|
|
|
BEST TEACHING PRACTICES IN SCIENCE EDUCATION:
WHAT WORKS?
Dr. Ken Mechling |
1. HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES WORK!
Third graders search the schoolyard for make-believe Yarn Worms in
colors of yellow, green, and brown and discover that the green ones
are well camouflaged in the grass. First graders at a learning
center match film cans for contents that make the same sounds. Fifth
graders experiment with paper airplanes, investigating variables
that make them fly the longest distances.
Hands-on activities get
kids actively involved in science. If they are physically involved,
they are likely to be mentally involved too. They are thinking about
what they are doing. This is called “hands-on, minds-on science.”
Research shows that hands-on, minds-on science works. And kids love
it!
2. CONSTRUCTIVISM AND THE LEARNING CYCLE WORK!
In science education, constructivism is generally thought of as
students first having experiences and then constructing meaning from
them. For instance, if I showed you an mystery object and asked you
what it was, you might not know. But you might also make some
inferences about it. After you examine it, I tell you it is an olive
picker and show how to use it. Now I give it to you to use for
picking olives out of a jar and you explore with it. You discover
that it picks pickles too…and candy…and has a whole lot of other
uses. Your experiences and my teaching have helped you make meaning
of this olive picker. That is constructivism.
For electrical
circuits we give students cells, bulbs, and wire. We encourage them
to predict and explore ways to put them together to make the bulb
light. In the Learning Cycle, which is a constructivist approach to
teaching, this is called Exploration. Next, we give this system a
label—“circuit.” As teachers we “invent” the name circuit for our
students and then describe it as having 3 parts: source of
electricity—the cell, transmission line—the wire, and an appliance,
or something that uses electricity in a way we find helpful to
us—the bulb. This teacher explanation or reading from the text is
called Concept Invention. Finally, students apply the concept of
circuit to circuits or parts of circuits that they can observe
directly (classroom wires, lights, fans, etc.) or know about (home
appliances such as electric stoves, TV’s, radios, lights). This last
stage is called Application. So the Learning Cycle is comprised of
three stages: Exploration, Concept Invention, and Application
The
learning cycle works and is found today in most science textbooks
and curricula. Most texts begin lessons with an activity using the
learning cycle.
3. SIMULATIONS WORK!
There are lots of concepts in science that are difficult to observe
directly. We don’t actually observe the flow of electrons in current
electricity. Few of us could go to the Antarctica to observe, the
mating, egg laying, and nurturing of baby Emperor penguins. Not many
of us are going to extract coal from the ground while protecting the
environment or clean up an oil spill. But we can pretend or
make-believe or make models that will help us better understand the
selected concepts.
Research shows that when we have students do real
experiences or simulate them, they remember related concepts longer
and better.
Simulations work! Have students simulate penguins,
electron flow, and an oil spill in a plastic dish.
4. SIMPLE, READILY-AVAILABLE MATERIALS WORK!
A lot of teachers think that they need a lot of fancy, expensive
equipment to teach science. While science teaching and learning does
require purchases, e.g. magnets for experiences with magnetism and
cells, bulbs, and wire for electricity investigations, much science
can be taught with simple, inexpensive materials—such as paper
clips, soda straws, paper, and balloons. Following are some
activities that you can do with just one sheet of paper (and maybe a
few other simple things)—activities to teach students good science.
|
Paper Airplanes—processes of science, investigations
Flying Cylinders—technology
Helicopters—investigations, frame of reference, air resistance
Parachutes—air resistance, technology, measurement
Magnetism—thickness of paper magnetism will go through
Magnetism—predict magnetic field with iron filings
Hand Bones—draw, predict, number (26)
Technology—strength of various folds and shapes Human Reaction
Time—experiment, sensory-motor nervous system
Tree Bark—rubbing
Building Rockets—construction of rocket bodies
Optical Illusions—hole in hand
|
|
Money to purchase science materials is always scarce. Using
readily-available or cast-off materials can work for us in science.
Other examples include; |
Plastic water bottles for aquaria and terraria
Metal coat hangers for silent bells
Rubber bands for musical instruments and spring scales
Coffee filters for chromatography
Pencils and tape for fingerprints
Paper clips for simple machines
|
5. COMBINING SCIENCE WITH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE WORKS!
More and more data is showing that science linked to children’s
literature and trade books can enhance both reading and science.
Children’s books can teach science concepts. Combined with science
activities, books provide memorable experiences. And together,
science and reading can enhance science process skills common to
both reading and science—skills like observing, predicting,
inferring, gathering and organizing data, and others.
In the USA
science books are children’s favorites. More science books are
checked out of libraries than any other kind. Combining science
activities with reading enhances student learning. It works!
6. STANDARDS-BASED INSTRUCTION WORKS!
Learning and teaching is more effective if students and teachers
know what is expected of them—particularly, what students are to
know and do in science. In the USA, almost all 50 states have
science standards based upon the USA National Science Education
Standards. They provide a valuable vision for what science education
should be. And they are working!
7. SETTING HIGH STUDENT EXPECTATIONS WORKS!
Research shows that high expectations for students communicated
effectively to them works! Expectations should be high, but
attainable. All students should be challenged and encouraged to do
their best.
8. COOPERATIVE LEARNING WORKS!
Having students work in groups—sometimes in groups of two, three,
four, or more helps prepare students for the roles they will play in
real life when they will be expected to work with other people. My
own personal observations show that when students work with a wide
variety of others, they grow in leadership, patience, cooperation,
and understanding.
9. EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING STRATEGIES WORK!
When we ask students questions in class, there are two basic
techniques that increase our teaching effectiveness. First,
questions such as: |
What would happen if…?
How else could you…?
What if you…?
Is there another way you could do that…?
What did you find out…?
are open-ended and encourage divergent and higher-level thinking.
Second, research shows that if teachers utilize a wait-time of 3-5
seconds after they ask a question until they call on someone to
answer it, more students respond, their answers are more thoughtful,
and reflect higher levels of thinking. Open-ended questions and
wait-time work! |
10. AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT WORKS!
Focusing on isolated facts to be memorized and regurgitated can be
counterproductive to learning science. Instead, schools and teachers
should evaluate students by how well they perform tasks that match
curriculum goals. If students are expected to comprehend a food web,
they should be assessed by having them construct a model of a food
web of organisms in their locality. If students are designing a
product such as an egg catcher, they should be assessed on how they
design, test, and redesign the product. If we expect students to
understand the movement of air masses and jet streams, we should
determine their understanding by having them interpret weather data
and make weather predictions.
These are some of the best teaching practices that work in science
and can work for educators and students. Give them a try! |
|
|
|
