For example Evolution: Science learning through - AECC-BIO

For example Evolution:
Science learning through participatory research in life science projects
Franz Radits, Austrian Educational Competence Center Biology (University of Vienna)
Franz Rauch, Institute of Instructional and School Development (University of Klagenfurt)
Barbara Strametz, Austrian Educational Competence Center Biology (University of Vienna)
Problem: In many European countries the science
system attempts, via its ministries and public and private
funds, to improve its relationship to the public sector
through “collaborations” with educational partners.
Occasionally it is also only concerned with encouraging
young talent by socialization, primarily, into natural
science laboratories.
Goals and concepts of these
collaborations differ: This paper focuses on initiatives
promoting students’ participation in real professional
research projects on very specific topics such as the
evolution
of sexually deceptive orchids and
hymenopterans. The question as to how the research
concept changes with children’s participation in
academic research projects needs to be clarified, as well
as the nature of the students’ specific learning
processes during participation (EDELSON, D.C. 1998;
DUSCHL & GRANDY 2008). The search for appropriate
structures for cross-institutional collaboration between
two contrary social systems such as school and
university has to be considered when collaboration
should be more than a single event. (LOIBL, M. C. 2005,
RADITS 2005; GERLOFF-GASSER, JANN 2007)
Rational: This paper presents and discusses the
working model of the project “Kids Participation in
Educational Research” (KiP), which is currently being
tested at the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of
Vienna and developed and researched by the Austrian
Educational Competence Center (AECC-Biology,
University of Vienna). KiP is being funded by the
Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research as
part of the program “Sparkling Science“. Scientists from
the Faculty of Life Sciences invite science classes to
take part in one of the research projects in the fields of
neurobiology, environmental research, marine biology,
forensic botany and evolutional biology. Using biological
research projects as learning environments and
research fields the teachers and students develop their
own questions in collaboration with the scientists and
investigate their learning processes according to the
paradigm of participative action research (WHYTE et al.
1989). This means that solutions for the problems of
researching together beyond the cultural borders of
school and university are not developed by experts
outside of the collaboration and then transferred over
into practice. Solutions are developed by all partners
interactively in action and reflection rounds. This action
and awareness pattern follows a reflexive rationality—
the term was coined by Donald Schön (1983) and has
its roots in the works of John Dewey (1933) and
Lawrence Stenhouse (1975). Encouraging research
findings on this model are available in literature (see
WISEMAN & KNIGHT 2003; ALTRICHTER & POSCH
1992) and should be expected from the project reported.
In the course of the conference, the current state of the
model development will be reported on. Moreover, the
first results from the accompanying research according
to participative action research will be introduced and
discussed.
Focus of Research: The main goals of the project are
the evidence based development of a model describing
the research educational cooperation and the
investigation of learning processes of students, teachers
and scientists. The working model of KiP is based on an
empirically well-founded boundel of hypothesis (s.
NOVOTNY 1999, RADITS & KATTMANN 2005; LOIBL
2005; GERLOFF-GASSER, JANN 2007). Successful
collaboration (learning and research) is possible in case
scientists remember their key competence being the
experts in scientific scientists open their research
practice for reflection granting a glimpse into their
“epistemic secrets“, scientists and teachers agree that
reconstruction of knowledge is more important than top
down transfer of knowledge, students are encouraged to
bring in their own knowledge when they are developing
their research questions and hypotheses, the
collaboration retreat to a problem area that is meaningful
for both partners.
In respect to the focus of the conference, this
presentation deals mainly with rather descriptive results
of students’ participation in research area dealing with
sexually deceptive orchids and hymenopterans
conducted by the Department of Evolutionary Biology.
How do scientists, teachers and students design joint
research? What happens with the concept of evolution
during participatory negotiations about joint research
questions? First results will be presented. They will
show how the subject matter “Evolution” is vanishing…
EVO-KiP
Educational Reconstruction
(Kattmann 1997)
Participatory Action Research
(Whyte et al. 1989, Kyburz-Graber 2008)
Students, teacher and scientist discussing
RESEARCH – DEVELOPING - LEARNING
WORKING MODEL KiP
Successful Installation of nest boxes for mason bees
Research area 1:
Signal evolution of orchids and hymentopterans
Research area 2:
Breeding biology of Osmia rufa (mason bee)
Contact EVO-KiP School
Elisabeth Inschlag, [email protected]
Contact EVO-KiP University
Johannes Spaethe, [email protected]
University of Vienna, Dept. of Evolutionary Biology, www.univie.ac.at/evolutionsbiologie
Ref.:
ALTRICHTER, H. und POSCH, P. (1992). Lehrer erforschen ihren Unterricht. Eine Einführung in die Methoden der Aktionsforschung. Julius Klinkhardt. Bad Heilbrunn.
DEWEY, J. (1933). How We Think. Boston: D. C. Heath.
DUSCHL, R. A. & GRANDY, R. E. (2008): Reconsidering the Character and Role of Inquiry in School Science: Framing the Debates. In: R.A. Duschl & R. E. Grandy (Hrsg.):
Teaching Scientific Inquiry. Recommendation for Research and Implementation. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, S. 1-37.
EDELSON, D.C. (1998): Realising authentic science learning through the adaptation of science practice. In: B. J. Fraser & K. G. Tobin (Eds.); International handbook of science
education. London: Kluwer Academic Publishers, S. 317-331.
GERLOFF-GASSER, C., JANN, P. (2007): Report on Research and Cooperations in Europe. Zürich: University of Zurich.
LOIBL, M. C. (2005) Spannungen in Forschungsteams – Hintergründe und Methoden zum konstruktiven Abbau von Konflikten in inter- und transdisziplinären Projekten.
Heidelberg: Verlag für Systemische Forschung (VSF) im Carl-Auer Verlag.
NOVOTNY, H. (1999). The Place of People in Our Knowledge. In: European Review 7 (2), S. 247-262.
RADITS, F. (2005). Unsicheres Wissen und problemorientiertes Forschen aus der Perspektive der Wissensvermittlung - Fallbeispiel Kulturlandschaftsforschung. In: Radits, F.,
Rauch, F. & Kattmann, U. (Hrsg.) (2005): Gemeinsam Forschen – Gemeinsam Lernen. Innsbruck, Wien, Bozen: Studienverlag.
SCHÖN, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner. London: Temple Smith.
STENHOUSE, L. (1975). An Introduction to Curriculum Research and Development. Heinemann: London.
WHYTE, W. F., GREENWOOD, D. J. und LAZES, P. (1989). Participatory Action Research. Through Practice to Science in
Social Research.American Behavioral Scientist 32(5): 513-551.
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WISEMAN, L.D. und KNIGHT, St.L. (2003). Linking School-University Collaboration and K-12 Student Outcomes.
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AACTE Publications: New York.
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Contact: Franz Radits, [email protected], 0043-664-60277 71000
University of Vienna, AECC Biology – Austrian Educational Competence Centre for Biology
http://aeccbio.univie.ac.at/