Greetings Colleagues in Science,
The development of the new AUS National Science curriculum materials must be informed by research papers presented at the ACER: Research Conference in 2006: “Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?” Especially, the Keynote Address: “Boosting science learning through the design of curriculum materials” by Dr Rodger Bybee of the BSCS Organisation.
ACER URL: http://www.acer.edu.au/research_conferences/2006.html
For example, consider research findings 1 and 2 presented by Rodger Bybee.
Research Finding 1: “Students come to educational experiences with preconceptions.”
Therefore: “Teachers should recognize preconceptions, engage the learner, facilitate conceptual change, and employ strategies that respond to students’ prior knowledge.”
Consequently: Curriculum materials should incorporate “… information about common preconceptions in the process of conceptual change, and the means by which the curriculum can bring about conceptual change”; and also include “… structured sequences of experiences that will elicit challenge and provide opportunities to change preconceptions.”
Research Finding 2: “Students should develop a factual knowledge based on a conceptual framework.”
Therefore: “Teachers should have a conceptual understanding of science and the appropriate factual knowledge aligned with the concepts.”
Consequently: “The curriculum should be based on major concepts of science, with key facts connected to the organising concepts”; and the curriculum should also: “… provide relevant experiences to illustrate the concepts and opportunities to transfer concepts to new situations.”
The new AUS National Science Curriculum support materials should allow teachers to teach science for understanding, and require that all students try to learn science with understanding. What do you think?
You can conduct further research into conceptual change learning in Science at these two URL’s:
CCL URL 1: http://cosmos.phy.tufts.edu/~zirbel/ScienceEd/Learning-and-Concept-Formation.pdf
CCL URL 2: http://cosmos.phy.tufts.edu/~zirbel/ScienceEd/Teaching-for-Conceptual-Change.pdf
