Activating Prior Knowledge to

Raise Level of Scientific Literacy

Facilitated by:
Dr. Merle C. Tan (Freelance Consultant) and Dr. Nona Marlene B. Ferido (ACTRC)
Resource Persons in Science
 Activating Prior Knowledge to Raise
Level of Scientific Literacy

Facilitated by:
Dr. Merle C. Tan (formerly with UP NISMED, now A Freelance Consultant)
Resource Person in Science
 Viewing guide questions
Answer the questions as you watch and listen to the video.

Q3
Q1 Q2

What is meant by prior How does prior What strategies help

knowledge? How is it knowledge and
acquired? What are the experience influence
types of PK? learning?
How can it help or hinder
learning?
activate prior
learning to achieve
positive effects?
Content/Coverage

Understanding Why activate PK? Strategies to Specific

prior activate prior examples of
knowledge Education knowledge activating PK
and related theories that using PISA
terms support it items in
DEPARTMENT OF Science
EDUCATION
Understanding prior
knowledge and
related terms
Sharing An Experience on Activating PK
• Topic: Particulate nature of matter
• Lesson objective: Students to use the particulate nature of
matter (in KMT) to explain scientifically their observations
about S,L,G.
• Activities were done. Explanations were provided using
real-life examples

• One Q after the lesson: Why do balloons become smaller

after two days? Explain your answer.
• Results
- Half of the class got correct answers, based on KMT, though
explanations were stated in different ways.
- Many gave partially correct answers. (e.g., Gas escaped from the
opening, the string was not tied well. The balloon must have been
pricked by a pointed object, gas molecules escaped).
- Two students answered: The spirit in the balloon got away.
 Realization
• Our students come to us each with their Where did the wrong answers –especially
own prior knowledge, conceptual related to the ‘spirit’ – come from?
understanding, skills and beliefs. • In the FGD, students explained that the
• When we ask a question, students spirit that escaped from the balloon is
understand what we say in slightly like the ‘fizz’ observed when opening a
different ways; they attend to different bottle of carbonated drink. The ‘spirit’
aspects of the question, or interpret and that escaped affected the taste of the
respond differently to the learning drink. When the ‘spirit’ left the balloon,
environment. it became smaller.
• Even with new information, their prior • They had this idea before the lesson.
knowledge and experiences influence But their PK on the topic was not
their thinking. known to the researchers before the
lesson was presented.
Fully correct answer: The balloon is a thin rubber skin that is inflated to the required size by pumping in a gas.
Gas particles move fast, hitting each other and the walls of the rubber. Over time, this gas will leak out of the
tiny holes and imperfections in the balloon, the balloon will deflate.
❑ What is prior knowledge? How are they acquired?

A 5-yr old joining formal school for the

first time, may already know how to Some G7 may already know how to read
read G1 level books, tell a story about a volcanic hazard map because they live
what is read, and to count to 100, based near an active volcano; they have
on family activities at home. experienced life-threatening situations.

Students from an indigenous Others already know about a specific

community practice sustainable concept based on their personal interest
agriculture because they are exposed (through reading) or academic experience
to a culture that promotes such (topic was discussed in early grades in
practices. school).

Others bring ideas, beliefs, concepts handed down from parents or elders.
( e.g. an eclipse brings bad omen so people stay at home and close all windows to
avoid the effects)
❑ Types of Prior Knowledge - derived from Bloom's revised
Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001)
Types of Prior Knowledge Behavior
Knowledge of facts recognizing, recalling. remembering

Knowledge of meaning defining, stating the meaning of the

concept
Integration of knowledge understanding relationships, classifying,
comparing
Application of knowledge problem solving, applying to real life,
implementing, producing
❑ Terms/concepts associated with PK
(McClelland, 1984; European Journal of Education)
Preconception - a notion, opinion or
idea that one has formed before
going into something, sometimes
based on bias or prejudice.
Examples of a preconception
• You made up your mind in advance
about what someone is going to be like
without knowing the person.
• Some students think that chemistry or
physics or math is difficult, even before
experiencing it.
Alternative framework - a person's
imaginative efforts to describe and explain
their physical world.
… alternative because it opposes or fails to fit
into an accepted pattern of scientific
explanation (ideas are inconsistent with
scientifically acceptable ideas).
…a framework because it consists of
interlocking concepts unifying more than
one set of phenomena.
Misconception (sometimes referred to as alternative conception)
categorized under…

Conceptual misunderstandings Factual misconceptions

… these are ideas about what one thinks
they understand based on their
personal experiences or what they may
have heard (but which they may not
have fully grasped and understood)
…ideas or beliefs that are
learned at a young age but are
actually incorrect.

Note: The causes of misconceptions in students are more at the stage of

cognitive development of students (McClelland, 1984)
 Why activate
prior knowledge?
What educational
theories support it?
Prior knowledge has long been
By helping students connect new
considered the most important
information to their prior understanding,
factor influencing learning and
we increase the likelihood that they will be
student achievement.
able to recall and use what we teach in
(Research Gate, 2008)
real life.

The more we understand about what students already think, and the more
we help them engage their prior understandings, the more likely they are to
learn well – and the less likely they are to misinterpret the science concepts
in our learning areas.
For teachers: Activating prior knowledge of students enables them to…
• determine what students already know about a
certain topic and what gaps in learning they
will need to fill in order to be successful.
• understand the reason why the students are
struggling. (Is it the poor comprehension or struggle
with assignments due to lack of language, lack of
experience, or lack of skills?) Having a firm grasp on
the reason/s will enable the teacher to know
how to support the students.
• help foster student engagement and critical Activating PK is like establishing a
thinking set of conceptual “hooks” on
• use the formative-assessment data gathered which students can “hang” new
throughout the learning experience. learning.
For students: Activating their prior knowledge will
• enable them to see the connection between
previous and current learning
• help them realize their strengths and
difficulties
• may trigger their interest (curiosity), increase
their motivation to study, and build
confidence
• help them to better relate or compare their
ideas with the scientific explanations and to
enhance their own understanding of science Students get on the same page
concepts and scientific inquiry skills with us.
❖ The practice of activating Prior Knowledge is based on Constructivism
• Constructivism proposes that new knowledge is constructed from old.
This implies that knowledge cannot be transmitted from one person to another; it
is constructed thru active learning process; students learn by doing (Mascolo &
Fischer, 2005).

• Constructivism is based on the ideas of early education researchers like

Jean Piaget: Learners make sense John Dewey: Students must

of their experiences (and learning) experience reality as it is. Hence,
using their own schemata the curriculum should be
relevant to students' lives.
 Strategies
to activate
prior knowledge
BLD -DepEd has developed the PRIMALS Compendium which detail strategies for
effective teaching. Some of the strategies to activate PK are from that document.

Caution: Prior knowledge varies by student, we can be misled about what

they understand when we rely on class discussion to hear their ideas.

Usually, only a small proportion of the class will venture a comment

in whole-class discussions.

Engaging all students requires different techniques.

 Strategy 1
Vocabulary Check (in PRIMALS Compendium)   o Using Cloze Procedure
• Vocabulary plays a fundamental role in
Selected words are omitted from the
the reading process and is critical to
text and replaced with a line or space.
reading comprehension.
• A reader cannot understand a text Students use their K of concepts to
supply appropriate words and concepts
without knowing what most of the
to create a meaningful passage.
words mean.
Teacher may provide the words that
students need to fill in the blanks.
Importance of the Earth’s Atmosphere

Earth’s atmosphere is the layer of _______ that surrounds the planet. Earth’s atmosphere makes
conditions on Earth suitable for ___________. The atmosphere also traps _____ from the Sun, which
keeps Earth’s surface_____. In addition, the atmosphere protects Earth from dangerous ____ from the
Sun.
o Using the Frayer Model

It is a graphic organizer
that helps students determine
or clarify the meaning of
vocabulary words encountered
while listening, reading, and
viewing texts.

It is used before reading to

activate background knowledge,
during reading to monitor
vocabulary, or after reading to
assess vocabulary.
o Semantic mapping

• Is used as a vocabulary building strategy

• Or, as a schema activation strategy, when
teachers ask students to tap on their
schema and activate prior knowledge
about key concepts in the text.
• Or, as an active reading or text processing
strategy where students take note of key
ideas and supporting details as they
complete a semantic map. 
Strategy 2
Students share their own experiences, hunches, and ideas about the content or
concept of study, and later, relate it to their own lives.
o Think-Pair-Share
o KWL Chart
What What What o Class Brainstorm Web:
I know I want to know I learned
Students write what they
know about the topic

o Image Brainstorm. Project an image

on the LCD projector or smartboard Intermolecular
and ask students to tell you forces

everything they can about the picture.

 Strategy 3
Teacher gives cues, questions, and advance organizers about what they are
about to learn (Marzano, R. et.al, 2001 in Classroom Instruction That Works)

Questions Advance organizers

Cues* (Hints)
T explains about the film
they are about to watch
e.g., function of the cell.
T tells some new
information that will
establish expectations for
students
Before watching the
film, T asks questions
that elicit what students
know about the topic.
T uses different advanced
organizers
Expository (e.g., science-
related career option),
Narrative (e.g., tornadoes)
Graphic (e.g. like a concept map
(on signs that a volcano will erupt

* Context clues are hints found within a sentence, paragraph, or passage that a reader can use to understand the
meanings of new or unfamiliar words. (Types of Context Clues are in the PRIMALS Compendium
Reminders when using Clues, Questions, and Advance Organizers

• Focus on what is important or critical to the topic, NOT what is unusual or

perceived to be interesting
• Use HOT questions to produce deeper understanding rather than that LOT
questions
• Practice (brief) wait-time before accepting responses
• Use questions before the lesson to establish a mind set to help them
process the learning experience
• Note that different types of advanced organizers produce different results.
Strategy 4 Before Statements After
Anticipation Chart
Agre Disagree Agree Disagree
An anticipation e
chart is Magma means the same as
lava.
a comprehension
strategy that is The lithosphere is made up of a
used before single, solid hard rock.
reading to activate Rocks are of the same density.
students' prior
knowledge and Tsunami waves are also tidal
build curiosity waves.
about a new topic. Both earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions can be predicted.
 Strategy 5
Diagnostic testing

• To know the extent to which students’ prior knowledge is accurate or inaccurate

• A good indicator of the skills and knowledge students already possess.  
Such assessments may include having students
- Completing a short answer quiz
- Taking a multiple choice quiz (includes known misconceptions)
- Writing an essay,
- Completing a concept map
- Predicting events (e.g. a discrepant event): What will happen
to the balloons if you blow between them?

When you blow between the balloons the air between them is moving more quickly than it was
before. Bernoulli says that moving air is at a lower pressure than air that's still, and low pressure air sucks.
So the low pressure air sucks the balloons in towards each other. Amazing!
Strategy 6
Self-assessment
• Low-stake and anonymous to encourage candid responses.
• The intention: to gain an overall idea of the range of skills and knowledge of students
and not to judge individual student’s performance. 
• Questions focus on the prerequisite skills, knowledge, and experiences expected of
your students as well as the skills and knowledge that students will be expected to
leave the course with.

Students could be asked to rate themselves on a scale with items such as

1 = I have heard of the term.
2 = I can define the term.
3 = I can explain the term to to my family.
4 = I can use the term to solve a problem.
Strategy 7
Unpacking the Standards and LCs (DepEd, Learning Continuity Plan, 2020)

• The unpacking process ensures that prerequisites

are addressed before going into the new lesson
(includes PK of students)

• Unpacking guides in the alignment of standards,

learning competencies and assessments. It is easier
to catch students quickly when they don't
understand and to provide extension when they do
understand.

• Guided by the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy of

Revised Chart of
Objectives Blooms Taxonomy
 Unpacking example* STEP 3: Unpack
Skills Contents
MELC: Evaluate the benefits and risks of
GMO B R
using GMO
Evaluate Are you for or against GMOs? / /
STEP 1: Identify the target cognitive and (judge) Why or why not?
prerequisite skills P1.P2
Target Skill L5: Evaluate Analyze Relate the process and products of / /
Prerequisite Skills L4:Analyse (relate) traditional ways of reproduction and
L3:Apply P1.P2 that of genetic engineering to tell
their benefits and risks
L2: Understand
L1: Remember Apply Genes can be modified (a process) to
(Illustrate produce ‘novel’ products
P2
STEP 2: Identify the target content and sub content
Understand Plants and animals traditionally
(classify) reproduce (process) in different ways
P1.P2 (the product); give examples)
Target Content: GMO
Sub Content: Benefits and Risks Remember Organisms are made up of genes- the
(recall) basic physical and functional unit of
heredity. Genes are made up of
*From MCT: The MELCs-based ALS SHS Curriculum, 2021 DNA. 
Product (1); Process (2)
 Prior knowledge.. to
understand PISA* items
in Science Literacy

* Released items
Prior knowledge: Q1

Properties of metal, water, and wood

Boiling point of water; temperature of
nail to glow red
Effect of exposure of object under the Sun
(same duration)
Vocabulary: boot of car (trunk in Phil)
Prior knowledge: Q3
Dependent and independent variables
Room temperature (range)
Convection
Heat flows from higher temperature to a
lower temperature
 Prior K
How to read graphs and
symbols
Knowledge about magma
What is the ring of fire?
Why are there many volcanos
in the area?
What many earthquakes occur
in that area?

Students must interpret data presented on a map to identify the location least likely to experience volcanic activity or
earthquakes. The correct response is map location D, over northern Europe.
 Prior K
• Solar radiation
• Nature of the emissions
during volcanic eruption
• Cloud formation
• Reflection of light
• Absorption of light
• How clouds prevent entry
of radiation from the Sun
• Reading graphs: X and y
axis (percentage)

Students must correctly interpret the graphed data as showing that the percentage of solar radiation reaching the Earth’s
surface is reduced during major volcanic eruptions. Students must provide an explanation indicating or implying that
volcanic emissions reflect or absorb solar radiation.
Summarizing Statements
We are guilty of hurrying through
teaching some concept or skill, and
not taking the time to slow down,
asking students what they already
know about the subject matter.
When students' prior knowledge is
accurate and appropriate, it will aid
learning. Our target in activating PK is conceptual
change – help students change or replace
But when students' prior knowledge an existing conception (that may be
is inappropriate or inaccurate, it will inaccurate) with a new conception.
hinder learning. ...
References
Marzano, R et.al, 2001 in Classroom Instruction That Works

PISA (2005) released Science Literacy items

PRIMALS Compendium. Strategies for Activating Prior Knowledge

Tan, MC.(2021). Unpacking and Contextualizing the MELCs, presented in

the Workshop on ALS SHS Curriculum Development
Downloaded articles /studies on PK from… …
ResearchGate (2017) on Prior Knowledge: Its Role in Learning
Edutopia.org (2018) Activating Prior Knowledge with English Language Learners
The Science Teacher. Prior knowledge in science lessons
Workshop Tasks
❑ Write down your answer to thhe pre-viewing
guide questions
1. What does ‘prior knowledge’ mean?
2. How does prior knowledge and
experience influence learning? How can it
help or hinder learning?
3. What strategies help activate prior
learning to achieve positive effects?
4. Reflection: Are you tapping into prior
knowledge often enough in your
classroom? 
❑ Choose one PISA-released
item in Science and use one
strategy to activate students’
prior knowledge.
❑ Prepare one (1) question on
the topic that you want to be
elaborated on in the
synchronous session.
Thank you!!!