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Being and Becoming Scientists Today

Reconstructing Assumptions about Science and Science Education toReclaim a Learner–Scientist Perspective

  • The authors contribute to the science education literature with a new approach to teaching and learning by introducing the Being and Becoming Scientists Today Framework, which focuses on learners’ questions rather than static answers from the scientific canon
  • The authors show how teachers and their students can be and become scientists today by presenting a new model for reorganizing science learning around the learner-scientist perspective and providing classroom tools and examples from their research in New York City schools
  • Can I contribute to science? Do I like to work on the problems of science? These are the questions that arose in this cultural-historical approach to rethinking elementary science education from the perspective of learner-scientists and resulted in a new approach to teaching and learning science detailed here
  • Science does not have to be taught from a disciplinary perspective as something that experts do, Kirch and Amoroso show readers a new way to teach science that respects the learner’s perspective

Part of the book series: Cultural Perspectives in Science Education (CHPS)

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xv
  2. Rethinking Science Education from a learner perspective

    • Susan A. Kirch, Michele Amoroso
    Pages 1-20
  3. Being and becoming scientists

    • Susan A. Kirch, Michele Amoroso
    Pages 21-56
  4. Contributing to Science

    • Susan A. Kirch, Michele Amoroso
    Pages 57-90
  5. Representing Scientific Problems and Tools for Thinking

    • Susan A. Kirch, Michele Amoroso
    Pages 91-137
  6. Classroom Results from a Knowledge and Knowing Study

    • Susan A. Kirch, Michele Amoroso
    Pages 139-187
  7. Our Stories

    • Susan A. Kirch, Michele Amoroso
    Pages 189-192
  8. A Q&A Session with the Authors

    • Susan A. Kirch, Michele Amoroso
    Pages 193-199
  9. Back Matter

    Pages 201-234

About this book

"• Can I contribute to science?
• Do I like to work on the problems of science? 
• How do scientists know what they know?
• Would I like to be|become a scientist? 


These are questions that interest new science students.  


The authors provide teachers with an approach to foster and answer these questions by concentrating on learners and learning. They argue that students are typically taught from a disciplinary perspective of science. Using this lens students are viewed as people who need to learn a particular canon of information, methods, and ways of knowing about the world—a perspective that may be useful for practicing scientists, but not ideal for young learners. In this disciplinary approach to science education there is little room for development as a scientist. In contrast, the approach championed by Kirch and Amoroso places learner questions about the world at the forefront of teaching and learning and treats science as a system of human activity. 


The historical explorations, theoretical insights and practical advice presented here are appropriate for all ages and educational settings. In Being and Becoming Scientists Today, the authors provide: new tools for thinking about science, ideas for how to reveal the multiple stories of knowledge production to learners, and approaches to teaching science as a collective process rather than a series of contributions made by (famous) individuals. In these ways, the authors promote the idea that all science learners contribute to the science in our lives."
      

Authors and Affiliations

  • New York University, Canada

    Susan A. Kirch

  • New York City Department of Education, USA

    Michele Amoroso

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Being and Becoming Scientists Today

  • Book Subtitle: Reconstructing Assumptions about Science and Science Education toReclaim a Learner–Scientist Perspective

  • Authors: Susan A. Kirch, Michele Amoroso

  • Series Title: Cultural Perspectives in Science Education

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-349-0

  • Publisher: SensePublishers Rotterdam

  • eBook Packages: Education, Education (R0)

  • Copyright Information: SensePublishers-Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2016

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-6300-349-0Published: 10 February 2016

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVI, 234

  • Topics: Education, general

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access