Models of Science Teaching

Sociocultural Models: Communities of Practice

• Helping your students form a collaborative community of learners:– Self-organizing via choices

& preferences– interdisciplinary and

diversity of perspective– Creative activity supported

by discussion & argumentation

– Problems must interest students

– Authentic audience increases motivation

Models of Science Teaching

Project-based science teaching

• Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) for K-8

• International Education and Resource Network iEARN

• Project examples from beginning teachers

• Exemplary Projects PBL

Models of Science Teaching

Inquiry 8.1: Designing Project-based Learning Activities

Table 8.2. Learning Cycle Planning Template

Preliminary Decisions: Grade level; concepts (from text or NSES), objectives, grouping of students, materials

InvitationElicit student ideas

ExplorationStudents explore phenomena through focused activity

ExplanationHelp students propose and compare ideas

Taking ActionHelping students apply or elaborate on their understanding.

Models of Science Teaching

Inquiry Teaching

• Inquiry and the Science Standards

• What is inquiry?• The Challenge of Inquiry• The Language of Inquiry

– Scientific Inquiry– Inquiry Learning– Inquiry Teaching

Models of Science Teaching

Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry (NRC, 2000 p. 29)

Learners are engaged by scientifically oriented questions.

Learners give priority to evidence, which allows them to develop and evaluate explanations that address scientifically oriented questions.

Learners formulate explanations from evidence to address scientifically oriented questions.

Learners evaluate their explanations in light of alternative explanations, particularly those reflecting scientific understanding.

Learners communicate and justify their proposed explanations.

Models of Science Teaching

Thinking about Inquiry • One criticism of inquiry and

discovery methods of science teaching is that this approach takes too much time, and students can learn concepts and skills if presented more directly. Debate this criticism by first taking the side of inquiry, and then the side of the criticism. In which were you more convincing? Is there a solution to this problem?

• Identify two or three additional questions about inquiry as a model of teaching.

Using an EEEP to stimulate inquiry

Models of Science Teaching

Inductive Inquiry

• One approach to inductive inquiry is to focus students by using a problem-oriented demonstration (discrepant event or EEEP). An inquiry session follows by encouraging students questions, theory proposing, and experimenting.

leads to

leads to

leads to

leads to

leads to

Start:Students Ask

Questions

Freedom to ask: May ask

as many questions as one wants

Teacher Response:

Record Ideas or ask

questions

Test Theories:Students plan and carry out experiments

Cooperation: Students work

in teams to experiment

Inquiry Session

Models of Science Teaching

Design an Inquiry Lesson

• Using anyone of the following activities, design an inquiry lesson or session based on the cycle shown here.– Pennies in Water

– Wood Sinks & Floats

– Coin Drop and Throw

– The Double Pendulum

– The Balloon in Water

leads to

leads to

leads to

leads to

leads to

Start:Students Ask

Questions

Freedom to ask: May ask

as many questions as one wants

Teacher Response:

Record Ideas or ask

questions

Test Theories:Students plan and carry out experiments

Cooperation: Students work

in teams to experiment

Inquiry Session

Models of Science Teaching

Inquiry 8.2: Science Teaching as Inquiry

• As a group, discuss and list characteristics of inquiry teaching.

• Discuss the 4 levels of inquiry in relation to the amount of teacher-direction and student autonomy (after reading Breaking into Inquiry).

• Log on to the Annenberg Media site and view Case Study in SciEd #21 (Pat)

• Complete #5 and Minds-on Strategies.

Models of Science Teaching

Discovery Learning

• How can the following help foster discovery learning in your class:

• Curiosity• Structure of content• Inductive labs• Problem-oriented

activities• Intuitive thinking

Models of Science Teaching

Direct-Interactive Teaching (DIT) Model

• The DIT model is a dynamic teacher-centered model of teaching. It is effective for teaching science information and skills. There has been much research on the DIT model, and knowing it can facilitate the implementation of the model.

• The DIT Model is represented here as a cycle of teaching; four aspects stand out:– You will need to develop and implement a variety of learning tasks.– The learning tasks you develop should engage the learner at high levels.– You should strive for high levels of teacher-student, and student-student

interaction. You can achieve this by the use of teacher questions, use of hands-on activities and small group work.

– Your students should perform at moderate-to-high rates of success.

Models of Science Teaching

Direct Interactive Teaching Model

leads to

leads to

leads to

leads to

leads to

Check Previous Work

& Reteach

Presenting new content and

skills

Initial student practice

Feedback and correctives

Independent practice

Direct Interactive Teaching

Model

Models of Science Teaching

Structuring Content in the DIT Model

• Another important aspect of the DIT Model is the presentation and structuring of science content. One of the key ingredients is to break content into manageable, teachable and learnable chunks.

• There are a number of ways to structure new science content. Following are four suggestions that you should find helpful in dividing science content for the DIT model. They include:

– Whole-to-Part

– Sequential Structuring

– Combinatorial Organization

– Comparative Relationships

Models of Science Teaching

Ways to Structure Content

Structuring Content in the

DIT Model

Whole-to-Part

Sequential Structuring

Combinatorial Organization

Comparative Relationships

Divide content using Concept

Map

Hooking to Big Ideas

Simple to complex ordering of content

or skills

Hierarchy and classification of

content

Show elements of content as a cycle

Krebs Cycle Rock Cycle as

examples

Use Concepts maps showing relationships

Use tables comparing &

contrasting content