Discovery science
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Swinburne University of Technology *
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Course
30011
Subject
Communications
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
6
Uploaded by HighnessProton10072
Discovering Science.
EDU30011
Tyler-maree Groch
101889530
Assignment 1A: Essay.
Word count: 1424
Science within education plays a significate role in the lives of students. Science encourages students to investigate and explore the world around them and to develop many important skills. This essay will explore and examine the important role that teachers play in supporting and promoting the students’ curiosities and development of these concepts. It will also examine how Science helps students to develop skills necessary in the 21
st
century, these skills being critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, creative thinking, comprehension, and collaboration. The
development of these skills becomes more important as they explore and this can provide the level of each individuals level of comprehension and interact within the world. Science includes many aspects of the modern world and directly links to the students every day lives. Teachers play a large part in the student’s educational journey and learning across the course of their science schooling. Developing positive relationships between teachers and students significantly impacts the engagement of pupils in rich science experiences (Fraser 1995). This idea is also supported by Lev Vygotsky’s Socio-cultural theory that promotes collaboration with others on a person’s ability to work towards and accomplish goals to further develop their higher order of function (Vygotsky,1978). Teachers nurture a student’s capacity to develop their understanding, query and investigate the world in which they live through teacher lead modeling. Teachers who role-model positive approaches toward science tend to create a more positive and enthusiastic environment for the students. Principles in practice such as ‘More Knowledgeable Other’ (MKO) and ‘Zone of Proximal Development’ (ZPD) used the students to role-model appropriate behaviors and used prompting language during their exchanges, supporting the students to implement their own curiosities and investigate these concepts (Scott & Palincscar, 2013). Additionally, implementing this principle alongside a child-centered style supports the combination of the students’ observations and interest into the learning (Fergusson and Fraser,1998). This is evident in the Australian Curriculum; Science which splits the main concepts of science education and learning before inserting them into leaning experiences. It conveys supports for the importance of embedding
student-centered investigations-based pedagogies. The Australian Curriculum Science rationale: students show more pleasure when discovering scientific theories in a cooperative environment (ACARA, 2018). Inquiry-based pedagogies often incorporate hands-on-learning. The
concept of ‘hands-on, minds-on’ learning emphasizes the link between hands-on learning and students being actively engaged in the experience.
Utilizing this and incorporating hands-on learning experiences within a classroom provide students with the opportunity to be fully engaged in their learning, encouraging, and promoting creativity in problem-solving and promoting individualism (Shymansky & Penick,1981). Rutherford
(1993) advocates that there are many benefits to effectively implementing hand-on approaches to learning experiences as become more actively engaged in their learning, bearing greater outcomes. This is also supported by Tobin (1990) who stated that students gain more and knowledge and understanding through hands-on learning experiences. The 5Es Instructional Model is important for the teaching of science within education, developed by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) (Bybee, 2006). The 5Es involves five phases that are used within learning: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation. Teachers utilize this model to plan to learn materials and learning experiences with comprehensible instructions to support students’ learning and development. The most noticeable variation between BSCS model and other models is that the 5Es identifies the significance of using the student’s previous knowledge and understanding to build and engage them in future learning content.
The term ‘21
st
Century skills’ describes the abilities that are viewed to be necessary for students to develop to function and thrive within the modern society (Rich, 2010). Effective implementation of the science curriculum can provide the foundations for growth and development within the 21
st
century. These skills are categorized into 6 different areas: Critical thinking including problem solving and evaluation, creative thinking, collaboration and teamwork, communication, personal and social
skills, and information and communication technologies (ICT) (QCAA, 2017). These skills and concepts support the development of students to be prepared and ready for the future and every growing community, but also provide the students with the life skills that will allow them to actively
contribute to the world around them and drive them to success. The Australian Curriculum: Science grants students to gain the perception of essential scientific principles. The curriculum encourages the students to explore and gain an understanding of scientific knowledge, understanding, and the skills needed to make educational decisions in regard to location, national, and global problems (ACARA, 2018). Science is placed into 3 combined sections of the Australian Curriculum, Science comprehension, science as a human endeavor, and science investigation skills (ACARA,2018). The Australian Curriculum advocates and promotes the teaching of sciences through the uses of investigations-based pedagogy, established by the Australian Curriculum Science rational; Students develop the skills needed to make informed choices about home-
grown, national, and global issues for which they have a individual link with (ACARA,2018). Furthermore, when students explore science, they learn much more, they can progress their skills in ICT and develop skills in collaboration and communication.
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To be a successful teacher, you need to trust in yourself, be confident in your ability to teach and deliver it in a way that will help the students to gain understanding (Skamp & Preston, 2017). In a 21
st
century classrooms teachers must educate for a wide range of abilities and careers, to for teachers to do this they must create and develop learning materials and learning spaces that will promote and support a wide range of abilities. Today’s teachers are more than just teachers, they are the architects of learning that are accountable for the environment that they create within their learning environments. They also be able to collaborate, respect mixed learning abilities and continuously think of ways to be creative and bring an engaging environment for the students. This environment needs to be stimulating, foster creativity, teamwork, collaboration, and critical thinking (Harlen,2018).
Today science knowledge and skills are important to the function of a society. It is becoming increasingly evident that we are becoming more dependent on scientific research and innovations throughout a wide range
of sectors, primarily in technology and medicine (Hodson,2006). A significant part of the science teachers’ job is to foster the student’s understanding of scientific literacy skills and understanding of the scientific concepts within the real world. It can be debated that this can be
developed when teachers and students combine scientific concepts and 21
st
century skills. In order to do this, teachers need to implement real world examples into their teaching and classrooms, such as the effects of weather and the environment (Harlen, 2018). Students benefit from developing their knowledge and understanding of scientific literacies in several ways, they are more likely to process more in depth understanding
of the world in which they live. This provides the students with more employability as they are better prepared for the 21
st
century with the skills needed. A student’s individual level of scientific literacy also alters their decision making, such as their ability to make informed health decisions.
To summarize, science within education is substantially beneficial to the lives of the students as it helps students develop their understanding, knowledge and skills needed to succeed in an ever-evolving future. Teachers play a vital role in the education and lives of their students; they provide assistance and guidance through modeling their own enthusiasm for science. The Australian curriculum provides the foundations for teachers, supporting them to develop both scientific literacy and 21
st
century skills. Teaching science in the early childhood years of schooling helps to build the foundations of a students ability to become an active and knowledgeable learner and participant of today and future communities.
References
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2018a). Australian Curriculum:
F–10 curriculum: Science v.8.4. https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10- curriculum/science.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2018). Australian Curriculum: Science https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/science/rationale/
Fazzino, E. (2017). The Skills of the 21st Century. https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/sciencecommunication/2017/08/10/the-skills-of-the-21stcentury-
emma-fazzino/ Harlen, W. (2018). The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools.
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/swin/reader.action?docID=5331753
Koch, J. (2013). Locating your scientific self. Science stories, science methods for elementary and middle school teachers. http://commons.swinburne.edu.au/file/50572978-906c-412b-adc3- 5d0288725960/1/99331942116.pdf National Science Teaching Association. (2011). Quality Science Education and 21st- Century Skills. https://www.nsta.org/nstas-official-positions/quality-scienceducation-and-21st-century-skills Skamp, K. & Preston, C. (2017). Teaching Primary science Constructively. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/swin/reader.action?docID=5474381&ppg=26
Wallace, C. (2014). Overview of the Role of Teacher Beliefs in Science Education. https://brill.com/view/book/edcoll/978462095571/BP000003.xm
Worth, K. (2010). Science in Early Childhood Classroom: Content and Process.https://ecrp.illinois.edu/beyond/seed/worth.htm
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EDU30011_A1_Essay.pdf.pdf
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