Foundations of Science Education

BTNY/CHEM/GEO/MICR/PHYS/ZOOL 3570
Adam Johnston

Assignments and course materials:

• Syllabus
• Response papers
  • Rubric for response papers
• Call for Papers
• Cross Section
• Misconception research
• Weblog discussions
• Final presentation

Labs:

• Bubble observation
• Hot chocolate stirring
• Falling copters
• Measuring a molecule

Readings Assignments:

• Reading Assignment #1
  • "The Fish," a poem by Billy Collins
    • In print (New York Times Magazine)
    • Audio of Collins reading the poem (New York Times Magazine)
  • The Student, the Fish, and Agassiz (Samuel Scudder)
  • Lee, L., Frederick, S., & Ariely, D. (2006). Try it, you'll like it: The influence of expectation, consumption, and revelation on preferences for beer. Psychological Science, 17(12), 1054-1058.
• Reading Assignment #2
  • Kuhn, T. (1962). Historical context of scientific discovery. Science, 136, 760-764.
  • Lightman, A. "Time for the Stars"
  • Popper, K. "Science: Conjectures and Refutations"
• Reading Assignment #3
  • McComas, "The Principal Elements of the Nature of Science: Dispelling the Myths"
  • Settlage & Southerland, "The Nature of Science"
• Reading Assignment #4 (Science & Religion)
  • Gould, S. J. (1994). Evolution as Fact and Theory Hen's Teeth and Horses Toes (pp. 253-262). New York: W. W. Norton & Co.
  • Smith, M. U., & Scharmann, L. C. (1999). Defining versus describing the nature of science: A pragmatic analysis for classroom teachers and science educators. Science Education, 83(4), 493-509.
• Reading Assignment #N (The nature of open inquiry: Good or bad?)
  • Settlage, J. (2007). Demythologizing science teacher education: Conquering the false ideal of open inquiry. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 18(4), 461-467.
  • Johnston, A. (2008). Demythologizing or dehumanizing? A response to Settlage and the ideals of open inquiry. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 19(1), 11-13.
  • [optional] Windschitl, M. (2008). What is inquiry? A framework for thinking about authentic scientific practice in the classroom. In J. Luft, R. L. Bell & J. Gess-Newsome (Eds.), Science as Inquiry in the Secondary Setting (pp. 1-20). Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

 

• Other/upcoming:
  • Umbrellaology (class handout)
  • Johnston & Southerland, "Multiple Meanings of the Tentative Nature of Science"
  • Notes on constructivism and conceptual change
  • Carlone, H.B. (2004), "The cultural production of science in reform-based physics: Girls' access, participation, and resistance" Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 41(4), 392-414.
  • Ladson-Billings (2003). I used to love science . . . and then I went to school. Keynote address at the Annual Meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching. Philadelphia, PA.

Resources:

• Project iCAN
• Understanding Science
• Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science
• Understanding prejudice test
• From The Onion: "$50 Billion Science Thing"