M.Sc (Science Education)
The M.Sc in Science Education is a one-year full-time or two-year part-time degree focusing on educational aspects of one or more of the sciences. “Science”, as used here, includes the biological sciences, earth sciences, mathematical sciences and physical sciences. I did the M.Sc part-time while teaching and began the programme in 2012.
Structure of the Course
The course work (making up 50% of the degree) comprises four topics. Classes are usually held in the afternoons, from 16h00, once or twice a week, depending on the timetable. The remaining 50% is allocated to a report describing research the student has conducted in one of the subject areas in the field of science or mathematics education.
We were required to do four courses from the science or mathematics education packages.
Research Methods and Design in Science Education
The course deals with both qualitative and, to a lesser extent, quantitative research approaches to investigating science and mathematics education. Content includes the nature and purpose of research in science education; a review of research approaches and instruments; collecting and analysing different types of data; research rigour (in qualitative and quantitative research); an introduction to methods of analysis; and preparing the research proposal. The proposal is a logically argued case, supported by evidence, justifying the research and showing that the researcher is capable of doing it. A pre-requisite for passing the course is the production of a satisfactory research proposal. Each student will present their research proposal in the form of a seminar at the end of the course, and will submit their written proposal for comment by an independent reader, and eventual approval by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Faculty of Science.
The Research Report
The science content of this research should be such that the study could not be carried out by a non-science graduate. After consultation with members of staff and the student concerned a research supervisor will be allocated to each student. Supervisors will assist students throughout the research project, i.e, from preparation of the research proposal, to the final write up. The ultimate responsibility, however, rests with the student.
The Learning and Teaching of Science
This course deals with past and current developments in theories on the learning and teaching of science including personal, social and situative theories. We will look at the philosophy of science and science education with an emphasis on relationships between learning theories and the generation of knowledge. These ideas are linked to how they may inform research in science classrooms in the context of the need for equity and sound practice in science learning. Finally we examine the implications these theories have for the nature of classroom scientific knowledge and its pedagogy.
Subject Matter Knowledge for Teaching Science
This course will offer a critical examination of science for teaching. The course examines how teachers transform their content knowledge for teaching into representations, analogies, models and explanations. In the course students will also critically examine students’ ideas on a number of topics in science and how these ideas arise. Attention will also be paid to the context of learners and how this is taken into account in the shaping of content knowledge. Finally, the nature of teachers’ subject matter knowledge in science will be studied. To enable a deeper consideration of the content, the class will separate into physical science and life science groups for some sessions.
Current Issues in Science Education
This course provides students with a basic understanding of the history of science, the history of science education, the historical origins and philosophical foundations of modern science; scientific literacy and the nature of science. It focuses on instructive analyses of contemporary techno-socio-scientific challenges (e.g. climate changes and genetic engineering) and discusses contemporary curriculum issues in science education informed by philosophical perspectives (e.g. Kuhn, Popper, Feyerabend and Lakatos).
