Designing a primary science curriculum in a globalizing world: How do social constructivism and Vietnamese culture meet?

Abstract

The implementation of social constructivist approaches to learning science in primary education in Vietnamese culture as an example of Confucian heritage culture remains challenging and problematic. This theoretical paper focuses on the initial phase of a design-based research approach; that is, the description of the design of a formal, written curriculum for primary science education in which features of social constructivist approaches to learning are synthesized with essential aspects of Vietnamese culture. The written design comprises learning aims, a framework that is the synthesis of learning functions, learning settings and educational expectations for learning phases, and exemplary curriculum units. Learning aims are formulated to comprehensively develop scientific knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward science for primary students. Derived from these learning aims, the designed framework consists of four learning phases respectively labeled as Engagement, Experience, Exchange, and Follow-up. The designed framework refers to knowledge of the "nature of science" education and characteristics of Vietnamese culture as an example of Confucian heritage culture. The curriculum design Lead Editor: A. Bellocchi.

Interaction of Vietnamese teachers with a social constructivism-based primary science curriculum in a framework appropriate for a Confucian heritage culture

“…The positive changes in the teachers reinforce the proposition that Vietnamese CHC could foster the application of a social constructivist approach because it has certain alignments in characteristics with social constructivism, such as the tradition of learning together, the appreciation to peer learning, and the value to collectivity and solidarity (Hằng et al 2015). The study therefore supports and promotes the application and culturally appropriate adaptation of a social constructivist approach to a CHC (Hằng et al 2016). Moreover, given the considerable changes observed in the activities of the CHC teachers, this study shows that the cultural appropriately adapted and combined spiral programme of Teacher PD (Fig.…”

“…The implementation of any new curriculum needs to be accompanied by a programme of Teacher Professional Development (PD) (Coll and Taylor 2012), which requires interaction between teachers and new curriculum, as a way to bridge the ideal curriculum and the operational curriculum (Van den Akker 2003). This study, as a part of a broader design-based research project on designing a social constructivism-based curriculum for primary science education in a CHC, focuses on the interaction of Vietnamese teachers with a newly designed science curriculum (Hằng et al 2016), thereby supporting the application of a social constructivist approach into nonWestern societies. It is an active response to the call for adopting and refining educational theories developed elsewhere to an Asian context (Örtenblad et al 2012).…”

“…These features were used as the foundational ideas in designing a formal curriculum of primary school science that is culturally appropriate with a CHC to improve the primary science education (Hằng et al 2016). A curriculum framework with four learning phases was selected; these were labelled Engagement, Experience, Exchange, and Follow-up (Appendix 1).…”

The Effectiveness of Training Using the Constructivism Approach to the Indonesian Language Teacher Training and Education Center for Madrasah Tsanawiyah

“…Learning will occur when all members of the community express their opinions or ideas and have openness to the ideas of others. According some expert opinion based on research that encourages all members of a learning community to present their ideas strongly, while remaining open to the ideas of others [27][28][29][30][31][32]. The activity of participants in training is a priority in the success of activities.…”

La educación patrimonial inmaterial: análisis del currículo y evaluación de programas

“…Los principales ítems que se conectan con este nodo son "teacher training", "formal education", "curriculum" "primary education" o "teacher education". Entorno a este nodo se desarrollan diversas publicaciones entre las que destacamos por su actualidad (Akmehmet, 2017;Alves y Pinto, 2019;Álvarez, Martínez, y García, 2017;Avci y Memişoğlu, 2016); Barghi et al, 2017;Barthes y Blanc-Maximin, 2017;Cuenca y López, 2014;Dias y Cletes, 2016;Domínguez y López-Facal, 2017;Domínguez et al, 2019;Elena, 2018;Ferreras y Jiménez, 2013;Fontal, 2016a;Fontal et al, 2017;Fuhai, 2017;Gómez y Miralles, 2015;Gueler-Biyikli y Aslam, 2013;Hằng, Meijer, Bulte, y Pilot, 2017;Islamoglu, 2018;Lucas y Delgado, 2018;Miralles, Gómez, y Rodríguez, 2017;Molina, 2018;Pinto y Molina-Puche, 2015;Poce, Agrusti, y Re, 2018;Xie y He, 2017).…”