Workshop 1
 Contents
|
Section F Transformations: contexts, customs
and constraints
Activity
F1 Energy transfer |
|
Aims
-
To explore factors related to contexts, customs and constraints that may
influence teachers’ transformations of the ‘energy transfer’ innovation.
-
To consider these issues in the light of your own teaching experience.
Background
Even when teachers were committed to the innovation, it might not always
have been easy to implement it because of the particular contexts within
which they worked. There are customary practices that may be difficult
to change, and there are other constraints that may hinder changes. How
are teachers affected by factors related to science department of the school.
How are they affected by factors outside the school, including the national
context? What are the constraints of the individuals themselves? The following
stories address these questions.
[N.B. These stories are based on research into the
work of teachers implementing this innovation. Though they are not based
on particular individuals, they do focus on issues that were identified
in the research.]
What to do
1. It is best to do this activity in a group of two or three. Before
you start discussion, however, work individually and read through each
of the stories on page 2. For each story,
decide whether you are:
-
broadly sympathetic to the position outlined in the story (S)
-
broadly unsympathetic to the position outlined in the story (U)
-
neither (N)
Write the appropriate letter next to each story.
2. Discuss each story in turn within the group. It may be useful
to think about the following:
-
What is the key idea of the story?
-
Are there points that the teacher makes that we all agree with?
-
Are there points that the teacher makes that we all disagree with? If so,
is this because we disagree in principle or because we think the teacher
has said something factually incorrect? Or because they say something which
may apply in their own situation but not in yours?
-
What are the issues where we do not reach a consensus? What are the reasons
for this?
3. After discussion, work individually again and look back over all
of the stories. Pick out a few key sentences, which you agree with and
think address the most important ideas for you. Underline them. Pick out
a few sentences that you disagree with strongly. Underline them in a different
colour or style. (Make a note of what the colours/styles mean so that you
can work it out later.) You will be returning to these sheets in a later
session. |
