Engaging Students in Scientific Practices in a Remote Setting

The goal of science education has shifted from teaching scientific concepts to facilitating students’ active role in making sense of phenomena through engaging in scientific practices (SPs). While engaging in scientific practices, students use and develop core ideas. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Education sciences 2023-04, Vol.13 (5), p.431
Main Authors: Lager, Anna, Lavonen, Jari
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Collaborative learning
COVID-19
Data Analysis
Distance learning
Epidemics
Finland
Laboratories
Learner Engagement
Online education
Online instruction
online learning
Science Education
Science Teachers
Sciences education
Students
Teaching
technology-enhanced learning
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Summary:The goal of science education has shifted from teaching scientific concepts to facilitating students’ active role in making sense of phenomena through engaging in scientific practices (SPs). While engaging in scientific practices, students use and develop core ideas. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a shift towards online education, stressing the need to explore how SPs are used in a remote setting. This study aimed to investigate upper secondary students’ use of SPs during collaborative work in a remote setting. The study was conducted in two stages. In Stage 1, the researcher designed collaborative assignments according to the SP approach. In Stage 2, students (N = 16) worked on the designed assignments in small groups. Students’ actions on the computer were recorded with screen-recording software and investigated from three perspectives: use of digital resources, use of SPs, and collaboration. Interviews were conducted to understand students’ perceptions and engagement and were analysed by content analysis means. The results indicated that the collaboration actions were intertwined with SPs use and use of digital resources. The challenges faced by students varied by SPs, with developing models and constructing scientific explanations causing the most challenges. We discuss possible strategies to engage students in SPs in online settings.
ISSN:2227-7102
2227-7102
DOI:10.3390/educsci13050431