Learning in Science

My dissertation research includes interviewing children and I found this book to be extremely insightful and helpful! I would recommend this book to anyone that is thinking about (or in the process of) working on research with children, especially in the sciences.

while so many school administrators worry about improving standardized test scores, they fail to care whether students actually comprehend the most basic science concepts. rote memorization is not the answer, as it has been proven that children will regurgitate what is expected of them for an exam, without actually changing the way they innately feel about scientific phenomena. afterwards, the majority of them will revert back to their original ideas. the authors stress the constructivist viewpoint: it is imperative to acknowledge and respect children's existing ideas about science -- be they right or wrong -- when teaching new concepts and elaborating upon old ones in the science classroom. once the basics are learned, the rest of the world is a cinch. all science educators should read this one, for they cannot help but become better teachers for doing so. phenomenal!