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Scientific Thought in Childhood Education
Scholar Year: 2019/2020 - 1S
| Code: |
MPE20002 |
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Acronym: |
PCEI |
Courses
| Acronym |
N. of students |
Study Plan |
Curricular year |
ECTS |
Contact hours |
Total Time |
| MPE |
16 |
Study Plan |
2º |
4,0 |
48 |
108,0 |
Teaching language
Portuguese
Intended learning outcomes (Knowledges, skills and competencies to be developed by the students)
- To improve mathematics knowledge as well as scientific knowledge (Natural and Social Sciences);
- To know and to understand concepts, theories and procedures related to key topics of Mathematics, Science and Social Sciences, mobilizing them appropriately in the analysis and discussion of issues that interrelate natural and social world;
- To use a scientific language appropriated to the context of Childhood Education.
- To formulate questions about phenomena and events from the perspective of an educational intervention in Childhood Education, integrating concepts, theories and procedures related to Mathematics, Science and and Social Sciences.
Syllabus
(a) Fundamental aspects of the child's thinking in Mythical Stadium (Kieran Egan)
- Reality and imagination;
- Curiosity and action;
- The binary oppositions.
(b) Problem posing and problem solving that allow the students to deep the understanding of fundamental scientific concepts concerning, in particular, the following themes:
- Human sense organs; renewable and non-renewable energy sources; meteorological wheter;
- Numbers and operations; Data analysis; Geometry and Measurement.
- Social/cultural differentiation and ways of life; Interrelationships between society and nature; Democracy and citizenship in Childhood Education; Time and space in Childhood Education; Imagination and child's thinking in mythical stadium
(c) Scientific thinking: Essential processes and their operationalization
- What does it mean to think scientifically?
- Transversal processes to scientific thought: to question, to explain and to justify; to collect, analyse, and represent information; to identify regularities, to conjecture, to generalize and to verify.
Demonstration of the syllabus coherence with the UC intended learning outcomes
Within the contemporary society, eminently scientific and technological, mathematical and scientifically literacy of citizens assumes particular relevance to help them to analyze critically situations, to think over about it and to take sustained decisions. Considering the crucial role of pre-school teachers in the development of scientific and mathematic literacy of children and the importance of foresee their future pedagogical practices in an intentional and reasoned way, this course aims to contribute to a deep understanding of concepts and procedures related to mathematics, Science and Social Sciences and their mobilization. Thus, the contents of this course are focused on fundamental themes of these areas of knowledge. In this context the topics will be addressed in order to promote the connection between related concepts and procedures.
Teaching methodologies
The work to be undertaken under this course will focus on the active engagement of students (individual and in groups), in order to achieve a deep knowledge related to the themes. The sessions will include: (i) the resolution and discussion of problems concerning programmatic contents, (ii) reading, analysis and discussion of papers considered as founding of the course; (iii) the analysis and reflection of practical situations potentially promoters of the development of mathematic and scientific literacy.
Demonstration of the teaching methodologies coherence with the curricular unit's intended learning outcomes
The learning outcomes are focused on learning concepts and processes related to Mathematics and to Natural and Social Sciences. This learning requires conceptual understanding and therefore the resolution and discussion of problems is an important methodological option for the work that will be carried out in classes. This option aims, in particular, to foster and to support the domain in the use of procedures as well as the ability to think logically, to reflect on ideas and to explain and justify reasoning. The theoretical information provided by the teacher and the presentation, in the class, of work done by students contribute, not only to deepen their knowledge about the syllabus, but also to systematize this knowledge. It is intended that the analysis and reflection on episodes of practice which potentially can promote the development of child’ scientific and mathematic literacy (including practice situations already experienced), constitute an opportunity for the students: (i) to identify aspects related to content knowledge, as future educators who need to deepen, (ii) to develop a scientifically appropriate language for the Childhood Education context, distinguishing the common sense and scientific knowledge, and (iii) to perspective future interventions compatible with an integrated vision of development of concepts, processes and procedures related to Mathematics, to Science and to Social Sciences.
Assessment methodologies and evidences
The students may choose the modality of continuous assessment or final exam. The continuous assessment will focus on: (a) the development of individual written product (s) (40%) and (b) the preparation and presentation a group product that incorporate knowledge of Mathematics, Science and Social Sciences (60%).
If students do not get a rating higher or equal to 9.5 on the weighted average of (a) and (b), may do a final exam like the ones who have not opted for the modality of continuous assessment. This exam will involve the accomplishment of a written test, which will be focused on the entire syllabus.
Attendance system
The option for the continuous assessment modality implies the participation of the students in at least 75% of the classes of the course and, simultaneously, their attendance of, at least, 60% of the classes focused on each of the thematic areas of the course (mathematics, Science and Social Science).
It is advisable to consult the Regulation of Frequency and Evaluation of ESS / IPS, in particular Articles 24 and 25. The students with special status who can not meet the frequency conditions above should contact the teacher responsible for UC.
Bibliography
Main Bibliography
Campenhoudt, L. (2003). Introdução à análise dos fenómenos sociais. Lisboa: Gradiva.
Egan, K. (1988). Primary understanding: Education in early childhood. New York and London: Routledge.
Egan, K. (1987). Mente da criança. Coelhos falantes & laranjas mecânicas. Lisboa: Instituto Piaget/Horizontes Pedagógicos, nº 82, 2001.
Hadani, H. S., & Rood, E. (2018). The Roots of STEM Sucess: Changing early learning experiences to buid lifelong thinking skills. Project Report. USA: Center for Childhood.
Geist, E. (2009). Children are born mathematicians: Supporting mathematical development, birth to age 8. New Jersey: Perarson
Lannin, J., Ellis, A., & Elliott, R. (2011). Developing Essential Understanding of Mathematical Reasoning for Teaching Mathematics in Prekindergarten - Grade 8. Pennsylvania: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
NCTM (2007). Princípios e Normas para a Matemática Escolar. (trabalho original publicado em 2000 pelo NCTM). Lisboa: APM.
O'Connell, S. (2007). Introduction to Problem Solving, Grades PreK-2. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Oliveira, I. & Moreira, D. (2002). Iniciação à Matemática no Jardim de Infância: Lisboa: Universidade Aberta.
Palhares, P. (coord.) (2009). Elementos de Matemática para Professores do Ensino Básico. Lisboa: Lidel.
Reis, P. (2008). Investigar e Descobrir: Actividades para a Educação em Ciência nas Primeiras Idades. Chamusca: Edições Cosmos.
Roldão, M. C. (1994). O pensamento concreto da criança: Uma perspectiva a questionar no currículo. Lisboa: Instituto de Inovação Educacional/Ciências da Educação, nº 4.
Santos, M., Gaspar M. & Santos S. (2014). A ciência na educação pré-escolar. Lisboa: Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos.
Seefeldt, C., Castle, S., & Falconer, R. (2013). Social Studies for the Preschool / Primary Child. New York: Pearson.
Small, M. (2017). Teaching Mathematical Thinking: Tasks and Questions to Strengthen Practices and Processes. Toronto: Teachers College Press.
Sites
Direção Geral da Educação: http://www.dge.mec.pt
How stuff works: http://www.howstuffworks.com/
Agência Nacional para a Cultura Científica e Tecnológica: http://www.cienciaviva.pt/home/
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: https://illuminations.nctm.org
NRICH Project: http://nrich.maths.org/frontpage
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