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Children's ideas in science
Children arrive in their science classrooms with their own ideas and interpretations of the phenomena they are to study even when they have received no systematic instruction in these subjects whatsoever. These ideas and interpretations are a natural result of everyday experience - of practical physical activities, of talking with other people, and of the media.
This book documents and explores the ideas of school students (aged 10-16) about a range of natural phenomena such as light, heat, force and motion, the structure of matter and electricity. It also examines how students' conceptions change and develop with teaching.
The editors have brought together science educators who come from different parts of the work but whose work is focused on the same determination to bring insight into the conceptual world of children in science classrooms - insight which will be helpful in making science teaching and learning more rewarding for teachers and children alike.
This book documents and explores the ideas of school students (aged 10-16) about a range of natural phenomena such as light, heat, force and motion, the structure of matter and electricity. It also examines how students' conceptions change and develop with teaching.
The editors have brought together science educators who come from different parts of the work but whose work is focused on the same determination to bring insight into the conceptual world of children in science classrooms - insight which will be helpful in making science teaching and learning more rewarding for teachers and children alike.
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 23, 2015
I took this book out of the library because I work for a company that delivers science days to school pupils, as well as doing similar activities myself independently as a STEM Ambassador. There were quite a few copies of it so I wonder whether it's an assigned text for Imperial's Science Communication MSc. If it is, I can see why, as this book could help anyone whose business it is to communicate science, but particularly those who work with children and young people.
Each chapter of this book explores a different area of science learned in schools, such as heat, light and electricity. They describe studies done with young people concerning how they think about experiments and concepts in science. Often these follow the young people through their school years, charting how their ideas shift and how much. The book shows how children and young people can understand things in ways that make total sense to them, but only become "scientific" later in their school careers (or even beyond). They can perform an experiment correctly or view one being explained in the accepted manner, but take something completely different and unintended from it. I particularly liked the interviews with young people explaining their ideas, which really livened up the text and gave some helpful illustrations. There is also insight into how young people's ideas and conceptions can be dealt with in the classroom without simply dismissing them.
If you teach science in any capacity, I would definitely recommend this book. It's a bit dry at times, but it has a lot of great information about how to teach in a way that works with students' preconceptions, the language they use to describe phenomena and the counter-intuitiveness of many areas of science. It's even helped me think about how I as a university student conceptualise ideas in physics!
Each chapter of this book explores a different area of science learned in schools, such as heat, light and electricity. They describe studies done with young people concerning how they think about experiments and concepts in science. Often these follow the young people through their school years, charting how their ideas shift and how much. The book shows how children and young people can understand things in ways that make total sense to them, but only become "scientific" later in their school careers (or even beyond). They can perform an experiment correctly or view one being explained in the accepted manner, but take something completely different and unintended from it. I particularly liked the interviews with young people explaining their ideas, which really livened up the text and gave some helpful illustrations. There is also insight into how young people's ideas and conceptions can be dealt with in the classroom without simply dismissing them.
If you teach science in any capacity, I would definitely recommend this book. It's a bit dry at times, but it has a lot of great information about how to teach in a way that works with students' preconceptions, the language they use to describe phenomena and the counter-intuitiveness of many areas of science. It's even helped me think about how I as a university student conceptualise ideas in physics!
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February 18, 2016good
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews