7256.10 - Didactics in the Natural Sciences

7256.10

Didactics in the Natural Sciences

1

In this course, students will acquire knowledge and understanding of the theoretical basis for didactics in the natural science subjects. At the same time, students will develop their competence in using theory in their teaching when considering the significance of the scientific discipline, the social context and the pupils’ personal formation. The students will display this competence by using natural science didactics in other course in the natural sciences track, not least in their practicums.

Different understanding of the natural sciences will be discussed, both disciplinary and as related to educational theories. The public school’s curriculum will be analysed and evaluated in relation to teaching and learning in a school. In doing this, we will consider the common steps in the taxonomies of Bloom and Kratwohl and in the SOLO-taxonomy. We will also evaluate the value of these taxonomies in didactic processes.

On basis of ”Teorien om didaktiske situationer” (”The theory on didactic situations”) and ”Naturvetenskapliga ämnen i skolan – innehåll och organisation” (”Natural scientific subjects in the school – content and organisation”), the students, in groups of 3-4, will write a short paper, approximately 3-5 pages, in which they discuss a) what they believe is important to include when teaching in the natural sciences (for example, what are the particularly important fields and themes in the discipline, and what role do the natural sciences have in the formation of the person), and b) how they think they could or ought to teach in the chosen themes and issues. Internal examiners will be used. Grades are awarded on Passed/Not passed basis.