Learning science through a collaborative invention project in primary school
Abstract The study examines students’ disciplinary learning in physics and interdisciplinary science learning opportunities that students encounter during a collaborative invention project. Thirteen student teams (aged 11 to 12, N = 46) designed and constructed a prototype of a technology invention...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-023-00074-5 |
| _version_ | 1827948269611778048 |
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| author | Kati Sormunen Saara Vehmaa Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen Jari Lavonen Kai Hakkarainen Kalle Juuti |
| author_facet | Kati Sormunen Saara Vehmaa Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen Jari Lavonen Kai Hakkarainen Kalle Juuti |
| author_sort | Kati Sormunen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The study examines students’ disciplinary learning in physics and interdisciplinary science learning opportunities that students encounter during a collaborative invention project. Thirteen student teams (aged 11 to 12, N = 46) designed and constructed a prototype of a technology invention meant to solve one of the challenges students face in daily life. The data was collected from a physics achievement test taken both before and after the invention project and artifacts (student essays and process portfolios) that students constructed during the project. Seven inventions were categorized as physics-intensive and six as non-physics in nature. The change in students’ achievement prior to and after the invention project was rather modest, and the increase was related to the level of physics-intensity of the inventions made during the project. However, the process portfolios revealed various interdisciplinary science learning opportunities and physics learning that could not be identified with the achievement test. Further, the co-occurrence analysis revealed several interdisciplinary learning opportunities that connected physics contents to the interdisciplinary themes. Working with varied materials and technologies and experimenting with them enabled the students to ponder different science topics and perhaps deepen their understanding through creative problem-solving. We conclude that such collaborative invention projects challenge teachers to take an active role in designing invention challenges so as to more explicitly interlink students’ invention processes with science learning. In order to foster students’ science learning opportunities, teachers should intensively evaluate each student-team’s learning throughout the project and use portfolios to reflect on and scaffold their science learning systematically. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T12:52:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6afc106e704c4808b27a78825a145e55 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-2300 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T12:52:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-6afc106e704c4808b27a78825a145e552023-05-14T11:07:29ZengSpringerOpenDisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research2662-23002023-05-015111510.1186/s43031-023-00074-5Learning science through a collaborative invention project in primary schoolKati Sormunen0Saara VehmaaPirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen1Jari Lavonen2Kai Hakkarainen3Kalle Juuti4Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of HelsinkiFaculty of Educational Sciences, University of HelsinkiFaculty of Educational Sciences, University of HelsinkiFaculty of Educational Sciences, University of HelsinkiFaculty of Educational Sciences, University of HelsinkiAbstract The study examines students’ disciplinary learning in physics and interdisciplinary science learning opportunities that students encounter during a collaborative invention project. Thirteen student teams (aged 11 to 12, N = 46) designed and constructed a prototype of a technology invention meant to solve one of the challenges students face in daily life. The data was collected from a physics achievement test taken both before and after the invention project and artifacts (student essays and process portfolios) that students constructed during the project. Seven inventions were categorized as physics-intensive and six as non-physics in nature. The change in students’ achievement prior to and after the invention project was rather modest, and the increase was related to the level of physics-intensity of the inventions made during the project. However, the process portfolios revealed various interdisciplinary science learning opportunities and physics learning that could not be identified with the achievement test. Further, the co-occurrence analysis revealed several interdisciplinary learning opportunities that connected physics contents to the interdisciplinary themes. Working with varied materials and technologies and experimenting with them enabled the students to ponder different science topics and perhaps deepen their understanding through creative problem-solving. We conclude that such collaborative invention projects challenge teachers to take an active role in designing invention challenges so as to more explicitly interlink students’ invention processes with science learning. In order to foster students’ science learning opportunities, teachers should intensively evaluate each student-team’s learning throughout the project and use portfolios to reflect on and scaffold their science learning systematically.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-023-00074-5Elementary-level educationPhysics learningScience learningScience and engineering practicesInvention pedagogyLearning by making |
| spellingShingle | Kati Sormunen Saara Vehmaa Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen Jari Lavonen Kai Hakkarainen Kalle Juuti Learning science through a collaborative invention project in primary school Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research Elementary-level education Physics learning Science learning Science and engineering practices Invention pedagogy Learning by making |
| title | Learning science through a collaborative invention project in primary school |
| title_full | Learning science through a collaborative invention project in primary school |
| title_fullStr | Learning science through a collaborative invention project in primary school |
| title_full_unstemmed | Learning science through a collaborative invention project in primary school |
| title_short | Learning science through a collaborative invention project in primary school |
| title_sort | learning science through a collaborative invention project in primary school |
| topic | Elementary-level education Physics learning Science learning Science and engineering practices Invention pedagogy Learning by making |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-023-00074-5 |
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