http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/sed/staff/Sadler/articles/Sadler%20Dissertation.pdf

The initial knowledge state of high school astronomy students

Bearing in mind students' misconceptions about basic concepts in astronomy, the present study conducted a series of constructivist activities aimed at changing future elementary and junior high school teachers' conceptions about the cause of seasonal changes, and several characteristics of the Sun- Earth-Moon relative movements like Moon phases, Sun and Moon eclipses, and others. The activities and results concerning the cause of seasonal changes are reported. Both the experimental class and the control groups improved their grasp of basic astronomy concepts statistically significantly, although the experimental class made the most impressive progress of all. Regarding subjects relevant to this study (seasonal changes), only the experimental class showed a statistically significant improvement, which justifies the constructivist approach. We conclude that in implementing a reform in the science curriculum, the change has to include the subjects taught and also the way they are taught. 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 43: 879-906, 2006 The Israeli education system underwent a long period of changes as a result of the recommendations of the Tomorrow 98 (1992) report. Among the reforms proposed are the revision of mathematics, science, and technology curricula and the ''implementation of a comprehensive program for the pre-service and in-service training'' (p. 29) of schoolteachers. One of the main views of that report is as follows: Today, mathematics, science, and technology are part of the general education needed by every person capable of giving something back to society. We do not claim that everyone has to be a scientist. But every worker, teacher, soldier, musician, farmer, businessman, manager, or politician, or anyone else who works in a place that requires some basic skills, should have certain quantitative and scientific capability, the ability to learn and understand some scientific or technological topics, and an understanding of scientific expressions .. .. There is a need to broaden the scope of mathematics, science, and

/pdf/teaching-future-teachers-basic-astronomy-concepts-seasonal-53umokbsoc.pdf

Teaching Future Teachers Basic Astronomy Concepts--Seasonal Changes--at a Time of Reform in Science Education.

While astronomy has recently re-emerged in many science curricula, there remain unresolved teaching and learning difficulties peculiar to astronomy education. This paper argues that mental model building, the core process in astronomy itself, should be reflected in astronomy education. Also, this crucial skill may promote a better understanding of the nature of science by pupils and it resonates with current understandings about pupils' learning in science. However, three practical questions to be considered are: the expressed reservations about the connection between mental model building and meaningful learning; the earliest age of pupils for whom mental model building is appropriate; and the lack of research into pupils' prior ideas about the role of models in science. The paper describes how a four-phase general pedagogical strategy was adopted to create an astronomy teaching and learning package to promote mental model building. The package consists of notes explaining the mental model building follo...

Promoting mental model building in astronomy education

For well over a decade there has been great interest in astronomy throughout all the age groups in our schools. Many people consider this to be due to the space age and its attendant ballyhoo from all branches of the communications media. I suspect however that the interest was there even before space became popular as a source of science spectaculars.

The place of astronomy in schools

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The place of astronomy in schools