Product Description
This book offers much needed theory to back up a wealth of international research. It combines 12 critical approaches to tackle one central issue - whether children's ideas about science can be explained in a single theoretical framework.
Synopsis
The ideas that children have about science concepts have for the past decade been the subject of a wealth of international research. But while the area has been strong in data, it has suffered from a lack of theory. Children's Informal Ideas in Science addresses the question of whether children's ideas about science can be explained in a single theoretical framework. Starting from an overview of the literature, the contributors explore between them a variety of theoretical perspectives and illustrate the possible approaches by some analyses of data collected from children and families. Theoretical perspectives come from a variety of sources, including Piagetian developmental psychology and the theories of Gordon Pask. The book concludes with a discussion of how a theory can be built up, along with suggestions for ways ahead in the research. It will be particularly valuable for higher degree students, educational researchers and curriculum developers. P.J. Black is Professor of Science Education at the Centre for Educational Studies, King's College London.
A former co-ordinator of the Nuffield A-level course in physics, Paul Black is well known for his publications on assessment in science. He has consulted for both the OECD and the US National Science Foundation. A.M. Lucas is Professor of Science Curriculum Studies at the Centre for Educational Studies, King's College London. He came to the University of London with wide experience as a researcher and lecturer in the USA and in his native Australia. As well as publishing in many areas of science education, Arthur Lucas has consulted extensively in Spain.
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