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- Karlsson, Karl Göran, et al.
(författare)
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Scientific Literacy and Educational Reforms in Norway and Sweden
- 2006
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Ingår i: Northern Lights on PISA 2003. - 9289313005 ; , s. 267-
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In December 2004, when results from PISA 2003 were presented, much focus in media was on ranking lists and overall changes since PISA 2000. In Sweden no significant changes between 2000 and 2003 occurred in none of the three test domains in PISA (reading literacy, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy). Moreover, Swedish scores were significantly above the OECD average in all three domains. In Norway results in reading and mathematics showed no significant changes but a considerable drop in science results. The Norwegian science score was also below the OECD average, whereas reading and mathematics scores were close to the international means (OECD 2001, 2004). In this article we will take a closer look at the PISA science results for the two countries in order to discuss some possible links to educational reforms that has been introduced during the last decennium. For that purpose we will also discuss some results from TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), or more precisely: results for the science grade 8 part of the study. In addition to the national PISA 2003 reports for Sweden (Skolverket 2004c) and Norway (Kjærnsli et al 2004), also the national TIMSS 2003 reports (Skolverket 2004a, Grønmo et al 2004) discuss the achievement drop in science. In addition, Kjærnsli et al (2005) has recently focused quite specifically on the general drop of competencies in the Nordic countries during the last decennium.
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| 2. |
- Åström, I. Maria, 1965-
(författare)
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Integrated and Subject-specific : An empirical exploration of Science education in Swedish compulsory school
- 2007
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is an explorative experimental study in two parts of different ways of organising Science education in the Swedish context. The first study deals with the question if students attain higher scores on test results if they have been working with integrated Science compared to subject-specific Science i.e. Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The second study concerns the similarities and differences between integrated Science education and Science education in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, especially in the teaching organisation. The introduction describes the nature of integrated curriculum, what integrated learning is, issues about integrated Science education, in what way integration is carried out, between subjects or within subjects, what the opposite to integrated Science is (here named as subjectspecific science education) in the Swedish context and what the Swedish curriculum has to say about integrated Science. Previous studies in integrated curriculum looking at students’ results are referred to, and it is argued for the use of the OECD’s PISA assessment instrument in this study. The thesis consists of two studies, one quantitative and one qualitative, within the above framework. The quantitative study is an attempt to find differences in scores on students’ written results on a large-scale assessment in scientific literacy between students studying in different organisations of Science education. The qualitative study is an attempt to describe differences at classroom level between integrated Science and subject-specific Science. This gives a quite rich description of four schools (cases) in a small town and how they organise their teaching integrated or subject-specific. No differences in students’ results between different Science organisations were found in the quantitative study in this thesis. Possible explanations for the lack of differences in students’ results are discussed in the article. An additional investigation that attempts to test the variable used in the quantitative study is carried out in the thesis, with an attempt to sharpen the teacher organisation variable. This is done to find out if it is possible that there can be found differences with the sharpened variable. The qualitative study gives a glimpse of some differences in the implemented curriculum between schools working with integrated Science education and a school that works subjectspecifically. The teachers do the overall lesson plans in different ways according to which organisation according to integrated or subject-specific Science they work with. When asked in a survey what kind of Science organisation they have, students from the four schools studied answered differently between schools and also, sometimes, within the same school. A further analysis of this second study is carried out by defining a conceptual framework used as structure and a possible explanation for differences between students’ views and teachers’ views on the organisation of Science education. This latter analysis tries to give an enriched description in mainly the two levels of the implemented and attained curricula, and tries to discuss the difference in students’ attained curriculum. A final discussion concludes the thesis and concerns an elaboration of the results of the thesis, problems with the main variable involved in the two studies and the possibility that the teacher actions effects also the magnitude of students’ achievement on tests.
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| 3. |
- Åström, I. Maria, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Integrated and subject-specific Science education : Teachers’ and students’ views
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study concerns the views of teachers’ and students’ regarding Science education. The teachers and students are all from four schools in the same small town in Sweden. The teachers’ views of Science lessons focused on how to plan lessons and organise content. The students’ views focused on three questions concerning the integration of science. The study is based on several data collections: interviews with and observations of teachers, a school survey and student questionnaires. The teacher interviews were analysed with regard to integrated and subject-specific Science education and the students’ questionnaires were analysed with statistical methods. The four schools in this study may be categorised as two integrated schools, one subject-specific and one mixed school. The students’ views of subjectspecific and integrated Science did not completely coincide with the teachers’ views. Teachers and students agreed on that they did integrated education in only one out of the four schools.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Åström, Maria, 1965-
(författare)
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Defining Integrated Science Education and Putting It to Test
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The thesis is made up by four studies, on the comprehensive theme of integrated and subjectspecific science education in Swedish compulsory school. A literature study on the matter is followed by an expert survey, then a case study and ending with two analyses of students’ science results from PISA 2003 and PISA 2006. The first two studies explore similarities and differences between integrated and subject-specific science education, i. e. Science education and science taught as Biology, Chemistry and Physics respectively. The two following analyses of PISA 2003 and PISA 2006 data put forward the question whether there are differences in results of students’ science literacy scores due to different types of science education.The expert survey compares theories of integration to the Swedish science education context. Also some difference in intention, in the school case study, some slight differences in the way teachers plan the science education are shown, mainly with respect to how teachers involve students in their planning.The statistical analysis of integrated and subject-specific science education comparing students’ science results from PISA 2003 shows no difference between students or between schools. The analysis of PISA 2006, however, shows small differences between girls’ results with integrated and subject-specific science education both in total scores and in the three scientific literacy competencies. No differences in boys’ results are shown on different science educations.
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| 6. |
- Åström, Maria, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Integrated and subject-specific science education : teachers’ and students’ views
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study concerns the views of teachers’ and students’ regarding Science education. The teachers and students are all from four schools in the same small town in Sweden. The teachers’ views of Science lessons focused on how to plan lessons and organise content. The students’ views focused on three questions concerning the integration of science. The study is based on several data collections: interviews with and observations of teachers, a school survey and student questionnaires. The teacher interviews were analysed with regard to integrated and subject-specific Science education and the students’ questionnaires were analysed with statistical methods. The four schools in this study may be categorised as two integrated schools, one subject-specific and one mixed school. The students’ views of subjectspecific and integrated Science did not completely coincide with the teachers’ views. Teachers and students agreed on that they did integrated education in only one out of the four schools.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Åström, Maria, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Using hierarchical linear models to test differences in Swedish results from OECD's PISA 2003 : integrated and subject-specific science education
- 2007
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Ingår i: NorDiNa. - Härnösand : Mittuniversitetet, Fakulteten för naturvetenskap, teknik och medier, Institutionen för teknik, fysik och matematik. - 1504-4556 .- 1894-1257. ; :2, s. 121-131
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The possible effects of different organisations of the science curriculum in schools participating in PISA 2003 are tested with a hierarchical linear model (HLM) of two levels. The analysis is based on science results. Swedish schools are free to choose how they organise the science curriculum. They may choose to work subject-specifically (with Biology, Chemistry and Physics), integrated (with Science) or to mix these two. In this study, all three ways of organising science classes in compulsory school are present to some degree. None of the different ways of organising science education displayed statistically significant better student results in scientific literacy as measured in PISA 2003. The HLM model used variables of gender, country of birth, home language, preschool attendance, an economic, social and cultural index as well as the teaching organisation.
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| 9. |
- Åström, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Vad har hänt med naturvetenskapen? Några svenska resultat från PISA 2003.
- 2005
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Problemställning: Vi vill undersöka vilka förändringar som skett i de svenska resultaten inom Scientific literacy i PISA 2003 jämfört med motsvarande resultat i PISA 2003. Vi har två specifika frågeställningar: 1. Vilka förändringar finns med avseende på elevernas medelresultat i kognitivt avseende mellan de båda undersökningarna? 2. Vilka förändringar finns i resultaten för olika undergrupper? Vi vill särskilt studera effekterna av socioekonomisk bakgrund, invandrarbakgrund och prestationsnivå. Metod: För den första frågeställningen används de data som publicerats i den internationella och nationella rapporteringen från PISA 2003. För frågeställningarna under den andra punkten sker utvidgade statistiska analyser av såväl bakgrundsdata som elevresultat som insamlats inom ramen för PISA 2003. För elever på olika prestationsnivåer görs också vissa jämförelser på nordisk nivå.
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