FACULTY OF EDUCATION

ED260

EDU555
CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION

ASSIGNMENT: Article Review

(The effective science pedagogy)

PREPARED BY:

NORBAITI BINTI MOHD ROSDI

(2014823034)

PREPARED FOR:

MR HISYAM BIN MOHAMAD ISMAIL

SUBMISSION DATE:

12th MAY 2016

The article Learning What It Takes to Teach Science: High School Students as
Science Teachers for Middle School Students was written by Regina E. Toolin. The article
was published on 2003 in Journal of Science Education and Technology. Basically, this
article was about a programme between high school and middle school students from six
different districts in Suffolk County, New York. This programme was held on summer season
(Sept-Nov 2009) at St. Johns University Oakdale Campus. The main objectives of this
programme are to increase the passion of learning science and make science teaching
profession as one of career path after graduate among students. This programme contains
two major phases. The first phase, high schools students were introduced to investigative
science adventure which include environmental, forensic, and other branches of science and
then they learned about effectual science approaches to teach science. For the second
phase, high schools students will be a science instructor or tutor teaching the middle school
students or known as practicum session; including preparing lesson plan as a guide for them
to teach. Based on my reading, I literally attracted with the approaches that have been used
by the high school students to teach science to the middle school students. I generally agree
with the approaches that have been used as I discovered that the approaches should be
used in teaching science as we all knew that science is a complicated subject and it is not
easy to teach science and making students understand. Apart from that, the methods that
have been used also emphasize on student-centred learning rather than teacher-centred.
For me, student-centred learning can enhance students learning experience as compared to
teacher-centred learning it is because I think that if we are the one who experience the
science learning by ourselves it is better rather than teachers giving lecture or learn theory
only in the class. In general, the three approaches that I have mentioned before are handson learning, inquiry-based learning and real-science investigation learning which have
been used by the high schools students in that programme.

In this article, most of the high school students agree that hands-on learning should
be used in teaching science for the middle school students (E. Toolin, 2003). According to
Flick (1993) as cited in (Haury & Rillero, 1994), hands-on learning is an activity where
students are actively participating in handling tools or things in learning something. In my
opinion, this method can stimulate students to learn science in fascinating ways and could
excite the students to learn science more. We can see that teachers often to teach the
theory instead of let the students explore the science making them feel bored in the class
and making them think that science subject is not interesting at all and complicated
compared to other subjects. Apart from gaining knowledge by learning theory in the class
only, students should be exposed to explore and experienced science by themselves.
According to an interview, in order to build up science friendly surroundings, variety
classroom activities and instructional modes should be added (Fitzgerald, Dawson &
Hackling, 2009). I think if this kind of approach been implemented in science class, we can
change the perception of the students about science subject. For example, PrISMa. I have
experienced PrISMa programme and I realize that all the activities conducted were actually
hands-on activities and I have seen that all the students felt happy in learning science and
mathematics and they also grasp that basically science and mathematics actually related
with their daily life.
Next, the middle school students prefer inquiry-based experience in learning science.
Inquiry-based learning is where a student creates their own understanding instead of being
passive recipient in classroom (Driver 1981; Fensham 1992) as cited in (alik, Kolomu &
Karaglge, 2010). Personally, I do agree with this method where it could help in producing
more constructivist students rather than passive students in class. Besides, this way of
learning prevent students from keep memorizing without knowing what they learned as this
method require students to be active contributors to their own learning experience. I think it
is more effective for their understanding in learning science because this kind of method
requisite more effort from the student itself without too depends on teacher in learning.

Furthermore, it is also developing two ways communication between students and teacher in
which teacher act as facilitator that provide guidance to the students. It is supported by
Darby (2005), the way the teacher teaches can help the students to have their own
perception on the lesson.
The last approach is engaging students with real-science investigation. In school, we
have a lab session but for me it is not enough to make the students feel the real-science
because we only have limited time in school. This method actually presenting students to the
idea of to do science rather than what is science. From my point of view, it can increase
students enthusiasm and deeper interest in discover science. For an instance, a teacher
can create science project competition. It is not only discovering science but feel the magical
of science itself. In addition, students usually hate science subject so this approach can
eliminate perception that subject science is boring and enhance students to love science
lesson.
So, the audiences now have an idea about effective science pedagogy that should be
used in teaching science. In the Q&A session one of the audiences is chosen to give opinion
or asking me a question. Then, she give her opinion that she agree with what I have
presented about, she said that student-centred learning is better than teacher-centred
because it can makes the students actively participate in the class so that they will be more
understand about the lesson rather than listen to their teacher only.
In conclusion, basically all the approaches that I have mentioned are student-centred.
So, as future teachers or senior teachers should not only depend on only one approach to
teach science and need to be more creative in creating new paradigm for science pedagogy
so that we enable to grab students attention in class and avoid them being bored in class
especially when learning science. The mentality of a teacher as sage on the stage should be
replaced to guide on the side.

REFERENCES
alik, M., Kolomu, A., & Karaglge, Z. (2010). The effect of conceptual change pedagogy
on students conceptions of rate of reaction. Journal of Science Education and
Technology, 19(5), 422-433.
Darby, L. (2005). Science students' perceptions of engaging pedagogy.Research in Science
Education, 35(4), 425-445.
Fitzgerald, A., Dawson, V., & Hackling, M. (2009). Perceptions and pedagogy: Exploring the
beliefs and practices of an effective primary science teacher. Teaching
Science, 55(3), 19-22. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezaccess.library.uitm.edu.my/docview/207199881?
accountid=42518
Haury, D. L., & Rillero, P. (1994). Perspectives of Hands-On Science Teaching.
Toolin, R. E. (2003). Learning what it takes to teach science: high school students as science
teachers for middle school students. Journal of Science Education and
Technology, 12(4), 457-469.