Image from: Melakoff & Mervis, 2016

Issue 1 Volume 1 OF LEA RN IN G

WERK LU ND DAIL Y J O URNAL Friday, November 3, 2017


Evolving Conceptualization of Science

University of Calgary [people] know rather than how [they] know it”
student incorporates (Nature of Science, 2011). In other words, the why
how and why into is lost in the process, and is often the most
her developing pedagogy important part. In my practicum last year, I was in a
Grade 7 classroom teaching science, math and
By: BREANNE CALDWELL health. Almost every day during my placement I
1006167 - breanne.caldwell@ucalgary.ca heard a student ask “why,” which really emphasized
the high level of curiosity within learning. I have
My awareness of what science is, in addition realized that rather than drilling students to
to what teaching science and learning science memorize facts or regurgitate scientific content;
should encompass, has been transformed over the students should be introduced to the idea that
course of this degree. These transformations began science is “a way of thinking” (Shafer, 2016).
by exploring the concepts of the nature of science Further, this way of thinking emphasizes curiosity
(NoS), scientific literacy, in addition to aspects of by highlighting that “the nature of science itself is
science, technology, society and the environment [to] make observations of the natural world, try and
(STSE). Through this I have been able to begin my identify patterns, ask questions, find answers, [and]
own inquiry into what I think science should ask more questions” (Shafer, 2016).
encompass in my pedagogy. I believe that as an Teaching science, and disciplined inquiry,
educator I need to “sustain learners’ curiosity about equips students with knowledge of how “scientific
the world, [increase their] enjoyment of scientific investigations are carried out, [about] standards
activity and understand… how natural phenomena defining acceptable scientific explanation and the
can be explained” (Harlen, 2010, p. 6). reliability of scientific knowledge” (MacDonald &
Science has always been a part of my life, Gustafson, 2006). Students who are provided with
and I think it is all around us. I view science as a this knowledge will be more likely to not only think
way to explore how and why the world around us critically about scientific information and myths
functions the way it does. This viewpoint that they encounter in their lives, but will also be
encourages a “critical sense of wonder and curiosity more aware of what constitutes reliable sources of
about scientific and technological endeavours” information. Using this, they will be armed with the
(Alberta Education, 2007, p. 2), which I believe are tools to both ask how and answer why something in
innate human desires. In Specialization I, I found the natural world is the way it is.
that there is habitual “overemphasis [on] what

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Issue 1 Volume 1 WERK LU ND DAIL Y J O URNAL OF LEA RN IN G Friday, November 3, 2017

Generally, teaching science fosters This gives a contextual starting point for teachers to
scientific literacy and allows students to make more utilize when planning their lessons and units in
informed decisions in their science-based choices addition to illuminating student misconceptions. I
each day. For example, through teaching science definitely plan on utilizing this framework within
and scientific literacy students will be better my own future classrooms.
equipped to judge how certain aspects of life might Further, allowing students to inquire how
influence them personally, or impact society; such they will go about answering problems prior to
as diets, environmental sustainable products, being told or shown, will give them practice
GMOs, vaccinations, medical interventions, or even mediating the fear that students often feel when
animal testing. This type of dealing with inquiry work. I
scientific literacy is critical stress getting practice with
for students to “take this feeling of fear because
appropriate actions [within after the students leave my
their lives], that affect their classroom, life will
own wellbeing and the consistently place them in
wellbeing of society and situations where they will
the environment” (Harlen, have this feeling. In their
2010, p. 7). adult lives, students will not
To foster scientific literacy Image from: Science embodiment. (n.d.). have guidelines or rubrics to follow,
within youth, there needs to be a thus fostering these critical thinking
combination of NoS and STSE embedded within skills are vital. They will need to use inquiry by
science curriculum, and they can be brought into the asking and answering hard questions in their adult
classroom numerous ways. One example would be lives, and it is up to us as educators to make sure
using authentic inquiry tasks within classrooms, they are prepared for that.
such as asking students to be ‘specialists’ and comb Bridging away from standardization in
through sources to find an answer to a societally education is the best way I know how to accomplish
relevant and pressing question. The NoS and this: by “provid[ing] students with the time, space,
curiosity can also be brought forth through inquiry and resources needed for learning science through
work within the classroom. For example, giving inquiry” (National Science Teaching Association
students time to explore concepts prior to formal (NSTA), 2014). In my future classrooms, I hope to
instruction will not only interest them, but allow give students the freedom to explore and engage
them to form those ‘why’ questions that are so with concepts in addition to giving them the
integral to scientific ways of thinking. Further, “the autonomy to present their learning in multiple
aim of exploration activities…establish[s] different ways. Overall, I believe that I need to be a
experiences that teachers and students can use later ‘designer’ of learning in future classrooms, where I
to formally introduce and discuss concepts, will strive to incorporate scientific inquiry in an
processes, or skills” (Bybee et al., 2006, p. 9). This authentic, relevant way, and allow my students the
not only engages students and allows them to freedom to ask how and explore why. I believe that
“establish relationships, observe patterns, identify this is extremely important because “understanding
variables, and question events” (Bybee et al., 2006, science content is significantly enhanced when
p. 9), but also allows teachers to “take existing ideas are anchored to inquiry experiences” (NSTA,
student knowledge into account” (Sewell, 2002). 2014).
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Issue 1 Volume 1 WERK LU ND DAIL Y J O URNAL OF LEA RN IN G Friday, November 3, 2017

Although engaging student’s curiosity, and to recognize that “explanatory ideas do not ‘emerge’
inquiry work are both critical aspects of my from observations, no matter how carefully these
developing pedagogy, imparting content knowledge are guided and constrained” (Abrahams & Millar,
is also of great importance. Students need to be able 2008, p. 1965). As important as fostering practical
to hold enough content knowledge to be able to skills is, I believe that explanatory ideas should be
“pose questions and solve problems across the developed prior to practical work, in addition to
disciplines” (Friesen, 2015). Some of my future being integrated, and solidified within it. Without
students may grow up to be the “future scientists both the background disciplinary knowledge, and
and engineers” (Kumar & Chubin, 2012, p. 56) of the practical skills that laboratory experimentation
our society. However, to begin students’ paths in instil, students will not be equipped to handle full
STEM careers, they need to explicitly learn science inquiry based scientific tasks, such as the ones that
content, and the transferable skills needed to scientists and engineers tackle daily.
investigate their own scientific inquiries. In my undergraduate degree, specifically in
Not only does teaching disciplinary an advanced organic chemistry class, there was one
knowledge set students up with the skills needed to practical experiment that stood out as inquiry based;
ask and answer scientific inquiries, it also gives although it was not as authentic as it could have
them an introduction to the been. In this experiment I was
different facets of science; given a vial containing a mixture
which may spark students of two compounds. I then had to
initial interest in scientific determine what both of the
inquiry to begin with. Without compounds were through a set of
that spark, many of the separations, and experiments
advancements in STSE would over the course of a few weeks.
not exist today. Thus, it is However, prior to the
imperative to piqué student’s interest in science for commencement of this experiment, I learned both
them to move into adulthood to create their own disciplinary content and basic organic chemistry
advancements. In other words teaching science laboratory skills. Without this background
“allow[s] students to explore interests and prepare knowledge and skillset, I would not have been able
for further education and careers” (Alberta to conduct my inquiry. My point here is that prior to
Education, 2007, p. 1). practical work, there needs to be context and
In addition to teaching specific disciplinary explanatory ideas for students to see the relevance
knowledge, it is also imperative that specific of practical work.
transferable skills are also explicitly taught to Looking back on laboratory experiments I
students. However, this is a controversial topic as have completed, they did teach me relevant skills,
many experiments that teach laboratory skills and procedures and techniques that were critical to my
practices do not incorporate a large amount of later investigations in science. However, through
inquiry, or interest students in an authentic way. If looking back, and what I have learned over this
students are not taught such skills, or given “the degree, I believe that practical work needs to
opportunity to develop [them], they will be unable encompass more than just observation, students
to complete [the] meaningful investigations” need to be able to “creat[e] [their] own knowledge”
(Edelson et al., 1999, p. 400) that are central to (Shaha, 2011). For students to gain everything they
scientific inquiry. Beyond that, as a teacher I need can from practical work it also needs to be authentic
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Issue 1 Volume 1 WERK LU ND DAIL Y J O URNAL OF LEA RN IN G Friday, November 3, 2017

and relevant to them. Understandably, not every significance to teaching students the NoS, STSE
student will enjoy every experiment, but there are principles and scientific literacy. However, the
ways to improve experiments to increase their content and practical work both need to be tailored
relevancy and “match the practical to an appropriate to fit the classroom, the students, and curriculum in
[and specific learning] objective[s]” (Shaha, 2013). relevant, authentic ways. Although this is a daunting
Some of the experiments that I conducted feat, my self-efficacy in accomplishing it has
were very standardized, ‘dry,’ and contained very increased dramatically over the course of this
little inquiry. Each of these experiments included degree.
step-wise instructions to which I could not deviate. I My future students need to be scientifically
observed something similar in my observational literate, hold disciplinary content knowledge and
practicum in a Calgary high school. The students possess the practical skills to be able to ask and
were not completely engaged and did not see the answer, how and why our world operates the way it
relevance of the experiment – the why was once does. Further, they need these stills to confront
again lost. There are many experiments that come to “difficult issues and hard questions” (Metz, 2005) in
my mind that could have been changed, some in our society. As a teacher, it is my goal to supply
very small ways, to increase authenticity, relevancy them with the “scientific and related technological
while making them more memorable to students, knowledge and skills that will enable them to
without losing curricular value. One example I understand and interpret their world” (Alberta
thought of was for my advance organic unknown Education, 2007, p. 1) enough to be able to answer
lab that I explained earlier. I realized, after taking those ‘hard questions.’ More than that, it is my job
classes in this degree, that there could have been a as an educator to impart the “…science-related
simple explanation at the beginning stating that I knowledge, skills and attitudes that they need to
was a forensic scientist trying to determine the solve problems and make decisions and, at the same
compounds that were found at a murder scene, or time, to help [them] become lifelong learners who
something similar to that. Even something as simple maintain their sense of [investigative] wonder about
as a ‘story’ on why I was completing that inquiry the world around them” (Alberta Education, 2007,
would have made all the difference in my p. 1).
motivation, and learning. Using this idea of making
practical work more authentic is something that I References
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believe that practical experimentation and Abrahams, I., & Millar, R. (2008). Does practical
laboratory work are essential in science disciplines work really work? A study of the
in order to teach students transferable skills. effectiveness of practical work as a teaching
Through this course, I have learned that I and learning method in school science.
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Issue 1 Volume 1 WERK LU ND DAIL Y J O URNAL OF LEA RN IN G Friday, November 3, 2017

Bybee, R. W., Taylor, J. A., Gardner, A., Scotter, P. National Science Teaching Association (NSTA).
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