May be of interest to some colleagues?

Keith

Progressing Science Education
Constructing the Scientific Research Programme into the Contingent
Nature of Learning Science
Series: Science & Technology Education Library , Vol. 37
Taber, Keith S.
2009, XVIII, 402 p., Hardcover
ISBN: 978-90-481-2430-5
On line at
http://www.springerlink.com/content/978-90-481-2430-5
(Can be downloaded by anyone in an institution where the Library
subscribes to Springer's Humanities, Social Science & Law ebooks )

"Exploring one of the central themes in science education theory,
this volume examines how science education can be considered as a
scientific activity within a broad post-positivist notion of science.

Many students find learning science extremely problematic, whatever
level of education they have reached. At the end of the 1970s a new
approach to tackling learning difficulties in science was developed,
drawing on ideas from psychology and cognitive science, and centred
on the way students build up new knowledge in reference to their
existing ideas. 'Constructivism' became the dominant paradigm in
science education research for two decades, spawning a vast body of
literature reporting aspects of learners' ideas in different science
topics.

However, Constructivism came under fire as it was recognised that the
research did not offer immediate and simple prescriptions for
effective science teaching. The whole approach was widely criticised,
in particular by those who saw it as having 'anti-science' leanings.

In this book, the notion of scientific research programmes is used to
understand the development, limitations and potential of
constructivism. It is shown that constructivist work in science
education fits into a coherent programme exploring the contingencies
of learning science. The author goes further to address criticisms of
constructivism; evaluate progress in the field; and suggest
directions for future research. It is concluded that constructivism
has provided the foundations for a progressive research programme
that continues to guide enquiry into learning and teaching science."

--
Dr. Keith S. Taber

http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/staff/taber.html
http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/kst24/

University Senior Lecturer in Science Education

Science Education Centre
University of Cambridge Faculty of Education
184 Hills Road
Cambridge CB2 8PQ
United Kingdom

to join an electronic discussion list on
learning in science
please visit
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/learning-science-concepts