YEARS 7–12 IDEAS FOR THE CLASSROOM
Year 7 Practical Skills for Inquiry Learning (continued)
* We therefore need the practical experiences to be investigative
rather than illustrative:
PRACTICAL
Illustrative
Demonstrations
Investigative
• theory given first • can fit either category • experiences first
• prac ‘illustrates’ theory • most often illustrative • results ‘known’ • POE useful for more active
learning • derive theory from
experiences
• recipe pracs
• results student led
• students design pracs
• right answer
• all answers considered
• passive learning
• active learning
* For real, deep learning and understanding, students must
construct their own knowledge –
activities from which the students can work out the
science for themselves i.e. a student-centred approach
which is integral to inquiry-based teaching and learning as
required by the syllabus.
* therefore they need to do the thinking work rather than
passively accepting teacher, text book or internet ideas –
* this means approaching theory through practical activities
and other hands-on experiences –
• Overall my approach is to ‘throw them in at the deep end’
– and watch, advise, correct techniques, suggest, etc. to
help them build expertise and refine their efforts where
necessary – but always with a defined task in view.
* therefore we must develop in our students the practical
skills, the thinking skills, the co-operative group skills,
positive and sensible attitudes to laboratory work and the
confidence to work in this student-centred way and we need
to begin this from day 1 in Year 7.
• This means the tasks must be carefully sequenced to build
on and extend their growing skills and thought needs to
be given as to what – IF ANY – instructions need to be
given and what – IF ANY – specific skills need to be taught
before the activity can be carried out.
• This series of experimental activities is designed to help
students develop the practical skills, thinking skills,
confidence and competence to be able to plan and
carry out experiments, usually in co-operative groups, with
minimal input from the teacher by the end of Term 1/ early
Term 2 Year 7.
• It also means encouraging and helping students to be
explicit about what they have done to carry out the task –
the steps they have taken. If managed well by the teachers,
this will lead to the students working out the steps in the
scientific method, being able to decide whether a ‘fair
test’ is needed, and also working out the best way to write
up what they have done (the scientific report).
• I am working from the belief that the teacher’s role in a
class is not to impart knowledge to students but to devise
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 68 NO 1