Kapon Ganiel Eylon - IJSE 2009

Explaining the Unexplainable: Translated Scientific Explanations (TSE) in public physics lectures
International Journal of Science Education online
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500690802566632

Shulamit Kapon; Uri Ganiel; Bat Sheva Eylon


This paper deals with the features and design of explanations in public physics lectures. It presents the findings from a comparative study of three exemplary public physics lectures, given by practicing physicists who are acknowledged as excellent public lecturers. The study uses three different perspectives: the lecture, the lecturer, and the audience (high school physics teachers and students). It concludes with a grounded theory explanatory framework for public physics lectures. The framework demonstrates that a “Translated Scientific Explanation” (TSE) draws upon four clusters of explanatory categories: analogical approach, story, knowledge organization, and content. The framework suggests how the lecturer fits the content of the presentation to the audience's knowledge throughout the lecture, taking into account the listeners' lack of necessary prior knowledge.

Kapon Ganiel Eylon - Physics Education 2009

Scientific argumentation in public physics lectures: bringing contemporary physics into high-school teaching
Phys. Educ. 44 33-38 doi: 10.1088/0031-9120/44/1/004

S Kapon, U Ganiel and B Eylon

This article presents an approach to integrating public e-lectures on contemporary physics into a traditional high-school syllabus. This approach was used in a long-distance professional development course for in-service physics teachers. Each lecture was related to a specific obligatory syllabus chapter, and was accompanied by learner-centred activities. We provide a detailed description of an activity that explicates the scientific arguments that were presented in the lectures. Teachers appreciated the approach and reported that the lectures and activities updated and broadened their knowledge of physics and contributed to their understanding of the nature of science (NOS).

IJSE special issue: Evidence-Based Professional Development for Science Teachers

International Journal of Science Education, Volume 30 Issue 5 2008

Evidence-Based Professional Development for Science Teachers: Collaboration and evaluation in two countries

Sometimes, it's important to highlight a whole issue in one. Please follow the links for more information.

Editorial
575
Authors: Shirley Simon; Christine Harrison
DOI: 10.1080/09500690701875787

Evidence-Based Professional Development of Science Teachers in Two Countries
577 – 591
Authors: Christine Harrison; Avi Hofstein; Bat-Sheva Eylon; Shirley Simon
DOI: 10.1080/09500690701854832

Evidence for Teachers' Change While Participating in a Continuous Professional Development Programme and Implementing the Inquiry Approach in the Chemistry Laboratory
593 – 617
Authors: Dorit Taitelbaum; Rachel Mamlok-Naaman; Miriam Carmeli; Avi Hofstein
DOI: 10.1080/09500690701854840

An Evidence-Based Continuous Professional Development Programme on Knowledge Integration in Physics: A study of teachers' collective discourse
619 – 641
Authors: Bat-Sheva Eylon; Hana Berger; Esther Bagno
DOI: 10.1080/09500690701854857

Learning about Teachers' Accomplishment in 'Learning Skills for Science' Practice: The use of portfolios in an evidence-based continuous professional development programme
643 – 667
Authors: Zahava Scherz; Liora Bialer; Bat-Sheva Eylon
DOI: 10.1080/09500690701854865

Professional Learning Portfolios for Argumentation in School Science
669 – 688
Authors: Shirley Simon; Susan Johnson
DOI: 10.1080/09500690701854873

Factors Influencing the Transformation of New Teaching Approaches from a Programme of Professional Development to the Classroom
689 – 709
Authors: Rod Watson; Alex Manning
DOI: 10.1080/09500690701854881

Evaluation of Professional Development: Deploying a process-focused model
711 – 725
Authors: Pam Hanley; Felix Maringe; Mary Ratcliffe
DOI: 10.1080/09500690701854899