Physics in Context – Aims and Conception physik-im-kontext.de

1. Physics in Context – Aims and Conception www.physik-im-kontext.de Reinders Duit IPN – Leibniz Institute for Science Education Olshausenstr. 62 24098 Kiel duit@ipn.uni-kiel.de www.ipn.uni-kiel.de Woudschotenconferentie 15. – 16.12. 2006

2. Physics in Context – A brief overview • Aims of the project • 1. Development, implementation and evaluation of new concepts for physics instruction (topics, instructional methods, media) • 2. Development of teachers‘ content-specific pedagogical knowledge to improve instructional practice 1. Developing a new culture of teaching and learning Guidelines of the project „Physics in Context“ 2. 3. Improving students‘ Integrating competencies of topics of modern thinking and working physics and like scientists technologies • Contexts • Every day life, Technology, Society • Learning environment • Informal and formal learning outside school Directed:Manfred Euler, Reinders Duit, Silke Mikelskis-Seifert (IPN Kiel)Cooperating partners: Raimund Girwitz (PH Ludwigsburg), Rita Wodzinski (Uni Kassel), Peter Reinhold (Uni Paderborn), Lutz Schön (HU Berlin)

3. Results of a Videostudy on German introductory Physics Instruction – Grades 7 to 963 Teachers participating Instruction t Instruction is very teacher focused – only about 15% student work t A rather teacher dominated mode of dyadic discourse predominates (fragend entwickelndes Verfahren) t Experiments play a major role – but students have only little opportunities to follow own ideas when planning, carrying out expriments and analysing results. t Science processes play a very minor role t Instruction offers very litle opportunities for students‘ active and self-directed work Teachers‘ Thinking t Teachers‘ thinking about „good“ instruction is very much science content oriented – student learning is given very minor attention t Major results of research on teaching and learning science are not familiar.

4. 11 School Sets (about 80 teachers)

5. Teacher professional development by developing and evaluating concepts, materials and ideas Development & Evaluation of Innovative Instructional Concepts, Materials and Ideas Teacher Professional Development piko-letters Symbiotic cooperation of practice and science education

6. Piko Letters Brief summaries of research findings t Students‘ conceptions and learning physics t Educational Reconstruction t The variety of instructional methods (2 letters) t Modelling t Modern Technologies t Inquiry based learning t Assessment – Theory t Assesment – Practice t Characteristics of good physics instruction .... Further letters will follow The letters may be downloaded from the homepage: www.physik-im-kontext.de

7. Overview of Pico Letter 1: Students‘ Conceptions and Learning Physics • (1) Students‘ conceptions are usually not in accordance with the science view. • (2) Conceptions determine what students see, read, hear in instruction. • The First and the Second Law • t Students make their own sense of everything presented to them in instruction: explanations by the teacher, experiments, analogies, texts, etc. • To provide the correct science view is not good enough - it may even lead to false ideas constructed by the students. • Constructivist view: learning = active construktion teaching = to support students‘ constructions

8. Aims of Instruction Content structure of science Content structure for instruction Construction of content structure for instruction Elementarisation Elementary ideas of the content Student perspectives: Conceptions, Interests Pico Letter 2: Educational Reconstruction Fundamental Interplay of components determining instruction Aims Why? Content What? Method How? Media whereby? Model of Educational Reconstruction

9. Pico Letter 10: Features of „good“ science instruction Various linkages between the new and the already known are provided Students are challenged to think harder Learning is persisistently supported Students‘ Preinstructional conceptions are taken into account Content is sound and consistent from the science point of view „Previews“ of the issues to be learned are given. Opportunities to learn from mistakes are provided Classroom interactions give also students a voice Various methods and media are used in instruction. But arbitrariness is avoided Experiments are carefully embedded in instruction; various - experiments are used Content is embedded in contexts that make sense to students Narrow interactions between students and the teacher are avoided Opportunities to practice new knowledge are provided

10. Four Pilars of Thinking about „good“ Science Instruction (1) Is the fundamental interplay of the components determining instruction taken into account? (2) Is it taken into account that instruction should not only include science concepts and principles but also science processes, as well as views of the nature of science and the significance of science in daily life and society? (3) Are science issues and student perspectives given the same attention in instructional planning? (4) Do students are given opportunities for own acvtivities and self-responsible learning?

11. Characteristics of Set Work • Inputs • WorkshopsVideoanalysis of physics instruction (IPN Videostudy Physics) • Piko Letters • (3) Coaching

12. Topics of Materials and Ideas developed Traffic safety – Introduction into the force concept Nano – Basic ideas for lower secondary students Energy in daily life Feeling forces Bodily experiences as basis for understanding force Constructing bridges Problem based physics instruction – e.g. weather and climate Modelling – Experimenting- Arguing – Science Processes in grade 5 and 6 Transition from primary science to lower secondary physics Modern sensors in everyday appliances

13. Results of Evaluation Questionnaire on student affective variables and evaluation of instruction To piko group and control group Before and end of school year Development of student affective variables (Brandenburg Set): tNearly no decrease of interest and condidence to be able to learn physics for the piko group tSignificant decrease for the control group Change of instructional style? tPiko group:Increase of inquiry like activities tControl group: No increase

14. Results of Evaluation Teachers views of participation Questionnaire on „acceptance of the program“ tTeachers experience participation as useful for them tThey – especially – appreciate cooperation with colleagues tMany teachers think their instruction changed during participation Teacher Interviews (3 teachers in each set) tBasically reconfirm the above results on acceptance of the program piko. tIt appears however, that development of teachers‘ thinking about good physics instruction for a number of teachers is less sufficient. tFor some 50% of teachers this thinking is still focused at science content issues and instructional methods. Student learning seems to be modelled not adequately by these teachers

15. www.physik-im-kontext.de

16. Initiatives to improve science instruction in Germany TIMSS 1995 PISA 2000/2003/2006 Large scale programs 1998 - 2003:SINUS 180 schools (grades 5 to 13) 2003 - 2007:SINUS-Transfer (including primary) 700 schools, later further 500 schools German Science Foundation Priority Program 25 projects on various facets of science and math instruction, e.g. Videostudy Physics 2000 - 2006 Chemistry in Context Physics in Context Biology in Context Learning location laboratory (LeLa) Coordination of out of school labs Standards (grade 10) 2004 Many initiatives on local and regional level on cooperation between universities, industry and schools to foster public understanding of science; e.g. science centres, science in kindergarten