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Chapter 5

Learning Strategies and Assessment Techniques as Applied in Science

Introduction
Effective science teaching is more than simply presentation of information to learners to learn as well as
providing science equipment for them to use.

Intended Learning Outcome (ILO)


- Apply appropriate learning strategies and assessment techniques in given learning situations.

Science Teaching Approach

The inquiry Approach


- Helps the learners to develop process skills
- Encourages the learners to do most of the tasks including asking questions.
- Teacher talks less, listen well, and ask appropriate questions when necessary.
Joseph Schwab
- An American professor of natural sciences, and education, believed that science activities should reflect
closely to the work of practicing scientists.
Three Major Techniques for doing Inquiry
1. Rational Approach
2. Discovery Approach
3. Experimental Approach
Steps for Inquiry Approach
1. Inquiry
- Presents an inquiry problem, questions or discrepant event to stimulate thinking of the learners.
- The explanation of the situation should be discoverable.

2. Exploration
- Discusses the discrepant (inconsistent) event by generating theories and asking data – gathering questions.
- YES – NO questions are focused.

3. Discovery
- Tests theories or hypothesis until data gathered is satisfactory or lead to discovery.

4. Investigation
- Engages in an active inquiry and investigation of problems.
The Discovery Approach
- Helps the learners discover new ideas and concepts using their prior knowledge and by manipulating
materials and data.
Two Types of Discovery Approach
1. Pure Discovery
- No guidance is provided.

2. Guided Discovery
- Teacher provides questions that makes the lesson one of “guided” discovery.
- Teachers are reminded not to interject questions and comments that would reduce the freedom of
the discovery.
- Can also help the learners to discover many things about the environment by themselves.
Jerome Bruner
- According to him this approach increases intellectual potency.
- Helps learners “learn how to learn” and to develop the skills of problem solving and applying new
learning to a particular situation.
The Experimental Approach
- Is a procedure of making statement that what one thinks is true and finding a way to test the
statement.
The Steps in the Experimental Approach
1. Selecting a Problem
- The teacher chooses a familiar topic.
2. Establishing the Problem
- Establish the learners interest in a variety of ways.
3. Formulating Hypotheses
- The learners might suggest such factors or variables on the problem given.
4. Structuring Tests for Hypotheses
- The teacher asks the class “How might we test your hypotheses?”
5. Controlling Variables
- In controlling variables the teacher may ask this question: “How can we be sure when testing
hypothesis 1 that is the sunlight and not something else causes the difference in plants?”
6. Making Operational Definitions
- In making operational definitions the teacher may ask “how do we know that the variables we are
testing affect the growth of plants?”.
Three Different Types of Variables in Operational Definitions
a. The Manipulative Variable
- The variable that will be changed or adjusted during the experiment.
b. The responding Variable
- The variable that is to be observed and/or measured.
c. Constant Variables
- Those that remain the same for both the experiments.

7. Experimenting
- Includes testing each hypothesis.
- Actual experiment will be conducted.
8. Recording and Interpreting Data
- Learners must be reminded that what they have observed about the experiment.
- Determine whether to accept or determine the hypothesis in question.

Assessment Strategies of Science


- Asses learners using a variety of assessment strategies.
Hollins & Whitby (1998)
- Finds that some strategies are more appropriate than others, depending on the topic that is being
covered and the range of the learners.
Hopkins & Stanley (1990)
- According to them to asses learners learning is to collect information about their performance.
- An integral part of the teaching and learning process.
Performance-based Assessment in Science Projects and Investigations
- Active participation of learners in science projects provides learners with an opportunity to
demonstrate what they do know about science experience.
So & Cheng(2001)
- Learners can be helped to sharpen their observation and thinking skills
- Can cultivate their creativity.
- Strengthen their exploration and analytical skills.
- Facilitate their understanding of the relationship between science, technology and society.
- Promote their desire to intent and explore.

Observations of Learners Performance


Informal Observation
- Includes constant observation of learners and making assessments about their performance.
Structured Observation
- Has specific focus and sample behaviour to be observed systematically.

Science Journal Writing


- Journals are dynamic assessment approach that promotes communication between the teacher and
learner.
- Allows learner to reflect on what they are learning and foster their active involvement in classroom
activity.

Lowery (2000)
- Finds that learners record procedures and result from investigations and observations, hypothesis and
inferences about science phenomena.
Shepardson (1998)
- Said that through journal writing learners are able to depict their way of seeing, and understanding
phenomena through their own science experience.

Concept Mapping
- Are particularly helpful in representing qualitative aspects of learning.
- Shown to allow links to be made between concepts, and thus reveals scientifically correct
propositions and misconception.
Comber & Johnson (1995)
- According to them the concept maps that are devised by learners reflect their own ideas and
understanding and so cannot be marked wrong or right.
Atkinson & Bannister (1998)
- Have discovered that concept mapping can be a useful assessment tool even with very young
children.
Edmondson (1999)
- They are meta-cognitive tools that can help both teachers and pupils to better understand the content
and process of effective, meaningful learning.
- Tools for representing the interrelationship between concepts in an integrated, hierarchical manner.

Portfolios
- Is a collection of student works that reflect their meaningful understanding about the science
concepts.
Spandel (1997)
- Asserts that portfolio is any collection of student works that reflect the meaningful understanding of
the underlying science concepts.
Lowery (2000)
- According to him portfolios provide examples of individual student work, and can indicate progress,
improvement, accomplishment or special challenges.
Reinhartz & Beach (1997)
- Portfolios should be a collection of many meaningful types of materials that provide tangible proof of
the progress of a pupil.
Hamm & Adams (1991)
- Might be best be considered as a tool to promote communication between the teacher and learner
about the learners understandings, strengths, weaknesses, progress, and self-reflections.
Questions and Answer
- Understanding how pupils go about finding the answer.
Lowery (2000)
- According to him open-ended questions mimic good classroom strategies and encourage thinking
both of which are helpful to teachers understanding on how students solve a problemro drawing a
conclusion.
Hughes and Wades (1996)
- Suggest that both open-ended and closed questions might be asked to gain information about pupils
investigational abilities.

Planning a Science Lesson


- Learn the content of a science lesson and prepare your own sample inquiry instructional plan.

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