Technology & Innovation - Issue 12

The appliance of SCIENCE As any science teacher knows, practical lessons are often challenging, but hugely rewarding – Kit Betts-Masters offers some advice on ensuring yours go without a hitch... 1 4 years ago I was a young, somewhat supercilious teacher in a training session. The Association of Science Education trainer was explaining to us why he’d left teaching after a few difficult years ‘at the coalface’, as he put it. He’d clearly found his calling, because what followed was a considered session, with a clear and actionable message that’s stayed withme throughout my career. (And I’d still maintain that if you ever find yourself lacking enthusiasm, or needing a new spark, enrol yourself on a course from a professional subject body). He asked us: “ Why do we do experiments? ” All kinds of suggestions were put forward by the assembled science teachers – ‘ Engagement! ’ ‘ Additional context! ’ ‘ Better understanding! ’ and so on. Our trainer took those suggestions on board, and then said, “ None of you have said ‘because that’s what science is . ’” Averb and a noun In all honesty, many students think experiments are an easy ride compared to sitting and writing. If you were to ask some of our science students ‘ Why do you enjoy the experiment lessons? ’ they’d probably tell you, ‘ Well – it’s more fun, isn’t it? ’ Tell them they’re doing a practical lesson, and many students will look forward to a bit of downtime whilst something heats up, or some plant starts bubbling. As the teacher, however, you of course know that it won’t be an easy lesson at all. Because experiments are very hard to do well. It’s hard to keep students engaged while ensuring that they’re actually learning something useful. And alongside that are all the usual worries you’ll have around there not being enough time to complete the method, plot the graph, or even pack away in a calm and orderly manner at the end of the lesson. And yet, as our ASE trainer memorably put it, “ Science is as much a verb as it is a noun. In science, experimentation is the process of making new knowledge. ” So how do we get students to understand that? How do we get them to feel like they’re part of that process, and to maybe one day love it? Changing the atmosphere Ask students what science is, and the most common answer you get will be some variation of ‘ Science tries to explain how things work.’ That’s not incorrect per se , but it doesn’t tell the whole story. A useful rephrasing might be, “ Science lets you explain how things work. ” By performing experiments, we’re helping them to model their universe; to make sense of the evidence in front of them. I recommend having a discussion with your classes about what science is, the purposes it serves and the potential science careers they could pursue. When I get that discussion right, the atmosphere of that and future lessons changes. The kids henceforth arrive at the door expecting a lesson that will fascinate them, which makes it a joy to guide them through the material. Pick a time for this discussion when you think they’re ready for it –maybe after completing a practical lesson that they really enjoyed, or as preparation for an important upcoming experiment. Engage themwith the interplay between the process and theory of science, and explain how science isn’t ‘fixed’, but rather seeks evidence, and then uses that evidence to develop models. Explain “Byperforming experiments,we’re helping students to model theiruniverse” 18 teachwire.net