Objects prompt authentic scientific activities among learners in a museum programme
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Objects prompt authentic scientific activities among learners in a museum programme. / Achiam, Marianne; Simony, Leonora; Lindow, Bent Erik Kramer.
In: International Journal of Science Education, Vol. 38, No. 6, 2016, p. 1012-1035.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Objects prompt authentic scientific activities among learners in a museum programme
AU - Achiam, Marianne
AU - Simony, Leonora
AU - Lindow, Bent Erik Kramer
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Although the scientific disciplines conduct practical work in different ways, all considerpractical work as the essential way of connecting objects and phenomena with ideas and the abstract. Accordingly, practical work is regarded as central to science education as well. We investigate a practical, object-based palaeontology programme at a natural history museum to identify how palaeontological objects prompt scientific activity among upper secondary school students. We first construct a theoretical framework based on an analysis of the programme’s palaeontological content. From this, we build our reference model, which considers the specimens used in the programme, possible palaeontological interpretations of these specimens, and the conditions inherent in the programme. We use the reference model to analyse the activities of programme participants, and illustrate how these activities arepalaeontologically authentic. Finally, we discuss our findings, examining the mechanism by which the specimens prompt scientific activities. We also discuss our discipline-based approach, and how it allows us to positively identify participants’ activities as authentic. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings.
AB - Although the scientific disciplines conduct practical work in different ways, all considerpractical work as the essential way of connecting objects and phenomena with ideas and the abstract. Accordingly, practical work is regarded as central to science education as well. We investigate a practical, object-based palaeontology programme at a natural history museum to identify how palaeontological objects prompt scientific activity among upper secondary school students. We first construct a theoretical framework based on an analysis of the programme’s palaeontological content. From this, we build our reference model, which considers the specimens used in the programme, possible palaeontological interpretations of these specimens, and the conditions inherent in the programme. We use the reference model to analyse the activities of programme participants, and illustrate how these activities arepalaeontologically authentic. Finally, we discuss our findings, examining the mechanism by which the specimens prompt scientific activities. We also discuss our discipline-based approach, and how it allows us to positively identify participants’ activities as authentic. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings.
KW - Faculty of Science
KW - museum
KW - learning in museums
KW - palaeontology
KW - secondary school
KW - fossil
KW - Archaeopteryx
KW - modern birds
U2 - 10.1080/09500693.2016.1178869
DO - 10.1080/09500693.2016.1178869
M3 - Journal article
VL - 38
SP - 1012
EP - 1035
JO - International Journal of Science Education
JF - International Journal of Science Education
SN - 0950-0693
IS - 6
ER -
ID: 161135127