1. Competences for science teaching at the 21st century
Patrícia Sá / Post-doc
Maria de Fátima Paixão
Department of Education and Psychology, CIDTFF
Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, CIDTFF
University of Aveiro
Abstract
This study presents a contribution to the conceptual and terminological clarification of the concept of teaching competence, as well as for the identification of a competencial framework of competences for science teaching at a primary education level, having in mind educating citizens for the 21st century as scientific literates.
The proposed framework was developed based on an intensive literature review and on the contributions emerging from a shared reflection between researchers in science education (teachers educators), future primary teachers (pre-service teachers) and in-service primary teachers.
Introduction
The scientific education in Europe has been, over the last few years, subject of considerable attention by the scientific and political communities. The main reasons for this interest seem to be the:
i) high levels of illiteracy of the majority of the population;
ii) decline in the number of young people that, in many developed countries, choose scientific careers;
iii) threat that these facts represent to the agenda of the Lisbon Strategy.
Science education needs to evolve in quality from the first years.
Several reports produced in the EU context - “Science Education in Europe: Critical Reflections” (Osborne and Dillon, 2008); “Science Education for responsible citizenship” (European Commission, 2015); and others – have been leaving some recommendations with respect to this evolution, prompting the need for restructuring science education towards a greater adaptation to the characteristics and requirements of the XXI century. These reports are consistent in identifying the importance and the need to innovate and restructure curricula according to a competencial paradigm, since the first years of schooling.
Given this situation, we have witnessed, in recent years, an international attempt aiming at the conceptual and terminological clarification of the concept of competence (Sá & Paixão, 2013).
Methodology
This study aimed at the development of a theoretical framework on competences for science teaching at a primary education level. This framework was developed based on a literature review and on the contributions emerging from a shared reflection between researchers in science education and teachers educators, pre-service and in-service primary teachers. To this end, based on a qualitative methodology, we proceeded to:
1. An exhaustive documental survey, based on an analytical path oriented towards content analysis of national and international documents that identify and define the main trends in a framework focused on competencies for science teaching.
2. The analysis and epistemological characterization of the conceptions that teacher educators, future primary teachers and primary teachers have on key competences for science teaching.
3. The validation of the framework resulting from the contributions of these participants and its triangulation with the guiding theoretical framework that emerged from the referred content analysis.
The followed procedures allowed us to identify 48 competences for science teaching at a primary education level. These 48 competencies were, later, organized into four domains of reference: i) Epistemology of Science; ii) Guidelines for Science Education; iii) Management of the science teaching and learning processes; iv) Assessment of the pupils’ learning.
Conclusion
This framework is not intended to be a definitive or exhaustive referential. In a mutable and multifaceted and complex society, we consider that no referential can translate a consensual, complete and stable representation of the specific competences for a particular field and / or profession. In the case of the proposed guiding framework, other specific competences, other ways of organizing it and even other levels of analysis could undoubtedly be considered.
However, this methodological path revealed as consistent; it was possible a systematization and reorganization of the competences for primary school science teaching found in the literature and a discussion and reflection towards the construction of a consensual language about “competence”.
References
European Commission (2015). Science education for responsible citizenship. Brussels: European Commission.
Osborne, J. and Dillon, J. (2008). Science Education in Europe: Critical Reflections, a Report to the Nuffield Foundation.
Sá, P. & Paixão, F. (2013). Contributos para a clarificação do conceito de competência numa perspetiva integrada e sistémica. Revista Portuguesa de Educação, 26(1),
Epistemology of Science
(11 specific competences)
Guidelines for Science Education
(9 specific competences)
Management of the science teaching and learning processes
(21 specific competences)
Assessment of the pupils’ learning
(7 specific competences)
Fig 1. Domains of the Competences for Primary Science Teaching Framework
(…)
Understands the interest and relevance of the scientific-technological knowledge and artifacts and values the scientific work (its particularities, possibilities and limitations, for example)
Epistemology of Science
Has a good knowledge of the different perspectives of Science Education and understands their implications in formal science education contexts (e.g.: teachers and pupils’ role, teaching strategies, adopted methodologies, activities, used resources, organization of the physical space of the room ...)
Guidelines for Science Education
Has good knowledge of, values ​​and uses practical work for science teaching, namely the practical activities of an investigative type (e.g.: developing questions, relating dependent and independent variables,, planning experiments, analyzing and interpreting data, drawing conclusions and answering central questions)
Management of the science teaching and learning processes
Gathers information as the pupils are involved in the learning activities, in order to identify their difficulties and potentialities and thereby to regulate the whole process
Assessment of the pupils’ learning
Fig 2. Examples of specific competences of the Domains of the Competences for Primary Science Teaching Framework