Marida Ergazaki | University of Patras (original) (raw)

Papers by Marida Ergazaki

Routledge eBooks, May 23, 2018

Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, 2019

Science & education, Mar 16, 2023

Although formulating a broadly accepted definition of scientific literacy may be challenging, it ... more Although formulating a broadly accepted definition of scientific literacy may be challenging, it is widely recognized that Nature of Science (NOS) is an essential component of it. There are different ways to define NOS. In some cases, NOS can be conceptualized through a number of general NOS aspects like for instance science's empirical basis or tentativeness. This approach in NOS teaching and learning is considered to be helpful for advancing students' understanding about NOS. Moreover, it has been suggested that history of science, and more specifically narratives informed by the history of science, can be very well used to explicitly and systematically highlight general NOS aspects. Thus, this paper reports on two "fiction talk stories" that we created considering the history of the super-organismic-plant-community concept and the critique against it. Our stories, "Inspiration cannot wait" and "Panta rhei," set focus on the creativity involved in scientists' work, the distinction between observation and inference, and the tentativeness of science. In this paper, we (a) discuss fiction talk stories as a type of narratives used in educational contexts, (b) highlight the historical background of "Inspiration cannot wait" and "Panta rhei" and present the narratives themselves, (c) discuss them in terms of their essential features and the strategies we considered, and (d) we make some final remarks.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2015

International audienc

Review of Science, Mathematics and ICT Education, Jun 24, 2021

The idea of the Balance of Nature (BON-idea), which implies a predetermined order and stability g... more The idea of the Balance of Nature (BON-idea), which implies a predetermined order and stability guaranteed by a God's will or nature itself, is much older than the science of ecology and had a remarkable influence on it. It seems that the history of the BON-idea might be used for highlighting Nature of Science (NOS). Our study concerns whether it is actually feasible to draw on the BON-idea history in order to design historical narratives that could effectively support students to reach a better understanding of general NOS aspects. In this paper, we focus on which general NOS aspects could be highlighted by the BON-idea history and how. So, we argue that the BON-idea history can offer resources for the design of narratives that outline scientific knowledge as (i) influenced by socio-cultural contexts, (ii) mediated by creativity, and (iii) subject to change.

Contributions from science education research, 2023

Science & education, Nov 25, 2021

Contributions from Biology Education Research, 2022

This paper reports on the rationale of a study that aims at exploring whether philosophical theor... more This paper reports on the rationale of a study that aims at exploring whether philosophical theories of concept formation can inform biology education. Thus, we will first summarize some basic philosophical theories that try to explain how humans form concepts like ANIMAL, FISH, etc. And then, we will suggest that such theories can help us design learning environments to promote rigorous mechanisms of concept formation and facilitate young children in the classification of living organisms and the construction of a more meaningful understanding of the biological world.

Inquiry as a process of constructing knowledge about the physical and biological world is an inte... more Inquiry as a process of constructing knowledge about the physical and biological world is an integral part of science and it has also been introduced in science education a long time ago. In fact, it was thought that students’ engagement in a knowledgepursuing process similar to the scientific one, would be beneficial for their learning. In the past, prominent pedagogues, like Dewey for instance (1997), argued for instructional approaches that are based on experiences and reflective thinking and trigger students’ interest. These suggestions were linked to constructivist theories of learning (Bruner, 1961; Ausubel, Novak & Hanesian, 1978) and gave rise to a model of instruction that was called the “learning cycle” (Heiss, Obourn & Hoffman, 1950, in Bybee et al., 2006). The “learning cycle” starts with the phase of “exploration” and gradually proceeds to the phases of “getting experience”, “organizing learning” and “applying new knowledge”. This model does not seem to take into accoun...

Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, 2019

Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, 2019

This paper reports on the case study of the 1 st cycle of a design research, which aims at design... more This paper reports on the case study of the 1 st cycle of a design research, which aims at designing a biological learning environment (LE) based on philosophical theories of concept formation. The aim of the LE is to support primary school students in constructing biological concepts such as ‘fish’, ‘amphibian’, ‘reptile’, ‘bird’, and ‘mammal’, and enhancing their categorization skills. The design principles of the 1 st version of the LE, as well as the results of its implementation with 19 fifth graders and particularly their pre/post-ideas about the classes of vertebrate animals are thoroughly discussed in the paper.

Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, 2019

With the sustainability of our future under constant threat, it is important for children to real... more With the sustainability of our future under constant threat, it is important for children to realize as soon as possible that local decisions may have global effects. This idea of the ‘local-global’ connection has been integrated in a learning environment (LE) aiming at supporting preschoolers in enhancing their conceptual understanding about nature, along with their socio-environmental awareness. The LE was designed in the context of early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS), and implemented in a case study with 30 children. The results, that will be thoroughly discussed, suggest that the learning environment seems to work quite well regarding the socio-environmental target-idea.

Digital Knowledge Maps in Education, 2013

Researching conceptual understanding and development in learning requires recording and evaluatin... more Researching conceptual understanding and development in learning requires recording and evaluating students’ knowledge structures, either collaboratively or individually formed, but also requires investigating equally the learning process as well as the learning outcomes. The dynamic nature of knowledge maps, their potential as a life-long learning strategy, and their evaluation through a valid assessment protocol could serve those requirements. The following chapter records a case study in which 16 sixth grade students (10 years old) participated of a Greek state elementary school of an urban area, randomly selected. The students constructed and revised digital knowledge maps at various phases of a Science course both individually and in pairs. The research process involved collecting a succession of individually and collaboratively constructed knowledge maps. The series of knowledge maps was evaluated with a specifically designed protocol to assess multiple aspects of the knowledge structure process. The research aims at highlighting knowledge maps as a more sensitive assessment method of the learning process, compared to traditional tests and at underlining their effective use as a monitoring and assessment tool in collaborative environments. Results showed that graphics such concepts maps are more sensitive to subtle changes in student’s understanding.

Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, 2014

This paper reports on two case studies concerning young children’s reasoning about human actions ... more This paper reports on two case studies concerning young children’s reasoning about human actions on nature. In each study, children are presented with a different plausible scenario of tree logging, before and after a teaching intervention. The latter has to do with trees as animal-habitats and is set in the broader context of Education for Sustainable Development. We are discussing the possible impact of the teaching intervention as well as that of the probing scenarios, on children’s attitudes for tree logging and on the ways they justify them.

International Journal of Early Years Education, 2020

The paper reports on a case study addressing the question of how young children think about the l... more The paper reports on a case study addressing the question of how young children think about the living/non-living distinction before and after their engagement in a 'Philosophy for Children'-inspired learning environment. The aim of the learning environment was to help children come up with a better identification of living and non-living things by grasping certain biological functions as the main identification criteria. Our participants were 15, conveniently selected, 4-5 years old pupils of a public kindergarten. In order to evaluate the learning gains, we carried out our pre-/post-tests with semi-structured individual interviews. The results were rather promising and will be discussed thoroughly in the paper.

Review of Science, Mathematics and ICT Education, 2017

This paper reports on a case study performed in the 3 rd cycle of a developmental research that c... more This paper reports on a case study performed in the 3 rd cycle of a developmental research that concerns the design of a CSCL environment of ecology for university students. Our focus here is set on using this environment to help students develop ‘interdependent reciprocal thinking’ about everyday cause-and-effect relationships. To do this, we drew upon the function of feedback loops (a) in ecosystems, (b) in everyday life, and (c) per se, respectively through NetLogo-models, familiar examples, and experiential activity. Analyzing the 44 participants’ pre/post responses showed that a better understanding of how causality works in everyday contexts was finally reached.

Routledge eBooks, May 23, 2018

Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, 2019

Science & education, Mar 16, 2023

Although formulating a broadly accepted definition of scientific literacy may be challenging, it ... more Although formulating a broadly accepted definition of scientific literacy may be challenging, it is widely recognized that Nature of Science (NOS) is an essential component of it. There are different ways to define NOS. In some cases, NOS can be conceptualized through a number of general NOS aspects like for instance science's empirical basis or tentativeness. This approach in NOS teaching and learning is considered to be helpful for advancing students' understanding about NOS. Moreover, it has been suggested that history of science, and more specifically narratives informed by the history of science, can be very well used to explicitly and systematically highlight general NOS aspects. Thus, this paper reports on two "fiction talk stories" that we created considering the history of the super-organismic-plant-community concept and the critique against it. Our stories, "Inspiration cannot wait" and "Panta rhei," set focus on the creativity involved in scientists' work, the distinction between observation and inference, and the tentativeness of science. In this paper, we (a) discuss fiction talk stories as a type of narratives used in educational contexts, (b) highlight the historical background of "Inspiration cannot wait" and "Panta rhei" and present the narratives themselves, (c) discuss them in terms of their essential features and the strategies we considered, and (d) we make some final remarks.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2015

International audienc

Review of Science, Mathematics and ICT Education, Jun 24, 2021

The idea of the Balance of Nature (BON-idea), which implies a predetermined order and stability g... more The idea of the Balance of Nature (BON-idea), which implies a predetermined order and stability guaranteed by a God's will or nature itself, is much older than the science of ecology and had a remarkable influence on it. It seems that the history of the BON-idea might be used for highlighting Nature of Science (NOS). Our study concerns whether it is actually feasible to draw on the BON-idea history in order to design historical narratives that could effectively support students to reach a better understanding of general NOS aspects. In this paper, we focus on which general NOS aspects could be highlighted by the BON-idea history and how. So, we argue that the BON-idea history can offer resources for the design of narratives that outline scientific knowledge as (i) influenced by socio-cultural contexts, (ii) mediated by creativity, and (iii) subject to change.

Contributions from science education research, 2023

Science & education, Nov 25, 2021

Contributions from Biology Education Research, 2022

This paper reports on the rationale of a study that aims at exploring whether philosophical theor... more This paper reports on the rationale of a study that aims at exploring whether philosophical theories of concept formation can inform biology education. Thus, we will first summarize some basic philosophical theories that try to explain how humans form concepts like ANIMAL, FISH, etc. And then, we will suggest that such theories can help us design learning environments to promote rigorous mechanisms of concept formation and facilitate young children in the classification of living organisms and the construction of a more meaningful understanding of the biological world.

Inquiry as a process of constructing knowledge about the physical and biological world is an inte... more Inquiry as a process of constructing knowledge about the physical and biological world is an integral part of science and it has also been introduced in science education a long time ago. In fact, it was thought that students’ engagement in a knowledgepursuing process similar to the scientific one, would be beneficial for their learning. In the past, prominent pedagogues, like Dewey for instance (1997), argued for instructional approaches that are based on experiences and reflective thinking and trigger students’ interest. These suggestions were linked to constructivist theories of learning (Bruner, 1961; Ausubel, Novak & Hanesian, 1978) and gave rise to a model of instruction that was called the “learning cycle” (Heiss, Obourn & Hoffman, 1950, in Bybee et al., 2006). The “learning cycle” starts with the phase of “exploration” and gradually proceeds to the phases of “getting experience”, “organizing learning” and “applying new knowledge”. This model does not seem to take into accoun...

Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, 2019

Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, 2019

This paper reports on the case study of the 1 st cycle of a design research, which aims at design... more This paper reports on the case study of the 1 st cycle of a design research, which aims at designing a biological learning environment (LE) based on philosophical theories of concept formation. The aim of the LE is to support primary school students in constructing biological concepts such as ‘fish’, ‘amphibian’, ‘reptile’, ‘bird’, and ‘mammal’, and enhancing their categorization skills. The design principles of the 1 st version of the LE, as well as the results of its implementation with 19 fifth graders and particularly their pre/post-ideas about the classes of vertebrate animals are thoroughly discussed in the paper.

Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, 2019

With the sustainability of our future under constant threat, it is important for children to real... more With the sustainability of our future under constant threat, it is important for children to realize as soon as possible that local decisions may have global effects. This idea of the ‘local-global’ connection has been integrated in a learning environment (LE) aiming at supporting preschoolers in enhancing their conceptual understanding about nature, along with their socio-environmental awareness. The LE was designed in the context of early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS), and implemented in a case study with 30 children. The results, that will be thoroughly discussed, suggest that the learning environment seems to work quite well regarding the socio-environmental target-idea.

Digital Knowledge Maps in Education, 2013

Researching conceptual understanding and development in learning requires recording and evaluatin... more Researching conceptual understanding and development in learning requires recording and evaluating students’ knowledge structures, either collaboratively or individually formed, but also requires investigating equally the learning process as well as the learning outcomes. The dynamic nature of knowledge maps, their potential as a life-long learning strategy, and their evaluation through a valid assessment protocol could serve those requirements. The following chapter records a case study in which 16 sixth grade students (10 years old) participated of a Greek state elementary school of an urban area, randomly selected. The students constructed and revised digital knowledge maps at various phases of a Science course both individually and in pairs. The research process involved collecting a succession of individually and collaboratively constructed knowledge maps. The series of knowledge maps was evaluated with a specifically designed protocol to assess multiple aspects of the knowledge structure process. The research aims at highlighting knowledge maps as a more sensitive assessment method of the learning process, compared to traditional tests and at underlining their effective use as a monitoring and assessment tool in collaborative environments. Results showed that graphics such concepts maps are more sensitive to subtle changes in student’s understanding.

Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, 2014

This paper reports on two case studies concerning young children’s reasoning about human actions ... more This paper reports on two case studies concerning young children’s reasoning about human actions on nature. In each study, children are presented with a different plausible scenario of tree logging, before and after a teaching intervention. The latter has to do with trees as animal-habitats and is set in the broader context of Education for Sustainable Development. We are discussing the possible impact of the teaching intervention as well as that of the probing scenarios, on children’s attitudes for tree logging and on the ways they justify them.

International Journal of Early Years Education, 2020

The paper reports on a case study addressing the question of how young children think about the l... more The paper reports on a case study addressing the question of how young children think about the living/non-living distinction before and after their engagement in a 'Philosophy for Children'-inspired learning environment. The aim of the learning environment was to help children come up with a better identification of living and non-living things by grasping certain biological functions as the main identification criteria. Our participants were 15, conveniently selected, 4-5 years old pupils of a public kindergarten. In order to evaluate the learning gains, we carried out our pre-/post-tests with semi-structured individual interviews. The results were rather promising and will be discussed thoroughly in the paper.

Review of Science, Mathematics and ICT Education, 2017

This paper reports on a case study performed in the 3 rd cycle of a developmental research that c... more This paper reports on a case study performed in the 3 rd cycle of a developmental research that concerns the design of a CSCL environment of ecology for university students. Our focus here is set on using this environment to help students develop ‘interdependent reciprocal thinking’ about everyday cause-and-effect relationships. To do this, we drew upon the function of feedback loops (a) in ecosystems, (b) in everyday life, and (c) per se, respectively through NetLogo-models, familiar examples, and experiential activity. Analyzing the 44 participants’ pre/post responses showed that a better understanding of how causality works in everyday contexts was finally reached.

This paper reports on the case study of the 1 st cycle of a design research, which aims at design... more This paper reports on the case study of the 1 st cycle of a design research, which aims at designing a biological learning environment (LE) based on philosophical theories of concept formation. The aim of the LE is to support primary school students in constructing biological concepts such as 'fish ', 'amphibian', 'reptile', 'bird', and 'mammal', and enhancing their categorization skills.