Abstract
This chapter details the history of the invention of the “precursor model” concept. We reveal its theoretical origins and heuristic scope in regard to the design of teaching programmes and teaching practices, notably the choice of physical situations explored, semiotic systems used to represent them, and the management of linguistic interactions with pupils.
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Notes
- 1.
Gérard Lemeignan (1932–2017).
- 2.
This exemplary story of a process of transforming an area of teaching supported by a university research group involving teachers interested in changing pedagogical practices is reported in a book (Goffard & Weil-Barais, 2005).
- 3.
Jean-Louis Martinand played an essential role in the development of science and technology didactics rooted in the study of teaching content and teaching practices in reference to an epistemological approach to knowledge and social practices (Martinand, 1986).
- 4.
“Libre Parcours” collection, published by Hachette.
- 5.
We use the past tense as the publisher quickly stopped distributing these works although they still constitute a source of inspiration, judging by their continued circulation on sites selling old works.
- 6.
In the decades following the 1968 “revolution”, in France, university academics were allowed great freedom as regards their choice of research subjects and links with research laboratories. At the time, I was teaching cognitive and developmental psychology at Université Paris 8 (the university where I held a post). However, I was able to conduct my research within a laboratory based at Université Paris 7 (LIREST Inter-university Research Laboratory on Scientific and Technological Education), aimed at providing guidance on the reform of science teaching, in particular the introduction of sciences in lower secondary school. This laboratory was included in a network of teams specialising in didactics research, a newly emerging field of research at that time.
- 7.
This led to research specialisation by field of knowledge and skill (learning numbers, arithmetic operations, reading, etc.).
- 8.
The “conceptual field” idea expounded by Gérard Vergnaud takes into account the fact that concepts are interconnected. A conceptual field is made up of the set of concepts used to deal with a class of situations. The complete work of Gérard Vergnaud can be found on the website https://gerardvergnaud.wordpress.com
- 9.
These ideas were developed in an article published in 1990 (Weil-Barais & Lemeignan, 1990).
- 10.
Within the LIREST, these problems were studied and critiqued by Andrée Dumas Carré, Michel Caillot and Monique Goffard; these researchers contributed in France to the transformation of the problems used for training and assessment purposes.
- 11.
Many studies were conducted on the cognitive obstacles pertaining to concepts grouped under the expression “cognitive change”.
- 12.
Reference to this work can be found in an article published in 1994 (Lemeignan & Weil-Barais, 1994).
- 13.
This research is discussed in an article published in “Education Permanente” magazine: Que. faire des représentations des élèves? [What to make of pupils’ representations?] (Weil-Barais, 1994c).
- 14.
In addition to the discussions within our little research group, which involved many students, mention should be made of the role played by Jean-Louis Martinand and all the participants in LIREST’s weekly seminar. Without their critical rigour, we would undoubtedly not have succeeded in formulating our proposals in such detail.
- 15.
A detailed description of this model and the experimental situations used is given in an article published in the International Journal of Science Education (Lemeignan & Weil-Barais, 1994).
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Weil-Barais, A. (2022). What Is a Precursor Model?. In: Boilevin, JM., Delserieys, A., Ravanis, K. (eds) Precursor Models for Teaching and Learning Science During Early Childhood. Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education, vol 55. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08158-3_2
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