Chapter 6
Models, Dissemination, and Impact
In: Long-term Research and Development in Science EducationSearch for other papers by Zahava Scherz in
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Abstract
Attainment of higher-order skills should be a fundamental part of school science education in the 21st century and is imperative for the development of independent learning. These skills include inquiry and problem-solving skills, thinking skills and learning skills. This chapter relates to the program Learning Skills for Science (LSS), which was developed in the late 1990s for schools in Israel and later extended for UK secondary schools through a 10-year collaboration with the Gatsby-SEP (Science Enhancement Programme). We describe the objectives and characteristics of the LSS program, and present models for its usage in science and technology education. We elaborate on LSS learning activities, teacher development and dissemination frameworks.
Research and evaluation findings from Israel and the UK indicate that explicit and spiral instruction of LSS skills, integrated into a variety of scientific contexts and tasks, promote students’ performances in compound science learning activities. Participating teachers were instrumental and resourceful in integrating LSS into their schemes of work. The LSS program was successfully adapted by key reforms in Israel, UK and had impact additional countries.