TY - CHAP

T1 - Implementing inquiry-based science education to foster emotional engagement of special-needs students

AU - Abels, Simone

PY - 2015/1/1

Y1 - 2015/1/1

N2 - Affective dimensions are key determinants for the successful performance of all students at compulsory level, but for students with special educational needs, they become even more important. The focus of this chapter is students with cognitive and emotional/behavior disorders. Learning environments have to be carefully designed so that these students can develop a feeling of success, ability, and social embeddedness in order to cope with their affective lability. Following the idea of "science for all," every student is entitled to develop skills in science to the fullest potential on the basis of appropriate educational opportunities. This chapter illustrates a case study using the approach of emancipatory action research to investigate how the implementation of the often recommended approach "inquiry-based science education" can foster the emotional engagement of special-needs students (5th and 6th graders). Two out of ten students of a specialneeds class were chosen for deeper analysis. Their special educational needs were diagnosed in two focal areas of support: "emotional and social development" and "learning". The aim of the action research study was to increase active participation and engagement in working on a chemistry-related topic by changing established teaching approaches. Diagnostic assessment and video analysis were used to observe the alteration of two students' behavior in chemistry lessons in relation to the implemented adaptation of instruction. The analysis showed that in a guided inquiry-based setting, it was possible to reveal students' methodical, social, and personal abilities enabling them to engage in a chemistry-related task.

AB - Affective dimensions are key determinants for the successful performance of all students at compulsory level, but for students with special educational needs, they become even more important. The focus of this chapter is students with cognitive and emotional/behavior disorders. Learning environments have to be carefully designed so that these students can develop a feeling of success, ability, and social embeddedness in order to cope with their affective lability. Following the idea of "science for all," every student is entitled to develop skills in science to the fullest potential on the basis of appropriate educational opportunities. This chapter illustrates a case study using the approach of emancipatory action research to investigate how the implementation of the often recommended approach "inquiry-based science education" can foster the emotional engagement of special-needs students (5th and 6th graders). Two out of ten students of a specialneeds class were chosen for deeper analysis. Their special educational needs were diagnosed in two focal areas of support: "emotional and social development" and "learning". The aim of the action research study was to increase active participation and engagement in working on a chemistry-related topic by changing established teaching approaches. Diagnostic assessment and video analysis were used to observe the alteration of two students' behavior in chemistry lessons in relation to the implemented adaptation of instruction. The analysis showed that in a guided inquiry-based setting, it was possible to reveal students' methodical, social, and personal abilities enabling them to engage in a chemistry-related task.

KW - Chemistry

KW - Didactics of sciences education

KW - Special education

KW - Inquiry-based learning

KW - Engagement

KW - Action research

KW - Video analysis

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84943379067&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-662-45085-7_6

DO - 10.1007/978-3-662-45085-7_6

M3 - Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

AN - SCOPUS:84943379067

SN - 978-3-662-45084-0

SP - 107

EP - 131

BT - Affective Dimensions in Chemistry Education

A2 - Kahveci, Murat

A2 - Orgill, MaryKay

PB - Springer Verlag

CY - Berlin

ER -