Innovations In Science Teacher Education In The Asia Pacific

The chapters in this book will focus on pre-service and in-service science teacher education, because both are equally important. With case studies for China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan topics include: Professional Development of Chemistry Teachers in the New Curriculum, Using Classroom Observation to Assist Teacher Professional Development and Science Teacher Education and Science as Inquiry: Promises and Dilemmas.

Pre-service teacher education is a crucial component of the lifelong process of the professional development of teachers as it equips prospective teachers with the necessary and sufficient competencies to design meaningful and authentic learning environments that engage students in the learning process. If done well, it enhances the quality and improves upon the retention of teachers in the profession. This book is important because it attempts to deconstruct the nature and describe the practice of current pre-service courses and programs in the Asia-Pacific region, examine new paradigms of pre-service teacher education and their implications for practice, and explore emerging innovative practices. Moreover, this book’s particular focus on engaging new partners and on harnessing required resources and capacities in the process; together with the particular role that new technologies may play in the new partnerships is especially valuable. Drawing upon leading scholars of teacher education from the Asia-Pacific region, the 12 chapters in this book are divided into three main sections to revitalize and inform the scholarship and debate on teacher education: —Examining Pre-Service Teacher Education —Engaging Partners in Pre-Service Teacher Education —Emerging Practices in Pre-Service Teacher Education

Consistent with international trends, there is an active pursuit of more engaging science education in the Asia-Pacific region. The aim of this book is to bring together some examples of research being undertaken at a range of levels, from studies of curriculum and assessment tools, to classroom case studies, and investigations into models of teacher professional learning and development. While neither a comprehensive nor definitive representation of the work that is being carried out in the region, the contributions—from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand—give a taste of some of the issues being explored, and the hopes that researchers have of positively influencing the types of science education experienced by school students. The purpose of this book is therefore to share contextual information related to science education in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as offering insights for conducting studies in this region and outlining possible questions for further investigation. In addition, we anticipate that the specific resources and strategies introduced in this book will provide a useful reference for curriculum developers and science educators when they design school science curricula and science both pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes. The first section of the book examines features of science learners and learning, and includes studies investigating the processes associated with science conceptual learning, scientific inquiry, model construction, and students’ attitudes towards science. The second section focuses on teachers and teaching. It discusses some more innovative teaching approaches adopted in the region, including the use of group work, inquiry-based instruction, developing scientific literacy, and the use of questions and analogies. The third section reports on initiatives related to assessments and curriculum reform, including initiatives associated with school-based assessment, formative assessment strategies, and teacher support accompanying curriculum reform. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781315717678, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

This book is based on presentations at the International Science Education Conference (ISEC) 2014. It showcases a selection of the best papers by researchers and science teachers from the Asia-Pacific region, North America and the United Kingdom. Centered on the theme of “Pushing the boundaries – Investing in our future”, they pursue new ways of helping learners appreciate the diversity and changes in science that result from a globalised world facing complex and diverse environmental and technological issues. The chapters touch on various themes in science education that explore and investigate issues of scientific literacy, societal challenges and affect, and teacher professional development. Its comprehensive themes make it a valuable textbook for graduate students of master’s and Ph.D. programs. It also appeals to pre-service and in-service teachers as a resource on innovative pedagogical practices and creative methods of professional development. With a selection that emphasises the research-practice nexus in education research, it serves as an introductory handbook for teachers to connect with the current issues facing science education.

This book presents innovations in teaching and learning science, novel approaches to science curriculum, cultural and contextual factors in promoting science education and improving the standard and achievement of students in East Asian countries. The authors in this book discuss education reform and science curriculum changes and promotion of science and STEM education, parental roles and involvement in children's education, teacher preparation and professional development and research in science education in the context of international benchmarking tests to measure the knowledge of mathematics and science such as the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and achievement in science, mathematics and reading like Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Among the high achieving countries, the performance of the students in East Asian countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and China (Shanghai) are notable. This book investigates the reasons why students from East Asian countries consistently claim the top places in each and every cycle of those study. It brings together prominent science educators and researchers from East Asia to share their experience and findings, reflection and vision on emerging trends, pedagogical innovations and research-informed practices in science education in the region. It provides insights into effective educational strategies and development of science education to international readers.

This book presents an Asian perspective on transformative science education in the context of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The chapters are written by contributors who practiced science education for sustainability in a research project entitled “Teacher Education for ESD in the Asia-Pacific Region” from 2017 to 2019, supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO. The book showcases the contributors’ innovations in science education for sustainability, presenting case studies of science teaching and learning, science curriculum and assessment, science education in collaboration with local communities, and science teacher education. Embodying Asian sustainability education paradigms, policies, and practices, these case studies depict the diversity and uniqueness of natural, social, and cultural contexts in Asia, while demonstrating their commonalities. Through examining these case studies, this book aims to provide examples for praxis, and prospects, for new science classes, curricula, and teacher education in implementing education for sustainable development.