Educating EFL preservice teachers for teaching astronomy

Malaysia’s Vision 2020 for enhancing its education system includes the development of scientific literacy commencing at the primary school level. This Vision focuses on using English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI) for teaching primary science, as Malaysia has English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in its curriculum. What changes need to occur in preservice teacher education programs for learning about primary science using EMI? This paper investigates the education of Malaysian preservice teachers for learning how to teach one strand in science education (i.e., space, primary astronomy) in an English-language context. Ninety-six second-year preservice teachers from two Malaysian institutes were involved in a 16-week “Earth and Space” course, half the course involved education about primary astronomy. Seventy-five of these preservice teachers provided written responses about the course and their development as potential teachers of primary astronomy using EMI. Preservice teacher assessments and multimedia presentations provided further evidence on learning how to teach primary astronomy. Many of these preservice teachers claimed that learning to teach primary astronomy needs to focus on teaching strategies, content knowledge with easy-to-understand concepts, computer simulations (e.g., Earth Centered Universe, Stellarium, Celestia), other ICT media, and field experiences that use naked-eye observations and telescopes to investigate celestial bodies. Although generally proficient in using ICT, they claimed there were EFL barriers for learning some new terminology. Nevertheless, powerpoints, animations, videos, and simulations were identified as effective ICT tools for providing clear visual representations of abstract concepts and ways to enhance the learning process.

Conception et évaluation d’une intervention didactique à propos des phases de la Lune dans un planétarium numérique

Depuis l’entrée en vigueur du Programme de formation de l’école québécoise en 2001, l’astronomie est à nouveau enseignée dans les classes du Québec. Malheureusement, l’école est mal outillée pour enseigner des concepts astronomiques complexes se déroulant pour la plupart en dehors des heures de classe et sur de longues périodes de temps. Sans compter que bien des phénomènes astronomiques mettent en jeu des astres se déplaçant dans un espace tridimensionnel auquel nous n’avons pas accès depuis notre point de vue géocentrique. Les phases de la Lune, concept prescrit au premier cycle du secondaire, sont de ceux-là. Heureusement, l’école peut compter sur l’appui du planétarium, musée de sciences dédié à la présentation, en accéléré et à toute heure du jour, de simulations ultra réalistes de divers phénomènes astronomiques. Mais quel type de planétarium secondera l’école ? Récemment, les planétariums ont eux aussi subi leur propre révolution : ces institutions sont passées de l’analogique au numérique, remplaçant les projecteurs optomécaniques géocentriques par des projecteurs vidéo qui offrent la possibilité de se déplacer virtuellement dans une simulation de l’Univers tridimensionnel complètement immersive. Bien que la recherche en éducation dans les planétariums se soit peu penchée sur ce nouveau paradigme, certaines de ses conclusions basées sur l’étude des planétariums analogiques peuvent nous aider à concevoir une intervention didactique fructueuse dans ces nouveaux simulateurs numériques. Mais d’autres sources d’inspiration seront invoquées, au premier chef la didactique des sciences, qui conçoit l’apprentissage non plus comme la transmission de connaissances, mais plutôt comme la construction de savoirs par les apprenants eux-mêmes, avec et contre leurs conceptions premières. La conception d’environnements d’apprentissages constructivistes, dont le planétarium numérique est un digne représentant, et l’utilisation des simulations en astronomie, complèteront notre cadre théorique et mèneront à la conception d’une intervention didactique à propos des phases de la Lune dans un planétarium numérique s’adressant à des élèves âgés de 12 à 14 ans. Cette intervention didactique a été mise à l’essai une première fois dans le cadre d’une recherche de développement (ingénierie didactique) visant à l’améliorer, à la fois sur son versant théorique et sur son versant pratique, par le biais de multiples itérations dans le milieu « naturel » où elle se déploie, ici un planétarium numérique gonflable de six mètres de diamètre. Nous présentons les résultats de notre première itération, réalisée en compagnie de six jeunes de 12 à 14 ans (quatre garçons et deux filles) dont nous avons recueilli les conceptions à propos des phases de la Lune avant, pendant et après l’intervention par le biais d’entrevues de groupe, questionnaires, mises en situation et enregistrement des interventions tout au long de l’activité. L'évaluation a été essentiellement qualitative, basée sur les traces obtenues tout au long de la séance, en particulier sous la voûte du planétarium. Ce matériel a ensuite été analysé pour valider les concepts théoriques qui ont mené à la conception de l'intervention didactique, d'une part, mais aussi pour faire émerger des améliorations possibles visant à bonifier l'intervention. Nous avons ainsi constaté que l'intervention provoque effectivement l'évolution des conceptions de la majorité des participants à propos des phases de la Lune, mais nous avons également identifié des façons de rendre l’intervention encore plus efficace à l’avenir.

Os caminhos da formação de professores e da pesquisa em ensino de astronomia

Pós-graduação em Educação para a Ciência - FC

Inserção do ensino de astronomia como componente importante para a formação continuada de professores

According to the Brazilian National Curriculum Parameters (PCN), the teaching of astronomy must provide subjects to the teaching/learning processes of basic education, acquisition of skills and competencies in order to form a critical, reflective and conscious citizen. Several surveys on teaching astronomy show that some changes need to be made in educational, aiming to provide to participants (students and teachers) of the teaching/learning real and significant conditions of knowledge aiming to astronomy. Thus, by prior construction, implementation and evaluation, of a course on astronomy, thought and implemented by the author in a public school in elementary school and high school in a town in São Paulo state, aimed to this work: know the challenges that teachers face in teaching Astronomy and identify possible contributions in formative processes of these teachers in service. So, the study revealed that teachers have many difficulties to teach the concepts of astronomy because of the deficit in their formations, both in specific and pedagogical knowledge that was the main problem pointed out by them. In view of this, it was possible to say here that the lack of specific knowledge about astronomy and pedagogical knowledge of how to teach this area are two hotspots in the dynamics of these school teachers who have the challenge of teach an area that really do not know

Justificativas para o ensino de Astronomia: o que dizem os pesquisadores brasileiros?

We present here a qualitative analysis of a sample of papers published in Brazilian science education journals, which expresses researchers discourses related to Astronomy Education. Within this analytical universe, we sought for discursive excerpts about their justifications for the teaching of this subject, which made the basis for the production of a collective discourse, which identity is socially represented by the researchers authors set. Setting up articulations with discourse analysis, the procedures of the collective subject discourse show to be an important methodological tool to answer to the central question of this study: what do the Brazilian researchers assert as justifications for teaching Astronomy? In other words: why teach Astronomy? Outcomes point to the retaking of reflections about the importance of matters like as Astronomy in formal education, catalyzing teachers work innovative articulations.

Sequência didática com temas motivadores no ensino de física

This study is based on the design and development of a Didactic sequence in Physics for the first year of high school in a public school, involving structured activities on Astronomy topics, Astronautics and Aeronautics. In addition, it produced a didactic-pedagogic Tutorial for teachers to develop teaching-learning processes in Physics through activities with handmade rockets. These activities have been based on teaching moments of questioning, systematization and contextualization. In this context the understanding and the deepening of concepts and scientific and physical phenomena are related to everyday knowledge, in accordance with the historical-cultural theory, with the Three Pedagogic Moments, dialogicity and Information and Communication Technologies as instruments of triggering actions and motivation, like movies and applications in teaching Astronomy, Physics and Mathematics. The research activities were conduced by adopting a qualitative approach and included reports, questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and other notes. The development of the Didactic Sequence enabled a differentiated teaching and learning process, including aspects such as conceptualization, contextualization, flexibility, interdisciplinary and theoreticalexperimental relationship.

e-Astro: O e-learning aplicado ao ensino da astronomia: Planetas telúricos

A investigação em didáctica das ciências tem mostrado que a generalidade dos alunos manifesta cada vez menos interesse para aprender ciências. No entanto, o incremento da importância de temas científicos no nosso dia-a-dia, exige dos indivíduos um conhecimento científico cada vez mais aprofundado. O estudo da Astronomia permite abordar e interligar os conteúdos de tisica mais facilmente, tomando possível a aproximação do conhecimento científico ao conhecimento do quotidiano, mostrando a estreita ligação entre a Física, a Sociedade e a Tecnologia. O processo de ensino-aprendizagem encontra-se em mudança devido à integração das T.I.C. Através da internet e tirando partido da multimédia é possível desenvolver uma formação científica adequada que contribua para o despertar da curiosidade e do interesse dos alunos pela Ciência. Tendo em conta os pressupostos anteriores pretende-se, com este estudo, desenvolver uma plataforma de e-learning e recursos multimédia que satisfaçam estes requisitos. ABSTRACT; The investigation in didactics of sciences has been showing that the generality of students show less and less interest to learn sciences. However, the increment of the importance of scientific themes in our day-to-day life, demands from the individuals an increasingly deeper scientific knowledge. The study of Astronomy allows to approach and to interconnect physics subjects more easily, making possible the approach of scientific knowledge to the knowledge of everyday life, showing the narrow connection among Physics, Society and Technology. The teaching-learning process is in change duet the integration of the I.C.T. Through the internet and taking advantage of multimedia it is possible to develop an appropriate scientific formation that contributes to the awakening of curiosity and of the student's interest for Science. Having in mind the previous presuppositions is intended, with this study, to develop an e-learning platform and multimedia resources that satisfy these requirements.

An Assessment of Professional Development for Astronomy and Physics Faculty: Expanding Our Vision of How to Support Faculty's Learning About Teaching

In this thesis, we will explore approaches to faculty instructional change in astronomy and physics. We primarily focus on professional development (PD) workshops, which are a central mechanism used within our community to help faculty improve their teaching. Although workshops serve a critical role for promoting more equitable instruction, we rarely assess them through careful consideration of how they engage faculty. To encourage a shift towards more reflective, research-informed PD, we developed the Real-Time Professional Development Observation Tool (R-PDOT), to document the form and focus of faculty's engagement during workshops. We then analyze video-recordings of faculty's interactions during the Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop, focusing on instances where faculty might engage in pedagogical sense-making. Finally, we consider insights gained from our own local, team-based effort to improve a course sequence for astronomy majors. We conclude with recommendations for PD leaders and researchers.

Teaching art and history to photonics students

The case to be reported in this paper is the teaching of topics involving the relation among Photonics, its history, the international situation and the artistic movements in each period. These kind of new studies correspond to a new tendency in teaching interdisciplinary topics to students coming from different areas. Two main courses, one in History and other one in Art, will be taken as examples. Theses two courses have been taught for several years in Madrid, Spain, for Telecomm students and the results have been very satisfactory

Treatise on mathematics and astronomy: written about the year 1680, in Boston

Bound volume containing a late 17th century handwritten mathematical and astronomical text in one hand. The text is separated into mathematical and astronomical sections with rules, instructions for performing calculations, tables, and drawings. The subjects include arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and trigonometry, and segments have titles such as "Subtraction," "A decimal table of English coince," "Logarithes & their use," and "To find the true place of the sun." The text is undated and unattributed but references Briggs, Oughtred, Ramus, and Apollonius. Certain tables are calculated from latitudinal and longitudinal numbers associated with Boston, and many of the examples use dates in the 1670s and 1680. The manuscript pages are mounted onto unruled pages, and some of the manuscript pages are fragments.

A bibliography of aerospace books and teaching aids for secondary school students and teachers. Compiled for Educational Service Branch, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Mode of access: Internet.