Students' difficulties in interpreting what counts as knowledge have been addressed in past research on science education. The implementation of progressivist pedagogy in terms of more student‐active ...classroom practice and the introduction of a variety of discourses into the science classroom deepens students' difficulties. The integration of different forms and demands of knowledge and discourses typified by Science‐in‐Context initiatives, such as within the socioscientific framework, exemplifies this development in science education. Here, the diffuse boundaries between school subjects and other silos of knowledge lead to considerable difficulties for students to interpret what is expected from them. Such contexts having diffuse boundaries between, for example, subject discourses and other forms of knowledge, have been describes as contexts with weak classification. The present study aims to explore students' interpretation of what knowledge or meaning they are requested to produce in contexts with weak classification, here exemplified within an SSI‐task. We use Bernstein's concepts of recognition rules and classification to analyze how 15‐ to 16‐year‐old students develop their discussions in groups of 4–6 students. This study reports how students' recognition of the educational demands enabled integration of different discourses in their discussion, and that the use of both universalistic and particularistic meanings can produce new understandings. Students who had not acquired recognition rules were found to keep discourses apart, expressed either as rejection of the relevance of the task, answering questions as in a traditional school task, or just exchange of personal opinions. Furthermore, they included discourses irrelevant to the issue. An important outcome of the study was that socioscientific thinking was hampered when students kept universalistic and particularistic meanings apart. This hampering results from the inhibition of dynamic exploration during SSI discussions. The results provide new insights with relevance for teachers' guiding students toward a fruitful SSI‐discourse.
The integration of socioscientific issues (SSI) into science teaching requires that teachers manage classroom discussions in which various perspectives are considered and students’ contributions are ...recognized. The present study aimed to provide knowledge of how classroom discussions on SSI can be structured and implemented to pursue specific teaching purposes. In this study, two secondary science teachers’ employment of
communicative approaches
during four discussions on SSI was analysed. In the studied context, communicative approaches can be described as involving various or only a single perspective on SSI and as being either interactive or non-interactive. The results elucidate how teachers can make purposeful use of different communicative approaches to facilitate students’ decision-making while promoting complexity in their reasoning. The results also show how teachers can promote
cumulativity
, in terms of their recognition of students’ contributions to discussions. It is proposed that teachers can use the concept of communicative approaches as an analytical tool to reflect on and develop aspects of teaching practice in relation to the goals that they wish to achieve.
In order to advance our understanding about the roles students assign to expert knowledge, the present study addresses how 32 Swedish secondary-school students use their knowledge of scientific ...disciplines in their reasoning on socioscientific issues (SSI) concerning human sexuality. By analyzing group discussions, students were found to use science either as a sole justification or integrated with other kinds of knowledge. Using expert knowledge to lift problems out of the limited local contexts and find solutions, the students access the freedom to make personal choices. It was concluded that scientific knowledge provides possibilities for decisions that can support students' agency.
•Science is combined with other rationales to support stances on complex dilemmas.•Students use scientific knowledge for advocating freedom of personal choice.•Students appear to assume a mutual understanding of scientific knowledge.•Students' rationale including scientific knowledge reflects uncritical trust in experts.
► When interpreted as part of tradition computers can be embedded into preschool practice. ► Embedding of computers into practice is hindered if tradition or values within tradition are threatened. ► ...Only educators able to distinguish “the what” from “the how” in children’s activities embrace the new technology. ► Without the ability to re-interpret tradition, educators are restricted to the present routines of their practice. ► Reduced ontological security forces educators to protect preschool tradition and values from ICT.
The introduction of ICT into preschool practice is generally lagging. However, there is a variation regarding use of new technology. Hence, the aim of this study is to analyze which are the possibilities and difficulties to embed computers into preschool practice.
Data consists of naturalistic texts from 31 preschool teacher students revealing their experiences from trying to embed computers into practice. Analysis of data was guided by a framework adapted from Giddens’ structuration theory, focussing on students’ drawing on tradition and on knowledge claims when justifying their stances. Results show ambivalence to computer use. However, two groups of students emerged. One group embraced the new technology, whereas the other group conceived new technology as a threat to tradition. Depending on how activities are interpreted to fit into preschool tradition, using computers can or cannot be justified. Understanding tradition, as partially values and partially routines, provides possibilities to modify preschool practice to include computer activities. Knowledge claims, for example pertaining to developmental stimulation, can also be used as justifications for embedding computers into preschool practice. If, however, values appear to be threatened, tradition as well as knowledge claims can be used to justify protection against using computers in preschool practice.
Student-active science teaching that includes interactions among students is suggested to support students’ reasoning skills. However, little is known about what are the beneficial modes of ...interaction to support learning. In the present study, we investigated how different types of classroom discussion on socioscientific issues can encourage students’ reasoning skills as expressed in argumentative essays. Qualities of students’ talk and reasoning skills were described in terms of attitudes, drawing on Dewey, and sociolinguistic codes, drawn from Bernstein. Qualitative data consisting of transcribed classroom discussions and student argumentative essays were analysed by means of statistical methods. The results describe how specific qualities in students’ talk influence qualities of students’ argumentative texts. The results indicate that teachers by promoting elaborate talk among students can stimulate more nuanced and elaborate student texts.
This paper reports on a study of how students' reasoning about socioscientific issues is framed by three dynamics: societal structures, agency and how trust and security issues are handled. Examples ...from gene technology were used as the forum for interviews with 13 Swedish high-school students (year 11, age 17-18). A grid based on modalities from the societal structures described by Giddens was used to structure the analysis. The results illustrate how the participating students used both modalities for 'Legitimation' and 'Domination' to justify positions that accept or reject new technology. The analysis also showed how norms and knowledge can be used to justify opposing positions in relation to building trust in science and technology, or in democratic decisions expected to favour personal norms. Here, students accepted or rejected the authority of experts based on perceptions of the knowledge base that the authority was seen to be anchored in. Difficulty in discerning between material risks (reduced safety) and immaterial risks (loss of norms) was also found. These outcomes are used to draw attention to the educational challenges associated with students' using knowledge claims (Domination) to support norms (Legitimation) and how this is related to the development of a sense of agency in terms of sharing norms with experts or with laymen.
Societal change and prescriptions in curricula demand a change in educational practice. This can create conflicts between practitioners' usual practices (norms) and those prescribed by curricula. One ...example is the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into preschool practice. Hence, our aim is to analyse how norms are used as arguments for or against using computers in preschool practice. Data consist of naturalistic texts from 31 preschool teacher students revealing their experiences in attempting to embed computers into practice. Results show ambivalence to computer use. Two lines of arguments emerged: one embracing the new technology, the other rejecting this new technology. The following arguments were made to justify ICT in preschool: the child as a citizen, the competent child and the active child. Concern was expressed between the teacher's need for control and the child's need for independence and guidance.
The molecular mechanisms underlying the relationship between low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) and the risk of atherosclerosis are not clear. Therefore, detailed information about the protein composition ...of LDL may contribute to reveal its role in atherogenesis and the mechanisms that lead to coronary disease in humans. Here, we sought to map the proteins in human LDL by a proteomic approach. LDL was isolated by two‐step discontinuous density‐gradient ultracentrifugation and the proteins were separated with two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and identified with peptide mass fingerprinting, using matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization‐time of flight‐mass spectrometry and with amino acid sequencing using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. These procedures identified apo B‐100, apo C‐II, apo C‐III (three isoforms), apo E (four isoforms), apo A‐I (two isoforms), apo A‐IV, apo J and apo M (three isoforms not previously described). In addition, three proteins that have not previously been identified in LDL were found: serum amyloid A‐IV (two isoforms), calgranulin A, and lysozyme C. The identities of apo M, calgranulin A, and lysozyme C were confirmed by sequence information obtained after collision‐induced dissociation fragmentation of peptides characteristic for these proteins. Moreover, the presence of lysozyme C was further corroborated by demonstrating enriched hydrolytic activity in LDL against Micrococcus lysodeikticus. These results indicate that in addition to the dominating apo B‐100, LDL contains a number of other apolipoproteins, many of which occur in different isoforms. The demonstration, for the first time, that LDL contains calgranulin A and lysozyme C raises the possibility that LDL proteins may play hitherto unknown role(s) in immune and inflammatory reactions of the arterial wall.
Human saliva contains a large number of proteins that can be used for diagnosis and are of great potential in clinical and epidemiological research. The aim of this work was to map the proteins in ...saliva by two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐DE), and to identify abundant proteins by peptide mass fingerprinting using trypsin cleavage and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization‐time of flight‐mass spectrometry analysis. One hundred proteins were identified representing 20 different identities according to accession numbers. Abundant proteins expressed in different forms were: α‐amylase, immunoglobulin A, prolactin‐inducible protein, zinc‐α2‐glycoprotein and cystatins (S, SA, D and SN). Other proteins found were interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist, von Ebner’s gland protein (lipocalin‐1) and calgranulin A and B (S100A8 and A9). Furthermore, apolipoprotein A‐I, β2‐microglobulin, glutathione S‐transferase P and fatty acid‐binding protein were also identified. Our results show that human saliva contains a large number of proteins that are involved in inflammatory and immune responses. The 2‐DE protein map constructed opens the possibility to investigate protein changes associated with disease processes.
The school systems of many countries have been pervaded by student-centred pedagogy making students' small group discussion a common feature of the classroom practice.However, there is a lack of ...studies focussing different modes of discussion for the purpose of finding out whether some modes are more beneficial than others. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore the underpinnings of student small group conversations on Socio-scientific Issues in order to develop an understanding of the key aspects of what interrupts or revitalizes the conversation. We focus on the importance of attitudes and language use for the fate of students' decision-making conversations. Our theoretical framework builds on Dewey's notion of Open-mindedness and Bernstein's communication codes. Students' use of morals, opinions and agitational talk interrupted conversations, whereas new aspects and new perspectives revitalized the conversation. Students need guidance to avoid using justifications in conjunction with a Close-minded attitude.
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