ERIC Number: EJ975554
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Jun
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2077-2327
EISSN: N/A
Experiences of Teaching the Heat Energy Topic in English as a Second Language
Halim, Lilia; Dahlan, Fathiyah; Treagust, David F.; Chandrasegaran, A. L.
Science Education International, v23 n2 p117-132 Jun 2012
In view of the current debate in Malaysia about the teaching of science and mathematics in English, a qualitative study was undertaken involving a purposeful sampling of three non-physics teachers to ascertain how well equipped they were with the necessary pedagogical content knowledge relating to the teaching of the topic of "heat energy" in the second language (i.e., English) to cater to the needs of Year 10 students of diverse interests and abilities in the subject. Data were obtained using video recordings from 10 classroom observations of the teaching and learning of the following topics/concepts: (1) thermal equilibrium, (2) heat capacity, (3) specific heat capacity, (4) latent heat, (5) specific latent heat, and (6) Boyle's Law, Charles' Law and the Pressure Law. This video analysis was triangulated using data from interviews with the three teachers. The findings revealed that the teachers possessed a variety of instructional strategies to teach the concepts in English and displayed commendable ingenuity to further facilitate student understanding by explaining in the Malay language when students experienced difficulty, while at the same time insisting that students used the appropriate English terms. In addition, when not familiar with certain physics apparatus, the teachers opted for simulations of the relevant experiments. As a result, the study has introduced a new component to PCK, i.e., the role of a second language in teaching science. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Video Technology, Educational Strategies, Second Language Learning, Physics, Heat, Foreign Countries, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Energy, Science Instruction, Mathematics Instruction, Qualitative Research, English (Second Language), Interviews, Teacher Attitudes, Indonesian, Teaching Methods, Language of Instruction, Science Teachers, Science Education
International Council of Associations for Science Education. Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Education, Buca, Izmir 35150, Turkey. Tel: +90-532-4267927; Fax: +90-232-4204895; Web site: http://icaseonline.net
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Malaysia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A