Database of Publications

Date: 2014.10.13

Posted by J.A. Martín-Lagos (Spain)

Message: This article shows us an investigative work about the chemistry that teachers teach in early years, with an special look in their training. They studies science teaching in the context of primary school and the organization of the curricular programs should be concerned with several aspects like science of everyday life, its interaction with technology, the attitudes towards science and science for understanding. Authors deffend the idea that in primary school it is possible to develop valuable learning for chemical knowledge. Primary Teachers do not should to introduce the symbolic or submicroscopic domains but to develop the procedural skills, learning how to perform controlled experimental trials and infer valid conclusions. The report explores chemistry teaching in early years education. Teachers generally at this level have educational expertise but not specific scientific skills and sometimes do not have the competence or confidence to engage in scientific experiments with their classes. In this sense, the program of teacher training proposed can improve scientific and educational skills of primary teachers.

Date: 2014.03.16

Posted by Brian Dillon (Ireland)

Message: Based on the assumption that science education in the early years of schooling should be guided by the goal of scientific literacy, the Portuguese Ministry of Education created the Training Program in Experimental Science Education (PFEEC) to support early years Science Education. In supporting teachers, guidelines were developed, one being ‘Exploring materials – Dissolved in Liquids’. This research describes the strategy involved in this program and presents data from the investigative work done by the students (6-10 years old).
Introduction
The scientific literacy to function in modern societies includes knowing how to use processes, scientific inquiry, recognizing the nature and limits of such questioning, identifying evidence and establishing and evaluating findings which can be communicated to others. We should as educators reflect on the factors which affect the outlook for science education. What is science teaching? How do students learn science? What educational strategies are most appropriate?
International Research has led to educators and institutions putting actions into place to promote a very simple idea: the form for children to learn science is to engage in practical and experimental conditions so as to provide the possibility to develop curiosity and rigour, to distinguish true from false and to learn with joy how to express themselves properly.
It is recognized that many Portuguese early school teachers have not had any training in teaching science. The promotion and development of teacher skills is essential to improving science education and to encouraging a higher propensity of young people to choose science careers.
The dissolution in liquids investigative work
This program had a National coverage, with the involvement of over 7,000 teachers who have worked with more than 140,000 students. The teaching strategy followed is described in detail in the paper which can be quite useful for primary school teachers along with the data collected in the classroom.
The complexity of the processes in the training program, the principles followed in its operation and the articulation between theory and practice point to a positive impact in terms of the conceptions and practices of participating teachers. A study of the evaluation of the program at national level is underway.
The report explores a theme in much of scientific early years education. Namely that teachers generally at this level have educational expertise but not specific scientific skills and sometimes do not have the competence or confidence to engage in scientific experiments with their classes.