New Perspectives in Science Education

The Model of Educational Reconstruction (MER) tightly links subject matter analysis and research on pupils’ preconceptions to design the teaching and learning environment of school science subjects, including biology [1]. The paper will be focused on a qualitative analysis of how comprehensively biology teachers implement components of the Model of Educational Reconstruction into their lessons, i.e. whether they take advantage of pupils’ preconceptions in designing instruction of different biology topics. The multiple-case study design with a theoretical replication was used in this study [2], together 18 individual case studies were included in the analysis. Each case study was based on a video record of a biology lesson and selected teaching and learning situations were qualitatively analyzed by 3A procedure (annotation – analysis – alteration), which enabled an in-depth assessment of the integrity of the instruction using the conceptual structure diagram [3]. Transcripts and conceptual structure diagrams of teaching and learning situations were analyzed using the principles of grounded theory and inductive approach [4] to identify and categorize components of MER and the level of its implementation in each educational case study. The multiple-case study results revealed four different levels of MER implementation into biology lessons ranging from solely diagnostics of pupils’ preconceptions without their further use in the instruction to comprehensive use of MER in the design of teaching and learning environment in the analyzed lesson. The complex incorporation of MER into biology lessons with an emphasis on (re)construction of pupils’ pre-scientific conceptions was very rare, as it was identified only in one educational case study. Particular examples of MER implementation into biology lessons including selected transcripts of teaching and learning situations and conceptual structure diagrams will be highlighted in the paper.

Keywords: biology instruction, educational case study, Model of Educational Reconstruction, biology teacher

References:

[1] Duit, R., Gropengießer, H., Kattmann, U., Komorek, M., & Parchmann, I. (2012). The model of educational reconstruction – a framework for improving teaching and learning science. In D. Jorde & J. Dillon (Eds.), Science education research and practice in Europe: Retrospective and prospective (pp. 13–37). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

[2] Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: design and methods. Los Angeles: Sage.

[3] Janík, T., Slavík, J., Najvar, P., & Janíková M. (2019). Shedding the content: semantics of teaching burdened by didactic formalisms. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 51(2), 185–201, DOI: 10.1080/ 00220 272.2018.1552719

[4] Corbin, J. M., & Strauss, A. (1990). Grounded theory research: procedures, canons, and evaluative criteria. Qualitative Sociology, 13(1), 3–21.