title: The role of existing knowledge in reading comprehension and conceptual change in science education

authors: Bell, Beverley

abstract: Recent research in science education has illustrated that students, prior to formal science teaching, have constructed for themselves interpretations of and explanations for many natural phenomena, and that these beliefs may persist despite up to five years of science tuition. The research has also demonstrated that these beliefs, which are part of a student’s existing knowledge, are an important factor in determining what learning, if any, will occur. This has led to the development of a view of learning in science as conceptual change, rather than concept acquisition, and as an active, constructive process rather than a passive, absorptive one. This view (and in particular the generative learning model) has been adopted in this study. 
A parallel development in reading research has also emphasised the role of existing knowledge in reading comprehension and a view of reading comprehension as the active construction of meaning.
The current research spanned both these two related fields of reading comprehension and conceptual change in science education and focused on the role of existing knowledge in both processes. In particular, it investigated the role of existing knowledge (for example, the everyday meaning of ‘animal’) of some 13-year-old students in comprehending a text about the scientific concept of animal, and in what ways this influenced conceptual change.
Three different methodologies were used - one in each of the three phases of the research programme. These were the qualitative interview techniques (the ‘spot-the-mistake’ and ‘reading-to-learn’ interviews) and quantitative survey measures.
The findings gave further support to a constructivist view of reading comprehension and conceptual change, and a strong interactionist view of reading comprehension was suggested, as existing knowledge not only contributed to the constructed meanings, but influenced what constructions were made.
The main finding was that existing knowledge was used not only to construct a meaning but to evaluate it in terms of whether to accept or reject the construction. Learning in science, therefore, involves not only the construction of the intended meaning, but accepting it as well. Learning difficulties may occur at either the construction or acceptance stage. The results suggested that in science education, students’ difficulties in accepting a scientific construction may be as great as, if not greater than, those in constructing the scientific conception itself.
The implications of the findings for teaching and learning, the curriculum, reading in science classrooms and textbook authors are discussed in the final chapter.

text: The role of existing knowledge in reading comprehension and conceptual change in science education Recent research in science education has illustrated that students, prior to formal science teaching, have constructed for themselves interpretations of and explanations for many natural phenomena, and that these beliefs may persist despite up to five years of science tuition. The research has also demonstrated that these beliefs, which are part of a student’s existing knowledge, are an important factor in determining what learning, if any, will occur. This has led to the development of a view of learning in science as conceptual change, rather than concept acquisition, and as an active, constructive process rather than a passive, absorptive one. This view (and in particular the generative learning model) has been adopted in this study. 
A parallel development in reading research has also emphasised the role of existing knowledge in reading comprehension and a view of reading comprehension as the active construction of meaning.
The current research spanned both these two related fields of reading comprehension and conceptual change in science education and focused on the role of existing knowledge in both processes. In particular, it investigated the role of existing knowledge (for example, the everyday meaning of ‘animal’) of some 13-year-old students in comprehending a text about the scientific concept of animal, and in what ways this influenced conceptual change.
Three different methodologies were used - one in each of the three phases of the research programme. These were the qualitative interview techniques (the ‘spot-the-mistake’ and ‘reading-to-learn’ interviews) and quantitative survey measures.
The findings gave further support to a constructivist view of reading comprehension and conceptual change, and a strong interactionist view of reading comprehension was suggested, as existing knowledge not only contributed to the constructed meanings, but influenced what constructions were made.
The main finding was that existing knowledge was used not only to construct a meaning but to evaluate it in terms of whether to accept or reject the construction. Learning in science, therefore, involves not only the construction of the intended meaning, but accepting it as well. Learning difficulties may occur at either the construction or acceptance stage. The results suggested that in science education, students’ difficulties in accepting a scientific construction may be as great as, if not greater than, those in constructing the scientific conception itself.
The implications of the findings for teaching and learning, the curriculum, reading in science classrooms and textbook authors are discussed in the final chapter.

year: 1984

title: (Re)presenting the Past: Historiographical and Theoretical Implications of the Historical Docudrama

authors: McKeown, Luke Daniel

subjects: history

abstract: This thesis contributes to the growing body of scholarship surrounding historical and filmic representations of the past. Moreover, it seeks to further the understanding and practical use of this sub-field in history by examining two films: Amistad (1997); and, The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006). Building on the insistence of scholars such as Robert Rosenstone and Hayden White, this thesis seeks to evaluate historical films on their own terms as representations of the past that must be judged according to their own conventions. Cinema's attraction to historical subjects is not a recent phenomenon. However, the past two decades, have seen a marked increase in the academic critique of 'historical films' - most notably Hollywood features and television documentaries. Moreover, the appetite of the general public for filmic treatment of historical topics continues unabated. While it is agreed that historical film cannot be judged according to the criteria used in accessing traditional modes of historical representation, there is little agreement about what criteria, precisely, should be used in evaluating historical films' historical attributes and implications. This thesis commences with a general theoretical and methodological survey of the literature in this relatively new sub-field. It then analyses the film Amistad and its reception and criticism amongst historical professionals. This analysis, coupled with the findings of the first chapter, forms the basis for an original and independent review of The Wind That Shakes the Barley, a film that has not yet been widely critiqued by historians. The thesis suggests how historical films may be fruitfully evaluated in ways that are sympathetic both to the peculiar exigencies of the medium and the traditional concerns of historical scholarship.

text: (Re)presenting the Past: Historiographical and Theoretical Implications of the Historical Docudrama This thesis contributes to the growing body of scholarship surrounding historical and filmic representations of the past. Moreover, it seeks to further the understanding and practical use of this sub-field in history by examining two films: Amistad (1997); and, The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006). Building on the insistence of scholars such as Robert Rosenstone and Hayden White, this thesis seeks to evaluate historical films on their own terms as representations of the past that must be judged according to their own conventions. Cinema's attraction to historical subjects is not a recent phenomenon. However, the past two decades, have seen a marked increase in the academic critique of 'historical films' - most notably Hollywood features and television documentaries. Moreover, the appetite of the general public for filmic treatment of historical topics continues unabated. While it is agreed that historical film cannot be judged according to the criteria used in accessing traditional modes of historical representation, there is little agreement about what criteria, precisely, should be used in evaluating historical films' historical attributes and implications. This thesis commences with a general theoretical and methodological survey of the literature in this relatively new sub-field. It then analyses the film Amistad and its reception and criticism amongst historical professionals. This analysis, coupled with the findings of the first chapter, forms the basis for an original and independent review of The Wind That Shakes the Barley, a film that has not yet been widely critiqued by historians. The thesis suggests how historical films may be fruitfully evaluated in ways that are sympathetic both to the peculiar exigencies of the medium and the traditional concerns of historical scholarship.

year: 2008

title: Listening and Learning from Rangatahi Māori: the Voices of Māori Youth

authors: Berryman, Mere

subjects: student self-determination

abstract: This paper presents three stories-over-time of the secondary schooling experiences of New Zealand’s rangatahi Māori–or Māori youth. The stories span fifteen years of New Zealand schooling and are told from three perspectives: the experiences of the students as told in their own words; the voices of youth within the prevailing political contexts of government policy; and, the reframing and repositioning of researchers listening to the experiences of rangatahi Māori who believe they have succeeded as Māori. In reality, the stories are interwoven, however, in an effort to make sense of the various methodological dilemmas, risks, and entanglements across the three points of learning, we have endeavored to disentangle these different threads from the whole and follow these independent of each other. We then weave these threads together again, as we sense-make across this complexity to identify implications for other educators, policy makers and researchers.

text: Listening and Learning from Rangatahi Māori: the Voices of Māori Youth This paper presents three stories-over-time of the secondary schooling experiences of New Zealand’s rangatahi Māori–or Māori youth. The stories span fifteen years of New Zealand schooling and are told from three perspectives: the experiences of the students as told in their own words; the voices of youth within the prevailing political contexts of government policy; and, the reframing and repositioning of researchers listening to the experiences of rangatahi Māori who believe they have succeeded as Māori. In reality, the stories are interwoven, however, in an effort to make sense of the various methodological dilemmas, risks, and entanglements across the three points of learning, we have endeavored to disentangle these different threads from the whole and follow these independent of each other. We then weave these threads together again, as we sense-make across this complexity to identify implications for other educators, policy makers and researchers.

year: 2017