Maria Cecilia C.

Maiz December 4, 2019

Principles of Teaching 2 BSED – TLE III B

Guiding Principles in the Teaching of Science

The goal of the Guiding Principles is to help educators create relevant and
well-organized programs that support student engagement, curiosity, analytical
thinking, and excitement for learning over time.

1. Constructivist Principle - Students are innately curious about the world

and wonder how things work. They may make spontaneous, perceptive observations
about natural objects and processes or designed objects and systems, and can often be
found taking things apart and reassembling them. Teachers must be skilled at
uncovering inaccuracies in students’ prior knowledge and observations, and in
devising experiences that will challenge inaccurate beliefs and give students
compelling reasons and evidence to redirect their learning along more productive
routes.
2. Discovery Principle - All students can develop proficiency if instruction
provides them with relevant and engaging opportunities. This includes a range of
scientific investigations and thinking, including—but not limited to—inquiry and
investigation, collection and analysis of evidence, analytical reasoning, and
communication and application of information. Students learn when they have the
opportunity to reflect on how the practices contribute to the accumulation of scientific
knowledge. This means, for example, that when students carry out an investigation,
develop models, articulate questions, or engage in arguments, they have opportunities
to think about what they have done and why.
3. Brain-based Principle - Students are naturally curious and motivated to
know more about the world in which they live. Asking questions about everyday
phenomena, issues, and how things work can provide rich science learning
opportunities for all students.
4. Collaborative Principle - In a classroom, student learning is advanced
through social interactions among students and teachers. In order to learn how to
effectively communicate scientific and technological ideas, students require practice
in making written and oral presentations, fielding questions, and developing replies.
Students need opportunities to talk about their work in focused discussions with peers
and with those who have more experience and expertise. Opportunities to collaborate
and communicate are critical to advance students’ learning.
5. Consider multiple Intelligences and Learning styles - Teachers should
consistently support students in acquiring comprehension skills and strategies to
deepen students’ understanding concepts as represented and conveyed in a variety of
texts. Teachers should help students understand that the types of texts students read
through the use of different strategies and other teaching methods.

Inquiry – Based Approach

Refers to the ʺdiverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and
propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work.ʺ Scientific
Inquiry explores possible solutions, develop explanations for the phenomena under
investigation. This adopts an ʺinvestigative approach to teaching and learning where
students are provided with opportunities to investigate a problem, search for possible
solutions, make observations, ask questions and think creatively and use their
intuition.

Essential Features of Inquiry

1. Learner engages in scientifically – oriented questions.  the process of
asking open questions, solving them through original strategies, empowers students
to take ownership of their learning.
2. Learner gives priority to evidence in responding to questions. Science
uses evidence from observations as the basis for explanations about how natural
worlds is.
3. Learner formulates explanations from evidence. Scientific explanations
are based on reasons. They formulate their own explanations from the evidences they
have discovered through their experiments to support their conclusions.
4. Learner connects explanations to scientific evidence. If there is a new
evidence uncovered, their explanations can be revised or can be discarded and still
they can connect explanations about it.
5. Learner communicates and justifies explanations. Students can work by
themselves, or as part of a small or large group. Inquiry itself typically involves
methods such as discussion and guided research.
Different Levels of Inquiry in the Classroom
Open - You give students time and support. They pose original questions that
they investigate through their own methods, and eventually present their results to
discuss and expand.
Guided - You give students an open question. Typically, in groups, they
design investigation methods to reach a conclusion.
Structured - You give students an open question and an investigation method.
They must use the method to craft an evidence-backed conclusion.

Doing Science
Science is a process. Teachers are advised to teach Science by doing science
not only by knowing science concepts.
1. Observing – Observe objects or events in a variety of ways, using one or more of
the senses. We make observations every day, even when we don't realize it. An
observation is knowledgeable that can be acquired using any of our 5 senses.
2. Classifying - Classifying things into different categories prevents new information
from getting lost. We categorize by recognizing similarities and differences between
things, and how they relate to one other. Classification is the basis for all concept
formation.
3. Inferring - an interpretation or an explanation of an observation. The observation
is made using our senses. To make an inference, we connect what we observe to prior
knowledge and the new information observed through our senses. An inference can be
made from more than one observation, and it is not just a guess.
4. Predicting - is a guess about what might happen in the future, based on
observations that you make. Predicting is closely related to other process skills such
as observing, inferring, and classifying. Many process skills are in fact dependent on
other process skills.
5. Measuring - Students learn about scientific measurement and the International
System of Units (SI). They are given tips for making measurements, they consider
how they could demonstrate that there are 1,000 millimeters in a meter, and they
practice measuring skills.
6. Communicating - Students learn how oral and written communication are used in
science. They are given tips for communicating in science, they consider how the
rules for scientific communication make it possible for scientists to discuss each
other's work, and they practice communicating skills.
7. Using space/time relations – describe an object’s position in relation to other
objects.
8. Defining operationally - An operational definition of a variable describes:
What is observed and what is measured.
9. Formulating hypotheses - It is easier for any individual who has developed the
skill of formulating hypotheses to create conceptual knowledge. For this reason,
individuals’ skill of formulating a hypothesis must be developed. A hypothesis is
defined as describing possible results of a study.
10. Experimenting - Experimenting puts together all the science process skills.
Experiments begin as a question and then follow steps to answer the question.
11. Recognizing Variables - The independent variable in an experiment is the
variable that the investigator purposely changes to produce an outcome.
12. Interpreting Data – Organize and state in his or her own words information
derived from a science investigation. Revise interpretations of data based on new
information or revised data.