WWW Site for John Lawrence Bencze, Assistant Professor, Science Education, OISE/UT (University of Toronto)

Professional Background
This page provides visitors to this site with some information about my professional background, including my work experiences and current research & development pursuits. Please feel free to send me messages about anything you come across anywhere on my Web site. Information available here can be accessed via the directory at right. This page, and others on my site, also provide files to be downloaded. These are in "pdf" form, which can be opened and printed with Acrobat Reader™ software, which is available at: Acrobat.
DIRECTORY
Educational Goals
Educational Background
Recent Publications
Writing in Progress

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Educational Goals

I believe that all students in public elementary and secondary schools are entitled to an education that strives for both excellence and equity, the goal of the Centre for SMT Education. In other words, I am working to ensure all students have maximum access to society's scientific and technological literacy. Additionally, I believe schools should enable students to achieve outcomes not, necessarily, planned for them. Students should be able to become self-actualized, free to grow in directions unique to their needs, interests, abilities and perspectives. The sort of education I envisage would help all individuals to become literate, critical and creative, and able to contribute towards the good of their communities and the environment. It is my view that, to a great extent, the phrase 'public education' is an oxymoron; i.e., in the nearly all-consuming drive to identify and train professionals (e.g., scientists and engineers), too many students leave school with confused or forgotten understandings of laws, theories and inventions, excessively idealized perceptions of the nature of science and technology and possible negative effects on individuals, societies and environments and, relative inability to solve authentic and meaningful problems using unique selections of methods of science and technology of their choice. Indeed, most school leavers seem satisfied to depend on professional science and technology - which are, to a great extent - controlled by business and industry - for invention (i.e., consumer goods and services) and explanation of nature (e.g., laws, theories). In short, for most students, school science has been an 'apprenticeship for consumership,' rather than an opportunity for enlightenment, empowerment and social and environmental responsibility. An elaboration of this stance is available at: Position Statement.
 
In my teaching and research activities, I have been greatly influenced by the ancient Chinese Proverb (500 BC by Kwan Fung Tzu: 'Confucius'):
What you hear - you forget
What you see - you remember
What you do - you understand

Accordingly, my research and development focus is on the extent to which students conduct open-ended scientific investigations & invention projects they design, often dealing with their concerns. I have provided teaching resources based on my vision of science and technology education at:  On-site Curriculum Resources, along with a large collection of Web sites hopefully of use to educators.

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Educational Background & Experience

Education

  • PhD, Education (OISE/UT, 1995); Thesis: Bencze, J. L. (1995). Towards a More Authentic and Feasible Science Curriculum for Secondary Schools. Unpublished PhD Thesis. Toronto: The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, The University of Toronto.
  • MSc, Biology (Queen's, 1977); Thesis: Bencze, J. L. (1977). Cytogenetic and fine structural analysis of polytene chromosomes from Drosophila melanogaster. Unpublished MSc Thesis. Kingston, ON: Queen’s University.
  • BEd, Biology/Chemistry (Queen's, 1977)
  • BSc, Biology (Queen's, 1974)
  • Work Experience

  • Assistant Professor of Education, University of Saskatchewan, 1997-98 (one year term position)
  • Independent Science Consultant, Scinnovation Curriculum Resources, 1995-97
  • School Board Science Consultant, York Region RCSSB, Ontario, 1988-92
  • Teacher of Science, Elementary & Secondary Schools, Ontario, 1977-88
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    Recent Publications

    Refereed Journal Articles
  • Bencze, J. L. (In Press). 'Technoscience' Education: Empowering Citizens Against the Tyranny of School Science. International Journal of Technology and Design Education.
  • Bencze, L., Hewitt, J. & Pedretti, E. (In Press). Multi-media Cases in Pre-service Science Education: An Apprenticeship for Praxis. Research in Science Education.
  • Bencze, J. L. (In Press). Subverting Corporatism in School Science. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education.
  • Bencze, J. L. (2000). Democratic Constructivist Science Education: Enabling egalitarian literacy and self-actualization. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 32(6), 847-865.
  • Bencze, J. L. (2000). Procedural Apprenticeship in School Science: Constructivist enabling of connoisseurship. Science Education, 84(6),727-739.
  • Bencze, L. & Hodson, D. (1999). Changing Practice by Changing Practice: Toward More Authentic Science and Science Curriculum Development. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(5), 521-39.
  • Bencze, L. & Hodson, D. (1998). Coping with Uncertainty in Elementary School Science: A Case Study in Collaborative Action Research. Teachers and Teaching, 4(1), 77-94.
  • Hodson, D. & Bencze, L. (1998). Becoming critical about practical work: changing views and changing practice through action research. International Journal of Science Education, 20(6), 683-94.
  • Bencze, J. L. (1996). Correlational studies in school science: Breaking the science-experiment-certainty connection. School Science Review, 78(282), 95-101.
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    Published Conference Proceedings
    • Bencze, L. & Hodson, D. (1995). Toward greater authenticity in elementary school science: Changing practice through action research. In F. Finley, D. Allcin, D. Rhees & S. Fifield (Eds.), Proceedings of The Third International History, Philosophy, and Science Teaching Conference. Volume 1. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, pp126-136.
    Contributions to Edited Books
    • Bencze, J. L. (In Press). Assessing Students’ Science & Invention Projects: Considerations for stages of apprenticeship. In D. Hodson (Ed.), OISE Papers in STSE Education. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
    • Bencze, J. L. (In Press). Reflective Practice in Science Practice Teaching. In S. Alsop & K. Hicks (Eds.), Teaching Science. London: Kogan Page.
    • Alsop, S. & Bencze, L. (In Press). School Science for Living or for Selection of Future Scientists? In S. Alsop (Ed.), & K. Hicks (Eds.), Teaching Science. London: Kogan Page.
    • Bencze, J. L. (2000). Empowering Constructivist School Science: Promoting Self-actualization and Democracy. In D. Hodson (Ed.), OISE Papers in STSE Education 1. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp111-129.
    Articles in Non-refereedJournals
    • Alsop, S. & Bencze, L. (2000). Scientist or Citizen Scientist: what role model do you promote in your teaching? Orbit, 31(3), 20-24.
    • Bencze, L. & Hewitt, J. (2000). Science, Mathematics & Technology Resources on the World Wide Web. Orbit, 31(3), 36-37.
    • Bencze, J. L. (1999). Ontario’s Curriculum for Science & Technology, Grades 1-8: Why not let kids colour outside the lines? Our Schools/Our Selves, 9(6), 18-28.
    • Bencze, J. L. (1996). Let's have real common sense education. Update, 23(12), April 25, 1996. (site)
    Editorship
    • Bencze, L. (Editor) (2000). Science, Math & Technology Learning for All. Orbit, 31(3).


    Writing in Progress

    Writing for Academic Publications
  • Bencze, L. & Lemelin, N. (Under Review). Doing Science at a Science Centre: Enabling independent knowledge construction in the context of schools’ museum visits. Museum Management and Curatorship.
  • Bencze, J. L. (Under Review). Pre-service Elementary Teachers' Emerging Connoisseurship: Ready to promote independent knowledge construction. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education.
  • Bencze, L. & Lemelin, N. (Under Review). Doing Science in Teacher Education: Pre-service elementary science teachers use their emerging ‘scientific flair’ in practice teaching. Journal of Science Teacher Education.
  • Bencze, L. (Under Review). Enabling Egalitarian Literacy and Self-actualization in Secondary School Science: Empowering teachers to empower students. In Hodson, D. (Ed.), Changing Science Education Through Action Research: Some Experiences from the Field, chapter 7.
  • Bencze, J. L. (Under Review). Action Research in Science Education by a Dramatic Arts Specialist: A teacher draws from her area of strength for a framework for science education. Elementary School Journal.
  • Bencze, J. L., Bowen, G. M., Elshof, L. & Van Oostveen (Under Review). Internet-mediated Science & Invention Projects: Students Independently Construct Knowledge While Getting to Know Each Other. Electronic Journal of Science Education.
  • Bencze, L. & Di Giuseppe, M. (Under Review). Rekindling Ideals  in an Alternative Secondary School: Shifting the locus of control from teachers to students. Journal of Research in Science Teaching.
  • Refereed Conferences

    Canadian Society for Studies in Education (CSSE, 2001)

    • DeCoito, I., Di Giuseppe, M., Nigro, J. & Bencze, L. (2000). Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Challenges and Constraints in Educational Innovation. A proposal for a multiple paper set presentation at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, May 23 - May 26, 2001, Université Laval, Québec City, PQ. (pdf)
    • Pedretti, E., Soren, B., Gitari, W., Bencze, L., Calovini, T., DeCoito, I., Lemelin, N. & Livingstone, P. (2000). Colloquium on Current Educational Research at the Ontario Science Centre. A proposal for a multiple paper set presentation at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, May 23 - May 26, 2001, Université Laval, Québec City, PQ. (pdf)
    National Association for Research in Science Education (NARST, 2001)
    • Elshof, L. & Bencze, L. (2000). Arctic Science in Urban School Science: A window into another world. A proposal for a presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, St. Louis, Missouri, March 25-28, 2001. (pdf)
    • Bencze, L. & Di Giuseppe, M. (2000). ‘Self-directed’ learning: Immiscible with school science? A proposal for a presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, St. Louis, Missouri, March 25-28, 2001. (pdf)
    • Goodnough, K., Bencze, L., Pedretti, E., Hodson, D., DiGiuseppe, M. & Mylchreest, L. (2000). Building Collaboration in a University-School District Partnership: Strategies Adopted in the STAR Project. A proposal for a presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, St. Louis, Missouri, March 25-28, 2001. (pdf)
    • Di Giuseppe, M., Bencze, L., Pedretti, E., Hodson, D. & Mylchreest, L. (2000). Developing Assessment Tools for Improving the Quality of Student Performance. A proposal for a presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, St. Louis, Missouri, March 25-28, 2001. (pdf)
    American Educational Research Association (AERA, 2001)
    • Lemelin, N. & Bencze, L. (2000). Doing Science in formal and informal settings ? How visits to a local Science & Technology Museum inform school science. A proposal for a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Seattle, WA, April 10-14, 2001. (pdf)
    • Bencze, L. & Bowen, M. (2000). New Perspectives on Being a Science Teacher: Pre-service Teachers Decide to Cede Some Control of Learning to Students. A proposal for a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Seattle, WA, April 10-14, 2001. (pdf)
    • Pedretti, E., Bencze, L., Hodson, D., Mylchreest, L., Di Giuseppe, M. & Goodnough, K. (2000). Science and Technology Education through Action Research (STAR): Building Communities of Reflective Practitioners. A proposal for a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Seattle, WA, April 10-14, 2001. (pdf)
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