An Investigation of Chinese Senior Secondary Physics Teachers’ Perceptions and Implementation of Inquiry-Based Teaching in China Zheng Zhu Bsc; Gdiped; Medres
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An Investigation of Chinese Senior Secondary Physics Teachers’ Perceptions and Implementation of Inquiry-Based Teaching in China Zheng Zhu BSc; GDipEd; MEdRes A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2014 School of Education Abstract Recent reform to the Chinese national secondary science curricula has made inquiry a compulsory component of teaching objectives. It encourages science teachers to provide their students with more inquiry experience. However, many Chinese science teachers are finding it very challenging to adopt inquiry-based teaching (IBT) in their classrooms (B. Zhang, et al., 2003). The traditional teaching approaches still dominate in Chinese secondary classrooms (Salili, Zhou, & Hoosain, 2003). In addition, many teachers can not conduct IBT effectively (Y. Zhao, 2011; Qian, 2012). These issues are mirrored in many other education systems in the world where IBT is mandated. Evidence suggests that teachers all over the world struggle to implement inquiry-based changes to their teaching practices (R. Anderson, 2002; Campbell, Oh, Shin & Zhang, 2010). With an aim of addressing the barriers to the effective enactment of IBT in science classrooms, this study contributes to our understanding of the enactment of IBT by investigating Chinese senior secondary physics teachers’ perceptions and implementation of IBT. A mixed-methods approach has been employed to explore teachers’ beliefs about science teaching and learning, perceptions of IBT, and their inquiry practices. Using teacher surveys, in-depth semi-structured interviews and case studies, this study provides an insider’s view to Chinese physics teachers’ perceptions and enactment of IBT in their unique teaching contexts. This study has found that Chinese secondary physics teachers’ beliefs about the nature of science, teaching, and learning, were closely aligned (or nested) but sometimes conflicting. These beliefs interacted together to exert complex influences on teachers’ instructional decisions regarding the use of IBT, which in turn affect subsequent inquiry practices. The decision-making process included a process of interpretation in which teachers matched their understanding of inquiry with their beliefs. Teachers’ prior experience played vital roles in developing teachers’ beliefs, their understanding of inquiry, and their pedagogical knowledge and skills for IBT. This study also found that Chinese secondary physics teachers developed diverse inquiry practices, which shared some common pedagogical characteristics. There is a discrepancy, however, between teachers’ intended inquiry practice (instructional decisions) and actual inquiry practice in their classrooms. The teaching context, teachers’ perceptions of inquiry, and their pedagogical knowledge and skills for IBT affected the way in which their instructional decisions were put into effective inquiry practices. i This study also drew attention to the powerful influences of the sociocultural context in China on teachers’ instructional decisions and their inquiry practices. Among these factors, the test-oriented student assessment system and limited teaching time were found to be particularly influential on teachers’ implementation of IBT. Other influential contextual factors included: the nature of students, classroom culture, school environment, collegial influences, and practical factors such as class size and resources. These major findings provide an overall picture of how Chinese physics teachers perceived and implemented IBT in the teaching context in China. It is suggested that it is possible and practical for Chinese physics secondary teachers to implement IBT. However, their inquiry-based instruction was often constrained by their beliefs and their teaching contexts, and distorted by their misconceptions and lack of pedagogical knowledge about inquiry. These issues point to three compelling challenges that Chinese physics teachers are encountering for their use of IBT, including challenges due to changing beliefs, pedagogy challenges, and cultural challenges. These challenges need to be appropriately addressed in order to improve teachers’ success in implementing IBT. The study contributes to knowledge in international science education by offering deeper and more detailed insights into Chinese senior secondary physics teachers’ perceptions and implementation of IBT. Particularly, it adds to the existing body of research on classroom enactment of inquiry-based teaching by providing five contrasting cases, describing how teachers’ beliefs, perceptions of inquiry, and inquiry practices interacted in their teaching contexts. The study also provides valuable information that can help researchers, teacher educators, and curriculum designers support teachers’ implementation of IBT. ii Declaration by author This thesis is composed of my original work, and contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference has been made in the text. I have clearly stated the contribution by others to jointly-authored works that I have included in my thesis. I have clearly stated the contribution of others to my thesis as a whole, including statistical assistance, survey design, data analysis, significant technical procedures, professional editorial advice, and any other original research work used or reported in my thesis. The content of my thesis is the result of work I have carried out since the commencement of my research higher degree candidature and does not include a substantial part of work that has been submitted to qualify for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution. I have clearly stated which parts of my thesis, if any, have been submitted to qualify for another award. I acknowledge that an electronic copy of my thesis must be lodged with the University Library and, subject to the policy and procedures of The University of Queensland, the thesis be made available for research and study in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968 unless a period of embargo has been approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. I acknowledge that copyright of all material contained in my thesis resides with the copyright holder(s) of that material. Where appropriate I have obtained copyright permission from the copyright holder to reproduce material in this thesis. iii Publications during candidature Zhu, Z., & Geelan, D. (2013). Chinese secondary physics teachers’ beliefs and instructional decisions in relation to inquiry-based teaching. Electronic Journal of Science Education, 17(2), 1-24. Zhu, Z., & Fan, X. (2014). Improving the efficacy of questioning techniques in science teachers’ inquiry instruction. In Pixel (Ed.), Conference proceedings of the 3rd International conference of New Perspectives in Science Education (pp. 400-403). Florence, Italy: libreriauniversitaria.it. Available http://conference.pixel-online.net/NPSE/files/npse/ed0003/FP/0303-STM202-FP-NPSE3.pdf Zhu, Z. (2010). An analysis of Chinese secondary physics teachers’ beliefs and instructional practices regarding inquiry-based teaching. Paper presented at the 2010 Australasian Science Education Research Association (ASERA) Conference, Port Stephens, Australia. Zhu, Z. (2008). A comparison study of students' reasons for taking Physics between two Australian high schools and two Chinese high schools. Paper presented at the 2008 Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, Brisbane, Australia Publications included in this thesis No publications included Contributions by others to the thesis No contributions by others. Statement of parts of the thesis submitted to qualify for the award of another degree None iv Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincere thanks to those who have helped and supported me along this journey. I am grateful to my advisors, Dr. Tony Wright, Dr. David Geelan, and Prof. Martin Mills, for their continued patience, encouragement, understanding and advice. I am thankful too for the guidance that Prof. Robyn Gillies has offered as the chair of my review panel. I am also appreciative of the other members of my review panel for their insightful comments and feedback, including Prof. Martin Mills and Prof. Rob Gilbert. I would like to thank the teachers and students who participated in this study. Thank you for your patience and cooperation in this research project and giving me so much of your valuable time. My sincere thanks also go to the schools and district research leaders, for your support and offering me opportunities to sample and access the participants in schools. I thank my colleague and friend, Xinxin Fan, for the stimulating discussions and comments, and for all the fun we have had in the last three years. Also I thank my colleagues in University of Queensland: Deirdre White, Michelle White, Jianwei Liu, and Neville Smith for their warm support during my study. I especially want to thank my husband, Fangming, and my lovely twin daughters, Laura and Rayna. Without your warm love, unfailing support and encouragement, I would not have been able to complete this work. v Keywords science education, inquiry-based teaching, senior secondary physics teaching, teacher beliefs, perceptions of inquiry, teaching context, China Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classifications (ANZSRC) ANZSRC code: 130212, Science, Technology and Engineering Curriculum and Pedagogy, 80% ANZSRC code: 130313 Teacher Education and Professional Development of Educators,