Exploring the translation of research into classroom practice: Tracking the development of 14- to 16-year-olds’ understandings of genetics and inheritance

Add to your list(s) Download to your calendar using vCal

• Pamela M Black, University of Cambridge
• Tuesday 08 June 2010, 13:00-14:00
• Room GS4, Donald McIntyre Building, Faculty of Education, 184 Hills Road, Cambridge.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Filio Constantinou.

My research explores the development of students’ understandings of genetics and inheritance, in the context of health and disease. The study is mixed methods, quasi-experimental in design and draws from socio-cultural theory. Both scholarly and craft knowledge are used to support the research. I worked in close collaboration with a science teacher, who taught a sequence of four lessons to two parallel GCSE science classes, an intervention and a comparison class. The intervention lessons were designed to meet identified learning needs. Collaborative group work tasks, dialogic teaching and learning processes supported social interactions. The comparison class was taught according to the teacher’s usual lesson plans. During each lesson, systematic observation and audio-recorders were used to record student-student, student-teacher, and teacher-class ‘talk’. All students completed pre- and post-tests, with a sub-sample of students participating in individual follow-up interviews. The science teacher’s perceptions of the lessons’ (teaching and learning processes, outcomes and resources) were explored in pre- and post-intervention interviews.

During this session I aim to explore methodological issues related to the research design, share details of the coding scheme used to categorise the teacher’s and students’ conceptual levels of scientific ‘talk’ and present initial findings from the quantitative and qualitative analyses.

This talk is part of the FERSA Lunchtime Sessions series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• All Faculty of Education Seminars
• FERSA - All Events
• FERSA Lunchtime Sessions
• Room GS4, Donald McIntyre Building, Faculty of Education, 184 Hills Road, Cambridge

Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.