ED23A-04 Control ID 850678
THE BUILDING OF CURRICULUM MATERIALS BASED IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH: A STUDY RANGING 12 TO 13 YEARS OLD PORTUGUESE STUDENTS ABOUT GEOLOGICAL TIME CONCEPTIONS J. Bonito [1], M. Morgado [2], D. Rebelo [3], J. Medina [4], G. McDade [5], L. Martins [6], L. Marques [1] [1] Research Center for Didactics and Technology in Teacher Education, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
[email protected] [2] Secondary School of Viriato, Viseu, Portugal. [3] Secondary School of Estarreja, Portugal [4] Geoscience Department, University of Aveiro, Portugal [5] Secondary School of Alcaides de Faria, Barcelos, Portugal [6] Secondary School of Alves Martins, Viseu, Portugal
1 - CONTEXT
4 – SOME RESULTS
Research Project developed that in three phases: (a) reflection on the the concept of nature of time, detailing it’s philosophical and scientific aspects; (b) identification of elementary school students’ perceptions (aged 12-13 years) on the scientific literacy related to deep time; (c) designing, implementation and evaluation of curriculum materials for basic education. 2 - THE COMPLEXITY AND SUBJECTIVITY OF CURRICULUM RELEVANCE
THE CONCEPT OF TIME AND ITS
Time is a function of consciousness.(1) The sense of time is associated with the awareness of internal perceptions of the passage of our ephemeral lives. With the awareness’ development we projected these inner perceptions to the outer being, calling it time.
Sigmund Freud http://clubedolivro.files.wordpress.com/20 09/02/freud.jpg
Freud argued that the sense of time is not an innate ability, but instead, it develops in according to the awareness, (1) what Prigogine(2) termed as "psychological arrow of time".
The Meeting of the Americas – 8 to 12 August 2010, Foz do Iguaçu, Brasil
The complexity of the subject time is extended to Geology Education. Being the approach of time a cognitively attractive task, the difficult ownership on the part of students regarding the concept of deep time, must be acknowledged.
5 – CURRICULUM MATERIALS
Objective 3. To diagnose the importance that students attach to "time" on learning of Geology Result of agreement (parcial agreement and total agreement)
Propositions The deep time… 10.1. … allows the understanding of plate tectonics.
63,9 %
10.2. … allows the account of a certain region’s precipitacion. 10.3. … allows the understanding of the dinosaurs’ disappearance . 10.4. … doesn’t allow the understanding of the evolution of life on Earth. 10.5. … allows the explanation of the origin of mountains. 10. 10.6. … allows the measurement the variation of a certain region’s daily temperature 10. 10.7. … allows the prediction of a volcano’s eruption. 10. 10.8. … allows the explanation of the Atlantic Ocean’s formation. 10. 10.9. … doesn’t allow to explain the difference of the biodiversity that exists in Australia, regarding the other continents. 10. 10.10. 10. …doesn’t predict the occurrence of an earthquake 11.11. … takes dificults the understanding of geological
Ilya Prigogine
In terms of Geology Education, the approach to the concept of time in its immensity, is fundamental to the enrichment of a thought that allows the understanding of the impact of slow and imperceptible processes in the dynamics of the Earth.
53,9 % 73,1 % 41,6 % 67,5 % 55,6 % 59,7 % 64,8 %
43,6 % 56,6 % 56,1 %
phenomena (ex. formation and erosion of mountains, …).
http://www.adelinotorres.com/filosofia/Ilya%20Prigogi ne.jpg
The analysis and interpretation of information gathered in the questionnaires, the reflection of researchers belonging to the staff of the project and the review of the bibliography, led to the conception of curriculum materials to overcome difficulties previously found.
11.12. 11.12 … it is essential in Geology learning.
45,9 %
11.13. ... it hinders the understanding of Earth’s history.
54,9 %
11.14. 11.14 … helps to understand the prehistory events.
74,0 %
Objective 3. The diagnosis of the importance that students attach to "time" on Geology learning Before
After
3 – EXPLORING THE CONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE DEEP TIME
Timescale
In the second phase of these research the conceptions of students of 12-13 years about time (3rd cycle of basic education) were diagnosed. Factors that influence the understanding of the concept of time, and it research was made about the importance students attach to time in learning Geology.
Students from schools in north and central Portugal
Timescale
%
I – From a day to a month
2,3
II – From a month to a year
6,2
III – From a year to tem years
9,3
IV – From tem years to one thousand years
19,4
V – From tem thousand years to a million years
35,2
VI – More than a million years
27,6
37% Time under to a thousand years
63% Time over to a thousand years
6 – BY WAY OF CONCLUSION 7th grade (12-13 years old) N = 432
• The development of this study is reinforcing the indication of others that have already been made with students in other age levels, and from other cultures, which points to the difficulties intrinsic to the subject of deep time. • The broad reflection made about the nature of time, allowed for the enrichment of the conceptual framework placed both the questionnaire design and on the interpretation of the given answers as well as the discussions towards the preparation of curriculum materials. • The difficulties to realize the concept of time, will contribute to it often being invoked to justify situations that do not concern it.
Work made under the Project “Deep time in schooling: contributions of students’ perceptions for the development of scientifically literate citizens”, of Research Center for Didactics and Technology in Teacher Education of University of Aveiro (Portugal).
References (1) Freud, S. (1974). O inconsciente. Rio de Janeiro: Imago. (2) Prigogine, I. (1990). O nascimento do tempo. Lisboa: Edições 70. Watermark: http://www.ufrgs.br/geociencias/cporcher/Atividades%20Didaticas_arquivos/Geo02001/Tempo%20Geologico_arquivos/ image034.gif
•. It is expectable that adequate approaches the theme inherent to time, help to structure the best geological reasoning, thus contributing to the development of a more critical citizenship
