This thesis describes a field study in which one teacher and one class in Grade 5, with special focus on four pupils, are observed throughout four lessons of about 80-minutes in Physics. The lessons together deal with a project on Magnetism. The main aim of the thesis is to investigate how the teacher uses texts as a resource when designing and implementing Science lessons (Learning Design Sequences). A further aim is to study what texts are used and produced by both the teacher and the pupils, and how these texts are used. The four lessons were recorded with a video camera and the recordings supplemented by field notes and interviews. All the texts used were copied or photographed. A design theoretical frame and a sociocultural perspective have been applied to analyse both the presence of texts during different stages (activities) of the lessons, and to analyse the text-related interaction and communication that has taken place in the classroom. The results confirm several previous studies and show that the teacher is the main producer and consumer of texts before and during the Science lessons. Textbooks, and texts on the Internet, are only used by the teacher to design the lessons, and are then mediated by the teacher during classroom interaction. The pupils mainly read questions, which they write brief answers to, and also read and copy texts written by the teacher on the white board. One interesting finding is that dialogue concerning texts increases the scientific content, which means more empirical or theoretical descriptions and explanations. To become scientifically literate it is therefore argued that pupils need more practice reading and writing in combination with dialogue and activities in the science classroom.

When children encounter new subjects in school, they are also faced with new ways of using language. Learning science thus means learning the language of science, and writing is one of the ways this is accomplished. The present study investigates writing in natural sciences in grades 5 and 8 in Swedish schools. Major theoretical influences for these investigations are found within the socio-cultural, dialogical and social semiotic perspectives on language use. The study is based on texts written by 97 students, interviews around these texts and observations from 16 different classroom practices. Writing is seen as a situated practice; therefore analysis is carried out of the activities surrounding the texts. The student texts are analysed in terms of genre and in relation to their abstraction, density and use of expansions. This analysis shows among other things that the texts show increasing abstraction and density with increasing age, whereas the text structure and the use of expansions do not increase. It is also argued that a central point in school writing must be the students’ way of talking about their texts. Analysis of interviews with the students is thus carried out in terms of text movability. The results from this analysis indicate that students find it difficult to talk about their texts. They find it hard to express the main content of the text, as well as to discuss it’s function and potential readers. Previous studies argue that writing constitutes a potential for learning. In the material studied in this thesis, this potential learning tool is not used to any large extent. To be able to participate in natural sciences in higher levels, students need to take part in practices where the specialized language of natural science is used in writing as well as in speech.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur elever samtalar när de möter en uppgift som syftar till att öva deras förmåga att använda ett naturvetenskapligt arbetssätt. Undersökningen genomfördes genom att fyra grupper om två elever fick en uppgift där de formulerade frågeställningar kring en isballong (en frusen vattenballong). Samtalen spelades in på band. Inspelningarna transkriberades och analyserades med hjälp av en praktisk epistemologisk analys utifrån tre olika kategorier: samtal inom diskursen, samtal om diskursen och samtal utanför diskursen. Resultatet av undersökningen visar att de flesta eleverna har, trots att de har ringa eller ingen erfarenhet av att arbeta med natruvetenskapligt arbetssätt, ganska lätt att ta till sig uppgiften. Resultatet visar även att det inte är samtal som ligger utanför ramen för uppgiften som utgör det största hindret för eleverna att arbeta med uppgiften, utan i stället att det är samtal som rör uppgiftens utformning.

This study aims to investigate pre-service elementary science teacher&rsquo / s scientific literacy level and their attitudes towards science. In addition, whether pre-service elementary science teacher&rsquo / s scientific literacy and their attitudes towards science differs in some demographic variables such as gender, high school profile, grade, place of family residence, parents educational level and family income level were examined. Finally, possible relationship between participants&rsquo / scientific literacy level and their attitudes towards science was explored. The present study conducted with 285 pre-service elementary science teachers from Elementary Science Education Program at Dokuz Eyl&uuml / l University during the second semester of 2008-2009 academic year. The data were collected by administering v Turkish version of Test of Basic Scientific Literacy (TBSL) and SAI-II (Science Attitude Inventory) scales. Analysis of the data indicated that pre-service elementary science teachers have satisfactory scientific literacy level and moderately positive attitudes towards science. Moreover, participants&rsquo / scientific literacy level and attitudes towards science showed differences in only some demographic variables: gender and place of family residence. Finally, the analysis also indicated that there is a positive significant relationship between participants&rsquo / scientific literacy level and their attitudes towards science.

This thesis takes a departure from a view of scientific literacy as situated in participation in civic practices. From such a view, it becomes problematic to assess scientific literacy through decontextualised test items only dealing with single aspects of participation in contexts concerned with science. Due to the complexity of transferring knowledge, it is problematic to assume that people who can explain scientific theories will automatically apply those theories in life or that knowledge will influence those people’s behaviour. A common way to more fully include the complexity of using science in different practices is to focus participation around issues and study how students use multiple sources to reflect critically and ethically on that issue. However, participation is situated in practices and thus becomes something specific within those practices. For instance, shopping for groceries for the family goes beyond reflecting critically and ethically on health and environment since it involves considering the family economy and the personal tastes of the family members. I have consequently chosen to focus my studies on how to assess scientific literacy as participation in civic practices. The thesis describes a praxis development research study where I, in cooperation with teachers, have designed interventions of assessments in lower secondary science classrooms. In the research study I use the theory of Community of Practice and Expansive Learning to study affordances and constraints for assessing communication, source critique and decision-making in the science classroom. The affordances and constraints for students’ participation in assessments are studied through using a socio-political debate as an assessment tool. The affordances and constraints for communicating assessment are studied through peer assessments of experimental design. The affordances and constraints for teachers to expand their assessment repertoire are studied through assessment moderation meetings. Finally, the affordances and constraints for designing authentic assessments of scientific literacy are studied through a review of different research studies’ use of authenticity in science education. The studies show that tensions emerge between purposes of practices outside the classroom and practices inside the classroom that students negotiated when participating in the assessments. Discussion groups were influential on students’ decisions on how to use feedback. Feedback that was not used to amend the designs was still used to discuss what should count as quality of experiments. Teachers used the moderation meetings to refine their assessments and teaching. However, conflicting views of scientific literacy as either propositional or procedural knowledge were challenging to overcome. Different publications in science education research emphasised personal or cultural aspects of authenticity. The different uses of authenticity have implications for authentic assessments, regarding the affordances and constraints for how to reify quality from external practices and through students’ engagement in practices. The results of the studies point to gains of focussing the assessment on how students negotiate participation in different civic practices. However, this approach to assessment puts different demands on assessment design than assessments in which students’ participation is compared with predefined ideals for performance. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Accepted. Paper 2: Submitted. Paper 3: Submitted. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p>

This study investigates the effects of student sex, student’s interest in learning science and school characteristics – school type and school size- on 15-year-old scientific literacy in Canada through HLM. Using PISA data in 2006, the results showed 19% of the total variability in scientific literacy could be attributed to schools in Canada. There is a significant sex difference in scientific literacy in Canada at the student level. In addition, students’ interest in learning science is related to their scientific literacy significantly. Students who have a higher interest in learning the subjects of physics, chemistry, human biology, astronomy, and geology are predicted to achieve higher science scores than those students who have less interest in learning these subjects. In terms of the school characteristics variables, students who attend public schools have better scientific literacy scores. Also, students who go to bigger schools significantly outperform in scientific literacy.

abstract: The goal of science education in the United States is promoting scientific literacy for all students. The goal necessitates understanding the nature of science-what science is as a body of knowledge, explanatory tool, and human enterprise. The history of science is one of the most long-standing pedagogical methods of getting at the nature of science. But scientific literacy also encompasses education in scientific inquiry, and in the relationships among science, technology, and society (STS), as well as fact and theory-based subject-matter content. Since the beginning of the standards-based reform movement (circa 1983) many attempts have been made to codify the components of scientific literacy. National level voluntary standards have lead to state standards. Under No Child Left Behind, those state standards have become integral parts of the educational system. Standards are political in nature, yet play the role of intended curriculum. I examine one thread of scientific literacy, the history and nature of science, from its beginnings in science education through the political perturbations of the last thirty years. This examination of "the history and nature of science" through the history of standards-based reform sheds light on our changing conception of scientific literacy. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Biology 2011

This study discusses the "years of Scientific Literacy of the teacher starting with the elementary school ". It aims to critically analyze the scientific literacy within the practice teaching of the teacher/trainee starting from elementary school. The study is based on the theory of significant learning and raises a new perspective on the progress of the teaching, learning, and the significance relating to the students of the pedagogy course. This is in relation to the teaching of natural sciences, in order to identify the elements capable of contributing to effective renewal in training of teachers. Such research is based on Ausubel and Moreira, Chassot, Hernandéz and others. The search for embossing a qualitative research is the type of action that took place in a Public School Hall of Palmeira dos Indios, which is the locus Stage Supervised Practice of Teaching in the years starting from elementary school, the course of Pedagogy of the School of Science Human and Economic of Palmeira dos Indios. We examined four teachers/trainees who developed projects to work on scientific topics in classes from 1st to 4th grade of elementary school. The projects used questionnaires, portfolios, reports of meetings and interviews as instruments of research. They investigated the teaching, field of scientific content reports of characterization, observation, portfolios (terms of record with all shares held by the students on stage text, photos, activities, testimonials, etc.) and their work projects. Then it happened the socialization experiences, seminars, deepening theoretical and conceptual construction of maps. The work of research contributed in a meaningful way to the construction of knowledge about the teaching practice. There is a need for scientific literacy and understanding of the theory of learning significant criticism in Alagoas. However, due to lack of a significant learning of the content of natural sciences in school, it is confirmed the hypothesis that the use of the methodology of work projects on practice teaching, involving scientific themes, can mean learning in the natural sciences for the teachers of the early years of primary school. Thus, will raise their scientific literacy. / Este estudo discute a Alfabetização Científica do professor dos anos inicias do Ensino Fundamental na perspectiva da Teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa. Tem como objetivos: analisar, criticamente, como se dá a alfabetização científica na prática docente do professor/estagiário dos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental, com base na teoria da aprendizagem significativa, e suscitar um novo olhar para a dinamização do processo de ensino e significação da aprendizagem dos alunos do curso de pedagogia, no que diz respeito ao ensino de ciências naturais, a fim de que seja possível identificar os elementos capazes de contribuir para a efetiva renovação na formação de professores. A referida investigação está fundamentada em Ausubel e Moreira, Chassot, Hernandéz e outros. A pesquisa de cunho qualitativo é do tipo pesquisa ação; realizou-se numa Escola Pública Municipal de Palmeira dos Índios, a qual é locus do Estágio Supervisionado em Prática de Ensino dos anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental, do curso de Pedagogia do Campus III da Universidade Estadual de Alagoas em Palmeira dos Índios. Foram analisadas quatro professoras/estágiárias que desenvolveram projetos de trabalhos com temas científicos em turmas de 1ª a 4ª série do Ensino Fundamental. Utilizaram-se questionários, portifólios, relatórios de encontros e entrevistas como instrumentos da pesquisa. Foram investigados seus discursos pedagógicos, seu domínio de conteúdos científicos (análise de conteúdos), seus relatórios de caracterização e observação, seus portifólios (caderno de registro com todas as ações realizadas pelas alunas no estágio, textos, fotos, atividades, depoimentos etc) e seus projetos de trabalhos. Em seguida, aconteceu a socialização das experiências, seminários de aprofundamentos teóricos e construção de mapas conceituais. O trabalho de pesquisa contribuiu de maneira significativa na produção do conhecimento sobre a prática docente e disseminou a necessidade da alfabetização científica e da compreensão da teoria da aprendizagem significativa crítica em Alagoas. Todavia, percebeu-se a carência de uma aprendizagem significativa dos conteúdos de ciências naturais veiculados na escola e confirmou-se a hipótese de que a utilização da metodologia de projetos de trabalhos na prática docente, envolvendo temas científicos, pode significar a aprendizagem em ciências naturais dos professores dos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental e suscitar a sua alfabetização científica.

ARAÚJO, Ana Vérica de. Feira de ciências: contribuições para a alfabetização científica na educação básica. 2015. 134f. – Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação Brasileira, Fortaleza (CE), 2015. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-08-02T15:27:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_avaraujo.pdf: 2121125 bytes, checksum: 2dc7d4cab8c47c9721ccceec31185692 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-08-04T16:20:24Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_avaraujo.pdf: 2121125 bytes, checksum: 2dc7d4cab8c47c9721ccceec31185692 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-04T16:20:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_avaraujo.pdf: 2121125 bytes, checksum: 2dc7d4cab8c47c9721ccceec31185692 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / A sociedade atual passa por constantes mudanças sociais, políticas e, principalmente, científicas. Assim, o ensino em geral e o das Ciências Naturais, em particular, deve promover uma educação que atenda a esse crescimento, atualizando-se constantemente e formando cidadãos críticos e capazes de contribuir para a melhoria da sociedade. Nessa perspectiva, considerando as Feiras de Ciências como possibilidade de atualização e formação de alunos e professores da Educação Básica nas Ciências, devido ao caráter investigativo exigido, este projeto traça a abordagem científica ou da Ciência estabelecida nas Feiras de Ciências desenvolvidas na Educação Básica. Tais feiras têm o intuito de promover a Alfabetização Científica e possibilitar a compreensão das Ciências pelos alunos nos diferentes níveis de ensino. Dessa forma, o projeto visou, através do uso de Estudo de Caso, em uma abordagem qualitativa, estudar a relação da Feira Estadual de Ciências e Cultura do Ceará (FECC) com a Alfabetização Científica de alunos e professores de escola da Educação Básica. Para tanto, foi investigado o processo de produção e organização da FECC, as percepções de seus idealizadores, bem como as concepções de professores e alunos de determinada escola da Educação Básica, vencedora de edições da feira, quanto ao desenvolvimento da Alfabetização Científica em âmbito escolar. A coleta de dados deu-se por meio de análise documental dos editais da FECC, grupo focal com os alunos premiados e entrevistas com a coordenação da feira e com o professor orientador dos projetos na escola campo de pesquisa, todas registradas em áudio. Os dados, após analisados, revelaram que a FECC não é apenas um evento de culminância, mas um incentivo às atividades científicas dentro e fora da escola, por meio da socialização e intercâmbio que realiza. A elaboração de projetos é um trabalho árduo, mas os alunos e a escola conseguem superar as dificuldades com persistência e estudo. A participação na FECC influencia a educação e a vida cotidiana dos estudantes, que adquirem não só conhecimentos, mas autonomia, e passam a contribuir no processo de ensino-aprendizagem e na melhoria da comunidade onde vivem. Revelou também que a Secretaria Estadual de Educação possui políticas eficazes de incentivo à participação nas feiras, mas ainda não atinge todos os docentes da rede pública. No caso dos estudantes que participam da FECC, existe, sim, uma melhoria na alfabetização científica que recebem, embora não seja sistematizada pela escola ou mesmo pela feira. Esses alunos demonstraram ainda atitudes científica, social e pedagógica. Com a pesquisa, foi possível conhecer em parte a realidade da educação científica proposta e executada através das Feiras de Ciências, o uso dos aspectos científicos pela organização, professor e alunos e o alcance dos objetivos a que se propõem: auxílio no ensino e na aprendizagem, aproximação entre escola e sociedade, promoção e valorização de vocações e talentos para a Ciência e promoção de uma Alfabetização Científica sólida e eficiente, contribuindo para uma educação crítica em relação aos avanços, problemáticas e demais fatores da sociedade moderna.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / This dissertation was developed among a group of Initial Years teachers of municipal schools from Alegrete /RS, in 2012, and it is focused on the diagnosis, analysis and development of a Science Teaching approach under the perspective of Scientific Literacy (SL) with the focus on Science, Technology and Society (STS). The methodological approach was qualitative, of comprehensive-interpretative nature, and the action-research was the investigation support, divided into two manuscripts. The first is characterized by the diagnosis of the teachers perception about the SL perspective with the focus on STS, when a questionnaire was used with open and closed questions. 58 teachers participated in this research. Results showed that the teachers understand the importance of the topic, but they are not prepared to evolve this theme in class. Besides, a great number of educators do not explicit in their practices the way that this SL perspective with the focus on STS may contribute do the Science Teaching. Likewise, when they were asked about the fact that their curriculum does not contemplate the SL with the focus on SIS, they mentioned that this topic does not contemplate this focus on their formation (68,96%), as well as 96,56% of these teachers do not have courses or graduations about the thematic of SL in STS. The second manuscript is characterized by an analysis of how the continued formation based on SL with the focus on STS impacted a group of teachers of Initial Years. 40 teachers participated, and 12 finalized. A questionnaire with open questions, participant observation and project analysis, besides a field journal, were used as tools to collect data. Results showed that teachers who participated at this research have a conceptual, linear and traditional perception of the Science subjects. However, at the projects reports, 66,67% of the teachers showed a vision of real, interdisciplinary and contextualized Science. With the evidenced results, we realized that the teacher s formation had a positive impact at the understanding about the Science Teaching construction. Thus, we hope that this dissertation may contribute with future educational actions, encouraging the development of problematizing methodologies, that are constituted as an important tool at interdisciplinary projects construction, that aim at an education more contextualized and closer to students reality. / A presente dissertação foi desenvolvida entre um grupo de professores dos Anos Iniciais de escolas da rede municipal de Alegrete/RS no ano de 2012 e focaliza-se no diagnóstico, análise e desenvolvimento de uma proposta sobre o Ensino de Ciências na perspectiva da Alfabetização Científica (AC) no enfoque da Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade (CTS). A abordagem metodológica foi qualitativa, de natureza compreensivo-interpretativa, tendo na pesquisa-ação o suporte para a investigação, sendo dividido em dois manuscritos. O primeiro caracteriza-se pelo diagnóstico das percepções dos professores sobre perspectiva da AC no enfoque da CTS, onde foi aplicado um questionário com perguntas abertas e fechadas. Participaram desta pesquisa 58 professores. Os resultados demonstraram que os docentes entendem a importância do tema, mas indicaram não estar preparados para desenvolver esta temática em sala de aula. Além disso, grande parte dos educadores não explicita em suas práticas como esta perspectiva da AC com enfoque da CTS pode contribuir para o Ensino de Ciências. Da mesma forma, quando questionados sobre a grade curricular de seus cursos contemplar a AC no enfoque da CTS, eles mencionaram que esse tema não contempla esse enfoque em sua formação (68,96%), bem como 96,56% desses professores não possuem cursos ou pós-graduação sobre a temática AC em CTS. O segundo manuscrito caracteriza-se em analisar como a formação continuada baseada na AC com enfoque CTS impactou um grupo de professores dos Anos Iniciais. Participaram 40 professores e finalizaram 12. Utilizou-se como instrumento de coleta de dados um questionário com perguntas abertas, observação participante e análise de projeto, além do diário de campo. Os resultados apontaram que os professores participantes da pesquisa têm uma percepção conceitual linear e tradicional a respeito dos conteúdos de Ciências. Contudo, nos relatos dos projetos, 66,67% dos docentes mostraram-se com uma visão de Ciência real, interdisciplinar e contextualizada. Com os resultados evidenciados, percebe-se que a formação dos professores teve impacto positivo no entendimento sobre a construção do Ensino de Ciências. Assim, espera-se que a presente dissertação possa contribuir com futuras ações educacionais, estimulando o desenvolvimento de metodologias problematizadoras, as quais se constituem numa importante ferramenta na construção de projetos interdisciplinares que visem a um ensino mais contextualizado e próximo da realidade dos alunos.