Science And Drama Contemporary And Creative Approaches To Teaching And Learning

This edited volume presents interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to drama and science in education. Drawing on a solid basis of research, it offers theoretical backgrounds, showcases rich examples, and provides evidence of improved student learning and engagement. The chapters explore various connections between drama and science, including: students’ ability to engage with science through drama; dramatising STEM; mutuality and inter-relativity in drama and science; dramatic play-based outdoor activities; and creating embodied, aesthetic and affective learning experiences. The book illustrates how drama education draws upon contemporary issues and their complexity, intertwining with science education in promoting scientific literacy, creativity, and empathetic understandings needed to interpret and respond to the many challenges of our times. Findings throughout the book demonstrate how lessons learned from drama and science education can remain discrete yet when brought together, contribute to deeper, more engaged and transformative student learning.

How can you unlock your own creativity to help children learn science creatively? How do you bring the world of ‘real science’ into the classroom? Where does science fit in a creative curriculum? Teaching Science Creatively explores how creative teaching can harness primary-aged children’s sense of wonder about the world around them. It offers innovative starting points to enhance your teaching and highlights curiosity, observation, exploration and enquiry as central components of children’s creative learning in science. Illustrated throughout with examples from the classroom and beyond, this book explores the core elements of creative practice supporting both teacher and children to develop their knowledge and skills. Key themes include: The importance of science in a creative primary curriculum The role of play in early scientific learning Developing children’s own interests and ideas into creative enquiry How theories of learning can help you understand children’s creative development Teaching science topics in innovative and creative ways - games, drama, role play, puppets, mini-safaris and welly walks! Using new technologies to enhance your science teaching in the classroom and outdoors Stimulating and accessible, with contemporary and cutting-edge practice at the forefront, Teaching Science Creatively introduces new ideas to support and motivate new and experienced primary teachers. It is an essential purchase for any professional who wishes to incorporate creative approaches to teaching science in their classroom.

Dramatic Science is an invaluable tool for any teachers and primary science leaders who have classes of 5 – 10 year olds. It provides the busy professional with a range of tried and tested techniques to use drama as a support and aid to the teaching of science to young children. The techniques within this book offer innovative and creative strategies for teaching a challenging area of the curriculum and broadening teachers’ own scientific knowledge and understanding. All the strategies in this book have been shown to work effectively in a range of primary schools. The approaches described offer an inclusive and participatory way to teach science and the authors provide a pedagogical commentary on the ways that teachers have tried the techniques and how they have worked best. Reflective discussion on the strategies will include discussion about how the children have responded to these strategies and how the drama experiences have impacted on their learning. This invaluable resource:- Supports working and thinking scientifically Develops critical and creative thinking Scaffolds creative learning Broadens teachers’ scientific knowledge and understanding Enhances children’s understanding of science Provides guidance on active and participatory learning Can engage children and teachers at a variety of levels Links science to real life Heightens children’s application of science to different situations Develops problem solving and enquiry skills Enhances and extends speaking and listening skills Any teachers wishing to hone their practice to motivate children and improve their science learning and attainment will find this an invaluable resource. It will also be useful for science leaders, specialist teachers and other professionals who are involved in supporting schools to improve the quality of learning in science and other subjects, trainee teachers and NQTs interested in developing creative learning in their classrooms.

This book presents a wide range of international perspectives that explore the different ways the diverse forms of drama supports learning in science. It illustrates how learning science by adopting and adapting theatrical techniques can offer more inclusive ways for students to relate to scientific ideas and concepts. The theatrical processes by which subject matter can be introduced, thought about, discussed, transformed, enacted and disseminated are shown to be endless. The first section of the book considers different ways of theorising and applying drama in classrooms. The second section provides a range of case studies illustrating how role play, performance, embodiment and enquiry approaches can be utilised for learning in primary, secondary and tertiary education contexts. The third section demonstrates how different research methods from questionnaires, particular kinds of tests and even the theatrical conventions themselves can provide rich data that informs how drama impacts on learning science.

This edited volume showcases current science education research in Canada, from pre-Kindergarten to Grade 7, conducted in Canada by a diverse group of researchers from across the country. We draw on the themes that emerged from our previous book, Science Education in Canada: Consistencies, Commonalities, and Distinctions, to guide the structure of this book on elementary science education research. In particular, chapters on science teacher preparation; Indigenous perspectives; environmental education; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); and science, technology, society, and the environment (STSE) reflect a Canadian perspective. However, these themes are of global interest and authors include ideas for how science education research in Canada might be used by academics and researchers in other countries. This book builds a cohesive picture of current elementary science education research in Canada, highlighting themes that will resonate with international readers.

This book explores innovative approaches to teacher professional learning, examples of teaching enacted in classrooms, and factors affecting the promotion of quality teaching in socio-scientific issues and sustainability contexts. Since educational settings and cultures influence teaching, the different approaches and perspectives in various cross-national contexts enable us to appreciate the diversity of different countries’ practices and provide insight into seminal approaches to socio-scientific issues-based teaching internationally. The book consists of three parts: innovative professional development programs, innovative teaching approaches, and issues relating to student engagement with socio-scientific issues and sustainability education. The book targets those who can be expected to develop curriculum, enact teaching practices, and facilitate teachers’ professional development in socio-scientific issues and sustainability education.

The methodological explorations offered in this book (and indeed the book series) enable considerations of how research practices have profound implications for the purpose and nature of education. Methodological complexity and context specificity, along with a need to ensure research participant consideration, are revealed through thirteen chapters. These considerations continue to change the landscape of educational research, particularly in the areas of mathematics, health and environmental education research. The authors featured in this volume think critically about education research design and practice as part of a considered and robust discussion of education research theory and practice that will inform and shape education systems in the future. Chapters explore co-design with teachers, researching for system change, the ethics of ‘netnography’, principles and practices of literature review, and post-qualitative inquiry, with overviews and practices, arts-based and interdisciplinary methodologies, self-study and auto-ethnography.