SC 201: Secondary Science and Technology Teaching 1: Effective Science teaching at the secondary level ...

SC 201: Secondary Science and Technology Teaching 1: Effective Science teaching at the secondary level ...: Science Assignment
Naketa Walker-Phoenix
Due: 18th October, 2012

Critically discuss the following statement; Effective Science teaching at the secondary level demands a shift from a teacher centred approach to a student centred approached.

Traditional science teaching relied heavily on lectures, reading, and teacherled
demonstrations. An alternative approach, which has been influential in
education circles in Canada, originated largely from the philosophical writing of
J.J. Rousseau (1712-1778). In his book “Emile” (1762)2, concerning the education
of an imaginary student, Rousseau proposed that children should not be taught
directly but should be allowed to discover things for themselves, especially
through play, and that learning how to learn was of much greater importance than
teaching factual information. To have an effective science teaching at the secondary school level with a shift from teacher centred approached to a student centred approach; we first have to assess our students and their learning environment. In our education system we are expected to prepare lessons and our students are expected to understand clearly. Teachers using the standardized strategies and the old pen/ paper to evaluate them because each child learns differently; some are visual/spiral learners (learning through seeing), while others are verbal (learning through seeing) or kinesthesis (learning through moving, doing and touching). The scientific attitudes such as the use of observation which includes the use of our five (5) senses; hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting and touching play a major role in this. These learning style determines how an individual/ students perceives, interact, with and responds emotionally to their learning environment and affects their ability to learn effectively from different methods and media. In order to know the students’ true potential, the learning environment must be created to help them develop understanding and also help them to extend and apply knowledge. This will motivate and focus students’ learning on what is expected of them. It is also provides students with the opportunity for regular feedbacks on their progress, share and discuss their ideas. The standardized test evaluation is important but the constructioning of models, projects, the use of technology such as projectors, television, diagrams, charts, the use of blog, Facebook, research and web quest allows student centred approach to surface and help in making teaching science more effective.