Abstract
The phrase 'knowledge creation' refers to the practices by which a community advances its collective knowledge. Experience with a model of knowledge creation could help students to learn about the nature of science. This research examined how much progress a teacher and 16 Primary Five (Grade 4) students in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme could make towards the discourse needed for Bereiter and Scardamalia's model of knowledge creation. The study consisted of two phases: a five-month period focusing on the development of the classroom ethos and skills needed for this model (Phase 1), followed by a two-month inquiry into life cycles (Phase 2). In Phase 1, we examined the classroom practices that are thought to support knowledge creation and the early experiences of the students with a web-based inquiry environment, Knowledge Forum®. In Phase 2, we conducted a summative evaluation of the students' work in Knowledge Forum in the light of the model. The data sources included classroom video recordings, artefacts of the in-class work, the Knowledge Forum database, a science content test, questionnaires, and interviews. The findings indicate that the students made substantial progress towards the knowledge creation discourse, particularly regarding the social structure of this kind of discourse and, to a lesser extent, its idea-centred nature. They also made acceptable advances in scientific knowledge and appeared to enjoy this way of learning. The study provides one of the first accounts in the literature of how a teacher new to the knowledge creation model enacted it in an Asian primary classroom.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 487-515 |
| Number of pages | 29 |
| Journal | International journal of science education |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2011 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Discourse
- Inquiry-based teaching
- Internet
- Nature of science
- Primary school
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Promoting knowledge creation discourse in an asian primary five classroom : Results from an inquiry into life cycles. / van Aalst, Jan; Truong, Mya Sioux.
In: International journal of science education, Vol. 33, No. 4, 01.03.2011, p. 487-515.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Promoting knowledge creation discourse in an asian primary five classroom
T2 - Results from an inquiry into life cycles
AU - van Aalst, Jan
AU - Truong, Mya Sioux
PY - 2011/3/1
Y1 - 2011/3/1
N2 - The phrase 'knowledge creation' refers to the practices by which a community advances its collective knowledge. Experience with a model of knowledge creation could help students to learn about the nature of science. This research examined how much progress a teacher and 16 Primary Five (Grade 4) students in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme could make towards the discourse needed for Bereiter and Scardamalia's model of knowledge creation. The study consisted of two phases: a five-month period focusing on the development of the classroom ethos and skills needed for this model (Phase 1), followed by a two-month inquiry into life cycles (Phase 2). In Phase 1, we examined the classroom practices that are thought to support knowledge creation and the early experiences of the students with a web-based inquiry environment, Knowledge Forum®. In Phase 2, we conducted a summative evaluation of the students' work in Knowledge Forum in the light of the model. The data sources included classroom video recordings, artefacts of the in-class work, the Knowledge Forum database, a science content test, questionnaires, and interviews. The findings indicate that the students made substantial progress towards the knowledge creation discourse, particularly regarding the social structure of this kind of discourse and, to a lesser extent, its idea-centred nature. They also made acceptable advances in scientific knowledge and appeared to enjoy this way of learning. The study provides one of the first accounts in the literature of how a teacher new to the knowledge creation model enacted it in an Asian primary classroom.
AB - The phrase 'knowledge creation' refers to the practices by which a community advances its collective knowledge. Experience with a model of knowledge creation could help students to learn about the nature of science. This research examined how much progress a teacher and 16 Primary Five (Grade 4) students in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme could make towards the discourse needed for Bereiter and Scardamalia's model of knowledge creation. The study consisted of two phases: a five-month period focusing on the development of the classroom ethos and skills needed for this model (Phase 1), followed by a two-month inquiry into life cycles (Phase 2). In Phase 1, we examined the classroom practices that are thought to support knowledge creation and the early experiences of the students with a web-based inquiry environment, Knowledge Forum®. In Phase 2, we conducted a summative evaluation of the students' work in Knowledge Forum in the light of the model. The data sources included classroom video recordings, artefacts of the in-class work, the Knowledge Forum database, a science content test, questionnaires, and interviews. The findings indicate that the students made substantial progress towards the knowledge creation discourse, particularly regarding the social structure of this kind of discourse and, to a lesser extent, its idea-centred nature. They also made acceptable advances in scientific knowledge and appeared to enjoy this way of learning. The study provides one of the first accounts in the literature of how a teacher new to the knowledge creation model enacted it in an Asian primary classroom.
KW - Discourse
KW - Inquiry-based teaching
KW - Internet
KW - Nature of science
KW - Primary school
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79952379803&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09500691003649656
DO - 10.1080/09500691003649656
M3 - Article
VL - 33
SP - 487
EP - 515
JO - International journal of science education
JF - International journal of science education
SN - 0950-0693
IS - 4
ER -