Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 3, Issue 2, Article 2 (Dec., 2002)
Peter AUBUSSON and Kevin WATSON
Packaging constructivist Science teaching in a curriculum resource
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Packaging constructivist Science teaching in a curriculum resource

Peter AUBUSSON1 and Kevin WATSON2

1Science and Technology Education
Faculty of Education
University of Technology, Sydney

PO Box 222, Lindfield 2070, NSW, AUSTRALIA
Email: Peter.Aubusson@uts.edu.au


2 School of Social Ecology and Lifelong Learning
University of Western Sydney

Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC NSW 1797, AUSTRALIA
Email: k.watson@uws.edu.au

Received 2 September, 2002
Revised 17 January, 2003

Contents

Abstract

This paper outlines research that assessed the effectiveness of a curriculum package combined with a professional development program in promoting constructivist science teaching. Six high school science teachers from three schools attended professional development workshops and attempted to implement a science curriculum package which included an emphasis on a constructivist approach (the 5Es) and cooperative learning. The findings suggest that teachers were the critical factor in curriculum innovation, that professional development and the curriculum package influenced implementation, and that a hierarchy of skill and knowledge acquisition is associated with constructivist teaching. In some cases, the curriculum package seemed to improve teaching and learning, in other cases good teaching and learning were hindered.

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