Exploring the dynamic process of curriculum development, this book emphasizes the importance of adaptability and creativity in educational practices. It examines how educators can engage with emerging trends and diverse perspectives to create effective learning experiences. Through case studies and theoretical insights, the text highlights the collaborative nature of curriculum-making, inviting readers to reflect on their own teaching philosophies and the impact of their decisions on student learning. The focus is on fostering a responsive and inclusive educational environment.
Focusing on L.S. Vygotsky's later work, this book introduces a new theory placing affect and social relations at the forefront of psychology. It emphasizes that mental phenomena are events rather than static entities, presenting a transactional perspective. The author develops a transactional psychology of education, drawing from influential thinkers like G.H. Mead and J. Dewey. Theoretical concepts are illustrated through videotaped exchanges, providing tangible insights into psychological principles and their application in educational contexts.
The book explores the disconnect between teacher education theories and real-world teaching experiences. It critiques traditional programs that prioritize reflection over immediate action, emphasizing that new teachers often lack the luxury of stepping back in critical moments. Drawing from Roth's extensive teaching experience, it argues for the necessity of hands-on classroom practice, collaboration with seasoned educators, and reflective discussions to develop the skills needed to navigate the complexities of teaching effectively.
Focusing on the concept of "event," this monograph explores the interplay between cognition and mathematics, emphasizing the significance of bodily experiences and symbolism. It is divided into three parts: the first critiques traditional mathematical cognition, proposing an event-centric perspective; the second reinterprets common mathematical phenomena through this lens; and the final section examines broader topics, including the embodied experience of mathematics and the connection between experience and mind. It appeals to those interested in educational theory, social development, and psychology.
Grounded in the principles of Lev S. Vygotsky, this book explores the nuances of human psychology through innovative categories that reflect the complexities of contemporary life. It delves into how these theoretical frameworks can adapt to the dynamic nature of human experiences, offering insights into psychological development and social interaction. The work emphasizes the importance of understanding psychological processes in a fluid context, making it relevant for both scholars and practitioners in the field.
The book details a collaborative initiative at Mountain Elementary School aimed at transforming science education from traditional textbook methods to engaging, student-centered learning. Teachers recognized the need for change, seeking to enhance excitement in science for students. The author, drawing from previous research on classroom communities, assisted in developing environments where students actively participated and took control of their learning. The project emphasized the role of teachers in fostering a supportive classroom community rather than merely delivering information.
Focusing on the interplay between language and education, this book explores how educators navigate and utilize language in their teaching practices. It emphasizes that educators are both influenced by language's inherent possibilities and capable of harnessing them to enhance learning experiences. Through this lens, the text encourages a deeper awareness of language's role in educational contexts.
Focusing on the themes of passion and undecidability, this work critiques the prevailing constructivist metaphor in scientific education. Through empirical studies and phenomenological analyses, it highlights how this metaphor limits alternative perspectives on knowing and learning in science. The book advocates for a broader understanding of scientific learning that embraces diverse modes of thought, challenging conventional approaches in the field.
Each volume in the 7-volume series The World of Science Education reviews research in a key region of the world. These regions include North America, South and Latin America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe and Israel, North Africa and the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The focus of this Handbook is on North American (Canada, US) science education and the scholarship that most closely supports this program. The reviews of the research situate what has been accomplished within a given field in North American rather an than international context. The purpose therefore is to articulate and exhibit regional networks and trends that produced specific forms of science education. The thrust lies in identifying the roots of research programs and sketching trajectories-focusing the changing facade of problems and solutions within regional contexts. The approach allows readers review what has been done and accomplished, what is missing, and what might be done next.
This book deals with uncertainty and graphing in scientific discovery work from a social practice perspective. It is based on a 5-year ethnographic study in an advanced experimental biology laboratory. The book shows how, in discovery work where scientists do not initially know what to make of graphs, there is a great deal of uncertainty and scientists struggle in trying to make sense of what to make of graphs. Contrary to the belief that scientists have no problem “interpreting” graphs, the chapters in this book make clear that uncertainty about their research object is tied to uncertainty of the graphs. It may take scientists several years of struggle in their workplace before they find out just what their graphs are evidence of. Graphs turn out to stand to the entire research in a part/whole relation, where scientists not only need to be highly familiar with the context from which their data are extracted but also with the entire process by means of which the natural world comes to be transformed and represented in the graph. This has considerable implications for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education at the secondary and tertiary level, as well as in vocational training. This book discusses and elaborates these implications.
