Student Thinking and Learning in Science Perspectives on the Nature and Development of Learners' Ideas

This readable and informative survey of key ideas about students’ thinking in science builds a bridge between theory and practice by offering clear accounts from research, and showing how they relate to actual examples of students talking about widely taught science topics. Focused on secondary students and drawing on perspectives found in the international research literature, the goal is not to offer a comprehensive account of the vast literature, but rather to provide an overview of the current state of the field suitable for those who need an understanding of core thinking about learners’ ideas in science, including science education students in teacher preparation and higher degree programs, and classroom teachers, especially those working with middle school, high school, or college level students. Such understanding can inform and enrich science teaching in ways which are more satisfying for teachers, less confusing and frustrating for learners, and so ultimately can lead to both greater scientific literacy and more positive attitudes to science.

Contents PrefaceAcknowledgments Section 1. Student conceptions and scienceIntroduction. The things students say: learners’ ideas about science topicsChapter 1. Why is learning science so difficult for many students?Chapter 2. Characterising and labelling learners’ ideasChapter 3. Alternative conceptions of learning Section 2. Making sense of student thinkingChapter 4. Innateness and development: cognitive biases influencing learners’ ideasChapter 5. Developing intuitions about the worldChapter 6. The role of language in learning scienceChapter 7. The influence of everyday beliefsChapter 8. Thinking about knowing and learning: Metacognitive and epistemological limitations on science learningChapter 9. Integrating knowledge and constructing conceptual frameworks Section 3. Diagnosing student thinking in science learningChapter 10. A provisional synthesis: Learning, teaching, and ‘bugs’ in the systemChapter 11. The science teacher as learning doctorChapter 12. Science teaching informed by an appreciation of student thinking

Keith S. Taber is University Reader in Science Education, University of Cambridge, UK.