The Place of Children's Questions in Primary Science Education

Biddulph, Fred; Symington, David; Osborne, Roger

doi:10.1080/0263514860040108

Cited by 48 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Questions are an important part of the ongoing scientific research process and have an important educational role (Biddulph et al, 1986;Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1992). Our results indicate that students are able to pose science questions in informal settings, and it would be educationally beneficial if they would use this ability in classrooms as well.…”

Section: Implications For Teachersmentioning

confidence: 72%

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Using questions sent to an Ask-A-Scientist site to identify children's interests in science

et al. 2006

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ABSTRACT:Interest is a powerful motivator; nonetheless, science educators often lack the necessary information to make use of the power of student-specific interests in the reform process of science curricula. This study suggests a novel methodology, which might be helpful in identifying such interests-using children's self-generated questions as an indication of their scientific interests. In this research, children's interests were measured by analyzing 1555 science-related questions submitted to an international Ask-A-Scientist Internet site. The analysis indicated that the popularity of certain topics varies with age and gender. Significant differences were found between children's spontaneous (intrinsically motivated) and school-related (extrinsically motivated) interests. Surprisingly, girls contributed most of the questions to the sample; however, the number of American girls dropped upon entering senior high school. We also found significant differences between girls' and boys' interests, with girls generally preferring biological topics. The two genders kept to their stereotypic fields of interest, in both their school-related and spontaneous questions. Children's science interests, as inferred from questions to Web sites, could ultimately inform classroom science teaching. This methodology extends the context in which children's interests can be investigated. Century, 2000) states that "we are failing to capture the interest of youth for scientific and mathematical ideas." Indeed, many students find standard science curricula largely out of touch with their personal interests, a factor which contributes to the low number of students pursuing advanced science and mathematics courses in high school, and going on to choose scientific careers (Millar & Osborne, 1998). Adolescents' decisions about the contents and directions of their educational training have been found to be influenced to a high degree by the topic-related interests they developed in the preceding years (Krapp, 2000).Organizations, including the National Research Council (1996) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993), have proposed that science curricula taught at a secondary-school level should provide a common basis of knowledge while addressing the particular needs and interests of students. However, educators lack the necessary information and tools to guide modifications that could make use of the power of student-specific interests in improving those students' individualized learning and competency in scientific subjects.The issue of students' interests may also be viewed in the context of the pupil's voice in the education movement (Burke & Grosvenor, 2003;Economic and Social Research Council, 2004;Mirta, 2004;Whitehead & Clough, 2004). Until recently, the pupil's voice had been marginalized or neglected by educational researchers. The student was regarded as an object of study but not as someone who could make an informed judgment on what should be taught in school science courses (Jenkins & Nelson, 20...

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Section: Implications For Teachersmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…Self-generated questions can help reveal the asker's reasoning, alternative views, and interests (Biddulph, Symington, & Osborne, 1986). Studying students' questions can give teachers an awareness of what students are interested in and what they want to know about a given topic (Chin & Chia, 2004).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using questions sent to an Ask-A-Scientist site to identify children's interests in science

et al. 2006

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“…Questions are an important part of the ongoing scientific research process and have an important educational role (Biddulph, Symington, & Osborne, 1986;Brill & Yarden, 2003;Keeling, Polacek, & Ingram, 2009;Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1992). However, it is difficult to use children's questions in a classroom setting, as they are frequently a negligible component of general classroom learning.…”

Section: Research Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To overcome this problem, a naturalistic method was developed for using students' self-generated questions as a source of information about their interests (Baram-Tsabari & Kaadni, 2009;Baram-Tsabari, Sethi, Bry, & Yarden, 2006;Baram-Tsabari, Sethi, Bry, & Yarden, 2009;Baram-Tsabari & Yarden, 2005, 2007BaramTsabari & Yarden, 2009;Cakmakci, Sevindik, Pektas, Uysal, Kole, & Kavak, 2009;Falchetti, Caravita, & Sperduti, 2007;Yerdelen-Damar & Eryılmaz, 2009). By studying students' questions, one can learn about what students are interested in and what they want to know about a given topic (Biddulph, Symington, & Osborne, 1986;Chin & Chia, 2004).…”

Section: Research Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying Students' Interests in Biology Using a Decade of Self-Generated Questions

Baram‐Tsabari¹,

Sethi

Bry

et al. 2010

EURASIA J MATH SCI T

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An identification of students' interests in biology can help teachers better engage their pupils and meet their needs. To this end, over 28,000 self-generated biological questions raised by students from kindergarten through graduate school were analyzed according to age and gender. The sample demonstrated a dominance of female contributions among K-12 students. However, girls' interest in submitting questions dropped as they grew older. Topics popular among different age groups of males and females were identified, and the development of interest was described. Ways in which students' interests can be incorporated into a standard-based curriculum are discussed, mainly as a trigger for the learning of less popular subjects which are required by the curricula.

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“…It is the role of students to try to answer a teacher's question and, in most cases, to produce the answer that the teacher has in mind. In inquiry-based science, however, the way a teacher approaches the questioning process becomes a critical factor (Biddulph, Symington, & Osborne, 1986;Keys, 1998;Roth & Roychoudhury, 1993;Selley et al, 1992;Watts & Alsop, 1995;Watts, Gould, & Alsop, 1997). Therefore, there has been keen interest, internationally, in the effects of different teacher approaches to questioning on students' science learning.…”

Section: Relevant Scholarshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Teaching of Inquiry-based Science in Elementary Classrooms: A Bi-national Comparative Reflection of US and Lithuanian Practices

Hansen

Buczyński

2013

IJHE

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This paper offers a comparative reflection on how two nations, the U.S. and Lithuania, are implementing inquiry-based science in elementary classrooms. The qualitative study explored how fourth grade teachers in Southern California and in Lithuania employed effective inquiry-based strategies in their classrooms. A teacher's use of questioning strategies to guide critical thinking and the role of inquiry-based pedagogy plays in promoting student engagement were commonalities in both countries. "Exercise moments", resource conservation, and "voyeuristic investigations" were noted in Lithuanian inquiry practices while pacing guides and standards coverage were prevalent issues in US inquiry practices.

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The Place of Children's Questions in Primary Science Education

Cited by 48 publications

References 7 publications

Using questions sent to an Ask-A-Scientist site to identify children's interests in science

Using questions sent to an Ask-A-Scientist site to identify children's interests in science

Identifying Students' Interests in Biology Using a Decade of Self-Generated Questions

The Teaching of Inquiry-based Science in Elementary Classrooms: A Bi-national Comparative Reflection of US and Lithuanian Practices

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