Teaching Science in Out-of-School Settings: Pedagogies for Effective Learning PDF
Preview Teaching Science in Out-of-School Settings: Pedagogies for Effective Learning
Junqing Zhai Teaching Science in Out-of-School Settings Pedagogies for Eff ective Learning Teaching Science in Out-of-School Settings Junqing Zhai Teaching Science in Out-of- School Settings Pedagogies for Effective Learning Junqing Zhai College of Education Zhejiang University Hangzhou , China ISBN 978-981-287-590-7 ISBN 978-981-287-591-4 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-981-287-591-4 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015949648 Springer Singapore Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2015 T his work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. T he use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. T he publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer Science+Business Media Singapore Pte Ltd. is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) For my parents with thanks Foreword I t is my great pleasure to write this Foreword. Back in 2007 when Junqing applied to carry out his PhD studies with us at King’s College London (where I was working at the time), he was proposing to look at aspects of environmental education in his home country, China. One of his research questions was ‘What are the problems or challenges in practical implementation of environmental education in Chinese edu- cational system?’ It soon became clear after he joined us in London that his interests had evolved, and his question by the end of the year was ‘What might outdoor expe- riences contribute to young children’s learning?’ As he started to read more and visit a number of environmental education practitioners, Junqing’s interest shifted fur- ther and he became increasingly focused on the role of botanic garden educators in the education of school visitors—the topic of this volume. What you have here is a really thorough piece of scholarship carried out intelli- gently, painstakingly and with passion. It almost goes without saying that it wasn’t always easy, but we had an outstanding research group who supported each other through the bad times and celebrated the good times. As Junqing says himself, ‘the strength of this study lies in the production of an in-depth, contextual understanding of botanic garden educators’ pedagogical think- ing and choices that engage and support visiting schoolchildren’s learning of eco- logical science’. The study fi lls a gap in the literature and brings together ideas about science education pedagogy—particularly questioning—and the nonschool context of botanic gardens. The study covers new ground in terms of the focus of the study as well as introducing some innovative methodological approaches. It is also important to point out that the fi ndings of the research have practical applications not just in England, where the study was carried out, but in any country where school students are educated about ecological science in botanic gardens and other natural surroundings. U nusually, Junqing’s thesis needed no corrections after he had his viva. I had the privilege of sitting in on the oral examination, and the end result was never in doubt. But it takes a lot of work to turn PhD thesis into an academic book, and Junqing has vii viii Foreword laboured long and hard to produce this volume. It is well-written, appropriately academic and very readable. I hope that it stimulates your thinking and, if you are a doctoral student, it gives you some inspiration. University of Bristol , Bristol , UK Justin Dillon Acknowledgement The publication of this book was supported by the Zhejiang University Gong Haoran Fund for Research and Publication on Vygotsky. ix
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