Elby EDCI 770 syllabus, fall 2011 p. 1
EDCI 770
Foundations of Science Education: Research and Theory
Fall 2011
Mondays 4:15 - 7:00 PM
Benjamin room 3236
Instructor
Andy Elby
Office hours by appointment
Overview
EDCI 770 addresses issues related to the teaching and learning of school (and out-of-school) science. Through examination of science education research literature, this course aims to emphasize key contributions to the field of curriculum theory and practice, consider issues of science teaching and teacher education, and challenge ideas about assessment – its role, purpose, and forms. We discuss other compelling issues and topics as well – such as current trends in reform, the role of discourse in science classroom, insights into effective teaching and learning across diverse settings.
Goals
• To develop an appreciation for the breadth of research in science education and for the intellectual history of ideas in the field;
• To become familiar with key issues and compelling & competing ideas in science education research;
• To engage in critical discussion and analysis of science education research literature;
• To thoughtfully compare diverse perspectives and approaches to research in science education;
• To become more expert at reading academic papers and extracting the main points;
• To become more expert at expressing your own scholarly ideas, and other people’s ideas, in writing.
• To explore an issue of interest in depth through the completion of a scholarly paper.
Assignments and Requirements
1. Weekly Readings and Discussions. This course will be structured as a seminar course. Students are expected to meaningfully participate in weekly discussions of readings and other class activities. This includes thoughtful interaction with the reading for the class ahead of time, participation in class discussions and careful attention to the contributions of classmates. The quality of the discussions will be largely contingent on how well you come prepared and the extent to which you engage in conversations. In preparation for class, you will complete a short (less than one page single-spaced 12 pt Times New Roman) writing assignment, due by 1 PM on Monday. Please contact me by email if you are going to miss class for any reason. (30%)
2. Discussion Leader. In addition to weekly participation, once during the semester, you will be responsible for facilitating a conversation and/or activity related to the week’s reading selection. I’ll talk with you individually to plan this. (20%)
4. Research Paper (with some preliminary analysis as relevant). The culminating project involves the creation of a scholarly, research-oriented paper (~15-20 double-spaced 12 pt Times New Roman pages, give or take) that reflects your research interests. Lots of flexibility here: the paper may be organized as an argument or critique of a specific body of literature, and/or it could include related analysis of data you happen to be working on, motivated by a question that is important to you. (Please do NOT conduct field work specifically for the purposes of this course assignment; I don’t want this course to take up all your time.) If you have another suggestion for a project that could further your own research and that is aligned with course goals, please see me! (50%)
A) Topic Formation. In association with this assignment, you will write one page describing your paper – either the area of literature you are exploring (and why) and, as relevant, the question(s) you wish to ask about the data you have chosen. I’ll read it and provide feedback. DUE October 6
B) Partial literature review. Identify an area that interests you with respect to science education. This could be about planning and design, teaching, assessment and evaluation; it could be related to a topic such as how students learn, conceptual change, etc.; or it could be an issue that poses challenges for curriculum, such as collaborative learning, teaching in diverse settings, etc. (In short, it’s wide open!) Summarize three to five research articles that address the topic that you identify. More details on this assignment will be discussed in class. DUE November 10
C) Oral presentation. You will make an oral presentation of your work during the later half of the semester. This will be more like a research seminar to get feedback rather than a polished presentation. You won’t be graded on it.
D) First draft of final paper. So that I can provide feedback. It’s ok if it has missing sections, etc.; but the more you give me, the better feedback can provide. DUE December 2
E) Final Paper. DUE December 12 (negotiable, based on your other course papers/exams)
Readings
Readings and all course information will be posted on the course web site, edci770.pbworks.com.
Grading
Grades are based on completion of all course requirements, including formal in-class activities and weekly participation. I am looking for evidence that you are aiming for and meeting the goals for the course as explained at the start of this document. Assignments will be discussed in more detail in class, including expectations. Please let me know if you are not clear about what to do to complete any assignment.
Honor Code
Throughout this course, you are expected to abide by the university’s code of academic integrity. The full text of the code is available on the web at
http://www.president.umd.edu/policies/iii100a.html
Accommodations
If you wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible. If you anticipate a conflict with or obstacle to meeting any of the assignment due dates, please contact me as soon in advance as possible.
Tentative Course Syllabus and Calendar
The schedule and readings WILL CHANGE as the course progresses, based on our conversations and, to some extent, your interests. The course web site will always have the most updated information.
CLASS SESSION / DISCUSSION TOPIC AND READINGS9/12 / Curriculum philosophy & implications for science teaching & learning
Dewey, John (1951). Experience and Education. New York: The Macmillan Co. Chapters 1-4, 7-8.
9/19 / Curriculum philosophy & implications for science teaching & learning
Bruner, Jerome (1960). The Process of Education. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
9/26 / What is scientific inquiry…
Schwab, J.J. What Do Scientists Do? In Schwab, J.J. (1978). Science, curriculum & liberal education. Selected Essays.
NRC (2007). Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8. National Academies Press: Washington, DC.
Hammer, D. Russ, R., Mikeska, J. Scherr, R. (2008). Identifying inquiry and conceptualizing students’ abilities. In R. Duschl & R. Grandy (Eds). Establishing a Consensus Agenda for K-12 Science Inquiry. Rotterdam, NL: Sense Publishers.
10/3 / …and how is this often articulated in the classroom?
Dewey. J. (1910). How we think. Chapters 1-2.
Rudolph, J. (2005). Epistemology for the Masses: The origins of the “scientific method” in American Schools. History of Education Quarterly, 45(3), 341-376.
Windschitl, M. (2004). Caught in the cycle of reproducing folk theories of “Inquiry”: How preservice teachers continue the discourse and practices of an atheoretical scientific method. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 41(5), 481-512.
10/10 / Supporting inquiry…teaching, assessing…
Hammer, D. Discovery Teaching, Discovery Learning (1997). Cognition and Instruction 15(4), 485-529.
Ball, D. (1993). With an eye on the Mathematical Horizon: Dilemmas of Teaching Elementary School Mathematics. The Elementary School Journal, 93(4), 373-397.
Wiggins, G. (1989). The Futility of Trying to Teach Everything of Importance. Educational Leadership, 47(3), 47-59.
10/17 / …curriculum….
Sandoval, W. & Reiser, B.J. (2004). Explanation-Driven Inquiry: Integrating Conceptual and Epistemic Scaffolds for Scientific Inquiry. Science Education. 88:345 – 372.
Barab, S, Zuiker, S., Warren, S., Hickey, D, Ingram-Goble, A, Kwon, E.J., Kouper, I., Herring, S.C. (2007). Situationally Embodied Curriculum: Relating Formalism and Context. Science Education 91:750 – 782.
10/24 / Inquiry and student epistemology
Smith, C.L., Maclin, D., Houghton, C., Hennessey, M.G. (2008). Sixth-Grade Students' Epistemologies of Science: the Impact of School Science Experiences on Epistemological Development. Cognition and Instruction, 18(3) 349-422.
Bell, P, Linn, M. (2002). Beliefs about science: How does instruction contribute? In Hofer, B. and Pintrich, P.R. Personal Epistemology: The Psychology of Beliefs about Knowledge and Knowing
10/31 / Discourse in the Science Classroom
Lemke, J. (1991). Talking Science: Language, Learning and Values. NJ: Ablex. Chapter 2: A Lot of Heat and Not Much Light (pp.28-43).
Kelly, GJ, Chen, C. (2007). The Sound of Music: Constructing Science As Sociocultural Practices through Oral and Written Discourse. Science Education, 91:750 – 782.
Rosebery, A.S., Warren, B., & Conant, F. R. (1992). Appropriating Scientific Discourse: Findings from Language Minority Classrooms. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 2(1), 61-94.
11/7 / Diversity in the science classroom
Seiler, G. (2001). Reversing the "standard" direction: Science emerging from the lives of African American students. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(9), 1000-1014.
Warren, B., Ballenger, C., Ogonowski, M., Rosebery, A.S., Hudicourt-Barnes, J. (2001). Rethinking diversity in learning science: The logic of everyday sense-making, The Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38 (5): 529-552.
Lee C.D. (1995). A Culturally Based Cognitive Apprenticeship: Teaching African American High School Students Skills in Literary Interpretation. Reading Research Quarterly, 30(4), 608-631...
Roth, WM, Barton, A.C. (2004). Rethinking Scientific Literacy. London: Routledge.
11/14 / Assessment of and for learning
Black, P. J. & Wiliam, B. (1998) Inside the Black Box, Phi Delta Kappan.
Duschl, R.D. & Gitomer, D.H. (1997) Strategies and Challenges to Changing the Focus of Assessment and Instruction in Science Classrooms, Educational Assessment, 4 (1), 37-73.
11/21 / Learning in out of school settings
Nasir, N. (2005). Individual Cognitive Structuring and the Sociocultural Context: Strategy Shifts in the Game of Dominos. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 14(1), 5 – 34.
Kaptelinin, V., Cole, M. (2002) Individual and Collective Activities in Educational Computer Game Playing.
Presentations
11/28 / Teacher Education
Windschitl, M. (2005). The future of science teacher preparation in America: Where is the evidence to inform program design and guide responsible policy decisions? Science Education, 89 (4), 525-534.
Kagan, D. M. (1992). Professional growth among preservice and beginning teachers. Review of Educational Research, 62(2), 129-169.
Levin, D. M., Hammer, D., & Coffey, J. E. (2009). Novice teachers attention to student thinking: Confronting stage-based models of teacher development. Journal of Teacher Education.
Presentations
12/5 / Presentations
12/12