Objectives

By the end of this unit, participants should be

able to:

 Understand the concepts: approaches,

methods, techniques/strategies used in
teaching science
 Acquire skills and techniques of handling
time takers /slow learners
 Explore and understand the approach and
techniques of answering science questions
 Understand the dynamics in science concepts
 Develop exam / test items for science
We need to know how pupils learn science
VARK
• Visual: Seeing
• Auditory: Hearing
• Read: Reading
• Kinesthetic: Touching / Doing

The learning pyramid

Characteristics of effective teachers of science
 Maintaining high levels of interaction with the whole class
 Providing ample, challenging work
 Maintaining high levels of pupil involvement in tasks
 Creating a positive atmosphere in the classroom
 Giving high levels of praise and encouragement
 Using a variety of approaches, strategies and techniques

Principles of teaching science

 Be practical: hands on’ science learning, giving a real life context where possible
 Get outside: such locality are utilised to provide regular outdoor learning experiences
 Be scientific: Use scientific vocabulary e.g. if it is the heart, list all the vocabulary
 Inspire: Children learn about modern day and historical famous scientists
 Stress the importance of science: Every thing around us is science, we live scientifically
science is a huge part of our daily lives, depend upon scientific knowledge and
understanding for economic and material advancement. Gov. treasures scientists
 Nurture pupils curiosity: Use relevant everyday events as a basis of science instruction
that fosters interest and curiosity.
 Encourage scientific thinking: actively engage pupils in wondering and figuring out
science phenomena around them and how they happen. Questioning and idea gen.
 Integrates science with other subjects
 Have a teaching philosophy
Approaches, methods, techniques of teaching science

Approach
It is a view of looking at things. It is a set of ideas. It is
overall view or ideas to face a problem. It is a broader
term than a method..

The following are the main approaches of teaching

learning
1. Teacher centered approach: more traditional in nature,
focusing on the teacher as instructor.
2. Child centered approach: much stronger emphasis on
the learner‟s role in the learning process.
Method
This consists of procedures you follow, steps you take,
outline of actions that you have to do.

Technique or strategy
Techniques are our own strategies we use in order for us
to be effective teachers. We adapt our teaching to the kind
of pupils we have such that our instruction is different for
every class and for every kind of pupil.

For example. If a class room is becoming distracted a

teacher may use the technique of a quick physical activity
to distract their distraction and get them all to do the
same thing at the same time.
Selecting method of teaching
Davis (1997) suggests that the design and selection of
teaching methods must take into account not only the nature
of the subject matter but also how pupil learn. You need to
consider the following:

Learners ability: The ability to undertake the work with the

materials at hand.

Timeframe: Is the teaching method likely to be successful

given how long it takes to get pupils on task and the
anticipated outcomes?

Context: The environment in which the content is given.

Content: Which teaching method will help the pupils best

understand the lesson material?
Non-Participatory method

The teacher casts himself/herself in the role of being a

master of the subject matter. The teacher is looked upon
by the learners as an expert or an authority.

Participatory methods

The teachers and pupils are in constant interaction, active

involvement and continuous exchange of views and ideas
in the overall teaching and learning. These methods are
sometimes known as interactive teaching method or
learner centered teaching method.
 Methods and techniques /strategies of
teaching science
Demonstration method: It means 'to show'. In this method,
Teacher shows or illustrate certain phenomena, concept, or
principles.

Lecture method: In essence, a lecture consists of one person

talking to many about a topic. The talk may be augmented
by the use of demonstration being performed by the
teacher, then we call it a lecture-cum-demonstration.
Purpose is to convey information

Laboratory method; Pupils perform laboratory

experiments by their own hands individually or in small
groups, under the supervision and guidance of their
science Tr. Pupils are more active and involved..
Project method: This can be an individual activity or group activity
which helps pupils to showcase the application side of what they
learnt through theory. A project on constructing a material object or
even an article

Peer-to-Peer Teaching: Pupils are engaged in the content by

discussing scientific topics, generating questions and working in teams
to explore new information.” Content shared is content mastered”. Pupils
who teach what they‟ve learned show better knowledge retention. It
also help them to discover gaps in their knowledge.

Story Telling: Students love to hear stories and therefore, storytelling

is one of the best ways to get their attention in class.

Role Play: This innovative method is becoming an integral part of

science education as pupils can intellectually and physically
involve through activities while learning a new concept.

If a child cannot learn in the way we teach, we must teach in a way the child can learn
Instructional Conversations: key method to teach science vocabulary.
Let them talk in between about the experience they had with an
application related to the topic of discussion.

Multimedia: This method is a blend of text, audio, video, still images to

teach diverse difficult to understand concepts in science.

Power Points: Connect the computers to projectors to address a larger

classroom and include interesting slides with diagrams and flow charts
to make the teaching more interactive.

Science Fair: In competition, students are given a time frame to answer a

question or perform a task through a range of experiments and research.
They showcase the output in the form of reports, display board, or as
models.

Research books: pupils are asked to do a research on whatever topic is

covered in class by means of libraries, or by talking with experts. This can
include the extended information of their syllabus and their findings
with diagrams and charts to emphasize it.
If a child cannot learn in the way we teach, we must teach in a way the child can learn
Documented problem solving: Pupils are asked to explain their
reasoning for reaching the particular solution rather than simply
presenting a solution.

Science documentaries and movies: Take initiatives to take them for

science movies in school halls that clearly showcase the application side
of scientific concepts. More than just entertaining them, many science
movies captivate their attention and illustrate diverse science concepts in
the real world. Science and nature-focused documentaries is one of the
best ways to introduce science to pupils than spoon feeding them with
text book content

Science interesting games: Kids can learn more about science and
technology with fun. A wide range of games are available online that
showcase the concepts of animals, plants, space, forces, light, sounds,
magnets, electricity, weather etc. There are games with multiple levels
and passing each level teaches a new concept and illustrates scientific
experiments.

Science songs: Teachers can make use of the interesting science songs
available online or create one to introduce the basics of some concepts. A
few among the popular science songs are available online.
Concept maps: link up your ideas such that learners can understand
them very well. This helps a Tr. and pupils to revise a huge topic with
in the shortest time. Below is one on matter

Science Exhibition: This is a great opportunity to bring out

their creativity in science and design an application based on a
scientific concept. Develop this inquisitiveness and creative mindset
in pupils right from the lower classes to help them to grow up as
young scientists

Clubs: This is the right place for pupils to share and discuss new
happenings in the science world and to connect innovative ideas to
what they actually learned.
If a child cannot learn in the way we teach, we must teach in a way the child can learn
Reward discovery: Support, guide and inspire pupils to discover the
wonders of science. With an inquisitive mindset, there are a lot to
discover from the science world we are living in. Also, reward them for
the small discoveries they make and let them share and present it in class.

Interactive science journals/ note books: Pupils can use this technique
effectively to have a deeper connection to their learning and this activity
promotes their higher level thinking. They can be creative with their
notebooks using pictures, charts and comments, thus, building an
encompassing resource for future reference.

Science at home: Encourage your pupils to discover science at home. Ask

them to find out a specific science concept application at home as
assignments and let them discover science on the go.

Science Quiz: This can be done as a whole class activity by grouping

pupils. The questions can include the application of the theory taught in
class. Pupils can discuss and share ideas to find the solution within the
stipulated time frame. This teaching approach helps pupils to think from
different angles and sometimes, to think out of the box.
If a child cannot learn in the way we teach, we must teach in a way the child can learn
Build your model: Models are the building blocks of science which are
used to explain the diverse aspects of real world. Ask pupils to build
their own model using the scientific knowledge they have acquired and
you can provide supportive guidance. Pupils will be creative in making
models and designing their own imaginative means of testing them.
This is the right approach to find the scientist in them.

In this era teachers have come up with many innovative teaching

methods in science and the listed ones are just a few among them. We
live in a scientific world and the advanced teaching strategies are
helping learners to discover and explore science every day.

NOTE: There is no perfect method, each has disadvantages and

advantages. For effective teaching and learning of science, the lesson
should be blended with different methods and techniques or strategies
and these methods should all be pragmatic in nature. Pupils learn from
experiences they gather from doing things, not by being influenced by
external stimulation.

My question to you all. What pedagogical ways have you been using to teach science?
Are they really worthy for effective learning?
If a child cannot learn in the way we teach, we must teach in a way the child can learn
TIME TAKERS (SLOW LEARNERS)

Every child has potential. Not every child will be a doctor,

scientist or professor, engineers name it. But who cares matters!

Teachers play pivotal roles in a slow learner‟s life. Your support

and motivation go a long way to help such children overcome
their hurdles. This duly signifies that teachers have added
responsibility from schools and society toward them.

Children who are labeled „slow learners‟ are those that:

Have trouble concentrating: All children have limited attention

spans. but those who have trouble concentrating for more than
two or three minutes at a time and are unable to recall what they
did in that time and or repeat what they did without instruction
or prompting later on, will likely to be labeled „slow learners‟
 Slow reasoning as compared to an average pupils
 Weak memory: Difficulty in learning and remembering new concepts
fast
 Inability to convey Ideas: One must be good at communication to
express their ideas with clarity, this is where slow learners lack. They
often face difficulty while expressing their views on any concept.
 Distractive: Their attention span is very short and they lose focus
quickly. They hardly concentrate on the teacher‟s instructions which
are mostly verbal. Things other than academics attract their attention
more
 Problem with time management: Due to their short attention span
they are unable to concentrate on any topic for long, due to which
they face problems with time management.

Slow learners are like normal pupils the only difference is that they feel
less interested in studying under the monotonous system of education.

NB: Lack of interest, family background, mental weakness, language

problem, illiterate parents, or avoided by parents in early childhood are a
few reasons behind the poor performance of such children.
Instructional Strategies/techniques for teaching slow learners
Psychologists and educationists recommended various educational programs to
solve the problem of slow learners. However it is important to note that there is no
single technique or set of techniques that is sufficient for teaching such learners,
the following suggestions are a starting point for developing instructional
strategies that specifically address the learning needs of the slow learner.

Remedial Teaching: Is the use of activities, techniques and practices to eliminate

weaknesses or deficiencies that the slow learner is known to have.

Compensatory Teaching: is an instructional approach that alters the presentation

of content to circumvent a student‟s fundamental weakness or deficiency e.g.
pictures versus words.

Develop Lessons that Incorporate Students‟ Interests, Needs, and Experiences:

This helps address the short attention spans of slow learners. Also, these students
should be made to feel that some of the instruction has been designed with their
specific interests or experiences in mind.

Frequently Vary Your Instructional Techniques: Switching from one method to

the other provides the variety that slow learners need to stay engaged in the
learning process. In addition to keeping their attention, variety in instructional
technique offers them the opportunity to see the same content presented
indifferent ways.
Incorporate Audio and Visual Materials: One common characteristic among
slow learners is that they often learn better by seeing and hearing than by
reading. Incorporating films, videotapes, and audio into lessons. Emphasizing
concrete and visual forms of content will help compensate for the general
difficulty slow learners have in grasping abstract ideas and concepts.

Develop Worksheets / books and Exercises: Some Textbooks and workbooks,

at times exceed the functioning level of the slow learner and sometimes become
more of a hindrance than an aid. Materials are too difficult, or are too different
from topics that capture your pupils‟ interests, develop your own. Sometimes
only some changes in worksheets / books and exercises are needed to adapt
the vocabulary or difficulty level to the ability of your slow learners.

Peer teaching for pupils needing Remediation: Peer teaching can be an

effective technique to teaching these learners. This can be done by a fellow
learner who understands the work.

Encourage Oral Expression: For slow learners, many writing assignments go

un-attempted. A carefully organized recorded response to an assignment might
be considered. This encourages them
Build self-confidence: The teachers should make all possible efforts to restore and develop
self-confidence in their child.

Make learning a fun activity: Activities help your child to understand the concept more
precisely like doing some easy science experiments, playing educational games, singing
rhymes, etc. help to strengthen your child‟s knowledge as well as interest.

Keep Lessons Short but Frequent: In a short lesson, the child‟s attention is less likely to
wander, and you‟ll find that you can actually accomplish more. Keep the lessons fast-paced,
and use teaching tools and activities that engage the child‟s interests. Start with 15-20m.

Make Review a Priority: Teaching something once or twice does not mean your child has
actually mastered it. Mastery takes time and practice. Have your child practice spelling
concepts with letter tiles and flashcards and through dictation.

Use memory aids (mnemonics). A memory aid, is a phrase or word that helps
you remember an idea or order of things. They allow slow learners to quickly and
successfully learn, and remember key concepts in science. Eg. To remember the
characteristics of living things: Tell them to Use MRS.GREN:
Movement; Respiration; Sensation; Growth; Reproduction; Excretion; Nutrition.

To remember the Order of planets from the Sun:

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pineapples
Repeat: Repetition reinforces the connections we create between neurons. Research shows
that simple repetition is an ineffective learning tool if used on its own.

“Group” or “chunk” information: Grouping or chunking refers to the process of dividing

newly learned information into chunks to produce fewer, larger chunks of information.

Encourage physical exercises: It improves oxygen and nutrient delivery to the body, and
helps to create new cells in the brain which are essential for memory storage.

Meditate sessions: Studies show that meditation helps improve several cognitive
functions, like focus, concentration, memory, and learning. Meditation may actually rewire
the brain and encourage more connections between brain cells.

Provide a conducive environment: We must remember that poor environmental factors

enhance slowness. So a healthy and progressive environment is a must for the growth of
slow learners.

Motivation: word is itself so positive and tends to strive towards a certain type of goal.
The performance of a child is largely depending on your motivational techniques.
Motivation not only instigates their performance but also reinforces the ongoing behavior.
A positive attitude toward the child will give you better results whereas poor motivation
will lead to learning failure. “Oh wow! You did it” or “No problem, we will give it another
try” These kinds of gestures motivates them and enhance their learning capacity.
NB; The performance of such learners relies in your hands as a tr.
Answering techniques for Science questions

I have been encountering with several learners who are hardworking and know
their concepts well. One will expect them to score distinctions but they end up
failing to score marks expected from them. I often have to remind pupils that to
do well in examinations, one has to be proficient in answering techniques and
time management too.
In most of my lessons, i use and teach the CKA method for Science question
answering techniques.

C- Concept: What concept is the question about, from which topic is the question
got from. Usually, boys pick-up scientific concepts pretty fast compared to girls.
K- Key words: In the question, there important words to consider while thinking
about the answer which should be linked to the concept / topic
A – Application: Before answering science questions, encourage pupils to take
time to read and interpret the questions well. Sometimes science questions are
tricky. Let them read and comprehend not over sight reading. it is important to
read the question well at least three times. Some pupils usually just „vomit‟ out
whatever they studied from notes. Most of the time, what they write is true but it
does not answer the questions. Hence, no marks will be awarded to them. Some
pupils merely answers what they thought the question was asking or they assume
it‟s a similar question from the one they did before and at the end no scores
Most of the times, learners give answers that may look to be correct yet
scientifically wrong.
Lets take a look at the following questions in science

1. Give two causes of dehydration.

Incorrect answers: Vomiting, Sweating, Diarrhoea
Correct Answers: Prolonged diarrhoea, Excessive vomiting, excessive sweating
COMMENTS
The first answers are incomplete in that they do not show the degree of the
condition that can lead to dehydration. One becomes dehydrated when he/she
has prolonged or severe diarrhoea Vomits excessively and sweats excessively

2. How is malaria spread?

Incorrect answers; By mosquitoes, By female anopheles mosquitoes.
Correct answer: Malaria is spread when an infected female anopheles mosquito
bites a person
COMMENTS
The question requires one to state the mode of movement/ transmission of the
germs. NOTE: Be extra careful when answering the HOW questions
3. What vector spreads the germ that causes malaria?
Incorrect answers. Mosquito
Correct answer. An infected female anopheles mosquito spreads the
germ that causes malaria.

COMMENTS
The question requires one to specify the type of mosquito that
spreads the germ that causes malaria because not all mosquitoes
spread malaria germ

4. Why are vitamins important in one‟s diet?

Incorrect answer: To prevent disease:
Correct answers: Vitamins are important in one‟s diet because they
make the body healthy and protected from diseases

COMMENTS
Vitamins do not prevent diseases neither do they cure diseases BUT
they make the body healthy and resistant from diseases.
5. Why are we advised to brush our teeth regularly?
Incorrect answer: To prevent tooth decay.
Correct answer: We are advised to brush our teeth regularly to remove the
remaining food particles which may attract the bacteria that causes tooth decay
COMMENTS.
Brushing only does not prevent tooth decay but removes the remaining food
particles that attract the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

6. State the type of chicken kept for special purposes?

Incorrect answers: indigenous, local, Rhode Island, exotic, Sussex.
Correct answers: Types of chicken kept for special purposes are Broilers and
layers
COMMENTS
Type of chicken implies the purpose. Then breed of chicken implies the clan
e.g. Rhode Island, black leghorn

7. Mention two types of poultry kept at home

Incorrect answers: Broilers, layers Broilers and dual purpose.
Correct answers: Hens, turkeys, Geese, Ducks etc.
COMMENTS
Type of poultry implies the examples of poultry or domestic birds kept at
home. Broilers, layers are types of chicken not poultry
8. Mention the materials plants use to make starch.
Incorrect answers: Sunlight, Chlorophyll.
Correct answers: Plants use water and Carbon dioxide to make starch
COMMENTS
Materials are matter and therefore have molecules. Chlorophyll and sunlight do
not have molecules. Raw materials are those processed to make starch.

9. Why are telephone wires left loose between poles?

Incorrect answer: To allow contraction, To allow contraction and expansion.
Correct answer: Telephone wires are left loose between poles to leave space for
contraction on cold days
COMMENTS
Contraction will take place even when not allowed and therefore wires are left
loose or sagging to allow them contract freely without breaking

10. How are sweets dangerous to our teeth?

Incorrect answer: Sweets cause tooth decay.
Correct answer: Sweets are dangerous to our teeth because remains of sweet
particles attract bacteria which causes tooth decay (dental caries or cavities)
COMMENTS
Sweets alone do not cause tooth decay without bacteria. Remember it is bacteria
which has been attracted by the remains of sweet particles that will cause tooth
decay
11.Give one modern way of preserving meat in Uganda today.
Incorrect answer. Freezing.
Correct answers: Refrigeration/ Dehydration, in the oven, Tinning and Canning
COMMENTS
Freezing is a change of state of matter where by liquids changes into solids BUT
remember meat is already a solid.

12.Name the type of change that takes place when water changes into vapour.
Incorrect answer: Evaporation.
Correct answer: The type of change which will take place when water changes in to
vapour is physical change
COMMENTS
One should note that the type of change that take place in water is Physical
change

13.Name the change that takes place when water changes into vapour.
Incorrect answer: Physical change.
Correct answer: The change which takes place when water changes into vapour is
evaporation
COMMENTS
The above question just requires one to name the process not the type of change.
It is always a tricky question and requires one to be careful when attempting it
14. How does heat move through gases?
Incorrect answer. By radiation.
Correct answer: Heat moves through gases by convection.
COMMENTS
The first answer is not correct because gas is matter and movement of heat
involves movement of heated molecules which is only done by convection
or conduction

15. Why do we wash our hands before eating food?

Incorrect answer: To avoid germs, To avoid diseases.
Correct answers: We wash our hands before and after eating food to wash off
or to remove germs
COMMENTS
Note that germs cannot be avoided but we remove them or wash them away.
The first answer is vague

There are so many other questions. We need to encourage our learners to

always read the question at least three times before writing the answer
We also need to guide learners on how to
approach diagrammatic questions too. All science
diagrams must be done using pencils. The labeling
should be done using a line not arrow. Take a look
at the example below
Thank for your
participation