Pupils' perceptions of practical science in primary and secondary school: implications for improving progression and continuity of learning

Braund, Martin; Driver, Mike

doi:10.1080/0013188042000337578

Cited by 46 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The principal reason given was that students were afforded opportunities to conduct more experiments at post-primary level and that significantly, they were being allowed to conduct these for themselves. A similar outcome was noted in a previous UK study of science at transfer (Braund and Driver 2005). Students in the case study interviews proposed improvements for primary science, such as regular time-tabling, providing more equipment and enabling pupils to engage in practical activities.…”

Section: Experiences Of Curriculum Implementation At Primary Level Anmentioning

confidence: 51%

“…Much international research indicates that interest declines in the early post-primary years (Dawson 2000;Francis and Greer 1999;Morrell and Lederman 1998;Osborne et al 2003), whilst other studies suggest that an erosion in positive attitudes starts within primary level (Jarvis and Pell 2002;Murphy and Beggs 2002). There are also counterclaims that interest in school science across the primary/ post-primary divide is maintained (Logan and Skamp 2008), with pupils developing especially positive views about practical work on transfer (Braund and Driver 2005). Several factors have been suggested to have a negative impact at this important juncture.…”

Section: School Science At Transition From Primary To Post-primary Levelmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…The chosen cohort should have had at least 4 years' experience of the Primary Science Curriculum (DES 1999a), and had engaged in at least 18 weeks of study within the Junior Cycle Science Syllabus (DES 2003a). The choice of timing in first year at post-primary level mirrored an approach taken in a UK study of science continuity at transfer (Braund and Driver 2005). A mixed methods approach was taken, gathering data using survey and case study techniques.…”

Section: Design and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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At the Crossroads: The Impact of New Irish Science Curricula on First Year Post-Primary Students

2011

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In Ireland, new science curricula were introduced at primary and early postprimary levels in 2003, in an effort to reverse declining interest and enrolment in science. This paper reports on a national study that explored first year post-primary students' experiences of and attitudes towards school science under these new curricula. Data were gathered from 366 pupils using survey and case study approaches. Findings revealed broadly positive attitudes towards post-primary school science, especially the experimental work that is at the heart of the new curriculum. However, it would appear that students were not conducting open-ended investigations or using information and communications technology [ICT] to any great extent; moreover, there was some evidence of traditional teaching methods being utilised. Pupils were highly critical of previous primary school science experiences, reporting a lack of 'hands-on' activities, didactic methodologies and, for a significant minority, a paucity of any memorable primary science at all. Improvements in curricular implementation are proposed.

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Section: Experiences Of Curriculum Implementation At Primary Level Anmentioning

confidence: 51%

Section: School Science At Transition From Primary To Post-primary Levelmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Design and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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At the Crossroads: The Impact of New Irish Science Curricula on First Year Post-Primary Students

2011

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“…Inquiry-based science education (IBSE) is regarded as an inspiring way of learning science as it focuses on pupils' own interests and stimulates active learning by enabling pupils to conduct their own investigations (Braund & Driver, 2005;Murphy & Beggs, 2003;Rocard et al, 2007). Since addressing pupils' motivation and own interests positively influences their achievements (Tella, 2007), IBSE is viewed as an effective approach for learning scientific concepts and understanding the nature of science (NOS) in which the process of inquiry is key.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inquiry-based science education: towards a pedagogical framework for primary school teachers

Uum

Verhoeff

Peeters

2016

International Journal of Science Education

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Inquiry-based science education (IBSE) has been promoted as an inspiring way of learning science by engaging pupils in designing and conducting their own scientific investigations. For primary school teachers, the open nature of IBSE poses challenges as they often lack experience in supporting their pupils during the different phases of an open IBSE project, such as formulating a research question and designing and conducting an investigation. The current study aims to meet these challenges by presenting a pedagogical framework in which four domains of scientific knowledge are addressed in seven phases of inquiry. The framework is based on video analyses of pedagogical interventions by primary school teachers participating in open IBSE projects. Our results show that teachers can guide their pupils successfully through the process of open inquiry by explicitly addressing the conceptual, epistemic, social and/or procedural domain of scientific knowledge in the subsequent phases of inquiry. The paper concludes by suggesting further research to validate our framework and to develop a pedagogy for primary school teachers to guide their pupils through the different phases of open inquiry. IntroductionInquiry-based science education (IBSE) is regarded as an inspiring way of learning science as it focuses on pupils' own interests and stimulates active learning by enabling pupils to conduct their own investigations (Braund & Driver, 2005;Murphy & Beggs, 2003;Rocard et al., 2007). Since addressing pupils' motivation and own interests positively influences their achievements (Tella, 2007), IBSE is viewed as an effective approach for learning scientific concepts and understanding the nature of science (NOS) in which the process of inquiry is key.The pedagogy of IBSE allows pupils to develop their conceptual understanding of scientific phenomena (Minner, Levy, & Century, 2010;Schroeder, Scott, Tolson, Huang, & Lee, 2007) and their inquiry skills, such as formulating a research question (Zion, Cohen, & © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.CONTACT Martina S. J. van Uum m.vanuum@science.ru.nl Science Education Hub Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, 2016 VOL. 38, NO. 3, 450-469 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2016 Amir, 2007). Moreover, pupils learn about the way scientific knowledge is constructed (Khishfe & Abd-El-Khalick, 2002) and develop an image of the social practice of scientists (Mercer, Dawes, Wegerif, & Sams, 2004). IBSE has been suggested to positively affect learning outcomes of students by means of enabling open inquiries (Berg, ...

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“…In a qualitative approach to study students´ insights, Braund and Driver (2005) studied 14 primary and secondary students in the United Kingdom and they found that all the students thought that practical work was an important factor for learning science, which contributed to making science more fun, enjoyable, and motivating.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

How Does Science Learning Occur in the Classroom? Students’ Perceptions of Science Instruction During the Implementation of the REAPS Model

Arízaga

Bahar

Maker

et al. 2016

EURASIA J MATH SCI T

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In this qualitative study the researchers explored children's perceptions of their participation in a science class in which an elementary science curriculum, the Full Option Science System (FOSS), was combined with an innovative teaching model, Real Engagement in Active Problem Solving (REAPS). The children were capable of articulating views about their learning experiences during science classes. Meaningful experiences with deep levels of engagement were those that involved hands-on activities, such as experiments, provided by the FOSS curriculum; and problem-solving and model building, which were components of the REAPS model. Students' perceptions demonstrated in their drawings were similar to their interviews, which were evidence of their meaningful science learning experiences. Incorporating students' voices, as a type of feedback for teaching and learning, is important for teachers and practitioners; innovative pedagogical models contribute to meaningful and long-lasting science learning.

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Pupils' perceptions of practical science in primary and secondary school: implications for improving progression and continuity of learning

Cited by 46 publications

References 12 publications

At the Crossroads: The Impact of New Irish Science Curricula on First Year Post-Primary Students

At the Crossroads: The Impact of New Irish Science Curricula on First Year Post-Primary Students

Inquiry-based science education: towards a pedagogical framework for primary school teachers

How Does Science Learning Occur in the Classroom? Students’ Perceptions of Science Instruction During the Implementation of the REAPS Model

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