Complex science education in gradual teacher training

1
Complex science education in gradual teacher
training

• Katalin Papp, Anett Nagy
• Department of Experimental Physics, University of
  Szeged

2
Precedents of the survey

• Present position of the science subjects taught
  in school (loss of interest)
• Radical changes in the number (and the level of
  knowledge) of students
• Limits of one-major teacher training model

3
Preference index
BOYS GIRLS
SUBJECT 9. gr. 12. gr. rate (12/9gr) SUBJECT 9. gr. 12. gr. rate (12/9gr)
Computer class 4,04 3,80 0,94 ? Biology 4,17 3,73 0,89 ?
History 3,94 3,75 0,95 ? Foreign lang. 4,11 4,07 0,99
Biology 3,82 3,35 0,88 ? Hung. Lit. 3,92 3,84 0,98
Foreign lang. 3,82 3,72 0,97 History 3,91 3,73 0,95 ?
Geography 3,82 3,51 0,92 ? Computer class 3,51 3,09 0,88 ?
Mathematics 3,66 3,70 1,01 geography 3,49 3,41 0,98
Hung. Lit. 3,59 3,18 0,89 ? Mathematics 3,44 3,28 0,95
Physics 3,50 3,29 0,94 ? Hung. grammar 3,39 3,20 0,94 ?
Chemistry 3,31 2,95 0,89 ? Chemistry 3,25 2,79 0,86 ?
Hung. Grammar 3,06 2,66 0,87 ? Physics 2,96 2,68 0,91 ?
4
Number of students at University of Szeged
MAJOR YEARS
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Biology 171 188 217 236 237 244 250 215 184 166 176
Chemistry 243 258 301 282 263 219 190 133 105 78 58
Computer - 14 42 58 80 102 104 99 124 131 148
Earth Sci. 209 227 256 270 263 225 195 179 157 127 140
Environm. - - - - 19 36 48 53 56 47 42
Mathematics 364 443 525 560 534 503 440 343 307 256 229
Physics 244 240 254 240 204 159 142 91 84 58 46
5
MAJOR YEARS
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Econom. - - - - - 1 0 605 587 659 703
Law 751 785 855 970 1007 1228 1222 1314 1289 1357 1354
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The aim

• The aim of this survey at the Faculty of Science
  is to develop the present model of one major
  teacher training with working out the material of
  theoretical and practical courses and student
  activities which offer the opportunity to
  students to expand their science knowledge and
  make them be able to view and use the curriculum
  of their subjects in a more complex way.

7
Features

• practice oriented
• flexible - variety of courses
• developing teaching abilities

8
List of courses (for those students whose major
is not chemistry)

• Chemistry of everyday life
• Dangerous materials around us
• Knowledge of materials for everybody
• Chemical Nobel-prize winners
• Radioactive radiation in Hungary
• Chemistry and attendant arts
• Alternative sources of energy
• Environmental conflicts

9
Requirements for students

• Students have to accomplish / take part in
• 1. 3 science courses which can be chosen from a
  list (different from their majors)
• 2. a special Science Laboratory course
• 3. a course related to education, teaching (e.g.
  science education)
• 4. a 2-week active performance in the work of
  one of our partner schools (visiting lessons,
  giving special classes, leading study circles)

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The aim of experiments is to help pupils to go
through all the step of cognitive process

• raising questions
• predicting, constructing models
• planning experiments
• carrying out investigations
• measuring, handling the data
• analyzing
• drawing conclusions
• interpreting results

11
Science Education - Strategies

• Experiments (simple tools, toys, modern
  equippments
• interesting topics (history of science, examples
  from biology, everyday events, humour
• attractive transfer (computer, internet, pupils
  activities, project work)

• To make pupils love it

12
Traditional method New method
The source of knowledge is
the teacher (one-way communication)
the cognitive process (several ways of
communication)
Pupils
are usually passive participants of the lesson
perform actively during the whole class
13
Traditional method New method
The learning process is
individual and competitive
collective and cooperative
The main aim is to learn
science facts
methods to gain knowledge
14
Traditional method New method
The source of knowledge are
texts (listening to or reading)
experiments and practice
The curriculum
focuses only on the most important facts (to
learn, to understand and to be able to apply)
tries to cover all the important results of
science (superficial)
15
Traditional method New method
Experiments are used for
proving the theory
raising questions
Experiments are conducted by
the teacher
pupils
16
Traditional method New method
Technical equippments are
rarely used
often used
Science subjects are taught
separated from each other and from mathematics
integrated, not isolated from each other
17
Thematic of Science Laboratory

• Investigation methods in science
• Soil
• Rubbish is not waste
• Life-functions
• Water
• Air
• The colours of nature, the light
• Radiation around us
• Burning, generation of energy