Does “Maniplo-Spatial Arty” Really Work? A Study of the Effectiveness of “Maniplo-Spatial Arty” as a Teaching and Learning in Science Pedagogy.

Abstract:

Within the science schooling community and beyond see “maniplo-spatial arty” carried out by learners as a requisite configuration of science education. Enquiries have, been raised by some erudite about its effectiveness as a teaching and learning strategy. This erudition explored the effectiveness of maniplo-spatial work by analyzing a sample of 25 idiosyncratic science lessons involving maniplo-spatial work in Nigerian Junior Secondary Schools (JSS III) and Senior Secondary Schools (SSSIII). Statistics took, the form of observational field note and recorded interviews with teachers and learners. The analysis used a model of effectiveness based on work of Millar et al; Otobo & Arku and Tiberghien. The teachers’ enthusiasm in this lesson was predominantly on emerging learners’ substantive scientific knowledge, rather than on evolving learners understanding of scientific enquiry procedures. Maniplo-spatial work was generally effective in receipt of learners to do what is intended with physical objects, but much less effective in getting them to use little evidence that mental (cognitive) challenges of linking observables to ideas is recognized by those who designed maniplo-spatial activities for the lesson. Tasks fused explicit strategies to help learner to make such links, or were presented in schoolroom in ways that reflected the size of the learning demand of the maniplo-spatial tasks, and categorizing those that require specific support for learners’ discerning and learning in order to be effective.