This article argues for a broader and more socially relevant photosynthesis instruction in compul... more This article argues for a broader and more socially relevant photosynthesis instruction in compulsory science education. Presently, the predominant practice is traditional instruction, focusing on students' conceptual understanding of photosynthesis based on molecular and energy-related principles. Views of what is referred to as scientific literacy change in line with the new values and demands of a globalised society. Scientific literacy has evolved from a narrow conception of natural sciences to a broader teaching approach, addressing science from a whole society perspective. The article discusses how photosynthesis instruction can be redirected to future issues such as societal and sustainability and argues for a wider approach to scientific literacy involving active citizenship to address present and future sustainability challenges. A scientific literacy model is presented, along with its relation to the concept of powerful knowledge, defined as the kind of knowledge students need to have control and agency in their own lives. Powerful knowledge is discussed in terms of how photosynthesis instruction could be used to address societal and sustainability issues such as climate change, food chains, energy issues and food production. The need for a new and updated photosynthesis education 2.0 is presented.
International Perspectives on Knowledge and Curriculum
In this seminar, Professor Hudson will draw on recent work building on the idea of powerful knowl... more In this seminar, Professor Hudson will draw on recent work building on the idea of powerful knowledge in the future school as proposed by Michael Young and others. Young identifies two main approaches which he extrapolates as trajectories. In the first -Future 1 -knowledge is underpinned by an under-socialized epistemology and defined as fixed sets of verifiable concepts evaluated through standardized testing. The second tradition -Future 2 -arose as a response to the first, in which the epistemology of knowledge is reduced to "who knows" with an over-emphasis on generic skills. Against this background, the policy shift to restore "a core of essential knowledge" in England can be seen as a direct response to the perception that the shift towards generic skills had undermined disciplinary "rigour" in schools. However, both of these traditions are seen as deficient. Professor Hudson considers the notion of epistemic quality by drawing on outcomes from a recent study arising from the 'Developing Mathematical Thinking in the Primary Classroom' (DMTPC) project. This idea is founded on a distinction between mathematical fallibilism and mathematical fundamentalism. The relation between powerful knowledge and epistemic quality is considered further by framing it within a sociological theory of knowledge. This distinction will be used to illustrate examples of high and low epistemic quality -both in school mathematics as well as across school subjects in general. Tea and cakes available from 4.45pm and canapés and drinks served at the end of the event.
International Journal of Technology and Design Education
Corrections in order of family name and given name (swap): first name is Susanne, family name Wal... more Corrections in order of family name and given name (swap): first name is Susanne, family name Walan! Second authors first name is Niklas and family name Gericke! In the original publication of the corresponding author and co-author's family name and given name incorrectly published. The corrected family and given name is given in this Correction. The original article has been corrected.
Teaching about the nervous system has become a challenging task in secondary biology and science ... more Teaching about the nervous system has become a challenging task in secondary biology and science education because of the fast development in the field of neuroscience. A major challenge is to determine what content to teach. Curricula goals are often too general to guide instruction, and information about the nervous system has become overwhelming and diverse with ubiquitous relevance in society. In addition, several misconceptions and myths are circulating in educational communities causing world-wide confusion as to what content is correct. To help teachers, textbook authors, and curricula developers in this challenging landscape of knowledge, the aim of the present study is to identify the expert view on what knowledge is important for understanding the nervous system in the context of secondary biology and science education. To accomplish this, we have conducted a thematic content analysis of textbooks followed by a Delphi study of 15 experts in diverse but relevant fields. The...
Teachers' implementation of and attitudes to school reforms and overriding pedagogical ideals hav... more Teachers' implementation of and attitudes to school reforms and overriding pedagogical ideals have long been a topic of debate and research. In this article, we centre on teachers' descriptions of how progressive teaching was conducted as well as on the teachers' reasons for implementing such teaching in the 1940s. This study is based on written material consisting of 360 elementary school teachers' accounts of their teaching collected in 1946. The material was collected by a government investigation of how progressive teaching was conducted in Sweden. The accounts offer detailed descriptions of how pupils were activated and how elementary teachers at the time could use the community as a teaching resource. The article is inspired by a prosopography approach, in which the basic assumption is that it is possible to extend knowledge of social processes and societal development by studying the group profile of members of various institutions such as political or professional organisations. The analysis is based on John Dewey's and Larry Cuban's perspectives on progressivism. We found that, according to teaching the theme of pupils participation was frequently reported in 59% of the accounts, while student interaction (35%) and extended classroom (16%) were less reported. The teachers motivated their teaching on the basis of general ideals, as democracy. Also important were practical circumstances such as available teaching resources as well as physiological aspects as student's interest and development.
International Journal of Technology and Design Education
Today, many technology teachers in compulsory technology education teach design and design proces... more Today, many technology teachers in compulsory technology education teach design and design processes using a digital design tool, such as computer aided design (CAD). Teaching involving CAD is a relatively new element and not very much is known about what teachers intend pupils to learn in compulsory education. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate technology teachers’ experiences in order to gain insight into their teaching practices involving CAD. A phenomenographic approach was used and twelve semi-structured interviews with lower secondary technology teachers were conducted. The interviews were analyzed and categories of description were hierarchically organized into the phenomenographic outcome space. The results show that teachers have different experiences of the intended learning outcomes when CAD is used in teaching, and four hierarchical categories emerged: (1) Handling the software, (2) Using ready-made models, (3) Manufacturing and creating printed models, and (4...
Animal Welfare Attitudes (AWA) are defined as human attitudes towards the welfare of animals in d... more Animal Welfare Attitudes (AWA) are defined as human attitudes towards the welfare of animals in different dimensions and settings. Demographic factors, such as age and gender are associated with AWA. The aim of this study was to assess gender differences among university students in a large convenience sample from twenty-two nations in AWA. A total of 7914 people participated in the study (5155 women, 2711 men, 48 diverse). Participants completed a questionnaire that collected demographic data, typical diet and responses to the Composite Respect for Animals Scale Short version (CRAS-S). In addition, we used a measure of gender empowerment from the Human Development Report. The largest variance in AWA was explained by diet, followed by country and gender. In terms of diet, 6385 participants reported to be omnivores, 296 as pescatarian, 637 ate a vegetarian diet and 434 were vegans (n = 162 without answer). Diet was related with CRAS-S scores; people with a vegan diet scored higher in...
In this study 18 to 19 years old upper secondary students' ability to discern the use of mult... more In this study 18 to 19 years old upper secondary students' ability to discern the use of multiple models in genetics when reading content specific excerpts in Biology textbooks are investigated. Tw ...
Student views on the dimensions of sustainable development : A matter of context, congruence and ... more Student views on the dimensions of sustainable development : A matter of context, congruence and conflict
A usual description of sustainable development (SD) often comprehends the interrelationship betwe... more A usual description of sustainable development (SD) often comprehends the interrelationship between the environmental, economic and social dimensions. According to international guidelines, such as UNESCO, a holistic perspective of the concept of SD should be used in education integrating environmental, economic and social dimensions. Within research there is a broad agreement to view cognitive and affective domains as equally important to successfully implement education for sustainable development (ESD). This study aims to investigate young peoples´ integrated understanding of the environmental, economic and social dimensions of SD in terms of knowledge, attitudes and behavior. Two comparisons will be done. Firstly there is a cross level comparison between pupils in 6th and 9th grade and secondly a comparison between two groups of pupils, where one group is taught according to an ESD approach in their schools and the other group is not (e.g. green-flag certified Eco schools or reg...
The implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in formal education is an arduo... more The implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in formal education is an arduous process. A much reported issue is that teachers do not perceive ESD as part of their task. As ESD ...
Background Investigations of evolution knowledge and acceptance and their relation are central to... more Background Investigations of evolution knowledge and acceptance and their relation are central to evolution education research. Ambiguous results in this field of study demonstrate a variety of measuring issues, for instance differently theorized constructs, or a lack of standardized methods, especially for cross-country comparisons. In particular, meaningful comparisons across European countries, with their varying cultural backgrounds and education systems, are rare, often include only few countries, and lack standardization. To address these deficits, we conducted a standardized European survey, on 9200 first-year university students in 26 European countries utilizing a validated, comprehensive questionnaire, the “Evolution Education Questionnaire”, to assess evolution acceptance and knowledge, as well as influencing factors on evolution acceptance. Results We found that, despite European countries’ different cultural backgrounds and education systems, European first-year univers...
This article argues for a broader and more socially relevant photosynthesis instruction in compul... more This article argues for a broader and more socially relevant photosynthesis instruction in compulsory science education. Presently, the predominant practice is traditional instruction, focusing on students' conceptual understanding of photosynthesis based on molecular and energy-related principles. Views of what is referred to as scientific literacy change in line with the new values and demands of a globalised society. Scientific literacy has evolved from a narrow conception of natural sciences to a broader teaching approach, addressing science from a whole society perspective. The article discusses how photosynthesis instruction can be redirected to future issues such as societal and sustainability and argues for a wider approach to scientific literacy involving active citizenship to address present and future sustainability challenges. A scientific literacy model is presented, along with its relation to the concept of powerful knowledge, defined as the kind of knowledge students need to have control and agency in their own lives. Powerful knowledge is discussed in terms of how photosynthesis instruction could be used to address societal and sustainability issues such as climate change, food chains, energy issues and food production. The need for a new and updated photosynthesis education 2.0 is presented.
International Perspectives on Knowledge and Curriculum
In this seminar, Professor Hudson will draw on recent work building on the idea of powerful knowl... more In this seminar, Professor Hudson will draw on recent work building on the idea of powerful knowledge in the future school as proposed by Michael Young and others. Young identifies two main approaches which he extrapolates as trajectories. In the first -Future 1 -knowledge is underpinned by an under-socialized epistemology and defined as fixed sets of verifiable concepts evaluated through standardized testing. The second tradition -Future 2 -arose as a response to the first, in which the epistemology of knowledge is reduced to "who knows" with an over-emphasis on generic skills. Against this background, the policy shift to restore "a core of essential knowledge" in England can be seen as a direct response to the perception that the shift towards generic skills had undermined disciplinary "rigour" in schools. However, both of these traditions are seen as deficient. Professor Hudson considers the notion of epistemic quality by drawing on outcomes from a recent study arising from the 'Developing Mathematical Thinking in the Primary Classroom' (DMTPC) project. This idea is founded on a distinction between mathematical fallibilism and mathematical fundamentalism. The relation between powerful knowledge and epistemic quality is considered further by framing it within a sociological theory of knowledge. This distinction will be used to illustrate examples of high and low epistemic quality -both in school mathematics as well as across school subjects in general. Tea and cakes available from 4.45pm and canapés and drinks served at the end of the event.
International Journal of Technology and Design Education
Corrections in order of family name and given name (swap): first name is Susanne, family name Wal... more Corrections in order of family name and given name (swap): first name is Susanne, family name Walan! Second authors first name is Niklas and family name Gericke! In the original publication of the corresponding author and co-author's family name and given name incorrectly published. The corrected family and given name is given in this Correction. The original article has been corrected.
Teaching about the nervous system has become a challenging task in secondary biology and science ... more Teaching about the nervous system has become a challenging task in secondary biology and science education because of the fast development in the field of neuroscience. A major challenge is to determine what content to teach. Curricula goals are often too general to guide instruction, and information about the nervous system has become overwhelming and diverse with ubiquitous relevance in society. In addition, several misconceptions and myths are circulating in educational communities causing world-wide confusion as to what content is correct. To help teachers, textbook authors, and curricula developers in this challenging landscape of knowledge, the aim of the present study is to identify the expert view on what knowledge is important for understanding the nervous system in the context of secondary biology and science education. To accomplish this, we have conducted a thematic content analysis of textbooks followed by a Delphi study of 15 experts in diverse but relevant fields. The...
Teachers' implementation of and attitudes to school reforms and overriding pedagogical ideals hav... more Teachers' implementation of and attitudes to school reforms and overriding pedagogical ideals have long been a topic of debate and research. In this article, we centre on teachers' descriptions of how progressive teaching was conducted as well as on the teachers' reasons for implementing such teaching in the 1940s. This study is based on written material consisting of 360 elementary school teachers' accounts of their teaching collected in 1946. The material was collected by a government investigation of how progressive teaching was conducted in Sweden. The accounts offer detailed descriptions of how pupils were activated and how elementary teachers at the time could use the community as a teaching resource. The article is inspired by a prosopography approach, in which the basic assumption is that it is possible to extend knowledge of social processes and societal development by studying the group profile of members of various institutions such as political or professional organisations. The analysis is based on John Dewey's and Larry Cuban's perspectives on progressivism. We found that, according to teaching the theme of pupils participation was frequently reported in 59% of the accounts, while student interaction (35%) and extended classroom (16%) were less reported. The teachers motivated their teaching on the basis of general ideals, as democracy. Also important were practical circumstances such as available teaching resources as well as physiological aspects as student's interest and development.
International Journal of Technology and Design Education
Today, many technology teachers in compulsory technology education teach design and design proces... more Today, many technology teachers in compulsory technology education teach design and design processes using a digital design tool, such as computer aided design (CAD). Teaching involving CAD is a relatively new element and not very much is known about what teachers intend pupils to learn in compulsory education. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate technology teachers’ experiences in order to gain insight into their teaching practices involving CAD. A phenomenographic approach was used and twelve semi-structured interviews with lower secondary technology teachers were conducted. The interviews were analyzed and categories of description were hierarchically organized into the phenomenographic outcome space. The results show that teachers have different experiences of the intended learning outcomes when CAD is used in teaching, and four hierarchical categories emerged: (1) Handling the software, (2) Using ready-made models, (3) Manufacturing and creating printed models, and (4...
Animal Welfare Attitudes (AWA) are defined as human attitudes towards the welfare of animals in d... more Animal Welfare Attitudes (AWA) are defined as human attitudes towards the welfare of animals in different dimensions and settings. Demographic factors, such as age and gender are associated with AWA. The aim of this study was to assess gender differences among university students in a large convenience sample from twenty-two nations in AWA. A total of 7914 people participated in the study (5155 women, 2711 men, 48 diverse). Participants completed a questionnaire that collected demographic data, typical diet and responses to the Composite Respect for Animals Scale Short version (CRAS-S). In addition, we used a measure of gender empowerment from the Human Development Report. The largest variance in AWA was explained by diet, followed by country and gender. In terms of diet, 6385 participants reported to be omnivores, 296 as pescatarian, 637 ate a vegetarian diet and 434 were vegans (n = 162 without answer). Diet was related with CRAS-S scores; people with a vegan diet scored higher in...
In this study 18 to 19 years old upper secondary students' ability to discern the use of mult... more In this study 18 to 19 years old upper secondary students' ability to discern the use of multiple models in genetics when reading content specific excerpts in Biology textbooks are investigated. Tw ...
Student views on the dimensions of sustainable development : A matter of context, congruence and ... more Student views on the dimensions of sustainable development : A matter of context, congruence and conflict
A usual description of sustainable development (SD) often comprehends the interrelationship betwe... more A usual description of sustainable development (SD) often comprehends the interrelationship between the environmental, economic and social dimensions. According to international guidelines, such as UNESCO, a holistic perspective of the concept of SD should be used in education integrating environmental, economic and social dimensions. Within research there is a broad agreement to view cognitive and affective domains as equally important to successfully implement education for sustainable development (ESD). This study aims to investigate young peoples´ integrated understanding of the environmental, economic and social dimensions of SD in terms of knowledge, attitudes and behavior. Two comparisons will be done. Firstly there is a cross level comparison between pupils in 6th and 9th grade and secondly a comparison between two groups of pupils, where one group is taught according to an ESD approach in their schools and the other group is not (e.g. green-flag certified Eco schools or reg...
The implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in formal education is an arduo... more The implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in formal education is an arduous process. A much reported issue is that teachers do not perceive ESD as part of their task. As ESD ...
Background Investigations of evolution knowledge and acceptance and their relation are central to... more Background Investigations of evolution knowledge and acceptance and their relation are central to evolution education research. Ambiguous results in this field of study demonstrate a variety of measuring issues, for instance differently theorized constructs, or a lack of standardized methods, especially for cross-country comparisons. In particular, meaningful comparisons across European countries, with their varying cultural backgrounds and education systems, are rare, often include only few countries, and lack standardization. To address these deficits, we conducted a standardized European survey, on 9200 first-year university students in 26 European countries utilizing a validated, comprehensive questionnaire, the “Evolution Education Questionnaire”, to assess evolution acceptance and knowledge, as well as influencing factors on evolution acceptance. Results We found that, despite European countries’ different cultural backgrounds and education systems, European first-year univers...
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Papers by Niklas Gericke