APPROACHES IN SCIENCE

TEACHING
 Multidisciplinary Approach
• An approach to curriculum integration which
focuses primarily on the different disciplines
and the diverse perspectives they bring to
illustrate a topic, theme or issue. A
multidisciplinary curriculum is one in which
the same topic is studied from the viewpoint
of more than one discipline. Frequently
multidisciplinary and cross disciplinary are
used as synonyms describing the aim to cross
boundaries between disciplines.
 Interdisciplinary Approach
• An approach to curriculum integration that
generates an understanding of themes and
ideas that cut across disciplines and of the
connections between different disciplines and
their relationship to the real world. It normally
emphasizes process and meaning rather than
product and content by combining contents,
theories, methodologies and perspectives
from two or more disciplines.
 CONTEXTUAL LEARNING
• According to contextual learning theory,
learning occurs only when students process
new information or knowledge in such a way
that it makes sense to them in their own
frames of reference (their own inner worlds of
memory, experience, and response). The mind
naturally seeks meaning in context by
searching for relationships that make sense
and appear useful.
• Building upon this understanding,
contextual learning theory focuses on the
multiple aspects of any learning
environment, whether a classroom, a
laboratory, a computer lab, or a worksite.
It encourages educators to choose
and/or design learning environments
that incorporate many different forms of
experience in working toward the desired
learning outcomes.
• In such an environment, students
discover meaningful relationships
between abstract ideas and
practical applications in the
context of the real world;
concepts are internalized through
the process of discovering,
reinforcing, and relating.
 STS APPROACH

• MAIN POINTS:
1. STS provides a basic understanding
of the nature and role of S&T in the
modern world and its critical and
constructive appreciation of its effect
and social changes
2. STS relates science study to the
daily lives of students in fulfilling
their responsibilities as citizens.
3. STS contributes to the students’
roles as a – citizen, user of
technology , consumer in society
and an earth inhabitant.
 Components of STS

1. Science is a product which is an

organized and rapidly changing
body of knowledge. It is also a
process which is a dynamic way of
acquiring, using, and refining the
body of knowledge.
2. Technology – is the application
of science toward a specific
practical outcome such as the
development and use of new
techniques, methodologies and
achievement to achieve a specific
purpose.
3. Society – includes human setting
in which scientific and
technological changes occur. A
given society determines the
nature of science and technology it
will develop.
 How STS differ from traditional
Approach
STUDENTS will: (attitudes)
- see the teacher as facilitator or guide
- Become curious about the material world
- See science as a way of solving problem
- Show increased interest in a science course
• STUDENTS will: (Creativity)
- Ask thought provoking questions
- Develop skill in suggesting possible
causes and effects of certain
observation and action
- Are lively and spirited in ideas
• STUDENTS will: ( application)
- Relate their science study to their daily life at
home and in the community
- Seek out information to use in dealing with
questions , social issues and citizenship
responsibility
- Engrossed with technological development
and use these to see the importance and
relevance of science.
 COMPONENTS OF STS INSTRUCTION
1. STS Foundation Activities
- Understanding of issue-relevant natural
sciences and social sciences and STS.
2. STS Issue Awareness Activities
- Become aware of issues resulting from the
interaction of STS
3. STS Issue Investigation Skill Activities
- Investigate different perspective of a problem
4. STS Issue Action Skill Development Activities
- Provides tools such as process skills towards
the possible solutions to STS issues
5. STS Application activities
- Take actions in community issues and to
evaluate such actions.
 HOW STS IS TAUGHT?
• Focus on Social Issues that have significant
Science and technology component.
 PROBLEM BASED LEARNING

- is a student-centered approach in
which students learn about a
subject by working in groups to
solve an open-ended problem. This
problem is what drives the
motivation and the learning.
 SKILLS DEVELOPED IN PBL
• Working in teams.
• Managing projects and holding leadership
roles.
• Oral and written communication.
• Self-awareness and evaluation of group
processes.
• Working independently.
• Critical thinking and analysis.
• Explaining concepts.
• Self-directed learning.
• Applying course content to real-
world examples.
• Researching and information
literacy.
• Problem solving across disciplines.
 Considerations for Using Problem-
Based Learning
• Students generally must:
• 1. Examine and define the
problem.
• 2. Explore what they already
know about underlying issues
related to it.
• 3. Determine what they need to
learn and where they can acquire
the information and tools
necessary to solve the problem.
• 4. Evaluate possible ways to solve
the problem.
• 5. Solve the problem.
• 6. Report on their findings.
 Getting Started with Problem-Based
Learning
• Articulate the learning
outcomes of the project. What
do you want students to know
or be able to do as a result of
participating in the assignment?
1. Create the problem.
2. Establish ground rules at the
beginning to prepare students to
work effectively in groups.
3. Introduce students to group
processes and do some warm up
exercises to allow them to practice
assessing both their own work and
that of their peers.
4.Consider having students take on
different roles or divide up the
work up amongst themselves.
5. Establish how you will evaluate
and assess the assignment.
Consider making the self and peer
assessments a part of the
assignment grade.
 INQUIRY BASED LEARNING
• "Inquiry" is defined as "a seeking for truth,
information, or knowledge -- seeking
information by questioning." Individuals carry
on the process of inquiry from the time they
are born until they die. This is true even
though they might not reflect upon the
process.
• Effective inquiry is more
than just asking questions.
A complex process is
involved when individuals
attempt to convert
information and data into
useful knowledge.
• Useful application of inquiry
learning involves several factors:
a context for questions, a
framework for questions, a focus
for questions, and different levels
of questions. Well-designed
inquiry learning produces
knowledge formation that can be
widely applied.
• Through the process of inquiry,
individuals construct much of their
understanding of the natural and human-
designed worlds. Inquiry implies a "need
or want to know" premise. Inquiry is not
so much seeking the right answer --
because often there is none -- but rather
seeking appropriate resolutions to
questions and issues.
• For educators, inquiry implies
emphasis on the development
of inquiry skills and the
nurturing of inquiring attitudes
or habits of mind that will
enable individuals to continue
the quest for knowledge
throughout life.
THE FOUR PHASES OF INQUIRY-BASED
LEARNING
1. Curious
2. Connect
3. Communicate
4. Create
• CURIOUS
• Curiosity is the foundation of any
meaningful learning experience.
We seek to learn because we are
curious, and want to discover
more. There are lots of intriguing
ways to lead students to being
curious about what you teach.
• Connection is realization. It is the
awareness our learners have of the
relationship between ideas and bits of
information. From this awareness comes
the synthesis of new insights and
understandings. This is how the concepts
in our curriculum enter the world of our
learners. We can’t teach this, as it is the
instinctual “Oh, I get it now” moments
that teachers so love to watch students
experience.
• COMMUNICATE
• In order for learning to be assessed
properly, the intended outcomes of
the curriculum have to be
demonstrated somehow. This is why
we fashion products and solutions in
the course of our learning—to help
us understand, internalize, and
communicate the crucial aspects of
what’s being taught.
• CREATE
• Our learners crave opportunities to showcase
their inherent creative talents in countless
forms. Creation is the highest level of Bloom’s
Taxonomy. Today, creativity and the arts
through which they are expressed are more
fundamental than ever to the shaping of our
changing world. This is the all-important stage
of the inquiry process where students get
hands-on with the learning.