John Gilbert - Constructing Worlds through Science Education: The Selected Works of John Gilbert (World Library of Educationalists)

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Constructing Worlds through Science Education

In the World Library of Educationalists, international experts themselves compile career-long collections of what they judge to be their finest pieces extracts from books, key articles, salient research findings, major theoretical and practical contributions so the world can read them in a single manageable volume. Readers will be able to follow themes and strands of the topic and see how their work contributes to the development of the field.

John K. Gilbert has spent the last 30 years researching, thinking and writing about some of the key and enduring issues in Science Education. He has contributed over 10 books and 175 articles to the field.

In Constructing Worlds through Science Education, John Gilbert brings together 16 key writings in one place. Starting with a specially written Introduction, which gives an overview of his career and contextualises his selection, the work presented supports the assertions that:

students of science must be presented with a curriculum that is both philosophically valid and personally interesting to them

informal educational provision has much to offer science education

close attention to the development of thinking about the ideas of science is necessary if science education is to be effective

there must be a close relationship between educational theory and practice in science education, underpinned by qualitative research in classrooms and laboratories

international collaboration is an effective way of generating an active synergy of research involving diverse knowledge and skills.

For anyone seeking a clearer understanding of the developments in Science Education over the last 30 years, this book provides a useful route map to the thinking and work of one of the leading scholars in the field.

John K. Gilbert is currently Professor of Education at The University of Reading, UK, and Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Science Education.

Contributors to the series include: Richard Aldrich, Stephen J. Ball, John Elliott, Elliot W. Eisner, Howard Gardner, John K. Gilbert, Ivor F. Goodson, David Labaree, John White, E.C. Wragg.

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World Library of Educationalists series

Other books in the series:

Lessons from History of Education

The selected works of Richard Aldrich

Richard Aldrich

Education Policy and Social Class

The selected works of Stephen J. Ball

Stephen J. Ball

Reimagining Schools

The selected works of Elliot W. Eisner

Elliot W. Eisner

Reflecting Where the Action Is

The selected works of John Elliott

John Elliott

Development and Education of the Mind

The selected works of Howard Gardner

Howard Gardner

Constructing Worlds through Science Education

The selected works of John K. Gilbert

John K. Gilbert

Learning, Curriculum and Life Politics

The selected works of Ivor F. Goodson

Ivor F. Goodson

The Curriculum and the Child

The selected works of John White

John White

The Art and Science of Teaching and Learning

The selected works of Ted Wragg

E.C. Wragg

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The selected works of John K. Gilbert

John K. Gilbert

LONDON AND NEWYORK

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First published 2005
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.

To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledges collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.

2005 John K. Gilbert

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
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from the British Library

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ISBN 0-203-69877-0 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-415-35217-7 (hbk)

ISBN 0-415-35218-5 (pbk)

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For Julie Gilbert, who has known the actors, rehearsed the lines, provided an invaluable critique of the production, and whose insightful company over nearly 50 years has shaped the meaning of it all.

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