Biennial conference of the VNOP 2014

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Journey through space

Can an in- and outside school

science program improve

children’s scientific reasoning?

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Outline

• Introduction

• Theoretical framework: stimulating S&T, learning and teaching, scientific reasoning and knowledge declarations

• Research questions

• Method: multiple case study, microgenetic measures • Results

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• The aim of this study is to investigate the quality of an in- and outside school science program by observing teaching and learning

• This study focuses on the Mobile Planetarium

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Stimulating S&T in and outside school

Why stimulate S&T?

Young children are curious about scientific phenomena, but unfortunately too few finally graduate in S&T

Why outside school activities?

Provide exciting, real-world-experience which enhances motivation for and knowledge of science and

establishes a more positive relation with science

Why connect with curriculum?

Children benefit more if they learn within various contexts

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Learning and teaching in scientific

reasoning

• Curiosity is conditional for deep learning

• Performance is dynamic

– depends on context: importance of teacher’s support – Takes the form of co-construction

• Asking thought-provoking questions,

encouraging to think out loud, and providing time-to-think induce change in conceptual

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Scientific Reasoning and

Knowledge Reproduction

Scientific reasoning: (change in) understanding of specific scientific phenomena as an aspect of cognitive development

Declarative knowledge: recall of factual

information, traditionally defined as knowing ‘that’, or ‘knowing about’

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Research questions:

1) How do children’s performances and teacher’s support change over time? To what extent do the various cases differ?

2) Does the magnitude of change in performance relate to the quality of the program

implementation?

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The aim of this study is to investigate the quality of an in- and out-of-school science program by

observing teaching and learning Research questions:

1) How do children’s performances and teacher’s support change over time? To what extent do the various cases differ?

2) Does the magnitude of change in performance relate to the quality of the program

implementation (rank and support)?

Hypothesis 1: Performance increases as a result of more support; most salient in an optimal case

Hypothesis 2: trained teachers show more support than untrained teachers, and their children show better performance

Hypothesis 3: Effect of Program is proportional to the quality of its implementation

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Cases

• In-depth study of four cases: optimal,

semi-optimal (2) and marginal

– Optimal: trained teachers; sequence: preparation-visit-consolidation-follow-up

– Marginal: untrained teachers; sequence: visit-consolidation-follow-up

– Lessons can be ranked on basis of the implementation quality

• Upper grade classes

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Expectations optimal

performance/support

Children/Teacher

Increase Equal Decrease

Scientific Reasoning + = - Knowledge Reproduction ₊ ₌ - green=optimal Orange= semi Red= marginal

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Procedure and analysis

• Two lessons of each case are videotaped

• Transcription of utterances of first 800 seconds/ lesson

• Coding:

– children’s complex thinking with Skill Theory and coding of Scientific Reasoning / Knowledge Reproduction;

– teacher’s style with Openness Scale and coding of Evoking Scientific Reasoning / Evoking Knowledge Reproduction

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Example of resulting time-series

1-9-2014 1 2 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 30 59 88 11 7 14 6 17 5 20 4 23 3 26 2 29 1 32 0 34 9 37 8 40 7 43 6 46 5 49 4 52 3 55 2 58 1 61 0 63 9 66 8 69 7 72 6 75 5 78 4 12 41 70 99 12 8 15 7 18 6 21 5 24 4 27 3 30 2 33 1 36 0 38 9 41 8 44 7 47 6 50 5 53 4 56 3 59 2 62 1 65 0 67 9 70 8 73 7 76 6 79 5

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Coding

Children:

– Scientific Reasoning: “It has to do with the position of the

Moon: you only see half of the moon, still it is entirely round.”

– Knowledge Reproduction: “ That is the Pole Star”

Teacher:

– Evoking Scientific Reasoning: “What do you think, will it

become dark or light if I turn it this way?”

– Evoking Knowledge: “Is the Sun a star?”

1-9-2014

1 3

Optimal complex thinking =

Scientific Reasoning- Knowledge Reproduction Optimal Openness =

Evoking Scientific Reasoning- Evoking Knowledge Reproduction

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H1: support and performance?

1-9-2014 Case 1 (optimal) f (T2-T1) Case 2 (semi-optimal) f (T2-T1) Case 3 (semi-optimal) f (T2-T1) Case 4 (marginal) f (T2-T1) Increase Optimal Openness (support) [ESR-EKR] Increase Optimal Complex Thinking (performance) [SR-KR] 46 (58-12)** [72-14]-[37-25] P=0.000 34 (23--11)** [36-13]-[7-18] P=0.000 8 (3- - 5) [23-20]-[15-20] P=0,187 -4 (-1- 3) [27-28]-[20-17] P=0.355 -44 (-21-23)** [11-32]-[41-18] P=0.000 -73 (-59-14)** [14-73]-[28-14] P=0.000 12 (14-2) [27-13]-[24-22] P=0.122 12 (-1- - 13) [27-28]- [9-22] P=0.089

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H2: better performance by trained

teachers?

P-value<0,01 1-9-2014 1 5 -100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100

Optimal Complex Thinking Optimal Openness CM trained CM untrained

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H3: Is the effect of the Program

proportional to the quality of

implementation?

• Correlation: support - quality rank sessions r = 0,5 ; p-value = 0,10

• Correlation: performance - quality rank r = 0,42; p-value = 0,16 1-9-2014 1 6 Case 1 (optimal) Case 2 (semi-optimal) Case 3 (semi-optimal) Case 4 (marginal)

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Conclusion

• 1) How do children’s performances and teacher’s support

change over time? To what extent do the various cases differ?

- Optimal case shows an increase in support and in performance

• 2) Does the magnitude of change in performance relate to the quality of the program implementation?

- The exists a positive relationship between performance and quality of implementation

- The optimal case shows better results than other cases: preparation and training of teachers is advisable

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Discussion & Questions

• How is CM support of teachers and performance children related over time, if inspected

microgenetically?

• What are the properties of optimal support and performances?

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1-9-2014 1 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 30 59 88 11 7 14 6 17 5 20 4 23 3 26 2 29 1 32 0 34 9 37 8 40 7 43 6 46 5 49 4 52 3 55 2 58 1 61 0 63 9 66 8 69 7 72 6 75 5 78 4 12 41 70 99 12 8 15 7 18 6 21 5 24 4 27 3 30 2 33 1 36 0 38 9 41 8 44 7 47 6 50 5 53 4 56 3 59 2 62 1 65 0 67 9 70 8 73 7 76 6 79 5

ESR RAW SR RAW EK RAW K RAW

0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 1 33 65 97 12 9 16 1 19 3 22 5 25 7 28 9 32 1 35 3 38 5 41 7 44 9 48 1 51 3 54 5 57 7 60 9 64 1 67 3 70 5 73 7 76 9 80 1 31 63 95 12 7 15 9 19 1 22 3 25 5 28 7 31 9 35 1 38 3 41 5 44 7 47 9 51 1 54 3 57 5 60 7 63 9 67 1 70 3 73 5 76 7 79 9 ESR SR EK K