Thread by @johnleach12

The #EarlyCareerFramework and @EducEndowFoundn blog on Prior Knowledge and Misconceptions: a thread

@JustinDillonUoE @chrisharriKings @chemDrK @agittner @Alexbclearning @ViciaScience @NeedhamL56 @leighhoath @sci_challenge @RBrockPhysics @JamesSnook18 @HassunElZafar

@JaumeAmetller1 @ErduranSibel @jpscience @EdSacredProfane @AnttiLeht @hjwain @holman_john @ed_podesta @apf102

Great to see engagement with research evidence in the #EarlyCareerFramework #ECF and @EducEndowFoundn blog on Prior Knowledge and Misconceptions.

@EducEndowFoundn Work on prior knowledge has a long history with foundations back to Plato and seminal work from the early C20th (Piaget, Vygotsky, Ausubel, Bruner). Little focus on this in the #ECF. Skewed focus alert: I know mainly about secondary science education…

#ECF: good in intention but too over-simplistic to operationalise without significant additions/modifications:

A: SUBJECT: Understanding curriculum content in some subjects requires a structured, hierarchical framework of conceptual understanding (e.g. maths and sci, esp physics, prim, sec and beyond). Other subjects (languages inc Latin! DT…) require other knowledge forms.

B: WITHIN SUBJECT not all knowledge is conceptual. In sci you have to know/describe phenomena and events before accounting for them conceptually. Eg describe structure of skeleton, know that density doesn’t affect rate of fall before giving a Newtonian account.

C1: COGSCI #ECF written using #CogSci lingo. No problem but it neglects DECADES of refinement about WHAT IS STORED and HOW (Piaget, Vygotsky etc). Scaffolding, anyone? Piaget/Ausubel showed subject specific ideas important. Piaget showed that some general abilities important.

C2: COGSCI No mention in #ECF of how everyday lang shapes response to new concepts introduced in teaching. Shut the door to keep the cold out? Up-down motion talked about differently from horizontal motion. Kids come to class fluent in everyday lang AND THEY NEED TO STAY FLUENT!

C3 Kids need to see the DIFFERENCE: phys expl is PARSIMONIOUS, and uses some NEW ENTITIES (force, friction). Vygotsky introduced SOCIAL to compliment COG, plus mechanism for transfer from soc to cog (scaffolding – Bruner). #SciEdRes moved on from simple mental models in late 80s

D1: CURRIC AND PED DESIGN: LOADS of empirical evidence from ma/sc about positive impact of curric and ped design to enhance kids’ learning drawing on the above. #CASE findings in 90s made front page of The Times!

D2 #CLIS and subsequent work reflected in curric/pedagogy across the globe. Some #KS3Strategy #NationalStrategy materials for sc/ma drew on this (I wrote some with colleagues) but they were trashed by @michaelgove in 2010. All forgotten in #ECF

E: 2 YEARS?! EC teachers can’t do all this in 2y along with all other aspects of prof l (behaviour, assessment etc)! Solution: find well designed examples addressing prior learning, unpack the basis of design, practice adapting for use. Eg #KS3Strategy, @BestEvSciTeach

F: VALUE ITT: ITT in England (in schools and unis) is a national asset – yet attacked and poorly funded. Doing the above wouldn’t be possible if the #ITTMarketReview isn’t modified.

If you've stuck with this - thanks!