Considerations for the teacher-researcher collaboration during the mangling phase of didactic modelling in primary science

This study presents the findings of a collaboration between teachers and a researcher who worked together through didactic modelling. The aim of the study was to explore how the mangling phase can be designed and managed in a way that values and utilise teachers’ unique knowledge. Data, comprising audio and video recordings of conversations and lessons, collages and sketches, were analysed with practical epistemology analysis (PEA). Based on how a didactic model changed when mangling the model in primary science, the findings show how teachers’ experience and expertise can be incorporated into the modification of the model. The mangling process resulted in a significant number of suggestions for modifications to both the illustration and the model’s range of applications. The way in which the mangling was organised encouraged teachers to contribute with new insights and suggestions that can further develop the model into a functional tool for teaching primary science.

Evolution and Science Education · Mathematics Education and Teaching Techniques · Science Education and Pedagogy