The art and science of constructivist research in teacher thinking

Nature of Science in the Science Curriculum: Origin, Development, Implications and Shifting Emphases

“…Because repertory grids often produce surprising data and highlight inconsistencies in respondents' views, they provide a fruitful avenue for discussion and exploration of ideas. For these reasons, Pope and Denicolo ( 1993 ) urge researchers to use them as 'a procedure that facilitates a conversation' (p. 530). 17 Interestingly, as a percentage of the total, the modeller profi le was more common among students following a 4-year science foundation course than among physics majors.…”

The Change of Science Teachers’ Personal Knowledge about Teaching Models and Modelling in the Context of Science Education Reform

“…According to the teacher instruction (see Appendix), the teachers were asked to rate twelve educational activities in terms of fifteen bipolar constructs which should be regarded as representing extremes in a five-point scale or construct dimension running left to right from a value of 1 to a value of 5. By rating, teachers were able to indicate the comparative degree to which elements fit comfortably at or between the construct poles in relation to the other elements (Pope & Denicolo, 1993). The rating of the elements took place individually, at a location chosen by the teachers.…”

What is this thing called geoscience? Epistemological dimensions elicited with the repertory grid and their implications for scientific literacy

“…An alternative "ideographic" approach involves an elicitation in which individuals express their ideas in their own terms, without any reference to any normative stance. With the latter perspective, some authors (e.g., Bezzi, 1996cBezzi, , 1996dBezzi, , 1997Corporaal, 1991;Denicolo, 1993;Descals & Rivas, 1995;Happs & Stead, 1989;Kalekin-Fishman, 1995;Lakin & Wellington, 1994;Pope & Fetherstonhaugh, 1994;Shapiro, 1988Shapiro, , 1996Solas, 1992;Stead, 1983) used the repertory grid to inspect both students' and teachers' ideas about certain science education issues (such as content, learning, teaching) and/or their attitudes toward aspects of science. This technique has its theoretical framework in the personal construct psychology (PCP) of George Kelly (1955).…”