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How do Teachers and Textbook Writers Model Scientific Ideas for Students?

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Abstract

Ten experienced science teachers were interviewed about their understandings of the analogical models they use to explain science to their students. The aim was to investigate the notion that teaching pedagogy is influenced by the textbooks commonly used in class. A previously developed typology of analogical models was used to classify each teacher's repertoire of models and the models found in the prescribed science textbooks. The classifications of teacher and textbook models were then compared to identify patterns, similarities and differences. In their interviews, eight of the 10 teachers volunteered that they regularly used models in their lessons. The claimed model use was least for chemistry teachers and highest for physics teachers. Textbook analysis showed that chemistry textbooks used the most models and physics textbooks the least with biology in between. Five teachers saw a need to negotiate with their students the shared and unshared attributes of teaching models and two consistently discussed the limitations of their models. Vignettes and extracts are used throughout the paper to explain how teachers and textbooks use and discuss models.

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  1. Central Queensland University, Australia

    Allan G. Harrison

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Harrison, A.G. How do Teachers and Textbook Writers Model Scientific Ideas for Students?. Research in Science Education 31, 401–435 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013120312331

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