Science Education in Primary and Secondary Level An Analysis of the Discursive Transitions across Different Modalities of the Pedagogic Discourse

The aim of this paper is the mapping of the discursive transitions in school science from the primary to the secondary level as reflected in the corresponding textbooks. Our basic hypothesis is that the pedagogic discourse is constructed by the interplay of three basic dimensions, namely classification, formality and framing which correspond to the content specialization, the codes’ elaboration and the agency of control of the pedagogical process respectively. According to our model each dimension can only take two values; either high (strong) or low (weak). Specifically, strong classification corresponds to subject matter epistemologically distinct from other than the scientific forms of knowledge, while weak classification means that the subject-matter is a mixture of elements derived from various knowledge domains. Furthermore, high formality corresponds to specialized codes that define reality in terms of abstractions and scientific conventions while low formality corresponds to codes resembling the vernacular ways of expression. Finally, strong classification means that the addresser of scientific knowledge (e.g. science teacher or textbook’s voice) has full control over the determination of the conditions of the pedagogical process while weak classification means that at least some important aspects of this process are open to negotiation between the latter and the students. The combination of values of classification, formality and framing produces eight different pedagogic modalities, which are labeled as follows: 1. Esoteric authoritarian (strong classification, high formality, strong framing) 2. Esoteric liberal (strong classification, high formality, weak framing) 3. Metaphorical authoritarian (strong classification, low formality, strong framing) 4. Metaphorical liberal (strong classification, low formality, weak framing) 5. Mythical authoritarian (weak classification, high formality, strong framing) 6. Mythical liberal (weak classification, high formality, weak framing) 7. Public authoritarian (weak classification, low formality, strong framing) 8. Public liberal (weak classification, low formality, weak framing) These modalities will be used so as to map the discursive transition in school science from the primary to the secondary level as this transition is at least realized by the variation in the characteristics of the corresponding science textbooks. Specifically, the discursive characteristics related to the pedagogical notions of classification, formality and framing and projected by the linguistic and International Journal of Learning, Volume 10, 2003 3264 the visual mode respectively are analysed in all the science textbooks used at the primary and secondary level of the Greek educational system. Finally, the emerging path is discussed in the light of its pedagogic implications.