Searching for scientific Mozarts: get em' while they're young

Blog

Donovan, Jennifer, Haeusler, Carole and Stewart, Ian. 2013. "Searching for scientific Mozarts: get em' while they're young." The Conversation. 18 June 2013, pp. 1-4.
Article Title

Searching for scientific Mozarts: get em' while they're young

Article CategoryBlog
AuthorsDonovan, Jennifer (Author), Haeusler, Carole (Author) and Stewart, Ian (Author)
Publication TitleThe Conversation
Journal Citation18 June 2013, pp. 1-4
Number of Pages4
Year2013
Place of PublicationMelbourne, Australia
Web Address (URL)https://theconversation.com/searching-for-scientific-mozarts-get-em-while-theyre-young-15006
Abstract

To make a better society and economy, Australia needs a scientifically literate populace capable of making informed decisions. But traditionally, teaching the 'big ideas' in science only appears in the later years of high school. In the new Australian Curriculum: Science, the first mention of 'atoms' is in Year 9, when most students are already 14 years old. Is it possible that primary children, thought to be only concrete thinkers, can engage with abstract concepts such as atomic-molecular theory?

Keywordsprimary children; atomic-molecular theory; scientific literacy; big ideas of science
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020390113. Science, technology and engineering curriculum and pedagogy
390304. Primary education
520401. Cognition
Public Notes

Copyright © 2010–2013, The Conversation Media Group. Articles in The Conversation are free to share or republish under Creative Commons. You must credit the publisher, and you can't edit our material or sell it separately.

Byline AffiliationsSchool of Teacher Education and Early Childhood
Faculty of Education
No affiliation
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
Permalink -

https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q2847/searching-for-scientific-mozarts-get-em-while-they-re-young

Log in to edit

Download files

Published Version
Donovan_Haeusler_Stewart_CON_18Jun2013PV.pdf
License: CC BY-NC-ND
File access level: Anyone

  • 1799
    total views
  • 90
    total downloads
  • 2
    views this month
  • 1
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

A narrative review exploring the attitudes of nursing and complementary medicine students and practitioners toward biosciences curricula
Yeeles, J., Whiteside, E., Haeusler, C., Donovan, J. and Myer, S.. 2024. "A narrative review exploring the attitudes of nursing and complementary medicine students and practitioners toward biosciences curricula." Journal of Further and Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2024.2410972
Bridging the digital divide: gender and learning mode impacts on pre-service teacher digital competence and online engagement
Getenet, Seyum, Haeusler, Carole, Redmond, Petrea, Cantle, Robert and Crouch, Vanessa. 2024. "Bridging the digital divide: gender and learning mode impacts on pre-service teacher digital competence and online engagement." Irish Educational Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2024.2359694
First-year Preservice Teachers’ Understanding of Digital Technologies and Their Digital Literacy, Efficacy, Attitude, and Online Learning Engagement: Implication for Course Design
Getenet, Seyum, Haeusler, Carole, Redmond, Petrea, Cantle, Robert and Crouch, Vanessa. 2024. "First-year Preservice Teachers’ Understanding of Digital Technologies and Their Digital Literacy, Efficacy, Attitude, and Online Learning Engagement: Implication for Course Design." Technology, Knowledge and Learning. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-023-09724-z
A Custom-Made Board Game to Familiarise Primary School Children with Atoms
Dumin, Michael B., Cermak-Sassenrath, Daniel, Haeusler, Carole and Smets, Ilse. 2022. "A Custom-Made Board Game to Familiarise Primary School Children with Atoms." 16th European Conference on Games Based Learning (2022). Lisbon, Portugal 06 - 07 Oct 2022 Curtis Farm, United Kingdom.
Introducing Iranian primary children to atoms and molecules
Baji, Fatima and Haeusler, Carole. 2022. "Introducing Iranian primary children to atoms and molecules." Research in Science Education. 52 (4), pp. 1387-1418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-021-10008-8
Children versus curriculum: who wins?
Haeusler, Carole, Donovan, Jennifer and Venville, Grady. 2020. "Children versus curriculum: who wins?" Donovan, Jennifer, Trimmer, Karen and Flegg, Nicholas (ed.) Curriculum, schooling and applied research: challenges and tensions for researchers. Cham, Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 143-164
Educational innovation: challenges of conducting and applying research in schools
Trimmer, Karen, Donovan, Jennifer and Flegg, Nicholas. 2020. "Educational innovation: challenges of conducting and applying research in schools." Donovan, Jennifer, Trimmer, Karen and Flegg, Nicholas (ed.) Curriculum, schooling and applied research: challenges and tensions for researchers. Cham, Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 1-17
Realising the vision of technology integration: a case study of K-12 private schools in the United Arab Emirates
Mahmoud, Kheder, Arden, Catherine and Donovan, Jennifer. 2020. "Realising the vision of technology integration: a case study of K-12 private schools in the United Arab Emirates." Al Mahdi, Osama (ed.) Innovations in educational leadership and continuous teachers’ professional development. India. CSMFL Publications.
More than coding: Positioning STEM education in practice
Fitzgerald, Angela, Haeusler, Carole and Pfeiffer, Linda. 2020. "More than coding: Positioning STEM education in practice." Fitzgerald, Angela, Haeusler, Carole and Pfeiffer, Linda (ed.) STEM Education in Primary Classrooms: Unravelling Contemporary Approaches in Australia and New Zealand. Abingdon, United Kingdom. Routledge. pp. 1-11
Developing information literacy skills of the 6th grade students using the Big6 model
Baji, Fatima, Bigdeli, Zahed, Parsa, Abdullah and Haeusler, Carole. 2018. "Developing information literacy skills of the 6th grade students using the Big6 model." Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science. 23 (1), pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.22452/mjlis.vol23no1.1
Challenging the Science Curriculum Paradigm: TeachingPrimary Children Atomic-Molecular Theory
Haeusler, Carole and Donovan, Jennifer. 2020. "Challenging the Science Curriculum Paradigm: TeachingPrimary Children Atomic-Molecular Theory." Research in Science Education. 50 (1), pp. 23-52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-017-9679-2
Master teachers as leaders in school-based action research
Trimmer, Karen, Donovan, Jennifer, Findlay, Yvonne S. and Mohamed, Kamariah. 2017. "Master teachers as leaders in school-based action research." Leading and Managing. 23 (2), pp. 1-12.
You catch criminals with DNA: what kids know (and don't know) about genetics
Donovan, Jennifer. 2013. "You catch criminals with DNA: what kids know (and don't know) about genetics." The Conversation. 16 May 2013, pp. 1-4.
Online professional development for Australian science teachers: developing and deploying a curriculum evaluation model
Spence, Karen, Donovan, Jennifer and Danaher, P. A.. 2016. "Online professional development for Australian science teachers: developing and deploying a curriculum evaluation model." Kennepohl, Dietmar K. (ed.) Teaching science online: practical guidance for effective instruction and lab work. Sterling, Virginia, United States. Stylus Publishing. pp. 210-222
Incorporating student response systems in mathematics classes
Lozanovski, Con, Haeusler, Carole and Tobin, Patrick. 2011. "Incorporating student response systems in mathematics classes." Hannah, John and Thomas, Mike (ed.) 8th Southern Hemisphere Conference on Teaching and Learning of Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics: The Long Abiding Path of Knowledge. Rotorua, New Zealand 27 Nov - 02 Dec 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand.
Margins for error: a discussion of barriers preventing the connection of mainstream and margins when conducting in-school research
Donovan, Jennifer. 2015. "Margins for error: a discussion of barriers preventing the connection of mainstream and margins when conducting in-school research." Trimmer, Karen, Black, Alison L. and Riddle, Stewart (ed.) Mainstreams, margins and the spaces in-between: new possibilities for education research. Abingdon, Oxford. Routledge. pp. 223-238
The influence of the mass media on Australian primary students' understandings of genes and DNA
Donovan, Jennifer. 2014. The influence of the mass media on Australian primary students' understandings of genes and DNA. PhD Thesis Doctor of Philosophy. University of Western Australia.
Developing scientific literacy: introducing primary aged children to atomic-molecular theory
Donovan, Jennifer and Haeusler, Carole. 2015. "Developing scientific literacy: introducing primary aged children to atomic-molecular theory." de Silva, Eugene (ed.) Cases on research-based teaching methods in science education. Hershey, PA. United States. IGI Global. pp. 30-63
Blood and bones: the influence of the mass media on Australian primary school children’s understandings of genes and DNA
Donovan, Jennifer and Venville, Grady. 2014. "Blood and bones: the influence of the mass media on Australian primary school children’s understandings of genes and DNA." Science and Education. 23 (2), pp. 325-360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-012-9491-3
Exploring the influence of the mass media on primary students' conceptual understanding of genetics
Donovan, Jennifer and Venville, Grady. 2012. "Exploring the influence of the mass media on primary students' conceptual understanding of genetics." Education 3-13: the professional journal for primary education. 40 (1), pp. 75-95. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2012.635058
Is persistence taught or caught?: two contrasting case studies in the context of first year university teaching
Huntly, Helen and Donovan, Jenny. 2010. "Is persistence taught or caught?: two contrasting case studies in the context of first year university teaching." The International Journal of Learning. 17 (1), pp. 411-420.
Developing academic persistence in first year tertiary students: a case study
Huntly, Helen and Donovan, Jenny. 2009. "Developing academic persistence in first year tertiary students: a case study." Studies in Learning Evaluation Innovation and Development. 6 (1), pp. 1-14.
Supporting the development of persistence: strategies for teachers of first year undergraduate students
Huntly, Helen and Donovan, Jenny. 2009. "Supporting the development of persistence: strategies for teachers of first year undergraduate students." International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. 21 (2), pp. 210-220.
How pupils use a model for abstract concepts in genetics
Venville, Grady and Donovan, Jenny. 2008. "How pupils use a model for abstract concepts in genetics." Journal of Biological Education. 43 (1), pp. 6-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2008.9656143
Putting the 'E' into STEM [Keynote speaker]
Bullen, Frank and Haeusler, Carole. 2010. "Putting the 'E' into STEM [Keynote speaker]." Hudson, Peter, Vinesh, Chandra, King, Donna and Kar-Tin, Lee (ed.) 1st Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in Education Conference (STEM 2010). Brisbane, Australia 26 - 27 Nov 2010 Brisbane, Australia.
Examining the curriculum and assessment framework of the Australian curriculum: science
Haeusler, Carole. 2013. "Examining the curriculum and assessment framework of the Australian curriculum: science." Curriculum Perspectives. 33 (1), pp. 15-30.
Student perception of clicker technology in science and mathematics education
Haeusler, Carole E. and Lozanovski, Con. 2010. "Student perception of clicker technology in science and mathematics education." CETL 2010: Enhancing Learning Experiences in Higher Education. Pok Fu Lam, China 02 - 03 Dec 2010 Hong Kong.
Enhancing pre-service primary teachers' learning in science education using team-based project work
Haeusler, Carole E. and Lozanovski, Con. 2010. "Enhancing pre-service primary teachers' learning in science education using team-based project work." CETL 2010: Enhancing Learning Experiences in Higher Education. Pok Fu Lam, China 02 - 03 Dec 2010 Hong Kong.
Effects of maximal static apnea on antioxidant defenses in trained free divers
Bulmer, Andrew C., Coombes, Jeff S., Sharman, James E. and Stewart, Ian B.. 2008. "Effects of maximal static apnea on antioxidant defenses in trained free divers." Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 40 (7), pp. 1307-1313. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e31816a7188
Arterial oxygen desaturation kinetics during apnea
Stewart, Ian B., Bulmer, Andrew C., Sharman, James E. and Ridgway, Lynne. 2005. "Arterial oxygen desaturation kinetics during apnea." Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 37 (11), pp. 1871-1876. https://doi.org/10.12490/01.mss.0000176305.51360.7e