An Elementary Science Class with a Robot Teacher

Multimedia-based instructional strategies play an important role in enhancing students’ performance as well as students’ motivation towards the learning of science. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the use of multimedia projectors in enhancing students’ learning of science and students’ motivation towards multimedia in learning vs traditional chalk-and-board method. A quasi-experimental research design was used to investigate the performance and motivational effect of the usage of multimedia projector. A convenient sample of 30 students in grade eight was used in this study. The experimental group of 15 students were taught using a multimedia projector and the control group of 15 students were taught the same science lessons using traditional chalk and board method. Students’ performance was evaluated using a pre test and a post-test. The motivational scale based on the Keller’s ARCS model of motivation was administered on the experimental group to study the degree of motivation displayed in the use of the multimedia projector for instruction. The findings of this study supported the hypothesis that the use of multimedia-based instruction is more effective than the traditional methods in students’ learning of science. Further, it was found that the students’ motivation was also high in the use of the multimedia projector to teach science.

본 연구에서는 초등학교 과학수업의 실태를 탐구하고 그 개선 방안을 탐색하였다. 초등학교 과학수업의 경우 교사들 스스로 과학개념이나 내용에서 오개념을 갖고 있는 경우가 많이 발견된다. 이렇듯 초등교사들이 과학에 부담을 느끼고 과학내용지식에 부족함을 느끼는 상태에서 수업을 하게 되면, 좋은 수업이나 학생들에게 유의미한 수업이 되기는 어렵다고 경력교사들은 지적하였다. 이러한 초등학교 수업의 전반적인 특징과 초등교사들의 과학내용지식에 대한 문제의식에 대한 이해를 토대로 본 연구에서는 초등학교 과학수업의 실태를 탐구하였다. 수업동영상 분석을 위한 컨설팅 협의회, 초등교사와의 면담 등을 활용하여 학생들이 초등학교 저학년에서는 과학을 가장 선호하다가 고학년이 되면서 과학을 가장 기피하는 이유, 초등 과학수업에서 활동이나 실험이 반드시 필요한 이유, 초등 과학수업에서 hands-on 활동에 머물지 않고 minds-on 활동을 만드는 방안 등을 논의하였다. 또한 초등 과학수업을 개선하기 위한 방안으로 초등교사의 과학내용전문성 재교육의 필요성, 초등과 중등 간의 교류의 필요성, 초임교사 지원을 위한 공식적인 입문 프로그램의 필요성, 초등학교 5, 6학년의 경우 교과전담 체제 도입의 필요성 등을 논의하였다. 연구결과를 토대로 초등학교 과학수업 내실화를 위해 요청되는 초등학교 현직교사 연수 방안을 제언하였다. The purpose of this research is to investigate the actual conditions of primary school science teaching and ways to improve it. In elementary science teaching, teachers themselves tend to have science misconceptions and insufficient science content knowledge. Experienced teachers argued that it could be hard for elementary teachers with lack of science content knowledge to provide their students with meaningful learning experiences of science. Based on the general characteristics of elementary teaching and the awareness of elementary teachers' insufficient science content knowledge, we explored the real situation of the elementary science classroom. We conducted open-ended interviews with teachers and focus group discussions on a regular basis to analyze and compare classes of five primary school teachers. Data analysis focused on why elementary students avoid science classes in upper grades of elementary school and why elementary science classes always need hands-on activities. We also discussed ways to turn hands-on investigation into minds-on investigation by connecting it to important ideas in science. Based on the results, we suggested ways to improve inservice teacher training such as designing supplementary in-service training focused on content knowledge for primary school teachers, setting up professional exchange or collaboration between primary and secondary teachers, and introducing subject-specialized teachers for the fifth and sixth graders of primary school. In particular, considering elementary teachers' insufficient science content knowledge, employing science subject matter specialists in the elementary school could be a useful strategy.

“Good luck on your first day as an assistant professor, Dr. Tanner! Have a great class!” On the wall above my desk, these words scream out from an otherwise encouraging note that is adorned with many exclamation points. This note has hung on my wall since my very first day as an Assistant Professor of Biology. As I was charging off to teach my first class, a senior faculty member who had been on my hiring committee slipped this note under my office door. In moments of pause years later, I still stare up at that note and breathe a sigh of relief that I had much more than luck to guide me on my first day as a college-level teacher. Although I continue to have much to learn—as all of us do no matter the number of years of teaching experience—I did arrive at the university with both formal and informal training in science education. I had had plenty of exposure to innovative pedagogical approaches, questioning strategies, and techniques for engaging diverse audiences in learning science. As a scientist educator, I had had the privilege of many years of collaboration with outstanding K–12 educators as well as a postdoctoral fellowship in science education. However, my training has been, to say the least, unconventional compared with that of my fellow junior faculty and unique in its preparation in regard to the teaching and learning of my discipline. It will not be news to anyone reading this article that university and college teaching is to a large extent a profession with no formal training. It’s startling but true that the majority of faculty members—and lecturers who often teach large numbers of students—have no formal training in the teaching and learning of their discipline. In fact, the hiring process in university science departments is structured primarily to evaluate a faculty candidate’s ability to be a productive researcher, with success measured in number of publications and magnitude of grant funds raised. Depending on the type of institution, for example, research university, state-level university, or liberal arts college, there may be a component of the faculty interview process that probes a candidate’s teaching ability, for example, requesting a statement of teaching philosophy and requiring the candidate to teach a sample lecture class. However, this sample lecture often screens for gross inadequacies, rather than looking for stellar innovations or pedagogical skills. This lack of formal, accredited training for university and college instructors stands in stark contrast to the requirements for a high school teacher who is charged with the education of students only a year junior to college freshmen. High school teachers in the United States must be credentialed as a secondary science teacher, demonstrate subject matter competency in every subject that they will be teaching, and must continually engage in professional development in the teaching and learning of their discipline throughout their career as a science teacher. With the 2002 federal No Child Left Behind legislation, the onus is upon each precollege science teacher to become “highly qualified” in terms of formal university-level training in science education. However, no such required professional training or measurable standards for teaching are required in institutions of higher education. Many policy documents have suggested standards of teaching practice in postsecondary science education (National Research Council, 1996, 1997; Siebert and McIntosh, 2001), but the extent of implementation of these ideals is unclear and has gone relatively unstudied, although national and regional accreditation boards do look at outcomes, asking colleges and universities to assess what their students have gained from four years of study at their institutions. Nonetheless, there is a striking reversal of accountability that happens when one crosses the precollege teaching to college-level teaching boundary (Table 1). During the K–12 school years, society expects K–12 teachers to be responsible for student learning. Salaries of teachers in many states are tied to student test scores, and poor student performance can potentially invoke penalties. At a college or university, several variables in the educational universe shift. Students are the ones responsible for learning. The evaluation and compensation of college-level teachers is not DOI: 10.1187/cbe.05–12–0132 Address correspondence to: Kimberly Tanner (kdtanner@sfsu.edu). CBE—Life Sciences Education Vol. 5, 1–6, Spring 2006

Today, there is a shortage of professionals with skills and knowledge to prepare the workforce of the future. In the 21st century we live in a technological society where the access to information is at our fingertips. In this environment, it is essential to rethink our attitudes towards educating future professionals that can meet the challenges that lies ahead. The school has a fundamental role in forming individuals, but in most cases the teaching methods are archaic and does not meet the reality of the 21st century students. In particular, the teaching of physical sciences, one of the keystones for the development of engineering and technology need to be urgently updated. In Brazilian schools the subject is introduced as disconnected from technology and more importantly from society. To reverse this trend, we have introduced Robotics to stimulate future teachers to engage in learning physical science through hands-on experience with technology at the State University of Maringá, Brazil. Thus, the question that emerges is if the educational approach using robotics, following a constructivist assumption, does modify the attitudes of pre-service teachers and later influences their teaching practices. The main goal of this work is to evaluate the impact of this methodology in constructing teacher’s professional identity, their familiarity with technology, and the introduction of new practices in classroom. Twenty five pre-service physics teachers used Arduino open source platform and educational robotics to assemble and solve open problems in groups of 4 or 5. After a brief introduction to the technology, they were encouraged to find solutions to the problem on their own. The theoretical assumption behind the courses is Papert’s constructionism. During the courses data was collected using video and audio recording as well as semi-structured interviews. After the courses, students were asked to run workshops to other undergraduate students. Through the observation of students in the workshop as well as the accomplishments of a focal analysis group, we evaluate the results of the introduction of robotics in physics teaching. We can identify that to change the future teaching practices and achieve the construction of a strong teaching identity, it is necessary for the student to learn and experience during their initial training period a methodology that provides the necessary subsidies for the development of skills and knowledge related to their teaching. In this way, Educational Robotics methodologically supported by constructionism, favors the reflection and a possible change of practices of future physics teachers, reaching the construction of the professional identity of the teacher.

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract Analysis of Middle and High School Student Learning of Science, Mathematics and Engineering Concepts Through a LEGO Underwater Robotics Design Challenge Abstract The Build IT project is a university-school collaboration to increase precollege student interest and achievement in engineering, science, mathematics, and information technology through a novel underwater robotics project that utilizes LEGO Mindstorms kits, the NXT programmable brick, and related equipment. The project is being implemented in 36 socio-economically and academically diverse schools for students in Grades 7-12. Through a series of increasingly complex challenges, Build IT exposes students to science, mathematics, and engineering concepts such as buoyancy, Newton’s Laws, momentum, density, gear ratios, torque, forces, energy, volume, mass-weight distribution and simple machines. During the first year of classroom implementation, teams of students in a variety of classroom settings used LEGO components, wire-guided switches, motors and other equipment to design, construct, and control robots to maneuver in a 3-4 foot deep pool. This paper will explore the impact of the project on the students, specifically, changes in understanding of the key science concepts embedded in the curriculum and changes in knowledge about, and attitudes toward, engineering. It will also explore gender differences in attitudes toward the engineering aspects of the curriculum and in the pedagogical strategies embedded in the curriculum, including hands-on learning and group work. Theoretical Framework Robotics has been demonstrated as an effective vehicle to teach STEM concepts at many levels. The theoretical foundation for using robotics in education has been put forth by Jonassen, who described cognitive tools or “mindtools”1 that can enhance the learning process. Others have posited that robotics enables students to creatively explore computer programming, mechanical design and construction, problem solving, and collaboration,2, 3 as well as the ability to present open-ended problems that require integrative thinking.4 Robotics enables students to own their learning as they make choices and explore many paths in order to solve design challenges. Through the use of LEGO robotics technology, students learn various facets of problem solving while simultaneously mastering numerous mathematical and scientific concepts. Riskowski et al. identified three components that engineering design brings to the study of science (in middle school settings), which support our theoretical framework: (1) interaction: engagement and relationship-building among groups to design-build-test an apparatus, whereby the individual contributions to a collective product or process is paramount; (2) artifact development: developing an artifact fosters the display of the groups’ communal knowledge as embodied in the artifact; and (3) critical analysis: a process of individual, small-group, and large- group (whole class) continual learning as designs are critiqued and improvements are suggested/tested.5 More specifically, designing robots encompasses elements of the engineering design process, and particularly, iterative design.

The purpose of this study is to present the experiential learning in the development of a Dynamic Anthropomorphic Robot with Intelligence(DARwIn)-High Performance(HP) at Robotics and Mechanism Laboratory(RoMeLa). DARwIn-HP, an miniature-sized humanoid platform, has been developed by self-directed undergraduate students of RoMeLa for robotics in education. They, as the target consumer of educational robots, contributed to the design and manufacturing of the DARwIn-HP by sharing their thoughts on the necessary functionality of an educational humanoid robot. This hands-on experience allows them to understand the fundamental materials of a humanoid robot in theory as well as the usage of mechanical tools in practice. All undergraduates after experiencing the development process also recognize the importance as well as the interests on learning the subjects in the engineering curriculum. As of the final process and post-activity of robot development, encouraging all students to participate in extracurricular activities provides them with a chance of evaluating their work. There are positive effects to engineering students such as enriching their competitiveness for a range of challenges facing society.

Nowadays, the interdisciplinary position of science is at the forefront. For this reason, attention is drawn to the use of different disciplines in the teaching of science. The aim of this study is to get the opinions of secondary school students about the science lesson taught with educational songs and to examine the effect of the implementation on the attitudes of the students. The research model of the study is a mixed method in which qualitative and quantitative patterns are combined. The study was conducted with 12 middle school 6th grade students (6 girls, 6 boys) studying in a public school in the 2020-2021 academic year. In the study, educational songs were used in the teaching of the science course "Solar system and eclipses" unit. The implementation was carried out for a total of five hours in four weeks. The qualitative data collection tools of the study were semi-structured interviews and student diaries; the quantitative data collection tool is the attitude scale developed by Biçer (2011) with a reliability of 0.89. Semi-structured interview and attitude scale were applied to the students before and after the implementation. Student diaries were filled in by the students during the implementation. In data analysis, qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test in the SPSS program. The collected data were analyzed and interpreted. As a result of the study, the students found the science lesson, accompanied by educational songs, enjoyable and stated that it provided the opportunity to repeat the subject. In addition, it was determined that the science lesson, which was taught with educational songs, caused a positive change in the attitudes of secondary school students towards the science lesson. Keywords: Music, science, educational songs, solar system

The present paper presents the results of a survey on outdoor lessons conducted by teachers of the subject Science and Technology in the 4th and 5th grades of primary school in the school’s vicinity. It examines differences between teachers themselves and between teachers and students, as well as the ideas and limitations of outdoor lessons. The study included 70 in-service primary school teachers of the 4th and 5th grades and 154 students of the 4th grade and 151 students of the 5th grade of primary school. The data were obtained with two questionnaires: an e-questionnaire for teachers and a paper-pencil questionnaire for students. The results show that 13 per cent of teaching time in the subject Science and Technology consists of outdoor lessons. Statistically significant differences were found between teachers with different amounts of teaching experience, while differences in the quantity of outdoor lessons did not arise among teachers of different school strata and among teachers who had an early experience with outdoor lessons in the vicinity of school themselves as students compared to teachers who had no such experience. The teachers had several specific and general ideas for outdoor activities for the thematic sets of the Science and Technology curriculum and reported similar difficulties in planning outdoor lessons to those reported in other countries. The results of the research show that the teachers report the use of outdoor lessons in the vicinity of school more often than recalled by the students. The students reported that such activities typically take place about twice a year, mostly in playgrounds, meadows, and forests. The results provide an insight into the state of the teachers’ initiatives for outdoor lessons in the subject Science and Technology and indirectly offer opportunities to reflect and act on outdoor lessons from different perspectives.

The study aimed at investigating the impact of using the educational robot through the integrative approach on achievement among tenth grade students in trigonometry. To achieve the aims of the study the researchers developed an academic unit adopting the integrated approach by using Educational Robot. The sample of the study consisted of (120) students of the tenth grade students in public schools in the city of Amman, divided equally into two groups: experimental and control. Achievement test in mathematics was used, which were validity and reliability was verified. The results of the study showed a statistically significant difference (α≤0.05) between the averages of the two groups experimental (which used the educational robot) and the control group (which did not use the educational robot) in mathematical achievement in favor of the experimental group. The study did not show an interaction between the use of the educational robot and the gender of the student in the mathematics achievement in the students of the tenth-grade students. In light of the study's findings, the researchers recommend using modern technology tools such as robot to teach mathematics. Keywords: Educational robot, achievement, trigonometry, integrative approach

Human-computer interaction for virtual-real fusion

To investigate how elementary science and technology (S&T) education experiences with hands-on experimentation and inquiry-based learning impact pre-service teachers’ attitudes and confidence to teach S&T, we used a cross-sectional survey. Our participants were twenty-seven pre-service teachers enrolled in an Ontario elementary S&T teacher education methods course. Those who were taught S&T through hands-on experimentation considered themselves more S&T literate and were statistically more confident to read, understand, and critically evaluate common S&T media reports; they were also more confident to teach S&T through hands-on experimentation and inquiry-based learning. In almost all cases, participants valued learning S&T by doing S&T (i.e. actively participating/interacting), which influenced their confidence, interest, and desire to embrace hands-on experimentation as future elementary teachers.

This paper attempts to provide some productive starting points for discussion in the context of science teaching. Embedded in the current practice of methodologies such as “messing about,” hands-on, minds-on activities, science-technology-society related approaches, and inquiry-based learning, is often a sense of confusion and frustration. Such current methodologies in elementary science teaching are founded on constructivist learning theory. This paper attempts to pinpoint possible ways in which this child-centered, interactive learning theory can lead to confusion for students and teachers alike. It attempts to distinguish the necessary criteria for successful science teaching from much of today's practice in the elementary school science class. It does not attempt to draw conclusions on the reasons behind some of the practices.

This research reviews 56 robots in science education (RSE) research articles published in SSCI (Social Sciences Citation Index) journals in the Web of Science (WoS) database. The analysis results showed that there were three clusters of RSE studies: robots in elementary science education, robot-based STEM activities, and robot-facilitated computational thinking. In terms of the research issues, more studies were conducted across-disciplines. Regarding thematic classifications, “general benefits of educational robots” was the most frequently investigated issue, while “diversity and broadening participation,” and “creativity and motivation” were less frequently discussed. The most adopted research methods were quantitative and mixed methods, focusing on measuring learners’ cognition and affect. Most of the interventions in the empirical studies adopted pedagogical interventions. In terms of the interaction issue, LEGO was adopted the most, followed by self-made robots; moreover, robots frequently played the role of tools in science education. From the perspective of specific robotics content knowledge, “control” (e.g. programming) comprised the majority. The most adopted learning strategy was project-based learning, followed by issue-based discussion. Regarding assessment issues, the most adopted evaluation approaches to evaluating students’ performance were questionnaires, observation, verbal interviews, and artifacts to assess the quality of learning activities.

Science teachers in South Africa and globally experience difficulties with the integration of indigenous knowledge into their science lessons—a requirement of many science curricula. One of the reasons for this may relate to the views teachers hold about indigenous knowledge. Such views can form a barrier against successful inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the science classroom. It was, therefore, deemed useful to investigate teachers’ views on indigenous knowledge. This article reports on the development of a theoretical framework, and a questionnaire derived from it, to investigate teachers’ views on indigenous knowledge. The researchers were informed by the framework developed by Lederman, Abd-El-Khalick, Bell and Schwartz regarding the nature of science (NOS) and their views-on-the-NOS questionnaire. A qualitative study was done to develop and validate the views-on-the-nature-of-indigenous-knowledge instrument (VNOIK). The findings indicate that the VNOIK instrument is suitable to determine a wide range of views of science teachers on the nature of indigenous knowledge. We found that South African science teachers held mainly a partially informed view on the nature of indigenous knowledge. The new instrument can be used to measure the effect of a short learning programme and to identify further development needs of science teachers in addressing the tenets of science and indigenous knowledge effectively in the classroom.

Using technology in the learning and teaching process enables students to learn effectively and meaningfully. Augmented reality, one of the applications used in education, can meet students' needs in the learning process. Especially in science lessons, augmented reality enables students to understand the nature of science. It is important to have teachers who can reflect technology to learning environments effectively and efficiently. In line with this purpose, preservice classroom teachers were asked to create lesson plans for 3rd - and 4th -grade science topics and gains using the augmented reality application. The researcher prepared a structured interview form to collect preservice teachers' experiences in creating augmented reality products and determining their opinions on using this science teaching application. The interviews were analyzed using the descriptive analysis technique. As a result, preservice teachers stated that both science lessons and other lessons should include the augmented reality application; the application draws attention to the subject as it is fun, interesting, and intriguing, thus providing meaningful learning. Preservice teachers stated that they would benefit from augmented reality applications in their professional lives, augmented reality will be effective in science teaching. They realized the importance of using technology in science lessons with these applications.