Approaches to teaching and the support of learning that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn.
Students in primary education can be reluctant to engage in science education (Appleton, 2003; Lederman & Niess, 1998). In order to bring them across the threshold (Land 2012) into the discipline of science, I adopt a constructivist approach framed through the five E model (Bybee (1997). The 5 E model starts with Engaging then Exploring a concept before Explaining then Elaborating before Evaluating their understanding. I have developed a sixth E, Evolving, which focuses at the ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ of teaching and learning. It engages teacher training students in metacognition – a skill and level of understanding essential to their chosen profession.
|
Explore In the first year unit students determine and explore their own topics. This establishes relevance, which is a key component of the principles of adult learning (Knowles 2005) and fosters a sense of agency and independence (Sheffield R & McIlvenny L, 2014). Students learn that many real-life problems contained a complex integration of ideas from a variety of traditional subject areas. The unique and individualized assessments the students’ submitted impressed science educators outside the School of Education who commented on the high level achieved by 1st year students in the Bachelor of Education (Primary and Early Childhood).
Explain In the second year unit 'Inquiring about the World' I create opportunities for students to participate in a range of enjoyable and fun activities to explore their understanding further and this is always followed by Explain. This relates to the constructivist view where students need to reflect and engage with ideas and then develop their emerging understanding. For example students had fun creating and Exploring a range of chemical substances including Oobleck and Slime (Support material 20) and the subsequent Explain discussion related to the underpinning chemistry knowledge of the properties of solids and liquids. The use of squishy circuits (Support Material 23) explored batteries, diodes and types of dough (salt conducting or sugar insulating) and during the Explaining phase the focus is on examining the flow of electrical current. Elaborate In this stage of the Six E process I seek to relate the science understanding to a new context to ensure that students’ understanding is transferable. For example, I ask students to design an investigation to examine the best way to keep a snowman (or substitute an ice cube) from melting.
|
Engage At the start of the second year unit ‘Inquiring in the Science Classroom’ I encourage students to think about everyday knowledge through a scientific lens. I invite students to sign-up for Trello board, to enable all students to participate regardless of location. A Trello Board is a web page containing lists laid out horizontally on the page to facilitate an overview of a task. Items in the lists, called cards, can be reordered within lists. Individual cards themselves can contain checklists or discussion notes from others sharing the board. In many ways Trello cards are like sticky notes that can be moved around helping students to organise their thoughts, develop themes and categorise, all of which are essential inquiry skills. To enhance students’ critical thinking skills and to empower them to debate in an evidence-based manner, I ask them to explore controversial issues, for example, should parents be forced to immunize their children?
In second year workshops I start by determining students’ prior knowledge to empower them to recognise what they already know. I also try to give them the confidence to ‘have a go’ by using a POE (Predict, Observe, Explain) rocket activity in which students make a prediction on how high the rocket will travel, observe and then explain the outcome using their science knowledge. These results are often dissonant with student expectations. This challenges their science understandings and helps them to develop their knowledge base (Bybee, 1997; Posner & Strike, 1992). |
To answer this students need to apply previously acquired knowledge in heat energy and inquiry (Keogh B & Naylor S, 2008). This activity can be used in their classrooms and we examine where in the curriculum students can use this and similar activities. In this way students build a tool box of activities they can use in their own classroom (Support Material 22).
Evaluate To determine what students have learnt I always apply a multimodal approach to assessment so that students can express their learning in a variety of ways and at different times throughout their learning. Beyond written tasks, students get an opportunity to present their work visually (power points and Prezis) and through auditory mechanisms (podcasts). In the University’s new technology rich buildings there are multiple independently run screens. In the first year cohort one student demonstrated his creativity by creating two videos and showing them on two different screens in the room at the same time as part of his assessment.
Celebrating learning in the first year unit the top thirteen students had their unique projects showcased in a printed book and each student received a copy of the book to showcase their work to future employers (Evidence 27).
Evolve I have added Evolve as the final aspect to the Six E model because I encourage my students to look beyond the science by explicitly discussing the key pedagogy that underpins the activities determining how this will help children in their future classrooms to learn. For example, explaining how a POE activity is underpinned by constructivist learning or creating cognitive dissonance as the child’s prediction is at odds with their observation and then how the child seeks to adapt their ideas to incorporate this new knowledge (Driver, Asoko, Mortimer E, Leech J, & P, 1994). This provides an opportunity to look at where an activity may fit into the new Australian Curriculum, for example how the Oobleck activity could be used in a Year 3 classroom to provide learning. This metacognitive ‘teacher’ view helps students to develop their thinking from ‘student’ to ‘developing teacher’(Bennett et al., 2014).
To help students’ continue to evolve their teacher identify I provide a conduit between students and the science education community, I have organised a wide range of activities including excursions, videos and guest speakers (Support Material 1). Students become more comfortable in their role as a member of the science education community.
Evaluate To determine what students have learnt I always apply a multimodal approach to assessment so that students can express their learning in a variety of ways and at different times throughout their learning. Beyond written tasks, students get an opportunity to present their work visually (power points and Prezis) and through auditory mechanisms (podcasts). In the University’s new technology rich buildings there are multiple independently run screens. In the first year cohort one student demonstrated his creativity by creating two videos and showing them on two different screens in the room at the same time as part of his assessment.
Celebrating learning in the first year unit the top thirteen students had their unique projects showcased in a printed book and each student received a copy of the book to showcase their work to future employers (Evidence 27).
Evolve I have added Evolve as the final aspect to the Six E model because I encourage my students to look beyond the science by explicitly discussing the key pedagogy that underpins the activities determining how this will help children in their future classrooms to learn. For example, explaining how a POE activity is underpinned by constructivist learning or creating cognitive dissonance as the child’s prediction is at odds with their observation and then how the child seeks to adapt their ideas to incorporate this new knowledge (Driver, Asoko, Mortimer E, Leech J, & P, 1994). This provides an opportunity to look at where an activity may fit into the new Australian Curriculum, for example how the Oobleck activity could be used in a Year 3 classroom to provide learning. This metacognitive ‘teacher’ view helps students to develop their thinking from ‘student’ to ‘developing teacher’(Bennett et al., 2014).
To help students’ continue to evolve their teacher identify I provide a conduit between students and the science education community, I have organised a wide range of activities including excursions, videos and guest speakers (Support Material 1). Students become more comfortable in their role as a member of the science education community.
Evidence
One hundred percent of all 2nd year students who completed eVALUate in 2013 and 2014 strongly agreed that I was knowledgeable and enthusiastic in my teaching (Support Material 1, 5, 24, 25).
I am not someone who was ever particularly passionate about Science or enjoyed it to be honest I was a bit worried about teaching it. But the hands on stuff you have showed us in class has given me more confidence and more knowledge. (Student eVALUate, 273, 2014).
Evidence of engaging and inspiring students may be seen in my students creation and filming of an integrated series of activities in the classroom around The Bear Hunt including science, mathematics, art which they loaded up to YouTube to be watched by regional students. The students volunteered to create then reproduce the Bear Hunt activities in a primary school with Year 3-6 classes. This provided them an opportunity to put science into action and see the engagement of the primary children.
A further example of this engagement would be my co-authoring of primary science materials with my tertiary students. In 2013 and 2015 the students and I explore a number of science and technology apps and recorded our findings in a short paper (PriSci Pinup) that was then sent out to the primary schools and teachers to the Science Teachers Association of Western Australia (STAWA)(Sheffield, 2013) .
I am not someone who was ever particularly passionate about Science or enjoyed it to be honest I was a bit worried about teaching it. But the hands on stuff you have showed us in class has given me more confidence and more knowledge. (Student eVALUate, 273, 2014).
Evidence of engaging and inspiring students may be seen in my students creation and filming of an integrated series of activities in the classroom around The Bear Hunt including science, mathematics, art which they loaded up to YouTube to be watched by regional students. The students volunteered to create then reproduce the Bear Hunt activities in a primary school with Year 3-6 classes. This provided them an opportunity to put science into action and see the engagement of the primary children.
A further example of this engagement would be my co-authoring of primary science materials with my tertiary students. In 2013 and 2015 the students and I explore a number of science and technology apps and recorded our findings in a short paper (PriSci Pinup) that was then sent out to the primary schools and teachers to the Science Teachers Association of Western Australia (STAWA)(Sheffield, 2013) .