Browsing by Subject "observation skills"

According to the newest Finnish curriculum (2014) home economics can be taught in the lower classes (1–6) of comprehensive school as one of the elective subjects or as an integrated club activity. In this research redesigning of home economics will be limited into inquiry-based learning which is applied in phenomenon driven teaching. This research aims to develop the use of inquiry based learning in regular classroom environment. The design will also integrate the use of mobile devices to analyse the results of phenomena and digital appliances to collect data on the situational interest of the students. This Master's thesis redesigns a new way of teaching home economics in primary school using the inquiry based learning and finding a way to wake interest into studying natural scientific phenomena in everyday life. This research was inspired by the University of Helsinki LUMA centre's Pikku-Jippo science club activities. The methodological approach applied was design research and it was conducted in two cycles. During the first cycle the data collected consisted of videos captured by students. In the second cycle the data were collected by using digital polling appliance. Both cycles followed the same kind of inquiry based learning method which is also applicable both in home economics education and natural sciences. The data were collected from one primary school class in Helsinki. The students were aged 7–8 years. The analysis of the video data was started by watching the videos extensively. The research results were analyzed using theory-based content analysis. The results indicate that mobile devices guided students to make observations of the phenomena, and to discuss both reactions and used instruments with their peers. The data from the second cycle were analyzed using qualitative observation methods. The re-designed teaching methods increased enthusiasm in the observed classroom. The students experienced them as an innovative way to learn and observe natural phenomena of everyday life.