Module 1

FOUNDATIONS OF SCIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNING

What is It?

Science teaching is a complex endeavor. It may bring frustrations and

disappointments. However, it can also bring satisfaction and successes that may
outweigh the difficulties. Being new in teaching, you may not feel confident
handling your classes. Fear not! This is normal for practicing teachers like you.
To give you confidence, you must be prepared. Being prepared means not only
having adequate knowledge of the scientific discipline but also sufficient
knowledge of the nature of your pupils/students and what it takes to teach
science. It is important to bear in mind that what you choose to teach in science
and how you teach it will be influenced by your views of both science and the
children. This lesson will give you a better understanding of science teaching
and how students learn science best.

What will you learn?

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. discuss the nature of science teaching;
2. discuss the relevance of knowing the students’ characteristics to
effective science teaching;
3. identify the learning styles of your students; and
4. manage science classes effectively.

What you already know?

1. What are the three facets of science teaching?

2. What are the three types of learners and how do they differ from each
other?

Let’s get it mastered!

1.1 What to Teach

One of the dilemmas science teachers commonly have is deciding what to
teach. Are you experiencing this problem too? To gain a better understanding of
what you should teach in science, let us first define what science is.

As defined by Dr. Rosalyn Yalon, a Nobel Laureate in Medicine, science

is…. “…. not simply a collection of facts. It is a discipline of thinking about
rational solutions to problems after establishing the basic facts derived from
observations. It is hypothesizing from what is known to what might be and then
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attempting to test the hypothesis…logical thinking must come first; the facts can
come later.

In the light of this definition, we can say that science teaching has three
interacting facets, namely: knowledge, process skills and attitudes.

Knowledge is sometimes labeled as the products of science. It generally

refers to facts, concepts, principles, laws, and theories.

Process skills are the empirical and analytic procedures used by

scientists in solving problems. Competence in using these skills provide children
with the ability to apply knowledge not only to science and other subject areas in
the classroom but also to their daily lives outside the classroom. Once your
students learn to use the science process skills to solve problems, you can be
sure that they will become lifelong learners. For this reason, the science process
skills have been called lifelong learning skills.

Scientific attitudes refer to the general predispositions that characterize

the work of scientists. Some of the important attitudes students will have to learn
and demonstrate in science include curiosity, honesty, objectivity, openness,
perseverance, skepticism, and withholding judgment.

Clearly, as a science teacher, you should not only be concerned with what
science is all about. You should also see to it that your students develop the
different basic process skills and scientific attitudes.

1.2 The Learners: A Second Look

To make science meaningful to your students, you need to know their
characteristics.

Knowing them will give you ideas on how best they can learn. In your pre-
service education, you will study these characteristics. The succeeding
discussion will focus on the characteristics of learners which are relevant to
science teaching.

1. Learners learn and develop as a whole person. The learners’

cognitive, affective, physical, social and emotional areas are intricately
intertwined. Learners cannot grow in one area without affecting the other areas.
As a teacher, bear in mind that you are responsible for the development of the
whole individual, not just one or two particular areas of his/her development.

2. Learners grow through the same predictable stages but at

different rates. This means that children of the same age group may not exhibit
uniform characteristics. Some may be more intellectually or socially advanced
than the others in the same age group. You, as the teacher, should make
allowances or provisions for the differences that may be found among your
students.

3. Learners learn best through active involvement with concrete

experiences. Research studies show that the use of hands-on activities can
result in significant improvements in academic performance and attitude of
students towards
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science. Hands-on approaches to teaching science is consistent with the
philosophy of learning and instruction called constructivism. According to the
constructivist’s point of view, learners are not passive recipients of knowledge;
rather, they are active constructors and re-constructors of their own
understanding. Constructivists view learning as creating new knowledge and
deriving meanings by combining incoming information with what they already
know.

4. Learners are curious and eager to learn. When the teacher fits the
learning environment to learners’ interests, needs and their levels of maturity,
they become highly motivated. Their curiosity and desire to learn are enhanced.
Learners
learn best what is meaningful to them. They learn best in an environment that is
natural, relaxed and free of competitive elements rather than in settings that are
highly structured and tightly organized.

5. Learners have different learning styles. Learning styles are preferred

ways that different individuals have for processing and responding to
environmental stimulus (Kuchuck and Eggen, 1997). Learning styles are also
referred to as cognitive styles. Each student has his/her own learning style.
Some of your students may learn best through visual mode, others are primarily
aural, tactile or kinesthetic learners. Some like to work alone rather than with
others; some like to be given tasks that are structured for them rather than to be
asked to develop their own structures.

Based on the Perceptual Strength Inventory that you have accomplished,

what is your learning style? Administering the inventory to your students will give
you an idea of their preferred learning modalities. While some students may
have two or more preferred learning modalities, each has a distinct perceptual
strength. Table 1.1 gives the characteristics of learners according to each type of
learning modalities espoused by Dunn and Dunn.

Table 1.1 Characteristics of Learners According to Dunn and Dunn’s Learning

Style Inventory

Type of Learner Characteristics

Visual Looks at all study materials
Uses charts, maps, filmstrips, notes and flashcards
Practices visualizing or picturing words/concepts in
their head
Writes everything for frequent and quick review
Auditory Uses tapes
Finds it easy to learn by listening
Fills gaps in notes with taped lectures
Listens and takes notes
Reviews notes frequently
Sits in lecture hall or classroom where he/she could
hear well
Summarizes and recites aloud after reading
something
Kinesthetic/Tactil Traces words as he/she reads text
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 e Writes facts to be learned several times
Keeps a supply of scratch paper for writing facts
Likes being active and involved
Learn while in motion
Plays with objects while learning
Highlights pertinent information
Often takes down notes either during a lecture or
when reading new or difficult text
Doodles or folds a paper, plays with a pencil or ball
pen while learning

1.3 Implications to Teaching

With the characteristics of learners in mind, your teaching will be more
effective if you do the following:

 Present science as a way of finding out rather than as a body of facts to

be
memorized.
Allowing learners to discover and to organize the information equip them
with problem-solving and decision-making skills. It also results in knowledge that
is more easily remembered and recalled than rote learning.

 Emphasize learning by doing.

A number of researches show that learners learn better when they are
personally involved in physical or hands-on activities. The science process skills,
for example, can only be taught through experiencing science. These skills are
not developed by reading, listening to lectures, watching demonstrations, videos
or movies or working with the computer. The thrill of science can only be fully
realized through direct involvement of the learner.

 Encourage interactions among learners.

Give opportunities for students to work together in groups. Students who
work together learn more from each other. They also develop their social and
communication skills in the process.

 Adapt science experiences to the learners’ developmental levels

Learners differ on how they operate mentally.
Therefore, you must arrange experiences that fit what they can do.
Providing experiences that are appropriate to your students’ developmental level
will result in better learning and achievement. It will also give students a feeling
of success.

 Use a variety of approaches in teaching science.

As discussed earlier, students have different learning styles. To be more
effective, you must be aware of their learning styles and you must consider them
in choosing which teaching methods to use. According to Dr. Rita Dunn,
Director, International Learning Styles Network, “Students can learn any subject
matter when they are taught with methods and approaches responsive to their
learning styles.” This implies that for your teaching to be more effective, you
should be sensitive to your students learning styles. How you deliver your lesson
relates proportionally to how your students store, process and retrieve

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information. Better performance will result when you match your teaching styles
to the learning styles of your students.

1.4 Management Tips

One of the major concerns of science teachers is the management of

science classes to ensure that optimum learning takes place in the classroom.
Here are some tips which you might find useful.

1. Decide whether the students will work individually or in groups ahead of

time.
2. When students are working in groups, make certain that no member is
excluded in the activity.
3. Rotate responsibility so that each member of the group has equal
opportunity.
4. Circulate among the groups as they work and discuss; listen to the
students’ contributions and assess their thinking skills as well as their ability to
work cooperatively.
5. Require the students to keep their noise to a minimum as they work.
Absolute silence, on the other hand, will hamper their learning.
6. After giving instructions, watch to see that students begin their work. If
they appear not to understand what is expected of them, ask all students to stop
working so you may give additional instructions.
7. If instructions are somewhat complex, give them in short segments.
Write the steps on the board or on a transparency on an OHP so students can
refer to them as they work.
8. Always give time for questions from the students.
9. Be prepared to provide additional activity for those who finish early to
keep them occupied.
10. Plan ahead for each lesson to have the materials on hand and ready
for distribution when needed.

Let’s try this!

To have an idea of the learning styles of your students. You may
use the Perceptual Strength Inventory devised by Dunn and Dunn (1987). You
may try it on yourself first.
ACTIVITY 1.1

What is My Style?
Instructions:
Use the following codes to answer this activity .
N- Never (1) O-Occasionally (3) A-Always (5)
R-Rarely (2) F-Frequently (4)

Read each of the sentences carefully. Under column A, write N for

never if the statement does not reflect your style, A for always if the
statements reflects your style , and so on. Under Column B, give the
numeric value for each choice.

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 Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

A B
___ ___ 1. I like to listen to verbal instructions.
___ ___ 2. I learn best by seeing, reading and watching.
___ ___ 3. Using my hands - feeling or touching - is my style.
___ ___ 1. I form the sounds of words to recall them.
___ ___ 2. I need to construct and use strong visual image
associations
to learn.
___ ___ 3. I like to play with objects while learning.
___ ___ 1. I remember information by hearing myself say the words
___ ___ 2. I need to create a picture on paper or in my mind to
Remember It.
___ ___ 3. I learn by taking notes while listening.
___ ___ 1. I read aloud instead of silently talking to myself.
___ ___ 2. I like to create pictures to match with the words.
___ ___ 3. I underline ideas while listening.
___ ___ 1. I memorize information or associate my memories with
songs.
___ ___ 2. I need to see the words rather than the images.
___ ___ 3. I need to highlight pertinent information.
___ ___ 1. I take active part in discussions.
___ ___ 2. I daydream to imagine what things look like.
___ ___ 3. I doodle, fold a paper, play with a pencil a ball pen or paper
clip while learning.
B. Once you have completed your preferences in Column A, and have
written the values for each of your responses in Column B, get the
sum of all the values assigned for each answer and write the score on
the summary.
Score Your learning style
Sum of 1’s ___ Auditory = ___
Sum of 2’s ___ Visual = ___
Sum of 3’s ___ Tactile/Kinesthetic = ___
The biggest sum indicates your preferred learning styles

Let’s think about this!

I. Multiple Choice: Directions: Encircle the letter of the option that best
answer each of the following questions.
1. Carlos is a grade 6 pupil. He loves to draw and learns better if the printed
material he reads is accompanied with pictures or illustrations. He frequently
writes what has been read. What is Carlos’ learning style?
a. Auditory c. Tactile/Kinesthetic
b. Visual d. Cannot be identified using the given data
2. Omar prefers to sit in front. He takes notes every time he listens to a lecture.
He usually recites aloud after reading something. What is Omar’s learning
style?
a. Tactile /Kinesthetic c. Auditory
b. Visual d. Aesthetic
3. Your student is a kinesthetic learner. Which activity would you give him/her?
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 a. Watch a debate.
b. Perform an experiment on air pressure.
c. Listen to a radio program “Ating Alamin”.
d. React verbally to a hypothetical item about height and air pressure.
4. Your students are mostly visual learners. Which of the following class
activities
is most appropriate to use in teaching the concept of food chain?
a. Play a cassette tape about a food chain in a forest park.
b. Bring them to the park and identify existing food chains in different
areas
of the park.
c. Let them write a journal about food chain in a forest park.
d. Let them do a rap about food chain in a forest park

II Essay:
1. Why it is that classroom management is one of the most important aspect
to consider in teaching science?
2. Why do we need to know the learning styles of our students?

Rubric for Essay

5 4 3 2 1

1. Content
"Addresses each question and all its parts thoroughly; incorporates relevant course
content into responses; uses specific
information from case in response"
2. Understanding/Application
"Demonstrates deep understanding of course theories and ideas applied to analysis of
case situations"
3. Original Thinking
"Demonstrates original thinking that adds insight to analysis of case; meaningful
elaboration beyond text, notes, class discussion in strategy development"
4. Structure
"Response to each question is well organized and clearly written; there is evidence of
planning before writing"

References
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