Jeralyn T.

Cabalida

BEED Science and Mathematics III

Art of Teaching Science

Reflection

TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR SCIENCE CLASSROOM

Teaching strategies help teacher create a good learning environment for students. Thus, it

helps them to begin understanding the process of learning. Teaching science is very important

since science plays a huge role and part in our daily lives. It is very important that teachers

should create science classroom environment productive and beneficial to the student’s

development because as we know science explain how things works in our society.

Scientific literacy refers to the extent to which people can use science in their daily lives, it is

a person’s understanding of science concepts, phenomena, and processes wherein their ability

will be applied to the knowledge in science. According to Goodrum, Hackling & Rennie,

2001, the attributes of a scientifically literate person are interested in and understand the

world around them, engage in discussions of science matter, are skeptical and questioning of

claims made by others about science, can identify questions, investigate, and use evidence to

conclude, and make informed decisions about the environment and themselves. In scientific

literacy, the teachers should be able to relate science concepts in real-world context that is

meaningful for students. Science is taught in school to promote science literacy, hence, the

shift in focus of what or how we will teach science in the classroom. The major influence of
scientific literacy in teaching science is the shift of the teacher centered to student centered

teaching approaches, this approach revolves around the understanding of how we learn

science. However, we still have things needs to improve on learning, thus, according to

research, there are many limitations on the previous practices. On the other hand, in the

present time the way we view learning has changed and it provides some important insights

into improving teaching strategies needs to apply to provide meaningful and hands-on

learning experiences for students.

Inquiry-based approach is a learning process wherein it engages students through hands-on

learning experiences and making real-world connections through discovery and questioning.

It is an approach to which it encourages students to engage in problem-solving and

experiences. On the other hand, the way we were taught science in school through traditional

approach wherein it was believed that the mind of the students was empty, and the role of the

teacher was to fill it with scientific facts and principles. However, traditional approach of

teaching science is some teachers were failed on discussing scientific ideas and concepts to

students effectively, thus, to instill learnings and knowledge effectively on students about

science, the teachers must create experiences wherein the explanation is based. For effective

and efficient teaching and learning process in science, the teacher should provide experiences

and help students relate to their previous experiences and incorporate it to the new

experiences. The teacher should provide hands-on classroom activities in which it gives

students the opportunity to learn, inquire and investigate scientific facts on their own.

The 5E teaching model includes Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.

According to Rodger Bybee, 5E teaching model provides a carefully planned sequence of

concepts, and relate those understanding to phenomena. I may be using the 5E model as

instruction of making lesson plan, through using this, my instruction will be arranged in

sequence of lessons and activities. My activities in this model should be designed to integrate

science concept into real-world activities, hence, it promotes active learning wherein students

are involved in listening and reading. Thus, it will help students learned to ask questions,

analyze, explain, observe, discuss with evidence, and share their own understanding, and

promotes collaboration, cooperation, and teamwork with peers to acquire scientific

knowledge. In Engage, the students will be focusing on a phenomena, problem, situation, or

event. The activities in this phase are used to create connections to both previous and current

learning experiences. Thus, my role as a teacher in Engage phase is to provide or give

situation, I will specify the educational tasks, and create activities a rules and procedures. In

Explore, the situation or event I give at the previous phase will be explored by allowing my

students to explore its concept in which the students can practice or work with the new

knowledge they learned and apply it in some way. In this phase the students will possibly

discovers answers to the questions. In Explain, my role as a teacher in this phase is to be a

facilitator of learning, wherein they will learn and listen the discussion I will be discussing

such explaining them the answers of the previous activities we make. To measure whether the

students have learned, I might pose questions to them and share what they have learned on

our activity/discussion. If there is misunderstanding on the discussion, I as teacher will clarify

it to them. In Elaborate phase, the students will participate to an extended activity wherein it

provides me a conclusion whether my students understand the concept or not. If not, we can

go back to activity and re discuss it. And the last phase is the Evaluate, since my objectives is

already taught, it is now time for assessment, in which it will give me the result of my
students understanding on our lesson discussion. Thus, it will assess what have the students

effective learned, and what is the action to the lesson they still not able to understand.

The three different lessons/scenarios that I think utilize the use of inquiry-based strategies

are, Project Making, this is where students can work and create their individual projects

making them become independent to their learning. Thus, it will develop students’ creativity

and decision-making skills. Next, a teacher that discusses science ideas and concepts

traditional lesson, but during an inquiry-based lesson the teacher observe that each students

understand the concept differently and show their understanding on the lessons in their own

unique way. Lastly, experimentation during science class wherein the teacher assesses and

facilitate the activity and observing that each of his/her students brainstorm and shares

different ideas and come up with a unique way on conducting the experiment.

The three opportunities where I could collaborate with my colleagues to improve an aspect of

my teaching practice are, first, a focus on student learning, in which we the teachers should

believe that all our students have the capability to learn especially under with our care.

Second, time and support to work together, wherein all teachers should conduct meetings

regularly to plan, discuss, share, and brainstorm on how to improve teaching practices and

reflect on each of our own practices and discuss what should/will be needs to improve and

eliminate our teaching practices. Lastly, initiatives are reviewed over time, this is where we

teachers will review about our discussion on their practices, thus, we should determine the

effective practices and not, and think of another strategy or just improved some of practices

that are already implemented.

were effective for our students. Teachers plays an important role on the child development,

whether the inquiry-based approach arise, we can’t deny that teachers still play important role

in the classroom. Thus, for us to be able to create effective learning environment for students,

we teachers should be knowledgeable and strategic enough for us to instill learnings to them

that is long-termed and beneficial to their future.