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Goals
for Science Instruction
High
School Science
Judith
Nuño
USC
Rossier School of Education
CTSE
509: Advanced
Science Teaching Methods
February
5,1998
bibliography
goals 1 2
3 4
5
6 7 8 9
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The reasons and justifications for teaching science in school affect
the goals of science instruction, the kind of science that is taught,
and the ways in which it is taught. (DeBoer, 1991). Science, now
recognized both as a product or body of knowledge and a process
involving logical reasoning components and technical methods, may
be taught to satisfy curiosity about the natural world, to enhance
science literacy, to develop problem-solving and decision-making
skills, to enhance questioning activities, to stimulate mental discipline,
or to disseminate knowledge. If science is taught to satisfy curiosity,
enhance wonder and engender positive attitudes toward science, then
inquiry methods, hands-on activities and historical anecdotes would
be used as well as projects and endeavors that stimulate questioning
attitudes. These involve the use of discrepant and problematic tasks,
exploration and manipulation, ready access to materials and print
resources, and group investigation, sharing and discussion. Inquiry
methods, with the teacher playing the role of facilitator or resource
guide, would also play a central role when the goal of science instruction
is development of observation, problem-solving, inductive and deductive
reasoning skills, facility in manipulating qualitative and quantitative
data, and competence in written and oral communication of the results
of investigation. Traditionally , science has been taught as a means
of dispensing knowledge about the natural world and as a means of
instilling mental discipline (DeBoer, 1991). Lecture or verbal presentation
of information and science concepts as conclusions with little regard
for historical influences, memorization of facts and testing for
fact retention rather than assessment of judgement or reasoning
using these facts, and individual accountability for fact recollection
are the traditional methods used for knowledge dispensing and mental
discipline. But inquiry methods, although they may take longer and
involve classroom management skills appropriate to group investigation
rather than lecture and note taking, are also applicable to concept
retention/recall and mental discipline (Costenson and Lawson, 1986).
But how much richer the recall when placed in the context of how
scientists really find out about the real world and use their cognitive
powers of observation, organization, analysis, judgdement and "scientific
thinking." (Roth, 1989)
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Goals
for Science Instruction:
High
School Science
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Goals
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Classroom
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Teacher
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Student
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1. To develop an understanding of
the main concepts, themes, and laws
developed within the domains of the biological and physical
sciences, an awareness of the interrelatedness of the physical
and biological worlds, and an appreciation of the diversity
and complexity of the natural world.
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Lab and work stations
Written resources and lab equipment readily available and
accessible
Internet available
Receptive environment for questions and sharing ideas
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Resource guide
Provides or directs students to sources of current information
about science topics
Values students concerns and adjusts curriculum and content
or concepts to reflect student needs
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Log or journal writing
Current events reports or portfolio
Group investigations, discussions and presentations
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2.
To develop an understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry,
the scientific enterprise, scientists and how they work, the
multiple methods of science and the role of the imagination
and creativity in science.
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Lab
and work stations
Written
resources and lab equipment readily available and accessible
Internet
available
Receptive
environment for questions and sharing ideas
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Resource
guide and facilitator
Provides
stimulus events
Models
and demonstrates variety of inquiry methods, negotiation of
meaning and consensus
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Group
and individual investigation
Group
or class discussion and sharing of ideas
Log
or journal writing
Long-term
science investigation or science fair project
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3.
To develop a positive attitude toward science and an ability
to use the senses to satisfy curiosity about the natural world
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Variety
of living creatures and non-living articles, Visual displays
of natural phenomenon, systems, and environments
Written
and video resources available and accessible
Internet
available
Receptive
environment for questions and sharing ideas
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Resource
guide and facilitator
Provides
stimulus events to stimulate curiosity ("Asks questions
that beg for answers")
Provides
objects to study and manipulate and sufficient time for exploration
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Group
and individual investigation
Group
or class discussion and sharing of ideas
Log
or journal writing
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4.
To develop critical-thinking, questioning, analysis,
problem-solving and decision-making skills involving natural
phenomenon and to develop and an understanding of how hypotheses
and theories are formed and tested
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Lab
and work stations
Written
resources and lab equipment readily available
Internet
available
Receptive
environment for questions and sharing ideas
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Selects
problematical tasks and stimulus events
Models
and demonstrates questions and questioning activities.
Facilitates
by providing or directing to resource materials and tools
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Group
investigation and group or class discussion and sharing of
results
Long-term
science investigation or science fair project
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Goals
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Classroom
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Teacher
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Student
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5.
To develop the ability to find, obtain and process qualitative
information and specifically to make, record and present qualitative
observations as well as use resources to find background information
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Lab
and work stations
Written
resources and lab equipment readily available
Internet
available
Lab
and work stations
Written
resources and lab equipment readily available
Receptive
environment for questions and sharing
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Selects
and orders tasks to provide for practice in classification,
organizing comparing/contrasting, etc.
Provides
instruction in using Internet resources as necessary
Provides
instruction in specific techniques.
Provides
opportunity for exploration in alternative ways of obtaining
and displaying data
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Group
investigation and group or class discussion and sharing of
results
Log
or journal writing
Written
lab reports and designing data charts and displays
Long-term
science investigation or science fair project
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6.
To develop aptitude in using a variety of measurement tools
and methods to obtain, record and process quantitative information
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Lab
and work stations
Written
resources and lab equipment and calculators readily available
Internet
available
Receptive
environment for questions and sharing
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Selects
and orders tasks to provide for practice in measurement, calculation,
manipulation of numbers
Provides
instruction in specific techniques and calculations
Encourages
and instructs in use of calculators
Provides
opportunity for exploration in alternative methods of obtaining,
displaying and using quantitative data
Provides
articulation with mathematics teachers
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Manipulation
of tools and materials in group or individual investigation
Log
or journal writing
Written
reports, data charts, graphs
Practice
calculations and manipulation of numbers (equations, scientific
notation, significant figures)
Long-term
science investigation or science fair project
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7.
To develop verbal communication skills, especially those involved
in written reports and oral presentations
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Lab
and work stations
Written
resources and lab equipment readily available
Internet
available
Receptive
environment for questions and sharing
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Resource
guide and model.
Provides
variety of opportunities for individual and group written
and oral presentations
Demonstrates,
models and instructs in preparation of research papers, laboratory
reports, field reports, field notes, brief oral or written
descriptions of observations
Provides
opportunities to use alternative formats for written reports
Provides
articulation with language teachers
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Group
or individual reports and presentations using a variety of
formats, such as oral presentations at a "Science Symposium,"
video
documentation of an observation or experiment, standard library
research paper on a science topic, experimental laboratory
reports, field notes, etc., or alternative formats such as
poem, short story or newspaper articles
Long-term
science investigation or science fair project
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Goals
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Classroom
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Teacher
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Student
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8.
To develop an awareness of the history of science as a human
endeavor and the men and women and cultural and social forces
that have been involved in the development of our current
view of the natural world
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Biographical
information available: actual writings of historical scientists
as well as written accounts and videos.
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Resource
guide and model.
Anecdotes
of personal journey in science
Collaboration
with social studies/history teacher
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Individual
or group investigation of scientist or historical setting
for scientific concept
Role-playing
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9
. To understand the connections between science concepts
and the issues and problems of our modern technological society
and to appreciate the differences and connections of pure
science and applied science
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Variety
of current literature available, including newspapers, popular
science magazines, popular magazines with regular science
features
Internet
available
Selection
of themes for organizing investigation topics
Receptive
environment for questions and sharing
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Resource
guide
Provides
or directs students to sources of current information about
science topics
Values
students concerns and adjusts curriculum and content or concepts
to reflect student needs
Provides
stimulus events
Provides
instruction in risk benefits analysis
Provides
opportunities to explore relation between science concepts
and application of these concepts
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Current
events reports or portfolio
Group
discussions, presentations and debates about ethical, controversial
and societal issues
Group
investigations and presentations on applied science: consumer
issues, food technology, health issues and concerns, etc
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10.
To develop an awareness of careers in various science disciplines
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Variety
of current literature available, including newspapers, popular
science magazines, popular magazines with regular science
features
Internet
available
Receptive
environment for questions and sharing
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Resource
guide
Provides
or directs students to sources of current information about
science careers
Invites
science and technology professionals to address class, teach
a topic, or provide hands-on presentations
Values
students concerns and adjusts curriculum and content or concepts
to reflect student needs
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Group
investigation
Role-playing
Interviews
with scientists , technicians, and others with science careers
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Bibliography
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to top
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