Children versus curriculum: who wins?

Edited book (chapter)

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
Chapter Title

Children versus curriculum: who wins?

Book Chapter CategoryEdited book (chapter)
ERA Publisher ID2865
Book TitleCurriculum, schooling and applied research: challenges and tensions for researchers
AuthorsHaeusler, Carole (Author), Donovan, Jennifer (Author) and Venville, Grady (Author)
EditorsDonovan, Jennifer, Trimmer, Karen and Flegg, Nicholas
Page Range143-164
SeriesPalgrave Studies in Education Research Methods
Chapter Number7
Number of Pages22
Year2020
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Place of PublicationCham, Switzerland
ISBN9783030488215
9783030488222
ISSN2662-7345
2662-7353
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48822-2_7
Abstract

Today’s children live in a world surrounded by the mass media, encountering scientific words and ideas early in life. Jakab (2013) found 8 year olds had everyday understandings of molecules, and that some of this knowledge came from the mass media. Recent research involving Jenny Donovan and Grady Venville, using samples located in three Australian states, further highlighted this. The 141 children who completed a survey on their use of mass media were found to spend an average of 5 hours 10 minutes with the mass media daily, of which just over 2 hours was with television (TV). Despite being aged 10–12 years, 79% of the children watched crime shows rated for ages 15+, particularly NCIS, Bones, Law & Order, The Mentalist and CSI. Of the 62 interviewees, 89% knew of DNA, 60% knew of genes, and 97% knew or surmised that humans have DNA. Although the interviewees had minimal knowledge of the biological nature and function of DNA, 77% related DNA to solving crime, 65% related it to identification and family relationships (e.g. adoption, unknown soldiers, paternity) and 31% related it (particularly genes) to disease. The interviewees recognised TV as the source of their knowledge, citing particular TV shows.

Keywordschildren; mass media; television; TV
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020390304. Primary education
390113. Science, technology and engineering curriculum and pedagogy
390102. Curriculum and pedagogy theory and development
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Byline AffiliationsSchool of Education
Australian National University
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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