Nanotechnology for Middle Years
Capturing students' interest in science at the junior levels is crucial to improve the uptake of science at senior levels and to promote science literacy in all students in order to prepare them for a society that is very science and technologically driven. As an emerging science, nanotechnology is beginning to impact society, and its impact will be felt more and more in the coming years as its products increase in numbers and become more commercialised.
Probing Preconceptions and Literacy
In expanding the use of English in the teaching of science and mathematics, the approach in education will require teachers and students to be very active in the construction of new knowledge and the expression of new understandings. This approach will need to pay very careful attention to the understandings of concepts that exist (preconceptions) before the teaching of those concepts begins.
Roleplays and Webquests (Science and Literacy)
The rapid development and expansion of technology into all sectors of our current society has led us into the Information era (also called the Knowledge era). Workplaces of the 21st century require their participants to have access to a range of skills unlike those of the Industrial era. These skills include being able to work in teams, to communicate effectively and be creative and critical thinkers - skills that have not always been well-integrated into science curricula and teaching.
Sun & Science: an Integrated Approach
Disengagement with science learning is an issue with many secondary school students. This article describes one school’s attempt to re-engage the girls in the school with science learning by adopting an integrated pedagogy centred around the Sun. The research conducted alongside the implementation of this pedagogy showed increased motivation and interest in the learning. The benefits and limitations are discussed.
Year 7 Self-directed Learning: Simple Machines
The amount and variety of resources freely available at no costs to students and teachers on the World Wide Web (WWW) have increased dramatically over the last ten years. This makes independent research and learning possible for a wider number of learners. The potential applications of web-based technologies in science learning have been reviewed by Scanlon (1997) and Ng (2006).