"Science Education for Everyday Life: Evidence-based Practice" by Glen S. Aikenhead

This book provides a comprehensive overview of humanistic approaches to science—approaches that connect students to broader human concerns in their everyday life and culture. Author summarizes major worldwide historical findings, focuses on present thinking, and offers evidence in support of classroom practice.

This highly accessible text covers curriculum policy, teaching materials, teacher orientations and teacher education, student learning, culture studies, and future research.



Featuring important alternative views on the teaching of science, this text: * Describes an approach to teaching science (grades 6-12) that animates students’ self-identities, encouraging their future contributions to society as savvy citizens and productive workers. * Addresses the tension between educationally sound ideas and the political realities of schools. * Presents evidence-based challenges to traditional thinking about school science, illuminating many productive directions for future research.

Contents

1. Introduction
2. A Short History of Humanistic Perspectives in School Science
The Development of the Sciences
The Science Curriculum
Recent Humanistic Science Curriculum Movements
Features of the Humanistic Science Movement
Conclusion
3. Curriculum Policy
Major Failures of the Traditional Science Curriculum
Learning and Using Science in Nonschool Contexts
Research on Relevance
Cultural Relevance
Processes for Formulating Curriculum Policy
Conclusion 52
4. Classroom Materials
Research Analyzing Classroom Materials
Research Into the Development of Classroom Materials
Conclusion
5. Teacher Orientation
Challenges to Teachers’ Acceptance
Decisions Not to Implement
Success at Implementation
Components to a Teacher’s Orientation
Preservice Experiences
School Culture
Conclusion
6. Student Learning
Canonical Science Content
Evidence-gathering Techniques for Humanistic Content
Summative Assessment in Quasi-Experimental Studies
Other Investigations in Humanistic School Science
Student Decision Making
Conclusion
7. Culture Studies: School Science as Culture Transmission
Cross-Cultural Science Education
Guidelines for Respect
Indigenous Sciences
Student Heterogeneity
Cross-cultural Teaching and Learning
Conclusion
8. Moving Forward
Credibility
Future Research Studies
Research Paradigms and Methodologies
Conclusion
References
Index
About the Author