Search results for "Teacher Education"

Developing Epistemologically Empowered Teachers: An Approach to Preservice Physics Teacher Education Focusing on History and Philosophy of Science

2009

It has been extensively acknowledged by educational researchers and teacher educators that the main goal of science education is to make student aware that science is an important component of our cultural heritage, with the final purpose of forming the citizen. In order to realize this goal, school science teachers need to possess a basic knowledge of History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) that gives an overall perception of the subject taught in its relationships with other fields and everyday life. In the present chapter, attention is given to the problem of HPS in physics teachers education, by designing a model of intervention aimed at deepening and widening the teachers’ disciplinary…

In-service and pre-service physics teacher education and pedagogical content knowledge construction

2010

A Pedagogical Approach to History and Philosophy of Physics for Physics Teacher Education

2009

This article describes a model of pedagogical intervention in history and philosophy of physics in physics teacher education. This model is focussed on developing a critical knowledge on some selected founding concepts of physics in their historical context, as well as on the development of an adequate knowledge of the Nature of Science as it was developed in the twentieth century Philosophy of Science. These three contributions (foundations and history of physics, philosophy of science) are intended to cooperate in developing a rich conception of the Nature of Physics, in order to enhance student teachers' meta-reflection, with the aim of improving the effectiveness of their future pedagog…

Measuring longitudinal wave speed in solids: two methods and a half

2006

Three methods to analyse longitudinal wave propagation in metallic rods are discussed. Two of these methods also prove to be useful for measuring the sound propagation speed. The experimental results, as well as some interpretative models built in the context of a workshop on mechanical waves at the Graduate School for Pre-Service Physics Teacher Education, Palermo University, are described. Some considerations about observed modifications in trainee teachers' attitudes to utilizing physics experiments to build pedagogical activities are discussed.

Open inquiry-based learning experiences: a case study in the context of energy exchange by thermal radiation

2013

An open inquiry (OI)-based teaching/learning experience, regarding a scientific investigation of the process of energy exchange by thermal radiation, is presented. A sample of upper secondary school physics teachers carried out this experience at the University of Palermo, Italy, in the framework of ESTABLISH, a FP7 European Project aimed at promoting and developing inquiry-based science education. The teachers had the opportunity to personally experience an OI-based learning activity, with the aim of exploring the pedagogical potentialities of this teaching approach to promote both the understanding of difficult concepts and a deeper view of scientific practices. The teachers were firstly …

The elastic body model: a pedagogical approach integrating real time measurements and modelling activities

2007

In this paper, we describe a pedagogical approach to elastic body movement based on measurements of the contact times between a metallic rod and small bodies colliding with it and on modelling of the experimental results by using a microcomputer-based laboratory and simulation tools. The experiments and modelling activities have been built in the context of the laboratory of mechanical wave propagation of the two-year graduate teacher education programme of Palermo’s University. Some considerations about observed modifications in trainee teachers’ attitudes in utilizing experiments and modelling are discussed.

Towards crossing the borders in foreign language teacher training: A report on a pilot phase of the Tandem Learning for Teacher Training project

2018

The aim of the paper is to present the results of a pilot project for foreign language (FL) teacher education, in which trainee teachers’ knowledge and awareness of intercultural and cross-educational similarities and differences between two cooperating institutions from socio-culturally and linguistically distant countries – Israel and Poland – are elicited. The data collected serves as a springboard for designing an international project for FL trainee teachers to be implemented as a part of a teacher training course. In the project the trainee teachers coming from geographically, culturally and linguistically detached backgrounds, Israeli and Polish, are to participate in tandem learning…

The third planet

1992

This paper examines the conceptions of planetary phenomena related to temperature change as held by primary school teacher trainees at the Department of Teacher Education of Jyvaskyla University. The data were collected by means of an essay test, supplemented by interviews. The results show that very few students have internalized these phenomena in accordance with present‐day scientific concepts. The significance of the Earth's sphericity seems particularly obscure. The influence of the angle of inclination of the Earth's axis is misunderstood. Similarly, temperature differences are erroneously attributed to the distance from the sun of the Earth or of a particular place. The students do n…

Influence of Content Knowledge on Pedagogical Content Knowledge: The case of teaching photosynthesis and plant growth

2009

International audience; Abstract The aim of the research was to investigate the effect of the amount and quality of content knowledge on pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The biological content photosynthesis and plant growth was used as an example. The research sample consisted of 10 primary and 10 secondary (biology) teacher students. Questionnaires, lesson preparation task and an interview were used to collect data. Primary student teachers' were not aware of students' conceptual difficulties and had problems in choosing the most important content. Neither of the groups had knowledge on suitable experiments and demonstrations, which indicates that PCK should be explicitly taught. The …

Health Literate Child: Transforming Teaching in School Health Education

2015

<p><em>Health literacy and health education are reciprocally connected concepts in modern scientific discourse. Educational institutions, especially schools, are defined as one of the main arenas for the development and promotion of the child’s health literacy. Thus, health literacy, conceptualized as the outcome of school learning, becomes the aim of school health education. As concept of health literacy becomes more complicated its attainment requires more advanced and specific teaching methods, which, in its turn, demands transformations in teacher education and teachers’ professional development as well as to perceive the child as an active participant in the teaching/learni…