A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Children's Everyday Ideas: Implications for Science Teaching and Learning

Autor/in	Wee, Bryan
Titel	A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Children's Everyday Ideas: Implications for Science Teaching and Learning
Quelle	In: International Journal of Science Education, 34 (2012) 4, S.609-627 (19 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0950-0693
DOI	10.1080/09500693.2011.579193
Schlagwörter	Science Tests; Science Education; Asian Americans; Foreign Countries; Science Teachers; Constructivism (Learning); Science Curriculum; Cross Cultural Studies; Asians; Urban Areas; Coding; Classification; Ethnicity; Teacher Role; Social Development; Social Environment; Cultural Context; Scores; China; Singapore; United States + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Naturwissenschaftliche Bildung; Asian immigrant; United States; Asiatischer Einwanderer; USA; Ausland; Science; Teacher; Teachers; Science teacher; Wissenschaft; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Cultural comparison; Kulturvergleich; Asian; Asiat; Asiatin; Asiaten; Asiate; Urban area; Stadtregion; Codierung; Programmierung; Classification system; Klassifikation; Klassifikationssystem; Ethnizität; Lehrerrolle; Soziale Entwicklung; Soziales Umfeld; Singapur
Abstract	Children's everyday ideas form critical foundations for science learning yet little research has been conducted to understand and legitimize these ideas, particularly from an international perspective. This paper explores children's everyday ideas about the environment across the US, Singapore and China to understand what they reveal about children's relationship to the environment and discuss its implications for science teaching and learning. A social constructivist lens guides research, and a visual methodology is used to frame children's realities. Participants' ages range from elementary to middle school, and a total of 210 children comprized mainly of Asians and Asian Americans were sampled from urban settings. Drawings are used to elicit children's everyday ideas and analyzed inductively using open coding and categorizing of data. Several categories support existing literature about how children view the environment; however, novel categories such as affect also emerged and lend new insight into the role that language, socio-cultural norms and perhaps ethnicity play in shaping children's everyday ideas. The findings imply the need for (a) a change in the role of science teachers from knowledge providers to social developers, (b) a science curriculum that is specific to learners' experiences in different socio-cultural settings, and (c) a shift away from inter-country comparisons using international science test scores. (Contains 2 tables and 5 figures.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10