An Activity‐Based Instructional Framework for Transforming Authentic Modeling Practices into Meaningful Contexts for Learning in Science Education

Abstract

One of the challenges of science education is to integrate activities, content, and tools in a meaningful manner. One way to address this challenging goal is the transformation of authentic scientific practices into contexts for learning, in line with sociocultural activity theory. In this respect, authentic scientific practices are interpreted as the totality of human work situated in society. Within such authentic scientific practices, the activities, content, and tools are connected logically and the relevance is clear among its participants. This study presents an activity-based instructional framework that assists educational designers in transforming authentic scientific practices for the population of students in science education. The activity-based instructional framework has been dialectically constructed with the design and classroom enactment of a curriculum unit based on an authentic chemical modeling practice. The curriculum unit was developed through a participatory design process that took teachers' expertise into account. The pedagogical decisions were abstracted in design guidelines. The curriculum unit was implemented multiple times in classroom to evaluate the design guidelines. Research data were collected by means of audio-taped discussions, completed worksheets, and written questionnaires. The findings supported the potential of transforming authentic scientific practices to achieve meaningful science education.

Engineering as the integrator: A case study of one middle school science teacher's talk

“…For example, he often reminded the students of the client they were working for and the needs of their client, helping students to see the purpose of their work beyond the classroom. This emphasis may have contributed to his efforts to give his students motivation to solve engineering problems (Cunningham & Lachapelle, 2014;Ganesh & Schnittka, 2014;Prins, Bulte, & Pilot, 2016).…”

Using model-based scaffolds to support students solving context-based chemistry problems

“…Sevian and Talanquer (2014) stress the importance of not neglecting content knowledge or losing sight of the need to convey chemical ideas and practices when concentrating on the context (also cf. Gilbert, Bulte, & Pilot, 2011;Prins, Bulte, & Pilot, 2016). The student-centred emphasis commonly applied within CBL approaches also often results in learning environments providing less guidance to students, which in turn might also slow down students' learning by making it difficult to see the chemical concepts in the context (Parchmann et al, 2006;Wickman, 2014).…”

Composition-Effects of Context-based Learning Opportunities on Students’ Understanding of Energy

“…In consequence, these elements are rather traditional and less in line with innovative conceptions of context-based learning approaches (e.g. Prins et al 2016). The rationale behind this decision was to enable students to focus on the experiments and tasks presented in the learning environments in a way they are used to from their experience in school, and to minimise any conflicting aspects induced by unfamiliar methodological or content features of the learning environment.…”