students with cooperative learning did perform better than those with individual learning on posttest and delayed-test. The performance of high-ability students showed no significant difference on posttest and delayed-test. Based on the results, these suggestions are proposed for educational administration institution, elementary teachers for science education, curricula designer, and future researchers.

No description available.

Studies have shown elementary teachers may not be well prepared to use technology in their classrooms. This study examines one elementary teacher’s feelings of technology self-efficacy (TSE), needs and pedagogical strategies when using the interactive whiteboard (IWB) to teach elementary science. It employed a single case study design, where the researcher and participant worked together during supportive professional development (PD) sessions. Data sources are twelve PD sessions, the Computer Technology Integration Survey (adapted for IWB use in the classroom), and two interviews, three in-class observations of IWB science lessons, and three lesson debriefs. Descriptive and thematic analysis show the participant’s TSE was positively influenced by the PD. Five factors were determined to influence TSE: the participant’s level of interest, attitude, experience with technology, student assistance, and familiarity with the setting. Teacher, contextual and IWB- level needs were explained. Pedagogical strategies for technology use based on interactive IWB features are also discussed. Findings could contribute to current trends in teacher PD, continuing education, and preservice teaching programs related to science teaching. / Plusieurs enseignants ne sont pas bien préparés pour utiliser la technologie en classe. En particulier, le tableau blanc interactif (TBI) n’est pas utilisé de façon optimale par les enseignants lorsqu’ils enseignent les sciences et la technologie à l’élémentaire. Cette thèse présente l’étude de cas unique d’une enseignante de l’élémentaire ayant cheminé dans un processus de développement professionnel (DP) pour l’aider à intégrer le TBI en sciences et technologie. Douze sessions de DP, un questionnaire sur l’efficacité avec le TBI (CTIS adapté), deux entrevues, trois sessions d’observation en classe et trois discussions sur les leçons constituent les sources de données. La participante est devenue plus confiante pour utiliser le TBI suite au DP. Elle a rehaussé son sentiment d’autoefficacité et accru son intérêt et sa connaissance du TBI. Elle a acquis des compétences techniques et une connaissance des contenus d’enseignement adaptés au TBI, bien que plusieurs besoins perdurent. Certaines stratégies pédagogiques avec le TBI expérimentées en classe par l’enseignante sont discutées. Cette thèse peut contribuer à fournir des pistes pour aider les enseignants au primaire à mieux intégrer le TBI en sciences et technologie, que ce soit lors de leur formation initiale à l’enseignement ou en cours d’emploi.