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This paper gives an overview of research on modelling science competence in German science education. Since the first national German educational standards for physics, chemistry and biology education were released in 2004 research projects dealing with competences have become prominent strands. Most of this research is about the structure of scien...
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... model has been validated empirically Kulgemeyer & Schecker, 2013). Its central idea is the communication process shown in Figure 5. Explaining is at the core of communication competence. ...
Citations
... Based on this argument, a self-assessment "maker competence" instrument was developed based on the maker curriculum modules designed and implemented by the targeted teachers, emphasizing the process of students' learning with a multifaceted construct consisting of three dimensions: Knowledge, attitude, and skills. As Kulgemeyer and Schecker (2014) emphasized, one's competence needs to be assessed in "content-related, complex, and demanding problem situations" (p. 258). ...
... However, once they are provided proper and equal opportunities to learn in an interdisciplinary and inquiry-based manner with the "learning by doing" process, they would be inspired to actively propose and discover potential issues and problems, retrieve and integrate the information to form possible solutions and conduct and reflect on actions and results. Instead of just receiving "one right answer, " they can learn within the learning tasks of the maker modules to apply what is learned with their real-life experiences into innovating their own products with creativity, aesthetics, and practicality (Chen and Howard, 2010;Kulgemeyer and Schecker, 2014;Colucci-Gray et al., 2019;Banks and Barlex, 2021;Sun et al., 2023). Moreover, the implementation of a designated maker curriculum and instruction is essential for promoting learning autonomy, engagement, communication, practice, and innovation, both in the classroom and in the real world (Ryan and Deci, 2000;Barron, 2006;Azevedo, 2011;Oswald and Zhao, 2021;Hughes et al., 2023). ...
“Competence” is a very important concept in education and has been valued by several countries and international organizations in recent years, sparking a wave of curriculum reforms worldwide. The STEAM education is considered a feasible way to equip all students with problem-solving skills in various real-world situations and complicated challenges, as well as nurturing them 21st century skills and competencies. Moreover, a recent maker movement that focuses more on hands-on creation, design, and innovation is considered an innovative way to redefine the learning process through which students’ maker competence can be nurtured. Based on this trend, new national curriculum guidelines were established by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education in 2014. Particularly for the technology domain in the junior high school level (grade 7–9), “Life Technology” and “Information Technology” become requirements, where an interdisciplinary and competence-based maker curriculum needs to be developed. Based on this curriculum reform wave, we emphasize for the implementation of a targeted maker curriculum as a way to increase 7th-grade students’ maker competence. A post-test quasi-experimental design was employed to gather the data, and corresponding statistics were applied for quantitative comparison. A total of 230 7th-graders from eight classes in the targeted junior high schools participated in this study. Students in the experimental group received an interdisciplinary and competence-based maker curriculum as the intervention, which was designed and implemented with the support of the teacher professional development community and briefly presented in this paper. The quantitative findings revealed that the 7th-graders who received the experimental intervention possessed significantly superior marker competence compared to those who received regular technology courses. Based on these findings, maker competence (i.e., knowledge, attitude, and skills), which can be fully established within interdisciplinary and competence-based maker classrooms, was significantly favorable for helping targeted adolescents survive in this ever-changing and fast-paced era. Consequently, as teacher educators and teachers, we must endeavor to redefine the way of learning and construct a learning environment that is full of the maker spirit and STEAM integration.
... In light of the complex real-world problems confronting humanity, problems which rarely yield straightforward solutions (Anderson et al., 2018;Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2019), the idea of knowledge-in-use has gained significant traction in educational reform documents globally (He et al., 2021;He et al., 2022;Kulgemeyer & Schecker, 2014;NRC, 2012;People's Republic of China Ministry of Education, 2014). Rooted in the theories of situated cognition and social constructivism (Greeno et al., 1996;Vygotsky, 1978), the "knowledge-inuse" idea redefines scientific proficiency, shifting the focus from what students know to how they utilize their knowledge. ...
This longitudinal study examines the relationship between students' knowledge-in-use performance and their performance on third-party designed summative tests within a coherent and equitable learning environment. Focusing on third-grade students across three project-based learning (PBL) units aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the study includes 1067 participants from 23 schools in a Great Lakes state. Two-level hierarchical linear modeling estimates the effects of post-unit assessments on end-of-year summative tests. Results indicate that post-unit assessment performances predict NGSS-aligned summative test performance. Students experiencing more PBL units demonstrate greater gains on the summative test, with predictions not favoring students from diverse backgrounds.
This study underscores the importance of coherence, equity, and the PBL approach in promoting knowledge-in-use and science achievement. A systematically coherent PBL environment across multiple units facilitates the development of students' knowledge-in-use, highlighting the significance of designing Science and Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts coherently and progressively, with intentional revisitation of Disciplinary Core Ideas. The study also investigates how the PBL approach fosters equitable learning environments for diverse demographic groups, offering equal opportunities through equity-oriented design. Contributions include a coherent assessment system that tracks and supports learning aligned with NGSS, emphasizing the predictive power of post-unit assessments, continuous monitoring and tracking. The implications of context similarity and optimal PEs/DCIs within units are discussed. Findings inform educators, administrators, and policymakers about the benefits of NGSS-aligned PBL systems and the need for coherent and equitable learning and assessment systems supporting knowledge-in-use growth and equitable opportunities for all learners.
... To develop such a scienceliterate citizenry, educators must consider what students should ultimately know (big ideas) and be able to do (scientific practices) and how to develop learning environments to support this integrated type of proficiency (NRC, 2012a). As such, the goals of science education around the world have shifted to knowledge-in-use learning goals (Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE), 2015; Germany (Kulgemeyer & Schecker, 2014); USA, NRC, 2012a, 2012b; People's Republic of China Ministry of Education, 2003). Knowledge-in-use requires all students to demonstrate and apply their knowledge, rather than recall what they know, by making sense of real-world phenomena, solving complicated problems and making informed decisions (NRC, 2012a; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM], 2019; Pellegrino & Hilton, 2012). ...
This paper explores the development of knowledge-in-use in the context of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), focusing on the cognitive processes underlying this essential skill for adapting to complex challenges such as food scarcity, pandemics, and climate change. The study aims to provide insight into the nature of knowledge-in-use by examining seminal cognitive models and investigating how project-based learning (PBL) environments can support its development. In doing so, the paper outlines the main characteristics of knowledge-in-use and highlights its importance for science education reform. By reviewing various cognitive models and principles for supporting adaptive skill development, we discuss the potential of PBL to foster knowledge-in-use and present examples of PBL environments that emphasize contextual and conceptual variability. The paper concludes with a proposal for future research agendas, emphasizing the need to further investigate the cognitive processes of knowledge-in-use, the role of motivation and engagement in PBL environments, equity and social-justice orientation in PBL design, and the role of teachers in implementing PBL. This study contributes to the understanding of knowledge-in-use and its development in educational settings, which is vital for preparing individuals to adapt effectively to the challenges of the 4IR.
... To develop such a scienceliterate citizenry, educators must consider what students should ultimately know (big ideas) and be able to do (scientific practices) and how to develop learning environments to support this integrated type of proficiency (NRC, 2012a). As such, the goals of science education around the world have shifted to knowledge-in-use learning goals (Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE), 2015; Germany (Kulgemeyer & Schecker, 2014); USA, NRC, 2012a, 2012b; People's Republic of China Ministry of Education, 2003). Knowledge-in-use requires all students to demonstrate and apply their knowledge, rather than recall what they know, by making sense of real-world phenomena, solving complicated problems and making informed decisions (NRC, 2012a; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM], 2019; Pellegrino & Hilton, 2012). ...
This paper explores the development of knowledge-in-use in the context of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), focusing on the cognitive processes underlying this essential skill for adapting to complex challenges such as food scarcity, pandemics, and climate change. The study aims to provide insight into the nature of knowledge-in-use by examining seminal cognitive models and investigating how project-based learning (PBL) environments can support its development. In doing so, the paper outlines the main characteristics of knowledge-in-use and highlights its importance for science education reform. By reviewing various cognitive models and principles for supporting adaptive skill development, we discuss the potential of PBL to foster knowledge-in-use and present examples of PBL environments that emphasize contextual and conceptual variability. The paper concludes with a proposal for future research agendas, emphasizing the need to further investigate the cognitive processes of knowledge-in-use, the role of motivation and engagement in PBL environments, equity and social-justice orientation in PBL design, and the role of teachers in implementing PBL. This study contributes to the understanding of knowledge-in-use and its development in educational settings, which is vital for preparing individuals to adapt effectively to the challenges of the 4IR.
... To develop such a scienceliterate citizenry, educators must consider what students should ultimately know (big ideas) and be able to do (scientific practices) and how to develop learning environments to support this integrated type of proficiency (NRC, 2012a). As such, the goals of science education around the world have shifted to knowledge-in-use learning goals (Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE), 2015; Germany (Kulgemeyer & Schecker, 2014); USA, NRC, 2012a, 2012b; People's Republic of China Ministry of Education, 2003). Knowledge-in-use requires all students to demonstrate and apply their knowledge, rather than recall what they know, by making sense of real-world phenomena, solving complicated problems and making informed decisions (NRC, 2012a; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM], 2019; Pellegrino & Hilton, 2012). ...
Facing the increasingly complex and ever-changing environment of present challenges, citizens in the fourth industrial revolution across the globe will need to develop knowledge-in-use proficiencies, which equips them with the scientific knowledge to make evidence-based informed decisions, support policy changes, and understand future consequences of lack of action. However, knowledge-in-use is a complex construct with multiple different sub-components. It remains challenging to both understand the underlying information processing mechanism and the inner cognitive process of knowledge-in-use. This chapter unfolds the latent process of developing knowledge-in-use by referencing several landmark cognitive models. Building on that, this chapter discusses how a project-based learning environment has the potential to support students' knowledge-in-use development.
... AI, defined as a technology to mimic human cognitive behaviors, holds great potential to address some of the most challenging problems in STEM education (Neumann and Waight, 2020;Zhai, 2021). Amongst these is the challenge of supporting all students to meet the vision for science learning in the 21st century laid out, for example in the U.S. Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012), Germany (Kulgemeyer and Schecker, 2014), Finland (Finnish National Board of Education, 2016), and the PISA framework (OECD, 2017). These policy documents call for students to develop proficiency in using ideas so that learners can use their knowledge to solve challenging problems and make sense of complex phenomena. ...
... Because scientists have integrated understanding as well as experiences where they have made use of those understandings, they are able to use their understandings of DCIs and apply scientific practices and crosscutting concepts to new situations. Using understandings in new situations is an outcome of classroom science teaching expected by the NRC (2012); the Framework for K-12 Science Education in the United States (NRC 2012a), as well as policy documents from other countries (Finnish National Board of Education, 2015;Kulgemeyer & Schecker, 2014;OECD, 2016). These documents call for students to actively use their knowledge to explain phenomena and solve problems and to take what they have learned in one context and apply it to new contexts. ...
... Engaging students in situations where they must apply their understanding of scientific ideas to explain phenomena and/or solve problems is essential in helping students build an integrated understanding and apply those understandings in new situations. This is a major goal of science education worldwide (Finnish National Board of Education, 2015;Kulgemeyer & Schecker, 2014;National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine (2019);NRC, 2012a;NRC, 2012b;OECD, 2016). Not only does this mean that students need to develop integrated understanding of important scientific ideas, it also means that they need to know how to make use of their understandings. ...
We explore how students developed an integrated understanding of scientific ideas and how they applied their understandings in new situations. We examine the incremental development of 7th grade students’ scientific ideas across four iterations of a scientific explanation related to a freshwater system. We demonstrate that knowing how to make use of scientific ideas to explain phenomena needs to be learned just as developing integrated understanding of scientific ideas needs to be learned. Students participated in an open-ended, long-term project-based learning unit, constructing one explanation over time to address, “ How healthy is our stream for freshwater organisms and how do our actions on land potentially impact the water quality of the stream?” The explanation developed over several weeks as new data were collected and analyzed. Students discussed evidence by revisiting scientific ideas and including new scientific ideas. This research investigates two questions: (1) As students engage in writing a scientific explanation over time, to what extent do they develop integrated understanding of appropriate scientific ideas? and (2) When writing about new evidence, do these earlier experiences of writing explanations enable students to make use of new scientific ideas in more sophisticated ways? In other words, do earlier experiences allow students to know how to make use of their ideas in these new situations? The results indicated statistically significant effects. Through various iterations of the explanation students included richer discussion using appropriate scientific ideas. Students were also able to make better use of new knowledge in new situations.
... Students with science proficiency have the ability to apply their understanding of big ideas in science along with meaningful practices to make sense of real-world phenomena or solve complex problems (Ercikan & Oliveri, 2016;NRC, 2007NRC, , 2011Pellegrino & Hilton, 2012). Supporting students' science proficiency development has been recognized as a substantial goal of science education in several national science curriculum standards (e.g., He et al., 2021;Kulgemeyer & Schecker, 2014;NGSS Lead States, 2013;Vahtivuori-Hänninen et al., 2014) and large-scale scientific literacy assessments programs (OECD, 2019; Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA]). However, due to the complex nature of science proficiency, supporting knowledge-in-use development remains a challenge. ...
Student science proficiency development demands sustainable and coherent learning environment support. Scholars argue that project-based learning (PBL) is an efficient approach to promoting student science learning, compared to conventional instructions. Yet, few studies have delved into the learning process to explore how a coherent PBL system consisting of curriculum, instruction , assessment, and professional learning promotes student learning. To address the gap, this study investigated whether students' science proficiency on the three post-unit assessments predicted their achievement on a third-party-designed end-of-year summative science test in a coherent high school chemistry PBL system aligned with the recent US science standards. The study employed a cluster randomized experimental design to test an intervention using our PBL system and only used data from the treatment group. The sample consisted of 1344 treatment students who participated in our PBL intervention and underwent the pretest and end-of-year summative test. Students' responses to the three post-unit assessments
... Students with science proficiency have the ability to apply their understanding of big ideas in science along with meaningful practices to make sense of real-world phenomena or solve complex problems (Ercikan & Oliveri, 2016;Geisinger et al., 2013;NRC, 2007NRC, , 2011Pellegrino & Hilton, 2012). Supporting students' science proficiency development has been recognized as a substantial goal of science education in several national science curriculum standards (e.g., He et al., 2021;Kulgemeyer & Schecker, 2014;NGSS Lead States, 2013;Vahtivuori-Hänninen et al., 2014) and large-scale scientific literacy assessments programs (OECD, 2016; Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA]). However, due to the complex nature of science proficiency, supporting knowledge-in-use development remains a challenge. ...
... Civic science education can increase pupils' motivation in becoming actively engaged in science-related public matters which is essential when dealing with current and future global challenges (Levy et al., 2021).ICT devices can not only facilitate the integration of citizen-science in schools but additionally enabling the participants in being actively engaged in scientific issues and ongoing socio-scientific debates (Echeverria et al., 2021;Wals et al., 2014) Integration in the curriculum We use a German chemistry curriculum to show how citizen science, curriculum-based competency goals and education for sustainable development can work together ( Figure 2). German educational standards in the science-related subjects biology, chemistry and physics are based on four areas of competence: judgement, application of epistemological and methodological knowledge, use of knowledge on scientific content and science communication (Kulgemeyer & Schecker, 2014;Kultusministerium, 2015). Besides these scientific competences there are two more dimensions which are basic concepts and demands, also understood as levels of competence. ...
... atomic structure, substance classifications), structure-property-relations (e. g. intermolecular interactions), donator-acceptor-processes (chemical reactions), kinetics and chemical equilibrium (e. g. law of mass action) and energy (Niedersächsisches Kultusministerium, 2009;Parchmann et al., 2018). The level of competence describes the demand or difficulty of tasks and is classified into reproduction, application and transfer of knowledge (Kulgemeyer & Schecker, 2014). In these ways, the acquisition of scientific competence is intended to provide orientation in a world shaped by science and technology, open perspectives for vocational orientation and create a basis for selfdirected learning. ...
Citizen science is an expanding field in public education and learning and can bridge the gap between science and society. This benefits not only just citizen learning and scientific research, but also earlier learning in formal science education. Citizen science can foster an understanding of engagement with science as well as the perception of the relevance of scientific topics. Based on a review of several citizen science projects in school contexts, potential learning outcomes are identified, showing that citizen science can enhance aspects including pupils’ motivation, interest and knowledge as well as their scientific and communication skills. Project designs with a high level of pupil involvement are found to be particularly promising in terms of achieving learning objectives. However, curricular standards require the thorough preparation of citizen science projects to enable the development of their full potential for all participants.
