TY - GEN

T1 - Prospects and Challenges in Teachers’ Adoption of a New Modeling Orientated Science Curriculum in Lower Secondary School in Denmark

AU - Nielsen, Sanne Schnell

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - A new science curriculum with a significant emphasis on modeling has recently beenadopted in Danish compulsory education. The purpose of this paper is to identify thekey changes between the new and previous curriculum,and analyze what kind of prospects andchallenges this may lead to when teachers adopt this new curriculum. The data sourcesinclude audio recordings of three teacher-teams’ talk-in-interaction during their instructionplanning.In addition, science teacherscompleted an electronic questionnaire (n=227). Significant changes were identified between the new and previouscurriculum in relation to: (i) The characteristics of what and how to address models and modelingin the teaching, (ii) Assessment requirements,(iii) Teaching approaches, (iv) Subject-specific versus interdisciplinary teaching,and (v) The prioritizing of different inquiry practices. The analysis suggests that teachers have apositive attitude towards the modeling emphasis in the new curriculum, and models play animportantand valued role as a learning tool. In addition, teachers have a tendency to seemodels as a product of content knowledge and concepts to be learned. Teachers raised concerns inadopting the new curriculum due to: (i) Lack of time for preparation, teamwork and teaching, (ii)Shortage of clarifications and examples in the curriculum materials, (iii) Shortage of teacher education and in-service training how to adoptmodeling in practice, (iv) Overcrowded curriculum and fragmented teaching time with students,and (v) Lack of alignment with a national test and an exam. The findings will haveimplications for teacher education, professional development and curriculum development.

AB - A new science curriculum with a significant emphasis on modeling has recently beenadopted in Danish compulsory education. The purpose of this paper is to identify thekey changes between the new and previous curriculum,and analyze what kind of prospects andchallenges this may lead to when teachers adopt this new curriculum. The data sourcesinclude audio recordings of three teacher-teams’ talk-in-interaction during their instructionplanning.In addition, science teacherscompleted an electronic questionnaire (n=227). Significant changes were identified between the new and previouscurriculum in relation to: (i) The characteristics of what and how to address models and modelingin the teaching, (ii) Assessment requirements,(iii) Teaching approaches, (iv) Subject-specific versus interdisciplinary teaching,and (v) The prioritizing of different inquiry practices. The analysis suggests that teachers have apositive attitude towards the modeling emphasis in the new curriculum, and models play animportantand valued role as a learning tool. In addition, teachers have a tendency to seemodels as a product of content knowledge and concepts to be learned. Teachers raised concerns inadopting the new curriculum due to: (i) Lack of time for preparation, teamwork and teaching, (ii)Shortage of clarifications and examples in the curriculum materials, (iii) Shortage of teacher education and in-service training how to adoptmodeling in practice, (iv) Overcrowded curriculum and fragmented teaching time with students,and (v) Lack of alignment with a national test and an exam. The findings will haveimplications for teacher education, professional development and curriculum development.

M3 - Article in proceedings

T3 - ESERA Conference Proceedings series

SP - 1333

EP - 1344

BT - Science Curriculum and Educational Policy Part 10: Strand 10

Y2 - 21 August 2017 through 25 August 2017

ER -