English version

Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir

Born in Iceland 25.10.1959

Associate Professor, Instructional Methods/Education

Iceland University of Education, Reykjavík.

Education:

2006. PhD. University of Iceland. Faculty of Social Sciences.

1989. Master of Education, Aberdeen University, Scotland.

1982. B.Ed. Degree. Iceland University of Education, Reykjavík, Iceland.

Phd thesis. Defence/viva 21. November 2006. See pdf text

The development of children’s ideas about the body: How these ideas change in a teaching environment.

ABSTRACT

This study explores how and under what circumstances children’s ideas about the body change over the period of two school years, Primary 1 and 2 (6 and 7 years old), in a ‘normal’ classroom setting in an Icelandic primary school. The focus is on children’s ideas about the structure, location and function of bones and other organs and how changes in pupils’ ideas are affected by: the curriculum, teaching methods, teaching materials and teacher-pupil and peer interactions.

Special attention is given to the differences between quiet children and more open children in respect to these issues. The theoretical background of the study is the constructivist view of learning and teaching with an emphasis on varied interactions as a pre-condition for learning and the importance of gauging children’s initial knowledge on which to build their education. One class of 20 (19 in Primary 2) children took part in the research, along with its teacher and a sample of parents. A qualitative methodological approach is adopted although quantitative information is also obtained. Classroom observations and interviews were analysed by using elements from grounded theory and discourse analysis, and scales and pre-designed forms were used to analyse drawings, interviews and diagnostic tasks.

At the end of the project the children were generally more aware of the structures, locations and functions of the various organs than they were of processes and how the organs were interrelated and they were also more aware of the digestive system than other organ systems.

The various teaching methods have different effects for different children and thus a variety of teaching methods are important in order to maximise learning within a whole class. It is hard to conclude which teaching method is, overall, ‘the best one’ although a combination of group demonstration, hands-on activities, information/telling and discussion together were effective.

Using drawings to get access to children’s ideas can be very effective although young children may have difficulties in making drawings that represent their ideas. Furthermore, the imitation effect has also to be taken into account as drawings can present imitation rather than understanding; so other methods, such as interviews, should ideally be used as well. T

his research demonstrates the importance of the active engagement of the children as a group, but at the same time shows how the visible activity of individuals may not correlate with learning in the manner often presumed. The quiet children did not learn less than the others; indeed they learnt more than the visibly active children.

The dissertation makes a contribution to educational research in general as it is about teaching and learning, with an emphasis on the individual pupil within an educational setting and gives valuable insight into children’s ideas and how and under what conditions they develop.

Publications:

2009. A comparative study involving 6 years old children from the Nordic countries about the human body. Paper presented at ASE Annual Conference, University of Reading 8 - 10 January 2009.

2009. A comparative study involving 6 years old children from the Nordic countries about their ideas about the human body (bones and organs). Paper presented at NERA Congress in Trondheim, Norway, 5. – 7. March 2009.

2008. The influence of the teaching material used in class on children's ideas about the human body. Í Allyson Macdonald (Ritstj.). Planning science instruction: From insight to learning to pedagogical practices. Proceedings of the 9th Nordic Research Symposium on Science Education 11th-15th June 2008. NFSUN, Reykjavík: Science Education Research Group, University of Iceland. ISBN 978-9979-9851-7-4

2008. How Storyline can make a contribution to effective teaching about the human body in early primary education. Í Bell, S., S. Harkness og G. White. 2007. Storyline. Past, present and future. Glasgow, University of Strathclyde. ISBN 978-0-947649-16-6.

2008. Poster at NFSUN (Nordisk Forskersymposium on Undervisning i Naturfag (11. – 15. júní 2008): Children’s ideas about the human body (bones and organs) – a comparative study involving 6 years old children from the Nordic countries.

2008. poster at the Symposium School of Education, University of Iceland HÍ 22. og 23. okt. 2008: Rannsókn á þekkingu grunnskólabarna á dýrum (with Hrefna Sigurjónsdóttir prófessor).

2007. Hvað segja teikningar barna um hugmyndir þeirra um líkamann? Uppeldi og menntun (2007) 16. árg. 2. hefti. Bls. 117 – 139.

2006. Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir. The development of children's ideas about the body: How these ideas change in a teaching environment. PhD Dissertation. University of Iceland. Faculty of Social Sciences.

2006. Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir. Children's ideas about the human body and how they change during two school years. In Naturfagsdidaktikkens mange facetter. Eds.L. Bering, J. Dolin, L.B. Krogh, J. Sölberg, H. Sörensen and R. Troelsen. Danish University of Education Press.

2006. Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir. Children's ideas about the human body. In Innovation og aflæring. Ed. Pauli Nielsen. Torshavn, Föroya Læraraskúli.

2004. Science at Home and in School. Naturfagens didaktikk – en disiplin I forandring? Det 7. nordiske forskersymposiet on undervisning I naturfag I skolen. Henrikssen og Ödegaard (red.) Agder, HöjyskoleForlaget.

2004. Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir. The effect of different teaching methods on the development of children's ideas about the human body. Rannsóknir í Félagsvísindum V. Háskólaútgáfan.

2004. Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir. ´Parent involvement in Primary Science. Education In The North. 11:48-54.

2003. Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir. Náttúrufræðin heima og í skóla. Uppeldi og menntun. 12:105-118.

2003. Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir og Ragnheiður Hermannsdóttir Komdu og skoðaðu eldhúsið. Reykjavík. Námsgagnastofnun. Educationonal material, Teachers instructions on the Internet and children´s textbooks about chemistry in the Kitchen. www.nams.is

2002. Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir og Ragnheiður Hermannsdóttir Komdu og skoðaðu bílinn. Reykjavík. Námsgagnastofnun.Educational material, Teachers instructions on the Internet and children’s textbooks about transport. www.nams.is

2001. Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir og Ragnheiður Hermannsdóttir. Komdu og skoðaðu líkamann. Reykjavík Námsgagnastofnun. - Educational material, Teachers handbook, children’s text book and Internet material about the human body. www.nams.is

1999. Icelandic translation of the SHIPS project by Joan Solomon and Janine Lee, published by ASE, UK. To be used as a part of a development project.

1999. One of the authors of the National curriculum guidelines for Science Education. Ministry of Education.

1992. Translator of The Green Book, about the environment by Pearce, F. and Winton, I.

1991 – 1996. Four video tapes about primary science education to be used by teachers and students. Reykjavík Educational Council.

1990. (rep. 2000) Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir. Umhverfið. Reykjavík, Námsgagnastofnun. - A handbook for teachers about water, air, light, colour and weather. Published by the National Centre for Educational Materials.

1990- reports about various development projects and research on primary education.