Journal article
Science education in a 'classroom without walls': Connecting young people via place
Teaching Science, Vol.56(1), pp.6-10
2010
Abstract
Edmund Rice Education Australia Flexible Learning Centres (EREAFLCs) operate within a social inclusion framework to 'walk with' young people who have disengaged from the traditional schooling system. Students attending the centres face multiple stressors in their everyday lives, as well as significant barriers to achieving success in the classroom environment. Addressing the immediate literacy and numeracy concerns of students as they present at the centres has left little time to formalise strategies for engaging students with traditionally 'difficult' subjects such as Science. In addition, there is very little research material available to assist teachers in the development of teaching and learning strategies for science education that deal with the unique situation of the flexible learning context. The aim of this research project has been to work with Flexible Learning Centre staff to identify and trial a range of science teaching strategies to enable the conceptualisation of a general framework to guide future science curriculum development. This article details one unit of work undertaken with an outreach annexe of the Flexible Learning Centre Network located in a regional area of North Queensland. The trial involved implementing an environmental regeneration unit based on the philosophical principles of a place-based education approach in order to ascertain the potential of such an approach to engage disadvantaged young people.
Details
- Title
- Science education in a 'classroom without walls': Connecting young people via place
- Authors
- Kimberley Wilson (Author) - James Cook UniversityKellie Stemp (Author) - Edmund Rice Education Australia
- Publication details
- Teaching Science, Vol.56(1), pp.6-10
- Publisher
- Australian Science Teachers Association
- Date published
- 2010
- ISSN
- 1839-2946; 1449-6313
- Grant note
- The Re-Engaging Disadvantaged Youth through Science Project originated as a partnership between Edmund Rice Education Australia, James Cook University (Townsville) and the Australian Research Council, which provided funding for the three-year project.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Education and Tertiary Access
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991186144102621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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