B.Ed. Teaching Notes
Prepared
by
SABARISH-P
M.Sc.,
M.Ed.,NET
Lecturer
in Physical Science, Arafa Institute for Teacher Education
Attur,
Thrissur.
Relevant Sections of
KCF 2007-Science Education
Introduction
Science
Education in Kerala is facing a number of challenges. We are not able to device
a suitable approach for the learning of science and to accommodate latest
development and trends in the field. The experiments that are given in the
prevailing textbooks are not indented to make the learner discover facts and
they also limit the scope for enquiry. The relevance of doing experiments and
observations is either lost or undermined by the practice of giving in the
textbook all the details that are to be explored. This decreases the interest
of the learner and the scope for enquiry. Life around us is more complex and
different than what we see in our textbooks. In fact, science education does
not help in fostering the competency for analyzing and discussing possibilities
for solving problems that the individual and the society face. It also fails in
creating even the right attitude that is required for solving a problem. There
is no scope for developing scientific awareness. Science fails to become an
enabling area of study if the learner does not get access to the process of
learning science such as observation, data collection, data analysis, arriving
at conclusions etc. A learner, like a scientist, should get opportunities to
engage in different projects and to be familiarized with the process of
scientific enquiry.
Major criticisms
leveled against the prevailing science education
The
major criticisms leveled against the prevailing science education may include:
1) There
is a belief that the aim of science education is to transmit knowledge that has
already been gathered
2) The
learning process is neither process-oriented nor learner-centred, thus the
learners do not have the opportunity to engage in learning activities and
construct knowledge.
3) There
is a tendency to promote rote learning of concepts in science to excel in
examination.
4) The
innate curiosity and scientific temperament of the learner are yet to find
space.
5) Examination
centric textbooks and learning process.
6) Incongruence
between the content, and the level of the learner.
7) Scientific
temperament and science literacy are not addressed adequately.
8) Learning
of science fails to become interesting and challenging to the learner.
9) Construction
of knowledge has not been duly recognized.
10)
Science education has yet to become life
related.
11)
Mechanisms for empowering learners in
the pedagogic practices are yet to be strengthened.
12)
The assessment of effectiveness of teaching
science is completely neglected.
Aims
of Science Education
The main aim of science
education is to equip a student with a scientific mind which will enable
him/her to deal with the problems logically and to take decisions. Along with
these, it is necessary to take into account the interests and aptitudes of the
learners while designing the curriculum.
The aims of science
education include:
1) Development
of scientific temperament and its application in daily life.
2) Engagement
in scientific methods like observation, experimentation, data collection,
interpretation of data, analysis, theorising, examining for construction of
knowledge.
3) Nurturing
the ability to examine scientifically the problems of daily life as well as
social issues and seeking logical solutions.
4) Recognising
and developing one’s own interests and abilities in technical and vocational
fields.
5) Encouraging
the development of logical thinking
6) Imbibing
a humanistic outlook and developing a world view based on it.
7) Recognising
the importance of understanding historical development of ideas.
8) Nurturing
lateral thinking ability for enabling the learners to look at things from
different perspectives and to seek new solutions.
9) Developing
scientific literacy that provides for building awareness of scientific process.
Changing
Approaches.
The approach of science
education has to be changed to achieve the aims stated above. The idea that
process of learning science is as important as the content of science came to
the scene. But now importance is given to the view that there are other areas
to be considered apart from process and content. They are:
1)
Knowledge
Domain
Every student of
science ought to be aware of the latest theories and developments in the field
of science. This accounts for facts, ideas, laws, the present status of
learning and the correlation of science and social issues. These could be accomplished
by observation and experiment, discussion, debate, project work and reference.
2)
Science
Process Domain
This area helps to
understand how scientists construct knowledge and how the learner can do it by
himself/herself. A process could be defined as a series of steps that aim at a
particular result. The ability to identify new ideas and analyze them to reach
a conclusion is termed as process skills. Process skills are developed by
collecting ideas and proof and by arriving at conclusions after deeper
analysis.
There are certain
process skills that the learner have to possess in order to engage in
scientific study. They are:
• observation
• data collection and
documentation
• classification
• measurement and
charting
• data analysis
• engaging in
experiments
• identifying variables
• questioning
• generalisation
• problem solving
• arriving at a
hypothesis
• decision-making
• communication
• predicting and
inferring
• handling tools
3)
Creativity
Domain
The learner should be
given chances to explore new paths in the acquisition of scientific knowledge.
The learner should:
• develop the potential
for visualization
• develop the skill to
design an experiment
• correlate ideas and
facts in a new manner
• find an alternative
utility for materials
• find answers for
problems and puzzles
• start fantasizing
• design tools and
equipment
• start dreaming
• think differently
4)
Attitudinal
Domain
The essential aim of
science education is to create a change in attitude and develop new ideas regarding
values. Even after acquiring new ideas and process skills, if there is no
change in the learner's attitude towards the society, science education will
have no practical meaning. Science education should try to bring in a change in
aspects like attitude, values and decision-making. Therefore, science education
has to take into consideration these aspects as well:
• The learner ought to
develop an inclination towards scientific knowledge and science education
• He/she should develop
faith in one’s ability
• He/she ought to
understand and value human emotions
• He/she ought to be
sympathetic to the others and their attitude
5)
Application
Domain
If the learner is not
able to apply the knowledge that he/she has gathered, there is no meaning in
imparting science education. If the practical level of science education could
not be related to life, the learner will not find it to be of any significance.
The elements of
Application Domain are:
• observing science
concepts in daily life.
• making use of the concepts
and skills that are imbibed for solving issues related to technology.
• forming ideas about
the scientific principles behind the working of tools and equipment used at
home.
• making use of the
process of science to solve the issues in daily life.
• developing ability to
evaluate the events related to science.
• taking scientific
decisions in matters of food, health and life style.
• developing an
inter-disciplinary approach.
The
Nature of Science and Science Education
By interacting with the
society, a child develops a variety of notions about the nature of science. The
personal experience of the learner through suitable learning activities
provides him/her proper awareness on this. A mere learning of scientific ideas
and theories will not enable the learner to understand the nature of science.
Acquisition of scientific ideas will not, by themselves, develop a scientific
perspective.
Experiences that
facilitate this should be provided to the learner right from the beginning of
his/her schooling.
At the beginning stage,
the student should go through concrete experiences that help him/her get
acquainted with various aspects of nature. This does not mean that the
curriculum should avoid abstract ideas. A learner who goes through a proper
learning experience would gradually gain processing skills and the ability to
internalize abstract ideas.
A learner who possesses
the spirit of enquiry should be encouraged to discuss and share his/her
findings with the peer group. This will enable the learner to internalize the
concrete experiences and to assimilate the abstract ideas.
Presenting scientific
facts through textbooks or lectures is not a suitable method for science
education. At every point during the lesson the student should feel like asking
'How do you know that is right?' It
is only when such questions arise that the curriculum and the textbook and the
teaching are justified.
Areas
of science education that need to be evaluated
The traditional method
of class tests is not sufficient to evaluate the child. All the abilities of
the child should be subjected to evaluation. Multiple choice questions are not
suitable to evaluate mental processing of the highest order. The following
elements have to be considered while evaluating the learner:
• Learners should not
be evaluated fully by the written mode of examination. Skills developed by the process
of science education including the ability to do experiments should be
evaluated
• The relevance of
multiple choice questions in evaluating science learning has been widely
criticized. They are inadequate to evaluate the higher order mental processes
• Evaluation should
give importance to assessing performance in which skills of the hands and the
mind are at work
• In science education,
it is difficult to separate the process of evaluation from the
teaching-learning process
The following areas of science
education need to be evaluated:
• experiments
• the process of
experimentation and observation
• projects
• skills that exhibit a
scientific temperament
• attitude
• outdoor activities
• journals
• the use of library
• co-operative tests
• self-learning
• concept mapping
• drawings
• problem solving
• research
• debate/group discussions.
Prepared
by
SABARISH-P
M.Sc.,
M.Ed.,NET
Lecturer
in Physical Science, Arafa Institute for Teacher Education
Attur,
Thrissur.
