Roleplays in Middle School Science Textbooks: A Significant Contribution to the History of Science Teaching.

Autor/inn/en	Carvalho, Wanderley; Carvalho, Carmen Aparecida Basso
Titel	Roleplays in Middle School Science Textbooks: A Significant Contribution to the History of Science Teaching.
Quelle	(2002), (7 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Academic Achievement; Foreign Countries; Interdisciplinary Approach; Middle Schools; Role Playing; Science Curriculum; Science History; Science Instruction; Scientific Literacy; Scientific Principles; Brazil + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schulleistung; Ausland; Fächerübergreifender Unterricht; Fächerverbindender Unterricht; Interdisziplinarität; Middle school; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; Rollenspiel; History of science; Wissenschaftsgeschichte; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Brasilien
Abstract	Over decades, a number of researchers in science curriculum and science teaching and learning have pointed out that the history of science plays a pivotal role in the achievement of science literacy. However, recent studies have shown that both practitioners and textbook writers often fail to deal with subjects such as history and philosophy of science. In this study, we describe and analyze the elaboration of a history of science teaching strategy, as part of a four book set designed by the authors for middle school science course. Inspired by Wandersee & Roach's Interactive Historical Vignettes (IHVs) (In: Mintzes, Wandersee & Novak, Teaching Science For Understanding, 1998), which, in turn, is partially informed by conceptual change theory, the strategy comprises a set of eight role-play activities (two per grade, one semester), focusing on scientists whose work brought decisive contributions to the worldwide scientific knowledge. The tasks, which include the scientists' biographical information, script, costumes, and stage setting, are supposed to be done by the students under the tutelage of the science teacher or of a multidisciplinary team. To provide the necessary support for both children's and teacher's work, some guidelines are offered, as well as basic bibliography. The critical analysis that, just like the Interactive Historical Vignettes, the role- play strategy offers a significant contribution in order to facilitate the achievement of a better understanding of the nature of science, both by students and teachers, especially because scientists are shown as human beings who live, work, and study in a real context. Thus, science appears less mystified and less mythologized. Considering that throughout the Brazilian territory there is a lack of textbooks in which the subject "history of science" is dealt with in a suitable way, the roleplay strategy, as described and analyzed in this study, can be considered an innovative enterprise. Consequently, our final conclusion is that our study contributes significantly either to basic education science teachers (primary, middle and high schools) or researchers of the academic area concerned about science literacy. (Author)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC