Therese Asplund, Ann-Sofie Kall, Ola Uhrqvist, Amina Bijedic
Since 2015, discussions on how to educate the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been under the scope of the international community, while research in SDG education in particular for early childhood education is still scarce. This paper builds on focus groups discussions with pre-school personel to explore challenges and opportunities with educating and learning the SDGs for children between 1-5 years. The analysis shows that (1) despite the intention of an interdisciplinary teaching, questions about sustainable development and Agenda 2030 tend to be fragmented, 2) preschool teachers perceive the organisational conditions of preschools as beneficial for teaching for sustainable development, and 3) the children's interest is given great importance and is often seen as a prerequisite for the teachers work, but at the same time a dilemma is expressed with losing goals and focus.
{"title":"Att lära för FN:s Globala Mål – utmaningar och möjligheter med ämnesövergripande och samskapande undervisning i förskolan","authors":"Therese Asplund, Ann-Sofie Kall, Ola Uhrqvist, Amina Bijedic","doi":"10.5617/nordina.9349","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5617/nordina.9349","url":null,"abstract":"Since 2015, discussions on how to educate the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been under the scope of the international community, while research in SDG education in particular for early childhood education is still scarce. This paper builds on focus groups discussions with pre-school personel to explore challenges and opportunities with educating and learning the SDGs for children between 1-5 years. The analysis shows that (1) despite the intention of an interdisciplinary teaching, questions about sustainable development and Agenda 2030 tend to be fragmented, 2) preschool teachers perceive the organisational conditions of preschools as beneficial for teaching for sustainable development, and 3) the children's interest is given great importance and is often seen as a prerequisite for the teachers work, but at the same time a dilemma is expressed with losing goals and focus.","PeriodicalId":37114,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies in Science Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42185233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Siw Turid Killengreen, Helene Lundberg, Jan Höper, Ingrid Jensvoll
This survey investigated how teachers in the northernmost parts of Norway use outdoor science teaching, and what they consider to be the most important challenges. Most teachers report that they do outdoor science activities a couple of times a year, more often in primary school than secondary school. The topics covered are largely related to biology during autumn and spring. Factors that inhibit use of outdoor teaching are related to the length of classes and time to prepare, together with lack of competence and weather challenges. Both expectation from parents and encouragement from management had little influence on the use of outdoor teaching, while the teacher own interest of outdoor life and the fact that students enjoyed such teaching were important elements. Moreover, experienced teachers considered the student group’s characteristics to be of importance for how much outdoor teaching was used compared to teachers who had worked for less than five years. Our study also confirmed that the teacher’s perception of species knowledge was closely linked to their own interest in nature.
{"title":"Naturfag utenfor klasserommet fra et Nordnorsk perspektiv","authors":"Siw Turid Killengreen, Helene Lundberg, Jan Höper, Ingrid Jensvoll","doi":"10.5617/nordina.9295","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5617/nordina.9295","url":null,"abstract":"This survey investigated how teachers in the northernmost parts of Norway use outdoor science teaching, and what they consider to be the most important challenges. Most teachers report that they do outdoor science activities a couple of times a year, more often in primary school than secondary school. The topics covered are largely related to biology during autumn and spring. Factors that inhibit use of outdoor teaching are related to the length of classes and time to prepare, together with lack of competence and weather challenges. Both expectation from parents and encouragement from management had little influence on the use of outdoor teaching, while the teacher own interest of outdoor life and the fact that students enjoyed such teaching were important elements. Moreover, experienced teachers considered the student group’s characteristics to be of importance for how much outdoor teaching was used compared to teachers who had worked for less than five years. Our study also confirmed that the teacher’s perception of species knowledge was closely linked to their own interest in nature.","PeriodicalId":37114,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies in Science Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47264897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article presents experiences of using selected aspects of Nature of Science as guidelines for inclusive science education in biology at the upper-secondary level in the Swedish school system. First, the purpose and background of the project is described, along with a discussion on inclusive science education and the specific interpretation of Nature of Science used. Then, some concrete examples of tasks and teaching strategies used are provided. Finally, an evaluation of the project is presented, based on students’ experiences and findings from a questionnaire, and the experiences are discussed in relation to the purpose of the project. As no comparisons have been made, it is not possible to claim that this teaching is more inclusive, or better in any other regard, as compared to any other teaching. Hopefully, however, the text can provide inspiration and a basis for further development work with a similar focus.
{"title":"Naturvetenskapernas karaktär som redskap för inkluderande undervisning i biologi","authors":"A. Jönsson","doi":"10.5617/nordina.9756","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5617/nordina.9756","url":null,"abstract":"This article presents experiences of using selected aspects of Nature of Science as guidelines for inclusive science education in biology at the upper-secondary level in the Swedish school system. First, the purpose and background of the project is described, along with a discussion on inclusive science education and the specific interpretation of Nature of Science used. Then, some concrete examples of tasks and teaching strategies used are provided. Finally, an evaluation of the project is presented, based on students’ experiences and findings from a questionnaire, and the experiences are discussed in relation to the purpose of the project. As no comparisons have been made, it is not possible to claim that this teaching is more inclusive, or better in any other regard, as compared to any other teaching. Hopefully, however, the text can provide inspiration and a basis for further development work with a similar focus.","PeriodicalId":37114,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies in Science Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43434675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Science teacher educators (STEs) are key actors for implementing research-based science teacher education (RBSTE). Based on group interviews with 29 STEs from seven different teacher education (TE) institutions in Norway, this study reports how STEs view RBSTE. The STEs did not express a comprehensive understanding of the term RBSTE; however, their descriptions of the aims of science TE were in line with educating research literate teachers - critical and reflective teachers who can develop their practice based on research. They regarded their own competence as decisive for RBSTE and described modelling research-based practices in science education as a way of teaching science and science education simultaneously. However, the STEs described tension between prioritising natural science and science education research. We conclude that STEs’ goals and practices are in line with the aims for RBSTE, but a stronger common understanding of what RBSTE entails is needed to further strengthen science TE.
{"title":"Fostering research literate science teachers: Science teacher educators’ views on research-based teacher education","authors":"S. G. Aalbergsjø, E. K. Henriksen, G. Eklund","doi":"10.5617/nordina.9582","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5617/nordina.9582","url":null,"abstract":"Science teacher educators (STEs) are key actors for implementing research-based science teacher education (RBSTE). Based on group interviews with 29 STEs from seven different teacher education (TE) institutions in Norway, this study reports how STEs view RBSTE. The STEs did not express a comprehensive understanding of the term RBSTE; however, their descriptions of the aims of science TE were in line with educating research literate teachers - critical and reflective teachers who can develop their practice based on research. They regarded their own competence as decisive for RBSTE and described modelling research-based practices in science education as a way of teaching science and science education simultaneously. However, the STEs described tension between prioritising natural science and science education research. We conclude that STEs’ goals and practices are in line with the aims for RBSTE, but a stronger common understanding of what RBSTE entails is needed to further strengthen science TE.","PeriodicalId":37114,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies in Science Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48331400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Despite international emphasis on the advantage of children’s exploration, there is limited knowledge about how availability of physical materials influence children´s exploratory activities. This paper presents findings from a study that examined the availability and use of materials related to science in 26 Norwegian kindergartens. Data were collected by kindergarten teacher students during their practice in kindergartens. Quantitative data were gathered using checklists, qualitative data by observations of children´s activities involving science related materials. The quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed separately and then together using the three categories of exploratory activities introduced by Neuman: formal activities, informal activities and incidental activities. Our findings surface that most kindergartens had much of the materials listed in the checklist, but much of it was locked up and only a few of the objects, such as vinyl animals and books, were available for children´s informal activities. We also found that formal activities gave stimuli to informal activities, which highlights the importance of including children in collective activities as working with theme or projects over time. Only one of the activities in our data was categorized as incidental. Our findings indicate that benefits of using materials to extend children`s exploration are not taken fully advantage of and should be further discussed and highlighted.
{"title":"Materiell som vilkår for utforsking innen fagområdet natur, miljø og teknikk i barnehagen","authors":"A. Hammer, Liv Torunn Grindheim","doi":"10.5617/nordina.9662","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5617/nordina.9662","url":null,"abstract":"Despite international emphasis on the advantage of children’s exploration, there is limited knowledge about how availability of physical materials influence children´s exploratory activities. This paper presents findings from a study that examined the availability and use of materials related to science in 26 Norwegian kindergartens. Data were collected by kindergarten teacher students during their practice in kindergartens. Quantitative data were gathered using checklists, qualitative data by observations of children´s activities involving science related materials. The quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed separately and then together using the three categories of exploratory activities introduced by Neuman: formal activities, informal activities and incidental activities. Our findings surface that most kindergartens had much of the materials listed in the checklist, but much of it was locked up and only a few of the objects, such as vinyl animals and books, were available for children´s informal activities. We also found that formal activities gave stimuli to informal activities, which highlights the importance of including children in collective activities as working with theme or projects over time. Only one of the activities in our data was categorized as incidental. Our findings indicate that benefits of using materials to extend children`s exploration are not taken fully advantage of and should be further discussed and highlighted.","PeriodicalId":37114,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies in Science Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42867425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A way to facilitate schools in adapting to a changing society, is through teachers’ professional development in learning communities. This study followed a group of primary school teachers in a professional learning community at their own school, as they discussed principles of teaching for deep learning while working with a resource for professional development in science education. The purpose of the study has been to explore if and how conducting the resource in their local learning community would contribute to the teachers’ professional development in teaching for deep learning. The results indicates changes in the teachers’ perspectives during the process, from emphasizing challenges to emphasizing strengths and possibilities associated to implementing principles for deep learning in their teaching. The changes of perspectives appears to relate to how the teachers’ self-efficacy was influenced positively by the students’ response as they implemented the principles in their teaching practice.
{"title":"Kompetanseutvikling i et profesjonelt læringsfellesskap: En studie av læreres samtaler om undervisning for dybdelæring","authors":"Majken Korsager, Berit Reitan, Maria Gaare Dahl","doi":"10.5617/nordina.8963","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5617/nordina.8963","url":null,"abstract":"A way to facilitate schools in adapting to a changing society, is through teachers’ professional development in learning communities. This study followed a group of primary school teachers in a professional learning community at their own school, as they discussed principles of teaching for deep learning while working with a resource for professional development in science education. The purpose of the study has been to explore if and how conducting the resource in their local learning community would contribute to the teachers’ professional development in teaching for deep learning. The results indicates changes in the teachers’ perspectives during the process, from emphasizing challenges to emphasizing strengths and possibilities associated to implementing principles for deep learning in their teaching. The changes of perspectives appears to relate to how the teachers’ self-efficacy was influenced positively by the students’ response as they implemented the principles in their teaching practice.","PeriodicalId":37114,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies in Science Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45622335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The overall aim of this article is to contribute to a critical discussion about aims and goals of outdoor education in schools. The study examines motives for outdoor education in the national curricula in Sweden from the end of 19th century until today. The study relies on a discourse analysis methodology. Aspects of continuity and change connected to the identified motives are also included in the analyses. The results show that a scientific perspective on encounters with nature has dominated during the last hundred years. In recent years, more instrumental motives are expressed in the curricula, while students’ personal experiences and feelings are less focused.
{"title":"Motiv för undervisning i naturen i svensk skola","authors":"K. Andersson","doi":"10.5617/nordina.8888","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5617/nordina.8888","url":null,"abstract":"The overall aim of this article is to contribute to a critical discussion about aims and goals of outdoor education in schools. The study examines motives for outdoor education in the national curricula in Sweden from the end of 19th century until today. The study relies on a discourse analysis methodology. Aspects of continuity and change connected to the identified motives are also included in the analyses. The results show that a scientific perspective on encounters with nature has dominated during the last hundred years. In recent years, more instrumental motives are expressed in the curricula, while students’ personal experiences and feelings are less focused.","PeriodicalId":37114,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies in Science Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47928944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A new national science curriculum for lower secondary education was initiated in Denmark in 2015-2016. The intentions behind the new curriculum include substantial changes to how teachers should address models and modelling (MoMo) in their practice. This study focuses both on those intentions and on teachers’ practices, rationales, and experiences in this regard. Data were generated by means of semi-structured interviews and lesson planning workshops among three pairs of teachers. Our findings suggest that: (1) teachers’ practices and rationales for integrating MoMo into their teaching reflected an approach by which MoMo were treated largely as the product of a scientific process rather than part of a scientific process; (2); the dynamic process of designing, evaluating and revising models based on students’ own inquiry only played a minor role; and (3) teachers had multiple experiences in their efforts to enact the curriculum intentions. Finally, based on the findings, we discuss how to enhance the alignment between curriculum intentions and teachers’ practice.
{"title":"Alignment between teachers’ practices and political intentions in the context of a reformed modelling-oriented science curriculum in Danish lower secondary school","authors":"S. Nielsen, J. Nielsen","doi":"10.5617/nordina.9340","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5617/nordina.9340","url":null,"abstract":"A new national science curriculum for lower secondary education was initiated in Denmark in 2015-2016. The intentions behind the new curriculum include substantial changes to how teachers should address models and modelling (MoMo) in their practice. This study focuses both on those intentions and on teachers’ practices, rationales, and experiences in this regard. Data were generated by means of semi-structured interviews and lesson planning workshops among three pairs of teachers. Our findings suggest that: (1) teachers’ practices and rationales for integrating MoMo into their teaching reflected an approach by which MoMo were treated largely as the product of a scientific process rather than part of a scientific process; (2); the dynamic process of designing, evaluating and revising models based on students’ own inquiry only played a minor role; and (3) teachers had multiple experiences in their efforts to enact the curriculum intentions. Finally, based on the findings, we discuss how to enhance the alignment between curriculum intentions and teachers’ practice.","PeriodicalId":37114,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies in Science Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45248103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Recent work in computer science education shows that natural language plays a pivotal role in learners’ understanding of programming concepts. This study explores metaphorical expressions in four computer programming textbooks and online resources in Swedish upper secondary education. The Metaphor Identification Procedure was applied to identify metaphoric language. The metaphors reveal how expressions such as the ‘program asking’ or the ‘function building’ are structured in relation to embodied experiences. The results show that central concepts are structured in relation to metaphors such as Inanimate Phenomena are Human Agents and Organisation is Physical Structure. Findings also demonstrate differences in the types of metaphors are present in each resource, with Events are Actions communicated most frequently. Lastly, the resources vary in how they describe the role of the programmer: as a ‘constructor’ or ‘instructor’. This implies that the discovered metaphoric structure in textual resources might influence students’ subsequent learning of programming concepts.
{"title":"Reading the Code Between the Lines","authors":"Andreas Larsson","doi":"10.5617/nordina.8774","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5617/nordina.8774","url":null,"abstract":"Recent work in computer science education shows that natural language plays a pivotal role in learners’ understanding of programming concepts. This study explores metaphorical expressions in four computer programming textbooks and online resources in Swedish upper secondary education. The Metaphor Identification Procedure was applied to identify metaphoric language. The metaphors reveal how expressions such as the ‘program asking’ or the ‘function building’ are structured in relation to embodied experiences. The results show that central concepts are structured in relation to metaphors such as Inanimate Phenomena are Human Agents and Organisation is Physical Structure. Findings also demonstrate differences in the types of metaphors are present in each resource, with Events are Actions communicated most frequently. Lastly, the resources vary in how they describe the role of the programmer: as a ‘constructor’ or ‘instructor’. This implies that the discovered metaphoric structure in textual resources might influence students’ subsequent learning of programming concepts.","PeriodicalId":37114,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies in Science Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42951142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In recent years, many countries have revised their school policy documents to incorporate digital competence, computational thinking and programming. This study examines and compares how and in what contexts Nordic curricula, Swedish and Norwegian in particular, embody aspects of computational thinking. Results show that only parts of the practices defined in the computational thinking framework used for analysis could be explicitly identified in the curriculum documents. The most salient computational thinking practice represented in both the Swedish and Norwegian curricula is programming, and programming is primarily recognized as a method and tool for learning other subject content and not as a knowledge domain in its own right. Implicitly both curricula leave leeway for teachers to implement a broader approach to computational thinking. However, this would need much time, teacher competence and effort, and what it requires seems to be under-communicated in the curricula, leaving schools and teachers with major challenges.
{"title":"Computational thinking as part of compulsory education: How is it represented in Swedish and Norwegian curricula?","authors":"Peter Vinnervik, Berit Bungum","doi":"10.5617/nordina.9296","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5617/nordina.9296","url":null,"abstract":"In recent years, many countries have revised their school policy documents to incorporate digital competence, computational thinking and programming. This study examines and compares how and in what contexts Nordic curricula, Swedish and Norwegian in particular, embody aspects of computational thinking. Results show that only parts of the practices defined in the computational thinking framework used for analysis could be explicitly identified in the curriculum documents. The most salient computational thinking practice represented in both the Swedish and Norwegian curricula is programming, and programming is primarily recognized as a method and tool for learning other subject content and not as a knowledge domain in its own right. Implicitly both curricula leave leeway for teachers to implement a broader approach to computational thinking. However, this would need much time, teacher competence and effort, and what it requires seems to be under-communicated in the curricula, leaving schools and teachers with major challenges.","PeriodicalId":37114,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies in Science Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70774144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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