The Science Inquiry Workshop 2008

1. The Science Inquiry Workshop 2008 24th and 25th July 2008 National Institute of Education

2. 3 keynote speakers 1. Prof John Loughran (Australia) • Key points : • Introduced Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) • Consider the big ideas in the teaching of a given topic for a particular grade level • Pupil-directed

3. Able to choose a particular teaching procedure for a particular pedagogic reason linked to the particular content/activity In the nutshell: Professional knowledge is built up from practice

4. Prof Lawrence Bencze • (University of Toronto) • Key points: • Introduced Science Inquiry for the People and the Planet (SIPP) • Assessing inquiry instruction and student performance using STEPWISE (Science & Technology Education Promoting Wellbeing for Individuals, Societies & Environments)

5. Focus: • skills education – develop skills and attitudes • students’ projects – open-ended, student-directed • products education – deep understanding of laws and theories of fields of science and technology • 4. STSE/NoST – help students develop realistic conceptions about the nature of science and technology and about relationships among fields of science & technology and societies and environments

6. A Procedural Appenticeship • Students demonstrate their current skills • Teacher demonstrates new skills • Students practise new skills • Students apply skills in authentic problem solving

7. In the nutshell: • Express skills • Model skills • Practise skills • Apply skills

8. Dr Frances Lawrenz • (University of Minnesota) • Key points: • Using evaluation to support inquiry science • Know the purpose of evaluation • Clarity of assessment for / of inquiry-based teaching and learning

9. In the nutshell: • Develop a school-based plan • Use of different sharing strategies eg individual & group work to model classroom implementation • Determine what techniques you can implement in class • Review assessment for validity • Be a valid assessor ourselves

10. Demonstration: • POE (Predict / Observe / Explain) • Content Processing (Dice)

11. POE Approach

12. POE Approach • Simple but powerful strategy to scaffold inquiry in the Science classroom • Involves ENGAGEMENT, EXPLORATION, EXPLANATION 5E approach to the Learning Cycle : Engage Explore Explain Elaborate Evaluate

13. POE Approach • Predict :forecast of what a future observation might be based on mental models • Questions to ask : “What would happen if…” “What do you think will happen next?”“How will changing Variable A affect Variable B?”

14. POE Approach • Observe : using all senses to obtain information about objects and events noting changes in objects and events noting exceptions and the unexpected • Questions to ask : “What do you notice?” “What changes are there?”“Did you notice anything unusual or unexpected?”

15. POE Approach • Explain : give a reason or make some reference to a theory to account for why or how something happens • Questions to ask : “Why do you think this happened?” “What are some possible reasons for…?”

16. POE Approach A SIMPLE HANDS-ON EXERCISE

17. POE Approach Magnets

18. POE Approach • Predict : - What will happen if a magnet was brought close to a paper clip?- What will happen ifa piece of paper was placed between the magnet and the paper clip? - What will happen if a book was placed between the magnet and the paper clip?

19. POE Approach • Observe • What do you notice? • Did you notice anything unusual or unexpected?

20. POE Approach • Explain • Why do you think this happened?

21. Extension • Are there any other questions that you might possibly ask? • How would you go about finding the answers to your questions?

22. Summary • Content – authentic and real-world • Topic - relevant • Access your prior knowledge • Engage with real examples • Apply our knowledge • Practise metacognition through reflections

23. Thank you