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The Analysis of Science Education Lessons at Primary Level

Received: 04 November 2019    Accepted: 02 January 2020    Published: 27 January 2020
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Abstract

The phenomenon of "swimming and sinking" is a very demanding basic concept not only for children but also for teachers. Nevertheless, it is often taught in science lessons at primary schools. The following article analyzes a teaching sequence on the subject of "swimming and sinking" in 2nd grade, available as video recording, as well as accompanying material and transcripts. The analysis of the implementation practice serves to examine the realities that result in practical consequence. A sequence from the lesson is analyzed using objective hermeneutics. The method of objective hermeneutics is a reconstructive method in contrast to a subsuming approach. It aims to decipher the typical, i.e. characteristic, structures of phenomena to be investigated and to "bring to light the objective laws operating behind the phenomena". In the case analysis there was maximum transparency: each sequence passage is available as a transcript and as an interpretation, each reader can try to replace the existing interpretation by an even more plausible interpretation using arguments and thereby increasing their knowledge. The case study concludes that the standardized form of knowledge transfer and the schematic view of science overtax children and teachers. The present study provides indications that it must be doubted whether standardized schematic teaching of scientific theory is capable of supporting the development of a researcher's habitus. It provides clues that it should at least be examined whether science education can instead be seen as applied science logic or science pedagogy for children and as science education with the aim of promoting the development of a researcher habitus in children.

DOI 10.11648/j.edu.20200901.13
Published in Education Journal (Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2020)
Page(s) 14-22
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Analysis of Science Education Lessons, Swimming and Sinking, Method of Objective Hermeneutics, Quality of Teaching

References
[1] Gesellschaft für Didaktik des Sachunterrichts (GDSU) (2013) [German Association for the Didactics of Science Education]. Science education – perspective framework. Bad Heilbrunn: Julius Klinkhardt, 10.
[2] Schumann, S. (2018). Science didactics in early education. The importance of social cooperation for early science education. Aachen: Shaker. Habilitation Thesis, University of Bremen.
[3] Sodian, B. (2008). Development of Thinking. Oerter, R.; Montada, L. (Eds.), Developmental Psychology. 6th edition. Weinheim: Beltz, 436-479.
[4] Koerber, S. (2006). Development of scientific thinking of four- to eight-year-olds. Contributions to teacher training, 24 (2), 2006, 192-201.
[5] Scholz, G. (2005). Impulses for the assessment of the "Education from the beginning" plan. URL: http://grundschulforschung.de/GSA/Bildungsarbeit_5.pdf, 11/09/2019.
[6] Fischer, H.-J. (2005). Where does science education begin? Reflections following a lecture by Martin Wagenschein. Widerstreit Sachunterricht, edition 5/2005. URL: http://www.widerstreit-sachunterricht.de/ebeneII/arch/wagenschein/fischwa.pdf, 20/11/2019, 1-3.
[7] Beck, G. (2001). Acquisition research as desideratum of teaching research. In Beck, G.; Rauterberg, M.; Scholz, G.; Westphal, K. (Hrsg.), Matters of science subject teaching. Frankfurt Contributions to Educational Science, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität, Frankfurt, 135-144. Also published in Fölling-Albers, M.; Richter, S.; Brügelmann, H.; Speck-Hamdan, A. (Eds.), Childhood research. Research on teaching science subjects. Jahrbuch Grundschule III, Grundschulverband-Arbeitskreis Grundschule e.V. Frankfurt am Main 2001, 89-93.
[8] Erichson, C. (2001). No more discussions about "open" and "closed": Educational process research instead of a commitment to didactic concepts. In Beck, G.; Rauterberg, M.; Scholz, G.; Westphal, K. (2001), matters of subject teaching. Documentation of a conference series 1997-2000. Frankfurt/Main, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 104-111.
[9] Schönknecht, G. (2011). Contemporary teaching of science. In Schönknecht, G. (Ed.), Promoting learning: German, Mathematics, English, Science Subjects. Stuttgart-Seelze: Klett-Kallmeyer, 209-254.
[10] Schönknecht, G. & Hartinger, A. (2010). Accompanying learning - assessing learning outcomes. Scientific module description G9 in the SINUS-Transfer Primary School programme. URL: http://www.sinus-an-grundschulen.de/fileadmin/uploads/Material_aus_STG/NaWi-Module/N9.pdf; 20/09/2019.
[11] Hempel, M. (2007). Diagnostics of the child's world as a prerequisite for promoting the acquisition of competence by learners. In R. Lauterbach, A. Hartinger, B. Feige & D. Cech (Eds.), promoting and recording the acquisition of competence in the teaching of science subjects. GDSU Band 17. Bad Heilbrunn: Julius Klinkhardt.
[12] Schumann, S.; Favre, P. (2017). Survey of childlike pre-concepts and analysis of dialogical interpretation of the world. In P. Favre & C. Mathis (Eds.), Understanding natural phenomena. Access from different perspectives in preschool and primary education. Baltmannsweiler: Schneider Verlag Hohengehren, 187-202.
[13] URL: https://www.uni-muenster.de/Koviu/filme/index.html, 18/09/2019.
[14] Oevermann, U. (1996). Crisis and leisure. Structural properties of aesthetic experience from the sociological point of view. Lecture on 19/6/1996 at the Städel school, Frankfurt/Main; URL: http://www.agoh.de/cms/de/downloads/overview/public/oevermann/oevermann Ulrich-crisis-and-mu%C3%9Fe-Struktur-properties-%C3%A4sthet sized-experience-from-sociological point of view-%281996%29/, 04/09/2019.
[15] Fuchs-Heinritz, W.; Lautmann, R.; Rammstedt, O.; Wienold, H. (1994). Dictionary of Sociology, Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag.
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[17] Oevermann, U.; Allert, T.; Konau, E.; Krambeck, J. (1979). The methodology of an "objective hermeneutics" and its general research-logical significance in the social sciences. In Soeffner, H. G. (Eds.): Interpretative Methods in the Social and Text Sciences, Stuttgart 1979, 352-434.
[18] Wernet, A. (2012). Objective hermeneutics as a method of researching educational processes. In Schittenhelm, K. (Ed.). Qualitative education and labour market research. Theoretical foundations and methods. Wiesbaden, 183-202.
[19] Wagenschein, M. (2005). What remains? https://www2.hu-berlin.de/wsu/ebeneII/arch/wagenschein/wagenschein.pdf, edition number 5/October 2005, 15/09/2019, 10.
Author Information
  • Institute of Primary School, College of Education, University of Applied Sciences, Muttenz, Switzerland

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  • @article{10.11648/j.edu.20200901.13,
      author = {Svantje Schumann},
      title = {The Analysis of Science Education Lessons at Primary Level},
      journal = {Education Journal},
      volume = {9},
      number = {1},
      pages = {14-22},
      doi = {10.11648/j.edu.20200901.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20200901.13},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.edu.20200901.13},
      abstract = {The phenomenon of "swimming and sinking" is a very demanding basic concept not only for children but also for teachers. Nevertheless, it is often taught in science lessons at primary schools. The following article analyzes a teaching sequence on the subject of "swimming and sinking" in 2nd grade, available as video recording, as well as accompanying material and transcripts. The analysis of the implementation practice serves to examine the realities that result in practical consequence. A sequence from the lesson is analyzed using objective hermeneutics. The method of objective hermeneutics is a reconstructive method in contrast to a subsuming approach. It aims to decipher the typical, i.e. characteristic, structures of phenomena to be investigated and to "bring to light the objective laws operating behind the phenomena". In the case analysis there was maximum transparency: each sequence passage is available as a transcript and as an interpretation, each reader can try to replace the existing interpretation by an even more plausible interpretation using arguments and thereby increasing their knowledge. The case study concludes that the standardized form of knowledge transfer and the schematic view of science overtax children and teachers. The present study provides indications that it must be doubted whether standardized schematic teaching of scientific theory is capable of supporting the development of a researcher's habitus. It provides clues that it should at least be examined whether science education can instead be seen as applied science logic or science pedagogy for children and as science education with the aim of promoting the development of a researcher habitus in children.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20200901.13
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    AB  - The phenomenon of "swimming and sinking" is a very demanding basic concept not only for children but also for teachers. Nevertheless, it is often taught in science lessons at primary schools. The following article analyzes a teaching sequence on the subject of "swimming and sinking" in 2nd grade, available as video recording, as well as accompanying material and transcripts. The analysis of the implementation practice serves to examine the realities that result in practical consequence. A sequence from the lesson is analyzed using objective hermeneutics. The method of objective hermeneutics is a reconstructive method in contrast to a subsuming approach. It aims to decipher the typical, i.e. characteristic, structures of phenomena to be investigated and to "bring to light the objective laws operating behind the phenomena". In the case analysis there was maximum transparency: each sequence passage is available as a transcript and as an interpretation, each reader can try to replace the existing interpretation by an even more plausible interpretation using arguments and thereby increasing their knowledge. The case study concludes that the standardized form of knowledge transfer and the schematic view of science overtax children and teachers. The present study provides indications that it must be doubted whether standardized schematic teaching of scientific theory is capable of supporting the development of a researcher's habitus. It provides clues that it should at least be examined whether science education can instead be seen as applied science logic or science pedagogy for children and as science education with the aim of promoting the development of a researcher habitus in children.
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