Titre complet : Improvisation in education : Envisioning science learning of primary school students as improvisational performance
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Résumé :
Improvisation among students and teachers is ubiquitous in classrooms. Despite the fact that Science is a discipline with special terminology and techniques, it is also about wonder, questioning, and discovering patterns in the natural world. Besides, according to Hicks (1995/1996, p. 59) teachers have to; “… set the stage … by providing the discursive ‘slots’ that enable novice learners to participate in “disciplinary practices”.
For example, improvisational science dialogues between teachers and students involve exploring questions and ideas. Scientific exploration does not, however, take place without guidelines. Participating effectively in the discipline of science includes learning to use its substantive content (e.g., definitions) as well as the discursive practices that sustain scientific (Sawyer, 2004).
The goal of this on-going study is to envision science learning of primary school students as improvisational performance, investigating the process of applying improvisational and creative activities in science learning.
In this study, there are 4 main categories of research, based on four major instructional aspects for using improvisation in the classroom (Larson & Miller, 2011) :
Consistency with the characteristics of the current generation of students;
Tapping into students’ multiple and emotional intelligences;
Fostering collaborative learning;
Promotion of deep learning through the active engagement.
Primary School students are going to engage with dialogic interaction about the Solar System and particularly the “SUN”. Working in small groups they will be able to use multiple resources (drawing, ICT, etc.) and discuss their own ideas, make personal observations of their experiences through writing in journals, drawing pictures to compare what they thought might happen in a science experiment (i.e., their hypotheses) In the end of the process, they will discuss their findings in the whole class.
The methodology of this study is designed on the integration of qualitative analysis of specific episodes and quantitative analysis, by using questionnaires including closed (Likert Scale based) questions based on the four aspects that improvisation adds pedagogical value. The research methodology will be balanced among qualitative and quantitative research, ensuring that the limitations of one type of data will be covered by the strengths of the other (e.g.in depth interviews with students, field observations, questionnaires, etc.).
The expected results of this study are to detect how constructivist-oriented improvisational learning environment could encourage students to explore objects, situations, and concepts deeply, for extended periods of time, and from multiple perspectives.
