- Dr. Samson Madera Nashon is Professor of Science Education and the current Head of the Department of Curriculum and P... moreDr. Samson Madera Nashon is Professor of Science Education and the current Head of the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP) at UBC. Dr. Nashon is one of the founding members of Science Education Research Group (SERG) within the Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE). Dr. Nashon’s research focuses on ways of teaching and learning science in diverse contexts. His research focus is broadly characterized by three main emphases: 1) Understanding the nature of science curriculum and instruction and development of theoretical and pedagogical models to improve the practice of science teachingedit
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... Analogies may convey or transfer (Schwartz, 1993) different meanings to different students in different ways. In other words, the meanings that students construct (Gunstone, 1994; Kelly, 1955) from analogical explanations may vary... more
... Analogies may convey or transfer (Schwartz, 1993) different meanings to different students in different ways. In other words, the meanings that students construct (Gunstone, 1994; Kelly, 1955) from analogical explanations may vary quite substantially. ...
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Abstract Despite efforts to bridge gender gap in the supply of trained professionals in the disciplines related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) the number of women in those fields is very low compared to the... more
Abstract Despite efforts to bridge gender gap in the supply of trained professionals in the disciplines related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) the number of women in those fields is very low compared to the number of men who have made advances in higher education. Much still needs to be done in Tanzania in addressing gender disparities in STEM enrollment at all levels of our education system with a view to increasing the number of women in the STEM driven economy. In this paper I present my autobiography that portraits my journey as a female to higher education where I became a career educator and physics researcher – credit to a concerted effort to decolonize knowledge using modern science programs for young females in secondary schools in Tanzania.
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This paper reports on an instrumental case study that employed narrative and teacher change methodological and analyticalframeworks to investigate Kenyan science teachers’ views of the effect of student learning on their teaching.... more
This paper reports on an instrumental case study that employed narrative and teacher change methodological and analyticalframeworks to investigate Kenyan science teachers’ views of the effect of student learning on their teaching. Interpretation of theteachers’ views revealed that they: 1) gained an increased awareness and understanding of their students’ science learning abilitiesthat allowed them to take increased responsibility for own learning, 2) developed and accepted new understanding of their teachingroles, and 3) became more critical of how science pedagogy was modeled for them as former high school students and later,continuing practitioners. In the paper we demonstrate how the study’s findings validate the emergent literature’s support forcontextualized science learning and teaching. The study’s findings show that students’ learning impacted the teachers’ pedagogicalpractices. Therefore, we argue that students’ learning and teachers’ teaching are not mutually exclusive.
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The importance of metacognition for quality learning and problem solving is well documented. However, despite such acknowledgement metacognition remains a fuzzy concept with a range of variously agreed upon definitions. A consequence of... more
The importance of metacognition for quality learning and problem solving is well documented. However, despite such acknowledgement metacognition remains a fuzzy concept with a range of variously agreed upon definitions. A consequence of this is that ...
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ABSTRACT Interactive Lecture Experiments (ILE) have been used in the introductory physics course at the University of British Columbia for over two years. During the Fall of 2006 a systematic study was conducted using the Colorado... more
ABSTRACT Interactive Lecture Experiments (ILE) have been used in the introductory physics course at the University of British Columbia for over two years. During the Fall of 2006 a systematic study was conducted using the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS), Force Concept Inventory (FCI), physics open-ended exam problems and focus group interviews to determine the impact of ILE on student academic achievement, motivation and attitudes towards physics. Three sections of students (750 students) experienced four ILE experiments. FCI and CLASS were administered twice and academic results for students who experienced the ILE for a particular topic were compared to students, from a different section, who did not complete the ILE for that topic. Qualitative data on students' attitudes was also collected using open ended survey questions and interviews. Preliminary results will be presented with conclusions about the impact of using ILE as an effective pedagogy in large introductory physics courses.
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ABSTRACT Low enrolment and motivation are key issues in physics education and recently the affective dimension of learning is being studied for evidence of its influence on student attitudes towards physics. Physics Olympics competitions... more
ABSTRACT Low enrolment and motivation are key issues in physics education and recently the affective dimension of learning is being studied for evidence of its influence on student attitudes towards physics. Physics Olympics competitions are a novel context for stimulating intense emotional experiences. In this study, one team of students and their teacher were interviewed and observed prior to and during the event to characterize their emotions and determine the connections between their experiences and learning and attitudes/motivation towards physics. Results showed that certain types of events stimulated strong emotions of frustration and ownership, and that students' attitudes were that physics is fun, diverse and relevant. Analysis of these themes indicated that the nature of emotions generated was connected to their attitudes towards physics. This finding points to the potential and value of informal and novel contexts in creating strong positive emotions, which have a strong influence on student attitudes towards physics.
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This paper is about a case study that investigated the impact of contextualized science teaching and learning onperformance of a Form three (Grade 11) class in one of Kenya’s girls high schools. The class experienced nine weeks... more
This paper is about a case study that investigated the impact of contextualized science teaching and learning onperformance of a Form three (Grade 11) class in one of Kenya’s girls high schools. The class experienced nine weeks ofcontextualized science learning. This involved a full day visit toJua Kaliwhere they interacted with artisans. ‘‘Jua Kali’’ is asmall-scale manufacturing and technology-based service sector where artisans manufacture equipment and otherhousehold items that are ubiquitous in everyday Kenyan culture. The visit was followed by organized classroom-basedgroup discussions about what they had learnt and considered most relevant and meaningful. Following this highlyengaging student learning discourse, their creativity and innovative abilities in science improved tremendously as reflectedin the quality of class presentations and participation in the National Science Congress. Moreover, the school’sperformance in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE): a final national exam at the end of Form 4(Grade 12) improved from a mean of 9.3 in the previous year to 10.4 in the intervention year (p = 0.022). This was furtherattributable to significant improvement in all science subjects: biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. Besides thecritical insights about theJua Kali’srichness in scientific phenomena, there is also great potential for contextualized scienceexperience to enhance students’ deeper understanding of science.
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In this chapter, our research opens narrative and dialogical spaces based on stories and interpretations of living, learning, and teaching in Dadaab Refugee Camp in northeastern Kenya. Two questions guide its intent: How might “refugee”... more
In this chapter, our research opens narrative and dialogical spaces based on stories and interpretations of living, learning, and teaching in Dadaab Refugee Camp in northeastern Kenya. Two questions guide its intent: How might “refugee” be inscribed in theorizing curriculum and its emphases? What do narratives of education among displaced peoples offer a global manifesto in curriculum theory? We take up four themes that appear consistently across our data: border, temporality, loss, and choice. We argue that a contradiction exists when students don’t “see” themselves—their culture, language, and history—in the curriculum and language of the host country. The chapter comprises three parts. Initially, we introduce Dadaab Refugee Camp in the wider context of crossing borders with brief summaries of its establishment and challenges of providing education. We then turn to three narratives, drawing upon the experiences of our research team (seven of us grew up in Dadaab) related to: leaving the homeland, being a student, and later a secondary teacher in the camp. Excerpts from our dialogues during data-analysis meetings follow each story, as examples of further interpretation. We end the chapter by posing explicit questions and considerations that serve a manifesto inclusive of displaced people. Here, we discuss what is missing in emergency education: preparing students for the return home. We pose the following questions. How can a curriculum prepare refugee communities to cross physical, social, and cultural borders again, given the fact that most children and youth have not lived in their homeland? How can emergency education nurture students’ capacity to participate, integrate, and make critical choices rather than adapting to new/refugee conditions? We conclude that curriculum theorizing around emergency/refugee education be commensurate with: the exigency of time in long-term situations; the implications of crossing physical, social, and cultural borders; the losses endured by marginalized communities; and the problematics of adaptation in lieu of choice in the daily life of displaced people.
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ABSTRACT The potential of a theory of variation-framed learning study, a teacher professional development approach, to help teachers overcome curricular and pedagogical challenges associated with teaching new science curricula content was... more
ABSTRACT The potential of a theory of variation-framed learning study, a teacher professional development approach, to help teachers overcome curricular and pedagogical challenges associated with teaching new science curricula content was explored. With a group of Singapore teachers collaboratively planning and teaching new genetics content, phenomenographic analysis of data corpus from classroom observations, teacher meetings and interviews revealed teacher learning that manifested in the teachers’ experiences. These were captured as (1) increased degrees of student-centered pedagogy and challenges to teachers’ prior assumptions about science pedagogy, (2) increased awareness of possibilities and limitations of their beliefs about science pedagogy, and (3) emergence of new understandings about new curricular content and science pedagogy. The possibility of transformative and generative learning is also discussed.
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Research Interests: Psychology, Science Education, Mathematics Education, Rasch Analysis, Metacognition, and 12 moreSelf Efficacy, Factor analysis, Science Learning, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Data Collection, Cognitive processes, Constructivist Learning, Learning Process, High School Student, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Rasch Model, and Instrument Design
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Further research is needed on how to foster students’ engagement in today’s 21 st century multicultural learning environments. What we know is that students’ perceptions of classroom environments, including of learning activities (e.g.,... more
Further research is needed on how to foster students’ engagement in today’s 21 st century multicultural learning environments. What we know is that students’ perceptions of classroom environments, including of learning activities (e.g., as interesting, enjoyable, important, and supportive), are related to their engagement in those contexts. Also, students participate actively in contexts that are connected to their cultural background and experiences. This study investigated students’ perceptions of, and engagement in a classroom context that included an inquiry-based project and integrated CRT-SRL principles. Data collected included interviews and surveys including an Experience Sampling Reflection Form. Results identified relationships between students’ perceptions and participation in a CR-SRL supportive learning environment. Implications are discussed.
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Multicultural classrooms contexts can pose challenges to students, and teachers, in relation to supporting students
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Analysis of views from a select group of Kenyan science teachers regarding the effect of student learning experiences on their teaching after implementing a contextualized science unit revealed that the teachers’ (a) literal... more
Analysis of views from a select group of Kenyan science teachers regarding the effect of student learning experiences on their teaching after implementing a contextualized science unit revealed that the teachers’ (a) literal interpretation and adherence to the official curriculum conflicted with the students’ desires to understand scientific phenomena embedded within their local environment; (b) inability or ability to sustain students’ motivations for understanding science through the local environment, which depended on initial teacher preparation; and (c) implementation of the contextualized science reduced the gulf that often hindered free student-teacher dialogue due to the teachers’ endeavors to maintain science and science teacher statuses.RésuméÀ la suite de l’enseignement contextualisé d’une unité scientifique, l’analyse de l’opinion d’un groupe d’enseignants des sciences au Kenya quant à l’effet des expériences d’apprentissage de leurs étudiants sur leur enseignement, révèle que: (a) l’interprétation littérale et l’application stricte du curriculum officiel sont en contradiction avec la volonté des étudiants de comprendre les phénomènes scientifiques en tant que partie intégrante de leur environnement local; (b) la capacité ou l’incapacité de soutenir la motivation des étudiants lorsqu’il s’agit de comprendre les sciences dans un contexte local dépend du niveau de préparation des enseignants; et (c) la pratique d’un enseignement contextualisé des sciences réduit les difficultés qui entravent souvent le dialogue entre étudiants et professeurs en raison du fait que les enseignants de sciences veulent maintenir la différence de statut qui existe entre eux et leurs élèves.
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ABSTRACT This paper explores how a learning theory enriched a collaborative teacher inquiry discourse where lesson study was adopted as the educational action research model to promote teacher professional development. Four Grade 9–10... more
ABSTRACT This paper explores how a learning theory enriched a collaborative teacher inquiry discourse where lesson study was adopted as the educational action research model to promote teacher professional development. Four Grade 9–10 biology teachers in Singapore drew from variation theory to collaboratively plan and teach new genetics content as part of teacher research. As a researcher-facilitator, I have drawn from the teachers’ experiences of infusing variation theory into their teaching practice, of developing their own theories of teaching and learning, and of developing student-focused pedagogies to highlight the roles variation theory played. These included providing concrete examples of patterns of variations teachers could use, increasing the teachers’ attention and sensitivity to students, and developing the teachers’ theoretical lens in their approach to teaching. Reflecting on the teachers’ experiences, I made an appeal for teachers’ development of theoretical lenses in teacher inquiry, and bridging of theory and research to teaching practice.
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Research shows that culturally diverse students are often disengaged in multicultural classrooms. To address this challenge, literatures on self-regulated learning (SRL) and culturally responsive teaching (CRT) both document practices... more
Research shows that culturally diverse students are often disengaged in multicultural classrooms. To address this challenge, literatures on self-regulated learning (SRL) and culturally responsive teaching (CRT) both document practices that foster engagement, although from different perspectives. This study examined how classroom teachers at schools that enrol students from diverse cultural communities on the West Coast of Canada built on a Culturally Responsive Self-Regulated Learning Framework to design complex tasks that integrated SRL pedagogical practices (SLPPs) and culturally-responsive pedagogical practices (CRPPs) to support student engagement. Two elementary school teachers and their 43 students (i.e., grades 4 and 5) participated in this study. We used a multiple, parallel case study design that embedded mixed methods approaches to examine how the teachers integrated SRLPPs and CRPPs into complex tasks; how culturally diverse students engaged in each teacher’s task; and ho...
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This study investigated Kenyan science teachers’ pedagogical transformations, which manifested as they enacted and experienced a reformed contextualized science curriculum in which students’ learning experiences were critical catalysts of... more
This study investigated Kenyan science teachers’ pedagogical transformations, which manifested as they enacted and experienced a reformed contextualized science curriculum in which students’ learning experiences were critical catalysts of teacher change. Twelve high school teachers voluntarily participated in the study and were interviewed about their pedagogical transformations following their enactment of a reformed contextualized science curriculum. The outcomes demonstrated that students’ emancipated behaviours, learning and performance, qualitatively influenced teacher change and pedagogical reform. Specifically, changes in students, as a result of the ways the science curriculum was implemented, resulted in epiphanies and dilemmas for teachers who subsequently resolved to surrender their tightly held pedagogical control (locus of control) for the betterment of the learning environment and their sense of professional satisfaction.
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Despite efforts to bridge gender gap in the supply of trained professionals in the disciplines related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) the number of women in those fields is very low compared to the number of... more
Despite efforts to bridge gender gap in the supply of trained professionals in the disciplines related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) the number of women in those fields is very low compared to the number of men who have made advances in higher education. Much still needs to be done in Tanzania in addressing gender disparities in STEM enrollment at all levels of our education system with a view to increasing the number of women in the STEM driven economy. In this paper I present my autobiography that portraits my journey as a female to higher education where I became a career educator and physics researcher – credit to a concerted effort to decolonize knowledge using modern science programs for young females in secondary schools in Tanzania.