isec 2009 presentation
DESCRIPTION
Engaging children in learning plant based scienceTRANSCRIPT
Junqing ZhaiJunqing Zhai
Department of Education & Professional StudiesDepartment of Education & Professional StudiesKing’s College LondonKing’s College London
[email protected]@kcl.ac.uk
Engaging Children in Learning Plant-Based Science:Engaging Children in Learning Plant-Based Science:The Pedagogical Practices of Botanic Garden EducatorsThe Pedagogical Practices of Botanic Garden Educators
Conclusions and Implications
Discussion
Research Methodology
Botanic Gardens as Teaching Environment
Research Background
Engaging Children in Learning Plant-Based Science:Engaging Children in Learning Plant-Based Science:The Pedagogical Practices of Botanic Garden EducatorsThe Pedagogical Practices of Botanic Garden Educators
Learning outside the classroom manifesto (DfES 2006)
QCA ‘big picture’ (2008): credits learning outside the classroom as a key construct of the curriculum
New National Curriculum driven: learning beyond the classroom/school
Limited research about school trips to botanic garden, especially the teaching practices of botanic garden educators
Research BackgroundResearch Background
Learning topics in science and geography curricula as driving force for school trips to botanic gardens
Botanic gardens as resources for environmental education
School trip to botanic garden has impacted on students’ learning, both cognitively and affectively
Learning in botanic gardens is experiential-based and knowledge is constructed through social interactions
Botanic Gardens as Learning/Teaching EnvironmentsBotanic Gardens as Learning/Teaching Environments
How are botanic garden educator guided lessons to school groups structured?
What strategies do the botanic garden educators adopt to facilitate and support visiting schoolchildren’s learning?
Research QuestionsResearch Questions
Two botanic gardens: SW and BH Representation of outdoor classroom in botanic garden
settings: with classroom and different glasshouses Reputation in providing school education programmes
Research ContextResearch Context
Research ParticipantsResearch Participants
David (SW) Chris (BH)
Teacher qualification
Bsc in ecology Bsc in chemistry
PGCE in primary education
Teaching experience
15 years teaching experience in botanic
gardens
15 years teaching in urban primary schools and 10
years teaching in outdoor education centres
Teaching target group
All age groups Primary school groups
Annual visiting children
1,470 6,350
Field observation: 2 lessons/educator Video/audio recordings Field notes
Educator interviews 1st interview: teaching background, view of learning 2nd interview: teaching reflection (video/transcription)
Student expression sheet
Data CollectionData Collection
SW Garden (David) BH Garden (Chris)
Lesson code SW-D-26/6 SW-D-29/6 BH-S-07/5 BH-S-15/6
Topic plant and habitat
plant and habitat
plant adaptation
plant adaptation
Year group Y5 Y5 Y3 Y3
No. of children
40 19 20 19
No. of adults 6 3 3 3
Data type audio & video audio & video audio & note audio & note
Length of lesson
95 min 94 min 97 min 95 min
Data AnalysisData Analysis
Discourse data was analysed based on Mortimer & Scott’s (2003) communicative approach
Review the video and transcriptions to open code the themes in terms of how garden educators support student learning
Interactive Non-interactive
Dialogic Interactive/Dialogic Non-interactive/Dialogic
Authoritative Interactive/Authoritative Non-interactive/Authoritative
How are botanic garden educators guided lessons structured? David and Chris appeared to use time well Whole class instruction and student individual
exploratory work were split equally
DiscussionDiscussion
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classmanagement
studentexploratory
task
educator's talk
David's lesson
Chris's lesson
How do botanic garden educators support pupil learning? Using questions to support intellectual development Using astounding piece of information to support
emotive focus Focusing on learning the language of plant-based
science Learning about plants through sensory engagement
DiscussionDiscussion
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David Chris
same questions
different questions
Using questions to support intellectual developmentUsing questions to support intellectual development
Using questions to support intellectual developmentUsing questions to support intellectual development
speaker utterance move
1 Chris: What do the roots do for the plants? What’s their job? What do they do?
(educator) Initiate
2 Student 4: To make the plants growing bigger. (student) Response
3 Chris: They do. I think at the end of Year 3 we need should know exactly what they do to make it grow bigger.
(educator) Feedback
What do the roots actually do? (Educator) Initiate
4 Student 1: They grow. (Student) Response
5 Chris: What are they doing when they are growing? They must be doing something. Every part has a job.
(educator) Feedback
6 Student 6: When there’s the wind it keeps the flower in. (student) Response
7 Chris: When the wind blows it keeps the flower in. Good girl. It’s quite like that because it anchors its down to the ground. If it grows in the soil then the roots anchor that plant down to the ground. So it’s very important. This afternoon you may see some roots that do not grow under the ground: some grow in the water maybe and some grow and climb up the walls. So that’s one of their important jobs. To hold that plant, to anchor it.
(educator) Feedback
What else do the roots do? (Educator) Initiate
8 Student 7: They suck the water. (student) Response
9 Chris: Good, they absorb the water. (educator) Feedback
Exotic natural world and amazing facts may stimulate students’ motivational engagement. Once the emotions have been aroused—a sense of the beautiful, the excitement of the
new and the unknown, a feeling of sympathy, pity, admiration or love—then we wish for knowledge about the object of our emotional response. Once found, it has lasting meaning. (Carson, 1998:56)
Astounding information is more than factual information which supports students’ situational interest and engage them in learning plant-based science in a higher level.
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Using astounding information to support emotive focus
Learning the language of science is a major part of science education (Wellington and Osborne, 2001).
Learning to talk science is more than simply being able to verbalise the appropriate words, phrases, and scientific terminology.
Chris: What temperature is it?S9: 18Chris: 18 CelsiusS9: CelsiusChris: Remember to put a unit. Ok? If you go to a shop somebody doesn’t say 18 but they say 18 pence or 18 pounds, so we have to say 18 Celsius.
It’s a challenge to botanic garden educators to promote learning the language of plant-based science to the students whose first language is not English
Focusing on learning the language of plant-based science
• It is important for students to be able to see, hear, touch, smell and live the experience during the visit.
• Hands-on activities: not only hands-on, but also learning the process of collecting science data
Learning about plants through sensory engagement
1
Learning in a botanic garden is experience-based
2
Supporting botanic garden educator’s professional development
3
Enhancing pre- and post visit support to the visiting school groups
ConclusionsConclusions
Why botanic garden educators teach differently?
What factors may affect the effectiveness of a botanic garden educator’s teaching?
Teaching Teaching practices in practices in
botanic botanic gardensgardens
What’s next?
Junqing ZhaiJunqing Zhai
Department of Education & Professional StudiesDepartment of Education & Professional StudiesKing’s College LondonKing’s College London
[email protected]@kcl.ac.uk
Engaging Children in Learning Plant-Based Science:Engaging Children in Learning Plant-Based Science:The Pedagogical Practices of Botanic Garden EducatorsThe Pedagogical Practices of Botanic Garden Educators