No description available.

Detta examensarbete har ämnat undersöka vilka ämnesområden inom naturvetenskap och teknik som elever i årskurs 4–6 är särskilt intresserade av samt undersöka deras upplevelse av NO-undervisningen i skolan. Eleverna har fått ställa egna frågor om naturvetenskap och teknik och dessa har kategoriserats utifrån ett antal olika ämnesområden. Detta examensarbete har funnit svaga tendenser till att elever i årskurs fyra klassar sin undervisning som roligare än elever i årskurs fem och sex. De mest populära kategorierna bland eleverna är frågor som rör anatomi och fysiologi, universum, Big bang och stjärnformation, kemiska reaktioner samt kemi överlag. Skillnader i kön inkluderar ett större intresse för kemi hos dem som identifierat sig som tjejer och ett större intresse för elektricitet och magnetism hos killar. Intresset för att genomföra laborationer inom kemin samt frågor som rör biologi är stora hos båda könen och frågor som rör reproduktion och genetik är vanligare hos tjejerna.Resultaten visar på att det finns ett antal ämnesområden som kan vara särskilt framgångsrika att inkludera i undervisningen för att fånga elevers intresse. Mer forskning behöver göras för att tydligare kunna identifiera potentiella samband mellan elevers intresse för särskilda ämnesområden och andra variabler såsom ålder, intresse för undervisningen och socio-ekonomisk status. / This student’s thesis aims to examine year 4-6 students’ interest in their science education as well as determine what subject matter connected to science and technology is of interest to the same students. Through a survey the students have formulated their own questions about science and technology which have hen been categorised according to subject matter as well as been asked to rate their enjoyment of their science instruction. This student’s thesis has found slight indications that the interest in science education declines between grade four and five to then remain constant throughout year five and six. The most common categories among the students’ questions are those concerning anatomy and physiology, the universe, big bang and the origin of the universe and stars as well as chemical reactions and experiments and chemistry overall. Gender differences include a larger interest for chemistry among those who’ve identified themselves as girls and a bigger interest in electricity and technology among boys. The interest in chemical reactions and experiments is even between the genders and questions about reproduction and genetics is much more common from girls than boys.The results of this study show that there is a number of subject that have the potential to be especially successful in capturing the students’ attention and interest. More research has to be done to more clearly identify possible correlations between interest in certain categories and other factors such as age, grade, performance, interest in school and socio-economic status.

The principle focus of this study has been a reflection on my planning methodology since 1988. Teachers planning from 19882002 was predominantly individual and was aided by the gradual introduction of State and Commonwealth produced documents. These documents assisted in topic choices and assessment outcomes.Important influences transformed my planning. The first occurred in 1996 and the second in 2002. In 1996 I was involved in the production of a resource kit for teachers titled, Its Working Career and Work Education, Kindergarten to Year 8. During the compilation of this resource kit my planning incorporated the 1995, Teaching and Learning in Science Planning Guide, which resembled constructivism by building knowledge and understanding. In 2002 the curriculum in Tasmanian State Schools was transformed with the introduction of the Essential Learnings Framework 1 and 2. This curriculum innovation had implications on teachers planning methodology with a strong emphasis on collaborative planning.Studies and critiques of environmental units were undertaken in 2000, 2003 and 2004 to ascertain the effectiveness of my planning methodology. The underlying principles of constructivism provided a lens to improve perceived deficiencies in my classroom practice. The inclusion of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) assisted in making constructivism visible. A strong purpose therefore evolved from the study; a more effective planning methodology.

The aim of the study was to describe and analyse the design of learning environments and how children in preschool, preschool class and primary school create meaning and learn from the teaching aids offered to them in scientific activities planned by teachers. The theoretical reference frame was obtained from multimodal and design-oriented theory, with its focus on the creative dimensions of learning and detailed aspects of how learning takes place. The study is based on video-observations and constituted an in-depth study of a limited number of occasions spent in preschool, preschool classes and the first year of primary school when science lessons were in progress. Four children’s groups, thirty-six children and five teachers took part in the study, from different schools and municipalities. The children are aged between three and seven. The video-observations have been transcribed as text and analysed with analytical concepts found within the theoretical framework. The results show that considering the number of children in the children’s groups, relatively few children take part in the scientific learning contexts. Changes in the balance of power were evident in the learning settings and followed the interaction patterns that were identified in the children’s groups.  The results also show that children create representations – both individually and corporately – in new or different ways that are made up of analogies expressed in terms of equivalent, existential, expressive and figurative analogies. The children’s verbal expressions that corresponded with the responses expected by the teachers were highly valued, were paid attention to and were recognised as know-how. This meant that many of the potential meanings that exist in children’s meaning-making in science become invisible. The results have educational implications for teachers’ work at the local level and for teacher training.