Search

This article argues that what is most at risk in schooling during a global pandemic, or other similar broad challenges to normal functioning, are those elements that might be considered the less traditional and so the most progressive. After setting out some general background common to the challenge faced by schools and school teachers, this argument is exemplified through the case of school science education. Two particular aspects are considered: one related to pedagogy (responding to learners' alternative conceptions or 'misconceptions') and one related to curriculum (teaching about the nature of science). These are considered 'progressive' features in the sense that they have widely been championed as ways of improving and reforming science education across a wide range of national contexts but can be understood to have faced resistance both in the sense of being opposed by 'reactionary' stakeholders and in terms of the level of support for teacher adoption. It is argued that at a time when the education system is placed under extreme stress, such progressive elements are at particular risk as teachers and administrators may view them as 'extras' rather than 'core' features of practice and/or as reflecting more 'difficult' educational objectives that may need to be de-prioritised (and so neglected) for the time being. In that sense, they are fragile aspects of practice that lack the resilience of more established, and thus robust, features. It is concluded that where progressive elements are especially valued, they need to become sufficiently embedded in custom and practice to no longer be viewed as luxuries but rather to be recognised as core elements of good teaching to be protected and maintained during a period of emergency.

This comment discusses some issues about the use and reporting of experimental studies in education, illustrated by a recently published study that claimed (i) that an educational innovation was effective despite outcomes not reaching statistical significance, and (ii) that this refuted the findings of an earlier study. The two key issues raised concern how the research community should understand the concept of refutation when comparing across studies, and whether the adoption of inferential statistics in a study should bind researchers to accept the inferences such tests suggest. [For "Increasing Chemistry Students' Knowledge, Confidence, and Conceptual Understanding of pH Using a Collaborative Computer pH Simulation," see EJ1250636.]

Some descriptions of learning represent the process as the development of organisations of elements. Various organisations have been proposed, for example, schemata and conceptual structures. Such representations assume that mental entities, such as concepts, are sufficiently stable and differentiated to be treated as units. We discuss these assumptions and propose a new term, assemblages, to refer to a person's activation of two or more conceptual resources in a context. Methodological challenges have resulted in a lack of research that examines how assemblages are formed. This study presents data from a microgenetic, multiple case study of four 16-17-year-old students. The participants were interviewed weekly, using various probes related to forces and motion over six months. We focus on two aspects of the assembly process in our analysis. First, we report data that indicate that participants perceived the units they assembled differently from expert conceptualisations and reflect on the stability of their assemblages. Second, we discuss how participants' expectations about the coherence of knowledge impact their assembly. We propose that future research investigates the stability and boundaries of conceptual resources and suggest teachers and researchers are cautious in assuming that data indicate a conceptual resource is stable or unitary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary-age students were asked about some science-related careers, using an 'interviews-about-scenarios' technique. This article reflects on students' comments relating to the nature of scientific knowledge. Some comments reflected the aim of science as a means to better understand the world and our place in it. Other comments reflected perceptions of the possibility of applying scientific knowledge to engineer change -- something that had great benefits, but also risks. There was also evidence that some students might hold misleadingly positivistic notions about scientific knowledge that may distort perceptions of some areas of scientific work.

Representing conceptual change is challenging. Claims that conceptual change has occurred are sometimes based on data from a small number of probes given over a relatively long interval. Data collected in this way do not allow short-lived variability to be distinguished from more stable conceptual change and can lead to mistaken conclusions about learning. Different forms of variability can be distinguished by reporting temporal patterns of conceptual change, representations of the activations of different conceptions over an interval. In this paper, temporal patterns are constructed from a microgenetic, multiple case study of four 16-17-year-old students' learning in a school in England. The students were interviewed once a week for twenty-two weeks using various probes related to force. The learners' activation of two force conceptions showed a high degree of variability over time and to different contexts. Three temporal patterns are discussed, leading to recommendations for teachers and researchers interested in making claims about learning: change should be described by reference to data collected at multiple points over an extended period and claims that conceptual change has occurred require evidence that change has reached a relatively stable state. Future directions for investigations of temporal patterns of conceptual change are proposed.

The internet is prevalent in society today, and user-friendly web-based productivity tools are readily available for developing diagnostic instruments. This study sought to determine the affordances of a web-based diagnostic instrument on ionisation energy (wIEDI) based on the pen-and-paper version, the Ionisation Energy Diagnostic Instrument (IEDI) that was previously developed and reported on. The Google Forms platform was used to develop the wIEDI and it allowed a degree of personalisation such that specific second-tier options are offered in response to the student's choice of answer in the first tier. Students could choose one or more reasons in the second tier or supply their own reasons, and they were asked to indicate their confidence in their choice of answer-reason combinations. The wIEDI was administered to 274 A-level students (257 Grade 11 and 17 Grade 12), and answer-reason combinations indicating alternative conceptions were highlighted only if 5% or more students expressed confidence in them in the third-tier confidence measure. The results showed that all the possible alternative conceptions of ionisation energy reported in the previous study were also identified in the present study. Additional alternative conceptions were indicated as new reasons had to be developed for many items in the wIEDI to ensure that there were sufficient reasons for each first-tier response, and students were allowed to choose more than one reason for their answer. The wIEDI better facilitated responses reflecting the consistency of the use of specific ideas in student thinking and provided direct evidence of students' possible manifold conceptions and thinking within each question as well as across a range of questions. It also allowed easy collation of the comments students typed in response to the 'Others' and 'I do not know the answer' options. Thus, the study makes a case for researchers and teachers using such technology in the diagnostic assessment of students.

After more than seven years as editor of "Chemistry Education Research and Practice" ("CERP"), the author is standing down from this role, and this will be the last editorial of his tenure. Indeed, by the time this editorial appears in the first issue of the 2019 volume, the author will have handed over to Michael Seery, who has been one of the Associate Editors, leaving the editorship in very good hands. It was suggested that this article might be a good opportunity for reflecting back on time as Editor. One of the most obvious themes that came to mind was how academic publishing involves a partnership among a diverse 'team' of people--each with their own roles and responsibilities. This article presents the authors reflection on his role as editor.

Experimental studies are often employed to test the effectiveness of teaching innovations such as new pedagogy, curriculum, or learning resources. This article offers guidance on good practice in developing research designs, and in drawing conclusions from published reports. Random control trials potentially support the use of statistical inference, but face a number of potential threats to validity. Research in educational contexts often employs quasi-experiments or natural experiments rather than true experiments, and these types of designs raise additional questions about the equivalence between experimental and control groups and the potential influence of confounding variables. Where it is impractical for experimental studies to employ samples that fully reflect diverse populations, generalisation is limited. Series of small-scale replication studies may be useful here, especially if these are conceptualised as being akin to multiple case studies, and complemented by qualitative studies. Control conditions for experimental studies need to be carefully selected to provide the most appropriate test for a particular intervention, and considering the interests of all participants. Control groups in studies that replicate innovations that have been widely shown to be effective in other settings should experience teaching conditions that reflect good practice and meet expected teaching standards in the research context.

Cronbach's alpha is a statistic commonly quoted by authors to demonstrate that tests and scales that have been constructed or adopted for research projects are fit for purpose. Cronbach's alpha is regularly adopted in studies in science education: it was referred to in 69 different papers published in 4 leading science education journals in a single year (2015)--usually as a measure of reliability. This article explores how this statistic is used in reporting science education research and what it represents. Authors often cite alpha values with little commentary to explain why they feel this statistic is relevant and seldom interpret the result for readers beyond citing an arbitrary threshold for an acceptable value. Those authors who do offer readers qualitative descriptors interpreting alpha values adopt a diverse and seemingly arbitrary terminology. More seriously, illustrative examples from the science education literature demonstrate that alpha may be "acceptable" even when there are recognised problems with the scales concerned. Alpha is also sometimes inappropriately used to claim an instrument is unidimensional. It is argued that a high value of alpha offers limited evidence of the "reliability" of a research instrument, and that indeed a very high value may actually be undesirable when developing a test of scientific knowledge or understanding. Guidance is offered to authors reporting, and readers evaluating, studies that present Cronbach's alpha statistic as evidence of instrument quality.

Scientists hold a wide range of beliefs on matters of religion, although popular media coverage in the UK commonly suggests that atheism is a core commitment for scientists. Considering the relationship between religion and science is a recommended topic in the English National Curriculum for lower secondary pupils (11-14 year-olds), and it is expected that different perspectives will be considered. However it is well established that many pupils may have difficulty accessing sophisticated ideas about the nature of science, and previous research suggests some may identify science with scientism. To explore pupil impressions of the relationship between science and religion, 13-14 year old pupils were surveyed in one class from each of four English secondary schools, by asking them to rate a set of statements about the relationship between science and religion, and scientific and religious perspectives on the origins of the world, and of life on earth, on the value of prayer and on the status of miracles. The survey revealed diverse views on these issues, reflecting the wider society. However it was found that a considerable proportion of the pupils in the sample considered religious beliefs and scientific perspectives to be opposed. The basis and potential consequences of such views are considered, and the need for more attention to this area of student thinking is highlighted. (Contains 10 figures and 1 table.)

There is concern in some counties about the number of able young people entering degree level study and careers in physical science, including chemistry. Too few of the most talented young people are selecting "STEM" subjects to ensure the future supply of scientists, engineers and related professionals. The present paper sets out general principles to inform science teaching that will engage the most able learners, and hopefully encourage them to select science science-based courses in higher education and aspire to careers related to science and technology. The nature of high ability and "giftedness" is briefly reviewed, and the educational needs of the briefly reviewed, and the educational needs of the most able students are considered. It is suggested that chemistry is particularly well placed to offer contexts for the type of educational provision suitable for engaging and challenging the most able students, and examples of how the general principles recommended here might inform the planning of chemistry teaching are discussed. (Contains 1 figure and 2 endnotes.)

This article considers the relationship between belief and learning science. It is argued that belief in science (as a process) needs to be distinguished from belief in particular scientific ideas and knowledge claims. Scientific knowledge is theoretical and provisional--something to be adopted for its utility, not as articles of faith. The scientific attitude is to always be sceptical and retain a critical attitude to what we think we know. Belief in scientific knowledge is not only inappropriate in terms of scientific values, but can also be unhelpful from an educational perspective. The science teacher should actually encourage students not to believe in the various theories, models and other products of scientific work presented in class. This approach can avoid conflicts with students' personal beliefs, support scientific literacy, and better prepare future scientists.