Tímarit um menntarannsóknir - 01.01.2009, Blaðsíða 104

102
Tímarit um menntarannsóknir, 6. árgangur 2009
rannsókninni má ætla að starfskenning hvers
og eins fimmmenninganna hafi ráðið meiru
um notkun UST og þar með sýn hvers og
eins þeirra á hana, en sérstaða greinarinnar
og sú menning eða hefð sem henni fylgir (sbr.
subject-specific practice). Af þessu leiðir að
þau markmið sem falla undir „vinnubrögð og
færni“ og „hlutverk og eðli náttúruvísinda“
samkvæmt náttúrufræðinámskránni 1999
virtust veik og óljós í kennsluháttum
kennaranna fimm. Rannsóknir á notkun UST í
náttúruvísindanámi, og reyndar einnig ummæli
þátttakenda hér, renna stoðum undir þörf á
markvissum stuðningi og samvirkni við þróun
slíkra kennsluhátta og betra aðgengi að búnaði
og gögnum en raun ber vitni (sbr. samantekt
Bennett, 2003, sjá einnig Shulman, 1987). Ekki
nægir að marka opinbera stefnu í aðalnámskrá,
heldur þarf raunhæfa stefnumörkun innan og
utan skólans og dyggan stuðning við samfélag
fagkennara á þessu sviði.
Abstract
Learning science with ICT
This small-scale research study reports on
the use of information and communication
technology (ICT) in school science and the
way in which the views which teachers have of
science teaching are reflected in the way they
use ICT. Some research on teaching indicates
that teaching practices are often subject-specific.
Other research on science teaching suggests
that the nature of school science is such that
teachers could incorporate the use of ICT
quite effectively in their teaching practice.
Earlier research on the origins and production
of national curriculum on information and
technology education found that those
preparing the national curriculum guidelines
issued in 1999 (Menntamálaráðuneytið,
1999b) had overestimated the capacity of the
existing school system to absorb fundamental
change in teaching practice called for by
using ICT (Allyson Macdonald, Þorsteinn
Hjartarson & Þuríður Jóhannsdóttir, 2005).
The national guidelines for science released
in 1999 (Menntamálaráðuneytið, 1999a) has
three components: The nature and function of
science, content areas (biological, geological
and physical sciences) and skills and methods
needed for science. The use of ICT is
recommended in several of the objectives in
the national guidelines.
The research study described here looked
at the use of ICT by five science teachers.
To describe and analyse the use, the authors
drew on the Computer Practice Framework
developed by Twining (2002), on a model
of the suitability of ICT for developing
procedural knowledge in science (Baggott La
Velle, McFarlane & Brawn, 2003), and on the
different roles given to students when ICT is
used in science (Newton & Rogers, 2003),
such as receiver, explorer, creator or reviser.
A purposive snowball sample of five
respected science teachers in the urban
southwest was selected and all five teachers
were willing to discuss their views on science
teaching with us and grant us access to their
science classrooms for about one hour. The
discussion started with description of lessons
that went well and we gained a good idea of
their views on what works well, the problems
faced in teaching science and in using ICT. We
returned a few days later to follow a lesson
selected by the teacher, and this was followed
by a brief discussion of points arising from the
observation, some of which were related to the
earlier discussions.
All five teachers used ICT, though in different
ways. Two of the teachers used it mainly to
present information to students in classes in
slide presentations (Aðalsteinn, Saga), casting
their students in the role of receivers. Saga
referred to technical difficulties and poor access
to computers, as well as her own inability.
Aðalsteinn did not use a data projector at the
time of the study, using a TV monitor instead
to show slides. Two expected their students to
use ICT quite a lot, casting them in the role
of explorers, one as a means for students to
access relevant information (Ólína) and the
other more as creators, as a way of recording,
Meyvant Þórólfsson, Allyson Macdonald og Eggert Lárusson