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I'd rather they did experiments with us...IRELAND - Coggle Diagram
I'd rather they did experiments with us...IRELAND
Children enjoy hands-on science / but opportunities to partake were often infrequent or non-existent / not having opportunity to lead their own investigations
Constructivist Theory
Children are naturally curious
Inquiry-based, problem solving approach to learning
Championed by Vygotsky and Piaget
Children are active learners who fit new ideas into their current understanding of the world around them
Would advocate for more hands-on, inquiry-based learning, allowing children to have a more active role in their learning
Need for open, child-led invesigations
Deductive (traditional) vs Inductive Approaches
Both these approaches should be utilised to cater for all individuals with their different needs and preferences
But there is an overemphasis on a deductive approach
Behaviourist Theory
Supports a deductive/didactic approach
Whole-class teaching
'Top-down' transmission of knowledge
Children take a passive role
Inquiry-based learning
Greater depth of understanding
Greater confidence
Not evident in many classrooms
Hands-on science
Often teacher-directed
Children expressed dislike of this, stating that they would rather be involved
Teachers
Need to improve their confidence / competence / pedagogical content knowledge --> leading to teaching science in a creative, engaging and inquiry-based way
Not confident about developing scientific skills, such as predicting, estimating and analysing.
Findings
Children enjoy hands-on science, including experiments and want to do more
Enjoyed working with friends as is helpful to hear their opinions / added support
During class observations, researchers found that children were highly enthusiastic, engaged and concentrated when engaging in hands-on science
Children did not enjoy reading or writing in science
Very few commented on the relevant of science in their everyday lives or their future
Hands-on science taken to mean any practical or investigative work where the children have personally handled the materials, living things and/or equipment
Questionnaires issued to look at children's attitudes towards school / attitudes towards school science generally and its content and delivery
1,149 pupils aged 8-12 years, from 47 schools
Questionnaire designed so it was quick and easy to read and complete / used a three-point 'smiley-face' Likery scale
Included open questions to expand upon findings
Followed by a narrowed down, smaller scale study to add greater dept / 11 semi-structured interviews with random children aged 6-12 / asked open-ended questions about their experiences of school science and attitudes towards it
Asked for pictures to be drawn of a school science lesson
Lesson observations focusing on two targeted children from each class, which allowed the researcher to observe what skills are deployed/employed during a typical lesson