A Possible Theoretical Motivation for Inquiry Type Learning and Primary Science?

1. A Possible Theoretical Motivation for Inquiry Type Learning and Primary Science? Sven-Olof Holmgren Zlatibor, Serbia 2005-6-13

2. What is Science? Knowledge and research about the material world! What is not Science? Are there immaterial objects? Yes of course!” eg. Music! Eternal questions: What? How? Why?

3. Inventions Eternal questions Answers desire, might, consciousness, religion,values, politics, art, values … Democracy humanities, social science ... What? matter astronomy physics chemistry biology ... technology ... Science methods How? forces Why?

4. Start from a theory Revise the theory Deduction Fits! Induction Deduce consequences Does not fit! Perform experiments and observations Central in empiricalScience methodology Nobody, so far , has been able to describe or formalize the theory building process!

5. How does a human conscious and brain start to work? • The eternal questions • How do children do it? • The theory-theory!

8. Conclusions: • Children develop, themselves, with the help of adults, an intuitive “theory” of the material world and … • communication skills both socially and with spoken language

9. It seems … “we were designed with a theorizing drive and that explanation is a symptom o f that drive in action.” ”From an evolutionary point of view we might suggest that explanations is to cognition as orgasm (or at least the male orgasm) is to reproduction.” From ”Words Thoughts and Theories” by Alison Gopnick och Andrew N. Meltzoff, p38

10. “Adult scientists take advantage of the natural human capacities that let children learn so much so quickly.” “It’s not that children are little scientists but that scientists are big children.” From ”THE SCIENTIST IN THE CRIB” by Alison Gopnik, Andrew N. Meltzoff och Patricia K. Kuhl, p9.

11. Some Science history • When did we, homo sapiens sapiens appear? • About 150 000 years ago • When was the Science methodology invented? • The Greeks made a big contribution… • Continuation (and completion) came 2000 years later during the renaissance, about 1540-1670

12. 150 000 years ago Theory centre? Why did it take 149 600 years for adults to invent the methods we all use as new born kids?

13. So, how do adult scientists do? • Like children but with … • instruments, • mathematics and • intentional methods!

14. Scientific instruments extend the natural senses • Sometimes we get cheated by our senses! • Science is often contra intuitive! • Increased extension of observation • Increased precision • Absolute measurements - units

17. Try to count the number of times the balls are bouncing on the floor!

18. Did you see the gorilla?

19. Scientific instruments extend the natural senses • Sometimes we get cheated by our senses! • Science is often contra intuitive! • Increased extension of observation • Increased precision • Absolute measurements - units

21. Scientific instruments extend the natural senses • Sometimes we get cheated by our senses! • Science is often contra intuitive! • Increased extension of observation • Increased precision • Absolute measurements - units

22. Eye, microscope, accelerator, CERN • An accelerator can be conceived as a gigantic microscope • In quantum mechanics all articles are associated with a wave • The wave length is inversely proportional to the particle energy • The higher the energy of the particle the smaller is the object that can be “seen”

26. So, what have we learnt about fundamental matter and forces? • After 50 years of Particle Physics we know quite a lot: • The Standard Model • Higgs-mechanism (no Higgs-particle yet though!) • But ...

27. Quantum mechanics Chemistry Explains the periodic system (atoms) Great progress in the period 1924-1950! Subatomic Particle Physics Quantum field theory Explains the new table of fundamental particles and forces (quarks, leptons and field particles) Great progress during last three decades!

28. New ‘Periodic’ Table Answer to Chemistry: Standard Modelof Table represents remarkable progress in fundamental particle physics

29. Quarks - subatomic length scale today is about 10-18 meter ie 0, 000 000 000 000 000 001 meter Man- length scale is about 1 meter Universe - has a size about 13.7 billion light years = 1023 meter, ie ca 100 000 000 000 000 000 000 meter

30. Particles, the origin of the universe and its development

31. Big - bang cosmology together with the Standard Model provide tools to describe the origin of the universe:

32. Is there more? Andromeda galaxy

34. COBE-satelite 1992 WMAP-satelite Februari 2003

37. Total Energy of the Universe : Normal matter - atoms ~ 4 % Dark matter (unknown origin) ~ 23 % Dark energy (unknown origin) ~ 73 % Waiting for Particle Physics explanation!

38. How will we understand what is missing? New experiments and instruments!

40. Challenging goal in compulsory school:“allstudents should achieve scientific literacy” How? Start early in school - Primary Science! Work with experiments - Inquiry!

41. The term inquiry can be used in two ways, • The abilitiesstudentsshould develop to be able to design and conduct scientific investigations and the understandingthey should gain about scientific inquiry • The teaching and learning strategies that enable scientific concepts to be mastered through investigations. Inquiry type education is drawing connections between learning science, learning to do science and learning about science.

42. Two kinds of learning?Alison Gopnik, NYT, Jan 16, 2005 • Inquiry type learning (and coaching) seems to be engraved in our genes by evolution. Call that discovery learning • Reading, writing and math are late inventions on an evolutionary time scale. Too late in order to have changed our biology. • Reading, writing and formal math have to be taught and trained in order to be mastered. Call that mastery learning

43. Two kinds of learning? cont … • General mastering of reading, writing and math is necessary to control a modern society. Hence today virtually all organised countries have compulsory school. • Mastery learning is dull in itselfand needs motivation. Look at sports and games!

44. Compulsory school • Practical professions were (some still are) learned and taught in direct apprenticeship between a master and one or a few learners in a craft-guild • This organisation takes full advantage of our naturally engraved skills to imitate and also to coach a learner in close contact • This organisation is unfortunately not practical in compulsory school which implies mass education

45. Compulsory school cont … • However, for reading, writing and math in primary school the teacher is always a “natural master”, even if best practice has to be learnt • For science in primary school none of those necessary conditions for “apprentice learning” can easily be achieved in practice • Fortunately enough skills for scientific type “discovery learning” seem to be naturally engraved in all of us by evolution

46. Conclusions • Enquiry type education is a way to exploit these natural skills and support both students and teachers to achieve discovery learning • Enquiry can then also contribute to the motivation and practice for mastery learning of reading, writing and math.

47. “One of the only two articles that remain in my creed of life is that the future of our civilization depends upon the widening spread, and deepening hold, of the scientific habit of mind; and that the problem in our education is therefore to discover how to mature and make effective this scientific habit” John Dewey, more than hundred years ago!