Recontextualization of Science from Lab to School: Implications for Science Literacy

Abstract

Scientists' science differs remarkably from school science. In order to be taught to students, science is recontextualized from scientific research communities to science classrooms. This paper examines scientific discourse in scientific research communities, and discusses its transformation from an internally-persuasive and authoritative discourse to a purely authoritative discourse under recontextualization. It presents the challenges that recontextualization of science poses for achievement of science literacy goals, and discusses remedial steps that science education community can take to meet them.

Understanding modelling in technology and science: the potential of stories from the field

“…Sharma and Anderson (2009) argue that in order for students to acquire a powerful scientific literacy they need to uncover how scientific knowledge is constructed and communicated within the scientific community. One aspect of knowing how scientists do science is developing an understanding of how they use models in the scientific discourse (Clement 2000).…”

“…Stories about technologists doing technology and scientists doing science have the potential to provide authenticity to programmes of learning even though the pedagogical imperative of transforming them for the classroom may dilute the impact (Sharma and Anderson 2009). Teachers are aware that they cannot comprehensively transport the messiness, creativity or complexity of the development of a designed intervention or scientific endeavour into their classrooms.…”

Replicar para comprender: prácticas investigativas para promover el razonamiento científico en estudiantes de psicología

“…University, 1998;Brew, 2001;Jenkins, 2004;National Research Council, 1996;Sharma y Anderson, 2009;Windschitl y Thompson, 2006) coinciden, en términos generales, con lo anterior. La réplica instaura una dinámica de descubrimiento y de apropiación autónoma del conocimiento por la vía de la resolución de problemas que la convierte en un escenario propicio para promover el desarrollo del razonamiento y del pensamiento científico de los estudiantes.…”

A space for learning: how teachers benefit from participating in a professional community of space technology

“…These activities are authentic in the sense that learners use some kind of equipment characteristic to science, or employ and discuss the logic often referred to as the 'scientific method' in carrying out investigations. In order to be taught to students, science is recontextualised from scientific research communities to science classrooms (Sharma and Anderson 2009). The adjusted activities in school science will, however, often lack authenticity in the sense that they are detached from the culture, or communities of practice (Wenger 1998), in which the activities make sense.…”