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'I do feel a little more confident': An initiative in primary science content
Conference paper   Open access

'I do feel a little more confident': An initiative in primary science content

R. Schibeci and R.L. Hickey
Dept. of Science Education, Edith Cowan University
21st Annual Conference of the Western Australian Science Education Association (Canning College, Perth, 29/11/1996)
1996
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Abstract

This paper reports an initiative funded by the Education Department to support primary school teachers to become more confident and effective in teaching science content. This initiative raises important issues related to (a) professional development (PD) of teachers and to (b) research in adult science learning. In relation to professional development, what are we asking of primary teachers when they teach science? Traditionally, science educators have focussed, in a variety of PD settings, on how content can be made 'teachable'. However, we also need,to ask how can we develop primary teachers' pedagogical content knowledge if their content knowledge is limited? How can we expect primary teachers to make valid judgements about student learning in the conceptual strands ofthe Student Outcome Statements if these same teachers have limited understanding of related content? In relation to research, this initiative has raised an awareness of under-researched questions, including: What motivates adults to learn science concepts? What are major obstacles to their learning of science concepts?

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