Science through Technology in Junior High Schools in Israel

Transcription

1 Science through Technology in Junior High Schools in Israel Osnat Dagan World ORT Israel Abstract In 1996 a new syllabus for junior high school that combined Science and Technology to one curriculum subject was published. The Technology subject within the curriculum focus on two main concepts: a) the design process and b) systems. For few years, curriculum materials for teaching the integrating subject science and technology were developed in many institutions all over Israel. In-service training teacher were organized for 224 hours per teacher in two years. The main part of those training teacher program focus on science, technology and how to integrate them into one curriculum subject. During the last six years, aggressive cutting occurred in the education budget, and as a result of it teaching hours was cutting as well. The Science and Technology hours are used only for teaching Science, and for preparing the student for PISA tests. Today, teaching and learning the technology subject in Israeli junior high schools is very rare. In order to enhance teaching Science and Technology World ORT (WO) launched a project "Science through Technology" in Israeli junior high schools (grade 7-9) In grade 7 students study "Young Investigators" program, in this program the students build LEGO models and through these models they are exploring the scientific phenomenon and laws. In Grade 8 they study the program "Galileo, Newton and me" in this program the students use LEGO equipments the students are learning system principles. In grade 9 the students will study "Design your own world". In this program the students will solve their own authentic problems by using LEGO bricks and programming. WO provides LEGO equipment for 20 students in each grade (7-9) and teacher training (for 112 hours). The schools obligated to provide a suitable teacher, a nice environment and two hours per week per group age for learning this subject. Curriculum materials and teacher guide for each grade was developed, teacher training lasted along the school year, and the project implemented in the classes. During the first year of the project ( ), a pilot project was developed in eight schools in the periphery of Israel The main aims of the project are: a) Experiencing and understanding of the research method that are in use in Sciences; b) Experiencing and understanding technology problem solving method - the design process and c) Using those thinking process while working with technology (LEGO). The following issues will be described In this paper: a) the project rational and aims; b) the teacher training program; c) the pupils program for each grade; d) a peak day for all schools description and e) conclusions for next phase Key words: Technology Education, Junior High School, Science and Technology, LEGO Introduction It is compulsory for all Junior High school students in Israel to study science and technology as an integrated subject. "Science and technology are part of the literacy 122

2 capabilities that are needed to day and even more for the future of each citizen" (Science and Technology education committee report "tomorrow-98"). A Syllabus for Science, Technology and Society as an integrated subject for Junior High School was published in 1996 and lots of curriculum materials were developed for teaching the seven subjects that were included in the syllabus. This syllabus is part of the Science and Technology spiral view for K-12 (Kipperman, 2003). Each Junior High School had to teach this integrated subject six hours per year per student (in grade 7-9). They have to cover all the sub-subjects that are mentioned in the syllabus but they have the freedom to arrange it in their own school program. The seven main subjects are: Materials, Energy, Technology Systems and products, Information and Communication, Earth and the Universe, Biology, Ecological Systems. From 2002, due to cutting budget in Education, teaching the technology parts in the curriculum (Systems and products, Information and communication) are very rare and only few technology teachers are still teaching technology subjects at school (most of them retired). In order to enhance teaching Science and Technology World ORT (WO) launched a project "Science through Technology" in eight Israeli junior high schools. World ORT is an educational Jewish network that established 130 years ago in St. Petersburg, Russia and work in 65 counties across the world in various projects. World ORT began to work in Israel through its branch, ORT Israel, from Three years ago ORT Israel postponed itself from the international organization and WO established its own organization in Israel that called "Science Journey- educating for life". Science Journey is working in 34 campuses (junior and High Schools) in the periphery of Israel (north and South of Israel and along the Gaza Strip) in order to enhance its three main goals. These goals are: a) Enhancing Science and Technology education; b) Enhancing the use of cutting edge technology in education and c) tightening the relationships between Jewish communities all over the world. "Science through Technology" project fulfills goal a: to enhance science and technology. The project rational and aims The situation while from one hand there is a lack of science and technology instructions in Junior High School and from the other hand WO has its main goal to enhance Science and Technology education brought out the Science through technology project. In this project the students studying STS in an environment that enable experiencing scientific research and problem solving (design process) while studying science and technology contents in social events. The curriculum is based on the constructivist pedagogical concept and project based learning that focus on problem solving. The main aims of the project "Science through Technology" are: a) Experiencing and understanding of the research method of Science, mainly in Physics; b) Experiencing and understanding technology problem solving method and c) Using thinking process while working with technology (LEGO). Eight schools from north of Israel were chosen as a pilot for that project. They were chosen according to their commitment to send teachers to 112 hours of teacher training and to give two hours per week for a group in each grade for teaching and learning this subject. 123

3 Each school got from WO: a) teacher training program; b) curriculum materials and teaching guidelines and c) LEGO kits (young investigator and NXT) that will cover the curriculum requirements. During the whole year, in each school, 20 students from each grade (7-9), study Science through Technology for two hours per week (Additional to their science classes). The teacher training program The teachers training include the followings: Science knowledge and the investigation processes Technology knowledge, design processes and system thinking Using and programming LEGO equipments 18 teachers from the eight schools that were participated in this pilot came for 20 meetings (most of them were 4 hours after school day). Some of them are Science teachers or lab technicians and only few were technology teachers. During their training the teachers experienced the curriculum materials that were developed for this project in order to build their confidence and skills within the new subject. Teachers experiencing programming the NXT Teachers experiencing building with LEGO The car that move on line teacher training Teachers experiencing building with LEGO The pupils programs The LEGO lab includes equipments that enable to assist the following aims of the Science and Technology curriculum: Developing thinking skills and problem solving capabilities and system thinking Studying and understanding of Science and Technology knowledge, concepts, laws and principles 124

4 Developing of critical thinking and creativity Developing the team work abilities Developing the curiosity for further learning in Science and Technology "Young Investigators" is the program that was developed for 7th grade. In this program the students build LEGO models. Through these models they are exploring the scientific phenomenon and laws. Through working with the technology models they are studying how to plan a scientific experiment. The students study how to make a scientific research. They build a mechanism or a system with LEGO bricks and according to the physic law they build a scientific experiment. For example: the students build a crane and change the number of pulleys in order to understand the relationship between this number of pulleys and power and way. "Galileo, Newton and me" is the program that was developed for eighth grade. In this program the students use LEGO equipments that include: programmable controller, sensors and motors. With all these components the students are working in teams while making systems according to their instructions. Through building and programming cars, creatures and robots the students are learning principles such as: system, input, process and output, sub-systems, mechanism, feedback, and open-loop and close-loop feedback. As it was the first year of project, 8th and 9 th grade studied the same program, but for next year a new program for 9 th grade is developing. "Design your own world" is the program that is developing for 9 th grade. This program based on the knowledge that students have from 7-8 grades that prepare them to solve their own and authentic problems by using LEGO bricks and programming. In this program student will design their own solutions for problems by using LEGO bricks, programming and their scientific skills and knowledge. A peak day for all schools description At the end of the school year a "peak day" was arranged. 15 delegates from each school (5 from each grade) were representing the Science through Technology project in their school. Students from 7 th grade presented how they made scientific experiments with the LEGO equipment by posters. Students from 8 th grade presented their designed systems and the 9 th grade students present their designed robots that competing in rope pulling with other groups' robots. The applause moving car 9th grade student The car that move on the line 8th grade 125

5 Robots league in rope pulling The designed robots for the league Conclusions for next phase From the feedback from the schools, the teachers, the students and the parents we feel that the pilot was very successful. Evaluation process for the Science through Technology program wasn't designed in the beginning of the project neither along the process. Teachers, students, school principals and even head of local authorities said that they enjoy the project very much. In one of the schools after this first year, the number of students that chose to study Electronic track in high school doubled. And the number of girls multiplied by 6 (only two in the last couple years and 12 this year choose to study Electronics). We felt that it was a successful project and we decided to find out some objective confirmation. We gave PATT attitude test (Klerk, Raat, and Vries, 1990) for 60 students in each school (30 that participated in the Science through Technology project and 30 that were not). In addition we gave them a PISA problem solving question about wheel transmission from the test of We will try to find out if there are differences between the two groups (group A that study the Science through Technology program and group B that doesn't) in their attitudes towards technology and in their ability to solve the wheels transmission problem. We have some critique about the neglect of design and creativity in the 7 th and 8 th grade programs. As we know that one of the major goals of technological literacy is to provide students with tools for solving technological problems. The main methodological resource for this purpose is the design process, as used by technologists and designers to create solutions in response to human needs and enhance the quality of life (Polya, 1957; Newell and Simon, 1972; Schon, 1983; Todd, 1990; Hill, 1998; Mioduser, 1998; Mioduser and Dagan, 2006; Kimbel and Stables, 2008; Kimbel, Stables, and Green, 1996; De-Vries, 1997; Cross, 2002). We are going to revise the project materials of 7-8 grades, according to the literature and according to our experience during the first year, and add some design and problem solving activities among the others. We are going to develop the 9 th grade materials in a way that design and creativity will be the main theme. We realized that the teacher training is very crucial as 90% of the teachers participate in 85% of the meetings. It indicates that those meeting were important and interesting for them. This will bring us to keep on this format in our further implementation of Science through Technology project. Next year, the 8 schools that participated in the pilot will continue and another 8 schools will begin the Science through Technology project. The continuing teachers will have a monthly meeting and help desk, and the new teachers will begin a new 112 hours training teacher. References 126

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