My Philosophy of Teaching
I see it as my task to translate my industry experience as a science teacher to my teacher training students in a manner that helps them to build their own professional identity (Bennett, Rowley, Dunbar-Hall, Hitchcock, & Blom, 2014). This is more than career planning or building portfolios of graduate attributes. It is about building a community of primary teacher practitioners who are scientifically literate, confident and competent to inspire and empower their own students and to help them to make sense of their world through science. I have a particular responsibility to engage students with science not only because it is a national objective to educate more maths and science students but also because many students arrive at university somewhat science phobic.
|
I chart my way into university teaching with constructivist pedagogies (Ausubel, 1968) and an approach to teaching and curriculum development that I have adapted from Bybee’s (1997) 5 E approach to teaching. The 5 E’s approach starts by Engaging students into the learning and determining student prior knowledge (I describe an example of engaging in Criterion 1). Following the engage stage, I facilitate opportunities for students to Explore an idea or concept which I describe in Criterion 2. Following the exploring stage,
|
I model the Explaining stage and then an Elaborate stage, which moves the concept being learnt into a new context. At the conclusion of the 5 E model is Evaluate where the students understanding of the concept or idea is evaluated (this is examined in Criterion 2). Into the model I had added a 6th E, which I have termed ‘Evolve’, to incorporate the meta-cognition required of training teachers. The model provides a framework for planning and implementing student experiences and models a pedagogical approach that they can then adopt in their teaching practice, The addition of the 6th E, Evolve, extends this model to enable it to apply specifically to the development of their professional identity.
As part of my constructivist approach I build on students' knowledge and scaffold them to acquire new knowledge. Crucial to this process is the on-going assessment of learning and for learning that I accomplish through diagnostic and formative assessments (Hunt & Chalmers, 2015).
Finally I believe that 21st tertiary learners approach their studies at University from a new frame and therefore we need to scrutinize our existing approaches to teaching and learning to meet the needs of 21st century learners and seek to thoughtfully employ technology to promote and enhance learning.
[1] The unit champion oversees the implementation of the unit to ensure all iterations of the units across all learning platforms are consistent.
The term pre-service teacher and student are used interchangeably.
As part of my constructivist approach I build on students' knowledge and scaffold them to acquire new knowledge. Crucial to this process is the on-going assessment of learning and for learning that I accomplish through diagnostic and formative assessments (Hunt & Chalmers, 2015).
Finally I believe that 21st tertiary learners approach their studies at University from a new frame and therefore we need to scrutinize our existing approaches to teaching and learning to meet the needs of 21st century learners and seek to thoughtfully employ technology to promote and enhance learning.
[1] The unit champion oversees the implementation of the unit to ensure all iterations of the units across all learning platforms are consistent.
The term pre-service teacher and student are used interchangeably.